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Series Code: AFBA
Program Code: AFBA022235S
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00:00 (gentle instrumental music)
00:03 - [Narrator] It is the best selling book in history. 00:06 No volume ever written has been more loved and quoted, 00:09 and its words, sometimes simple and sometimes mysterious, 00:13 should always be studied carefully. 00:16 It is the Bible, the Word of God. 00:19 Welcome to "Bible Answers Live", 00:22 providing accurate and practical answers 00:25 to all your Bible questions. 00:28 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 00:31 To receive any of the Bible resources 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 Jean Ross. 00:50 - Hello friends, how about an amazing fact? 00:52 In 1967, the United Nations adopted 00:55 an international outer space treaty, 00:58 forbidding all nations from claiming the moon 01:00 or any part of space as territory. 01:02 However, the treaty failed to mention anything 01:05 about private individuals claiming ownership 01:08 to other planets or moons. 01:10 So early in the 1980s, 01:11 Dennis Hope from Nevada sent letters to the United Nations, 01:16 the United States, the Soviet Union, 01:19 and informed them that he was claiming ownership 01:22 to all lunar surfaces in our solar system, 01:24 aside from the earth. 01:26 He even gave them an opportunity 01:29 to respond if they had objections. 01:30 But he never heard a word from them. 01:32 For nearly 40 years now, Hope has been selling land plots 01:36 on the moon and Mars, for the price of about $20 an acre. 01:40 He has been pursuing this, not just as a novelty sale, 01:43 but as a serious real estate transaction, 01:46 complete with land titles, 01:48 covenants, and bylaws. 01:50 Although others are now in the same business, 01:52 Hope has earned more than $10 million selling land 01:55 on planets he has never visited. 01:58 It seems that selling land out of this world 02:02 is a profitable business venture. 02:04 But did you know, friends, 02:05 that the Bible teaches that you can 02:07 own heavenly real estate for free? 02:10 Jesus said, "In My Father's house there are many mansions, 02:14 if it were not so, I would've told you. 02:16 I go to prepare a place for you, 02:18 and if I go and prepare a place for you, 02:20 I will come again and receive you onto Myself, 02:23 that where I am, there you may be also." 02:27 That's John 14:2-3. 02:28 You know, pastor Carlos, 02:30 it's amazing how people are willing to buy something 02:32 that they've never seen on another planet, 02:34 in particular here, the moon. 02:36 And it seems like the person who is selling property 02:38 on the moon is making real good money, 02:40 whether that's actually gonna stand up in court, 02:42 I don't know, but at least for now 02:44 he's making a lot of money. 02:46 - Yeah, and then Jesus is offering us something for free, 02:49 and many people reject that. 02:51 - A lot better than a piece of land on the moon 02:53 or on Mars, right? - Amen. 02:55 Yeah. - He's offering us 02:56 a mansion made in heaven. 02:57 And the Bible tells us 02:58 that the new Jerusalem is a splendid city, 03:01 something that we can't even begin to imagine. 03:04 The streets are made of gold, beautiful gates, 03:07 and there is a mansion, a home specifically made by Christ 03:11 for the redeemed. 03:12 You know, we have a free gift that we want to share 03:14 with anyone who calls and asks, 03:16 it's about this reward that Jesus is preparing 03:19 for those that love Him, and it's a book called, 03:21 "Heaven Is It for Real?" 03:23 And this is our free offer, 03:24 all you need to do is call and ask for that. 03:26 Again, the book is called "Heaven, Is It For Real?", 03:29 and you can call the number 1-800-835-6747. 03:34 And you can ask for offer number 189, 03:36 or just ask for the book by name, "Heaven, Is It For Real?". 03:40 You know, the good news is that we get to travel 03:42 through space, pass the moon, 03:44 pass Mars. - Amen. 03:45 - Pass the planets when Jesus comes 03:48 and we take that heavenly journey to the new Jerusalem. 03:52 So friends, call and ask for that book, 03:54 we'll be happy to send it to you. 03:57 Before we go to the phone lines, my name is Jean Ross, 03:58 pastor Doug is out this evening, 04:00 but we are open for your Bible questions. 04:02 If you have a Bible related question, 04:04 the number here to the studio is 800-463-7297. 04:10 We'll also give you another number that is a free offer, 04:12 it's 800-835-6747. 04:15 And if you have a Bible related question, 04:17 we'd love to hear from you tonight. 04:19 Now pastor Carlos though, before we go to the phone lines, 04:21 let's start with the word of prayer. 04:23 - Father, we thank you for just the privilege 04:27 and the honor of coming together 04:27 and spending time in Your Word. 04:29 And we know there are many people with many questions, 04:31 we ask that they come join us. 04:33 And we ask that Your Spirit guide us to give them 04:36 the biblical answers for the many questions that may arise. 04:40 And so we thank You again for this privilege and this honor, 04:42 and we ask us in Jesus' name, amen. 04:44 - Amen. 04:46 Alright, well, I think our phone lines are open, 04:47 who do we have first? 04:48 - Yes, Sheena from Tennessee, 04:50 welcome to "Bible Answers Live". 04:53 - Good evening. - Hello. 04:55 - Hi Sheena. - Hey, how are you? 04:57 - Doing well. - Good. 04:59 I'm calling in a question for my husband. 05:01 He's reading in Mark 10, specifically, 05:06 the question comes from verse 17 to 19. 05:10 So when Jesus was asked, what shall I do 05:12 that I may inherit eternal life in verse 17, 05:15 and then 19 He responds or replies with, 05:18 to know the commandments and He lists six of them. 05:21 Why did He only mention 6 out of the 10? 05:24 - Oh, good question. 05:25 Well, of course there's 10 commandments. 05:27 The 10 commandments are divided into 2 parts. 05:28 The first 4 of the 10 commandments 05:30 have to do with our relationship with God, 05:32 have no other gods be before Him, don't worship idols, 05:35 don't take His name in vain, 05:36 remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy. 05:38 The last 6 of the 10 commandments 05:40 have to do with our relationship with our fellow man, 05:42 which is honoring our parents, not murder, 05:45 don't commit adultery, don't lie, 05:47 don't steal, and don't covet. 05:50 Now the commandments that we find mentioned here, 05:51 Jesus is not addressing any of the first four commandments, 05:55 but He's pointing out the last six 05:57 that has to do with his relationship with his fellow man, 06:00 because it appears that that seems to be the sensitive area, 06:03 a part of his life that he was struggling to let go of, 06:07 because he responds in verse 20 and he says, 06:09 "All of these things I've kept from my youth." 06:11 But then Jesus narrows in and He says, 06:13 "One thing you lack, 06:14 go sell what you have and give it to the poor, 06:17 and you shall have treasury in heaven." 06:19 So quite possibly that the sin that this rich young ruler 06:23 was struggling with was pride. 06:25 He felt superior to others, he was rich, 06:27 he was young, he was a ruler, 06:29 so he had influence in power, and he looked down on others. 06:33 And Jesus was emphasizing that in order 06:35 to truly keep the law, it's not just an outward behavior, 06:39 but it has to do with the heart. 06:41 Love for God, love for our fellow man 06:43 is the motivation for obedience to God's commandments. 06:47 And that was the point that he was lacking, 06:48 love for his fellow man, 06:50 and that's why Jesus mentioned those last six. 06:52 - That makes sense, thank you. - Alright, good question, 06:55 thanks for calling. 