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Series Code: AFBA
Program Code: AFBA022219S
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00:00 (upbeat music)
00:03 - [Announcer] It is the best selling book in history. 00:05 No volume ever written has been more loved and quoted. 00:09 And its words, sometimes simple and sometimes mysterious, 00:13 should always be studied carefully. 00:16 It is the Bible. The Word of God. 00:19 Welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 00:22 Providing accurate and practical answers 00:25 to all your Bible questions. 00:28 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 00:31 To receive any of the Bible resources 00:33 mentioned in this broadcast, 00:35 call 800-835-6747. 00:39 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 00:45 Now here's your host from Amazing Facts International, 00:48 Pastor Jean Ross. 00:50 - Hello friends, this is Pastor Jean Ross. 00:51 Pastor Doug is out this evening, 00:53 but you are listening 00:54 to Amazing Facts "Bible Answers Live". 00:57 And how about an amazing fact? 01:00 Your brain, which weighs about three pounds 01:02 and makes up less than 2% of your body's weight, 01:04 uses 20% of your body's energy and oxygen. 01:09 And that's for good reason. 01:10 Your brain contains more than 400 miles of blood vessels 01:13 bringing nutrients to some 86 billion cells. 01:17 The amount of sight, sounds, smells, 01:19 and other bits of sensory information 01:20 that flood into your brain each millisecond is dazzling. 01:24 An ordinary person 01:25 has about 50,000 conscious thoughts each day. 01:28 There's an average of 100,000 chemical changes 01:31 in your brain every second. 01:33 No wonder your brain feels exhausted 01:35 at the end of a long day. 01:36 And if you think you're in control of all of your decisions, 01:39 well, think again. 01:41 About 95% of your decisions 01:43 are made at the subconscious level, 01:46 often processed by vast amounts of information 01:49 stored in your memory files. 01:51 Then there is the second brain, your intestines, 01:54 which contain 100,000 neuron processing, 01:57 30 essential neurotransmitters, 02:00 along with what's called the happy molecule, serotonin. 02:04 That's probably why some decisions 02:06 are referred to as a gut reaction. 02:10 The ability of the human brain to store information 02:12 is also astounding. 02:14 At the Northwest University in Illinois, 02:16 research psychologists estimated that the average brain 02:20 can store 2.5 million gigabytes of data. 02:24 This means that all the information 02:25 that enters the brain is never erased. 02:28 The problem is not storing the information, 02:31 but recalling it at the right time. 02:33 Although the brain is amazingly complex and powerful, 02:36 it is also very fragile. 02:38 Even the most brilliant minds can experience disease, 02:41 memory loss, depression, and dementia. 02:44 In many cases, distorted memories, 02:46 both conscious and unconscious, 02:48 can cause physical and emotional distress. 02:51 We might wish that some of our memories 02:53 could be erased like a computer's hard drive, 02:56 but these memories are hardwired in forever. 03:00 What we need is a new software program, so to speak, 03:04 to help us filter past experiences through new perspectives. 03:08 Well, God offers just such a program in the Bible. 03:12 Energized by the Holy Spirit 03:15 and equipped with the truth of scripture, 03:17 we can reinterpret everything that we experience 03:20 from a biblical perspective, 03:22 leading to a healthier way of thinking. 03:25 The saying is true, unless we change our minds, 03:29 nothing else changes. 03:31 Well, friends, we are glad that you have tuned in 03:33 for this edition of "Bible Answers Live." 03:35 And if you have a Bible-related question, 03:38 the number to call, our phone lines are open, 03:40 is 800-463-7297. 03:43 That is the phone line 03:45 if you have a Bible-related question. 03:47 We'll be also giving you another number, 800-835-6747, 03:51 and that is our resource phone line, 03:53 and we'll be handing out some free material 03:55 to help you in your study of God's Word. 03:59 Well, we opened the program talking about the human brain, 04:02 and we read the verse in Roman 12:2 04:05 that says we are not to be conformed to the world, 04:07 but be transformed through our mind, 04:10 through what we read, what we think about, 04:13 by filling our mind with spiritual truth. 04:16 We have a free offer that we'd like to make available 04:18 to anyone who calls and asks. 04:20 It is actually a book written by Pastor Doug 04:22 entitled: "Who Do You Think You Are?" 04:25 And this is our free gift to anyone. 04:27 All you have to do is just call and ask for it. 04:29 The number to call is 800-835-6747, 04:33 and you can ask for the book, "Who Do You Think You Are?" 04:36 and we'll be happy to send that 04:37 to anyone here in North America. 04:39 If you're listening outside of North America, 04:42 just visit the Amazing Facts website, 04:44 just amazingfacts.org, 04:46 and you'll be able to read the book there online 04:48 and get more information about how you can maybe get 04:51 a digital copy of the book, "Who Do You Think You Are?" 04:55 Well, before we go to the phone lines, 04:57 we recognize that the Bible is God's book, 04:59 and so we need this Spirit to guide us as we study. 05:02 So let's have a word of prayer. 05:04 Dear Lord, we are grateful for the opportunity that we have 05:06 to open up Your Word and study together. 05:08 And Father, we recognize that it's your Holy Spirit 05:12 that leads us into a clear 05:13 and full understanding of the Bible, 05:15 and so we ask the Spirit to be with us, 05:17 be with those who are listening wherever they might be, 05:19 and lead us into a clearer understanding of the Bible. 05:22 For we ask this in Jesus name, amen. 05:26 Well, we're gonna go to the phone lines. 05:28 Our first caller that we have is calling Jason from Florida. 05:32 Jason, welcome to the program. 05:34 - [Jason] Thanks for taking my call. 05:37 My question for tonight is, 05:41 is it possible for someone who desires salvation 05:46 but doesn't necessarily have a sincere, 05:50 genuine desire for God Himself, 05:53 is it possible for that person to actually be able 05:58 to seek God with all of their hearts? 06:00 And the reason why I am asking this 06:03 is because I'm not exactly right with God 06:07 and I've been asking for repentance 06:10 for months and months now, 06:11 but I have yet to receive repentance 06:14 and I have yet to find God, and maybe it has to do, 06:21 because I'm just not as earnest or diligent as I should be, 06:24 because this is a matter of life or death, 06:28 but it just seems like I don't really desire God 06:32 and surely I just want to not go to hell. 06:38 - Well, you know, I think that's a starting point, Jason. 06:41 That's not the ultimate reason why we wanna serve God 06:44 is just so that we can live forever 06:45 and we don't wanna be destroyed in the fires of hell, 06:48 but that's definitely a starting point 06:50 because the Bible is filled with warnings. 06:52 So warning people to turn away from their sinful acts, 06:57 from their sinful attitudes. 06:59 That is true, you mentioned that God is the one 07:01 that gives us repentance, and we ought to ask for that. 07:04 We can say, Lord, please give me that deep, 07:06 sincere repentance. 07:09 But in addition to asking, 07:10 there are some practical things that we can actually do 07:13 to help God in bringing about 07:17 that experience of genuine repentance. 07:19 For one, we wanna start filling our mind 07:21 with spiritual truth. 07:24 There might be some things in our life 07:25 that we are very much aware of that is causing a hindrance 07:29 in our spiritual life. 07:31 And we need to take the first step and say, 07:33 Lord, I'm gonna set this aside. 