Participants: John Lomacang (Host), John Stanton
Series Code: HCL
Program Code: HCL120003
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00:01 Hello friends, grab your Bible and a friend
00:03 and sit back as we explore God's word together 00:05 on this edition of House calls. 00:21 Well, welcome to another edition of House calls. 00:24 If you're returning, welcome back. 00:26 If this is your first time, lock it in. 00:29 Don't turn away because John and I really want you to stay. 00:32 This is a Bible program that's solid. 00:36 If we make mistakes that's our human side 00:38 but we try our best to keep it in the Bible. 00:40 So welcome to this program. 00:42 Get your Bibles, get your friends, 00:43 hit the record button because this guy sitting next to me 00:46 wants to share with you what God has to say, 00:49 and through him today to you. 00:52 Hey, and then we both, 00:53 you know, we're enjoying-- we enjoy always the dialog. 00:56 The Lord always blesses here 00:58 and He communicates through both of us. 01:00 I can see as it goes back and forth, His will. So-- 01:03 And we're not just guys that like to read it by, 01:06 we're good friends. We share the same name. 01:08 We share lot of the same passion for the word of God 01:11 and we kind of think a like a lot of ways. 01:13 So forgive us for that. 01:16 If we say things that just don't seem to differ 01:18 from either one it is because we have so much in common. 01:21 Here you go. But one thing we do not rely 01:23 on is ourselves when we begin the program. 01:25 So we always begin with prayer. 01:27 And so bow your heads as John leads us 01:29 before the Lord in prayer. Let's do that. 01:31 Our Father in heaven we depend upon You each and everyday. 01:33 And for daily life it's important to have You there 01:36 always leading and guiding us. 01:38 And even more so for a program like this. 01:40 So we pray for the outpouring of Your Holy Spirit 01:42 upon us today. 01:44 Lead us through the pages of Your word Lord 01:46 and may we glorify Your name in Jesus name, amen. 01:51 Amen. And friends, what we're gonna do today, 01:53 we're gonna invite you to send your questions and comments 01:56 and, you know, many of you have done that 01:58 and we appreciate that very much 01:59 because the first part of our program is about you. 02:02 What your questions are? What you want to know. 02:04 What the Bible says about whatever questions you submit. 02:08 So if you have any questions to send to us send those to 02:10 housecalls@3abn.org. That's our e-mail address, 02:13 housecalls@3abn.org. We download them 02:16 and we get our chance as we will do in the first part 02:19 of this program to answer your questions. 02:21 If you still don't have internet, which is probably 02:24 a small percentage of individuals 02:27 who don't have it at home, send those to P.O. Box 220, 02:31 West Frankfort, Illinois, 62896. 02:34 That's 3ABN's address. 02:35 Attention House calls, and we do get those mails 02:38 and we do answer those. 02:39 But, John, what question do you have for us today? 02:42 Well, I've got a question from Kathy 02:43 here to start us off with this morning. 02:45 And she says here that she and her co-worker, 02:48 who is not a Christian, but is searching for truth, 02:51 were studying the Bible, and they across two passages 02:55 involving what appeared to be the same story. 02:58 And they're wondering, you know, is there a discrepancy here. 03:00 Can we clarify what the difference 03:02 is in these two passages? 03:04 And so, we'll look at both of them. 03:06 The first one is Second Samuel 24:1. 03:09 Okay. And the second one is First Chronicles 21:1. 03:15 And so we look at Second Samuel 24:1 first. 03:19 And this is in regard to a-- story where David, King David, 03:24 went out to take a census for Israel 03:28 to see how many fighters, how many military troops he had, 03:32 which was not against God's will--Oh, 03:34 which was against God's will. 03:35 God didn't not instruct him to do that. 03:37 So he was doing this out of faith, 03:40 not led by God and God was not pleased with this. 03:43 So each one of these texts, help to establish 03:47 at the beginning of the story what was going on here. 03:51 And they do say things or appear 03:53 to say something quite different. 03:54 So let's look at those. 03:55 All right. Number one--Which one you're going through first? 03:57 I'm gonna do Second Samuel 24:1. 03:59 Okay, I'm right there. 04:00 Where it says, "Again the anger of the Lord 04:02 was aroused against Israel. 04:04 And he moved David against them to say, 04:08 go, number Israel and Judah. 04:11 Okay? Okay. 04:12 So now let's turn over to First Chronicles 21:1. 04:19 And read that text which says, 04:22 "Now Satan stood up against Israel 04:24 and moved David to number Israel. 04:27 So on one hand it looks like the Lord 04:30 is moving David to number Israel; 04:35 on the other hand, it looks like 04:36 Satan is moving David to number Israel. 04:40 And so how we reconcile these things 04:42 because we know that the-- Bible doesn't contradict itself 04:45 but sometimes they're these apparent contradictions 04:48 that need clarification. 04:50 And so we'll look at that here for just a minute or two. 04:53 Number one--let's look at the verse here in, 04:56 in the one we're at. 04:57 First Chronicles 21:1, if there's anybody 05:01 to tempt and this is where you-- 05:03 Okay, First Chronicles-- First Chronicles 21:1. 05:05 Okay, I got it. If there is anybody doing the tempting, 05:06 we know by other scripture that God tempts no one. 05:10 So Satan is doing the tempting here. 05:12 It says Satan stood up against Israel and 05:15 he is gonna oppose Israel and he tempted 05:17 David or moved upon David to number Israel 05:20 to take a census against God's will. 05:22 Right. That's clear from that passage. 05:25 Now when we go to Second Samuel 24:1, it says, 05:29 that the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel 05:32 and he moved David against them to say, 05:34 go number Israel and Judah. 05:36 I think probably there's a-- little bit of a--there's more 05:42 that we need to read into this passage than we do the other. 05:45 The other is very clear because we know it is in harmony 05:47 with other scripture that says Satan is doing the tempting. 05:50 Right. But here's one of the principles 05:52 that you will find through scriptures 05:53 that's kind of important to understand as you're reading. 05:57 Sometimes the Bible speaks of and the writers speak of God 06:01 doing something which He actually is allowing. 06:06 In other words, when God allows something to happen, 06:08 the Bible writer may indicate 06:09 at times that He actually does it. 06:13 So you have to kind of bring this together 06:15 when you're reading some of the passages especially 06:17 with regard to things like. 06:19 Well, one story that comes to mind John is, Pharaoh. 06:23 It says God hardened Pharaoh's heart. 06:25 Right. Well, did God really solidify or harden 06:28 Pharaoh's heart against what He was trying 06:30 to reach Pharaoh with? No. 06:31 It seems like its contradictory there. 06:33 But it's not. In fact, God was trying to appeal 06:36 to Pharaoh to repent, to let his people go. 06:40 He didn't harden his heart and force him to say, 06:44 out of his own freewill, no God, 06:46 I'm not going to-- gonna do that. 06:48 So but one of the things you find here is the writer 06:51 is indicating that God is the one that did the hardening 06:54 of Pharaoh's heart when actuality, 06:56 Pharaoh hardens heart against God's voice 06:59 through the temptation of Satan, 07:01 but God allowed that temptation by Satan 07:04 to come to Pharaoh in a way that hardened his heart. 