06:56 You know, we do have a lesson called "Written in Stone" 06:59 and it's all about the 10 commandments, 07:00 and we'll be happy to send it to anyone 07:01 who's wondering about the law of God, 07:04 is it still binding and relevant for Christians today? 07:07 All you need to do is call and ask, 07:09 the number to call for that is 800-835-6747. 07:12 And you can ask for one of the Amazing Facts study guides, 07:15 it's called "Written in Stone". 07:16 We'll be happy to send the anyone in north America. 07:19 If you're listening outside of north America, 07:20 just visit the Amazing Facts website, 07:23 just AmazingFacts.org. 07:25 You'll be able to read that lesson for free, 07:27 you can even sign up 07:28 for the Amazing Facts free online Bible course, 07:31 and you will be blessed. 07:33 Alright, pastor, who do we have next? 07:35 - Next we have Anthony from New York, 07:37 you are live on "Bible Answers Live". 07:41 - [Anthony 1] Hello, good evening, pastors. 07:42 - Hello. - Hi. 07:44 - My question comes from 1 Samuel 1:11. 07:50 - 1 Samuel 1:11, let's see. 07:53 Alright, it says, 07:54 "Then she made a vow and she said, 07:55 O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look upon my affliction 07:59 or the affliction of your maid servant and remember me 08:01 and not forget your maid servant, 08:04 but will give your maid servant a male child, 08:06 then I'll give to the Lord all the days of his life, 08:09 and no razor shall come upon his head. 08:11 - [Anthony 1] Yes, so this sounds like Samuel, 08:15 that was gonna be raised by Hannah as a Nazarene. 08:18 - Correct. - And I know that the same 08:21 was for Samson and other men in the Bible. 08:25 I guess my question is, 08:27 what is the purpose of being raised as a Nazarene, 08:29 and is there an application for us today 08:31 where maybe we can raise our children as Nazarenes 08:34 for that same purpose? 08:36 - Okay, well, that's a good question. 08:37 I think having the Nazarite vow was a commitment 08:41 that you are in full-time ministry 08:43 or full-time service for the Lord, 08:45 you are on a special God given errand and mission. 08:48 Now all of the Israelites were to live 08:51 to bring glory to God. 08:52 They were to serve God, there were certain feast 08:55 that they were to attain, 08:56 certain laws that they were to abide by, 08:58 but the Nazarite or those who had taken a Nazarite vow, 09:02 and a Nazarite vow wasn't necessarily 09:04 for someone's entire life, 09:05 you could do it for a few years, 09:07 or for a limited period of time, 09:09 or you could be committed for a much longer period of time, 09:11 and we have some of these Bible characters 09:13 that were committed for a much longer period of time. 09:15 But it simply meant that you were being set apart 09:18 for a special work of ministry for the Lord. 09:21 Now, I think in our terms today, 09:22 we do do something similar, 09:24 if somebody is going to full-time ministry 09:27 and they're gonna be committed full-time in ministry, 09:29 whether it's pastoral ministry, or evangelism, 09:32 or even working in a local church capacity 09:35 in some type of Bible work or full-time ministry, 09:38 we do sometimes have an ordination service 09:41 where we will set somebody apart for the gospel work, 09:45 which is similar in some extent to that of a Nazarene. 09:49 We can also dedicate our children shortly after birth. 09:53 It's different, it's not baptizing, 09:54 but it's dedicating our children in a special way, 09:58 asking that the Lord would lead and guide in their life 10:00 and make clear what the work is 10:02 that God would have them to do, 10:04 'cause God's gotta work for all of us, 10:05 all of us who claim to be Christians. 10:07 So the Nazarite vow today would be 10:09 in a little bit of a different form. 10:10 I think baptism also helps to fulfill some of what 10:13 that Nazarite vow was, and then also ordination, 10:17 ordaining someone to a particular work of ministry, 10:20 that would also be the same as the Nazarite vow. 10:23 - [Anthony 1] Okay, yes, that's helpful. 10:26 So the not cutting hair 10:29 and not touching anything from the vine, 10:35 like wine or anything like that, 10:40 does doing those things make you a Nazarite? 10:43 - That wouldn't have value in today's world. 10:46 Of course, back in Bible times, 10:47 people understood what that meant. 10:49 When somebody didn't cut their hair 10:50 and they didn't eat grapes or drink grape juice, 10:54 people were aware of what that is. 10:56 But in our context today, it wouldn't be of any value. 11:00 Somebody who doesn't cut their hair, 11:01 people don't realize that they've made some kind of a vow. 11:04 Rather, a vow that's made is something 11:06 that you commit your life to, 11:08 it's not something that you wear, 11:09 it's not something that you necessarily eat or don't eat, 11:15 although the Bible does give us guidelines 11:16 as to what is helpful to eat and what we shouldn't eat. 11:19 - [Anthony 1] Okay, I understand, 11:20 thank you very much, pastor. 11:21 - Alright, thanks for your call, Anthony. 11:23 - Thank you. 11:24 David from California, you're at "Bible Answers Live". 11:28 - Hi, David, welcome to the program. 11:30 - [David 1] Hello, thank you. 11:32 This is David from Fresno. 11:35 Two questions, what was God doing 11:39 and where was He during the dinosaur era, 11:44 well, the times of the dinosaurs. 11:46 - Alright, well, the dinosaurs did live, 11:48 you know, we got the fossilized bones of them, 11:50 but they lived before the flood. 11:52 And the reasons we don't have dinosaurs today 11:54 is because they were destroyed by the flood. 11:57 There was a change in our atmosphere, 11:59 there was a change in our climate, 12:01 and a lot of the animals that were able to live and thrive 12:03 before the flood, after the flood 12:06 couldn't live in the changed environment. 12:09 You look back in the fossil record 12:11 and even the dragon flies were much bigger 12:13 than we have them now, 12:14 and the animals were a lot bigger than we have now, 12:16 the insects were bigger. 12:17 So the whole environment was different before the flood, 12:20 but they were destroyed at the time of the flood 12:22 when Noah and his family were in the ark, 12:23 and some of the animals, 12:25 the animals came into the ark as well. 12:27 And then there were animals that came into the ark 12:29 that probably became extinct sometime after the flood, 12:32 like the woolly mammoth, 12:34 we know that they lived after the flood. 12:36 So yeah, the dinosaurs were destroyed 12:39 during the time of the flood, 12:41 and that's why we have their fossilized bones 12:42 and we can dig them up and look at them. 12:46 - [David 1] What address can I find that? 12:48 - Sorry, what was the question? 12:50 - [David 1] What address can I find that on in the Bible? 12:53 - Yeah, does the Bible say anything about that? 12:56 Yes, it does. 12:57 There is an interesting verse that you find in Job. 13:00 Job 40:18 talks about an animal, 13:03 and the animal's name is Behemoth. 13:05 And you can read the description in chapter 40, 13:08 it says that he eats grass like an ox, 13:12 he talks about him being very big and strong, 13:15 he's tail is like a cedar. 13:17 He has big legs, strong legs, 13:21 talks about them being as bronze, 13:23 these ribs are like bars of iron. 13:25 Now we don't have an animal 13:26 that is really gonna meet this description alive today. 13:30 So apparently Job, who's one of the oldest books written 13:34 in the Bible was aware of these large animals 13:36 that lived before the flood, and behemoth is one of them. 13:39 And then there's another one by the name of leviathan 13:41 that you also read about in the book of Job. 13:43 So there are references to these very big creatures, 13:46 these dinosaur like animals in the Bible 13:49 that live before the flood. 13:51 - Well, and also in the ocean, 13:53 whales. - Yes. 13:55 Big whales and yes, all kinds of interesting animals. 13:58 So, alright, 13:59 well, thank you for your call, David. 