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Series Code: AFBA
Program Code: AFBA022226S
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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. 00:20 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 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 Doug Batchelor. 00:50 - Hello friends. 00:51 Would you like to hear an amazing fact? 00:54 On June 23rd, 2022, 00:56 Amazon revealed an experimental Alexa feature 01:00 that allows the AI assistant to mimic the voices 01:03 of the user's dead relatives. 01:06 The company demonstrated the feature 01:07 at its annual MARS conference, 01:10 showing a video in which a child is seen asking Alexa 01:13 to read the "Wizard of Oz". 01:15 And then you hear a unique voice we later learn 01:18 is his deceased grandmother reading the book to him 01:21 with a natural warmth and inflection. 01:23 Amazon said, "Its AI systems can learn 01:26 to imitate someone's voice 01:27 from just a single minute of recorded audio." 01:31 In an age of abundant videos and voice notes, 01:33 this means it's well within the average consumer's reach 01:36 to clone the voices of deceased parents, spouses, 01:39 or friends to create new messages. 01:43 I can understand people 01:44 wanting to remember their loved ones, Pastor Ross, 01:46 but this could get a little creepy, 01:48 'cause I think people already think 01:51 that the dead are communicating with them. 01:52 - That's right, Pastor Doug. 01:54 It's interesting, you know, 01:55 when you get a phone call and you answer the phone, 01:57 you could, for the most part, 01:59 tell who's calling you by the sound of their voice, 02:02 especially somebody you know well. 02:03 You don't have to ask or look at the call ID 02:05 to see who this is. 02:07 We connect the sound of a person's voice with who they are, 02:09 their personality and you know, it's not a new thing, 02:12 but even the Bible speaks of people 02:15 wanting to communicate with a dead loved one. 02:18 Now maybe they wanna see the person, 02:21 but for sure they want to hear this dead loved one 02:23 communicate to them. 02:25 That's not only something we find in the Bible, 02:27 but I think most of our listeners know 02:28 that there is just an increased interest 02:32 in communicating with the dead. 02:34 - Yeah and the Bible forgives or forbids rather, 02:37 what it calls necromancy, are trying, a medium, 02:40 someone who tries to communicate with a dead, 02:43 and you can read in Ecclesiastes 9:5. 02:46 "So the living know that they'll die, 02:49 but the dead do not know anything." 02:51 And so, and you can read here, 02:54 there it is on the screen for those watching the TV program, 02:56 "Neither have they anymore a reward 02:58 for the memory of them is forgotten." 03:00 And verse six goes on to say, 03:02 "For their love, their hatred, their envy is now perished. 03:06 Neither have they any more a portion forever 03:08 in anything that is done under the sun." 03:10 Under the sun, meaning in this life. 03:13 Now where a lot of people get confused. 03:15 We know that when a believer dies, 03:17 their next conscious thought is the resurrection 03:20 and the presence of the Lord. 03:22 But that doesn't happen till the coming of the Lord. 03:24 For them it's instant, it feels instant, 03:27 but the dead haven't gone to heaven 03:29 until there's a resurrection. 03:30 The judgment hasn't happened yet and that's still future. 03:34 So this idea that we can communicate with the dead 03:36 is a great fallacy. 03:38 And I'm surprised how many Christians believe 03:40 that they're getting messages from the dead 03:42 and this is spiritism really. 03:44 - Now somebody might be wondering, 03:46 "Well, what's the big deal? 03:47 So what if you think your dead loved one 03:49 is speaking to you?" 03:50 Well, we do know that the Bible tells us 03:52 that at the end of time, 03:54 the devil's gonna do everything he can to deceive. 03:56 And one of the deceptions of the devil 03:57 is going to be impersonating dead loved ones 04:01 to lead people astray. 04:02 The Bible says. "That the devil 04:03 is able to perform signs and wonders." 04:06 And especially at the end of time, 04:08 there are these evil spirits that are going around the world 04:11 and they're trying to deceive people. 04:13 So if a dead loved one shows up 04:14 and they communicating something and they say, 04:16 "Oh, this is, you know, a message from heaven." 04:18 And if a person doesn't understand 04:20 what happens when a person really dies, 04:22 well they setting themselves up for deception. 04:25 - Yeah and especially if something is gonna contradict 04:27 what you find in the Bible, it's dangerous. 04:30 And this has happened before as well. 04:33 Well, now some of our friends 04:34 might wanna know where are the Bible verses, 04:36 what does it say about this subject 04:38 of are the dead really dead? 04:40 And you'll be happy to know friends, 04:42 that we do have a free offer 04:43 that gives you a whole study 04:44 on what the Bible teaches on this. 04:46 - The study guide is simply entitled, 04:48 "Are the Dead Really Dead?" 04:49 And we'll be happy to send this to anyone who calls and asks 04:52 the number to call. 04:53 You'll see it on your screen, 04:54 if you're watching is 800-835-6747, 04:58 and you can ask for the study guide by name, 05:00 "Are the Dead Really Dead?" or ask for offer number 117, 05:04 and we'll be happy to send that out 05:05 to anyone in North America. 05:07 I know we do have folks who are listening 05:09 outside of North America, 05:10 and if you'd like to read the study guide, 05:12 we encourage you to go to the Amazing Facts website, 05:14 just amazingfacts.org, you'll be able to read it there. 05:17 You can actually sign up for a free Bible study. 05:20 You can do this both online, 05:21 or you can actually mail in your study guides, 05:24 and you'll go through a series of great Bible lessons, 05:27 helping to understand these important truths of scripture. 05:30 You know, pastor Doug, 05:31 we also wanna welcome those who are joining 05:33 on not only listening on satellite radio, 05:35 and on land-based radio stations, 05:37 but we have folks who are also watching 05:39 at the Amazing Facts television station or channel 05:43 as well as watching online 05:44 on the Doug Batchelor Facebook page, 05:46 on the Amazing Facts Facebook page. 05:49 So we want to greet all of you. 05:51 If you have a Bible question, our phone lines are open 05:53 and the number to call is 800-463-7297. 05:59 Again, that's 800-463-7297. 06:01 If you pick up your phone and give us a call, 06:04 there's a very good chance 06:06 that you'll get on tonight's program. 06:08 But before we get to the phone lines, 06:10 we always like to begin with prayer. 06:11 So let's do that now. 06:13 Dear Father in heaven, we thank You for Your Word. 06:15 We thank You for the opportunity we have 06:16 to be able to study together, 06:18 and we ask Your blessing upon those who are listening 06:20 wherever they might be, 06:21 and be with us here in the studio 06:23 as we open up Your Word and we ask this in Jesus name. Amen. 06:26 - Amen. 06:27 - Well, we're ready to go to our first phone, 06:29 our first caller, Pastor Doug. 06:31 We've got Anthony listening in New York. 06:33 Anthony, welcome to the program. 06:34 - [Anthony] Hello, good evening, pastors. 06:36 - Evening. 06:38 - [Anthony] Matthew chapter, I believe it is Matthew 27:53. 06:45 It says verse 52, 06:49 this has to do with the resurrection 06:51 of the death of Christ and it says, 06:53 "And the graves were open and many bodies of the saints, 06:57 which slept arose." 06:59 And verse 53 says, "and came out of the graves 07:02 after His resurrection and went into the holy city 07:05 and appeared unto many." 07:06 My question is actually related to Revelation chapter 14, 07:10 where it talks about the 144,000. 