07:06 Right. Okay? So in God allowing to do what the Bible 07:09 writer speaks of it as God hardening Pharaoh's heart. 07:12 And the same thing is going on here. 07:14 The anger of the Lord is aroused not to cause David 07:17 to number Israel but because David numbered Israel 07:22 and listened to the temptation of Satan, the enemy. 07:25 And so God allowed Satan to tempt David, 07:30 Satan did. David then did the sin and 07:33 God's anger was aroused from that. 07:35 That's what we know from both passages 07:37 as we read the story. 07:38 Okay. Okay. It can be tricky some times 07:41 because we're reading the Bible in English. 07:44 And all the nuances of the original language 07:47 aren't really seen but one thing we do know 07:48 is that some times the-- Bible writers' speak of God 07:51 doing something that He is-- actually allowing Satan to do. 07:55 So you have to read that to be--to make sure 07:58 you get the proper interpretation. 08:00 What I like about that story and something 08:02 I'd like to add to that is when we think of the many dimensions 08:10 through which the Bible speaks, 08:12 when you think of the one I saw here first when we go back 08:15 to Second Chronicles, was it or First Chronicles? Okay. 08:20 Now Satan stood up against Israel 08:23 and moved David to number Israel. 08:25 And the context here in Second Samuel, 08:28 again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel 08:31 and he moved David against them to say 08:34 go number Israel and Judah. 08:37 This is almost similar in my mind 08:39 to the conversation that Satan had with the Lord over Job. 08:46 He gave him permission to-- accomplish--to accomplish 08:53 through the rebellion of the children of Israel. 08:57 That which would not have been accomplished any other way. 09:00 And so when the children of Israel rebelled, 09:04 they put themselves now on Satan's 09:05 ground and that's where you find space 09:09 for First Chronicles Chapter 21 verse 1. 09:13 Now Satan comes in and-- he begins to manifest himself 09:18 in a way that he could not, 09:19 had Israel not been obedient to God-- 09:23 or had Israel been obedient to God. 09:25 Yeah. You also see stories like Job where God 09:28 clearly is allowing Satan to do things beyond 09:31 what normally he would allow Satan to do. 09:34 And when--in Job's experience even though 09:37 he was close to God and wanted-- 09:39 and had that relationship with him, at times, 09:42 he spoke of God doing this to him. 09:45 But who was actually doing those things to Job? Satan was. 09:49 That's right. But Job was resolved in his own, 09:53 he resolved in his own heart that even if God slayed him, 09:56 killed him, he would still trust in him. 09:59 So even from Job's perspective, 10:01 he saw to a degree God doing these things to him, 10:05 but really the language there behind that is that Job 10:09 was experiencing something that God 10:11 allowed to happen to him. 10:13 So you know, I think, 10:15 we kind of see some of these things today. 10:17 Don't we John, I mean, people say well, 10:19 you know, why is God doing this to me. 10:21 You know, all these things, you know, these, 10:23 even with people that die prematurely 10:25 from an accident or something. 10:26 You know, where it didn't seem like 10:28 they should have had to go through, 10:29 they'll say, well, God took him. 10:32 You know, God isn't doing these things. 10:34 God allows these things to happen. 10:36 And that's the way I think that we always should be couching 10:39 these things because to a degree we can be giving God 10:42 a bad character name, if we actually talk about 10:47 these things in terms of God, you know, hurting people 10:51 or allowing a disaster or-- causing a disaster to happen, 10:55 well things like that. 10:57 When we couch it in a way that takes away 10:59 the love of God that he has for us, 11:01 it's really not doing God's service into really 11:03 what's happening in this whole great controversy 11:06 that's going on behind the scenes, that we can see. 11:08 One of the other ways you could see that also is, 11:11 now the sun--the sun hardens 11:16 hardens clay, but it also melts butter. 11:19 So in the presence of Lord, 11:22 you have two kinds of individuals. 11:24 Those who are drawn by his loving kindness, 11:27 those who are repelled because of their rebellion. 11:31 So what do we say that the sun made the butter melt 11:35 and made the clay hard. 11:37 The reactions that we get is not because the sun 11:40 has changed its nature, but because in each of those 11:45 two different properties is the nature to bring that result. 11:52 So rebellion brings with it a natural result 11:55 and you find here. 11:56 The food of rebellion is it opens the door for Satan 11:59 to work and that's why I feel, 12:01 that's my interpretation of why a First Chronicles 12:04 is there saying Satan moved 12:07 and I think you began properly by speaking of how Pharaoh 12:11 is hardened because of God's righteousness 12:15 and those who refuse to be righteous their hearts 12:18 will be hardened against the leading of the Lord. 12:23 I have a question here. 12:25 What happened to the people who rose as a result 12:29 of the earthquake at Jesus his death? 12:32 Some how I have the belief that they ascended to heaven 12:36 when Jesus went to heaven. 12:38 If that is so, when did their judgment take place? 12:43 Okay, lot of--lot of components in that question. 12:47 First let's go to Matthew, Chapter 27. 12:52 Matthew, Chapter 27. 12:57 And I want to--I'm looking at some other text 13:01 here at the same time John 13:02 and I wanna have you read Matthew 27, 13:07 verse 52. Well, I'm here now. 13:13 Okay, there I am. Matthew 27 13:18 and start with from verse 51. 13:24 Okay. And down to 53. 13:28 This is at the Cross where Christ has now died. 13:32 And it says. Then, behold, the veil of the temple 13:34 was torn in two from top to bottom; 13:37 and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 13:39 and the graves were opened; 13:41 and many bodies of the saints 13:43 who had fallen asleep were raised; 13:45 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, 13:49 they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 13:53 Okay. And now what you find here is, this many people 13:59 don't understand or know that this is a fulfillment 14:02 of a prophecy that was written by Isaiah. 14:06 I'm going to go to Isaiah, chapter 26, verse 19. 14:14 Isaiah 26, verse 19. 14:18 And read that prophecy there. 14:21 Okay, here we are. 14:28 Your dead shall live, 14:31 together with my dead body they shall arise. 14:36 Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust, 14:41 for your dew is like the dew of herbs, 14:43 and the earth shall cast out her dead. 14:47 You find here when it says, 14:49 together with my dead body shall they arise. 14:52 The prophecy here is when Christ rose the saints 14:57 that were chosen by him to be witness his rose 15:00 and they went in and they witnessed 15:02 to the resurrection of Christ. 15:05 Um, the--the suggestion here as you ask the question 15:08 is when we read Revelation chapter four and five 15:10 and the Bible speaks of the 24 elders and the Bible 15:14 speaks of the 24 elders in the context 15:16 of being around the throne. 