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Series Code: AFBA
Program Code: AFBA022201S
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00:00 (dramatic orchestral 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 00:11 and sometimes mysterious, 00:13 should always be studied carefully. 00:16 It is the Bible, the Word of God. 00:19 Welcome to "Bible Answers Live," 00:22 providing accurate and practical answers 00:25 to all your Bible questions. 00:27 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 00:31 To receive any of the Bible resources 00:33 mentioned in this broadcast, call 800-835-6747. 00:39 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 00:45 Now here's your host from Amazing Facts International, 00:48 Pastor Jean Ross. 00:50 - Hello friends, how about an amazing fact? 00:52 Well, if it isn't well known that bats fly using sonar. 00:56 They emit high frequency sounds 00:58 which the human ear cannot hear. 01:00 These returning echoes of sound 01:02 places sound print pictures in their minds. 01:05 Using this technique, 01:07 a bat can catch a tiny, fast-flying insect. 01:10 The calls of the bat are very loud, 01:12 so loud, in fact, that if we could hear them, 01:14 they would hurt our ears. 01:16 But wait, if it is necessary for the bat 01:19 to make such a loud sound in order to have its echo back 01:22 from a distant object, 01:23 how can the bat possibly hear the echo with its ears, 01:27 in the midst of all of the racket 01:28 that it's making with its mouth? 01:30 And to make matters worse, 01:32 the bat's ears are so sensitive 01:34 that just a few of its screams would quickly deafen it. 01:37 That is, except for a tiny muscle 01:40 in the middle ear of the bat. 01:42 It is attached to one of three tiny bones, 01:45 which transmit the vibrations of the eardrum 01:47 to the tubular organ in the skull, 01:50 that converts them to nerve signals sent to the brain. 01:53 Just as each scream is on the verge of being emitted, 01:57 this muscle instantly pulls back that bone 02:00 so that it does not transmit sound 02:02 from the outer ear to the inner ear. 02:05 The eardrum is momentarily disconnected. 02:08 Then, after the scream is ended, 02:10 the muscle relaxes and the bone moves back into place, 02:14 and the faint echo of the sound can be heard. 02:17 The faster these sounds are emitted, 02:19 the more up-to-date information the bat will receive. 02:23 The faster these sounds, of course, is necessary 02:25 if the bat is trying to fly through the curves of a cave 02:29 or flying amongst the branches of a forest. 02:32 Some bats can send up to 200 quick screams a second, 02:36 meaning that this back and forth motion 02:38 of the tiny bones in the bat's ear 02:39 moves more than 200 times a second. 02:43 And it's always in perfect alignment, 02:45 and sending out these super short screams. 02:50 Now friends, did you know that the Bible 02:51 speaks of people who, like the bats, 02:53 are hearing, but do not hear, spiritually speaking. 02:58 In Matthew 13:13, Jesus said, 03:00 "Therefore I speak to them in parables, 03:02 because seeing they do not see, 03:04 and hearing they do not hear." 03:07 Like the bat, these people are able 03:09 to disconnect their spiritual ear 03:11 from hearing the promptings of the Holy Spirit. 03:14 It's like the person who continually hits the snooze button 03:17 on their alarm clock 03:18 until he conditions himself 03:20 not to wake up when the alarm rings. 03:23 If a person keeps disregarding the promptings 03:25 of the Holy Spirit, the day will come 03:27 when that person will no longer hear the Holy Spirit 03:30 speaking to his heart through his conscience. 03:33 That is what the Bible refers to 03:35 as the unpardonable sin, 03:37 all the sin against the Holy Spirit. 03:40 Matthew 12:31 says, "Therefore I say unto you, 03:42 all manner of sin and blasphemy 03:45 shall be forgiven them. 03:46 But the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost 03:48 shall not be forgiven them." 03:50 No, because they've disconnected their spiritual ears, 03:54 so to speak, from hearing the Holy Spirit. 03:56 Friends, we have a study guide. 03:58 It's called "No Turning Back." 04:00 We get questions that people ask. 04:02 "What is the unpardonable sin?" 04:03 Some folks might even be wondering 04:05 if they've committed the unpardonable sin. 04:07 Well, our study guide will answer these questions. 04:10 It's called "No Turning Back," 04:12 and if you'd like to receive it, 04:13 all you'll need to do is call the number 800-835-6747. 04:17 You can ask for offer number 146, 04:21 and we'll be happy to send that 04:22 to anyone who calls and asks. 04:24 That number again is 800-835-6747. 04:29 Ask for the study guide, "No Turning Back," 04:32 and we'll be happy to get it in the mail, 04:34 and send it out to you. 04:35 This is a live, interactive, international Bible study. 04:38 Pastor Doug Batchelor is out this evening. 04:40 Maybe you have Bible questions. 04:42 Maybe there's a passage of Scripture 04:43 that you've come across in your Bible reading plan, 04:47 if you started a Bible reading plan for this year, 04:49 and you're wondering about what that verse might mean. 04:52 Well, give us a call. 04:53 The number to call here to the studio is 800-463-7297. 04:58 But before we get to the phone lines, 05:00 we always like to begin with a word of prayer. 05:02 Of course, the Bible is God's book. 05:03 So we need the Holy Spirit to understand it. 05:05 So let's pray. 05:06 Dear Father, we thank You that we once again 05:08 have this opportunity to open up Your Word and study, 05:11 and Father, we ask a blessing on this program. 05:13 There are people who are watching, 05:14 people who are listening across the country, 05:16 and even in some other countries around the world, 05:19 and Lord, together lead us into a clearer 05:21 and a full understanding of Bible truth. 05:23 For we ask this in Jesus' name, amen. 05:26 We're gonna go to the phone lines. 05:27 Our first caller this evening is John, 05:29 listening in North Carolina. 05:30 John, welcome to the program. 05:32 - [John] Good evening, Pastor Ross. 05:33 - Good evening. 05:35 - [John] The Law of God existed before man's creation, 05:38 and is eternal, 05:40 but the Fourth Commandment seems to be exclusively connected 05:43 with the creation of this world. 05:45 The last verse of the Fourth Commandment says, 05:47 Exodus 20:11, "For in six days, 05:49 the Lord made Heaven and Earth, 05:51 the sea and all that in them is, 05:52 and rested the seventh day. 05:54 Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." 05:58 My question is this. 06:00 If the Law of God is eternal, 06:02 and I've always believed it to be eternal 06:04 from my study myself, 06:07 seems like the Fourth Commandment was instituted 06:10 during the creation of the world. 06:12 I'm wondering, if the Law of God is eternal, 06:15 and the Sabbath was instituted during the Creation, 06:18 is there a contradiction there, or am I missing something? 06:21 I just wanted to know you your guys' thoughts on that. 06:24 - Okay, great question. 06:25 Thank you, John. 06:26 Yes, I agree with you. 06:27 The Law of God, The Ten Commandments, 06:29 define what righteousness is and what sin is. 06:32 Sin is the transgression of the Law. 06:34 Now, in order for there to be sin, there needs to be a law. 06:37 And we know that Satan sinned in Heaven, 06:40 and then this sin, this rebellion started here on Earth 06:42 when Adam and Eve gave in to Satan's temptation. 06:44 So the Law must have existed before Creation. 06:48 The principle that we find in the Fourth Commandment, 06:50 which is the Sabbath commandment, says, 06:51 "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 06:53 Six days, you are to labor and do all your work, 06:55 but the seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." 06:57 And then it says, verse 11, "For in six days," 06:59 this is Exodus 20:11, "For in six days, 07:02 the Lord made the heavens and the Earth, the sea, 07:04 and all that's in them. 07:05 And He rested on the seventh day. 07:07 Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." 