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Series Code: AFBA
Program Code: AFBA022152S
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00:00 (uplifting music)
00:03 - [Announcer] It is the best selling book in history. 00:05 No volume ever written has been more loved and quoted, 00:09 and its words sometimes simple and sometimes mysterious. 00:13 Should always be studied carefully. 00:16 It is the Bible. 00:17 The Word of God. 00:19 Welcome to Bible Answers Live, 00:22 providing accurate and practical answers 00:25 to all your Bible questions. 00:28 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 00:31 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned 00:33 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 - Hi friends, would you like to hear an amazing fact? 00:53 UPI News reported on December 13, 2021, 00:57 a wildlife rescuer in South Africa was summoned to a home 01:01 in which the family found a venomous snake 01:04 slithering in the branches of their Christmas tree. 01:08 Gerrie Heyns, owner of the reptile rescue service, 01:10 Snake Lives Matter, said he was called to a home 01:13 near McGregor in the Western Cape area, 01:16 when the resident spotted a venomous boomslang 01:19 crawling among the branches in their Christmas tree. 01:22 While its bite can be deadly, 01:24 the boomslang is generally a timid snake 01:26 and only bites when people provoke or attempt to handle it. 01:29 Heyns said he arrived at the home 90 minutes later 01:31 to find the snake still slithering 01:33 among the decorated branches. 01:36 Heyns safely captured the snake 01:37 with a pair of specialized tongs 01:39 and later released it into the wild. 01:41 Now friends, here's a question. 01:43 Can you think of a place in the Bible 01:45 that talks about a snake in a tree? (chuckles) 01:49 Welcome to Bible Answers Live, friends, 01:51 I'm Doug Batchelor, Pastor Ross has the night off 01:54 and we invite you to call in with your Bible questions. 01:57 We are live. 01:58 And if you have a Bible question, you can give us a call. 02:01 800-GODSAYS, that's 800-463-7297. 02:07 Right now, the lines are wide open. 02:09 So you're welcome to give us a call. 02:10 One more time, 800-463-7297. 02:16 And the program is also streaming 02:17 on the Doug Batchelor Facebook page 02:20 or on the Amazing Facts Facebook page, 02:23 or on the Amazing Facts YouTube page. 02:26 And as well as we're streaming this live on AFTV, 02:31 that's Amazing Facts Television, 02:32 we're on both internet and satellite around the country. 02:36 We invite you to call in with your Bible questions. 02:38 You know, I thought it was really interesting, 02:41 these people had quite a surprise 02:44 when there was a venomous snake in their tree. 02:46 And of course, that hearkens to a story in the Bible, 02:48 you find in the Book of Genesis. 02:50 Genesis 3:1, 02:53 "Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast 02:56 of the field which the Lord God had made. 02:58 And he said to the woman, 03:00 'Has God indeed said that you shall not eat 03:02 of every tree in the garden'?" 03:03 Of course, God didn't say they couldn't eat from every tree, 03:06 but the serpent is trying to get Eve off guard. 03:11 And the woman said to the serpent, 03:12 "We may eat from the fruit of the trees in the garden, 03:15 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst 03:17 of the garden, God said, 'You shall not eat it, 03:19 nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" 03:22 Then the serpent said to the woman, 03:24 "You will not surely die. 03:26 For God knows in that day that you eat of it 03:28 your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, 03:31 knowing good and evil." 03:33 And I think most of us know how that story ended 03:35 that Eve ate the forbidden fruit, gave it to Adam. 03:38 He ate the forbidden fruit and all the sin, 03:41 and misery entered our world at that time, 03:43 as the devil basically set up his headquarters 03:45 on this planet to continue launching his attack against 03:50 the kingdom and the government of God. 03:53 And all of the sin and the misery, 03:55 and suffering we see in this planet 03:56 is because the devil, Satan is the prince of this world. 04:01 You can fast forward all the way to the end of the Bible 04:03 and it talks again about that old dragon called the serpent, 04:07 and the devil who deceives the whole world. 04:10 And he's of course, 04:12 challenging Jesus authority at every point. 04:16 You can actually see through the Bible, 04:18 there's several cases where it talks about 04:20 the serpent sort of being a symbol or a type of the devil. 04:24 Children of Israel said, 04:26 they've got tired of eating the bread of God 04:27 in the wilderness, 04:29 and then a plague of serpents came in, 04:30 and they reject the bread of God, 04:33 and then they get a plague of serpents, venomous serpents. 04:37 And when they're all dying from these serpent bites, 04:41 God instructs Moses to put a bronze serpent 04:44 upon a staff or a pole, 04:47 he lifted up, so when the people look at it, 04:49 if they look in faith, 04:50 they would be healed from the effects of the venom. 04:52 And then Jesus refers to that story 04:55 and he tells Nicodemus in John 3, 04:58 "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, 05:01 even so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 05:04 that whosoever believes in Him might not perish, 05:06 but have everlasting life." 05:08 That serpent up on a pole 05:10 was a symbol of a defeated serpent 05:13 and Christ through His death on the cross, 05:15 when we look in faith at His sacrifice, 05:18 we know that His blood is the antidote for the venom of sin. 05:22 And that is available to you friends. 05:25 And you can find all through the Bible, 05:27 it talks about you will tread upon the serpent 05:30 and the serpent would bite the heel 05:32 of the seed of the woman. 05:33 There's this battle between these two forces 05:36 and you see it playing out even in Revelation, 05:39 where ultimately that dragon, 05:40 the serpent is cast into the lake of fire, 05:43 along with his angels. 05:45 If you'd like to better understand the gospel story, 05:47 then we have a free offer for you. 05:50 And it's called "The Savior and the Serpent." 05:53 And we'll send that to you for free, 05:55 the number if you'd like a call for the free offer 05:58 is 800-835-6747. 06:02 Now we give out one number to call in for questions 06:05 that number's 800-463-7297. 06:08 For the free offer, it's 800-835-6747. 06:13 Just tell 'em you're listening to Bible Answers Live, 06:15 and we will send that to you for free. 06:18 You can even read it if you go to the Amazing Facts website 06:22 under our free library. 06:24 Well, before we go to the phone lines for tonight, 06:26 I'd like to begin with a Word of Prayer. 06:29 Loving Lord, thank you for your goodness and your blessings 06:32 that Jesus died on the cross to free us, 06:36 and to save us from the effects and the venom of sin 06:39 to provide forgiveness, and power, and healing. 06:42 And Lord, I pray that each person listening 06:44 can experience that in their lives right now. 06:48 And Lord, I just pray that you'll bless 06:49 as we seek to answer the questions from your Word. 06:52 We pray this in Jesus' name. 06:54 Amen. 06:56 All right, friends. 