07:35 Maybe there's some things that have to be thrown away. 07:38 Maybe we need to change some habits in our life. 07:41 Maybe even change some relationships. 07:43 Maybe we're hanging around the wrong crowd. 07:46 We need to make that first step. 07:48 The Bible speaks about bringing forth fruits of repentance. 07:53 There is something that we can do. 07:55 Recognizing that it's God that works in us 07:57 to give us that sincere repentance, 08:00 but we also have a work to do in laying aside 08:03 those things that we're aware of. 08:05 And starting to seek a spiritual interaction. 08:11 Attend church regularly, get involved in Bible study, 08:14 get involved in prayer, do everything you can 08:16 to grow spiritually, 08:18 and then make those changes in your life 08:20 that the holy spirit might be convicting you on. 08:23 Does that make sense, Jason? 08:25 - [Jason] Yes, it absolutely does. 08:27 Thank you. - Absolutely. 08:28 Well, I think that's a good start 08:29 and thank you for your question. 08:31 It's an important question. 08:32 Next caller that we have is Rami listening from Florida. 08:36 Rhamie, welcome to the program. 08:40 - [Rhamie] Yes. Hi. 08:41 Thank you for taking my call. 08:44 Actually I have two questions. 08:46 The first one, is it lawful to do exams on Saturday, 08:53 which that's the only time the exam is scheduled, 08:56 as well as going to the gym? 09:00 The second question is, 09:02 is it acceptable to cut the relationship 09:09 with a close family member which is causing me physical harm 09:15 to the point that I had to go to the hospital? 09:17 It's not physical abuse, but it's emotional abuse. 09:22 That is the two questions I have. 09:24 - Okay, well, let's take them one at a time. 09:26 Let's start with the second 09:27 and then we'll work our way to the first. 09:29 So the second question you're asking is, 09:31 what are we doing in a family relationship 09:33 where somebody is abusing us, 09:36 maybe emotionally or physically? 09:39 There are some of course situations like that. 09:42 I think the first thing we want to do is do the best we can 09:45 to try and restore the relationship. 09:47 But a relationship is two-way, 09:48 so you need to have the person respond. 09:52 If you're in a dangerous situation 09:54 or it's affecting your health, there's nothing wrong 09:57 in putting some distance or some separation 10:00 between you and the one that is causing that stress. 10:03 Hopefully it's just temporary and the relationship 10:06 can be restored, but you wanna make sure that physically 10:10 and as far as health goes, 10:13 you need to take care of yourself. 10:15 But you also wanna do everything you can to try and restore 10:18 and build that relationship. 10:21 Maybe pray for them, maybe that's all you can do 10:23 depending upon the situation, but at least you can pray, 10:25 try and be a positive example. 10:27 But you don't always have to be around that person 10:29 that keeps adding additional stress to your life. 10:33 And that's where you need to pray for guidance 10:35 to help guide you in that situation. 10:38 Does, does that make sense, Rhamie? 10:40 - [Rhamie] Yes. Yes. 10:41 I tried a lot, but it seems like 10:44 that door is totally closed. 10:48 To the point I literally had to get admit to the hospital. 10:54 It's becoming really dangerous. 10:56 - Right. 10:58 No, God doesn't want us to put ourselves 10:59 in a dangerous situation. 11:00 There are times where the best you can do for a person 11:03 in relationship is pray for them 11:05 and just pray that the Lord would speak to their hearts 11:07 and soften their hearts 11:09 so that they might be open down the line 11:12 and live a good life, be the best example 11:15 of a Christian that you can. 11:17 Well, the second part of the question you asked 11:18 has to do with doing an exam on the Sabbath day. 11:22 - [Rhamie] Yes, Saturday. 11:24 - Sure. The Bible gives us the principle of the Sabbath. 11:26 You find it all the way back in Genesis. 11:28 Genesis 2:1 talks about God creating the earth 11:32 in sixth days and then He rested on the seventh day, 11:34 and therefore He blessed the Sabbath day 11:36 and He set it apart. 11:37 So the seventh day, the Sabbath, is set apart 11:40 from all of the other days of the week. 11:42 It is a memorial of God's creative work. 11:45 It's an opportunity for us to focus our attention on Him, 11:48 to lay aside our secular labors, our own pursuits. 11:53 They might not be bad, not in and of themself, 11:56 but on the Sabbath, we lay that aside and we focus on God, 11:59 we gather for corporate worship. 12:01 So there are situations that come along 12:02 where somebody might have to take an exam, 12:04 or maybe there is something they have to do for work. 12:07 The first thing you wanna do is ask for an exemption 12:10 because it is your Sabbath. 12:11 And I know many times where I've actually, as a pastor, 12:15 written a letter for one of the members of the church 12:18 who are asking for some type of accommodation at work 12:22 because of their belief, wanting to keep the Sabbath. 12:26 And we do everything we can to assist that. 12:28 And most times you'll find that colleges or universities 12:33 or works, they will try to accommodate you. 12:35 If you're a good employee, if you're a good student, 12:37 they'll try and work with you. 12:38 But what do you do if they refuse to work with you 12:41 and they refuse to accommodate? 12:43 Well, I think it's one of those things that we as Christians 12:46 need to make a stand for. 12:47 It's like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego 12:49 on the plain of Dura 12:50 when the king commanded everyone to bow down 12:52 to the golden image. 12:54 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego 12:55 had already made up their minds 12:57 that they weren't going to violate 12:59 one of the 10 commandments. 13:00 Even if it meant going to the fiery furnace. 13:03 And they stood firm and they trusted in God 13:05 and God delivered them. 13:07 So there are times where we do everything we can, 13:11 but at the end of the day, 13:12 we just turn ourselves over to God and say, 13:14 Lord, I'm gonna stand for what I know to be true, 13:16 please help, please intervene. 13:18 And we trust Him to work things out. 13:21 But we don't wanna compromise 13:22 when it comes to doing something 13:24 that we know God does not want us to do. 13:26 How can God bless us if we are going to violate 13:29 one if His clear commandments? 13:31 So in that case, I would say, no, 13:33 stand on what you know to be right, 13:35 stand upon the Bible truth, 13:37 place it in God's hands, trust in Him, 13:39 and let God work that out. 13:41 We've got Anthony listening in New York. 13:43 Anthony, welcome to "Bibles Answers Live." 13:47 - [Anthony] Hello, Pastor, how are you doing this evening? 13:49 - Doing very well. Thank you. 13:52 - [Anthony] Good. Good. 13:53 My question is, 13:57 well, at first I really didn't have a Bible verse 14:00 to go with it, but I think Amos 3:7 14:05 kind of suits the question I have and it says, 14:08 "Surely the Lord, God will do nothing, 14:11 but He revealeth His secret unto His servant the prophets." 14:16 I know there's a lot of craziness 14:19 going on in the world today. 14:20 And I know we look in Matthew chapter 24 14:24 and Daniel and Revelation 14:26 and we see the different prophecies that were foretold 14:31 of what's going to happen in the last days. 14:35 But then a lot of times people look at the things 14:38 that the Lord has revealed to us 14:42 either through the spirit of prophecy or through His Word 14:47 as conspiracy theories or whatever. 14:52 Obviously you wanna stay away from conspiracy theories, 14:54 but we know that there's an ultimate conspirator, 14:57 which is Satan. 14:58 So my question is, where do we draw the line 15:01 between conspiracy theory and stand firm on prophecy 15:06 and what has been prophesied? 