07:10 So the Sabbath is a continual reminder 07:12 that God is our Creator. 07:13 Now, it relates in a special sense to humanity. 07:17 I mean, we're the ones that were created on this Earth. 07:20 We were created on the sixth day of Creation, 07:23 and the Sabbath is a continual reminder 07:24 that God is our Creator. 07:26 But not only are we created beings, 07:28 but angels are created beings. 07:30 All intelligent life is created. 07:33 And the principle that we find in the Fourth Commandment, 07:35 that of remembering our Creator 07:37 and worshiping Him and setting aside a time to do so, 07:41 I think that principle is true throughout the universe. 07:45 Now, I don't know whether they keep the same day, 07:48 the seventh day, the way we do as a memorial, 07:51 but I'm sure there is the recognition 07:53 of a certain time throughout the universe 07:56 where all created beings acknowledge 07:58 that God is the Creator, 08:00 a special time that has been set aside for worship. 08:03 Now we know from the Bible 08:04 that the seventh day Sabbath will continue 08:06 even after the Earth has been recreated. 08:09 In Revelation chapter 21, you read 08:11 about a new Heavens and a new Earth. 08:13 Isaiah says, "From one Sabbath to another, 08:15 all will come and worship before God." 08:17 So the little Earth becomes, if you like, 08:20 the center of the universe, 08:22 because the new Jerusalem comes down, 08:23 and this is gonna be God's dwelling place. 08:26 And the seventh day Sabbath will still be kept 08:28 in the Earth made new. 08:30 So yes, the principle of worshiping God 08:32 on a certain time, I think is relevant. 08:35 And that's true for all created beings. 08:38 Does that help, John? 08:40 - [John] Yes, thank you so much, Pastor Ross. 08:42 I appreciate it. 08:43 - All right, thanks for your call. 08:43 We appreciate it. 08:44 Next caller that we have is Charles, 08:46 listening from, let's see. 08:48 Well, no, Charles is in Florida. 08:50 Charles, welcome to the program. 08:52 - [Charles] Hey, Pastor Ross, how are you? 08:54 - Doing well, thank you. 08:55 - [Charles] Is it possible 08:57 that the God is somewhere located, 09:00 somewhere through the Nebula of Orion? 09:03 In the Bible three times. 09:05 Isn't that possibly a hint 09:07 that that's where He resides, is somewhere through there? 09:10 - Well, that's a good question. 09:11 You know, the Bible doesn't clearly say that Heaven 09:13 or the dwelling place of God is there in Orion, 09:17 but we do know it's mentioned three times, 09:20 as you mentioned, in Scripture. 09:22 We do know that Orion is to the east. 09:24 You can see both the constellation of Orion, 09:26 sometimes referred to as Orion's Belt, 09:29 the star constellation. 09:32 You can see it both in the Northern Hemisphere 09:33 and the Southern Hemisphere. 09:35 Now, some of the stars you can only see 09:36 in the Southern Hemisphere, like the Southern Cross. 09:38 And of course, the Big Dipper you can see 09:41 in the Northern Hemisphere. 09:42 You don't see that in the Southern Hemisphere, 09:43 but Orion is close enough to the Equator 09:46 that it can be seen both from the Southern 09:48 and the Northern Hemisphere, 09:49 and it's to the east. 09:51 We know in the Bible that deliverance 09:52 symbolically comes from the east. 09:55 East is the sign of deliverance, 09:58 or the dwelling place of God. 10:00 For example, deliverance for the Jews, 10:02 when they were in Babylonian captivity, 10:03 came from the east. 10:05 We had the Medo-Persians came 10:07 and conquered the Babylonians, 10:08 and the Jews were allowed to go back and rebuild Jerusalem. 10:12 Jesus, speaking of His second coming, says, 10:15 "As lightning that flashes from the east, even to the west, 10:18 so also shall the coming of the Son of Man be." 10:21 In Revelation chapter seven, 10:22 an angel is seen coming from the east, 10:24 having the seal of the living God, 10:26 and he placed it upon the forehead of those of God's people. 10:30 So the east seems to be the direction of deliverance. 10:32 It could very well be the direction of Heaven. 10:34 And yes, Orion is in that easterly direction. 10:39 So yes, there are a number of Bible scholars 10:41 that think that Orion, 10:42 or at least near Orion, 10:44 would be where the dwelling place of God is, 10:47 known today as Heaven. 10:48 We'd refer to it as Heaven. 10:50 Does that help, Charles? 10:52 - [Charles] Absolutely, absolutely, 10:53 I've always wondered about that. 10:56 - Yes, I think you're on track there. 10:58 That seems like there is something special about Orion, 11:01 as being close to the dwelling place of God. 11:04 All right, thanks again for your call. 11:05 Our next caller that we have is Emmanuel, 11:07 calling from Ghana, Africa. 11:09 Emmanuel, welcome to the program. 11:12 - [Emmanuel] Thank you, Pastor Ross. 11:14 I hope Pastor Doug is now around. 11:16 - Yeah, Pastor Doug is out today. 11:18 He's out of town, but he's doing well. 11:20 So he'll be back next week. 11:22 - [Emmanuel] Okay, my greetings to him. 11:24 Well, my question is in Matthew 23:23. 11:29 - Okay. 11:30 - [Emmanuel] Jesus was rebuking the Pharisees 11:34 concerning tithes, so I wanted to know that, 11:37 did Jesus try to abolish tithing at all? 11:42 - [Jean] Okay, let me read- 11:43 - [Emmanuel] Or was he promoting tithe? 11:44 - Yes, let me read the verse for those 11:46 who might not have their Bibles in front of them. 11:48 Matthew 23:23, these are the words of Jesus. 11:51 "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! 11:54 For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin." 11:58 These are little spices and herbs. 12:00 "And you have neglected the weightier matters of the Law, 12:02 justice and mercy and faith. 12:05 These, you ought to have done 12:06 without leaving the others undone." 12:09 So here we find Jesus referring to the scribes 12:12 and the Pharisees being so meticulous in their tithe paying, 12:15 even on their herb garden, 12:17 and yet they were leaving out 12:18 the more important matters of the Law, 12:20 that being justice, mercy and faith. 12:23 Jesus says you should be paying your tithe. 12:25 He says, "These you ought to have done, 12:28 but not leave out the others, the weightier matters." 12:32 So when it comes to the Christian, yes, 12:33 tithing is a Biblical principle. 12:35 We find it in the Old Testament. 12:37 Abraham is referred to as giving a tithe to Melchizedek. 12:41 And of course, this is long time before Moses. 12:44 And the principle of tithing, 12:45 we also find even in the New Testament, 12:48 where the early Christians were giving 12:51 more than just a 10th to support the work of the Lord. 12:54 So faithful tithes and offerings 12:56 is found throughout Scripture. 12:57 Jesus is not doing away with tithe, 12:59 but rather He says, "Tithe is important, 13:01 but there are more important things, 13:03 that being justice and mercy and faith." 13:05 Those are the things God also wants us to remember. 13:08 Does that help, Emmanuel? 13:11 - [Emmanuel] Yes, Pastor Ross, okay, thank you. 13:14 - All right, thanks for your call. 13:15 We appreciate it. 13:16 You know, we do have a study guide 13:17 that talks about the Christian and their finances, 13:20 or tithing and offerings. 13:22 What does the Bible say about it? 13:23 It's called "In God We Trust." 13:25 It's one of the Amazing Facts study guides. 13:27 We'll be happy to send this to anyone 13:29 who just calls and asks. 13:30 The number to call is 800-835-6747. 13:34 And again, you can just ask for the study guide. 13:36 It's called "In God We Trust." 13:38 We'll be happy to send it out. 13:40 We've got Martha listening in California. 13:42 Martha, welcome to the program. 13:45 - [Martha] Hi, thank you, Pastor Ross. 13:46 Now, I know that the Bible does not contradict itself. 13:54 And so I've run up against something. 