06:57 Well, we're gonna go to the phones. 06:58 We do still have some lines open. 07:00 One more time, call in with your Bible questions. 07:02 We are live, 800-463-7297. 07:06 And I'm gonna begin by going to British Columbia, Canada, 07:09 talking to Diane. 07:11 Diane you're on the air with Bible Answers Live. 07:15 - [Diane] Yeah, my question is about Matthew 27:51 to 53. 07:21 I guess I'd always thought that 07:22 when Jesus died on the cross, 07:25 that there were a few of the dead that were risen, 07:28 but when I'm reading this scripture again, 07:30 it seems like the dead actually were risen 07:33 when Christ was resurrected. 07:35 And I'm just wondering if I'm confused there? 07:38 - Well, let's read it together for our friends 07:39 that are listening. 07:41 I always remember most of our listeners 07:42 are driving down the road. 07:45 Now, let's talk about when Christ died, this is Matthew 27, 07:47 starting with verse 51. 07:49 "Then, behold, the veil of the temple 07:51 was torn into from top to bottom 07:53 and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 07:56 and the graves were opened; 07:58 and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep 08:01 were raised and coming out of the graves 08:04 after His resurrection," 08:06 And that's the point you're making. 08:07 "They went into the holy city and appeared to many." 08:09 So the earthquake, when Jesus died, 08:12 it shook the graves open, not of everybody, but of many. 08:16 And they actually came out of their graves 08:18 following the resurrection, 08:20 that would be Sunday morning. 08:21 They went into the holy city and they appeared to many. 08:24 And you only find this mentioned in Matthew, 08:28 you don't find this incident mentioned 08:30 in Mark or Luke, or John. 08:32 And so it is quite amazing that there was sort of 08:38 a small group that was a resurrected 08:40 after Jesus came out of the grave. 08:42 So He could take a trophy with Him back to heaven. 08:46 And it's some people who had died 08:47 in the vicinity of Jerusalem. 08:49 He may have had people like Isaiah, the Prophet 08:52 that had been looking forward to him 08:54 or Jeremiah, or someone else. 08:56 So it was a very small, 08:58 but a localized resurrection and they were taken to heaven. 09:01 Now, am I answering your question, Diane? 09:04 - [Diane] Yes, I believe so. 09:05 So it seems like the graves actually opened 09:09 when the veil was torn, which was at the time of His death, 09:14 but they didn't actually come out of the graves 09:16 until He Himself was resurrected. 09:19 - Correct, when He died, 09:20 it seems there was an earthquake and that opened the graves. 09:23 It says a rock were rent 09:25 and then when He came out of the grave Sunday morning, 09:27 He would've come out first. 09:28 And then by virtue of His resurrection, 09:30 the others were brought back to life 09:32 because Jesus... 09:34 - Well, thanks so much 09:35 for answering that. - You're welcome. 09:36 He's the only one who can raise anybody. 09:38 That opens up a line, if you wanna call in 09:40 with a Bible question, 800-463-7297. 09:44 We're gonna talk with Destiny in Texas. 09:47 Destiny, you're on the air with Bible Answers Live. 09:50 - [Destiny] Hello, Doug. 09:51 I have a question. 09:53 What is the difference between baptism 09:55 in the name of Jesus, and in the name of the Trinity? 09:59 - Well, Jesus said in Matthew 28, 10:03 "Go, therefore teach all nations baptizing 10:05 in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." 10:09 You get to the book of Acts and the Apostles 10:11 they often said, be baptized in the name of the Lord 10:14 or the name of the Lord Jesus, or the name of Jesus. 10:17 They kinda used one of the three different methods. 10:20 And so you don't really find among the Bible writers 10:23 that there was a precise pronouncement. 10:29 The idea was that they were gonna be baptized 10:31 in the name of Christ and the message of the gospel 10:38 that He was preaching. 10:39 You can find where some had been baptized 10:41 by John the Baptist in Acts 19, 10:44 and Paul said, have you heard about Jesus? 10:46 And they said, no, we just heard the Messiah was coming. 10:48 He baptized them again in the name of the Lord. 10:51 And they were filled with the Holy Spirit. 10:56 We cover all the bases when I do a baptism. 10:59 And I just say, we baptize you in the name of the Father, 11:01 in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. 11:03 And in the name of the Holy Spirit. 11:06 Jesus said it, if is good enough for Jesus, 11:08 is good enough for me, does that make sense? 11:10 - [Destiny] I think, yes. 11:12 Thank you so much. 11:13 - I have a book, if you would like to send for free copy. 11:16 Anyone who wants to know more about this, 11:18 it's called "Baptism, is it Necessary?" 11:21 And it'll go through these verses and it's 800-835-6747. 11:27 That's 800-835-6747. 11:29 You know, I just remembered, I have another book 11:31 called "The Name of God," 11:33 and I talk about what name do we baptize in. 11:35 So that may even be closer if you call that same number, 11:38 say I'd like to get Pastor Doug's free book 11:40 on The Name of God, 800-835-6747. 11:45 There's a section in there that talks about 11:47 what name do we baptize in? 11:49 Appreciate your call, Destiny. 11:50 We're gonna talk now with Rebecca. 11:53 Rebecca is calling from here in California. 11:55 Welcome to Bible Answers Live, Rebecca you're on the air. 11:59 - [Rebecca] Yes hi, thank you for taking my call. 12:01 My question is in regards to Luke 23:56, 12:05 where it says that Jesus body after He was crucified 12:11 was not anointed because it was Sabbath time. 12:15 And I was wondering, 12:16 is it appropriate to attend a Memorial service 12:20 on the Sabbath during Sabbath hours? 12:23 When the Savior of the world's body 12:25 wasn't even anointed during Sabbath hours? 12:29 - Yeah, no, I think we're talking 12:29 about two different things. 12:31 If you're going to a Memorial service 12:34 where people are going to celebrate someone's life, 12:37 and they're gonna be talking about spiritual things 12:40 and the resurrection, 12:41 that's a different than what they did in Bible times 12:44 when someone died is it was labor intensive 12:47 to anoint their body and wrap it in a strips of cloth, 12:50 it was basically an embalming program. 12:53 And I don't recommend that. 12:56 And I certainly don't recommend people plan a funeral 12:59 where you're doing a graveside service 13:01 and people are digging a grave and burying a body. 13:04 That's different from a Memorial service 13:06 where people come together, 13:08 and you'll often just have a picture of the individual 13:09 with some flowers beside it, and folks will get up, 13:12 and to celebrate a Christian life. 13:15 So that, I don't see a conflict there. 13:19 Now, there can be varying circumstances. 13:25 Let's face it, 13:26 some people die in faith and some do not. 13:29 And I've seen people, funerals turned into a drunken wake, 13:34 you wouldn't wanna go to, you know what I'm talking about? 13:36 So I feel uncomfortable going to a wake 13:40 where everyone is drinking themselves silly, 13:43 and that's not appropriate for Sabbath, 13:45 but a respectful Memorial service, 13:47 that's got a spiritual focus can actually be edifying. 