15:18 One of the questions he had here is. 15:20 When was their judgment? 15:22 The bible doesn't give any indication 15:24 as to when their judgment was. 15:25 In other words, I understand what you mean. 15:28 When were they judged and deemed worthy 15:31 of being resurrected and taken to heaven. 15:36 I would actually answer that question though. 15:38 Anyone who dies, probation 15:41 for that individual on their life is closed. 15:43 Right. So it is settled what their destiny is at that time. 15:47 True. So as far as pre-advent judgment 15:50 that's complete upon death. 15:52 True. Because the Bible says it is a pointer unto men, 15:55 once they die and after that the judgment. 15:57 And so he's speaking about the judgment 15:59 that he refers to as beginning in 1844 thereafter. 16:03 Right, right, yeah. Well, and speaking of that I mean, 16:07 even then they knew that was coming. 16:10 I mean, the same. You'd have the same argument 16:11 for Moses or Elijah, you know, how where they judged 16:15 before they were taken to heaven. 16:17 Well, it was all spoken of in terms of a pre-advent 16:21 judgment that would occur in the future beginning 1844 16:25 and so we know that, that judgment judges both the dead 16:28 and the living and it doesn't excuse just because Christ 16:31 has taken someone to heaven before that time period 16:35 that their judgment or their name doesn't come up 16:37 in that judgment, but it does establish here and God 16:42 has established here by taking those early or in advance 16:45 of that judgment that he is in fact 16:48 making a decision about their destiny. 16:50 And so that's why I say that in many respects 16:54 they are judged early. 16:56 And so--so you clearly see here that the inference 17:00 here is that they were raised to life never to die again. 17:05 So what happened to them and we tend to believe 17:08 and this is--there are evidences in the Bible 17:11 that can give you this--that can bring you to this conclusion. 17:15 One of the best ones is in Revelation 17:17 when it speaks about the 24 elders, the 24 elders. 17:21 The Bible never speaks of angels as elders. 17:23 It never speaks of divine beings as elders. 17:25 Elders is always a term used in reference to humanity. 17:28 And so Ephesians 4 it says, When He ascended on high, 17:32 He led captivity captive. 17:35 And so when you look at Revelation here, 17:38 Revelation Chapter 4 and 5, I'm turning there and my Bible 17:45 is very well worn and I'm looking at yours too, 17:47 John, and its very well worn. That's a good thing-- 17:50 falls opens in the good places. 17:52 Its does and that's a good thing. 17:54 Somebody wants to have the bible is falling apart 17:55 belongs to a person is not. 17:58 But Revelation chapter 4 and verse 1 says, 18:04 and after these things I looked, and, behold, 18:07 a door standing opened in heaven, 18:09 and the first voice which I heard was like the trumpet 18:12 speaking with me; saying, come up here, 18:15 and I will show you things 18:16 which must take place after this. 18:17 He says, immediately I was in the spirit: 18:20 and one of the things he saw is spoken of in verse 4. 18:23 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, 18:26 and all the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, 18:30 clothed with white robes; 18:33 and they had crowns of gold on their head. 18:37 And when you, when you ask the question. 18:41 Who are these elders and where are they, 18:44 and how do they get there? 18:46 The Bible continues to make reference to them in verse 10. 18:50 The twenty-four elders fall down and worship 18:52 him who sat on the throne and worship him who lives 18:55 for ever and ever. And cast their crowns before 18:57 the throne saying you're worthy. 18:59 And so you clearly see here elders they could not be around 19:04 the throne of God had they not been from 19:06 the representatives of earth. 19:08 So when you tie in that, the resurrection of the saints 19:10 at the time of the resurrection of Christ, 19:12 what happened to them? 19:13 The only key we can connect to here is that, 19:17 they were a part of those who ascended to heaven 19:20 at the time of the resurrection of Christ. 19:22 And the reason you're looking for Revelation 5 verse 9. 19:26 The song they sang includes with their status. 19:32 It says, you are worthy to take the scroll 19:34 and you open its seals, for you were slain, 19:36 and have redeemed us. 19:37 Right. So these 24 elders are redeemed by Christ. 19:42 That's right. And so they have to come from this earth 19:45 and the only evidence is the only stories 19:47 we have of those taken to heaven, 19:49 outside of those that were resurrected 19:52 with Christ or Enoch, Moses, and Elijah. 19:55 Right, that's it. And that's only three. 19:58 So for twenty-four elders we can presume probably 20:04 justifiably that they came from this resurrection. 20:07 That's right. They were--they were some of the first fruits, 20:12 Jesus being the first fruit 20:13 but they were some of the first fruit, 20:15 and when you look at this Old Testament concept 20:17 the wave sheath, the first fruits. 20:20 The first fruits concept in the Bible always speaks 20:23 of a small cluster that represents 20:26 a larger cluster to follow. 20:28 Those who proceed us, those who will be a part 20:32 of the judgment and then the judgment, 20:34 the reason why they are elders 20:36 is because we are going to be judged by our peers 20:39 as is the case in the course of earth. 20:42 We could not be judged by angels 20:44 because they are not our peers and so in the reciting judgment 20:49 that's spoken of as the twenty-four elders 20:51 sitting on 24 thrones. 20:54 It fits perfectly that they are from our peers. 20:57 Thus those who were raised at the resurrection 21:00 of Christ represent and fit into Good. Okay. Good. 21:06 I have another question here. 21:08 This one is from Mugera 21:13 and she is asking about the teaching on tongues. 21:18 Oh. Good one. And she says here good afternoon. 21:21 May I know what speaking in tongues is? 21:24 And the relevant verses. 21:26 My colleagues quote First Corinthians 14 21:30 and they end up not knowing 21:32 what the scripture is referring to. 21:34 So this is conflict between what she reads 21:36 in first Corinthians 14 in her mind and then what she reads 21:40 elsewhere about speaking in tongues. 21:42 Okay. And so the most important thing 21:46 to do when you begin your study on tongues 21:49 is read how it-- how it was used. 21:53 Read the story about how tongues 21:56 came into effect as a ministry. 22:00 Right. What God actually did when he bestowed 22:01 the gift of tongues upon the disciples 22:03 and to do that you go to Acts chapter 2. 22:06 And we're speaking here in regard to the Bible 22:09 speaking in regard to Acts or--in regard to the day 22:12 of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 and it says in verse 4. 22:17 That is, they had gathered together in one accord verse 1 22:21 and then in verse 4 says they were filled with a Holy Spirit 22:24 and began to speak with other tongues, 22:26 as the Spirit gave them utterance. 22:29 So here do we find a--we see 22:31 a couple of principles here. We can look at.Number one 22:32 the Spirit is--imparting the gift of tongues. 