13:57 I'm either missing something, 13:59 or I'm misunderstanding something. 14:04 In, let me see. 14:07 In Ezekiel 18:20, 14:09 and in Deuteronomy 24:16, 14:13 it talks about how the father will not be punished 14:17 for the sins of the son. 14:19 The son will not be punished for the sins of the father. 14:25 And then in the 1 Samuel 28:18-19, 14:30 this apparition, shall we say, 14:32 that the Witch of Endor has called up for Saul, 14:37 is telling Saul that the Lord is angry with him 14:43 because he didn't do away with Amalek 14:48 and follow the other directions and stuff. 14:50 And it says, "Moreover, the Lord will also deliver Israel 14:55 with thee, into the hand of the Philistines. 14:58 And tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with Me. 15:02 The Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel 15:08 into the hands of the Philistines." 15:10 So I had thought that Jonathan was, 15:19 you know, a good man or whatever. 15:21 Yes, he was. - I don't know anything 15:23 about the other sons, 15:25 but I'm wondering why, or could you explain this for me? 15:29 - Sure, absolutely, now it's true. 15:31 There is a Biblical principle that the son is not to bear 15:35 the punishment of the father's sin. 15:37 However, sometimes there are consequences 15:40 that children do bear because of the sins of their parents. 15:43 And of course that's even true today. 15:45 A lot of children go through difficult childhoods 15:50 because of some abuse from a parent. 15:53 Well, back in Bible times, 15:54 you have Saul, who's the king. 15:56 And he had pretty much hardened his heart 15:58 against the Holy Spirit, 15:59 and the Holy Spirit that left him. 16:02 And he was plagued by an evil spirit. 16:04 There is this battle to take place, 16:06 and Saul was gonna lead his army into battle. 16:09 Well, the sons of Saul wanted to be faithful, 16:12 not only to their father, 16:14 but also to the nation of Israel. 16:17 And part of their responsibilities as being princes, 16:19 as the sons of the king, 16:21 was to accompany their father into battle. 16:25 Now, the reason they were slain in the battle, 16:27 wasn't because of any sin they had done, 16:30 but there were many good people in Bible times 16:32 that were killed in battles. 16:35 But in this case you have Jonathan, 16:36 who is a very good man 16:37 who stood by the side of his father, 16:40 willing to go to battle, 16:42 even knowing that there is a very good chance 16:45 that he might die in battle. 16:48 Yet he stood faithful. 16:50 It was not only for his father, 16:51 but for the Jewish nation as a whole, 16:53 to encourage the Jewish people. 16:55 And for his God, he believed in God. 16:57 And he believed that God was directing. 17:00 Even though Saul had hardened his heart 17:03 against the Spirit of God, 17:04 he was still the king at the time. 17:06 And so Jonathan was willing to do 17:08 what his father was asking him to do, in that sense. 17:11 So it was not a judgment because of his sin 17:14 that Jonathan died in battle. 17:16 For Saul, yes, absolutely, 17:17 but not for Jonathan. 17:19 - [Martha] Right, okay, well that helps a lot. 17:22 Thank you, Pastor Ross. 17:23 I really appreciate it. 17:25 - All right, thanks for your call, Martha. 17:26 Next caller that we have is Jess, 17:27 listening in Washington. 17:30 Jess, welcome to the program. 17:32 - [Jess] Hello, Pastor Ross. 17:34 - Hello. 17:36 - [Jess] I have a question. 17:37 It might seem silly, but I read this 17:40 and it really struck me. 17:41 So I'm gonna read it. 17:42 It's when Moses came to the burning bush, 17:46 and the Lord said to him, 17:50 "Take those shoes from off thy feet, 17:52 whereon the place thou standest is holy." 17:56 And, but over here in Joshua, 18:01 Joshua chapter five, angel of, 18:03 captain of the host approached him, 18:06 and he tells him to take his shoe from off his foot. 18:10 It doesn't say shoes from off his feet. 18:12 - Yes. - It says "shoe off your foot, 18:15 whereon thou standest is holy." 18:17 And I was just gonna ask the question, 18:19 maybe Joshua might have lost one of his feet, 18:22 one battle or something? 18:24 - No, we have no record of 18:25 Joshua had lost a foot in battle. 18:27 I just think that the phrase there, 18:30 whether it's talking about your foot or your feet, 18:34 the principle there is the removing of your shoes 18:37 or the coverings of your feet, your sandals. 18:40 And that was a custom back in Bible times, 18:42 to show respect and reverence. 18:45 Now, the reason God said to Moses, 18:47 take the sandals off your feet, 18:48 for you're standing on holy ground," 18:50 it's because the presence of God was there. 18:52 The Great I Am, God was in the burning bush. 18:55 This angel that met Joshua 18:57 wasn't an angelic being as you think of angels in Heaven, 19:00 but the word angel simply means messenger of the Lord. 19:04 And in this case, the reason the angel, 19:06 or the messenger, says, "Take the sandal off your feet, 19:09 because the place where you are standing is holy ground," 19:13 it's referring to the fact 19:14 that this was actually Joshua meeting the Lord. 19:18 And for that reason, 19:19 he was to remove his sandals from his feet. 19:21 Don't worry about the plural and the singular. 19:24 It doesn't mean that Joshua was hopping on one foot. 19:26 It's just the way that it's worded 19:28 there in the English, 19:30 from the translation, from the Hebrew. 19:32 But no, Joshua had both feet, 19:34 because he was a "mighty man of valor," 19:36 and he led the army in battle. 19:40 - [Jess] Okay. 19:41 - Yeah, good observation there in your study. 19:46 - [Jess] Mentions over here in Deuteronomy 11:24, 19:48 also that when Moses was addressing the people, he said, 19:52 "Every place whereon the soles of your feet 19:54 shall tread shall be yours." 19:56 - Yes, yep- - Okay, it's just 19:59 a question I had. 20:01 - Yeah, no, that's a great little point. 20:03 I've never noticed that, but yes, 20:04 don't worry about the singular and plural there. 20:06 It's just meaning the same thing, 20:08 of when they were to enter into the presence of God, 20:11 they were to remove their shoes. 20:13 You know, that custom is still in the Middle East. 20:15 I've traveled to India a number of times. 20:17 And as a sign of respect, 20:18 when people enter into the church, 20:20 into a place of worship, 20:22 they remove their shoes from their feet. 20:24 And to go into the main entry of a church, 20:27 I guess it's true even of the temples there, 20:29 there's usually a pile of shoes placed to the side 20:32 and the people go in. 20:33 They remove their shoe 20:35 as a sign of respect and reverence. 20:36 So that was the custom, 20:38 even in Bible times in the Middle East. 20:40 Thanks for your call. 20:42 We got, let's see, Michael is listening from Michigan. 20:44 Michael, welcome to the program. 20:47 - [Michael] Hi, Pastor Ross. 20:48 Thanks for taking my call. 20:49 - Sure. 20:51 - [Michael] My question is about Daniel 6:26. 20:54 - Yes. 20:56 - [Michael] Is the King Darius making a decree 20:58 that all men tremble and fear God, 21:00 His kingdom and His dominion, 21:02 or is he saying that God's kingdom and dominion 21:05 will last until the end, without being destroyed? 21:09 And also, do you see that these two kingdoms 21:12 of Daniel 6:26 are contemporaneous? 21:15 - All right, well let's take 21:17 the first part of the question is, 21:18 so when we have King Darius 21:20 or Darius writing this decree, 21:22 this is after Daniel is rescued from the lions' den, 21:25 as you read about there in Daniel chapter six. 21:28 The king is amazed because the God of Daniel, 21:31 which he knew about, 21:32 the God of Daniel was able to shut 21:33 the mouths of the lions. 21:35 Daniel came out unscathed. 21:37 We know the lions were hungry, 21:38 because those who had plotted against Daniel, 21:40 they were thrown in the lions' den. 21:42 And it says they were devoured and torn to pieces 21:44 before they even hit the ground. 21:45 So it was a miracle. 