13:50 You read in the Book of Ecclesiastes, 13:53 there Solomon says, 13:54 "It's better to go to the house of mourning 13:56 than the house of weeping." 13:58 And the living will take it to heart. 14:01 So it can be a spiritual experience. 14:05 Hope that makes sense? 14:07 - [Rebecca] Yes, absolutely. 14:09 - All right, thanks so much, Rebecca. 14:10 Appreciate your question. 14:12 And with that, opens another line 800-463-7297 14:17 for your Bible questions, 14:18 talking now with Oscar in Mount Vernon, New York. 14:21 Oscar, you're on the air with Bible Answers Live. 14:25 - [Oscar] Yes, sir. 14:27 I have a friend. 14:28 I knew somebody. 14:29 We were talking about divorce and remarriage, 14:33 and he said something I don't understand. 14:35 He says, if a person divorces and you remarry, 14:41 he says that God cannot forgive. 14:44 I told him, why? 14:45 He says, God cannot forgive you. 14:47 He says, you have to go back to your first spouse, 14:50 your first marriage. 14:52 So I didn't understand. 14:54 Did I miss anything, I didn't understand. 14:56 So I told him that, did God die for, 14:59 I mean, did Jesus pay for all your sins 15:01 or is that a sin that God, Jesus cannot forgive? 15:06 I didn't understand what he meant. 15:07 - Yeah, so the question is, 15:10 is getting remarried, let's suppose that you get divorced 15:14 and you don't have biblical grounds, 15:15 and that a person remarries, 15:17 have they now committed the unpardonable sin? 15:20 And I would say, no. 15:21 The Bible does tell us there is a sin that's unpardonable, 15:24 but that would not be that sin 15:26 because you have King David, for instance, 15:29 he committed a sin, took his neighbor's wife, 15:33 he had Uriah killed. 15:35 Then he married Bathsheba without biblical grounds, 15:38 plus he already had at least 10 other wives 15:40 or nine other wives at that point. 15:43 And later God says to David, God says, "I forgive you." 15:47 And he comforted his wife, Bathsheba. 15:52 Earlier, it had referred to Bathsheba as the wife of Uriah, 15:55 after God forgave David, it says, 15:57 he went to his wife, Bathsheba. 16:00 So the Samaritan woman comes to Jesus, and Jesus says, 16:04 "Go call your husband." 16:05 She says, "Well, I don't have a husband." 16:06 He said, "That's right, you've had five husbands. 16:09 And you're living with some character right now, 16:10 you're not married to." 16:12 Well, He reveals to her, He's the Messiah, clearly, 16:15 she can be forgiven for that. 16:17 Or He wouldn't have gone to the trouble, 16:19 she became an evangelist for Him 16:23 and goes and tells the whole town she's found the Messiah. 16:25 So is it a sin to get divorced without biblical grounds? 16:29 Yes, very serious. 16:31 Is it the unpardonable sin? The Bible does not say so, 16:34 but you know, for some people it could be the straw 16:36 that breaks the camel's back. 16:38 I mean, who's to say what sin reaches the point of no return 16:41 for any individual, 16:43 but divorce and remarriage is not classified 16:46 as the unpardonable sin. 16:48 So we do have a book Oscar, 16:51 if I'd like to send you a free copy, 16:52 I'm trusting you're still listening. 16:54 And that the number for the book, 16:57 well, first, let me tell you, it's called 16:58 "Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage." 17:00 Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage by yours truly. 17:04 And it's 800-835-6747. 17:07 We'll be happy to send you a copy of that, 800-835-6747. 17:13 Thank you, Oscar for your call. 17:15 Gonna go next and talk with William in Canada. 17:19 William you're on the air with Bible Answers Live. 17:23 - [William] Good evening, Pastor Doug. 17:24 This is the sort of a blessing to be talking 17:28 to you live. 17:29 Anyways, first time caller, 17:32 and I'm a disciple of Jesus 17:34 and have been baptized eight years. 17:38 I love the study in the Word and appreciate 17:42 the last quarterly we've had on Deuteronomy, 17:45 which has a lot to do with us, says the Lord. 17:51 Does the use of the Word for the 25th of December 17:55 that the world uses break the third commandment. 17:59 And I think it does, that's my faith statement. 18:03 And I've been doing this for three years now 18:06 and I wondered, 18:10 Martin Luther always said, here is my stand, 18:12 I can do no more, 18:15 unless somebody shows me from the Word of God 18:18 that I'm wrong. 18:19 Now I presented this to the church 18:22 and actually to the conference and... 18:26 - Well, let me see. 18:27 I wanna state your question. 18:28 I know what you're saying, 18:30 but I'd like to state it for our listeners 18:31 if it's okay, William. 18:32 Are you saying it's taking the name of the Lord in vain 18:35 to use the word Christmas? 18:36 - [William] Correct. 18:37 Right. - Or because Jesus... 18:39 All right, let me do my best to address that. 18:42 First of all, I agree that Christmas, 18:48 the date for Christmas has a dubious origins. 18:51 And we've shared on this program many times 18:53 that it's fairly certain from scripture and history, 18:58 that Jesus was not born on the 25th of December. 19:01 And the name, the word Christmas, 19:04 springs from the mass of Christ and Protestant Christians 19:10 have a problem with a transubstantiation, 19:13 which is what happens in the typical Roman Catholic mass. 19:17 And so some folks have been very uncomfortable 19:19 even using that word 19:20 because it incorporates a doctrine 19:23 that Protestants usually aren't comfortable with. 19:29 But then I think at some point you use a name 19:30 because it's become the label for something. 19:35 We call Los Angeles, it's not angels city anymore, really. 19:43 I don't believe that San Francisco is Saint Francisco. 19:49 There are places that have all kinds of religious names 19:52 that have come through history 19:54 and they they're all... 19:57 You go to India, they changed all the English names 20:00 from Madras to Chennai and from Bombay to Mumbai. 20:05 And some of them have Hindu trappings. 20:08 So are we not to use a word 20:10 because it's got maybe some pig and trappings 20:12 to the history, to the name? 20:14 I think a name is a name. 20:16 And just for the sake of communication, 20:18 if you have to dance around a word 20:21 because you're afraid to say the word, 20:23 that becomes very cumbersome. 20:26 If everyone knows that there's a time of year and a season 20:28 that we call Christmas, well, I don't see that 20:31 there's a problem with that. 20:34 Anyway, so I hope that helps a little bit. 20:37 We do have a book and I think you'll find some comfort 20:40 in that or some answers in that it's called, 20:42 "Baptized Paganism." 20:44 It talks about some of the pagan origins of these things. 20:47 Jesus was not born the 25th of December, 20:49 Jesus died in the spring and He ministered 20:53 three and a half years from His birthday. 20:55 Luke 3 says, "At the time of His birthday, 20:57 He began His ministry." 21:00 He was baptized. 21:01 A priest could not minister till he was 30. 21:04 Jesus died in the spring, 21:05 if you go back three and a half years, 21:07 that means He was born in the fall. 21:09 So shepherds are not in the field in the middle of December, 21:12 in the land of Israel. 21:14 And anyway, hope that helps a little bit. 21:17 And I appreciate your question. 21:19 I think we got time for one and a half more questions. 