15:08 - Okay, good question. 15:11 The Bible tells us, 15:11 and there's a principle that we find, 15:13 well, several that we find. 15:14 First of all, to the law and to the testimony, 15:15 if they speak not according to this, 15:17 there is no light in them. 15:18 So anybody that has a theory or an idea, 15:21 it needs to be in harmony with the scripture. 15:24 But then when it comes to prophecy, 15:25 there's a lot of different interpretations of prophecy. 15:28 And the verse that comes to mind is 2 Peter 1:20 15:32 where Peter says, "Knowing this first that no prophecy 15:35 of the scripture is for any private interpretation." 15:39 Now, what that means is, 15:40 it's not for us to take a verse or scripture, 15:42 to pick a passage in Revelation or in Daniel and say, 15:46 well, this means this or this symbol 15:49 is identifying this power. 15:51 We can't do that. 15:53 What we have to do is allow the Bible to interpret itself. 15:56 And so when it comes to the different symbols 15:58 and the different powers 16:00 that are working in the last days 16:02 to bring about end-time events, 16:03 we need to make sure that we allow the Bible 16:05 to interpret itself. 16:06 And the Bible give us a number of clues 16:08 as to who the big players are, so to speak, 16:11 in end time events. 16:12 You go to Revelation chapter 13, 16:14 you have one beast that comes up from the sea, 16:16 you have another beast that comes up from the earth. 16:19 You parallel that with what we read in Revelation chapter 17 16:23 and some other passages in Daniel, Daniel 7, 16:26 makes it very clear that the key players 16:29 at the end of time is a religious system, 16:30 we know that as the papacy. 16:32 We know the United States plays a very significant role, 16:35 that is the second beast of Revelation chapter 13. 16:38 So when it comes to understanding these end time events, 16:40 we always have to filter it through what the Bible says 16:44 and allowing the Bible to interpret itself. 16:47 That's one principle. 16:48 The second principle we need to ask is, 16:50 well, what's the point of this theory or this idea? 16:54 Does it lead to repentance or is it just a sensational idea? 16:59 Why is somebody promoting it? 17:01 Does it lead to holiness? 17:02 Does it lead to a clear understanding of Bible truth? 17:06 What about the fruits of the life 17:08 of the person that is promoting it? 17:10 We also need to bear in mind that if somebody 17:12 has genuine truth, usually it's revealed 17:16 through multiple individuals, it's not just one person. 17:20 The Bible speaks about, 17:21 in the mouth of two or three witnesses, 17:23 every truth is to be established. 17:24 So it's not just one Bible verse, 17:26 it's multiple Bible verses. 17:28 I would be leery of somebody who comes up 17:30 with something totally different from everybody else 17:33 and he claims to have some special revelation from God 17:37 and He believes this is the message 17:38 that the world needs to hear right now, 17:40 and you don't see that in scripture. 17:42 I would be very leery of that. 17:44 - [Anthony] Yes, that's very helpful. Thank you. 17:47 I just take it as the word of God is the Bible. 17:50 - It's gotta be tested with the Word of God, absolutely. 17:53 - [Anthony] Yes. Thank you very much, Pastor. 17:55 - All right. Thanks for your call, Anthony. 17:56 We've got Dennis listening in South Carolina. 17:59 Dennis, welcome to the program. 18:02 - [Dennis] Hey, Pastor Ross, how are you? 18:03 - Doing well, thank you. 18:06 - [Dennis] All right. 18:08 My question is pertaining to, I guess, 18:11 because we are living in the last days 18:14 and there is an awakening, spiritual awakening, 18:18 especially for the Jewish people, 18:21 there's this organization, if I may, called One for Israel, 18:26 and it seems like there's a lot of Israeli Jews 18:30 that are starting to accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah. 18:36 Is that something that is prophesied in the Bible 18:38 as maybe that being part of the remnant church? 18:41 And is there anything that maybe Amazing Facts is doing 18:46 or will do in the future maybe to help promote 18:50 and get this gospel, especially the new Testament out 18:53 to God's people? 18:56 - Yeah. Good question. 18:57 I think that, yes, the Jewish people, individuals, 19:01 definitely will come to a clear and full understanding 19:05 and some of the leading Christian voices, I know Pastor Doug 19:09 who is the leader here at Amazing Facts, he's half Jewish. 19:13 I know of several other Jewish Christians 19:16 who are committed to the Lord 19:18 and they're involved in ministry 19:19 and evangelism and outreach. 19:21 And I think it's gonna continue, as time goes on, 19:23 we're gonna see more and more individual Jews see the truth 19:26 of Christ being the Messiah. 19:28 They'll accept Him, they'll accept the truth of the Sabbath 19:31 along with all of the other truths 19:33 that we find in the Bible. 19:35 But will Israel as a nation accept Christ as the Messiah? 19:39 I don't think that's gonna happen. 19:41 Israel today is a very secular country. 19:45 You might have some groups within Israel 19:46 who are still very religious, but by far, 19:50 the majority of those in Israel are secular. 19:54 They don't read the Bible, they don't study. 19:58 I think their probationary time as an entire nation 20:02 has come to an end. 20:04 When they rejected Jesus, there was really nothing more 20:06 that God could do to try and reach them as a nation. 20:09 But what God is doing is He's reaching individuals 20:12 and is calling them to a clearer understanding of truth. 20:14 And I think there's gonna be revival 20:16 amongst the Jewish people who are sincerely seeking truth, 20:19 just like there's gonna be revival amongst Christians 20:22 who are gonna look for a deeper understanding 20:24 of Bible truth. 20:26 So God is gonna gather together in the last days, 20:29 those who are sincere in following Him, 20:31 who are committed to keeping His commandments, 20:33 those who have the faith of Jesus, the testimony of Jesus, 20:36 the Bible says, if you are in Christ, 20:39 then your Abraham seed heirs according to the promise. 20:43 So if we believe in Jesus and receive Him, 20:45 there is a wonderful promise that we get to receive 20:49 all the promises that God made to Abraham. 20:52 So yeah, I think there is gonna be a revival 20:55 in the last days, but don't look 20:57 for the whole nation of Israel 20:59 to suddenly accept Jesus as the Messiah. 21:01 Well, thanks to your call. 21:03 We've got Jonathan listening in Canada. 21:05 Jonathan, welcome to the program. 21:08 - [Jonathan] I have a question. 21:10 I'm a young teenager and I've been recently struggling 21:16 with doubts and my faith, and I want to know, 21:20 how can I strengthen my faith? 21:23 - Okay, good question. 21:24 What do we do with doubts? 21:26 If we're gonna be honest, I think every person, 21:28 every Christian has doubts that come from time to time. 21:33 First of all, we wanna make sure 21:34 that we're arming our minds, filling our minds with truth, 21:38 and we find truth in the Word of God. 21:40 So it begins by spending time reading the Bible. 21:43 I do that every day. 21:44 I'll set time aside and I'll read the Bible. 21:47 I think we just need to read the Word of God. 21:49 I study the Word of God. 21:50 I like to spend time amongst people 21:53 who are talking about the Word of God. 21:54 That strengthens our faith. 21:57 But even saying all of that, there are still doubts 21:59 that come into a person's mind. 22:01 What we can do is we can choose whether or not 22:04 to dwell upon that doubt. 22:06 Somebody once said, 22:07 you can't stop the bird flying over your head, 22:10 but you can stop the bird making a nest in your hair. 22:13 So if you have a doubt coming to your mind 22:15 or an idea coming to your mind, 22:17 you can choose whether or not to dwell upon that. 22:19 Realize that the devil is always trying to create doubts 22:22 with reference to the word of God, God's plan, God's love. 22:26 And he's gonna do that every time he can, but we can choose 22:29 whether or not we wanna dwell on those doubts. 