21:46 God was taking care of His faithful servant, Daniel. 21:50 The king acknowledged that. 21:51 And so he made a decree and says, 21:53 "To every people, nation, language that dwell on the Earth." 21:56 Of course at the time, Darius was king 21:58 of what they considered the world, 22:02 at least the known areas. 22:03 And he says, "I make a decree 22:05 that every dominion of my kingdom, 22:06 men must tremble in fear before the God of Daniel.' 22:09 In other words, they need to respect the God of Daniel, 22:12 the Hebrew God, "for He is the living God, 22:15 the Steadfast Forever. 22:16 His kingdom is one that shall not be destroyed. 22:19 His dominion shall endure forever." 22:21 So here Darius even acknowledges that the Kingdom of God 22:24 is the true eternal kingdom. 22:26 So Daniel must have explained something to him. 22:29 Remember, in Daniel chapter two, 22:31 Nebuchadnezzar had a dream 22:32 of these various kingdoms coming and going. 22:35 And it's very possible that Daniel told Darius 22:38 about what had happened to Nebuchadnezzar, 22:41 and that the rise of Medo-Persia was a fulfillment 22:44 of that dream that was given in Daniel 2. 22:47 And then ultimately in Daniel 2, 22:49 you have the stone that strikes the image, 22:51 and then it grows into a great mountain, 22:53 fills the whole Earth. 22:55 And that symbolizes the eternal kingdom that is established 22:58 after the second coming of Christ. 23:00 So Darius understood this based on what Daniel had said. 23:03 And that's why he said, 23:05 "the God of the Hebrew" 23:06 or Daniel's, "God, His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom." 23:11 Does that help, Michael? 23:12 - [Michael] Well, I'm wondering 23:15 if this "kingdom is of God" here 23:18 is the same one 23:19 that was brought to Nebuchadnezzar's attention 23:24 in Daniel 2:44. - Yes, yes, I believe it is, 23:27 'cause Daniel must have told Darius about that, 23:29 and the fulfillment of Daniel 2, 23:33 at least the second empire or second kingdom, 23:36 was Medo-Persia. 23:37 Darius is king of the Persians now. 23:39 It was really a fulfillment of that prophecy 23:42 that had been given, so after Persia 23:44 was to come Greece and then Rome 23:46 and then Western Europe as we have it now, 23:48 and then finally the second coming of Christ. 23:51 And so Darius was aware of that. 23:53 And that's why he said, 23:54 "This God's kingdom will last forever, 23:56 speaking of Daniel's God. 23:58 - [Michael] Yeah, sounds like to me 23:59 that this kingdom that he's speaking of 24:02 is currently contemporaneous with His kingdom. 24:08 - Yes, well, it's true too. 24:10 There are two parts to the Kingdom of God 24:12 or the Kingdom of Heaven. 24:13 You know, when Jesus started his ministry, He said, 24:15 "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." 24:17 John the Baptist said, 24:18 "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." 24:20 There are two phases to the Kingdom of God. 24:22 There is what we call the Kingdom of Grace 24:24 and the Kingdom of Glory. 24:26 So the Kingdom of Grace is for anyone 24:29 who receives Jesus as their Savior. 24:31 They become citizens of the Kingdom of Grace. 24:34 If Christ is ruling in your heart, in your life, 24:36 you're a citizen of the Kingdom of Grace. 24:39 The Kingdom of Grace continues 24:41 up until the second coming of Christ. 24:43 And then we have the establishment of the Kingdom of Glory, 24:46 when Jesus comes as King of kings and Lord of lords. 24:50 So yes, is there a Kingdom of Heaven now? 24:53 Absolutely, we call that the Kingdom of Grace. 24:56 The Kingdom of Grace will eventually give way 24:58 to the Kingdom of Glory that occurs 25:01 at the second coming of Christ. 25:02 And of course, we read that in Revelation chapter 19, 25:05 where we have a picture of Jesus. 25:07 Symbolically, Christ is described in Revelation 19 25:10 as coming on a white horse. 25:12 Of course, kings and emperors 25:14 would often ride on white horses, being victorious. 25:17 Here Jesus described as coming 25:19 and there is a name written on His thigh, 25:21 which says "King of kings and Lord of lords." 25:24 So Jesus is coming victorious 25:25 to establish a kingdom that lasts forever. 25:29 That kingdom was also alluded to in Daniel chapter two 25:32 by the stone that struck the image upon its feet. 25:35 So that's really what's being referred to 25:36 there in that passage. 25:37 Does that make sense, Michael? 25:41 - [Michael] Oh, yeah, kind of. (laughs) 25:43 - So yes, there are two kingdoms, 25:46 the Kingdom of Grace and the Kingdom of Glory. 25:48 - [Michael] I'm wondering if the kingdom of 2:44 25:51 is contemporaneous with Nebuchadnezzar. 25:55 - Meaning the Kingdom of Heaven at that same time? 25:58 - [Michael] Yeah. 25:59 - Yes, the Kingdom of Heaven has always been. 26:01 There's always been the Kingdom of Heaven, and- 26:03 - [Michael] The one that was super established. 26:06 - Yes, and that was established, 26:08 probably established at the promise 26:09 that was made way back in the Garden of Eden, 26:12 about the seed of the woman 26:13 that would bruise the serpent's head. 26:15 The Kingdom of Grace was established way back then 26:17 and pointed to Jesus. 26:20 And then when Christ came, 26:21 he announced the arrival of that Kingdom of Grace. 26:24 And of course at the second coming 26:25 you have the Kingdom of Glory. 26:28 Great question, enjoy the studies of the Book of Daniel. 26:30 There's so many wonderful things there. 26:32 And you know, these prophecies that we find in Daniel 26:34 really point to us, 26:36 the trustworthiness of the Scriptures. 26:38 The Bible is inspired 26:39 because what was said in Old Testament times, 26:41 we find a fulfillment. 26:43 Well friends, we're up halfway through our program. 26:45 We're just taking a short break and we'll be right back. 26:48 (dramatic orchestral music) 26:52 - [Announcer] Stay tuned, " Bible Answers Live" 26:54 will return shortly. 26:59 Deep within the pages of the Bible, 27:02 stories of great heroes, 27:05 heroes of great deeds, 27:08 great love, and great sacrifice. 27:13 But behind them is another hero, 27:16 hidden in plain sight, amid the shadows. 27:21 He was there from the beginning, 27:24 and He'll be there until the end. 27:28 Discover the golden thread of a Savior 27:31 woven throughout the entire Bible tapestry. 27:36 "Shadows of Light: Seeing Jesus in All the Bible," 27:42 a new book by Doug Batchelor. 27:44 Get your copy today by calling 800-538-7275, 27:50 or visit afbookstore.com. 27:51 Once again, to purchase your copy of "Shadows of Light," 27:54 call 800-538-7275. 27:59 - [Doug] Every day, we make hundreds of decisions. 28:02 Sometimes these choices are mundane. 28:04 What will you have for breakfast, 28:06 or what will you wear for work? 28:07 But sometimes, these decisions can have an eternal impact, 28:12 like when you set up an estate plan 28:14 that supports God's work. 28:17 We need to move quickly, friends, 28:19 to ensure as many souls as possible 28:21 have the opportunity to make decisions for Christ. 28:24 And when you choose to include your evangelism values 28:27 in your estate plan today, 28:28 Amazing Facts can do even more to expand God's Kingdom 28:32 through your faithful stewardship. 28:34 I'd like to offer you a free gift entitled, 28:37 "Provide and Protect," 28:39 which is a tremendous resource, 28:41 telling about life and death decisions 28:43 connected with your estate plan. 28:45 Contact our Plan Giving Department at 800-436-2695, 28:50 or visit enduringlegacy.O-R-G, 28:54 and you can have the peace of mind 28:56 that comes from knowing your house is in order. 29:00 (dramatic orchestral music) 29:02 - [Announcer] You're listening to "Bible Answers Live," 29:05 where every question answered 29:06 provides a clearer picture of God and His plan to save you. 29:11 So what are you waiting for? 29:12 Get practical answers about the Good Book 29:15 for a better life today. 