22:36 Right. So to be able to speak in tongues, 22:40 the Spirit has to be, has to fill the individual 22:43 and give them the ability to speak. 22:45 Right. Secondly, as you go on little bit further 22:49 it defines what this gift of tongues really is, verse 6. 22:55 And when the sound occurred, 22:56 the multitude came together, 22:57 and were confused, because everyone heard 22:59 them speak in his own language. That's right. Okay. 23:03 Then they were all amazed and marveled, 23:06 saying to one another, look, 23:08 are not all these who speak Galileans? 23:11 And how is it that we hear 23:12 each in our own language, in which we were born? 23:16 And then it goes to the-- different subculture groups, 23:19 ethnic groups--All the-- languages represented here. 23:21 That at that day, So-- 23:23 And then verse 11. 23:24 The verse 11 it says, 23:25 we hear them speaking in our own tongues. 23:28 And that is then synonymous with languages 23:30 the wonderful works of God. 23:33 So on Pentecost we you had this large number of group, 23:38 these groups, these different language speaking groups 23:42 and the disciples here who speak only one maybe 23:46 a few of them two languages, there's gonna be a barrier 23:50 with being able to get the gospel of Christ 23:52 and his resurrection out to the world and thus launching 23:58 the period of the early church and of course God's church 24:01 throughout the world. 24:03 Well, the way to overcome that is the Holy Spirit 24:06 filled the disciples and gave them the ability to speak 24:08 the languages of these other groups even though 24:11 they had never learned them. 24:13 So this is a supernatural phenomenon 24:15 that these other groups were experiencing here. 24:18 They knew it was supernatural because they realized 24:20 these people don't know our language 24:22 but here they're speaking it. 24:23 And that is the true underlying nature of the gift of tongues. 24:30 It is bestowed upon individual to break down a barrier, 24:33 a language barrier between two groups or two people 24:37 for the purpose of sharing the gospel with the other. 24:40 That's the reason. 24:41 You know, there is a term called glossolalia. 24:43 I looked that up in wikipedia and it's really amazing 24:46 how they point out this exercise because 24:49 there is a movement that belief, very widespread, 24:56 that believes that somehow there is a heavenly language. 24:59 There is a language of angels. 25:02 There's a language of the-- Spirit that somehow is created 25:09 to keep Satan in the dark and so they say well, 25:13 this is evidenced then that when you're able to speak 25:17 in this unintelligible language, this language 25:21 that cannot be deciphered by humanity 25:23 that now you have been exalted to the place 25:26 where you can communicate with God 25:28 and nobody knows actually what's happening. 25:30 Nobody knows this being said. 25:33 The danger there is when you look at the Bible 25:35 that doesn't give that support at all. 25:37 As a matter of fact, what you just read 25:39 made it very clear that, what was so miraculous 25:43 about the day of Pentecost is the men that began to speak 25:46 in other languages were all Galileans. 25:49 And the people that heard them speak 25:52 in the language of Cappadocia, and Pontus, 25:56 and Asian, and Egypt, and Rome and the people 26:00 that heard them speaking all these different languages said, 26:03 aren't these men Galileans? 26:06 How's it that we hear them speak 26:07 in our own language, our own tongue? 26:10 So they were not speaking something 26:12 that was unintelligible. 26:13 They were not speaking some hidden language. 26:15 They were speaking a language that actually 26:17 according to First Corinthians 14, 26:19 whenever this language, whenever this ability is given, 26:23 whenever God gives a--an English person 26:26 the ability to speak in German, there should be 26:29 a German interpreter so that the person who has this ability 26:35 now can be verified that his message 26:39 is not something unintelligible because God 26:41 is not the author of confusion. 26:43 Nowadays, the way that people see this gift to 26:46 exercise is somebody would just be preaching 26:49 and all of a sudden, in the middle of sermons, I mean, 26:53 not to belittle anybody at all, but they will say something 26:56 that is totally unintelligible 27:00 and then they'll say, the Spirit did that. 27:02 Well, the question must be ask is the spirit 27:05 the one who brings in confusion because in 99.9% 27:10 of those cases where I've seen this exercise, 27:12 there is no interpreter, and-- secondly, and most importantly, 27:16 the interpretation is possible because that is a language 27:21 that does exist. That's what was communicated in the Bible. 27:25 Right. You can interpret it because it's a language 27:27 that exists on the earth. 27:29 Why would God give this language? 27:31 And when you look at Old Testament, Bible writers, 27:33 not one of them needed an odd language 27:36 to communicate to God and the majority 27:38 of the Bible is Old Testament. 27:40 The only thing that caused the gift of tongues 27:43 to be necessary was when one side 27:47 could not speak the language of another and God provided 27:50 the gift of tongues as miraculous gift 27:52 to be able to establish communication. Right. 27:54 And sometimes when you have multiple languages 27:56 to represent it, you need-- 27:57 the interpreter is there of course 27:59 to provide that interpretation. 28:00 And those rules are regularly broken, frequently broken 28:05 in most of instances that, that I've seen 28:07 and I'm sure that you've seen too. 28:09 But I think probably the confusion comes 28:12 from First Corinthians 14. 28:14 That's what she brings up here 28:16 and its First Corinthians 14. 28:17 I want to read that text and provide an explanation for. 28:20 Sure, okay, let's go to it. 28:21 First Corinthians 14, starting with verse 1 says. 28:25 Pursue love and desire spiritual gift. 28:28 So we should desire the gifts 28:29 of the Spirit that He gives to us. 28:31 But especially that you may prophesy. 28:34 For he who speaks in a tongue 28:37 does not speak to man, but to God. 28:40 For no one understands him; however, 28:43 in the spirit he speaks mysteries. 28:45 And then it says. 28:47 But He who prophesy speaks edification and exhortation 28:51 and comfort to man, he who speaks in a tongue 28:54 edifies himself for he who prophesies, edifies the church. 28:59 And then another words. 29:01 Well, let's read one more 'cause it's important. 29:03 I wish you all spoke with tongues 29:05 but even more that you prophesied 29:07 for he who prophesies is greater than 29:08 he who speaks in tongues why, unless indeed he interprets 29:12 that the church may receive edification. 29:15 So the gift of tongues there was some confusion 29:19 they had coming to the church, the early church 29:20 with the gift of tongues already 29:22 and they were misusing it. 29:24 So Paul's writing on this issue and he's saying 29:26 that if you begin to speak in tongues in languages 29:31 that aren't represented of the people 29:32 there what good does it do them. 29:34 No, it doesn't do them-- Because they don't hear any edification. 29:37 They don't hear any prophesy. 29:38 They don't hear anything from the word 29:39 that makes any sense unless you have an interpreter. 