22:31 Replace the doubt with a promise of the Word of God. 22:35 How did Jesus overcome temptation? 22:37 He quoted scripture. 22:38 He said, man shall not live by bread alone, 22:40 but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. 22:44 And so as we fill our minds with truth, 22:46 these become our defenses against doubt. 22:50 Does that help, Jonathan? 22:52 - [Jason] Can I also ask another question? 22:54 - Yeah, go ahead. 22:58 - [Jonathan] What if it's like you're into faith, 23:02 how do you gain passion for the faith again 23:05 because I was once like on fire for God 23:08 and I really loved studying His Word 23:10 but like recently doubts and suspicion, 23:15 it just makes me that zero kind of lost. 23:18 So how do you regain it? 23:20 - How do you regain that first love as the Bible says? 23:23 Well, it begins by spending time in God's Word 23:27 and spending time in prayer. 23:28 And requires an effort. 23:30 We've gotta put some effort in. 23:32 But if we would just faithfully do our part, 23:35 spend time in the Word, spend time in prayer, 23:39 fill our minds with spiritual truth, 23:42 then God, the Holy Spirit, is able to work in us 23:45 both to will and to do according to His good pleasure. 23:48 My challenge to anyone who is wondering about, 23:51 I don't feel real connected or real committed, I would say, 23:55 well, make a commitment to spend a half an hour a day 23:59 reading the Word, and then spend at least 15 minutes 24:02 in prayer twice a day. 24:04 That's the sort of prescription you might say. 24:07 And when you pray, let me just share 24:08 one quick thought here about prayer. 24:10 Sometimes people struggle, what do you do when you pray? 24:13 I think of the word pray, P-R-A-Y. 24:16 And I think of each of those letters 24:17 as representing something. 24:19 So when you pray, you begin with praise. 24:21 So that P stands for praise. 24:23 Think of something specific that you can praise God for, 24:26 something that He did for you that day. 24:29 And then you go onto the R, and the R stands for repentance. 24:34 And then you've gotta ask yourself, 24:35 Lord, what is it that I need to repaint of? 24:37 Whether it's my attitude, something I said, something I did, 24:40 the way I treated somebody else. 24:42 So we've gotta spend some time repenting, and that's the R. 24:45 And then the A is the asking. 24:48 And that's where we bring all our petitions before the Lord. 24:50 Not only do we ask God for physical blessings 24:52 and for our needs, but I think more importantly, 24:54 God wants us to ask for spiritual blessings, 24:57 asking for guidance of the Spirit. 25:00 And then the Y is for yield or surrender. 25:04 So when you pray, you wanna spend some time. 25:06 Don't just ramble through something, 25:08 but spend time thinking specifically 25:11 about something you can praise God for, 25:13 something that you need to ask repentance of or repent of, 25:17 or something you need to ask Him, 25:19 and then what is it in your life 25:20 that you wanna surrender or heal to Him? 25:23 And as you do this, I guarantee you, 25:25 as you do this faithfully day after day, 25:28 that'll enable the Spirit of God to do a work in you. 25:31 And you will be amazed. 25:32 You'll say, this is not me doing this, 25:34 this is God working in me and through me. 25:36 After all, God wants to save us. 25:38 God is not willing that any should perish, 25:41 but He wants all to come to repentance. 25:43 So Jonathan, that's where it starts. 25:45 And I think that's true not only to you, Jonathan, 25:46 but anyone that's out there. 25:48 If you wanna have a revival in your life, 25:50 start with prayer, start with Bible study. 25:54 You might even want to enroll 25:55 in one of the Amazing Fact's study guide courses. 25:57 Maybe you've never gone through a whole Bible study series. 26:00 Amazing Facts offers these up for free. 26:03 We have a correspondence course 26:04 where we'll actually send you the lesson in the mail. 26:07 You can fill it out, you'll send it back to us, 26:08 we'll grade it, and you can go through 26:10 all of our 27 study guides. 26:13 We have different courses and different subjects. 26:16 That'll strengthen your knowledge of Bible truth 26:18 and strengthen your understanding in what the Bible says. 26:22 So just the fact that you're listening 26:23 to "Bible Answers Live" means that you have an interest 26:26 in spiritual things. 26:28 Means the Holy Spirit is working upon your heart. 26:30 So you wanna try and encourage that 26:32 and give opportunity for the spirit to work through you, 26:35 through the Word and through prayer, 26:37 and you will grow spiritually. 26:40 Well, friends, we don't have time to take another call. 26:41 We're coming up on our break, halfway through the program. 26:44 The program is by no means over, 26:46 we're just gonna take a quick break 26:47 and then we'll take more Bible questions. 26:50 The phone line, 26:51 if you have a Bible question is, 800-463-7297. 26:55 It's 800-463-7297. 26:58 That is with your Bible question. 27:00 Also our free offer numbers is 800-835-6747. 27:06 And we'll be giving out different free offers 27:08 connected with the various Bible questions. 27:10 So don't go too far, we'll be back in just a few moments 27:13 for more Bible questions. 27:15 (upbeat music) 27:18 - [Narrator] Stay tuned. 27:20 "Bible Answers Live" will return shortly. 27:26 - [Narrator] In six days, 27:27 God created the heavens and the earth. 27:30 For thousands of years, 27:32 man has worshiped God on the seventh day of the week. 27:35 Now, each week, millions of people worship on the first day. 27:40 What happened? Why did God create a day of rest? 27:43 Does it really matter what day we worship? 27:46 Who was behind this great shift? 27:48 Discover the truth behind God's law and how it was changed. 27:52 Visit sabbathtruth.com. 27:57 (gentle music) - Every year, 27:58 40,000 souls in North America end their own lives. 28:01 Suicide is a terrible tragedy. 28:04 And while it's difficult to talk about, 28:06 we need to face it together as Christians. 28:08 That's why in my new book, "Choosing Life," 28:11 I share the biblical perspective about suicide, 28:14 answering some difficult questions 28:16 about faith and salvation along the way, 28:18 and offering practical tips 28:20 that should help and encourage others. 28:22 Jesus wants us to choose an abundant life in Him. 28:27 - [Narrator] Are you looking for a simple way 28:29 to share your faith? 28:31 If you've ever found yourself tongue-tied 28:32 when trying to explain what the Bible teaches 28:34 about the Sabbath, the second coming, or the afterlife, 28:39 you'll love the new Amazing Facts tracks. 28:42 These colorful tracts feature easy-to-read type 28:45 and are large enough to grab everyone's attention, 28:47 but small enough to fit in your pocket 28:49 to carry with you wherever you go. 28:52 11 key Bible teachings are available now. 28:55 Purchase a sample bundle to see what fits your needs, 28:58 then buy them in bulk and save. 29:00 Equip yourself in your church to reach your community 29:02 with the eye-catching Amazing Facts tracts. 29:05 Amazing Facts tracts, easy to read, easy to share. 29:10 To order your sample bundle, call 800-538-7275 29:15 or visit afbookstore.com 29:18 and get ready to share your faith like never before. 29:21 (gentle music) 29:26 (upbeat music) 29:29 - [Narrator] You're listening to "Bible Answers Live" 29:31 where every question answered provides a clearer picture 29:34 of God and His plan to save you. 29:37 So what are you waiting for? 29:39 Get practical answers about the 'Good Book' 29:41 for a better life today. 