07:14 So as I read versus one through four, 07:17 it seems to allude to the 144,000 07:21 in being a number from the past, 07:22 especially when it says, 07:24 "That it's the first fruits of Christ." 07:27 Could the saints that were raised at the crucifixion 07:31 and resurrection of, oh, at the resurrection of Christ, 07:34 be part of, or be that 144,000, 07:37 or are we only looking towards the future? 07:42 - Well, I think the whole key to understanding the 144,000, 07:46 and I'm more convinced of that today than I was yesterday, 07:49 because I read about it again this morning 07:51 is that the number really denotes 07:54 a leadership among God's people. 07:58 So first fruits doesn't always mean sequential. 08:00 First fruits can mean from like the 12 apostles 08:04 were a type of first fruits for Jesus. 08:06 And you read in the Old Testament, 08:08 I just got done reading where David had an army of 288,000 08:12 that would rotate and that's two times 144,000. 08:16 I think there was six months 08:17 they each would be kinda on duty and off duty 08:19 so they could take care of their homes and farms. 08:21 So it's two sets of 144,000. 08:24 And then you can read, there was 288 people 08:28 that ministered in the sanctuary. 08:29 It again, they had by day by night, 08:31 there's 12 hours in the day, 12 at night, it's 144,000, 08:35 144,000. 08:37 But their leaders, this is His army, it's His priesthood. 08:41 And so I think the 144,000, when it says, "First fruits", 08:44 it's not talking about 144,000 08:47 that were resurrected at the crucifixion of Christ. 08:51 I think it's still speaking at the time it was written. 08:53 It's looking forward to a group near the end of time. 08:57 So I have a book, we have a free book. 09:00 We'll be happy to send you a copy, 09:02 where it reviews that, 09:04 and or anyone that wants to know it's about 144,000. 09:08 - If you'd like receive the book, 09:09 all you need to do is call our resource phone line. 09:11 That's 800-835-6747. 09:14 You can ask for the book called "The 144,000", 09:17 and we'll be happy to send it to whoever calls. 09:19 You know, pastor the actual title of the book. 09:21 I'm looking for it here, "Who Shall Sing the Song." 09:24 I believe it's entitled talking about the 144,000, 09:27 and that is free to anyone in north America. 09:29 Again, just call 800-835-6747, we'll send that to you. 09:35 Our next caller that we have is Wesley 09:36 listening from California. 09:38 Wesley, welcome to the program. 09:41 - [Wesley] Yes, thank you. 09:42 My questions basically, should we move now to the country 09:47 so we can avoid buying and selling, 09:50 and being stuck with a mark of the beast? 09:54 - All right, well, let's look at that. 09:56 First, let me read that for our friends that are listening, 09:59 it says that part of the persecution of the beast 10:02 in the last days, it says, 10:03 "That no one might buy or sell, 10:06 except he who has the mark or the number of the beast, 10:08 or the number of his name." 10:10 And it really shouldn't shock anybody 10:12 that one of the things the devil's gonna use 10:14 in the last days is gonna be economic sanctions. 10:16 I mean, you can turn the page in the news right now, 10:20 and it's talking about economic sanctions, 10:22 that of governments against Russia and other governments 10:26 if they're not complying with international norms. 10:32 We are also saw just in Canada, there were some protesters, 10:35 a truckers protest, and anyone that was arrested, 10:39 I think they had their bank accounts frozen. 10:42 And that's kind of unnerving 10:43 to think that everything is digital now. 10:46 And it's so easy for the governments 10:49 to monitor a person's buying and selling 10:52 that I don't think anyone is shocked to hear 10:55 that the beast power in the last days 10:57 will use some sort of economic sanctions 10:59 on those that do not worship appropriately. 11:03 Now, because you may not be able to buy or sell, 11:06 people are thinking, "Well, we don't know when that is, 11:07 should I run to the hill, 11:09 start planting a garden so that I don't starve?" 11:11 I don't think I would react for that reason 11:15 because people who read these verses 50 years ago, 11:18 or 100 years ago, they could have said, 11:20 "We're gonna run to the Hills and grow our own food." 11:23 There's advantages to country living. 11:25 But I would not move to the country 11:27 because of Revelation 13. 11:29 I think when things get that bad, 11:31 God has always fed His people in those times of trouble. 11:36 So are there good reasons to move it to the country? Yes. 11:40 Should we do it because the day's coming 11:42 when you can't buy or sell? 11:45 Well, I think there'd be advantages to that, 11:47 but I wouldn't make that your first consideration. 11:51 So, you know, I've got a book on that, 11:53 and it's talks about heading to the Hills, 11:57 and some beginners guide to country living. 11:59 So you could go to Amazing Facts. 12:01 And I wrote a little book on country living 12:03 and great benefits. 12:06 But if everybody, if all the Christians 12:08 run to the Hills right now, 12:09 who's gonna do evangelism? 12:11 - You know pastor, talking about country living. 12:14 I think you also have a video. 12:15 I was just watching it the other day, of country living. 12:18 Of course, you've got a place in the country 12:19 and you spent quite a while cutting wood. 12:23 And actually before you went into full time ministry 12:25 and you were selling firewood, 12:27 so you spent a lot of time up in the hills, 12:29 in the mountains and quads- 12:31 - Well, you've been there, it's pretty far out, isn't it? 12:32 - It's pretty neat, yeah, it's out there. 12:34 - Far out, I mean, it is way off the grid. 12:36 - So that is a great video. 12:37 I think it's available on YouTube. 12:39 - Yeah, just go to Doug Batchelor Country Living. 12:41 I'm sure it'll pop up. 12:42 - Yeah, all right, well, thanks for your call Wesley. 12:44 We've got Lonnie listening in Arizona. 12:46 Lonnie, welcome to the program. 12:48 - [Lonnie] Everyone's always afraid of what's gonna happen 12:50 at the judgment seat of Christ. 12:53 And again, if you've died in Christ, 12:55 then you know that your name is in the book of life, 12:57 and all of that and that our sins are washed away. 13:00 You know, as of Isaiah 1:18, 13:06 but my question really is, 13:09 do our dirty laundry and I've heard you say this 13:11 in some of your sermons, 13:14 that it's basically about rewards, 13:16 which I know the both of you gonna embellish on. 13:19 And the thing is that the good and the bad deeds 13:22 they're gonna be aired, but to whom? 13:25 - Well, I think that if you have repented of 13:28 and confessed your sins, 13:30 they are under the blood of the lamb, 13:32 and the Lord will protect us. 13:35 God is not wanting to out us. 13:38 You know, it was Judas 13:40 who finally turned away from the Lord, 13:43 his sins of stealing and everything were made manifest. 13:47 But I think the Lord is looking to protect 13:51 and to wash away and treat as innocent 13:53 those that repent of and confess and turn from their sins. 13:57 He's not, they don't come before them into judgment 14:00 because Jesus is really being judged for those things. 14:04 - And you know, 14:06 there's two things being blotted out of the books of record. 14:08 If you're a believer, but you turn away from God, 14:12 then your name gets blotted out of the lambs book of life. 14:14 But if you're a believer and you remain faithful to God, 14:17 then your sins get blotted out. 14:19 Or at least to the book of sin in heaven. 14:20 And that's a good thing. 14:22 So when we are forgiven at the end of that judgment, 14:24 the sins all cleanse the book, so to speak are cleansed, 14:27 the record of sins removed. 14:28 So that's good news. 14:29 No one's gonna be up there in heaven 14:31 during the thousand years, you know, 14:32 thumbing through the book and saying, 14:33 "Oh, look what he did, oh, look what she did." 14:36 No, the sins of the righteous they're blotted out. 14:38 - That's why you've got that robe of righteousness. 