29:42 Don't speak in a language that the group 29:44 that you're speaking to doesn't know. 29:46 I mean, if I would have walked 29:47 into the middle of a Korean speaking church 29:52 and that's all the language that they knew 29:53 and I started to preach in my sermon in English, 29:57 everybody would sit there saying, 29:59 this doesn't do me any good, unless what happened, 30:02 an interpreter was there 30:03 to reinterpret it in a Korean dialog. 30:07 Let me--let me inject something here 30:10 and where do you hear tongues being exercised 30:12 nowadays among believers or unbelievers. 30:17 Where do you hear it exercised, 30:18 among believers or unbelievers? 30:19 Well, you hear it exercised among unbelievers? 30:21 Oh, no. Well, do you mean in the church today? 30:23 The church. You hear that by believers. 30:25 Believers, yeah. But that's not what the Bible says. 30:28 'Cause the Lord, the Lord 30:29 says in First Corinthians 14, verse 22. 30:31 Tongues are a sign not to those who believe. 30:35 Right. But what's being taught today is, 30:37 if you are a believer, tongues 30:39 is a sign that the Holy Spirit is there. 30:41 That's not--that's completely opposite 30:44 to what the Bible teaches. 30:45 Tongues is not a sign to the believer. 30:48 Tongues is a sign to the unbeliever and to whom. 30:52 Let's get back to the story now. 30:53 To whom were the disciples being sent? 30:56 To the unbelievers. 30:59 That's right. That's what the purpose of the sign, 31:01 the purpose of the tongues that they received 31:04 were to take this gospel to the unbelievers 31:07 and when they got to the unbelievers, 31:09 and the unbelievers heard them speaking this language, 31:12 they said wait a minute, 31:13 there's no way that these Galileans 31:16 could've done this and look at how the unbelievers 31:18 try to come to grips with this. 31:19 They said wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. 31:21 That they have to be drunk. 31:23 These are the unbelievers trying to find the way 31:25 to come to grips with explaining 31:27 why they are doing this-- 31:28 But 3,000 yet saw the miracle and were converted. 31:30 Right. And so when they come to grips with it, 31:33 they had to come to grips with the reality 31:34 that wait a minute, wait a minute, they are not drunk. 31:38 This is what the prophet Joel spoke about and Peter 31:41 made it very, very clear, and when these unbelievers. 31:43 Clearly, they were unbelievers because the result 31:45 of that were they said okay 31:47 then what must we do to be saved. 31:50 Yeah. So it was for unbelievers. 31:51 It's not for believers. 31:52 But today, it's been flipped up side down 31:55 and you go to churches where the congregation 31:57 is full and there's an atmosphere of frenzy 32:00 that ensues in some cases. 32:02 I don't want to say it's always in the context 32:03 of frenzy but somebody will be preaching and somebody 32:06 will say something and boom right away, 32:08 oh, you know, they say something and somebody, 32:11 oh, he's in the Spirit, he's in tongues. 32:13 That's not what the Bible suggested. 32:15 You know, I looked at several translations. 32:18 Right. Of this verse 2 here, 'cause it says, 32:21 you know, he who speaks in a tongue 32:23 does not speak to men but to God. 32:24 Right. That's--that's very misunderstood today. 32:27 Let me give you my interpretation, 32:29 my translation of this. Sure. 32:30 If people don't know the language you're speaking, 32:34 your only audience is God. 32:37 It will be a mystery to everyone else. 32:39 And by the way that's in the right context 32:42 because you know the Corinthian Church 32:43 was a multicultured church. 32:46 That's right. And so people wanted to speak 32:49 in their language of comfort. 32:51 You know our church today, we have Spanish 32:56 and we have English in our local church. 32:58 So sometimes when we have a special event, 33:00 we have interpreters so they use these ear--ears sets 33:04 so that as I'm preaching, it's being interpreted. 33:06 Those who understand a different language 33:08 are hearing it in their language. 33:10 But what happened here on the day of Pentecost 33:13 making very, very clear what you just said. 33:15 It is not needed when you speak English 33:18 and I speak English. 33:19 It is not needed. 33:21 And the last thing and most important, 33:24 tongues is not evidence that you're saved, 33:27 as some people may say the exercise of this gift 33:31 is not evidence that you're saved as often the case. 33:35 Because this gift is only given as it is necessary. 33:38 Because it's a gift for ministry. 33:40 Right. Has nothing to do with being given 33:42 a gift because you're saved. 33:44 The Spirit gives it to whomever He desires. 33:46 We don't pray for a gift that we don't need. 33:49 In fact, if you look at verse 11 33:50 in the same chapter it says, therefore, 33:53 if I do not know the meaning of the language, 33:56 I should be a foreigner to him who speaks 33:58 and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me. 34:00 This you're speaking in a tongue in the way 34:03 that it was being misused back then was causing barriers 34:06 between the speaker and the individuals. 34:08 You know what, John, it's doing the same thing today. 34:10 When someone speaks the gibberish 34:12 that's coming out saying it's of God 34:14 and it's these other tongues. 34:15 What's happening is the people that are listening 34:17 they don't know what that person just said. 34:19 No, they don't. 34:20 The person that even spoke 34:22 it doesn't know what they just said. 34:25 True. So if no one knows what was just said 34:28 what good does that do anybody. 34:29 It's not edifying the church in anyway. 34:32 And that's why Paul says I'd rather have you prophesy 34:36 'cause when you prophesy, you're speaking the truth 34:38 from God's word and it glorifies God 34:40 and edifies the church in that it help grow 34:43 spiritually strong believers. 34:44 And what if Paul had the ability to do, 34:46 Paul says, I thank God, I speak with tongues 34:49 more than you all. 34:51 Paul had the ability to speak in many different languages-- 34:54 And he traveled so much-- 34:55 He traveled so--he spoken many different languages, 34:59 but he said that's not what you need, 35:01 what you need to be able to do is prophesy 35:03 so that church will be edified. 35:05 Because I came in speaking in a language 35:06 that was not represented in the congregation, 35:08 its better that I speak five words that somebody 35:11 may understand than 10,000 words in an unknown tongue. 35:15 And so brethren, the bottom-line 35:17 is what's happening in the Christian churches 35:18 today is not what God ordained on the day of Pentecost. 35:23 It is not the intended use for the gift of tongues, 35:26 which in fact simply for the-- gift of different languages. 35:28 That's all it is. Yep. All right. 35:30 Well, we took a little extra time--Yeah-- 35:32 With answering questions today. It was important. 35:34 Yeah. I think so too. So, so if you have any questions 35:37 you like to send to us, any further questions, 35:39 or any further clarification about something 35:41 we addressed today, 35:42 send those questions to housecalls@3abn.org. 35:45 That's housecalls@3abn.org and we do appreciate everything 35:49 you do for the furtherance of the gospel 35:52 here at House calls as well as at 3ABN in general. 35:56 Thank you very much. 35:57 Now, John, take us into our topic. 35:59 We were talking about faith. 