21:22 We're gonna go to Indiana and talk to Randy. 21:24 Randy, you're on the air with Bible Answers Live. 21:27 - [Randy] Good evening, pastor. 21:29 My question is, I have been watching 21:32 a couple of your sermons lately, 21:33 and you have said in your sermons that 21:38 show me a Christian that is not practicing 21:41 one of the three principles on the holy place 21:44 of the sanctuary and I'll show you that he's back sliding. 21:47 Well, I believe that I'm backsliding 21:49 because I read my Bible and I pray fervently. 21:53 However, I do not know 21:55 what is the easiest way for me to preach the gospel 21:58 or show Jesus to somebody else, or share my life. 22:01 What is the shortest way or that most convenient way 22:05 to show Christ or share my life to the world? 22:09 - Yeah, now not everybody is a teacher or a preacher, Randy. 22:14 I think that one of the things we can do is of course, 22:17 live out His life in ourselves. 22:21 And it's often been said, preach Christ 22:23 and if necessary, use words. 22:25 Now, I don't agree with that completely. 22:27 I think that we do use words 22:29 and it's important to share your faith, 22:31 but first of all, be a witness. 22:32 Jesus will let your light shine. 22:34 There's a lot of ways to let your light shine. 22:36 You can do it verbally, 22:38 you can do it by showing the peace of God in your actions 22:41 and showing ministry for others, and kindness, 22:43 and generosity people see your Christian behavior. 22:47 And Peter says in chapter three, he said, 22:50 "As they behold your chased conversation, coupled with fear, 22:54 it has a converting influence." 22:57 So one thing is making sure you're living the life. 22:59 And then there's three things you can do to witness 23:02 to people you love. 23:04 Whether they're friends, neighbors, strangers, family, 23:08 pray for them. 23:10 Be a good example. 23:12 And if they're open, share information 23:15 that might mean sharing Christian literature, 23:18 you may not be a preacher or teacher, 23:19 but you can share something that is on a DVD. 23:22 You might pass on a website to somebody. 23:25 And so, there's a lot of things you can do 23:27 to witness and encourage 'em to watch Christian programming, 23:34 read Christian books, listen to Christian material 23:36 and give a Bible study. 23:38 And you can get training on how to do that too. 23:41 So I don't know if that helps a little. 23:43 - [Randy] It does. 23:44 I'm just trying to get more acquainted on how, 23:49 breaking the shell of spreading the Word. 23:53 - Let me give you a challenge. 23:57 Tomorrow morning when you wake up say, all right, Lord, 24:00 today, I wanna witness for you. 24:02 Help me through the Holy Spirit, 24:03 recognize the opportunity to say something in your behalf. 24:07 And it may not be something long, 24:08 it might be something like saying, 24:10 God bless you to somebody when you're buying your groceries. 24:14 But just say, Lord, help me remember 24:16 'cause I think we just forget 24:17 the opportunities every day and you watch the Holy Spirit 24:20 He is gonna bring somebody or something to your mind 24:22 and say, Lord, help me know what to say. 24:25 And God is anxious to get the Word out, 24:27 and so if you say I'm willing to be used, 24:28 He will give you an opportunity, 24:30 and then call me back and let me know what happens. 24:34 - [Randy] I will be calling back next week, I promise that. 24:36 - All right. 24:38 God bless, Randy, will look forward to hearing from you. 24:40 All right, I got one minute and 47 seconds. 24:43 All right, Efrank in New York. 24:45 Efrank, we got about a minute. 24:46 Can we do a quick question? - Absolutely. 24:50 - And what's the question tonight? 24:51 - [Efrank] Yeah, well basically, I wanna ask you this, 24:54 sorry, I'm a little bit too out of target this evening, 24:58 but it's just the problems here where I live. 25:01 But anyway, my question for you, Pastor Doug is, 25:04 do you believe that the three wise men were somewhere 25:08 in another part of the world? 25:11 They were not generally in the area where Jesus 25:15 came into the world with Mary? 25:17 And what I'm trying to say is the three magi, 25:20 were came from a larger distance 25:23 because I looked through scripture and I can't find 25:25 where it states that the three magi 25:28 were able to travel long distance. 25:31 - First, it never says there's three. 25:33 It says, Wise Men came from the east. 25:35 So they came from the east, 25:37 the east typically is referring to Mesopotamia 25:40 and they had been reading, probably the prophecy of Balaam 25:44 who said a star will arise out of Jacob and a scepter, 25:48 and is talking about a coming king. 25:49 And so, these wise men probably came from somewhere 25:53 over there across Euphrates in Mesopotamia. 25:55 They'd been studying the heavens, 25:57 a band of angels appeared to them and said, 26:00 this is the sign of the Messiah, the King. 26:02 And He would be the King of the Jews. 26:04 They made that journey, Matthew 2. 26:06 Hey, listening friends, don't go away. 26:08 We're gonna come back. 26:09 There's more Bible questions to come, 26:10 have some exciting things to share with you 26:12 and get your questions ready. 26:15 Be back in just a moment. 26:17 (uplifting music) 26:20 - [Announcer] Stay tuned, Bible Answers Live 26:22 will return shortly. 26:27 Life can be overwhelming. 26:29 Where can an on the go woman find quality time with God? 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Get started on your Bible 28:19 study adventure today at storacles.com! 28:27 Did you know that Amazing Facts has a free Bible School 28:30 that you can do from the comfort of your own home? 28:32 It includes 27 beautifully illustrated study lessons to aid 28:36 in your study of God's Word. 28:38 Sign up today for this free Bible Study course 28:41 by calling 1-844-215-7000 28:44 that's 1-844-215-7000 28:50 (uplifting music) 28:53 - [Announcer] You're listening to Bible Answers Live, 28:56 where every question answered provides a clearer picture 28:59 of God and His plan to save you. 29:02 So what are you waiting for? 29:03 Get practical answers about the Good Book 29:06 for a better life, today. 29:10 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 29:13 If you'd like answers to your Bible related questions 29:16 on the air, please call us next Sunday 29:18 between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM, Pacific time. 29:22 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned 29:25 in this evening's program, call 800-835-6747. 29:30 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 29:36 Now let's rejoin our host for more Bible Answers Live. 29:42 - Welcome back, listening friends to Bible Answers Live. 29:43 Thanks for staying tuned. 29:44 If you've joined along the way, 29:45 this is a live international interactive Bible study, 29:49 and we invite you to call in with your Bible questions. 29:52 If you wanna call in with a question, 29:53 the number is 800-463-7297. 29:58 And I think we still have some lines open. 30:00 If you call and the phone's ringing, 30:01 just endure unto the end, someone will pick up 30:05 and get to your call, 30:06 but we're gonna go back to the phones. 30:08 My name is Doug Batchelor, Pastor Ross has the night off. 30:12 And so we're doing this with our team in the studio. 