29:19 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 29:22 If you'd like answers to your Bible-related questions 29:25 on the air, please call us next Sunday 29:27 between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time. 29:31 To receive any of the Bible resources 29:33 mentioned in this evening's program, call 800-835-6747. 29:39 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 29:45 Now, let's rejoin our hosts for more "Bible Answers Live." 29:51 - Hello friends, welcome back. 29:52 This is pastor Jean Ross. 29:53 Pastor Doug is out this evening, 29:54 but you've joined "Bible Answers Live." 29:57 If you're just tuning in halfway through the program, 29:59 this is a live, international, interactive Bible study, 30:02 and we are so glad that you have found us 30:04 and you have tuned in. 30:05 I'd also like to greet those who tune in every week. 30:08 I know we have a number of faithful listeners out there, 30:10 whether they're listening on the radio, 30:11 watching on the internet, 30:13 perhaps you're watching on Amazing Facts Television. 30:15 We wanna welcome all of you once again to our program. 30:18 We have the next 30 minutes, 30:20 where we're gonna be taking your Bible questions. 30:23 So if you have a Bible-related question, 30:24 the number to call here to the studio is 800-463-7297. 30:30 That again is 800-463-7297. 30:34 That'll bring your call here into the studio. 30:36 We're gonna try to answer as many questions as we can 30:38 in the next half an hour. 30:40 So we're gonna start by going to Steve in Michigan. 30:42 Steve, welcome to the program. 30:44 - [Steve] I have a question when it concerns 30:47 what the Bible says about people judging people. 30:51 The first entry is Matthew 7:1, 30:54 actually, verses after where it says, 30:57 "Judge less ye be judged." 30:59 And it goes on to talk about 31:01 "removing the plank out of your own eye 31:03 before you remove the splinter out of your brother's eye." 31:07 And there's another passage also in John 7:24, 31:12 where it talks at the end of that verse, 31:13 it says, "Judge correctly." 31:16 Could you kinda give the context 31:17 of both of those entries, 31:19 and how to reconcile those two verses? 31:25 - Yeah, absolutely, great question. 31:26 First of all, just for those 31:28 who might not have their Bibles in front of them, 31:30 they might be driving their car, listening on the radio. 31:32 The verse you're referring to there is Matthew 7:1, 31:35 where Jesus says, "Judge not, that you be not judged." 31:39 Now, I think next to John 3:16, 31:41 this is probably one of the most well-known verses 31:43 out there in the world. 31:45 People are often willing to say, "Judge not," 31:47 because, you know, they might be doing something 31:49 that they know is not right. 31:52 Jesus goes on in verse two. 31:53 He says, "For with whatever judgment you judge, 31:55 you will be judged, and whatever measure you use, 31:57 it'll be measured back to you." 31:59 So Christ says, "Do not judge," 32:01 but then later on, you bring out in Matthew chapter seven, 32:04 the same chapter, here Jesus says that we are to 32:08 "judge wisely or rightly." 32:11 And you also find in verse 15, 32:14 Jesus says "Beware of false prophets, 32:16 who come to you in sheep's clothing, 32:17 but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 32:19 You will know them by their fruits." 32:22 So on the one hand, we are not to judge, 32:24 but on the other hand, 32:25 we're to consider the fruits 32:27 that a person might produce in their life, their actions. 32:31 And we need to determine whether they are true 32:32 or whether they are false. 32:34 So here's the point we wanna bear in mind. 32:37 We do not know the motive of the heart. 32:39 Only God knows the heart. 32:41 And when it comes to us judging 32:42 why someone might do something, 32:45 or judging their heart or their motive, 32:47 we can't do that. 32:49 Only God knows the heart. 32:51 He knows the reason, but that doesn't mean 32:53 that God has not revealed to us what is right and wrong. 32:57 We should be able to know, 32:59 or at least to discern if somebody's doing something 33:02 that is contrary to the will of God 33:04 or contrary to the Word of God, 33:05 or if in the church, 33:07 someone might be preaching that 33:09 which is contrary to the Word of God. 33:11 We need to be able to distinguish and in a sense judge, 33:14 between the actions or the life versus the profession, 33:21 but that's different from judging the motive 33:22 or judging whether somebody is saved or lost. 33:25 That's only something that God can do. 33:27 We don't know the heart. 33:28 Only God knows the heart, 33:29 but we should be able to tell by the actions, 33:32 whether someone is genuine or whether they're counterfeit. 33:35 Does that help, Steve? 33:38 - [Steve] Well, yes, now the part where it says, 33:40 in John 7:24, 33:44 it says, "Judge correctly." 33:46 Does that basically pertain 33:47 to counseling the person also? 33:50 - Yes, that can involve counseling the person. 33:52 "Judge correctly" can also involve, in the context here, 33:55 Jesus is talking about false teachers or false prophets, 33:58 those who are claiming to be the followers of Christ, 34:02 but they are teaching or preaching error, 34:05 and they're misleading people. 34:06 And the Bible says, "Judge correctly, be careful." 34:10 Not every church is necessarily the true church. 34:13 Not every preacher or teacher 34:15 is necessarily preaching the truth, 34:18 and we need to have spiritual discernment. 34:20 So in that sense, there is a judging, 34:22 but it's not judging the motive. 34:23 We don't know the motive, 34:25 but we should be able to judge the words and the actions 34:27 to know if it's right or wrong. 34:30 - [Steve] Okay, well thank you very much. 34:32 - All right, great. 34:33 Appreciate your call. 34:34 Next call that we have is Eric, calling from Georgia. 34:36 Eric, welcome to the program. 34:39 - [Eric] Yes, my question is, 34:43 I have a question is 1 Timothy 2:9. 34:46 - Okay. 34:47 - [Eric] What he says over there. 34:48 - All right, let me read it for those 34:50 who might not have their Bibles in front of them. 34:52 Timothy is writing to the church, 34:53 and he says, "In like manner also, 34:55 that women adorn themselves in modest apparel 34:57 with propriety and moderation, 35:00 not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, 35:05 but that which is proper for women professing godliness 35:08 with good works." 35:10 So your question on this verse? 35:12 - [Eric] Is it good for women? 35:17 So does it mean that women shouldn't wear, 35:19 getting their hair braids and you know, 35:22 wearing gold necklace and pearls and stuff like that, 35:26 which is not good for women or? 35:29 - Okay, well, you raise a good question. 35:31 The Bible is clear that Christians, 35:33 both men and women, 35:35 need to look different from the world. 35:37 They need to dress modestly. 35:39 That doesn't mean that they have to wear clothes 35:41 that is too big or old-fashioned or out of style. 35:47 But within our culture, we want to dress modestly, 35:53 and also not allow the outward adorning to be prevalent, 35:58 meaning the wearing of gold and silver 36:01 and jewels and costly array. 36:05 Now, when it says the braiding of the hair, 36:06 back in Bible times, 36:08 what the women would do is they would actually weave in 36:11 bits of jewelry into their braids, into their hair. 36:15 There's nothing wrong in a woman holding back her hair 36:18 or braiding her hair for practical purposes, 36:20 to keep it out of her face, if she's working, 36:22 or whatever the case might be. 36:23 There's nothing wrong with that. 36:25 But the braiding of the hair that's referred to here 36:27 was a type of braiding of adornment, 36:30 or gold, or silver, or the jewels in their hair. 36:34 And that's specifically what is being referred to 36:36 here in 1 Timothy 2:9. 