14:00 Who do we have next? 14:02 - We have Joel from North Carolina, I believe. 14:05 Welcome Joel. 14:08 - Hi pastors. - Hi. 14:09 - Hi Joel. - When and who 14:12 wrote the book of Lamentations? 14:16 - Alright, who wrote the book of Lamentations? 14:18 The time of Lamentations was written right 14:20 around the time of the Exodus, 14:23 it was written by Jeremiah the prophet. 14:26 It was actually before the destruction of Jerusalem 14:29 by the Babylonians 14:30 or connected with that same time period. 14:34 I think actually, maybe it's right around 14:36 after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, 14:39 but that's the timeframe. 14:40 And Lamentations is Jeremiah the prophet, he's lamenting 14:44 or he is weeping because of the sins of Israel 14:46 and because of the judgements 14:48 that was coming upon Judah and upon Jerusalem, 14:51 which eventually was the destruction that occurred. 14:54 So it's right around that time period, 14:56 if you want a date, it's somewhere around 600, 15:00 probably 610 BC, 'cause Jerusalem fell in 605 BC, 15:06 so somewhere around that time period, 605, 610, 15:08 written by Jeremiah the prophet. 15:10 - Okay, thank you. - Alright, 15:12 thanks your call, Joel. 15:14 - Next we have Joey from Toronto, Canada. 15:16 Welcome Joey to "Bible Answers Live". 15:19 - [Joey] Yes, good evening, 15:20 pastor Ross, how are you? 15:21 - I'm doing well, thanks for your call, Joey. 15:26 - [Joey] Yes, I have a Bible question. 15:29 We have been studying, I believe Hebrews 10, 15:34 and it talks about the heavenly sanctuary. 15:37 And my question is, 15:38 how come it was never mentioned by Jesus 15:41 in the gospels at all? 15:43 Because it makes me wonder if there really 15:47 is a heavenly sanctuary, like the one that Moses built. 15:51 - Okay. 15:51 Yes, the answer to that, 15:53 is there heavenly sanctuary? 15:54 The answer to that is absolutely, yes, 15:56 and the book of Hebrews makes that very clear. 16:00 Talks about Jesus, our High Priest, 16:01 He's ministering for us in the heavenly sanctuary 16:03 not built with human hands, but a temple that God built. 16:07 Now, why doesn't Jesus reference 16:09 the sanctuary directly when He was on the earth? 16:11 Well, there were three phases to Christ's ministry, 16:14 just like the sanctuary was comprised of three parts. 16:17 You had the courtyard area where the animal was sacrificed, 16:20 and you had the holy place, and the most holy place, 16:23 which was inside the intersection of that. 16:26 So the courtyard and everything related to the courtyard, 16:28 the sacrificing of the lamb and so on, 16:30 that refers to Christ's earthly ministry. 16:33 And when Jesus was on the earth, that was the focus, 16:36 that's why He came. 16:37 So when Jesus ascended to heaven, 16:40 he began His High Priestly ministry, 16:42 and that's why you find in the book of Revelation, 16:44 Revelation 1 describes Jesus wearing the high priest robe 16:48 and He's standing amongst the candlesticks, 16:50 which is the first compartment of the heavenly sanctuary. 16:53 Hebrews talks about Jesus, our Great High Priest, 16:55 He's ministering for us in the temple, 16:58 not made with human hands. 17:00 So the focus of the heavenly sanctuary 17:02 doesn't really occur until after Christ's work 17:06 on the earth is finished and He ascends up to heaven 17:08 and He begins His High Priestly ministry. 17:12 Does that make sense, Joey? 17:14 - No, but I have never found any references 17:18 at all in the gospels, how come it was never mentioned 17:20 by Jesus at all? 17:22 - Well, not everything that Jesus mentions 17:25 or not everything that Jesus does not mention 17:28 doesn't mean that it's not real or it's not true. 17:31 They were different truths that were being presented 17:34 at different times. 17:35 And at the time that Jesus was here, He was the focus. 17:38 Jesus said, destroy this temple 17:40 and in three days, I'll raise it up again. 17:42 And he was talking about Himself, and His mission, 17:44 and His teaching that He'd come to do. 17:47 The sanctuary work, and Him as a High Priest in heaven, 17:50 doesn't really take front and center stage 17:52 until after His ascension. 17:54 But Jesus communicated these trues to Paul 17:58 and the other apostles through 17:59 the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 18:01 So it's just as trustworthy, 18:03 the account that we find in Hebrews, 18:05 as anything that Jesus would say 18:07 or anything that the apostles wrote in the gospels, 18:09 it's just different times 18:11 and different emphasis for those times. 18:14 Alright, thank you for your call, Joey. 18:15 You know, we do have a study guide talking 18:17 about the sanctuary and I'm trying to think, 18:19 I think it's "God Drew the Plans". 18:22 That's what it's called. - Number 17, I think it is. 18:23 - Yes, number 17, 18:25 you can call and ask for that. 18:26 The number is 800-835-6747. 18:29 And you can ask for the study guide, 18:30 it's called "God Drew the Plans". 18:31 It's all about the sanctuary, 18:33 you've got the earthly sanctuary 18:34 that is a type of the heavenly sanctuary. 18:37 And it'll go into much more detail on that. 18:40 Who do we have next? 18:41 - We have Eric from Canada. 18:44 Welcome Eric. - Yes, I have a question, 18:47 do you know where Elisha was going somewhere, 18:50 and then a group of boys were mocking him 18:53 or calling him like a baldy? 18:55 - Yes. - Why is it that he 18:57 then cursed them and then bears came to maul them? 19:03 - Sure, let's talk about that case that you just quoted, 19:06 Elisha and Elijah. 19:08 So Elijah, just ascended to heaven in a fiery chariot, 19:12 and Elisha now received a double portion of the Spirit 19:16 and he was to do the work that Elijah did. 19:19 Elijah had considerable influence over Israel, 19:23 over the people, because the Lord had used him 19:25 in a mighty way, he was powerful in his work. 19:29 People didn't look at Elisha with the same status as Elijah. 19:32 And it was important that people realized, 19:34 that the Israelites realized that Elisha 19:36 was just as much called to do the work of God as Elijah did. 19:40 And so here, Elisha is, 19:42 he's going up a road, 19:43 and apparently people heard about Elijah going to heaven. 19:47 There was some young boys, now when the Bible says youth, 19:50 it's not talking about five, six year olds, 19:53 it's talking about probably young teenagers, 19:55 or even teenagers could be 16, 17, 18 years of age. 20:00 And they began to mock Elisha in the hearing of the people 20:04 in the village there. 20:05 And they said, go up bald man, 20:07 meaning they were saying like Elijah had gone to heaven, 20:10 they was saying, Elisha, 20:11 why don't you also go up? 20:12 Why don't you go to heaven? 20:13 And they mocked him. 20:15 And it was important at that point that people realized 20:18 that he was specially called by God. 20:21 And these bears came out and mauled the young men. 20:24 We don't have a record of them being killed, 20:26 but a lesson had to be taught. 20:28 And these weren't kids, these were young men 20:32 that had influence and the word quickly spread 20:34 that Elisha has just as much authority 20:37 and he's working just as much for God as Elijah did. 20:41 And that actually helped in doing the work 20:44 that Elisha was called to do. 20:45 So there was reason for that, and of course, 20:48 those kids deserved that, 20:49 they shouldn't be mocking a prophet, 20:51 that's not a good thing to do. 20:53 And then also, why is there so much violence 20:55 in the Old Testament, in Joshua? 20:56 Well, the Bible tells us 20:58 that when God brought Israel into the promised land, 21:00 He had given them, 21:01 the nations that were conquered by Israel, 21:04 He had given them time to repent, 21:05 400 years from the time of Abraham 21:08 to when the Israelites return to the land of promise. 