30:16 Going to Jorge in Manhattan, New York, New York. 30:20 Jorge, you're on the air with Bible Answers Live. 30:24 - [Jorge] Hi, good evening, pastor. 30:27 My question is, 30:29 is any different between the soul and the spirit? 30:35 - Yes, but not always. 30:37 Sometimes the Bible writers merge it together 30:40 when they talk about the soul and the spirit, 30:42 they about your outer being, your inner being, 30:45 and just the essence of who you are. 30:48 Technically, there is a difference in the languages. 30:52 The word soul is talking about the entire person 30:57 and the Bible tells us in Genesis, 30:59 God breathed the breath of life. 31:02 And the word there in Hebrew is the Ruach. 31:05 He breathed the breath of life into Adam 31:07 and Adam became a living soul. 31:10 So it says He breathed, 31:12 and that word Ruach is translated spirit in many places. 31:15 He breathed the spirit into Adam and the combination 31:19 of the spirit, and the body that God had made. 31:22 He made Adam's body out of the dust of the earth, 31:25 became a living soul. 31:27 Now, when a person dies, if you go to Ecclesiastes 12, 31:31 tells us when a person dies, 31:33 the body returns to the earth as it was 31:36 and the spirit, and the word there is breath, 31:38 the breath of life returns to God who gave it. 31:41 It's not talking about a little ghost inside of you 31:43 that comes out and flutters off to heaven. 31:46 And so, there is a biblical difference 31:50 in the words that are used. 31:51 In the new Testament, 31:52 the word for spirit is the word Pneuma. 31:56 And it's also like the word wind, 32:00 and that's where we get the word pneumatic tools 32:03 that are driven by air 32:04 or the pneumonia is a considered to be a disease 32:08 of your breathing or your wind. 32:10 So similar to the Old Testament, you got Ruach, 32:13 it means breath or wind. 32:15 New Testament, it's Pneuma, 32:17 but the spirit is talking about that breath of life. 32:21 All right, thanks so much Jorge, appreciate your call. 32:23 All right, 32:24 gonna be talking... - Thank you very ready much 32:25 pastor. - Thank you. 32:26 - Good night. - Good night. 32:28 We're gonna talk to Kelly in California. 32:29 Kelly, you're on the air with Bible Answers Live. 32:33 - [Kelly] Hi, Pastor Batchelor, 32:34 thank you for taking my call. 32:36 - Sure. 32:37 - [Kelly] I have a question on Jude 1:6. 32:42 - I think you mean verse six 32:43 'cause there's only one chapter. 32:47 - [Kelly] Where it says that, Satan and the angels 32:50 were thrown out of heaven. 32:51 A third of the angels. 32:53 And here it says, that God has them placed in chains 33:00 in chains of darkness, so what angels are those? 33:04 - What angels are in these everlasting chains of darkness? 33:08 And then the Bible tells us in Revelation 20, 33:11 and I'm jumping there 33:12 because it helps answer the question. 33:14 That an angel takes a chain in his hand 33:18 and he binds Satan and casts him into the abussos, 33:21 the darkness. 33:22 That's the bottomless pit it's called, 33:24 but it's the same principle. 33:27 The devil is bound in this world right now. 33:31 The devil was, and his angels, 33:33 they were free to roam through the universe. 33:35 They were ministering spirits of God, 33:37 but they're bound right now 33:39 and they're waiting for their judgment. 33:41 Even some of the angels said, 33:42 "Jesus, have you come to judge us before the time?" 33:46 So when He was preaching, 33:47 some of these demon possessed people 33:48 would say things like that to Him. 33:50 And so, these are the fallen angels that are in the world. 33:53 They are in chains of darkness. 33:55 In other words, they have no hope or forgiveness. 33:57 You and I have hope, there's light for us, 34:01 but for these fallen angels, 34:02 all they have to do is look forward to destruction. 34:05 You can look there in Revelation it says, 34:06 "Satan has come down with great wrath 34:08 'cause he knows his time is short." 34:11 Satan knows his doom is sealed. 34:13 It was sealed at the cross 34:15 and they are in chains of darkness. 34:16 They're bound in this dark world. 34:20 - [Kelly] All right, well, thank you so much 34:21 for answering my question. 34:24 - Thank you. 34:25 And we have a lesson that talks about this 34:27 when the devil is bound and if you call the resource number, 34:31 you can ask about this, the lesson on the millennium. 34:35 The number is 800-835-6747. 34:40 It's called "A Thousand Years of Peace." 34:41 It's talking about the millennium, 34:44 and when Satan and his angels are bound. 34:46 All right, appreciate that 34:47 and we're gonna talk next to Jack, 34:50 who's calling from Montana. 34:52 Jack, you are on the air with Bible Answers Live. 34:56 - [Jack] Hey, Doug. 34:57 Thanks for accepting my call. 34:58 - Absolutely, thank you for calling. 35:01 - [Jack] So my question is, was Noah's Ark found 35:04 and if so, is it like a sign of the end times? 35:11 - Well, I personally don't believe 35:13 that they found Noah's Ark in a significant way. 35:16 I mean, there are some who have claimed 35:18 to have cite it through history. 35:21 Even Marco Polo in his journeys, 35:24 he said that one year, you could even see Noah's Ark 35:29 on Mount Ararat. 35:31 Now, whether that was a legend or not, I don't know. 35:34 I just know that it does appear once in history, 35:37 but there are people who say they have found Noah's Ark, 35:41 from the evidence that I've seen, 35:43 I don't think it really is Noah's Ark. 35:45 It's kind of like a teardrop shaped lava flow and they say, 35:50 oh, it's shaped like a boat, this must be Noah's Ark. 35:52 And it's at the base of Mount Ararat, 35:54 but I don't think that there's many hard evidence. 35:57 Now, it may be discovered before the end of the world, 36:00 I believe Noah Ark is somewhere in the mountains. 36:02 Never says it's on Mount Ararat, 36:04 it says in the mountains of Ararat or the region up there. 36:07 But yeah, that'd be wonderful. 36:09 Hopefully it would increase people's faith if it was found. 36:14 Mount Ararat's got a nice cap on it a lot of the year, 36:17 it's covered by glacier. 36:18 So it could be that glaciers have destroyed it, 36:21 we don't know, but I believe the story. 36:25 Thank you very much, Jack, appreciate your call. 36:27 - [Jack] Thanks for accepting it. 36:29 - All right, you have a good night. 36:31 All right, talking next with Josh, 36:34 who's calling from Florida. 36:36 Josh, you're on the air with Bible Answers Live. 36:39 - [Josh] Yeah, my mom, she recently passed 36:45 and then she was with me and then, 36:50 she passed because of COVID, 36:52 but I feel like I didn't do enough, 36:53 so I kind of like blamed myself for it, 36:56 so that's kind of like traumatizing for me, 36:59 but like she passed, like she was all that my family had, 37:02 but so my brothers and my sisters, they're relying on me. 37:05 So I just want to know like, 37:10 'cause I don't know, I felt like the Holy Spirit telling me 37:13 that her soul was saved and resu- 37:16 so like she's being there during the resurrection. 37:19 - Okay, well that should 37:20 give you hope - Just want to know... 37:23 Yeah, I just wanted to know like, 37:27 what can I do to give me strength to like persevere? 