29:46 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 29:49 If you'd like answers to your Bible-related questions 29:51 on the air, please call us next Sunday 29:54 between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM Pacific time. 29:58 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned 30:00 in this evening's program, call 800-835-6747. 30:06 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 30:12 Now let's rejoin our host for more "Bible Answers Live." 30:17 - Hello friends. Welcome back to "Bible Answers Live". 30:19 My name is Jean Ross. 30:20 Pastor Doug Batchelor's out this evening, 30:22 but he will, God willing, be with us again next week 30:26 for another live "Bible Answers Live" program. 30:29 But if you have a Bible-related question, 30:31 you heard the phone line. 30:32 One more time, it's 800-463-7297, with your Bible question. 30:38 We have a number of folks waiting online 30:39 so we are gonna get right to it. 30:41 Next caller that we have is Cher listening from Hawaii. 30:44 Cher, welcome to the program. 30:46 - [Cher] Hi, Pastor Ross. 30:48 - Hello. 30:50 - [Cher] Hi. 30:51 My question is, 30:56 is there anything where I can find in the Bible 30:59 and the spirit of prophecy about inhabited other planets? 31:04 - Okay, question about other inhabited worlds, 31:07 is that what you're asking about? 31:08 - [Cher] Yes. 31:09 - Okay. - Yes. 31:11 - Yeah, the Bible's not clearly stating that, at least not, 31:14 it gives us a description of these worlds, 31:16 but it does use the word worlds in the plural form. 31:21 And we find that in Hebrew 1:1. 31:23 It says, through Him through Christ, 31:25 all things were created, and it also talks about the worlds. 31:29 So that's Hebrew 1:1. 31:31 And then also, if you go to the book of Job, 31:34 you will read about a gathering of the Sons of God, 31:38 and the devil came and God said, "Where did you come from?" 31:40 And he said, "Well, I came from the Earth." 31:43 So the devil came as a representative from the Earth, 31:47 claiming the Earth as his, 31:48 but there were these other created beings 31:51 known as Sons of God or referred to as Sons of God, 31:54 a number of Bible scholars believed 31:56 that they could symbolize these other worlds, 31:58 the other representatives of these unfallen worlds. 32:01 Now we know Earth is the only one 32:03 that fell into Satan's trap, 32:06 and that's why Jesus came and died on the Earth here. 32:09 So those are some of the verses that we have 32:11 that speak about worlds. 32:13 Of course we know angels, the Bible speaks about angels, 32:15 both good angels and bad angels, 32:17 but those are some of the verses that talk 32:19 about other worlds. 32:20 We got Ewan listening from New York. 32:22 Ewan, welcome to the program. 32:25 - [Ewan] Hi, good evening, Pastor Ross. 32:26 Thank you for taking my call. 32:27 - Sure. 32:30 - Ewan] In Matthew chapter 23:9, Jesus said, 32:35 "Do not call anyone on Earth your father 32:37 for one is your father, He who is in heaven." 32:43 And in 1 Corinthians 4:14-17 says, 32:50 "I do not write these things to shame you, 32:52 but as my beloved children I warn you. 32:55 For though you might have 10,000 instructors in Christ, 32:59 yet you do not have many fathers. 33:02 For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 33:06 Therefore I urge you, imitate me. 33:09 For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, 33:13 who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, 33:16 who will remind you of my ways in Christ, 33:20 as I teach anywhere in every church." 33:23 Can you comment to... 33:24 - Yes. 33:25 The Bible does tell us that we ought to call no man father. 33:28 And when he says call no man, father, 33:30 he is not talking about our earthly father 33:32 or our real father. 33:33 There's nothing wrong in calling your father, father. 33:36 But it's talking about a religious leader 33:39 as referring to that religious leader 33:42 or calling that religious leader by the name father. 33:45 And of course we know there's a whole movement today, 33:47 there's a whole church out there 33:48 who call their religious leaders fathers. 33:51 And the Bible says, no, don't do that. 33:52 You have one Father, and that is your Father in heaven. 33:55 So what Paul is talking about, 33:56 he's not asking anyone to call him father, 33:59 he's just using a family relationship to try and illustrate 34:03 that he was the one that had planted the church, 34:07 the church in Corinth. 34:08 And that's why when he says to the believers there, he says, 34:12 "You have many teachers in Christ," 34:13 meaning they probably had a number of teachers and pastors, 34:16 and yet you only have one who has begotten you, 34:20 and he's speaking about himself. 34:21 He was the one that planted the church. 34:23 So he is speaking to them as the one who had invested 34:26 so much in them coming to a knowledge 34:28 or the understanding of the truth. 34:30 But Paul was not asking the believers 34:32 to refer to him as father, 34:35 'cause that of course would be contradicting 34:35 what Jesus said. 34:37 But in the way that Paul planted the church, 34:39 he was their father, 34:41 meaning he was the one that invested and planted the church, 34:44 and he sent a very beloved follower of his and refers to him 34:51 as his son, and he was the one that was to instruct them 34:54 and guide them in more truth. 34:56 So Paul's not asking the believers 34:58 to refer to him as father. 35:02 Does that help, Ewan? 35:03 - [Ewan] Yes. Thank you. 35:05 - Yeah, he's just making the point 35:07 that he was the one that planted the church in that sense. 35:11 All right, well, thanks for your call. 35:12 We've got Steve listening in Canada, Montreal. 35:15 Steve, welcome to the program. 35:17 - [Steve] Yeah, great. 35:18 Thank you very much for passing that much for everybody. 35:23 I appreciate everything with AFCOE, everything I did it 35:26 with Tony Scarpino with everything. 35:28 - Good. 35:29 - [Steve] Here's my question. 35:31 Thank you much for your time and listening. 35:33 I saw this quote today on Facebook and I said, 35:37 in the past two, I'm going to read it. 35:39 I wonder if it's correct or if it's false. 35:41 It's about the Sabbath. 35:42 This is what it says. 35:43 The very name Sabbath is God's mark or sign of authority. 35:48 The Hebrew word is shavat and it says, 35:52 S-H-A means eternal one, A-V is a root word for A-B-B-A 36:00 and means father, B-A-T-H or V-A-T-H, excuse me, 36:04 means has of or side of, side of the eternal father. 36:09 Is this something really, 36:10 this so different meanings in the world 36:14 of the overall Hebrew word of Shabbat, 36:15 or this is something that is not really important, 36:18 it's just gibberish? 36:19 - No, I definitely think there's something to that. 36:23 You look at the different names in the Bible that God gave, 36:26 a lot of them have deeper meaning and understanding. 36:28 And when you look at the Sabbath, 36:30 it's a reference to the fact that God is our Creator. 36:34 He is our Father, He's the one that made us. 36:37 And the word Abba 36:38 that we find the word Abba, meaning father, 36:41 it's interesting to see that in the word Sabbath. 36:44 And then also if you go to the fourth commandment, 36:47 there's many different passages in scripture, 36:49 you can see how the Sabbath becomes a sign 36:52 that God is the one who made us. 36:53 And in keeping the Sabbath, we're acknowledging Him 36:55 as our Creator and as our God. 36:57 So yes, I think there is definitely something to that. 37:00 And there's probably a lot of wonderful truths 37:03 that you can discover by studying 37:06 into some of the original meaning of the root words 37:09 that you get these different words in the Bible from. 37:12 Great point, Steve, thank you for your question. 37:14 We've got Samuel listening in Wisconsin. 37:16 Samuel, welcome into the program. 