21:11 Those nations were so steeped in idolatry and wickedness, 21:16 they were sacrificing their children 21:18 through the fire to Moloch and other gods, 21:20 and there's actually archeological finds. 21:22 One recent archeological find found these clay jars, 21:27 very big, filled with children's bones, 21:30 from the various pagan nations 21:32 that were offering their children to these pagan gods. 21:36 So there was so much wickedness taking place in the land 21:39 that a time of judgment had come, 21:41 almost like the flood before you know 21:44 the antediluvian world because of their sins, 21:46 they were wiped out, there was also a judgment 21:48 that came upon those pagan nations of Israel. 21:52 Alright, who do we have next? 21:53 - Next we have Joelle from Tennessee. 21:55 Joelle, you are live, welcome. 21:58 - [Joelle] My question for today is, 22:00 how do you know God's will? 22:01 'Cause sometimes I think He wants me to go one way 22:04 and then I'm not sure whether I go that way or not, 22:07 so how do you know God's will? 22:09 - Oh, okay, good question. 22:10 I think first of all, you wanna make sure 22:11 that what it is you want to do is in line 22:15 with what you understand to be truth in the Bible. 22:17 So it begins with the law and the testimony, 22:20 according to the scripture. 22:21 So you don't wanna do something 22:22 that's contradicting the Bible. 22:23 God will never lead us contrary to what the Bible says. 22:27 But let's say there's two good choices, 22:28 and you're trying to decide which way do you want to go? 22:31 Probably the next step is you pray about it, 22:33 you ask the Lord to lead, and then you seek godly counsel. 22:36 So you might wanna speak to people that you know 22:38 are good Christians, and get their input and their thoughts. 22:42 And then pray for providence, 22:44 pray that God will open doors and closed doors 22:46 based upon what His will is. 22:48 After all, if you believe that God 22:50 is wanting to lead you into His will 22:52 and you sincerely are seeking to do His will, 22:55 then you can trust His providence, 22:57 that if He opens up a door 22:58 and things seem to be going this way, 23:00 then you carefully and humbly follow the direction 23:04 that God is leading. 23:05 And if He changes and He directs you another way, 23:07 then you follow that leading. 23:09 So those are the things you wanna do. 23:11 Make sure that it's in harmony with the Word of God, 23:13 you wanna spend time in prayer, 23:14 asking for the Spirit to guide you, 23:16 you want to counsel with godly people 23:18 and get their guidance, and then thirdly, 23:22 you want to pray that God would just open the right doors 23:24 and pray that he would close the doors 23:26 that He doesn't want you to follow, 23:28 and then trust His leading. - Thank you, 23:31 that was very helpful. 23:32 - Alright, thanks for your call. 23:34 You know, we do have a book called, 23:35 "Determining the Will of God", 23:37 and we'll send it to anyone for free. 23:39 It's a good question, I mean, 23:40 what do you do in some situations. 23:42 If you'd like to receive the book, 23:43 the number to call is 800-835-6747. 23:47 And again, just ask for the book, 23:48 it's called "Determining the Will of God". 23:50 I'll be happy to send it to anyone here in north America. 23:53 Alright, who do we have next? 23:55 - Brenda, from Ohio, 23:56 you are on the air, welcome. 23:59 - [Brenda] Hi, thank you for taking my call. 24:02 My mom and I both listen to "Amazing Facts" quite a bit, 24:05 and she mentioned to me yesterday about, 24:07 she heard that pastor Batchelor 24:10 thought that maybe in the Bible days, men for instance, 24:16 didn't really mature until they were 24:17 like 80 to 100 years old, 24:19 and I can't remember why that came up, 24:22 but then the thought I had was, 24:24 well then did that mean that Mary was not a teenager 24:29 when she gave birth to Christ? 24:32 I kind of thought she was very young, like 14, 15, 24:35 maybe she was older, that's my question? 24:37 - Okay, good question. 24:38 Yes, with reference to people maturing older in Bible times, 24:41 I think pastors Doug's reference to that 24:43 was before the flood, and the reason for that 24:45 is you find that people lived a lot longer before the flood. 24:48 Often they wouldn't get married until 200 years 24:51 or 80 or 90 years old. 24:54 But that was before the flood. 24:56 After the flood, and especially at the time of Christ, 24:59 yes, people were getting married a lot younger. 25:02 And so it was true, men were a little older 25:04 when they typically got married, they'd have a career, 25:06 they'd know what they're doing. 25:08 Woman would marry younger. 25:10 And Mary was a young girl. 25:12 I don't think she was as young as 13, 14, 15 years old. 25:16 She was probably either in her late teens or early 20s. 25:20 It appears that Joseph was older than her 25:22 because at the time that Christ 25:24 began his public ministry at 30, 25:26 Joseph was out of the scene, he had died at that point. 25:31 So yes, Mary is probably in her late teens, 25:35 maybe early 20s, somewhere in there when shared Jesus. 25:41 - [Brenda] Okay, thank you very much. 25:42 - Alright, thanks for your question. 25:44 Well pastor Carlos, 25:45 I don't think we have time for another call, 25:47 you hear the music playing in the background? 25:49 Friends, we're not ending the program by any means, 25:51 we've got another half an hour of Bible questions. 25:53 But we are gonna take a short break 25:55 and then we're back for more Bible questions. 25:57 So stay tuned, we'll be right back. 25:59 (gentle instrumental music) 26:03 - [Narrator #1] Stay tuned, 26:04 "Bible Answers Live" will return shortly. 26:08 (gentle instrumental music) 26:10 - [Narrator #2] Have you ever skipped a meal? 26:12 Not a bad idea if you need to watch your waistline. 26:14 But there's a heavenly food you should never skip, 26:17 God's Word. 26:18 Yet, how can you dive in daily when you're so busy? 26:21 Amazing Facts has you covered, 26:22 and it's as easy as signing up for our daily devotional 26:25 and verse of the day, both sent directly to your inbox, 26:28 ready to bless, inspire, 26:30 and inform you. 26:31 To start receiving the Amazing Facts daily devotional 26:34 and verse of the day, visit AmazingFacts.org 26:37 and click on Bible study in the main menu. 26:39 You'll be glad you did. 26:41 - [Narrator #3] Doug Batchelor 26:43 was the teenage son of a millionaire father 26:44 and show business mother, yet he was living in a cave. 26:48 He had everything money could buy, everything but happiness. 26:51 But all of the fun and excitement he enjoyed 26:54 left his life out of control. 26:56 His search eventually led him to a cave above Palm Springs 27:00 that became his home. 27:01 While Doug scavenged for food in garbage bins, 27:04 his father owned a yacht, a Learjet, 27:07 and an airline. 27:08 But in his cave home, he discovered a dust covered Bible. 27:12 As he began to read, 27:13 he soon learned of his true purpose in life. 27:16 "The Richest Caveman" is the extraordinary true story 27:19 of Doug Batchelor that tells how a rebellious teenager 27:23 who once lived in a cave, 27:24 became a tremendous soul winner for Jesus Christ. 27:27 It's a thrilling testimony 27:30 of the transforming power of God's Word. 27:32 To order your copy of "The Richest Caveman", 27:34 call 800-538-7275 or visit AFbookstore.com. 27:41 - [Narrator #2] Life's a curious thing. 27:43 I mean, just when things seem under control, 27:46 wham, you're hit with something new. 27:49 Your marriage is good, 27:50 suddenly it's on the brink of divorce. 27:53 That job's great, and then it's gone, 27:57 and so is your life savings. 27:59 You feel healthy, then your doctor gives a bad news. 28:03 What's coming next? 28:05 You could look to the stars, 28:07 but they don't have the answers. 