36:01 I tell you we really had a good time in that topic 36:03 and I think today we're gonna continue 36:05 enjoying what the Bible says about faith. 36:07 Yeah. A faith is really the foundation 36:09 of everything we do as Christians 36:12 as this is the Christian-- Foundation of our faith. 36:15 That's the foundation of our faith. 36:16 In fact it's called, when you're in the faith, 36:20 the faith that's a different use of the term 36:22 than the active faith that we exercise as Christians 36:25 but the faith is Christianity. 36:28 And so as we walk in Christ, we do that by faith 36:32 and there're so many aspects as to how important 36:35 faith is in our daily walk and we begin to talk about 36:38 those things and I think we kind of left off, 36:40 you know, last program speaking in regard 36:42 to the role of the Holy Spirit. 36:45 You know, Holy Spirit comes into our life 36:47 and helps to--helps us to do those things than which God 36:52 wants us to do through the exercising 36:54 or the active--activating the muscles of our faith. 37:01 We also looked at the text from Ephesians 2:8-10, 37:04 which it says for by grace you have been saved through faith. 37:07 Grace is reaching down, extending the hand of God 37:10 down toward us to give us what we need 37:13 whether it'd be salvation or strength to get through 37:15 a new day or help in time of need, 37:18 but faith is that activating agent 37:19 that causes that to happen. 37:21 So we exercise that faith and trust in Him, 37:24 He responds by pouring out His grace upon us. 37:27 So how, we're going into some of practicalities now. 37:30 And then last couple of programs on faith 37:32 and how we see faith used in the Bible 37:35 and how we can apply 37:36 that to our daily lives, exercising our faith. 37:39 And one of things I'd like to began 37:41 by saying is one of the-- problems we have in our world 37:44 today is there's so much fear existing. 37:47 Yeah. So much in trepidation people are. 37:50 Christians more specifically are becoming paralyzed 37:56 in many cases by what they see happening around 37:58 them and whenever you are filled with fear, 38:01 one of the natural responses to that is you tend 38:05 to wanna control even more your surroundings. 38:08 You know, the more I can-- control my surroundings, 38:12 the less fear I would have. 38:14 And the Bible points out why we are filled 38:16 with so much fear. 38:18 And--so why don't you take us 38:19 to that passage and use that as a segment into our. 38:23 Let me share this text with you to kind of give you 38:25 what Jesus did say will happen at the end of time. 38:28 If you look at just real quickly at Luke chapter 21. 38:32 Okay, Luke 21, yes. Right around verse 34. 38:39 Actually, its not 34. I'm sorry its 25. 38:43 And Jesus says, and there will be signs in the sun, 38:47 in the moon, and in the stars, 38:48 and on the earth distress of nations with perplexity, 38:53 the sea and the waves roaring, 38:55 men's hearts feeling them from what? 38:58 From fear. From fear. And-- the expectation of those things, 39:02 which are coming on the earth 39:03 for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 39:05 That's right. Now if you haven't seen this verse here, 39:09 these couple of verses worked out in fulfillment over 39:12 the last decade, you've been sleeping in a coma 39:15 because we have seen all of these things happening. 39:19 We've seen these signs going on especially 39:21 with regard to the earth shaking, and the sea over, 39:25 you know, roaring and coming upon the earth, 39:29 absolutely, and peoples-- people who are fearful 39:32 at the expectation of what they see coming upon the earth, 39:35 there's great fear out there today. 39:36 So when you say that we're not saying just something, 39:40 you know, don't think in terms of just America. 39:42 We've had our share, I mean, tornadoes 39:44 those of you who are living in the Tornado Alley, 39:46 over the last couple of years we've seen 39:48 a multiplicity of growth in not only in severity 39:53 of tornadoes but the numbers of tornadoes. 39:55 And, and this sun flare that happened not too long ago, 39:59 there is this feeling of oh, what if the sun flare 40:04 really extends itself out far beyond the normal range. 40:09 You could just wipe out communication on earth 40:12 in some degree and far greater than we've ever known 40:15 before and it could take three to five or ten years 40:17 to restore certain parts of the United States. 40:19 So there is this fear that's being nurtured in society 40:23 today and people are really as this text says, 40:26 men's hearts are failing them because they have lost 40:28 their anchor and the Bible tells 40:30 us exactly what that anchor is. 40:32 You know one another things I heard recently 40:34 on that flare, the solar flare. 40:36 The scientists said that they--that we're getting 40:38 into a very active period of the sun. 40:40 That sun is doing a lot more this year lately. 40:42 And the last one that came out, 40:44 remember they said it was gonna hit about a certain time. 40:46 But the next morning we woke up, and the news said, 40:49 we are very fortunate. 40:50 It didn't actually hit us dead on. 40:52 It moved and kind of went to the side of us. 40:55 We experienced some of the stuff but not to the tune 40:58 that we thought was possible scientists said. 41:01 And it brought up to my mind a text 41:04 from Revelation chapter 7 where it says, 41:08 and I saw four angels holding back the four winds, 41:12 so that the things do not strike the earth 41:15 in advance of the sealing of the saints 41:17 getting the saints prepared 41:19 for what is coming upon the earth. 41:21 And so what we're finding now is the earth 41:23 isn't infected to its fullest at this point. 41:26 No, not at all. God is protecting this earth 41:28 from its full impact, but one day 41:31 God is going to allow these things to strike the earth 41:34 and the series of event that causes earth 41:38 to wake up and take note that the world 41:41 is indeed coming to an end. 41:43 Right. That is when as we're talking about John, 41:45 as we turn to our topic that is when we need faith. 41:50 And the words that we spoke of here this last program 41:54 with--we started off with in fact, 41:56 when Jesus comes will He really find faith on the earth? 42:00 He says those words because that's what's needed 42:03 in these tough times 42:05 in preparation for Christ's return. 42:07 Right. And people are trying to do everything 42:08 they possible could do to avert the next crisis. 42:10 I mean we saw this terrible tragedy 42:13 down in New Orleans when, 42:14 you know, I forgot what the hurricane was. 42:17 It's just been a few years ago where the devastation 42:20 was just phenomenal where the water waves 42:22 were over inundated, and then we had a year past 42:26 or so go where they had 600 tornadoes in one month 42:31 just devastating and wiping out 42:33 so much of the south Midwest area and just continuing 42:37 all the way to some of the-- northern states and the east, 42:41 and then we have the seasonal changes where the weather 42:44 is a lot warmer than it's supposed to be and people 42:47 are wondering while we enjoy warm weather, 42:49 we're still saying what is going on? 42:52 What's happening around us? 42:53 What actually is gripping our planet? 42:55 What's the meaning of all of this? 42:57 And so even now, you know, the terrible tsunami 43:02 that ensued there in Japan after the earthquakes. 