37:19 - [Samuel] Maranatha Jesus, pastor. 37:21 - Hello. 37:22 - [Samuel] I'm calling to refer to the epistle of James 1:5. 37:27 - Okay. 37:29 - [Samuel] As I grow on my faith, searching for the Lord, 37:33 I notice that I come under more attack by the enemy 37:38 and I'm overcoming that as I'm being taken 37:41 at different levels, 37:42 but I was wondering if you could help me with that 37:43 on number five. 37:44 - Sure. - For asking for wisdom, 37:46 for discernment, and perception. 37:48 - Let me read the verse 37:49 for those who might be driving in their car. 37:51 James chapter 1:5, "If anyone likes wisdom, 37:54 let him ask of God who gives to all liberally 37:56 and without reproach, and it will be given to him." 38:00 So here, God wants us to have a knowledge 38:02 or an understanding of the truth. 38:04 The Bible says, "You shall know the truth 38:05 and the truth shall make you free." 38:07 Jesus said, "I'm the way, the truth, and the life." 38:11 And so when we come to God with sincerity and we say, 38:14 Lord, please, lead me into a clear understanding 38:17 of Bible truth, and then we allow the word of God 38:20 to teach us to speak and we pray that God will guide us, 38:24 God will lead us if we have an open heart. 38:27 Of course, we always wanna test everything 38:29 by the Word of God. 38:30 But if we are sincere, God will lead us into a fuller 38:33 and clearer understanding of Bible truth. 38:37 I do Bible studies with individuals 38:39 and we discover truths in scripture 38:40 that they've never seen before. 38:42 And when they see it, they say, this makes sense, 38:44 I've been praying, asking God, 38:46 I've always wanted to understand what happens 38:48 when a person dies. 38:49 What does the Bible really say about that subject? 38:53 And God led them, and they've come to a clear understanding, 38:55 not only on that subject, 38:56 but many different subjects in the Bible. 38:59 So if we have a sincere heart 39:01 and we are seeking to know the truth, 39:03 then we can trust that God will lead us 39:04 into a clearer understanding of truth. 39:06 Take advantage of the resources that's available too. 39:10 And again, I wanna encourage folks, 39:11 if you're wanting to understand Bible truth, 39:13 take a look at the Amazing Facts study guides. 39:15 It's just jam packed with Bible verses 39:17 and it'll make a lot of important Bible truths clear. 39:21 Thank you for your call, Samuel. 39:22 We've got Zoe listening in Canada. 39:25 Zoe, welcome to the program. 39:27 - [Zoe] Hi, how are you? 39:28 - Doing well, thank you. 39:30 - [Zoe] That's great. 39:32 I was just wondering if you could explain the Trinity to me, 39:34 whether God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all one 39:37 or whether they're separate. 39:38 - Okay. Great question. 39:40 In the Bible, you find a word one, 39:44 for example, you have in the old Testament here, 39:46 this where the Lord thy God is one. 39:48 And it's interesting to note that the word one 39:50 has a plural application or a plural meaning. 39:54 For example, Jesus said, "For this call, 39:56 shall a man leave his father and his mother, 39:58 and the two shall be joined together 40:00 and they shall become one." 40:02 Now, when it uses the word one in that sense, 40:04 He's not talking about one numerically, 40:06 but one in purpose, they are united. 40:09 So when the Bible says that the Lord thy God is one, 40:12 God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, 40:14 they are United in their work of saving mankind. 40:18 They all share the characteristics of deity. 40:21 Meaning they have no beginning, they have no end, 40:23 they are all powerful, 40:26 they complete and perfect demonstration of love. 40:30 And the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit 40:32 are all working for man salvation, so they are united. 40:35 In that sense, they all one. 40:37 But they are three separate beings. 40:39 When Jesus on the Earth, He prayed to the Father in heaven 40:42 and the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus in the form of a dove. 40:46 So three separate beings, but they are united, 40:49 they are one in their purpose, 40:50 in their mission to save mankind. 40:53 Does that help a little? 40:55 - [Zoe] It does. Thank you so much. 40:57 - Okay. Thank you for your call. 40:58 We've got Caleb listening in New York. 41:01 Caleb, welcome to the program. 41:04 - [Caleb] How are you doing, Pastor Ross? 41:05 - I'm doing well. Thank you. 41:08 - [Caleb] All right. 41:09 I have a question. 41:11 My question is more like a suggestion actually. 41:16 My goal is to be able to preach more the Word of God, 41:22 but every time like I try, 41:24 it seems like I always end up in something like debate, 41:29 which I don't like. 41:30 I feel like it's not spirit-led, 41:32 it's more like ego-led for me, 41:35 so I don't feel good about it. 41:37 I just need to know how can I do that better? 41:45 To be able to preach the Word to people. 41:52 I also find it hard to preach people who are from religions 41:58 who don't believe like we have to keep the 10 commandments, 42:01 and I feel like it contradicts the Bible 42:04 and the reason why Jesus died. 42:09 And they would like quote scriptures from the Bible 42:15 and they'll quote scriptures from the Bible 42:19 that don't align with the Bible 42:22 and they confuse other people, which I don't agree with. 42:25 And my second question is about revelations 2:12. 42:32 Is it talking about really the station west? 42:37 'Cause someone was telling me, 42:38 oh it's like Satan lives, it's like his throne. 42:42 I don't understand the passage, 42:44 I don't believe that's what it meant. 42:45 - Yeah, let me read the verse 42:46 for those who might be listening. 42:48 Revelation 2:12, it says, 42:51 "To the age of the church of Pergamos write, 42:52 'These things say he who has the two-edged sword: 42:55 I know your works, where you dwell, 42:56 where Satan's throne is.' 42:58 And you hold fast my name and you did not deny my faith, 43:01 even in the days when Antipas, my faithful martyr, 43:04 who was killed among you, where Satan dwells." 43:06 So your question is, what is it there 43:08 where it talks about Satan's throne? 43:11 Is that the question? 43:12 - Yeah. - Okay. 43:14 - [Caleb] Someone was saying that's his throne. 43:16 - No, what it's referring to there is Satan stronghold. 43:19 So there were believers in the city, 43:21 the ancient city of Pergamos, 43:23 who were living in a very pagan society. 43:26 And there was a lot of pagan rituals that were taking place, 43:29 the local people in the city 43:30 worshiping a number of pagan deities. 43:33 And despite the fact that there was so much paganism, 43:37 there were these faithful followers of Christ 43:39 who were holding to the truth, 43:40 and there were even some who were murdered for their faith. 43:43 So he's referring to the city where they were living, 43:46 where there was a lot of paganism. 43:48 Because of the paganism and the false doctrine 43:50 and the false worship, it's referred to as Satan seat, 43:53 meaning the folks, the people in that city, 43:56 they were under the power, the demonic power of Satan 44:00 in following all of these pagan rituals and practices. 44:02 It's got a broader prophetic application 44:06 when you look at the different churches in Revelation. 44:09 But I think historically, for the actual church of Pergamos, 44:12 that's the reference there. 44:14 The second or the first question that you mentioned, 44:16 I just wanna say something about that 44:17 before we run out of time, 44:19 we are called to give a witness or a testimony of our faith, 44:22 but you are right, when you get into an argument, 44:25 you might even win the argument, but really lose the battle. 44:29 The purpose for us in sharing Bible truth 44:31 is to allow the Spirit of God to work 44:34 upon the hearts of the people. 