36:38 So yes, the principle that we find there 36:40 is that both for Christian women and for men, 36:43 we need to dress modestly and not be bedecked 36:47 with gold and silver and jewels, 36:49 but rather allow, as the Bible says in the next verse, 36:54 "those professing godliness 36:56 allow the Spirit to come through, 36:58 and may a person not be attracted to outward adorning." 37:01 So that's the principle. 37:03 You know, we do have a book that talks about this. 37:05 It's something that you don't hear a whole lot about, 37:07 especially in modern churches today, 37:10 but the Bible hasn't changed on these Christian standards. 37:13 We have a book called "Jewelry, How Much is Too Much?" 37:17 And it deals with these Bible principles. 37:19 We'll be happy to send this out 37:20 to anyone who calls and asks. 37:22 The number to call is 800-835-6747. 37:26 And again, you can ask for the book that's called 37:27 "Jewelry, How Much is Too Much?" 37:30 And it'll give you some good Bible principles there. 37:32 Next caller that we have is May, listening in Washington. 37:35 May, welcome to the program. 37:38 - [May] I just wanted to ask about Genesis 9:25. 37:44 - Okay. 37:45 - [May] We see here that Noah was, 37:49 I guess he was drunk or he was pretty wasted 37:54 from wine that he drank and he curses his grandson, 38:00 but not the son that, 38:02 not Ham that saw him naked. 38:05 - Yes, yeah, let me explain that a little bit, 38:09 why Canaan was cursed. 38:10 Well, you know, back at the time, you have Ham. 38:14 Shem, Ham, and Japheth are the three sons of Noah. 38:17 After the flood Noah builds, or grows a vineyard. 38:20 And he makes wine and he drinks it and he's drunk. 38:24 And Ham comes in and mocks his father, 38:27 and tells his brothers. 38:29 So Shem and Japheth, they cover the father 38:32 and they show respect. 38:34 They honor the father, whereas Ham doesn't. 38:37 And after Noah sort of comes around, 38:39 he realizes what Ham had done in mocking him. 38:43 And he makes a prophecy. 38:45 He makes a statement. 38:46 And the statement is that because Ham and his son Canaan, 38:50 and his descendants, lacked respect, 38:54 and they disobeyed the commandment that says, 38:56 "Honor your mother and your father," 38:58 judgments would follow. 39:00 It doesn't mean that Canaan per se, 39:02 even though you probably knew 39:05 what had happened with his father, 39:07 he shared the same attributes 39:09 or the same rebellion that Ham manifests towards Noah. 39:13 That was also something 39:14 that Canaan had also harbored in his heart. 39:17 And that's why the curse comes against Canaan 39:21 and anyone that holds to that rebellious spirit, 39:24 no matter what the ancestry is. 39:27 Those who refuse to keep God's commandments, 39:29 those who refuse to honor their parents, yeah, 39:32 they're bringing upon themselves judgment. 39:34 The promise that we have of that commandment 39:37 that says "Honor your mother and your father, 39:39 that your days might be long in the land 39:41 that the Lord thy God gives you," 39:43 there's practical benefits and blessings 39:45 to those who honor their parents here on the Earth. 39:48 And that's the principle 39:49 that's being emphasized there in Genesis. 39:52 Does that help? - Oh, wow, thanks. 39:53 That makes more sense now, yeah. 39:55 'Cause I'm actually starting to read the Bible. 39:57 - Good, well, it's a good time to do so. 39:59 - [May] Right, right. (laughs) 40:00 - All right, well, thanks for your call, May. 40:03 We appreciate it. - Well, thank you so much. 40:04 - All right, bye-bye. - Have a good one, bye. 40:08 - Next caller that we have is Danny in Arizona. 40:10 Danny, welcome to the program. 40:12 - [Danny] Good evening, Pastor Ross. 40:14 My question was, 'cause we know that He cast down Satan 40:18 and then he deceived the world and stuff like that. 40:21 Did God have to create humans 40:25 in order to fulfill the justice 40:29 of getting rid of Satan in the end? 40:32 - No, I, you know, first of all, 40:34 we know that sin is not something that God is wanting. 40:38 Sin is contrary to Him. 40:40 God is a God of love. 40:41 The Bible is very clear, 40:42 that God is a God of love. 40:43 He doesn't want any of His creatures to suffer. 40:46 Sin, suffering, and death is clearly the results 40:51 of Satan's rebellion. 40:52 It comes from disobedience to God. 40:54 When somebody disobeys God, in essence, 40:56 they are separating themselves from the source of happiness, 41:00 from the source of life. 41:02 And if you're separating yourself from happiness 41:04 and the source of life and the source of peace, 41:07 you can end up with unhappiness, 41:09 and you end up with sorrow 41:10 and you can end up with death. 41:12 So that's just the natural consequences 41:13 of being separated from God. 41:15 Now, God also can only, 41:18 because He's a God of love, 41:19 He can only accept the worship of intelligent beings 41:22 when those beings do so willingly. 41:26 God can't accept worship 41:28 that is not freely and willingly given. 41:30 Thus freedom is highly esteemed in Heaven. 41:34 God gives all intelligent beings freedom. 41:37 Now we have freedom. 41:38 We can choose to serve Him. 41:40 We can choose not to serve Him. 41:42 The angels have that same freedom. 41:44 They could choose to obey God 41:45 or they could choose to disobey God. 41:48 Now there are consequences to disobeying God, 41:50 because if you're separating yourself from God, 41:52 as I mentioned, there is sorrow and suffering and death. 41:55 Adam and Eve, they were given those same opportunities. 41:59 They could have chosen to stay loyal to God, 42:02 but unfortunately they listened to the lies of Satan 42:05 and they chose a different master. 42:07 And when they listened to the devil, 42:09 sorrow and suffering and death came, 42:11 but the amazing part of the story 42:13 is that God did not abandon Adam and Eve, 42:15 even though He told them and He warned them. 42:19 And when they sinned, He came and He said, 42:20 "You know, I'm gonna make a way of escape. 42:22 I am gonna bear your sins, 42:25 and I'm gonna die in your place." 42:26 Jesus was promised to come, 42:28 and so that we can be forgiven, 42:30 so that we can live forever. 42:31 So despite sin, God has got a plan of redemption to save us. 42:36 And that's another revelation of His love. 42:39 - [Danny] Understood, okay, awesome. 42:41 Well, thank you very much, Pastor. 42:42 - Yeah, great question. 42:43 Thank you, Danny. 42:43 Thanks for calling. 42:44 Next caller that we have is Roy, 42:46 listening from New York. 42:48 Roy, welcome to the program. 42:50 - [Roy] Good evening, Pastor. 42:51 And how are you? 42:53 - Doing well, thank you, and yourself? 42:55 - [Roy] Praise the Lord, I'm doing good. 42:57 I'm doing good. 42:58 - And your question tonight? 43:00 - [Roy] Okay, yeah, my question is from 43:03 1 Timothy chapter four. 43:08 I know finally that God's Word is true 43:10 and that it does not contradict itself. 43:13 I'm reading from verses three and four. 43:16 It says, "Forbidding to marry, 43:20 and commanding to abstain from meats, 43:23 which God had created to be received 43:26 with thanksgiving of them which believe 43:29 and know the truth." 43:32 Verse four says, "For every creature of God is good, 43:34 and nothing to be refused 43:36 if it be received with thanksgiving." 43:39 Now this is a verse that many people use 43:44 to support their argument 43:45 that everything was created for us to eat. 43:49 And I know that can't be true, 43:51 especially when I consider Leviticus, Chapter 11. 43:54 - [Jean] Yes. 43:55 - [Roy] So I'm asking 43:57 if you can explain that for us, please. 43:58 - Sure, we'd be happy to. 43:59 Let me give you the context of this. 44:00 If you look in verse one, 44:01 it says, this is Paul writing, and he says, 44:03 "The Spirit expressly says that in the latter times," 44:06 meaning the times of the end, 44:08 which we're living in, 44:09 "there will be those who depart from the faith." 44:11 And then he gives us some identifying marks 44:14 of those who depart from the faith. 44:16 It says, "They speak lies in hypocrisy. 