43:05 The news said, well, what they're going to do 43:08 at that sea wall, they're gonna build 43:10 that sea wall twice as high than it was. 43:14 But I'm thinking to myself can you stop water 43:18 moving at 200 miles an hour? 43:21 What wall is gonna stop that? 43:23 Yeah, absolutely. A sea wall of massive 1,000s 43:28 of tons of water just hitting a wall. 43:31 50 foot high wall is not gonna stop that. 43:33 It's gonna topple it over like a pin on a bowling alley. 43:37 And so men are trying in every respect. 43:39 But I want to begin with this text--well, 43:41 not begin but go to this text in Matthew 8 43:43 because this text points out the reason why it occurs, 43:47 but it also gives us another handle 43:48 to let us see how we can re-- how we can recover our faith. 43:53 Yeah. And carry as we read this text--carry in your mind 43:56 this idea of the winds of strife coming upon the world 44:01 and notice what the disciples 44:02 are going through here in this story. 44:04 I think it's fitting to read verse 23 of Matthew 8. 44:09 Now when he got into a boat, his disciples 44:12 followed him and suddenly a great tempest 44:15 throws on the sea, so that the boat was covered 44:19 with the waves but he was asleep. 44:22 Then his disciples came to him and awoke him saying, 44:25 Lord, save us, we are perishing. 44:28 That's how people feel today. 44:30 But look at the reality. Verse 26, John. 44:34 But he said to them, why are you so fearful, 44:40 oh you have little faith? 44:43 Then he arose and rebuked the wind and the sea. 44:46 And there was a great calm. 44:49 And the men marveled saying who can this be, 44:51 that even the winds and the sea obey him. 44:56 It's so funny about this is his disciples are saying that. 44:59 Christians are being surprised by the ability of God 45:05 and they're focusing so much more on the winds blowing, 45:09 the seas, and the waves roaring. 45:11 But we must remember that Jesus can calm those 45:14 and bring a great calm into our lives. 45:18 The key here is not that the disciples 45:22 didn't have any faith, because we've already read 45:26 we've all been given a measure of faith-- 45:29 That's right. Everybody's got some faith to work with. 45:31 The issue is that the disciples had not been relying on faith 45:36 to grow in their trust with God--or trust in God. 45:41 And so when you don't practice your faith 45:44 it's like a muscle that's not used, John. 45:47 You know, what is the word? Atrophy. 45:49 You know, when a muscle is not used, 45:51 it goes through this periods of atrophy 45:54 where it just loses its strength. 45:56 It becomes very weak-- Breaks down. 45:58 To a point where you can't even hardly walk, 46:01 or use some of these muscles 46:02 and there're some dreadful diseases out there. 46:04 We had a young, man far too young, 46:07 die here recently up in Sandpoint 46:10 where I pastor right now and he had ALS, 46:12 Lou Gehrig's disease, and he just wasted away, 46:16 because his muscles were not usable. 46:18 He couldn't use his muscles. 46:21 And we find the same thing happening with faith. 46:24 Satan wants to cripple your faith, 46:26 the faith that God has given you. 46:27 Right. But if you exercise that faith, 46:30 if you put it and trust in God and let him workout 46:34 your life for you, then when the trouble really comes, 46:37 then the first place you go is back to God, right? 46:40 That's right. How many times do we find that when we're thrown 46:43 into a situation that is seems hopeless 46:46 and we instead of going to God, we go to despair 46:50 and we just it's almost like we find every solution 46:53 but God for the problem. 46:56 When God wants to teach us 46:57 that the first place you go, is to him. 47:00 And let him workout these struggles. 47:01 And that's essentially what Christ was saying. 47:03 You have little faith. 47:05 You're not exercising the-- faith that you've been given. 47:08 It's just--it's little at this point. 47:09 And you need to grow this faith. 47:11 You got to grow up. And the disciples ask that, 47:13 Lord, increase our faith 47:16 and we do need an increase in our faith. 47:19 Why? Because increase in our faith strengthens 47:23 our constitution to say that we can trust Jesus. 47:26 We can trust the Lord with our situations, 47:29 with our properties, with our families. 47:31 And even though it doesn't workout exactly 47:33 the way you'd like it to immediately know 47:35 that the Lord is working it out in His way and in His time. 47:38 I was--this subject--similar subject came up in 47:42 the message that I preached here recently 47:45 and I was talking to the congregation. 47:48 I said, you know, when you are thrown 47:50 into the middle of a trial, we read in James chapter 1 47:55 that trials are to produce in us patience. 47:59 True. And that is a patient trust in God. 48:02 Now when you're thrown in the middle of a trial 48:04 and you just lose it and you try every other 48:07 which way to solve this problem and you're complaining 48:09 about it on top of that and you just 48:11 fall to pieces with this, God--obviously, 48:15 God is trying to teach you something in the trial, 48:17 but you're not learning. 48:19 And what does God do then after that experience 48:23 where you haven't learnt to grow your faith? 48:25 What is the next agenda item on the list? 48:29 Another trial. 48:31 And so the reason why some people have trial, 48:33 after trial, after trial is because they haven't learnt 48:36 from the first trial. 48:38 And I'm not saying this in every case but sometimes 48:41 when we're going through an experience like this, 48:42 we need to stop and think about, 48:43 why we're going through it. 48:45 And that maybe God wants us to learn 48:48 and he wants to strengthen our faith 48:50 in the midst of this trial so that when other things 48:53 come in life later on, that we will come back to him 48:56 and exercise that faith and he can deliver us from a trial. 49:00 But until we grow in the midst of a trial, 49:03 He has no other choice because He loves us to continue 49:06 to allow us to experience trials 49:07 and hope that we might turn to Him. 49:09 And these trials come not because God 49:12 wants them to come, but because He sees 49:14 that through them, our faith in Him will be strengthened. 49:20 You know, you could turn to so many different sources 49:23 in difficult times until you realize wait a minute, 49:26 the only reliable one is Christ. 49:29 Yes. The only sustaining one is Christ. 49:32 I want to go to Mark 11. I want you to see this. Okay. 49:35 Mark 11. Look at Mark 11 here. 49:37 I'm gonna look at verse 22 to 24 and this is talking 49:41 about the power of faith, the power of faith. 49:44 All right. I think verse 20 is a good place to start. 49:48 Okay. Now in the morning, as they pass by, 49:51 they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 49:54 And Peter remembering said to him, 49:57 "Rabbi, look, the fig tree which you have 50:00 cursed has withered away." 50:02 So Jesus answered and said to him, have faith in God. 50:07 Why because he is looking at the tree. Right. 50:09 But notice what else. For surely I say to you, 50:14 whoever says to this mountain, this is tremendous faith, 50:18 be removed and be cast into the sea and does not doubt, 50:22 the opposite of fear or faith is doubt. 