37:31 - Well, you've been through a tragedy, 37:33 you've experienced one of the hardest things 37:36 is when we lose someone we love. 37:37 And I've been there. 37:39 I was at my mother's side when she passed away 37:41 and you have always a lot of regrets, 37:43 you would wish you had spent more time 37:45 and done more loving things, and said things and, 37:48 but you can't change what is in the past. 37:53 And so you say, all right, Lord, I pray, 37:55 I'll take this opportunity to reconsecrate myself. 37:59 If you believe your mother's gonna be in the kingdom, 38:01 that's all the more reason for you to be saved 38:04 and be there and see her in the resurrection. 38:07 And so just take this as an opportunity 38:10 to reconsecrate yourself, Josh, 38:12 and be, you say you've got other family, 38:14 and you can be a witness and a support for them 38:18 during this time and point them 38:19 to the hope we have in Christ. 38:22 The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4, 38:25 "When we lose someone we love, 38:27 we do not sorrow as others that have no hope." 38:31 There's sorrow, 38:32 but we're not sorrowing as others, 38:34 for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, 38:36 that He will bring with Him those who have died in Christ. 38:41 So look forward to that blessed hope, the Bible calls it. 38:44 And I hope and pray, you find some encouragement in that. 38:47 - [Josh] And you said that's verse Corinthians? 38:50 - 1 Thessalonians 4. 38:52 And you can start reading with verse 13. 38:54 It talks specifically about comfort for those 38:57 who have lost loved ones. 39:01 - [Josh] Thank you, Doug. 39:02 And the second question would be like, 39:04 how I can try to be live a righteous life 39:08 and be more like Christ? 39:10 - Yeah, absolutely. 39:11 Well, you become like what you look at Josh. 39:14 And so start fixing your eyes on Jesus. 39:18 And we do that of course, by talking to Him in prayer. 39:22 If you have a Bible, I hope you're reading the Bible, 39:26 gather together with other people that worship the Lord 39:28 and in fellowship, that will strengthen your faith. 39:32 Those three primary Christian disciplines are fellowship, 39:37 you wanna be with other believers. 39:38 You want to breathe in prayer. 39:40 You want to eat or feast on the Word of God, 39:43 read God's Word. 39:44 And Jesus said, "Thy Word is truth." 39:46 His words have life, that's why Christ said, 39:49 "Unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood, 39:52 you have no life in you." 39:53 And He's talking about taking the Word inside, 39:56 that bread of life. 39:57 Do those things, Josh, and you'll be encouraged. 40:00 And we'll be praying for you that the Lord 40:02 just helps you get a new beginning, 40:04 now that you've gone through this tragedy, 40:07 but it's also an opportunity for a new chapter in life. 40:10 God bless, and we thank you for your questions. 40:13 Gonna talk next with, let's see here. 40:17 Talking to Jerry in Oregon. 40:19 Jerry, you're on the air with Bible Answers Live. 40:22 - [Jerry] Good evening, Pastor Doug. 40:24 My question pertains to Numbers 22:20, 40:28 where Balaam was given permission to go with the Moabites 40:35 as a result of his prayer inquiry. 40:38 But then in two verses later, it says this, 40:42 "But God was very angry when he went 40:46 and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him." 40:49 So if God gave him permission to go, 40:52 why was He upset that he went? 40:55 - Well, God told Moses, 40:57 I'm just answering your question 40:58 with another illustration that's similar. 41:01 God told Moses to go out of Midian 41:03 and meet with his brother, Aaron. 41:05 And it says on the way, 41:07 the angel of Lord met Moses and nearly slew him. 41:11 And the reason was that Moses had accepted this commission, 41:15 but he had not yet circumcised one of his sons. 41:18 And God's saying, look, I've convicted you, 41:20 I've told you you're supposed to do this, 41:23 and you're not doing it with the right attitude 41:25 and consecration. 41:27 Balaam was supposed to go 41:28 and simply say whatever God's wanted him to say, 41:32 but Balaam was thinking about the rewards. 41:34 His heart was not right. 41:36 You also read where it says Balaam loved the wages 41:38 of unrighteousness. 41:40 He wanted the reward from Balak, the king of the Moabites 41:44 and the angel knowing his spirit wasn't right, 41:46 and he was going with the wrong motives, 41:48 he met him in judgment. 41:50 He was running greedily after gain 41:53 is the way it's worded there, I think it's in Jude. 41:56 And it also talks about Balaam, it says you have there, 41:59 those that have the doctrine of Balaam in Revelation, 42:02 and that doctrine is one of greed like Judas. 42:06 So you're right, it sounds strange. 42:08 First God says, don't go. 42:09 Balaam is disappointed 42:10 'cause he wants the rewards and God says, 42:11 okay, I'll let you go, 42:12 but you gotta say what I want you to say. 42:14 And Balaam was trying to hurry along the road 42:18 so that he could get his reward 42:20 and God wanted to get his attention and say, 42:22 look you're not gonna get 42:24 what you're thinking you're gonna get a reward 42:27 for cursing them, you're not. 42:27 You're gonna bless them. 42:30 Anyway, it is a good question. 42:33 - [Jerry] Okay, thank you. 42:35 Good night. 42:36 - All right, thanks Jerry, appreciate that. 42:38 All right, talking next with, let me see here. 42:43 Hendry in Colorado. 42:44 Hendry, you're on the air with Bible Answers Live. 42:49 - [Hendry] Good evening, Dr. Doug. 42:51 - Evening, how can we help you tonight? 42:54 - [Hendry] Yeah, I have a question regarding duck, 42:59 is it unclean or clean, pastor? 43:03 - Well, the Bible says that swan is unclean 43:06 and duck is in the same category. 43:08 The birds that were clean for eating, 43:11 were the foraging birds and those would be, 43:15 things like a chicken or a Turkey, 43:16 or a quail, or a pheasant, 43:18 they go around, they pick the ground. 43:21 Ducks, sometimes they eat what's going on 43:24 the bottom of the lake. 43:26 And they're in the category of the birds, 43:29 I believe that are unclean. 43:31 I'd say whenever you're in doubt, do the safe thing. 43:35 But, I think the Bible does say swans are unclean 43:41 and ducks would be in the same category. 43:43 - [Hendry] Yeah, because some of the pastors said is clean 43:47 and some of them say doesn't, is unclean. 43:50 And also... - Well, you know, 43:52 whenever you're in doubt, do the safe thing. 43:55 - [Hendry] All right. 43:58 - All right, thanks so much, Hendry. 44:00 All right, let's see here. 44:02 And that frees up another line, 800-463-7297. 44:08 Let me see here. 44:10 Talking next with, 44:15 Tanya calling from Georgia. 44:17 Welcome to the program, Tanya, you're on the air. 44:20 - [Tanya] Hi Pastor Doug, how are you this evening? 44:22 - I'm always better than I deserve. 44:25 - [Tanya] Yes, sir. 44:26 Thank you so much, 44:27 and God bless you for these live questions. 44:29 They have made a significant difference in my personal life 44:34 and I can't thank you enough for it. 44:35 - Well, you make it all worthwhile. 44:37 That's what we wanna hear. 44:38 It's making a difference. 