28:10 But this does, the Prophecy Study Bible by Amazing Facts. 28:14 This Bible is special, 28:16 it's 27 personal study guides lead you 28:19 on a life changing journey through God's Word. 28:22 To discover real answers to life's questions, 28:25 from health and relationships, to family and the future, 28:29 the hope's in here. 28:32 - [Narrator #4] Get your Amazing Facts Prophecy Study Bible 28:34 today by calling 800-538-7275 or visit AFbookstore.com. 28:41 - [Narrator #3] Would you like to know God's plan 28:43 for our troubled world 28:44 and solutions for your life's challenges? 28:46 Beautifully redesigned and updated, 28:48 Amazing Facts 27 Bible study guides provide straightforward, 28:52 Bible-based answers that are enlightening, encouraging, 28:54 and easy to understand. 28:56 Giving you real, relevant Bible answers to questions like, 28:59 how can I have healthier relationships, 29:01 when will Jesus come, and much more. 29:03 Order yours today by visiting AFbookstore.com 29:06 or by calling 800-538-7275. 29:11 - [Narrator #5] Can't get enough Amazing Facts bible study? 29:14 You don't have to wait until next week 29:16 to enjoy more truth filled programming. 29:18 Visit the Amazing Facts media library at aftv.org. 29:25 At aftv.org, you can enjoy video and audio presentations, 29:29 as well as printed material, 29:30 all free of charge, 24 hours a day, 29:33 seven days a week, 29:34 right from your computer or mobile device. 29:37 Visit aftv.org. 29:40 (gentle instrumental music) 29:43 - [Narrator #1] You're listening to "Bible Answers Live" 29:46 where every question answered provides 29:48 a clearer picture of God and His plan to save you. 29:52 So what are you waiting for? 29:54 Get practical answers about the good book 29:56 for a better life today. 29:59 (gentle instrumental music) 30:00 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 30:04 If you'd like answers to your Bible related questions 30:06 on the air, please call us next Sunday 30:09 between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM Pacific Time. 30:12 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned 30:15 in this evening's program, call 800-835-6747. 30:21 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 30:27 Now let's rejoin our hosts for more "Bible Answers Live". 30:32 - Hello friends, welcome back to "Bible Answers Live", 30:34 a live interactive international Bible study. 30:37 My name is Jean Ross. 30:38 Pastor Doug is out this evening, 30:40 but also joining me here in the studio is pastor Carlos. 30:42 Pastor Carlos is one of our team members at Amazing Facts. 30:46 He actually is one of the speakers for Amazing Facts, 30:49 and you focus on Spanish work in a particular way? 30:52 - Yeah, that's right. 30:54 We're excited about that 30:55 and we're starting a Amazing facts Latino social media, 30:59 TV program soon, so yeah. 31:01 - So where do people go if they wanna learn more? 31:04 - AmazingFactslatino.org, 31:07 or they can go on AmazingFacts.org, 31:08 and there's a link at the top right hand for the Latino, 31:13 they can connect there. 31:14 - Alright, very good, 31:15 some exciting things happening with the Latino work 31:18 at Amazing Facts. 31:19 Well friends, if you have a Bible question, 31:20 the phone line's open, the number to call is 800-463-7297, 31:25 that'll get your Bible question here 31:27 on the air this evening. 31:28 Who do we have next? 31:30 - Next we have Rosanna from New York. 31:33 Hello, Rosanna. - Hello, thank you guys. 31:37 My question is in Revelation, the first three chapters, 31:43 Jesus explained that the seven stars in His right hand 31:46 are the angels, and the lamp stands are the churches. 31:50 So why when He writes the letters, 31:56 He starts the letters off to the angel of Ephesus, 32:01 like He names each church, 32:02 but He's writing to the angels as opposed to the people? 32:06 - Okay, good question. 32:07 Now the word there angel that we find in the Greek 32:10 is angelos, it literally means messenger. 32:14 And it's kind of nice to think that, yes, 32:15 there are angels assigned to different churches, 32:18 I like that idea. 32:19 But the word angelos also has a broader application, 32:22 especially in the book or Revelation, 32:23 it means messenger or leader. 32:25 And so the letters written to the seven churches 32:28 were written to the leaders of the churches, 32:31 and they were the ones that would share 32:32 the message to the rest of the congregation. 32:35 That's why there is a blessing 32:36 for those who hear the words of the prophecy, 32:39 those who read the words of the prophecy, 32:41 and those who keep the words of the prophecy. 32:44 So when the letter came, 32:45 the first letter was addressed the church of Ephesus. 32:47 So John wrote the letter on the Island of Patmos, 32:50 it was mailed to the church of Ephesus. 32:52 And one church service, the elder of the church, 32:56 the one in charge, got up and he read the letter 32:58 that had just come from their beloved, John, 33:01 who was the pastor of the church of Ephesus 33:04 before he was taken to Patmos. 33:05 He would read the letter 33:06 and then it was carefully copied by hand, 33:09 and then it was sent to the next church, 33:10 to the church of Smyrna, 33:12 and they did the same thing in that church, 33:13 they read the letter, they copied it, 33:15 and they sent it to the next church. 33:17 And so the letter worked its way around 33:18 all seven of the churches, 33:20 and then I'm sure it was sent to all of the churches, 33:23 at least those in the area of Turkey 33:25 and copied and multiplied, and that's how we have it today. 33:29 So the angel there simply means the leader or the messenger 33:32 that is to bring the message to the church. 33:34 We also have the three angels messages 33:36 in Revelations 14, and the three angels of Revelation 14 33:40 really represent God's people at the end of time 33:43 that are taking the everlasting gospel to every nation, 33:45 kinder, tongue, and people. 33:46 So an angel there means messenger. 33:49 - [Rosanna] Thank you so much, I appreciate that. 33:50 - Does that help? - Oh my goodness, yes, 33:53 thank you. - Alright, you're welcome. 33:54 Thanks for your call. 33:56 - Next we have David from Michigan. 33:58 David welcome to "Bible Answers Live". 34:00 - [David 2] Hi pastors, good evening. 34:03 Hebrews 6 says that we should move onto perfection, 34:09 not laying again the foundation of the doctrine of baptisms 34:14 and other things. 34:16 Just asking a question about how we can move on 34:22 from the doctrine of infant baptism that's present? 34:26 I know there's some divisions regarding that, 34:29 how do we understand infant baptism? 34:32 - Okay, good question. 34:34 Now in the context here, 34:35 we have Paul who wrote the book of Hebrews 34:37 and he's writing to believers, 34:39 and apparently this is a follow up, 34:41 it's not something brand new because in 6:1 it says, 34:45 "Therefore, leaving the discussion 34:46 of the elementary principles", 34:48 these are things that they'd already studied of Christ. 34:51 "Let's go on to perfection", 34:52 meaning fullness, a full understanding of Bible truth. 34:56 "Not laying again the foundation of repentance 34:58 from dead works", 'cause that already been discussed 35:00 in other later and in sermons. 35:02 "And faith towards God, the doctrine of baptism, 35:05 the laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead, 35:07 and eternal judgment." 35:10 And he says, these things will do if God permits, 35:11 meaning if they have enough time, 35:12 and he's writing the letter and he wants to talk more 35:15 about the priestly ministry of Jesus, 35:17 that's really the focus of Hebrews. 35:19 So when he says going on, 35:20 it's not meaning that those are not important doctrines, 35:22 it's meaning that Paul had already discussed 35:24 those doctrines, he had already provided some guidance 35:27 on those doctrines. 