14:41 It's a covering. 14:42 - That's right, absolutely, very good. 14:43 - Thank you, good question. 14:44 - We've got Caleb listening from New York. 14:46 Caleb, welcome to the program. 14:49 - [Caleb] Hello, thank you, Pastor Doug 14:50 and Pastor Ross. 14:52 How you guys doing? 14:53 - Good. 14:55 - [Caleb] Oh, by the way, Pastor Doug, 14:56 I love your sermon on Saturday on Sampson. 15:00 - Oh, praise the Lord. 15:02 Glad you enjoyed that. 15:04 - [Calab] My question is for you is 15:09 I'm going through a lot of problems right now, 15:12 like mentally and stuff like that. 15:14 I haven't been praying and spending time on the Bible. 15:21 And am I like, what can I do to get back? 15:26 Or am I already doing like, 15:29 oh, God's Spirit has left me. 15:30 Is that why I'm not like, you know- 15:34 - Well, first of all, 15:35 don't think that you're doomed. 15:37 You probably wouldn't be calling if you were doomed. 15:39 The Holy Spirit's still working with you. 15:41 Every believer has ups and downs. 15:45 You know, life has ups and downs. 15:47 The weather has ups and downs. 15:49 There are days the sun is shining through 15:50 and there are days that the clouds obscure the sun. 15:53 The sun is still there, 15:55 but the earth rotates and the sun is hidden 15:57 and the storms come and the sun is hidden, 15:59 but the sun is still there. 16:00 God, He loves you and it's consistent. 16:04 You can make a decision to love the Lord and say, 16:06 "I'm committing myself to the Lord." 16:08 That doesn't mean there aren't gonna be ups and downs. 16:10 When you get married, 16:12 you make a covenant, you make a commitment, 16:13 there're gonna be ups and downs in your marriage, 16:16 but you're still, 16:18 you've got that unconditional love and that commitment. 16:20 And so, yeah, don't be discouraged. 16:23 Now, you may need to rediscover that first love. 16:27 There may be things you need to do to reignite your faith 16:30 and faithfulness, spend time in prayer, repent of your sins, 16:36 you know, repent and turn from your sins, 16:38 ask the Lord for His grace and as soon as you do that, 16:41 He'll send the refreshing of His Spirit again. 16:44 So, and every believer may have to do that a thousand times 16:48 or more in their experience 16:51 that we often seem to sometimes go through ups and downs. 16:55 There are highs and lows. 16:56 That's just part of life. 16:58 It's also part of the Christian life. 16:59 Do not think it means that God has abandoned you. 17:03 - You know, the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:6, 17:06 "That we walk by faith, not by sight." 17:09 So what that means 17:10 is you might not always feel a certain way. 17:12 Doesn't mean God is abandoned you, 17:14 but we walk by faith trusting in His word. 17:16 Even if you don't necessarily feel any different 17:19 or feel differently, we take God at His word. 17:22 - That's right, amen. 17:23 - Okay, next caller that we have is Connor 17:24 listening from Colorado. 17:25 Connor, welcome to the program. 17:28 - [Connor] Hello pastors, how are you guys doing? 17:30 - Good, thanks for calling. 17:34 - [Connor] Thank you, my question is 17:35 kind of similar to the last one, 17:37 but I was just wondering how a person would know 17:40 if they've committed the unpardonable sin? 17:43 - All right, first, when we hang up request the free book, 17:48 we'll send you a book on that. 17:49 We get this question a lot. 17:51 And you know, one of the most frightening things 17:54 that Jesus said is that 17:56 "All manner of sin and blaspheme can be forgiven, 17:59 but he that sins against the Holy Spirit, 18:01 or blasphemes the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven." 18:04 And people go, "Wow, there is an unforgivable sin. 18:07 I wonder if I've committed that sin?" 18:10 And 99.99% of the people that worry about that have not. 18:16 Of course, no one knows the heart, but God, 18:17 but sometimes we're convicted by the Holy Spirit 18:23 to turn from our sins. 18:24 We think, "Well, maybe I've gone too far." 18:26 The devil often wants us to think we've gone too far. 18:29 There's a story in the book of Zachariah, 18:31 I believe it's chapter three, 18:33 where the high priest is wearing filthy garments, 18:35 and the devil is there accusing, 18:37 he's basically saying, you know, 18:38 "he can't be saved, he's gone too far." 18:40 When Michael comes to resurrect Moses, 18:43 the devil is there saying, "Oh, Moses sinned, 18:45 you can't take him to heaven." 18:47 So the devil is the accuser of the brethren. 18:49 He often wants us to think we've gone too far. 18:53 If we're willing to repent and turn to God, 18:55 God is willing to forgive. 18:57 Grieving away the Holy Spirit 18:58 is not something that happens 19:00 through usually one particular sin, 19:02 but it's a process of years of rejection of God's Spirit. 19:07 So that the volume of the Holy Spirit goes down 19:09 where we just don't even hear it anymore. 19:12 Examples of those who committed the unpardonable sin 19:14 in the Bible would be Balaam, King Saul, Judas. 19:18 I mean, they just, they you know, Judas, 19:21 what do you call it? 19:23 The Saul went to a witch and God stopped speaking to him, 19:25 but it was 40 years of rebellion that preceded that. 19:30 And it was three and a half years of Judas 19:32 sinning in the face of God's own son teaching. 19:35 God is very patient. 19:37 So don't be discouraged and do send for that free book 19:39 about what is the unpardonable sin. 19:42 - You know, we also have a book pastor, 19:43 that our previous caller, 19:44 we probably should have mentioned it at that point too. 19:46 It's called "12 Steps to Revival." 19:48 Talking about how do you rekindle that love for God, 19:50 that first faith and we'll be happy to send that as well. 19:53 If you'd like to receive either of these books 19:55 or both of them, the number to call is 800-835-6747. 19:59 You can ask for the book, "What is the Unpardonable Sin?" 20:02 You can also ask for the book, "12 Steps to Revival." 20:05 And if your north America will be happy to send it to you. 20:08 Next caller that we have is Andrew listening in Kansas. 20:11 Andrew, welcome to the program. 20:14 - [Andrew] Hi Doug. Hi Ross. 20:17 How are you guys doing? 20:18 - Good, thank you for calling. 20:20 - [Andrew] My question is, God is only one God 20:23 and I got brought this question 20:25 and I don't know how to answer it. 20:27 And so God the Son is our God too. 20:30 So they're trying to tell me that there's two gods. 20:35 - Yeah, I know people get, 20:37 that's a common and a normal misunderstanding. 20:42 When it tells us in the book of Deuteronomy chapter six, 20:45 "Hear O Israel, the Lord God is one." 20:48 And the Bible says several times, 20:49 "There is one God." 20:51 In the Hebrew mind, the way they use the word one 20:54 is not always talking about numerical quantity. 20:58 It's talking about unity. 21:00 Jesus prayed to the Father and He said in John 17, 21:03 "Father, I pray that they", meaning the 12 apostles, 21:06 "I pray they may be one." 21:08 Well, there's 12 of them, but He wanted them to be united. 21:11 He said, "Father, I pray they may be one 21:13 even as You and I are one." 21:16 So Jesus was not asking the 12 apostles 21:18 to merge into one person. 21:20 He was asking for them to be of one Spirit, 21:22 to be united as Jesus and the Father and the Spirit 21:26 are united. 21:27 And so all of the pagan religions, many of them anyway, 21:32 they were polytheistic, they had many gods. 21:35 The God of the Bible, it's a one united God. 21:39 And so that God, in the beginning, God says, 21:42 "Let Us make man in Our image." 21:45 It's plural. 21:46 So right from the beginning of the Bible, 21:48 we know that God is composed of a united God, 21:51 meaning one in the Spirit, in unity and purpose. 