44:41 - [Tanya] My question is 44:43 if you've lived your whole life or you live your whole life 44:47 as a Christian, 44:48 however you don't or never acknowledge Saturday 44:53 as the seventh day and did not attend church on that day, 44:58 and you pass away. 45:00 How, or is there a chance to have salvation, 45:04 although you did not acknowledge the Sabbath? 45:09 - All right, let me state your question 45:11 a little differently for people listening. 45:14 Folks that listen to this program on a regular basis know 45:16 that we believe that the 10 commandments 45:19 are still in effect, 45:21 that the seventh days of Sabbath and that is Saturday. 45:23 And we encourage people to follow the Word of God, 45:26 but this is gonna be millions of people in heaven 45:28 that went to church on Sunday. 45:30 Now let me give you... 45:32 I'm gonna change the subject to help you understand it. 45:35 Tanya, are there gonna be people in heaven 45:37 that had more than one wife at a time? 45:40 - [Tanya] Yes, if they ask for forgiveness. 45:44 - Well, I mean, like you take King David, 45:47 he'll be in heaven, the Bible's pretty clear about that. 45:50 He's a man after God's own heart, 45:52 he wrote all those Psalms in the Bible 45:54 and he had many wives. 45:56 Solomon will be there, 45:57 and when you read the Book of Proverb, 45:58 Solomon had, oh, I forget. 46:00 I think had 300 concubines and 700 wives, 46:04 it's just crazy. 46:05 But they lived in a time where that was really customary 46:08 for a king to have a harem , 46:10 so they'd have plenty of descendants. 46:12 It was just, everybody did that. 46:15 There are gonna be people in heaven 46:16 who owned slaves like Abraham. 46:19 Well, that's certainly not appropriate for Christian today 46:22 'cause we know better. 46:24 See what I'm saying? 46:26 - [Tanya] Exactly. 46:27 - I know better. 46:28 I'm not gonna go take extra wives, the Bible says, 46:30 no man can serve two masters, that's another reason. 46:33 So for me, it would be a sin 'cause I know better. 46:37 Now that's the way it is with all truth. 46:38 And when someone learns Bible truth, 46:41 God wants us to walk in the light that we've received. 46:43 So if a person has learned the Bible truth about the Sabbath 46:46 or any subject, He wants us to walk in the light, 46:50 but there are gonna be people in heaven 46:52 that didn't know certain things. 46:54 And there's a verse I want you to remember, 46:55 it's Acts 17:30, it says, 46:59 "At the times of this ignorance, God winked at." 47:02 In other words, you briefly close your eyes. 47:05 God has been very patient and merciful, but he says, 47:07 "Now that they know he commands men every where to repent." 47:11 So sin is knowing to do good and not doing it. 47:17 So once a person knows God's will, 47:19 whether it's regarding slavery or polygamy, or the Sabbath, 47:23 or whatever the case might be, 47:26 I know people who they didn't pay tithe for years 47:28 and then they read the verse in the Bible that about tithe, 47:30 and they said, oh wow, I should be paying tithe. 47:34 Well, 30 years have gone by where they didn't, 47:37 they probably can't pay back tithed without going bankrupt. 47:40 So they just start where they're at and they say, 47:42 I'm gonna start walking in the light 47:43 that God's revealed to me. 47:45 And so that's the principle there. 47:47 And I think you understand, thank you so much 47:49 for your call, Tanya. 47:50 We're gonna continue here, let's take a few more calls. 47:54 George in New Jersey, 47:56 George you're on the air with Bible Answers Live. 48:00 - [George] Hi Pastor Doug, how you doing tonight? 48:01 - Really well, thank you. 48:04 - [George] Yes, haven't talked to you in a while, 48:05 but I had a couple things on my mind tonight. 48:08 So I thought I'd ask you if death is a 'sleep', 48:11 which I tend to believe it is. 48:14 And it's an unconscious state 48:15 and that people are non-existent. 48:17 Where is the link between their identity 48:20 and the one they have with the resurrection, 48:22 and that brings up another question to me too, 48:25 in conjunction with it. 48:26 Did Jesus actually, 48:28 could He have been non-existent 48:30 between death and His resurrection 'cause He's divine. 48:33 So you see where I'm getting at here? 48:35 I'm curious about that. 48:36 - I do George, you're asking the big, big questions here. 48:40 Well, first of all, 48:42 we know that when God brings something into existence, 48:45 they're in the mind of God. 48:47 So God knew what He was gonna do when He made Adam, 48:51 the way He made Adam was unique in that, Adam was created. 48:54 He did not have to learn to walk. 48:56 I don't think, he had to learn to talk. 48:58 I think God made him, sometimes I get a computer 49:01 from the factory, 49:02 it's got all this software already installed. 49:04 All I do is press the button and it's up and running. 49:06 And I think Adam was created with pre-installed software. 49:10 When God resurrects, 49:12 those who are sleeping in the dust of the earth, 49:14 they come out of the graves, 49:15 they've got a new glorified body. 49:18 You know, it's interesting using the computer analogy again, 49:21 they've got these little thumb drives, 49:23 USB drive and you can have 50 gigabytes 49:27 on one of these things now, 49:28 I can take everything from my old computer, 49:31 then that's the keyboard doesn't work 49:33 and the screen might be cracked. 49:35 I take all the program 49:37 and I put it on this little jump drive, 49:39 and then I plug it into 49:40 a brand new screaming, fast, shiny computer. 49:43 And I've got all of my character of my computer is there. 49:48 So for lack of a better explanation, 49:51 God's gonna download in the new glorified bodies 49:54 who the essence of that person is. 49:56 Will there be a time of non-existence? 50:00 No, I think that they're really in the heart 50:02 and the mind of God. 50:05 They're for the person, it's a brief sleep for them. 50:07 They have no interruption, 50:09 it's gonna be like going to sleep and waking up. 50:11 It's gonna be instant to be absent from the bodies 50:13 to be present with the Lord. 50:15 But the resurrection hasn't happened yet. 50:17 Now, Jesus, this is the big question. 50:19 What was going on with Jesus when He died? 50:22 Well, we have to take the Bible and its Word says, 50:24 Christ died for our sins. 50:27 And whenever we started saying, 50:28 well, died doesn't really mean died. 50:31 He didn't just transmigrate to a different existence. 50:35 I think Jesus slept the sleep of death 50:38 while the time He was in the grave, He said, 50:40 I lay down My life and I have power to take it up again. 50:42 Then Sunday morning He rose, He took it up again. 50:46 So big question, George. 50:48 Good question. 50:49 I hope my answer made a little bit of sense. 50:52 Let me see here, I'm gonna talk with Jeremiah 50:54 who's calling from Connecticut, I believe. 50:55 Jeremiah, you're on the air with Bible Answers Live. 50:59 - [Jeremiah] Hi Pastor Doug, how are you? 51:01 - Doing well, we've got about three minutes, 51:03 can we do it? 51:04 - [Jeremiah] All right, my question is, 51:06 what is predestination and is it biblical? 51:11 - All right, well the word is in the Bible. 51:13 So the word predestination is certainly biblical. 51:15 The question is, what is meant by that? 51:18 Some people believe that predestination means 51:20 that God has already designed in advance, 51:24 who is gonna be saved. 