35:29 Now specifically about the doctrine of baptism, 35:32 if you look at what the Bible teaches on baptism, 35:34 baptism needs to follow repentance, 35:37 and an infant can't repent. 35:39 So baptism needs to be done 35:41 hen a person is old enough to recognize 35:43 that they're a sinner to come, 35:45 to Christ and ask Him for forgiveness, 35:47 and to commit their life publicly saying, 35:49 I'm following Jesus, and that is through baptism. 35:52 So infant baptism is not a teaching in the Bible. 35:55 It kind of came in, pastor Carlos, 35:57 during the dark ages. 35:59 Part of the problem at that time 36:00 is so many babies were dying 36:02 and the false teaching was prominent 36:05 that if you weren't baptized, 36:07 - You'd be condemned. - you had no chance, 36:08 yeah, of salvation or eternal life. 36:11 And so the custom grew of baptizing children 36:14 as soon as possible, but that's not what the Bible teaches. 36:17 It doesn't mean that if you're not baptized, 36:19 you can't be saved, and you're a baby and you die. 36:21 But baptism is a public profession of Christ. 36:24 And that's why it's so important. 36:27 Does that make sense? - That does make sense. 36:30 I know I have other questions in my mind, 36:32 like I know Paul also writes in his letter to the Romans, 36:35 he says, repentance is a gift from God, 36:39 and that it's something that we don't always perform. 36:43 So when that gift is performed, 36:49 that will be something that God will lead us into doing 36:55 after He gives us repentance 36:56 or after. - Yes. 36:59 On the day of Pentecost, when Peter got up and preached 37:02 and the people said, what do we need to do to be saved? 37:04 Peter responded, says, 37:05 repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus. 37:09 So you've got repentance that precedes baptism. 37:11 Baptism is the public proclamation of your decision 37:14 that you are following Christ. - Yes, thanks. 37:18 - Alright, well, 37:19 thanks your call, David. 37:21 We do have a book, it's called, 37:23 "Baptism, is it Really Necessary?" 37:24 And we'll be happy to send this to anyone who calls and ask. 37:26 All you need to do is call the number, 800-835-6747, 37:30 and ask for the book, it's called, 37:31 "Baptism, is it Really Necessary". 37:33 And pastor Carlos, 37:35 I know you've been involved in a number of baptisms. 37:36 It's a beautiful thing to see somebody 37:38 make that public decision to follow Christ. 37:41 - Amen. 37:42 It's gorgeous how you come out of the water, and like, 37:46 I love taking showers. - Yeah. 37:48 - So that cleanness of putting your best life behind you 37:51 and starting a new life in Christ. 37:53 - Now you've been involved in a number of baptisms, 37:55 what was the most special baptism that you actually did? 38:02 I know you were baptized of course, but other than that, 38:03 you've done a number of meetings, 38:05 you've baptized a lot of people, 38:07 what was the most specialist baptism? 38:08 - Oh, that's easy, 38:09 baptizing my mother. 38:11 - That's right, that's what I was thinking about. 38:13 You did a series of meetings 38:14 and your mother made a decision, and she was baptized. 38:16 - Amen. - That's a special thing. 38:18 - Amen. - Alright, 38:19 who do we have next? 38:20 - Next we have Robert from North Carolina. 38:25 - Hi, Robert, welcome to the program. 38:27 - [Robert] Yes, I had a question, 38:32 sorry, brain freeze, I had a question about tithe, 38:35 but I've changed my mind while I was on hold. 38:38 I wanted to ask about what does it mean in the Bible 38:41 where it says, the worm does not die? 38:44 Because as far as my belief, 38:46 everything that goes to lake of fire is burnt up, 38:49 it's gone, it's to be no more? 38:51 - Yes. 38:52 The phrase the worm does not die 38:54 is a reference to the city dump 38:56 that was outside of Jerusalem. 38:59 So in the valley, outside of Jerusalem, 39:01 all the refuse will be thrown, 39:03 there was constant fires burning, 39:06 they would even throw dead animals in there, 39:08 and even the bodies of criminals sometimes. 39:11 So just like a city dump outside of the city now, 39:15 at least a number of years ago, 39:17 there would always be fire burning, 39:18 the smoke would always be ascending, 39:20 it was always a smelly place, 39:22 there were worms that were devouring 39:25 the flesh of dead animals or whatever it might be. 39:27 So the context there, 39:29 the imagery that's used is the city dump. 39:31 Meaning, there is no more value. 39:34 It's a symbolic reference 39:36 to the final destruction of the wicked. 39:38 It's not talking about a literal worm 39:41 that's gonna be in the lake of fire, 39:42 that's gonna be eating people, that's not biblical. 39:46 It's just an idiomatic expression that was used. 39:49 And it was common to the people, 39:51 when you spoke about the place where the worm doesn't die, 39:54 you know you're talking about the city dump, 39:57 and it means a place where you throw refuse. 40:00 Hopefully that helps Robert. 40:01 Who do we have next? 40:03 - Next we have Jeremiah from Texas. 40:06 Welcome, Jeremiah, to "Bible Answers Live". 40:10 - [Jeremiah] Hello, pastor Ross and pastor Carlos, 40:12 thank you for taking my call. 40:14 - Yes, how can we help you? 40:17 - [Jeremiah] Yeah, my question is about fasting. 40:20 - Okay. - Several times in the Bible, 40:23 whenever the nation of Israel 40:25 or an individual had some kind of challenge or hardship, 40:29 they would fast and pray, like before Queen Esther 40:33 went to see the king and announced, 40:36 the nation of Israel fasted three days. 40:37 And even Daniel was fasting when God sent Gabriel 40:40 with the 70 weeks prophecy. 40:44 And there's even the story where the disciples failed 40:47 at casting out a demon, and Jesus said, 40:49 this one only comes out by fasting and prayer. 40:53 So my question is what is it about fasting 40:57 that seems to lead to divine intervention? 41:01 - Okay, good question. 41:02 I think when somebody fasts, 41:04 it's setting aside something 41:07 that we almost take for granted, 41:09 eating is something pleasurable, we do it all the time. 41:11 But when we set that aside for a period of time 41:14 and we're focusing our attention 41:16 on requesting something special from God, 41:19 it is the clearing of the mind, 41:20 it is removing the distraction, 41:22 even though you might be hungry, 41:23 but it's giving up something because you feel burdened, 41:27 your burden is greater, 41:28 and you really are longing for the Lord to answer 41:31 a prayer or to do something for you. 41:34 There is a blessing in fasting, it's good for you, 41:36 for most folks, it's good for them to fast, 41:39 if they're not a diabetic. 41:40 But I think also just clearing the mind, 41:42 being able to focus on something specific. 41:45 You know, pastor Carlos, 41:46 I remember we had a church member a number of years ago 41:48 that was diagnosed with cancer, 41:50 and he was just a pillar in the church, wonderful person, 41:53 was one of the elders. 41:55 And it was a very serious diagnosis, 41:57 and the elders of the church and the pastors, 42:00 they felt so strongly about wanting 42:02 to offer intercessory prayer for him, that they fasted. 42:06 We fasted for a week, and at the end of that week, 42:10 prayer and fasting, multiple people fasting, 42:12 and we didn't eat any food, just liquids. 42:15 At the end of that week, 42:18 the amazing thing was that he went for another test, 42:20 came back, absolutely no cancer whatsoever. 42:22 - Amen. - The doctors 42:24 couldn't believe, well, 42:25 we believe that was because of the prayer 42:28 and the fasting of the believes in the church. 