21:56 And it's, I know it's somewhat mysterious, 21:58 but it's composed of three unique persons. 22:01 God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 22:04 And we have a book we can send you on that. 22:05 That deals with "One God or Three, is the Trinity Biblical?" 22:09 - The number to call is 800-835-6747. 22:12 You can ask for the book it's called "One God or Three?" 22:16 What is the Bible teach about the Trinity? 22:18 Of course, the word Trinity, pastor not found in the Bible, 22:20 but the idea of the three members of the Godhead, 22:24 the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that is very biblical, 22:26 and we find that throughout scripture. 22:28 So be sure to call and ask for that book. 22:30 You will be blessed. 22:31 Next caller that we have is Linda listening in Missouri. 22:34 Linda, welcome to the program. 22:37 - [Linda] Praise God. 22:38 I just first before asking my question, 22:40 I just wanted to let you know that both you, Doug and Jean, 22:44 that because of you guys, 22:46 you're both gonna have an extra crown, 22:48 or extra star on your crown 22:50 because you guys both lead me to Christ, 22:54 and the fullness of everything. 22:56 And I just wanted to thank you both on that. 22:59 My question is about the Amplified Bible. 23:02 And what do you think about it, 23:04 is for a good main Bible or a study Bible? 23:09 - Yeah, for our friends that are listening, 23:11 the Amplified Bible is a Bible 23:13 that and correct me if I'm wrong, Linda, 23:15 but I think it's, 23:16 you're talking about the Bible 23:17 that's got a verse, 23:18 but it'll have like four translations of each verse. 23:23 - [Linda] Yeah, it says, 23:25 "For the behind the original Greek and Hebrew." 23:28 - Yeah, well, I guess there's a few Amplified Bibles, 23:31 but the one I'm thinking of 23:33 as it goes through the different verses, 23:34 you'll see each verse 23:36 will have different versions of that verse. 23:39 So you can amplify each verse a little more 23:42 and it shows you some, yes, 23:43 some expound more on the Greek and the Hebrew, 23:45 but it's a great study Bible. 23:48 So if you want to dig deeper into each verse 23:51 and look at it through the eyes of different translators 23:54 to get little nuances, 23:55 most of 'em say exactly the same thing, 23:57 but you often get little nuances and insights 24:00 through different words. 24:01 It expands your understanding. 24:03 Nothing wrong with looking at the Amplified Bible 24:06 as a study Bible. 24:07 - Well, you know, I think there's also an Amplified Bible, 24:10 if I'm not mistaken, which is a paraphrase 24:13 where they will take an English version, 24:14 and they'll confer with the Greek and Hebrew, 24:16 but they'll take an English Bible, 24:18 and they would they'll write the verse 24:20 using different words and maybe expand on different ideas. 24:23 So there is a difference between an actual translation 24:27 and a paraphrase. 24:28 So we just wanna be aware of that. 24:30 Translation is a direct translation of the original text. 24:33 Sometimes the word order is change just a little, 24:35 but a paraphrase is somebody adding some flavor, 24:39 you might say, or an angle or perspective, 24:41 or putting it in different language 24:43 for people to understand. 24:46 - [Linda] That definitely helps me so much. 24:49 Thank you very much. 24:50 And you two have a wonderful evening. 24:52 - All right, God bless. 24:53 Thank you. 24:54 - Next caller that we have is Pat 24:56 listening in Colorado. 24:57 Pat, welcome to the program. 25:00 - [Pat] Thank you very much. 25:02 My question is, Jesus is called the first born of God. 25:08 And why is Jesus called the first born of God 25:11 before He was born human on earth? 25:15 - Where are you talking about? 25:17 What verse? 25:19 - [Linda] I didn't get the verse written down. 25:23 It's always said, 25:24 "Jesus is the first born of God 25:26 and we're adopted into the family of God. 25:30 - Right, well, Jesus is the, 25:31 He's the only begotten Son. 25:33 He is called the first born. 25:35 It's not because He was the first human born. 25:39 You know, of course God made man in His own image, 25:41 but the only time that God became a human was in Christ. 25:48 And so, you know, He has preeminence because of that. 25:51 In the book of Hebrews also tells us. 25:53 But again, I don't think that it's talking about 25:57 the first born as in sequence. 25:59 Now, when you talk about, 26:00 well, let me back up and correct myself. 26:04 In the Hebrew, 26:05 the first born son had a special inheritance right, 26:09 and he was given special privileges. 26:11 In that sense, Jesus spiritually is the first born. 26:15 He receives those special inheritance rights. 26:17 He's the greatest among the son, so to speak. 26:20 But obviously, Jesus wasn't the first time 26:23 that a human was born. 26:25 So I guess we got about 25 seconds till the break, 26:28 Pastor Ross anything you want to add to that? 26:30 - Yes, I mean, 26:32 there is a phrase in the Old Testament 26:33 that seems to indicate or a reference to the first born, 26:35 it's usually messianic and it's pointing to Jesus, 26:38 and the fact that He would come, 26:39 and He would be considered the first born 26:41 in position and rank because it's through Him 26:43 that anyone else is saved. 26:46 - All right, friends, we're gonna take a break. 26:47 We are coming back in just a moment 26:48 with more Bible questions, 26:50 but we have some important messages. 26:52 (upbeat music) 26:55 - [Announcer] Stay tuned, 26:56 "Bible Answers Live" will return shortly. 26:59 (upbeat music) 27:03 - [Announcer 2] Can't get enough Amazing Facts Bible study? 27:05 You don't have to wait until next week 27:07 to enjoy more truth filled programming. 27:10 Visit the amazing facts media library at aftv.org. 27:16 At aftv.org you can enjoy video and audio presentations 27:20 as well as printed material, all free of charge. 27:23 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 27:26 right from your computer or mobile device. 27:28 Visit aftv.org. 27:32 (dramatic music) 27:45 - [Narrator] What if you could know the future, 27:49 what would you do, what would you change? 27:54 To see the future you must understand the past. 27:58 - [Narrator 2] Alexander the Great 27:59 becomes king when he is only 18, 28:01 but he's a military prodigy. 28:04 - [Narrator 3] 150 Years in advance Cyrus had been named. 28:09 Rome was violent, they were ruthless, 28:12 they were determined. 28:14 - [Narrator] This intriguing documentary 28:16 hosted by Pastor Doug Batchelor, 28:18 explores the most striking Bible prophecies 28:21 that have been dramatically fulfilled throughout history. 28:24 "Kingdoms in Time." 28:27 Are you ready? 28:29 (dramatic music) 28:31 - [Narrator 4] Have you ever skipped a meal? 28:33 Not a bad idea if you need to watch your waistline. 28:36 But there's a heavenly food 28:37 you should never skip, God's Word. 28:39 Yet how can you dive in daily when you're so busy? 28:42 Amazing Facts has you covered 28:44 and it's as easy as signing up for our daily devotional, 28:47 and verse of the day. 28:48 Both sent directly to your inbox, 28:50 ready to bless, inspire, and inform you. 28:53 To start receiving the Amazing Facts daily devotional 28:55 and verse of the day. 28:57 Visit amazingfacts.org and click on Bible study 29:00 in the main menu. 29:01 You'll be glad you did. 29:03 (upbeat music) 29:05 - [Announcer] Your listening to "Bible Answers Live" 29:08 where every question answered, 29:09 provides a clearer picture of God and His plan to save you. 29:14 So what are you waiting for? 29:15 Get practical answers about the 'Good Book' 29:18 for a better life today. 29:21 (upbeat music) 29:23 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 29:25 If you'd like answers to your Bible related questions 29:28 on the air, please call us next Sunday 29:30 between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM Pacific time. 29:34 To receive any of the Bible resources 29:36 mentioned in this evening's program, call 800-835-6747. 