44:18 They have their conscience seared 44:20 with a hot iron. 44:21 They forbid to marry. 44:23 They command to abstain from certain foods 44:25 that God has created to be received with thanksgiving." 44:28 So he's talking about a religious movement in the last days, 44:31 where part of the teachings 44:32 of the doctrines of this movement says that, 44:34 "Well, if you are part of the clergy, you can't marry. 44:38 And there are certain days 44:40 when you can't eat certain foods." 44:42 Now it's not saying here that unclean foods 44:46 are good to eat, 44:46 because you look in verse four. 44:47 It says, "Every creature of God is good, 44:50 nothing to be refused 44:51 if it is received with thanksgiving." 44:53 But the very next verse says, in verse five, 44:55 "For it is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer." 44:59 The word sanctified means set apart. 45:02 So does the Word of God set apart 45:04 certain foods that you can eat, 45:08 meaning certain meats, 45:09 and certain meats that you can't eat? 45:13 Yes, it does. 45:14 There are clean meats and there are unclean meats. 45:17 The clean meats, yes, they can be received. 45:20 There was this religious movement that was saying, 45:23 "There's certain clean foods 45:24 or certain clean meats you can't eat." 45:26 And that's really what Paul is addressing here. 45:28 Verse five clearly tells us that it must be sanctified 45:32 by the Word of God, 45:33 meaning it has to be set apart by the Word of God 45:35 in order to be acceptable, in order for it to be good. 45:38 So we can't leave out verse five. 45:40 It gives context to verse four. 45:42 - [Roy] Okay, yeah, praise the Lord. 45:44 Thank you very much, Pastor. 45:45 - Oh, you're welcome. 45:46 Thanks for calling, appreciate it. 45:48 Next caller that we have is calling from, 45:52 Azael from North Carolina. 45:54 Azael, welcome to the program. 45:57 - [Azael] Hey, Pastor Ross. 45:58 Thank you for taking my call. 45:59 - You're welcome. 46:02 - Yes, I just had a question. 46:03 So I'd like to go out and do, how do you say it, 46:09 spread the Gospel, 46:10 and then I've come across this year 46:11 that believe that "We're gonna continue sinning 46:14 until Jesus comes." 46:16 Okay, so how can I respond to that? 46:19 Like how can I, what would be the answer for that? 46:25 - Well, I think it's true that yes, 46:26 we live in a world where there is sin 46:28 and there are victories to gain. 46:30 And I don't think you can ever get to the point 46:34 where you think that somehow you are free from temptation. 46:37 As long as we live in this world, 46:38 we are gonna be tempted, 46:39 and there's always the potential for sin. 46:41 But that doesn't mean that we have to be bound by sin, 46:44 meaning we don't have to be controlled 46:46 by sinful propensities or selfish, sinful desires. 46:52 The Bible says, Jesus says, "If the Son sets you free, 46:54 you shall be free indeed." 46:57 Now that's a promise. 46:58 We all struggle with sin. 47:00 We're all selfish by nature. 47:02 And we have this flesh. 47:05 Paul speaks about the "carnal nature," and yes, 47:08 we need to fight against that carnal nature. 47:11 In our own strength, it is impossible for us to overcome. 47:14 "But with God," the Bible says, 47:15 "all things are possible." 47:17 And you know, in my ministry, in my experience, 47:19 I have met people who have gained incredible victories 47:23 by God's grace in their life, 47:25 people who have gained victory over alcohol, tobacco, drugs, 47:29 over bad relationships, over stealing or cursing. 47:34 You just name any of the Ten Commandments. 47:37 I can point to examples of people who God has delivered. 47:41 They've been empowered by the Spirit of God. 47:43 They have overcome, that's good news. 47:46 So we don't have to be in bondage to sin. 47:48 Christ is able to set us free. 47:49 So we wanna encourage people. 47:51 Not only does the Gospel tell us that we can be forgiven, 47:53 but the Gospel also gives us the power to obey. 47:57 And that comes by faith. 47:59 The Bible says, "The just shall live by faith." 48:01 And so if we can encourage people to look to Jesus 48:03 as not only the One who forgives, 48:05 but the One who empowers and sustains, 48:08 they will be able to grow spiritually 48:10 and actually in their own experience, experience victory. 48:14 And that really is inspiring for every person. 48:17 That's what God wants us to have, 48:18 and that is to have victory. 48:19 Does that make sense, Azael? 48:23 - [Azael] Thank you, Pastor, appreciate it. 48:25 - You know, we do have a book. 48:26 It's called, "Is It Possible to Live Without Sinning?" 48:28 And we'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. 48:31 The number is simply 800-835-6747. 48:35 Ask for the book called, 48:37 "Is It Possible to Live Without Sinning?" 48:39 Don't be afraid of the title. 48:40 Yes, you can be victorious, friends. 48:43 The Bible doesn't want you to be bound 48:45 by sinful, you know, chained to sin. 48:50 No, Jesus can set us free. 48:51 Doesn't mean we'll never sin or make a mistake, 48:54 but we don't have to be controlled by these habitual sins. 48:57 All right, John is calling from Georgia. 48:59 John, welcome to the program. 49:02 - [John] How you doing, pastor? 49:03 - Doing well, thanks. 49:06 - [John] Oh, yes, sir. 49:07 My question was, what is the significance 49:11 of fasting when we pray? 49:13 How does God view fasting? 49:15 What does it do 49:17 to open up that connection with the Father? 49:20 - Okay, what is the importance, 49:22 the significance of fasting? 49:24 You know, what fasting does is sets aside 49:27 just something that all of us experience, 49:29 that is hunger. 49:30 And we all need food, 49:32 but it's when we set that aside for a period of time. 49:34 In essence, we are focusing our attention 49:37 away from ourselves, saying, 49:38 "Lord, there is something more important, 49:41 my relationship with You, 49:44 having You hear my prayer. 49:46 I'm trusting in You to answer my prayer. 49:48 It is so important that I do that 49:51 which is pleasing to You, 49:52 that I'm willing to set aside my food. 49:54 I'm willing to fast." 49:56 It's not that we win merit with God, 49:58 because God is a God of love. 50:00 We can't earn His favor, 50:02 but when we set aside food and we go into fasting, 50:05 and it's different types of fasting. 50:07 Sometimes fasting might be just setting aside 50:09 a certain food that you might particularly like 50:13 and might not be bad in and of itself, 50:14 but you set it aside and say, 50:16 "I'm going to fast for a week or so 50:17 and not eat this dessert," 50:19 or whatever the food might be. 50:21 "I'm gonna focus on prayer 50:23 and I'm gonna earnestly seek God through prayer." 50:28 And it's acknowledging that God is more important 50:31 than even our physical needs. 50:33 In the Bible, we see examples of people who fasted, 50:36 and they were faithful even to the point of death, 50:38 saying, "Lord, I would rather die 50:39 than knowingly disobey You." 50:41 They valued that relationship so much. 50:43 Daniel prayed three times a day. 50:45 He opened the windows and he prayed, 50:47 even though he knew there was a death decree 50:48 for anyone who would pray to the God of Heaven, 50:51 but he valued that communication with God 50:53 even more than his life. 50:56 So that's the principle that we see there in fasting, 50:59 where we set something aside, 51:00 where we're saying, 51:01 "Lord, I'm coming to You. 51:02 You're more important than even my physical needs." 51:07 Does that help, John? - Okay. yes, sir. 51:10 Is there a time limit that God requires 51:13 of us to fast? - No, no, usually what happens 51:16 is you decide, and you know, 51:17 it might just be skipping two meals, 51:20 or a meal, or one or two days. 51:23 There are different types of fasts. 51:24 Depends upon the circumstances 51:26 and the urgency of the prayer. 51:29 If it is something really important 51:31 and you're pleading with the Lord, you need an answer, 51:35 you might want to fast a little bit longer. 