42:29 So there is power in just simply doing what God has said. 42:32 Setting aside food, focusing attention on spiritual things, 42:35 and earnestly interceding on behalf of somebody else. 42:39 Or if we have a special spiritual need, 42:41 asking God for the blessing of that. 42:43 I know, pastor Carlos, 42:45 you're involved in helping folks, 42:47 we got a series of meetings coming up 42:49 and we're encouraging people to fast. 42:50 Now fasting doesn't mean that you're abstain 42:52 from food all the time, 42:54 right? - Yeah. 42:55 - You can fast other ways too? 42:56 - Yeah, there are partial fastings. 42:58 You might fast from certain things that you know 42:59 are harmful for you and you've been eating, 43:01 or you can fast one day on one day off, 43:03 you might fast breakfast only or lunch. 43:05 So there's different methods and different ways to fast. 43:08 - Okay, very good. - Yeah. 43:10 - Does that help Jeremiah? - Yeah, thank you, 43:13 that was very helpful. 43:15 - Alright, thanks for your call. 43:16 Who do we have next? 43:17 - Next we have Mark from Michigan, 43:19 you're on "Bible Answers Live". 43:21 - [Mark] Good evening. 43:22 My question is not about predestination or election, 43:26 but I'm kind of curious, 43:27 Matthew 11:28 talks about Jesus saying, 43:30 "Come onto Me all you that labor and are heavy laden, 43:34 and I will give you rest." 43:35 So He is talking to everybody for salvation. 43:38 But in Matthew 22:14, it says, 43:41 "For many are called, but few are chosen." 43:44 And I'm just wondering if all of us 43:46 are called to be disciples or not, 43:49 and what the difference is in this case? 43:51 - Okay, let me talk about those two verses. 43:53 The first one, Jesus says, 43:54 come unto to Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden. 43:56 And of course, the gospel invitation goes to everyone. 44:00 But the ones who are chosen are the ones 44:02 that respond to that gospel invitation, 44:05 those who surrender their lives to Christ. 44:07 Jesus said, not everyone says, 44:09 Lord, Lord will enter into the kingdom of heaven, 44:10 but he that does the will of My Father in heaven. 44:13 So it's true, the gospel is preached, 44:15 we need to preach it to everyone, 44:16 we need to give them the gospel invitation, 44:18 but the ones who respond to that gospel invitation, 44:22 they're the ones who are chosen, 44:24 meaning they have actually responded. 44:27 But having said all of that, 44:28 does God call all of us to be disciples? 44:31 Yes. 44:32 Now that doesn't mean that God calls all of us 44:34 to go to foreign lands as missionaries. 44:37 He might call some of us to do that, but wherever we are, 44:40 whatever we do, if we claim to be a Christian, 44:43 we ought to be a witness, 44:44 we ought to be a disciple of Christ, and disciple makers. 44:48 And God will reveal to us what area of ministry 44:50 He wants us to be involved in. 44:51 Whether it's the local church ministry, 44:53 or whether it's giving Bible studies, 44:54 or witnessing, or whatever it is, 44:56 we all need to witness, we all need to share our faith. 44:58 So in that sense, we are all called to be disciples. 45:02 - Okay, thank you. - Alright, 45:04 thanks for call, Mark. 45:05 - Next we have Joyce from Virginia. 45:08 You are live, welcome Joyce. 45:10 - [Joyce] Thank you for taking it. 45:11 I'm just asking a question, someone said, 45:18 if you're not baptized in Jesus name, 45:21 you won't go to heaven, and I'm not even sure about that? 45:26 - Okay, good question. 45:28 Do you have to be baptized to go to heaven? 45:29 Well, Jesus said. - No, in Jesus name. 45:32 - Oh, in Jesus' name. 45:33 Well, I think when somebody. - Yeah, 45:34 if you're not baptized in Jesus' name, 45:36 you won't go to heaven. 45:38 - Okay, well, 45:39 when somebody's baptized, usually what we do 45:41 is we follow the biblical admonition. 45:44 Jesus said baptize in the name of the Father, 45:46 the name of the Son, and in the name of the Holy Spirit. 45:49 So if you're gonna baptize somebody, 45:51 you wanna baptize them in the name of the Father, 45:53 you wanna baptize them in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, 45:56 and in the name of the Holy Spirit. 45:58 So the exact wording, I know some people have an issue 46:02 about how exactly you need to say those words 46:06 when a person is baptized, 46:07 but the Bible is not focusing on how the words are said, 46:11 it's what is said. 46:12 Are we baptizing, are we committing ourselves 46:15 to the gospel message of the Father, 46:17 Son, and the Holy Spirit, 46:18 accepting Jesus as our personal savior. 46:20 So if somebody's baptized the name of the Father, 46:22 Son, and Holy Spirit, 46:24 that's perfectly legitimate baptism. 46:27 If someone's baptized in the name of the Father, 46:29 the Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, 46:31 that's also perfectly legitimate baptism. 46:34 So don't let the exact wording think 46:38 that a person's not saved or lost 46:40 if it's not said just perfect. 46:42 Does that help Joyce? 46:44 - Yes, it does help. - Okay. 46:46 - [Joyce] This is Joyce and it does help. 46:47 Yes, thank you so much. - Yes, thank you, Joyce. 46:49 Alright, Julie in South Dakota, 46:50 welcome to the program. 46:52 - [Julie] Well, thank you. 46:54 Hi, pastor Ross and hi, pastor Carlos. 46:57 - Hello. - My question tonight, 46:58 I was just wondering if you would summarize 47:00 the last day's events leading up 47:03 to the close of probation, 47:05 and then when will probation close? 47:07 - Okay, good question. 47:09 Alright, first of all, 47:10 do we know when probation closes? 47:12 The answer is no, there's no time prophecy in the Bible 47:14 that tells us after so many years or so many months, 47:17 probation will close. 47:19 But we do know that certain events need to take place 47:21 before probation closes. 47:24 Several things, we're looking at a shaking taking place 47:26 within Christianity, within the church. 47:29 There is a separating of those who truly love God 47:32 and those who don't. 47:34 There is also a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit 47:37 that is to come, we call that the latter reign, 47:40 and that'll embolden the church, 47:41 there will be a revival taking place 47:43 amongst God's true followers. 47:45 There will be a loud proclamation 47:47 of the three angels messages, 47:49 first angel, worship God, 47:51 the one who made the heavens, the earth, 47:52 the sea, the hour of his judgment has come. 47:54 The second angel, Babylon has fallen, 47:56 it's fallen. 47:57 The third angel, if anyone worships the beast, 47:58 or his image, or receives his mark. 48:00 So this loud proclamation, you also see in Revelation 18, 48:03 we call this the fourth angels message, 48:05 where the earth is illuminated with God's glory. 48:07 All of that takes place before probation closes. 48:10 And we also have the mark of the beast issue 48:13 that is also been enforce during that time period 48:16 before probation closes. 48:18 God's people have the seal of God. 48:20 And again, the mark of the beast and the seal of God, 48:22 it's symbolic, it's not a literal mark that people receive. 48:26 And then after this loud cry is given 48:28 and everyone has had an opportunity to hear the gospel 48:30 and to make their choice as to which side they wanna be on, 48:33 then probation closes. 48:35 After probation closes, then you have the seven last plagues 48:38 that you find recorded in Revelation 15 and 16. 48:41 And the last of those seven plagues 48:43 is the actual second coming of Christ. 48:46 So that's kind of the sequence of events. 48:48 We're looking for revival in the church, 48:50 we're looking for a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit, 48:52 the gospel is to be preached to all the world. 48:55 You have the mark of the beast issue, 48:56 a uniting of church and state, 48:59 and then the close of probation, 49:01 and then the seven last plagues. 49:05 Does that help you? - Okay, well, 49:06 thank you so much, that really helped a lot. 49:08 I appreciate it. - Alright, 49:10 thanks for your call. 49:11 - Next we have Anthony calling from Michigan. 