44:36 And we need to pray for guidance. 44:38 There are times for us to keep quiet, 44:40 there are times for us to speak. 44:42 And in our discourse, we're always looking to try and awaken 44:46 a deeper and a fuller desire to know the truth. 44:49 And I think that's where your personal testimony 44:52 is so powerful. 44:53 People can't argue with your personal testimony, 44:54 it's your experience. 44:56 So if you can share how that some particular Bible truth 44:59 has changed your life and brought peace and understanding, 45:02 they can't argue with that. 45:04 If anything, they might wonder, 45:05 well, I want that kind of peace too. 45:08 And maybe they'll be open. 45:09 Whereas if you just hit them with a whole bunch 45:11 of proof texts, they might resist that. 45:14 So the power of a personal testimony 45:16 is still a wonderful way of opening the heart, 45:19 so a person is wanting to hear more Bible truth. 45:22 All right, well, thanks for your call, Caleb. 45:23 - Thank you so much. - Hopefully that helped. 45:25 Yeah, absolutely. 45:26 Next caller that we have is, let's see, 45:29 we have got Brenda listening in Ohio. 45:31 Brenda, welcome to the program. 45:34 - [Brenda] My question is, I wonder what the Bible says 45:38 about me taking some college classes on the Sabbath 45:44 that I work full time and have a chance 45:46 to increase my education, but for two months straight, 45:50 it would be on the Sabbath and then every other weekend 45:54 for 16 months. 45:56 - Well, that's a good question. 45:58 We did have a caller that asked a little bit about that 46:00 and there are folks that come to me all the time as a pastor 46:03 and they ask, here's the situation in college. 46:06 The first thing I try to do is, 46:07 you wanna try and communicate with your lecturer 46:11 or with the school and find out if there is some credit 46:15 or some additional work that can be done on a different day 46:18 so you can keep the Sabbath. 46:19 After all, you really want God's blessing 46:22 to be on your school work, on your study. 46:26 And God can't bless something 46:28 if we knowingly are doing something 46:30 that He's asked us not to do. 46:33 That's where we need to pray about and say, 46:35 Lord, please give me the courage to step out in faith 46:38 and do what I know You're asking me to do 46:41 and trust that You'll work things out. 46:43 Now that might mean that we have to maybe go 46:45 to a different school, 46:46 that might mean we have to talk to our teachers, 46:48 it might mean some changes in our schedule, 46:52 but you will have a peace and a joy, 46:55 knowing that you're doing what God is asking you to do 46:58 and you can trust in Him. 46:59 So yes, there are times where our faith will be tested 47:02 and tried, and I think here's an opportunity 47:04 for a person who might be facing that situation. 47:07 It might even be a work situation, 47:09 a work that's requiring them to work on the Sabbath. 47:11 Well, if they make a stand 47:13 for what they know to be true from the Bible, 47:15 I think God will be able to bless them and open up a door 47:18 and lead them in a different direction. 47:20 Brenda, I just wanna encourage you 47:22 that do what you know to be right. 47:24 The Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart, 47:26 stand true to the Word, 47:27 and then pray that God will open up a door 47:30 and lead you where He needs you to go. 47:32 Next caller that we have, let's see, 47:34 is Jaekah listening from Louisiana. 47:37 I'm not sure if I pronounced your name correctly, Jaekah. 47:40 - [Jaekah] Yes. 47:41 - Oh, good. - Yes, you did, Pastor Ross. 47:43 Hi. 47:45 Thank you so much for your ministry. 47:46 It's blessed me so much. 47:48 But my question is, why is the casting out of demons 47:54 not done by Christians today as done in biblical times 47:56 like specifically in Jesus' ministry? 48:00 Like everywhere Him and the disciples went, 48:02 they were always casting out demons 48:04 and acknowledging that people were demon-possessed, 48:06 and I just don't see that a lot. 48:09 You know what I'm saying? 48:09 - Right. Right. 48:10 It's also that the devil is very subtle 48:13 in the way that he does things. 48:15 In more sort of Western cultures, you might say, 48:19 people are somewhat skeptical, 48:21 and so he doesn't manifest himself in that way 48:23 as he would in some other places. 48:26 I'm from South Africa, I grew up there 48:28 and we spent time in the mission field, 48:29 and some of these remote areas where paganism is very strong 48:34 and people are actually worshiping demons unknowingly, 48:37 I have encountered demon-possessed people. 48:40 And it is a scary thing, it's not something you'll look for, 48:43 it's very real. 48:45 And you pray for them. 48:47 Some demons require prayer and fasting, 48:50 but you gather the elders of the church 48:52 and you pray sincerely for that person. 48:54 And I've seen multiple times where an evil spirit 48:57 has come out of someone in that type of situation. 49:00 So it's very real people can be demon-possessed. 49:02 But I think in a Western culture, 49:04 people are a little more skeptical of that, 49:06 they might put it down to some sort of mental disorder 49:10 or who knows what they'll come up with. 49:13 So the devil works in different ways, 49:15 but the end game is the same. 49:17 He still has just as much control 49:19 over people in Western culture 49:21 through all the deceptions and the entertainment 49:26 and the love of money as he does over people 49:29 who you might think of or we might think of 49:31 as being demon-possessed in some foreign country. 49:34 So he's got his different means and he changes it 49:37 based upon what's gonna suit his agenda the best. 49:40 Does that help? 49:42 - [Jaekah] It does. 49:43 I guess I want, like you touched on it a little bit, 49:45 like mental health and drug addiction 49:47 and there's so much suicide going on and stuff like that, 49:50 I wonder if a lot of that is demon-possession 49:53 and then like, what should we be doing as Christians? 49:56 - Well, I think it's both. 49:58 I mean, there's definitely practical, 49:59 and I think we all understand that there can be 50:02 some very real mental diseases or chemical reactions 50:06 that take place or as a result of drugs 50:08 or something along those lines 50:10 that people are not thinking clearly, they're not themself. 50:12 But then there are areas 50:14 where somebody might open up a door, 50:16 whether it's the music they're listening to, 50:18 the movies they're watching. 50:20 When you think about it, in Western societies, 50:23 it is just filled with the occult movies, music, books. 50:29 And so the devil's definitely alive and well 50:32 and leading people astray. 50:36 The Bible speaks about a battle, 50:37 not between flesh and blood, 50:39 but against principalities and powers. 50:41 And so yes, the devil is very much alive 50:43 and he's influencing people all the time. 50:47 - [Brenda] Right. Right. 50:49 Well, thank you so much. I appreciate your time. 50:51 - All right. Thanks for your call. 50:52 Next caller that we have is Khantika, 50:56 listening from Massachusetts. 50:57 Not sure if I pronounce your name correctly, Khantika. 51:00 - [Khantika] Yeah, you pronounced it correctly. 51:02 - Close enough? Okay. 51:03 - Yeah, correct. - Welcome. 51:05 And your question tonight. 51:08 - [Khantika] My question is regarding the mixed multitude 51:11 in the day of Moses. 51:12 The Bible talked about how the strangers, 51:15 they weren't welcome into the camp 51:17 until the third generation. 51:20 And I was wondering about what this means, 51:23 because obviously, like we have examples in the Bible 51:26 of people who weren't Israelites 51:29 that were welcomed into the camp 51:30 like Rahab, for an example and stuff. 51:34 So what does the Bible mean when it says that 51:37 for one thing? 