51:25 And some people were created 51:27 and they really have no hope of being saved 51:28 because it's not God's plan for them to be saved. 51:31 So it's almost like God designed them to be lost, 51:36 but that goes against the verses in the Bible that say, 51:39 "Who so ever believes in Him..." 51:42 Believing us to believe, you got a choice to believe. 51:44 And then the Bible tells us, 51:46 "God is not willing..." 51:47 In this 2 Peter 3, 51:49 "God is not willing that any should perish, 51:52 but that all should come to repentance." 51:54 And then Paul tells us, 51:57 "The Lord who would have all men to be saved." 52:00 So the Lord doesn't want anyone to be lost. 52:03 So Calvin and people who believe in this doctrine 52:07 of predestination, 52:08 they mean by that often that 52:10 some people were created and they're created to be lost. 52:17 I believe that God creates everybody with the option 52:19 and hope because we have a free will. 52:22 And why would God punish a person 52:26 and throw them in the lake of fire, 52:29 if they're created and they have no option to be saved, 52:31 why would you punish them for doing 52:32 what they are naturally created to do? 52:36 There's no justice in that. 52:38 So when the Bible talks about predestination, 52:40 it's talking about God has designed in advance, 52:44 that people should be saved. 52:47 And those who respond to the election, to the call, 52:52 they're gonna be saved. 52:55 And I think Paul is also speaking 52:58 when he talks about predestination, 53:00 some of the Jews had a hard time understanding 53:02 that the Gentiles, that it was God's plan, 53:05 that they should also be able to take advantage 53:09 of Christ's sacrifice and be saved. 53:11 Another big problem with, 53:13 some of the Calvinistic predestination, 53:16 they don't believe that Jesus died for the sins 53:18 of the whole world. 53:19 They believe that Jesus died just for the sins 53:21 of those who will ultimately be saved. 53:24 But we, meaning myself and many other Protestant Christians, 53:31 that we believe that Jesus died for the sin of everyone. 53:33 His sacrifice was adequate to pay for the sins of everybody, 53:37 not just those that accepted it. 53:39 In other words, some people will not use 53:41 the sacrifice that Jesus made available to them, 53:43 which is a tragedy, but He died for everybody. 53:47 His grace is unlimited. 53:50 His sacrifice was, whosoever, the Bible says, 53:54 "Let him come and drink the water of life." 53:57 So I'm about to run out of time. 53:59 We have a free book, we'll be willing to send you Jeremiah. 54:03 And it's called "Can a Saved Man, Choose to be Lost?" 54:06 Can a Saved Man, Choose to be Lost? 54:08 And if you call the resource number, 54:11 that number is 800-835-6747. 54:15 We'll be happy to send you a free copy of that. 54:17 Can a Saved Man, Choose to be Lost? 54:19 Anybody who is listening, 54:21 if you'd like to know more about these free offers, 54:23 we try to give away material 54:25 so that people can study these things. 54:27 We usually budget about three minutes during the program 54:30 for each question so we can get as many questions. 54:33 Problem is your questions 54:35 aren't as thorough as you want them to be, 54:36 so we give out the literature. 54:38 Go to AmazingFacts.org at AmazingFacts.org 54:44 you'll see our free library. 54:45 If you click on that tab and there is 54:48 a whole kaleidoscope of different doctrinal subjects 54:52 with books and lots of reference material, 54:54 we want you to know. 54:55 Friends, thank you so much for supporting Amazing Facts. 54:58 If you've been blessed by the broadcast, 55:00 go to the website, click that little button donate 55:02 and help us reach the others 55:05 with the good news in the gospel. 55:06 God bless, we'll study again next week. 55:09 (uplifting music) 55:12 - [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 55:20 by Amazing Facts International, 55:22 a faith-based ministry located in Granite Bay, California. 55:28 - Hello, welcome back, listening friends, 55:29 those of you who are still with us, 55:31 we actually have kind of two sections in Amazing Facts. 55:34 We go off the air with our satellite stations 55:36 around North America, 55:38 but many of you are still listening. 55:39 We're gonna do some rapid fire Bible questions 55:41 that come in via the internet. 55:44 And if you wanna ever email us some of these questions, 55:46 you can just send them into the Doug Batchelor Facebook page 55:50 in the comments there. 55:52 All right, 55:53 what is the testimony of Jesus mentioned 55:55 in Revelation? 55:56 And that's Revelation 12, it says that, 55:59 "The dragon is wroth with a woman, 56:01 and he goes to make war with the remnant of her seed 56:04 that keep the commandments of God 56:05 and have the testimony of Jesus." 56:07 You go to Revelation 19:10, and the angel says, 56:11 "Don't pray to me, pray to God." 56:13 And he said, "I am of your fellow servants and your brethren 56:17 and fear God, those that keep the commandments, 56:21 and have the testimony of Jesus." He says, 56:22 "The spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus." 56:27 So it tells us that there. 56:29 All right, we're gonna go to the next question. 56:32 Does God withdraw His protection from us 56:35 because we sin or does our sin cause God to withdraw? 56:40 Well, if God completely withdrew His protection from us 56:43 none of us would survive 56:44 'cause the devil's going around like a roaring lion 56:47 seeking who he might devour. 56:49 But I think we limit what God wants to do for us 56:52 in protecting us and in leading us by disobedience. 56:56 The Bible tells us, "The Angel of the Lord encamps, 56:59 roundabout those that fear Him and delivers them." 57:03 And so, God put a hedge of angels around Job. 57:07 You can read about that in Job 1, 57:09 even the devil was frustrated by this hedge of protection 57:13 that God gave him. 57:14 So we wanna obey. 57:15 We wanna cooperate with the Lord, 57:16 don't venture out on the devil's ground. 57:19 All right, let me see here. 57:21 Someone said, I heard you say capital punishment was okay. 57:23 Well, no, it's not that I said it, 57:25 I'm just saying that the Bible tells us that 57:28 an eye for an eye a tooth for tooth, life for life, 57:31 but didn't Jesus say turn the other cheek. 57:34 Yes, He's talking about our interpersonal relationships. 57:37 We should be patient and forgiving, and tolerant, 57:39 going the second mile and giving our shirt 57:42 to the one who sues us for our cloak. 57:44 But governments, they operate under a different law 57:47 and Moses made it very clear that government needs 57:49 to punish crime, severe crimes, 57:51 according to what they deserve. 57:53 Murder, premeditated murder is a very serious crime. 57:57 And if you have a society where that is not treated 58:00 in a serious way, 58:02 there should be very careful investigation 58:03 before someone is given the death penalty, 58:07 but the Bible still says that that is the answer for that. 58:11 Thank you so much again for your questions and God willing, 58:13 we'll study His Word together again, next week. 58:16 (uplifting music) 58:17 - [Announcer] Bible Answers Live, 58:19 honest and accurate answers to your Bible questions. |
Revised 2022-09-20