29:42 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 29:49 Now let's rejoin our hosts for more "Bible Answers Live". 29:54 - Welcome back listening friends to "Bible Answers Live". 29:56 And if you've joined us somewhere along the way, 29:58 we are a live international interactive Bible study. 30:01 We invite you to call in with your Bible questions. 30:03 You can be listening on the radio. 30:05 You could be listening on the Amazing Facts Facebook page, 30:08 Doug Batchelor Facebook page AFTV and other stations. 30:12 My name is Doug Batchelor. 30:14 - My name is Jean Ross, 30:16 and we have a number of folks who are standing by 30:17 on the phone. 30:18 We're gonna go to Damon in Oklahoma City. 30:20 Damon, welcome into the program. 30:22 - [Damon] Hello pastors, good evening. 30:24 - Evening, 30:26 and your question. 30:28 - [Damon] Yes sir, yes, sir. 30:29 Thank you. 30:30 So I've been trying to confirm the Holy Spirit 30:33 and the Godhead a little bit more, 30:35 and I've been reading some scriptures. 30:37 I'm getting a little, I get a little confused. 30:40 Is the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of God, 30:44 two different things or is it one in the same? 30:48 - Well, I can't imagine a case 30:50 where someone would receive the Spirit of God 30:52 without the Holy Spirit. 30:54 So the Holy Spirit is the one. 30:57 And sometimes in King James, it calls it the Holy Ghost, 31:00 the same word we don't, 31:03 today we think of ghost as a, you know, spook or something, 31:06 but it's really the Spirit of God. 31:09 And when it says, "The Spirit of the Lord came on Sampson 31:12 or the Spirit of the Lord came on David, 31:14 or they were baptized in the Holy Spirit", 31:16 the Bible says, "There's one Lord, one faith, one Spirit." 31:20 And so it would be the same. 31:23 - [Damon] So like, when it says like the breath, 31:25 like when it, for instance, 31:26 when it says, "God breathes the Spirit", 31:28 which is like the ruach, the breath. 31:32 - Oh, now I see what you're talking about now. 31:34 Now that is a little different, you know, 31:37 when it's talking about the breath of life 31:41 that is talking about the air of life, 31:44 and of course it's even there, 31:45 it's the Spirit of God that is infused in a person. 31:48 But the word really is breath like when you breathe. 31:51 And when it tells us in Genesis, "God breathe into Adam." 31:54 And that word in Hebrew is ruach, 31:57 in Greek it's the word pneuma, 31:58 which is where we get pneumatic tools, 32:00 tools that run on air, 32:01 or pneumonia, it's a sickness of the air or the breathing. 32:07 So that's the word pneuma, 32:09 that's talking about the wind or the air. 32:12 And sometimes that's interchangeable with the word spirit. 32:16 It depends on the context. 32:17 - You know, these different symbols 32:19 used for the Holy Spirit in the Bible. 32:20 You have wind, as you mentioned, pastor. 32:22 Also, fire is a symbol of the Holy Spirit at times. 32:25 And then also water can symbolize the Holy Spirit. 32:28 So you've got these different symbols 32:30 that appear in the Bible. 32:31 But it's illustrating or pointing forward 32:33 to the Holy Spirit. 32:35 - Yeah, we've got a book 32:36 we'd be happy to share with Damon. 32:37 That's dealing with the Holy Spirit 32:39 and it talks about the need of the Holy Spirit. 32:42 And this goes into 32:43 some of the definitions of the spirit there. 32:45 We'll be happy to send you a free copy Damon. 32:47 - The number to call is 800-835-6747. 32:51 And again, you can just ask for the book it's called 32:53 "The Holy Spirit, the Need", 32:54 and we'll be happy to send it to you, 32:56 Damon or anyone listening in North America. 32:59 Outside of North America, you can still read it, 33:01 but please go to the website, amazingfacts.org. 33:05 We have Jesus listening in Florida. 33:07 Jesus, welcome to the program. 33:10 - [Jesus] Hello pastors. 33:11 Thank you for taking my answer my question. 33:15 So my question comes from 1 Corinthians 7:12. 33:20 I was doing a little bit of study, 33:21 'cause I've been going along 33:22 with like the yearly Bible study plan 33:24 that you guys have, but I'm a little delayed. 33:27 And the question is pertaining to when it says, 33:31 "But to the rest I not the Lord say 33:34 if any brother has a wife." 33:36 Practically Paul saying that he not the Lord is advising. 33:45 I guess you could say like the Corinthian church. 33:47 I wanted to know what are your guys' thoughts? 33:50 - Yeah, I think Paul is taking a humble approach here. 33:53 He's giving some counsel to the church. 33:56 He's also giving counsel to a particular church 34:00 and he's saying, 34:02 "Look, I'm not giving this to you as a command from God 34:03 but my judgment." 34:04 And Paul actually uses that word other times. 34:06 He says, "In my judgment" and he's disqualifing. 34:09 He said, "This is my judgment." 34:11 Now of course he is an apostle inspired by God. 34:13 So his judgment, he probably underrated his own judgment. 34:17 But yeah, he's talking about this situation. 34:20 If a man's got a woman she doesn't believe, 34:23 and she's willing to stay with her, he's saying, 34:25 "Let her not divorce him." 34:27 Now, this is actually a position of most churches 34:29 that believers should not divorce their unbelieving spouses, 34:34 'cause marriage is a sacred union. 34:37 And Paul said, "Who knows? 34:38 You might be able to convert your unbelieving spouse." 34:41 Peter reinforces this when he says, 34:43 and I think it's 1 Peter chapter three, 34:45 where he says that "The unbelieving husband can be converted 34:50 by the chaste behavior of the believing wife." 34:53 And so it's a principle 34:54 that I think is a scriptural principle. 34:57 Paul, he seems to approach it with some humility saying, 35:02 "You know, in my opinion." 35:03 Does that help? 35:05 - [Jesus] Yeah, definitely, thank you. 35:07 - Yeah and by the way, we do have a book 35:08 on marriage, divorce and remarriage, 35:11 and we do address this issue in that book. 35:14 - The number to call again is 800-835-6747. 35:17 That is the resource phone line. 35:19 You can ask for the book called 35:20 "Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage", 35:22 and we'll send that to anyone who calls and asks. 35:25 We've got Matthew listening in Toronto. 35:27 Matthew, welcome to the program. 35:30 - [Matthew] Hi pastor, thanks for taking my call. 35:32 Based on Genesis one. 35:34 The Bible says, "God made male and female." 35:37 So my question is, 35:39 is it okay for me to change from male to female 35:46 and God still love me and can I be saved in God's kingdom? 35:49 - Well, God, you know, 35:51 people often do sinful things and God is a God of love. 35:57 So the Bible says, 35:58 "What can separate us from the love of God?" 36:00 God loves us. 36:01 Can a person continue in known sin 36:04 whatever that sin is and still be saved? No. 36:08 If we don't repent of our sins, we can't be saved. 36:10 So now then the other question is, 36:12 is it a sin for a person to try to change themselves 36:16 from male to female? 36:17 I believe it is. 36:19 I think the Bible tells us 36:20 that God makes a person for one thing, 36:22 it's biologically impossible. 36:24 It doesn't matter how many procedures 36:26 and chemicals and hormones you receive, 36:28 the differences between men and women 36:30 go all the way to the genetic level. 36:32 And you are born either one or the other. 36:35 I know there are some rare cases 36:37 of people that have some deformities when they're born, 36:39 but the very genes, 36:42 the X and the Y chromosomes in male and female are different 36:45 that cannot be changed. 