50:24 And does not doubt in his heart, 50:27 but believes that those things which he says will come 50:31 to pass he will have whatever he says. 50:34 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask 50:37 ask when you pray believe 50:38 that you will receive them and you will have them. 50:41 So he is saying the tree will wither. 50:44 Those--they're experiences in our lives 50:46 where things will wither, things that we have 50:49 put our trust in will fade away. 50:51 But the Lord says wait a minute. 50:52 But if you have faith, that's not an issue. 50:55 Because whatever obstacles before you don't look 50:58 to the thing that you thought could solve that situation, 51:01 but look to the faith that God has given to you. 51:04 Look to the Lord through the door of faith. 51:07 Talking about the word believe there though in that passage, 51:10 because it seems like that's kind of the key focus 51:14 of exercising their faith here is that he says, 51:17 believe that you receive them. 51:20 I mean, is he talking about belief there is a God? 51:24 And God exists, He will watch over me, 51:26 or is he saying believe about this specific 51:29 thing that God will provide it. 51:31 He's saying believe about this specific thing that God 51:33 will provide it. 51:35 Why that's so widely important here is that, 51:37 when we kneel down and pray, 51:39 or when we are driving in our car in prayer, 51:41 and when we stand and pray, however, you pray, 51:44 prayer is saying to God I'm speaking 51:48 to you because I believe that you can do this. 51:51 But to walk away from that prayer and worry 51:55 is to do opposite to what this verse says. 51:59 Because he doubts and-- he doubts in his heart. 52:01 Go with me now to James, James, 52:05 James yes, James chapter 1. I think I know we're heading. 52:10 Okay, matter of fact I may have you read it. 52:11 I read the last two. 52:12 May I have you read this one? 52:14 James 1 starting with verse 6 and down to verse--oh, 52:21 verse 6 and yeah, verse 6 and 7. 52:24 How about if you start above and then come down to verse 6-- 52:27 Go for it. Let's go with verse 2. 52:29 Brethren counted all joy when you fall into various trials. 52:33 Now that's something that's a challenge 52:35 for everybody unless-- 52:36 We don't have poise when we have trials. 52:37 Counted in joy. Knowing here's why you counted 52:41 it joy by the way, knowing that the testing of your faith 52:44 produces patience. 52:46 But let patience have its perfect work, 52:49 that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing. 52:54 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God 52:57 who gives to all liberally and without reproach, 53:00 and it will be given to him. 53:02 But let him ask in faith with no doubting, 53:06 for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea 53:09 driven and tossed by the wind. 53:12 And verse 7. For let not that man suppose 53:14 that he will receive anything from the Lord. 53:17 Wow. If your faith is being tested 53:19 and you don't ask in faith, then it's like a person 53:23 who is double minded. 53:25 When the person ask and then he doubts, 53:28 is like saying, I know you can do it, 53:30 but not sure kyou can do it. Yeah. 53:35 Whatever happened to that passage in the Bible 53:38 that reads as follows where God says is there anything 53:42 too hard for me. I mean, John-- 53:45 All things were possible, all the promises. 53:46 I got beside myself in a sermon once and I said to people 53:50 be careful, I mean, don't mind me I'm just really beginning 53:54 to look at the God outside of this world. 53:56 I'm beginning to look outside of an unknown 53:58 and untouched worlds that, astronomers are beginning 54:02 to say there are many, many, many, many, many, 54:04 many worlds outside of ours, many galaxies, 54:06 many constellations, many solar systems and if God 54:10 could put all that together, how difficult is it for God 54:13 to provide something that I have as far as a temple 54:16 need is concerned. Is it difficult? 54:19 It's absolutely not difficult at all. 54:21 You know, we fear often, John. 54:22 I think we fear mostly that God 54:25 will not answer our problems in the way that we want Him 54:29 to answer them. 54:32 See I think sometimes when we are exercising our faith, 54:37 we begin to be concerned. 54:39 I think, someone said, well, I don't doubt God can do it. 54:41 I think sometimes the problem is that we're doubting God 54:44 will do it the way we think it should be done. 54:47 And there in it lies the problem. 54:49 When you ask God to accomplish something 54:52 to change a situation, to work in a situation 54:54 for the good of all, that's your motive, 54:59 not in a way that I would like to see it worked out. 55:03 Because when we say Lord I die daily, 55:05 I'm dying to self. 55:07 We're saying not my will, but your will be done. 55:10 So when you pray knowing God will do something 55:13 or can't do something, know that He will but leave 55:17 the decision as to how up to Him. 55:19 Yeah. You have to, I mean, you really can't--you can't take 55:22 it to yourself. 55:23 As a matter of fact, I want to give another text 55:25 before our program winds down because what happens is God 55:28 makes promises to us, but if those promises 55:29 are not mixed with faith, if you're listening to the gospel 55:32 and the faith that God wants you to have is not included, 55:35 then it's of no value whatsoever. 55:37 Look at Hebrews 4, Hebrews 4, verse 1 and 2. 55:44 It says as follows. 55:47 Therefore since a promise remains of entering his rest, 55:51 let us fear, lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 55:56 And look at what happened. For indeed, 55:58 the gospel was preached, to us as well as to them, 56:01 but the words which they heard did not profit them. 56:05 And what's the reason, John, read the rest of it. 56:07 Not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 56:10 Ahh. What was missing? Faith. Next verse says. 56:16 For we who have believed do enter that rest. Okay. 56:20 So important part--important aspect of faith 56:25 is truly believing that God will do it. 56:27 And resting. 56:29 And they didn't the promise land because their walk 56:32 with God was not a faith walk. Yeah. 56:34 It was continual. We're hungry. 56:36 We're thirsty. The Egyptians are following us. 56:39 We're gonna die in the wilderness. 56:41 The giants are too big in the land, 56:42 can't over come it. The Giants are big. I mean, come on. 56:44 Does this sound like a lot a Christian today? 56:45 Yeah, absolutely. It sounds like a lot because 56:48 I think we're so focused on what we want and how we want 56:51 something to workout and-- even sometimes forgetting 56:55 that God is there to provide everything for us, 56:57 that we're just--one of the biggest things 57:00 I find here today is the biggest enemy 57:02 to the church and to our lives is the world. 57:05 Right. The worlds come in and we're losing faith 57:07 and trust in the God that can't do anything for us. 57:11 That's why Jesus says, He has overcome the world. 57:13 What has overcome the world even our faith. 57:17 And so those of you who are watching and listening 57:19 to the program, you know, really pray for the Lord 57:21 to strengthen your faith. 57:22 Disciples ask that question as a follower of Christ 57:25 it is not unjust to ask that question 57:27 because when the Lord comes into your life, 57:29 he will give you a faith that will not fail you. 57:32 God bless you, and have a great day in Christ. |
Revised 2014-12-17