51:38 And is there like a modern application 51:41 because we're spiritual Israel? 51:43 - Yeah. Good question. 51:44 Absolutely. 51:46 When we talk about the mixed multitude 51:47 back in the time of Moses and the Israelites, 51:50 they journeyed with the Israelites, they were in the camp, 51:53 but they weren't able to actually participate 51:56 in the formal worship connected with the sanctuary. 52:00 And the reason for that was, the mix multitude 52:04 very often would be the reason why Israel 52:07 would rebel against God. 52:09 They would be influenced by the mixed multitude. 52:11 Many of the people that came with them out of Egypt left 52:14 because they saw the signs, they were afraid, 52:17 but they weren't truly converted. 52:19 And so to make sure that there's genuine conversion, 52:21 that's why God said it's gonna be four generations. 52:24 You wanna make sure that the person 52:25 is fully committed to the God of Israel 52:28 and that they're not gonna lead Israel astray. 52:30 But having said that, God designed Israel to be a light 52:33 to all of the nations around them. 52:35 They would be telling people the truth and the temple 52:41 or the sanctuary was referred to 52:42 as a place of prayer for all nations. 52:45 So as far as people coming to find truth or to see God, 52:49 yeah, absolutely, they were welcome to do that. 52:52 Now in a modern application, I think in the church, 52:54 we wanna welcome anyone who is sincere, 52:57 wanting to know truth, wanting to understand the Bible. 52:59 But when it comes to actually becoming 53:01 a member of the church, I think we wanna make sure 53:03 that that person, first of all, is fully converted, 53:06 that they have an understanding of the fundamental teachings 53:09 of the Bible and that they make a public confession 53:16 to those truths, and often that is accompanied 53:17 by baptism by immersion. 53:19 So, yes, anyone's welcome to come to church 53:23 if they're sincerely wanting to learn truth. 53:24 But in order to become a member of the church, 53:27 they need to make sure they know we know 53:29 what it is that they're committing to, 53:31 and they need to make that public confession of their faith 53:33 through baptism, they wanna follow Jesus. 53:36 So I think there's also an application 53:37 even we can see that even in our time today. 53:41 Does that help? 53:42 Does that make sense? 53:45 - [Khantika] Yeah. 53:46 - So God was not exclusive 53:48 wanting to not allow certain people, 53:51 but He wanted to make sure that those 53:52 who connected themself to Israel were sincere 53:55 and fully committed. 53:56 That was the purpose of that. 53:59 - [Khantika] Okay. Thank you. 54:00 - All right. You're welcome. 54:01 Thanks for your call. 54:03 We got time maybe for one more caller. 54:05 Let's see, we've got Davin listening in Jamaica. 54:08 David, welcome to the program. 54:09 We have about a minute. 54:10 - [David] Yes, I was basically baffled 54:13 on a Bible verse I was reading the other day. 54:16 And it was taken from Revelation 1:7. 54:21 - Yes. And you know what? 54:22 We're gonna run out time, David. 54:23 Are you wondering about every eye seeing Jesus 54:27 when He comes? - Yes. 54:28 - Okay. 54:29 Yes, the verse says that when Jesus comes, 54:30 everyone will see Him at exactly the same time, 54:33 but it says everyone will see Him. 54:34 So it's quite possible that as Jesus comes 54:36 in the clouds of heaven, 54:37 the Earth is still rotating on its axis, 54:40 and within a 24 hour period of time, 54:42 every eye will see Jesus when He comes. 54:46 So the second coming of Christ, it'll take time, 54:49 people will be able to see Jesus coming, 54:51 the Earth will turn on its axis. 54:53 But the second coming, the angels and the clouds 54:57 could swoop around the earth very quickly as well. 55:01 When it says, every eye shall see Him, 55:02 the Bible doesn't give us the specifics on that, 55:04 but we can trust what the Word says. 55:06 When Jesus comes, everyone will see Him. 55:09 Friends, we're gonna say goodbye 55:10 to those listening on satellite radio, but don't go too far, 55:13 we got more questions. 55:14 (gentle music) 55:18 - [Narrator] Thank you for listening to today's broadcast. 55:20 We hope you understand your Bible even better than before. 55:24 "Bible Answers Live" is produced 55:26 by Amazing Facts International, 55:28 a faith-based ministry located in Granite Bay, California. 55:34 - Hello friends. Welcome back. 55:35 We've got about two and a half minutes 55:36 before we actually finish out the program 55:38 with those who are watching on AFTV 55:40 or watching on social media or listening 55:42 on land-based radio stations. 55:44 So thank you for staying with us for this final two minutes. 55:48 We'd like to take some time to answer 55:49 the many Bible questions that people email to us here. 55:53 And so I've got a list of some questions 55:54 and we are gonna try to get through 55:55 as many of these questions as we can 55:57 in the next few minutes. 55:59 So the first question we have is, 56:00 can we live a sinless life in Jesus? 56:03 Well, the Bible says, if the Son sets you free, 56:05 you shall be free indeed. 56:08 In other words, there is no excuse for sin. 56:11 We can't say, well, you know, I'm a human being, 56:13 and so I'm just gonna go ahead and sin 56:15 and God will understand. 56:17 I think the real point here is that 56:19 if we trust that God is able to do all things 56:21 and we surrender ourself to Him, we want to ask and believe 56:24 that He can give us the victory. 56:26 And that's the good news of the gospel. 56:27 Jesus can set you free. 56:30 There is no point in our experience 56:32 where we feel as though we've overcome all things 56:34 and we are perfect, but we're always to be striving 56:37 towards complete and full surrender to Christ. 56:41 A perfect person is a person fully surrendered to Jesus 56:44 in every area of their life. 56:46 That's the thing that we are seeking 56:49 and trusting that God can do. 56:51 Another question that we have, are the 10 commandments 56:54 only for the old Testament? 56:56 Well, I think if you read the new Testament, 56:58 you discover that the principles of the 10 commandments 57:00 and the 10 commandments themselves are also outlined 57:04 in the gospels in the new Testament. 57:06 All of the commandments. 57:08 Matter of fact, you go to the sermon on the Mount 57:09 that Jesus preached and He said, 57:11 "Well, you've heard it said of all, you should not kill, 57:14 but I say unto you, if you're angry with your brother 57:16 without a cause, you are guilty of murdering your heart." 57:20 So Jesus took the principles of the 10 commandments 57:22 in the new Testament and expanded them. 57:24 He gave them a much broader 57:25 and deeper practical application. 57:28 Another question we have is, who is Leviathan? 57:31 And I'm assuming this question is related to that animal 57:33 that lives in the sea. 57:35 Describes almost like a dragon-like creature 57:38 living in the sea, Leviathan. 57:40 Now of course, Leviathan or a dragon is often a symbol 57:43 that is used of the devil. 57:44 And the devil is the one who controls multitudes 57:47 and nations and kindreds and tongues. 57:49 And in the Bible prophecy, 57:50 the sea represents multitudes and nations. 57:53 It is possible that before the flood, 57:55 there were some kind of a reptile that lived in the sea 57:58 that might resemble the description 58:00 that we find in the book of Job. 58:02 But in a spiritual application, 58:04 the dragon or Leviathan, would be a symbol of the devil, 58:08 as we see that in different Bible types and symbols. 58:11 Again, we wanna welcome those for joining us tonight 58:13 for our "Bible Answers Live" program. 58:15 Look forward to talking again next week. 58:17 (upbeat music) 58:19 - [Narrator] "Bible Answers Live," 58:21 honest and accurate answers to your Bible questions. |
Revised 2022-10-26