36:47 You know, I think there was just an interesting ruling 36:49 that was made. 36:50 Everyone was aware in the news, 36:52 how there was a certain male swimmer 36:55 who went through, you know, 36:57 the outward change to try to be transformed into a female. 37:00 And as a male swimmer, he was a mediocre, 37:03 but as a female swimmer, suddenly he began to just, 37:06 you know, break all the records, 37:07 and all the girls began to protest. 37:09 Well, first they were afraid to 37:10 'cause it was politically incorrect 37:11 and he began to protest and said, 37:13 "This just no way we can compete. 37:15 This is not fair. 37:16 He is physiologically a male, 37:17 the surgeries don't change things." 37:19 And now the sports board that governs that department 37:24 has agreed and they said, 37:25 "Someone who has entered puberty as a male, 37:29 they cannot compete as a female." 37:30 Of course, I don't think they should ever at any point. 37:33 But so I'm meandering to answer your question. 37:36 God made them male and female. 37:38 The Lord does not want, 37:39 a male should not dress like a female, the Bible says, 37:43 and that's in Deuteronomy, I think it's 18. 37:46 A male should not dress or maybe it's Deuteronomy 22, 37:49 "A man should not put on a woman's garment 37:51 or a woman put on a man's garment, 37:53 for all that do so are an abomination unto the Lord." 37:56 If God made you a man celebrate how God made you, 37:59 or if He made you a woman be thankful and celebrate 38:01 and live that out, that's God's plan. 38:05 - All right, well, thanks for your call Matthew. 38:07 Next caller that we have is Steve in New York. 38:10 Steve, welcome to the program. 38:12 - [Steve] My question involves Joshua chapter six 38:15 and in Joshua chapter six, the Lord instructs Joshua 38:18 to take the men of war and some priests 38:21 to march around Jericho. 38:24 And they were to do that seven days. 38:26 So my question is one of those seven days 38:28 would've been the Sabbath. 38:30 And I'm just wondering why God would've instructed them 38:35 to march on the Sabbath doing that. 38:39 Or was it again, maybe not common, 38:43 but not unusual for Israel to go into battles 38:47 even when it was the Sabbath day? 38:50 - Yeah. Good question. 38:51 All right, so in the story of Joshua, 38:53 it says, "You're to march around the city six times, 38:56 or a six days, once, 38:58 seventh day, seven times, 39:00 he's not talking about the seventh day of the week. 39:01 He means the seventh day of marching, 39:03 but your point is still good. 39:05 That that would mean if there's seven sequential days 39:07 in marching around Jericho, 39:08 one of those seven must have been the Sabbath. 39:12 Well, if God tells His army to go march around a city 39:16 and blow trumpets, 39:18 that's really just a Sabbath walk and special music. 39:21 There's nothing in there that's really forbidden in itself. 39:25 They're not actually going to war, 39:27 but even among the Israelites, 39:30 if they were attacked by their enemies 39:32 on the Sabbath day, and that happens to modern Israel. 39:35 Several of the wars have been launched by Islamic enemies 39:39 on Friday, thinking that the Jews 39:42 would be the least prepared. 39:46 When Pearl Harbor happened, it was not an accident 39:49 the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on a Sunday morning, 39:53 they knew it would be the day of rest 39:55 for the people in the city, 39:56 and that they would be the least prone 39:58 to preparation for fighting. 40:00 But the Jews, as other armies, 40:03 they realize an army needs to be equipped all the time 40:06 and prepared all the time. 40:08 And even the Jews had people who were a Watchman 40:10 in the temple, on the Sabbath. 40:12 So, it's not a sin for a Jewish army or Sabbath keepers 40:19 to defend themselves if they're attacked on the Sabbath day. 40:22 There were some wars that the Jews fought 40:23 that lasted for years and obviously, 40:27 they didn't take every Saturday off. 40:29 So when there's defending the cities. 40:33 - All right, thank you, Steve. 40:35 Next caller that we have is Jesse listening in Colorado. 40:38 Jesse, welcome to the program. 40:41 - [Jesse] Hi. 40:42 - Hi. 40:44 - [Jesse] So my question deals with Revelation 17, 40:50 who is the lady and I have an opinion on it already, 40:53 but I just want to hear what you guys say. 40:55 - Yeah, Revelation 17 40:56 is that chapter that identifies this woman 40:59 who's called, Mystery Babylon the Great, 41:01 the mother of harlots and abomination of the earth. 41:05 Says "That she's got many daughters." 41:07 Well, I think the key to answer that question. 41:09 This is a prophecy that was written by John. 41:12 John is a captive in Rome when he writes the prophecy 41:15 and he says in verse 18, 41:17 that's the last verse in chapter 17. 41:19 "The woman who you saw is that great city 41:22 that reigns over the Kings of the earth." 41:24 What city was raining over the Kings of the earth 41:27 when John wrote Revelation? 41:30 - [Jesse] So I would say Rome, right? 41:31 - Correct. 41:33 So a woman in prophecy is an allegory of what? 41:37 - [Jesse] I have really no clue. 41:38 - Okay, well, the Bible says, 41:40 "Husbands love your wives as Christ loves the church." 41:42 And sometimes God's church has been unfaithful. 41:45 So here you have an unfaithful woman in Rome 41:48 that becomes a very powerful, 41:50 that gets involved in intrigue and adultery 41:55 with the Kings of the earth. 41:56 The only church that can fit this description 41:59 would be the Roman Catholic church. 42:00 And by the way, 42:02 that's not pastor Doug or Pastor Ross. 42:03 This is what was said by Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon, 42:09 John Wesley, John Calvin, all the Protestant reformers, 42:14 and many, matter of fact, 42:17 even I think it was even Pope Gregory the Great 42:19 who said, "Any man that calls the office of the Pope 42:23 to be, you know, the head of the church", 42:25 he says, "he is antichrist." 42:27 So yeah, this is identifying the Roman Catholic church 42:34 says, "The woman sits among seven Hills." 42:35 Rome is the city of seven Hills. 42:38 So I think it's pretty clear. 42:40 - You know, we got a study guide called "The Other Woman", 42:42 and it's talking about this description 42:44 we find in Revelation chapter 17. 42:46 We'll be happy to send this to you, 42:48 Jesse or anyone wanting to learn more 42:49 about this very important chapter 42:52 that we find in the last book of the Bible. 42:54 You can just call and ask, 42:55 ask for the study guide. 42:56 It's called, "The Other Woman", it's on Revelation 17. 42:58 The number to call is 800-835-6747. 43:02 And again, ask for the study guide called "The Other Woman". 43:06 Our next caller that we have is Keith 43:08 listening in Louisiana. 43:12 Keith, welcome to the program. 43:14 - [Keith] Can you explain 1 Peter 3:18-20? 43:23 - It says, "For Christ suffered once for sins, 43:25 the just for the unjust that He might bring us to God, 43:28 being put to death in the flesh, 43:29 but made alive by the Spirit, 43:31 by whom", talking about by the Spirit. 43:33 "He also went and preached to the spirits in prison 43:36 who formally were disobedient 43:38 when once the divine long suffering waited 43:40 in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared." 43:43 It's talking about the divine long suffering. 43:46 It's talking about the spirit. 43:47 Peter is referring back to Genesis chapter six, 43:51 and I think it's verse three where God says, 43:52 "My Spirit will not always strive with man, 43:56 but his days will be 120 years." 43:59 So it was the same Spirit that rose Jesus from the dead. 44:02 That spirit strove with unbelievers back in the days of Noah 44:06 and spoke to those who are imprisoned by sin. 44:10 It's not saying that when Jesus died on the cross, 44:13 that He went to a dungeon somewhere 44:15 to give special second chance treatment to people 44:18 that live before the flood. 