51:36 But those are things 51:37 that you allow the Holy Spirit to really convict you of. 51:40 And some people just make it a part of their routine. 51:43 Once a week they'll fast, 51:44 skip a couple of meals, 51:46 or maybe fast for one day and say, 51:48 "I'm gonna set aside this day 51:50 to turn my attention to the Lord, 51:52 and to seek His presence in prayer." 51:54 And that's a good thing. 51:56 That's something that will benefit us 51:58 not only physically. 51:59 Now, maybe not everyone can fast. 52:00 You might have low blood sugar 52:01 or a diabetic or something like that. 52:03 But for most people skipping a few meals 52:06 is probably a good thing. 52:08 So there's physical benefits, 52:09 but of course also spiritual, 52:10 when we set our focus upon God. 52:13 All right, well, thanks again, John, 52:14 for your call, good question. 52:15 The next caller that we have is Robert in Washington. 52:18 Robert, welcome to the program. 52:21 - [Robert] Yay, I'm the last caller, I guess, huh? 52:23 - You might be, yes. 52:24 And your question tonight? 52:27 - [Robert] Acts 17:28. 52:31 There's this one religion 52:32 that believes that we were alive 52:37 before we were born kinda thing. 52:39 And they were telling me about this one verse 52:42 that "In Him, we live and move and have our being, 52:46 as the poet has said." 52:49 - Yes. 52:52 What is he talking about there? 52:54 Yeah, absolutely. 52:55 - [Robert] Can a person use that verse 52:58 to say that we were before we were? 53:01 - No, I don't think so. 53:02 I mean, the verse is pretty clear. 53:04 It's just stating that in Him, 53:05 we live and move and have our being, 53:08 meaning that God is the One that sustains us 53:10 and gives us life. 53:11 Let me give a context. 53:12 Here we have Paul, and he's talking 53:14 to a group of philosophers, 53:16 and they're very superstitious. 53:18 They had multiple gods that they'd worship, 53:21 and there was a shrine to the unknown God. 53:28 So they felt as though they needed to create the shrine 53:29 to a god that they didn't know, less they offend him. 53:32 And Paul uses this as an opportunity to present the Gospel. 53:36 And so he starts on a common ground. 53:38 He says, "Well, I've come to make known unto you, 53:40 this unknown God that you have. 53:42 And he begins to talk about the God of Heaven, 53:44 the One that created all things. 53:45 And then he even quotes from their wise men, 53:49 one of their poets. 53:51 And he says, and he quotes the phrase, 53:53 "For in Him we live and move and have our being." 53:55 Well, that's true with reference to God, 53:58 and he's building that bridge. 54:00 He's making that connection, 54:01 but this is not talking about the people 54:03 living before they were born. 54:05 It's just simply stating the reality 54:06 that our life is because God has given it to us, 54:10 and He sustains us. 54:11 In Him, we live, we move, we have our being. 54:13 We would not be if it was not for Him. 54:16 So I don't think you can use this verse 54:18 to support predestined, 54:20 some sort of preexistence before being born, 54:24 or even reincarnation after a person dies. 54:27 That's not what this verse is referring to. 54:28 It's just stating the reality. 54:30 So I think that's pretty clear from the context. 54:33 - [Robert] We are his offspring, though. 54:34 - Yes, He made us. 54:35 We are created. 54:37 If God did not create us, we wouldn't be here. 54:40 The Bible sometimes refers to us as the children of God, 54:43 or the sons or daughters of God. 54:46 - [Robert] So "His offspring" isn't necessarily mean 54:48 that we were not created. 54:53 We were created, not the other way around. 54:55 - Yeah, it's just stating that we were created, 54:57 and we owe our existence to God, 54:59 because He made us. 55:00 All things come from Him. 55:02 Friends, we're coming to the end of our radio program, 55:04 but we will be back for some more Bible questions. 55:08 (dramatic orchestral music) 55:10 - [Announcer] Thank you for listening to today's broadcast. 55:13 We hope you understand your Bible even better than before. 55:16 "Bible Answers Live" is produced 55:18 by Amazing Facts, International, 55:21 a faith-based ministry located in Granite Bay, California. 55:27 - Hello, friends, welcome back. 55:28 We have just two minutes left, 55:30 and we're gonna try and take some of the questions 55:32 that came in via the internet. 55:34 Some of the email questions that you have sent in, 55:37 we like to, in the next two minutes, 55:38 to try and see how many questions we can answer. 55:40 So here we go. 55:42 I'm gonna just read through these questions, 55:43 give you an answer. 55:43 The first question is, 55:44 "What Bible version do you recommend?" 55:47 Well, first of all, there are two different categories. 55:49 You have a paraphrase, 55:52 and then you have a translation. 55:54 A paraphrase would be somebody taking maybe an English Bible 55:57 and then writing the verses in a more contemporary English 56:02 or whatever language it might be. 56:04 But it's not necessarily a direct translation 56:07 from the original languages, 56:08 which would be Hebrew and Greek. 56:10 There's a little bit of Aramaic 56:11 that you find also there in the Book of Daniel. 56:14 A translation is actually going to the original manuscripts 56:18 or the copies of the original manuscripts, 56:20 and then translating from that. 56:22 So when it comes to Bible study, 56:24 especially deep Bible study, 56:25 you wanna make sure that you have a trustworthy translation. 56:28 I like to use the King James, 56:30 the New King James, New American Standard version. 56:33 And there are a number of good translations out there. 56:36 Just remember that the Bible wasn't written in English. 56:38 It was written in Hebrew and Greek. 56:39 And so if you wanna really get 56:40 to a deeper meaning of the Word, 56:42 find a good concordance, 56:44 and you can look up the original words there as well, 56:47 and what they mean. 56:48 Another question that came, and it says, 56:49 "When I pray, am I supposed to pray to God or Jesus, 56:54 or do I pray to both of them?" 56:55 Well, Jesus gave an example of prayer. 56:57 He said, "When you pray, say, 56:58 "Our Father, which art in Heaven, 57:00 hallowed be Thy name." 57:02 So we are to direct our prayers to our Heavenly Father, 57:05 but we pray in the name of Jesus. 57:08 That's why when we end our prayer, 57:09 we say, "In Jesus' name." 57:11 It's through His merits that make our prayers acceptable. 57:14 We know the Holy Spirit also intercedes 57:16 and actually brings to our mind 57:17 the very things that we need to pray for. 57:20 So we direct our prayers to God the Father 57:22 in the name of Jesus. 57:23 And we are praying for the guidance 57:25 and the leading of the Holy Spirit. 57:27 Another question that somebody has is, 57:28 "When is the time of trouble, 57:30 and how do we prepare for it?" 57:32 Well, the Bible speaks of a time of trouble. 57:34 It'll be worse than there has ever been, 57:36 since the beginning of time. 57:38 You read that in Daniel 12:1. 57:40 Well, that's talking about a time period, 57:41 and the seven last plagues will be poured out, 57:44 and that's after probation closes. 57:46 How do we prepare for that? 57:47 Well, I think we prepare by setting our heart towards God, 57:51 that full surrender of self to Jesus. 57:54 And we do that every day. 57:55 We have to come to God and ask Him to cleanse us, 57:57 ask for forgiveness. 57:59 We need not fear because the Bible promises us 58:01 that if we are Christ, when that time of trouble comes, 58:04 He will keep us secure and safe. 58:06 He will protect us, so we can trust in Him. 58:09 We need not fear. 58:10 Friends, thank you for joining us 58:11 for "Bible Answers Live." 58:13 Look forward to seeing you next week. 58:15 (dramatic orchestral music) 58:17 - [Announcer] "Bible Answers Live," 58:19 honest and accurate answers to your Bible questions. |
Revised 2022-08-31