44:20 And this is, you know what some people have taught, 44:22 but Bible doesn't teach that. 44:24 Is that kind of what you were wondering? 44:27 - [Keith] Yes, sir, yes. 44:28 Especially that part was a bit troubling 44:32 about the spirits in prison. 44:35 So yeah, that does make more sense. 44:37 - The key to understanding that 44:39 is you go to Genesis 6:3. 44:41 God said, "My Spirit will not always strive with man." 44:44 This was written before the flood. 44:46 This is the Spirit, the long suffering of God. 44:49 "For 120 years", it says, "they would have 44:51 from the time that God called Noah until the flood came, 44:54 and God spoke to the spirits in prison", 44:57 by the devil meaning, "in prison by sin." 45:00 - All right. Thanks for call. 45:02 We've got Reasoner listening from North Carolina. 45:05 Reasoner, welcome to the program. 45:06 - [Reasoner] Hey, thanks Pastor Doug, Pastor Ross. 45:10 I got two questions. 45:12 First of all, can you read Matthew 5:20 please? 45:16 - All right, you got it, Jean. 45:18 You wanna read it? 45:19 - Yes. 45:20 "For I say to you, unless your righteousness succeeds 45:21 the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, 45:24 you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." 45:27 - [Reasoner] Okay, thanks. 45:29 Now, first question is simply this. 45:31 If Christ were here now, dispensing free education, 45:35 free medicine, free food. 45:37 He fed the crowd for free, His charity and generosity. 45:41 Could you see Him being branded as a socialist? 45:44 That's the first question. 45:46 - Okay, well, no, you know, of course, 45:49 how would He be branded? 45:51 They, everybody branded Jesus pretty poorly. 45:53 Both the legalists and the liberals, 45:56 the Sadducees and the Pharisees didn't care much for Jesus. 46:00 Jesus freely dispensing. 46:03 He was not freely dispensing from a government. 46:06 He was personally freely dispensing. 46:08 He was encouraging believers to dispense, 46:11 not compulsory gifts and taxation. 46:15 In other words, America started out 46:19 where the government depended on the goodness 46:22 and the Christianity of people 46:24 to care for the poor, the hospitals, the orphanages, 46:27 they weren't run by the government. 46:28 They were run by the Christians. 46:30 But as time went by, the government said, 46:32 "Well, we can't trust you to be good. 46:33 So we're gonna take the money from you and we'll run it." 46:36 That's a whole different system 46:37 than what Christ really was setting up. 46:40 - Well, you know, pastor, I'm thinking of another verse. 46:41 It's clear, the Bible does talk about 46:43 our responsibility as believers to help those in need. 46:46 And that is the poor. 46:48 But on the other hand, 46:49 you do find a principle that we read about 46:51 in 2 Thessalonians three, 46:53 this is not the only place, 46:55 but the principle is simply this 46:56 "The one who does not work, shall neither eat." 47:00 In other words, we need to work. 47:02 It's not a good thing for us not to do what we can 47:05 to support ourselves and our family. 47:07 If we claim that we don't wanna work 47:09 and we just want to get handouts, well, we lazy. 47:13 It's contrary to what the Bible says. 47:14 - That's spiritual. 47:15 - So, there is a balance. 47:16 We need to be industrious. 47:18 We need to do our best. 47:19 The Bible says, "Whatever your hand finds to do, 47:21 do it with all your might." 47:23 But there are people that get sick. 47:25 There are people that suffer, need. 47:27 And as believers, we want to be aware of that. 47:29 And we want to help people. 47:30 It's a different structure that you see 47:32 than what's being promoted today 47:34 in different political circles. 47:36 - So you guys, you had two parts to your question. 47:38 What was the second part? 47:40 - [Reasoner] Okay, the second question is simply this, 47:42 the Pharisees were more old line stand pat, traditional, 47:46 staunchity, okay. 47:48 That when Saul got his name changed to Paul, 47:53 did he leave the party of the Pharisees? 47:57 - Well, he must have, 47:58 because I think Paul says, 47:59 "I was a Pharisee of the Pharisees." 48:02 And so he speaks of it in past tense. 48:05 Of course, I don't know if that's by his choice 48:07 or if they evicted him, 48:08 but he considered himself a Pharisee. 48:11 He had to abandon some of the teachings of the Pharisees 48:14 'cause the majority of the Pharisees rejected Jesus. 48:17 - And of course the Pharisees fundamentally 48:19 the theology was righteous by works. 48:22 And so Paul, you know, becomes Paul but he was Saul, 48:27 him being a Pharisee of the Pharisees, 48:29 he was very careful to observe every little tradition 48:33 that was created, trying to be righteous. 48:35 And then of course he discovered the truth of the gospel 48:37 and realized righteous comes by faith in Christ, 48:39 not as a result of works. 48:42 All right. Well thank you for your call. 48:43 We've got Joseph listening in California. 48:45 Joseph, welcome to the program. 48:48 - [Joseph] Hello pastors, how are you guys doing? 48:50 - Doing great. Thank you for calling. 48:53 - [Joseph] Yeah, first of all, 48:54 I want to thank you guys for your ministry. 48:55 I've learned a lot from listening to you guys' programs. 49:00 My question is, what are your thoughts on home church? 49:05 And does the Bible say anything against it? 49:08 - Well, you see a lot of examples in the Bible 49:11 of people meeting in homes in the early days of the church. 49:15 If you look in the book of Acts, you know, 49:18 of course Christ first met them in a home church, 49:20 an upper room. 49:22 The last supper was in what you would call a home church, 49:24 an upper room. 49:25 The resurrection and the early Bible studies. 49:28 The Holy Spirit being poured out. 49:30 This was all done in homes. 49:32 There were not formally dedicated church buildings 49:35 with a more public nature. 49:37 And so I personally think, 49:40 I know Pastor Ross agrees, 49:41 that the strength of any church 49:43 is gonna be not just what happens once a week 49:45 in the building, 49:47 but in the homes and in small groups. 49:51 Because that's where we really build relationships. 49:53 And you can have more intimate times of prayer 49:56 and know the people and know how to pray for them. 49:59 We learn how to get along and love each other better. 50:01 It's sometimes easier in a big church. 50:03 You can come in and go out 50:04 and not really get involved with people, 50:06 but you don't always learn how to love. 50:08 So yeah, I think that, 50:11 I think the strength of even the modern church 50:13 is very important to be involved in home groups. 50:16 Now, I wouldn't abandon the corporate getting together 50:19 or maybe a more traditional facility, 50:24 but certainly nothing wrong biblically with the home church. 50:28 - I think we even find in the Bible, for example, 50:30 Colossians 4:15, 50:31 when Christians were facing opposition and persecution, 50:34 not only from the religious leaders in Jerusalem, 50:37 but the Romans as well. 50:39 There were groups that met in homes and they were churches. 50:42 Colossians 4:15 says, 50:43 "Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and Nympha, 50:47 and the church that is in his house." 50:49 So his house served as a gathering place for believers. 50:53 And that was, you might say a home church, but again, 50:56 that was the time of persecution. 50:57 Christianity was spreading 51:00 in a place of relative ease or peace. 51:02 There's nothing wrong in building a building 51:04 dedicated just to the worship of God 51:06 where believers can gather together 51:07 and worship on a regular basis. 51:10 - You know, I think one of the best verses 51:11 in that Pastor Ross is in Acts 2:46, 51:14 "For continuing daily, with one accord in the temple", 51:18 that was the public place, "and breaking bread 51:21 from house to house", meaning getting together, 51:24 studying as well as eating. 51:26 "They ate their food with gladness 51:27 and simplicity of heart, praising God." 51:30 So I think really a healthy church needs both. 51:33 - Absolutely next caller that we have is Steve 51:36 listening Canada, Steve, welcome to the program. 51:39 - [Steve] Good evening, gentlemen, 51:41 thank you very much for everything that you do. 51:43 Like I learned as well as many people 51:45 to try to walk the narrow path with our savior. 51:48 I was wondering the 1/3rd of angels who became demons 51:50 as you referred as made by pastor Doug Batchelor 51:54 that cause conflict in the movie as well. 51:57 Are they have this mentality mindset 51:59 that he's weakness from the two weakness 52:01 where I understood that he's jealous and proud. 52:04 Do they have this character? 52:06 And one and the following, 52:08 if you don't mind just asking me, 52:10 us when we are in Christ, 52:12 we become in the image of Christ as our character. 52:14 But once when we seen like Judas, Saul that you quoted, 52:20 or they became in the character of Lucifer, 52:23 or Satan the devil, 52:24 as they are also have this jealousy and proud in them, 52:28 that is his character. 52:29 Can we inherit his image, 52:31 his character of Satan, what I'm saying, 52:33 just like we can get the character of God? 52:36 - Okay, so when the angels that were deceived by Lucifer, 52:42 when they fell and chose to follow Lucifer in his rebellion, 52:46 they began to take on the characteristics of Lucifer, 52:49 which were pride and selfishness. 52:52 And of course the human race. 52:54 When we fell into sin through our first parents, 52:57 our love nature was damaged 52:59 and we became very selfish creatures. 53:01 So I think that, I dunno, 53:03 Pastor Ross had seemed to me that everybody that, 53:06 unless we're converted and born again, 53:07 people are motivated by selfishness and pride 53:11 and we need to have our image transformed. 53:17 You know, all old things passed away, 53:18 all things made new, we're being conformed 53:20 into the image of His Son. 53:22 And so that is the plan of salvation. 53:24 - You know at the end of time pastor, 53:26 two groups of people are described 53:27 in the book of Revelation. 53:28 Those with the mark of the beast. 53:29 And those with the seal of God. 53:31 Those with the seal of God, 53:32 they reflect the character of God. 53:35 Those with the mark of the beast 53:36 they reflect the character or the image of the beast, 53:39 meaning pride, selfishness. 53:41 So yes, as we surrender to the Spirit of God, 53:44 as we seek God to guide and work within us, 53:46 He creates a new person by faith, 53:50 little by little it's called sanctification. 53:52 Absolutely. 53:53 If we reject that though, 53:54 we are setting ourselves up 53:56 to reflect more and more the devil. 53:58 - That's right. 53:59 You know, when we have a Bible lesson that talk, 54:01 well, first of all, 54:02 our caller asked about the "Cosmic Conflict" DVD. 54:05 If you wanna know more about this rebellion, 54:07 where did sin come from? 54:10 If God is more powerful than the devil, 54:12 then if God is good and if He's loving, 54:14 why doesn't He destroy the devil? 54:16 Did He make a devil? 54:17 Why is there evil in the world if God is good? 54:20 This is the big question a lot of atheists ask. 54:22 They say, "If God's so good, if there's a God, 54:24 why is there innocent people suffering?" 54:27 All of this is answered in that DVD 54:29 called "Cosmic Conflict." 54:31 And you can order that from Amazing Facts, 54:33 or you can probably listen to it for free. 54:35 Everything seems to land on YouTube. 54:37 If you just go to YouTube, I'm quite certain it's there. 54:40 Type in "Cosmic Conflict" 54:41 and that'll really help you understand that. 54:44 Also there's a lesson you can get 54:45 called, "Did God create a devil?" 54:48 How do they get that? 54:49 - The number to call for that is 800-835-6747. 54:53 And just simply ask for the study guide 54:55 it's called, "Did God Create a Devil?" 54:58 And pastor we hear the music playing the background, 55:00 but to those listening on satellite 55:02 we can be signing off, but for the rest of you stay by, 55:04 we've got some great internet questions 55:07 that we're gonna be answering. 55:09 (upbeat music) 55:11 - [Announcer] Thank you for listening to today's broadcast. 55:14 We hope you understand your Bible even better than before. 55:18 "Bible Answers Live" is produced by 55:20 Amazing Facts International, 55:22 a faith based ministry located in Granite Bay, California. 55:26 (upbeat music) 55:27 - Hello, friends, welcome back. 55:29 This is our final internet questions 55:31 that have been sent in. 55:33 Pastor Doug, we have about a minute and a half 55:34 to try and answer as many of the questions as we can. 55:37 So we'll get right to it. 55:38 Here's the first one. 55:40 "How can I stay calm when somebody else falsely accuses me?" 55:45 - Well, it's not necessarily a sin 55:47 to feel some indignation when you're falsely accused, 55:50 but I believe that the reason we can find calmness 55:53 is through the Spirit of God. 55:54 Knowing Jesus went through the same thing. 55:56 Look at Christ at His trial, 55:58 how calmly He bore all of the false testimony 56:01 that was hurled at Him. 56:03 So it's not unnatural to feel some righteous indignation, 56:07 but then hopefully you'll find peace 56:09 knowing I can't change that, I can only change me. 56:13 - Next question that we have. 56:14 Why did Jesus cry out, "My God, My God, 56:17 why have You forsaken Me" on the cross 56:19 when He knew what was going on and what was to happen? 56:22 - Well, some people think 56:24 that Jesus reached a point of despair 56:26 when He cried out 56:27 "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" 56:29 That's actually the first verse in Psalm 22, 56:33 which was a messianic Psalm, 56:35 which they would normally quote from the messianic Psalms 56:38 during the Passover. 56:39 Christ, hanging on the cross, quoted from the Psalm 56:42 that pointed to what He was experiencing. 56:45 And in that very Psalm, it says, 56:48 "They pierced my hands and my feet." 56:50 And people would see Him saying that on the cross. 56:53 And they'd go, "This is the prophecy that tells who He is." 56:57 He was not uttering despair, 56:59 'cause Jesus did not ever lose faith. 57:01 He was basically pointing us 57:02 to the fulfillment of that prophecy. 57:05 - Okay, another question that we have, 57:06 "If I don't know that I'm doing wrong, 57:08 will God judge me for that?" 57:11 - Well, the Bible tells us in the book of Luke, 57:13 "To him who knows his master's will and does not do it 57:16 he will be beaten with many stripes. 57:18 He that did not know and disobeyed is beaten with few." 57:22 You are more accountable for when you know, 57:26 God says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, 57:29 because they've rejected knowledge." 57:31 And so there is more accountability when we know God's will. 57:35 Jesus said, "For someone who does not know, 57:37 if you did not know you would have no sin, 57:40 but now that you say you see, your sin remains." 57:42 And that's the gospel of John. 57:44 - Maybe time for one more Pastor Doug. 57:46 "Why didn't Daniel go straight to heaven?" 57:48 - Okay, meaning Daniel the prophet. 57:51 Believe it or not friends, 57:52 there is more than one Daniel in the Bible. 57:54 You know, it's really easier to ask 57:57 why didn't all the other good prophets go right to heaven? 58:00 Like Elijah or Enoch. 58:02 All the other good prophets went to their graves. 58:05 God said, "Daniel, you will sleep until that day 58:08 the last day of the judgment day." 58:10 Friends we are now out of time, 58:12 stay tuned for some important messages. 58:13 We'll study together next week. 58:15 (upbeat music) 58:17 - [Announcer] "Bible Answers Live", 58:19 honest and accurate answers to your Bible questions. 58:23 (upbeat music) |
Revised 2022-10-28