49:14 Welcome Anthony, to "Bible Answers Live". 49:16 - [Anthony 2] Hello, I hope your day is going splendid? 49:19 I was just looking for scripture for some anxiety 49:25 that's been popping up here and there during 49:27 some tribulations I've been going through, 49:29 I'm losing my home and I'm about to be a father 49:31 to my girlfriend's kids, take a shot at that, 49:34 we're moving into a hotel 49:35 so we got some questionable circumstances 49:38 or some not so great circumstances. 49:41 Although I have been handling it better 49:42 than I expected to if this ever happened. 49:44 - Yeah. 49:46 Well, Anthony, it sounds like yes, 49:47 you've got some challenges, 49:48 and I'm glad you're listening to "Bible Answers Live", 49:51 it sounds as though you're open to seeking God's guidance 49:54 and looking for God's help. 49:56 The good news is that we can never get as low, 49:59 we can never be so overwhelmed with trials and difficulties 50:02 that we can't call out to God. 50:04 Sometimes we do need to kind of hit rock bottom 50:06 before we are willing to allow the Lord to work. 50:09 I think the first thing you want to do is, 50:12 if you have not yet, you want to get on your knees and say, 50:15 Lord, I commit my life to You, 50:17 you want to ask God to lead in your life, 50:20 you want to find good Christian fellowship, 50:23 connect with the church, start building relationships. 50:28 And then just pray that the Lord will open up doors 50:30 as you seek to follow Him and lean on Him. 50:33 Claim the promises of the Bible, Jesus said, 50:35 I'll never leave you nor forsake you. 50:37 The Bible says, if you lack wisdom, 50:39 in James, you can ask of God and He will give, 50:41 if you need to make some decisions. 50:43 Take responsibility for your life, 50:45 take responsibility for your choices that you have made, 50:49 try to be the best father that you can be. 50:53 Try to get a job and do the best 50:55 you can to provide for your family. 50:57 But then also seek the Lord, seek His guidance 51:00 and His leading, and the Lord will open up the way. 51:03 We do have a book that we'll be happy to give you, 51:07 it's actually a book that was recently written 51:09 by pastor Doug, and you need to call and ask for it. 51:12 It's "Finding Peace in a World of Worry", 51:15 what to do with trials and difficulties. 51:17 And we'll be happy to send that to you, 51:19 you or anyone who calls an ask, 51:20 just call 800-835-6747, and ask for the book, 51:24 "Finding Peace in a World of Worry". 51:28 And keep doing what you're doing, 51:29 keep listening to the Word of God, 51:30 keep reading, keep studying, 51:33 get connected with a good church, 51:35 and allow the Lord to lead in your life. 51:37 Thanks your call, Anthony. 51:39 - Next we have Richard. 51:40 You're live, Richard, 51:41 welcome to "Bible Answers Live". 51:44 - Hello. - Hi Richard. 51:46 - [Richard] My question is concerning Romans 11:20-29. 51:53 It says, "As concerning the gospel, 51:55 they are enemies for your sakes, 51:57 but as touching the election, 51:59 they're beloved for the Father's sakes. 52:02 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance." 52:06 My questions about the relationship 52:08 that God has to Israel as a nation. 52:12 - If you look back into the history of Israel, 52:14 it's pretty clear that God loves the nation of Israel. 52:17 Way back, even in Old Testament times, 52:19 during their rebellion against God, 52:21 God would keep reaching out to them 52:23 and keep sending prophet after prophet. 52:25 And of course, Jesus came, 52:26 and Christ's primary, I should say, 52:29 focus was for the Jews, it was for His people. 52:32 And He wept over Jerusalem because they rejected Him, 52:36 their only hope for salvation. 52:39 And God still loves the Jewish people. 52:41 Now as a nation, they have turned their back on God, 52:44 there are many Jews who accepted Christ as their Messiah, 52:48 they of course become part of spiritual Israel. 52:52 I think that before Jesus comes, 52:53 I hope, I believe that there will be a revival 52:56 amongst many of the Jews in Jerusalem, in Israel, 52:59 they'll come to accept Christ as Messiah. 53:02 But as a nation, as a whole, 53:04 their probationary time ended in 34AD 53:08 at the stoning of Stephen 53:09 when they turned their back on Christ. 53:12 But it doesn't mean that individuals can't be saved. 53:13 Paul is still saying that God loves the Jew, 53:16 God loves Israel, and His purpose hasn't changed, 53:20 He still wants to save them. 53:23 And if you look at a nation that has rebounded 53:26 as a result of so much trials and persecution, 53:29 no other nation like Israel has come back 53:33 and seems to be blessed in so many things that they do. 53:38 They faced a lot of persecution, 53:39 'cause the devil hates the Jews, 53:41 but yet God has given them wonderful blessings. 53:45 And we know of Jews that have accepted Christ 53:49 and they're powerful preachers of the Word of truth. 53:52 And so yes, God loves the Jews just as He loves everyone. 53:55 But I think there's still a special work for Jewish people 53:59 who see Jesus as their Savior. 54:02 - Amen. - Alright, 54:03 who do we have next? We have about a minute left. 54:05 - Karen from Oregon. 54:06 Welcome Karen. 54:07 - Hi Karen, we got about a minute. 54:10 - [Karen] I'm wondering about guidelines 54:12 on how to keep my eye on Jesus, 54:16 - Okay. - my focus during 54:18 the day while I work? 54:19 - Alright, good question. 54:22 First of all, you begin by filling your mind 54:23 with spiritual things in the morning, 54:25 so you take time to read the Word, 54:27 but you keep your eye upon Jesus through prayer. 54:29 It's not that you're praying all day long, 54:32 but throughout the day you are sending up little prayers, 54:35 you're turning your thoughts towards heaven, 54:37 and it's easy to get distracted with earthy things. 54:43 You want to keep drawing your mind back. 54:45 And if we pray and say, Lord, 54:46 help me to stay on you, 54:48 the Holy Spirit will convict us and say, 54:50 think about spiritual things, 54:52 or send up a little prayer, and ask for the Holy Spirit 54:56 to help guide you, to remind you. 54:58 And if you hear that prompting, respond to it, 55:00 and God will bless. 55:02 Well friends, you hear the music playing in the background. 55:04 We wanna say goodbye to those 55:05 who are listening on satellite radio, 55:07 but for the rest of you who are listening 55:08 on land-based radio stations, watching on AFTV, 55:11 we are gonna be right back. 55:13 (gentle instrumental music) 55:15 - [Narrator #1] Thank you for listening 55:16 to today's broadcast. 55:18 We hope you understand your Bible even better than before. 55:22 "Bible Answers Live" 55:23 is produced by Amazing Facts International, 55:26 a faith based ministry located in Granite Bay, California. 55:31 - Hello friends, welcome back to "Bible Answers Live". 55:34 For those of you are able to stay with the program, 55:36 we are gonna take some of your email questions 55:38 that you have sent in. 55:39 We wanna thank the many of you 55:41 who have sent in your email question. 55:43 If you would like to send us a question by email, 55:45 just go to the Amazing Facts website 55:47 or you can actually email it to, 55:49 I see BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. 55:52 Just go ahead and email your Bible question 55:55 and we will try and answer as many 55:56 as we can in the next two minutes. 55:58 What do we have, pastor Carlos? 55:59 - Rachel is asking, will our pets be with us in heaven? 56:05 - The Bible says, eye has not see, 56:07 nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man 56:09 the things that God is preparing for those that love Him. 56:12 Now, whether you're gonna have the exact cat 56:14 or dog in heaven that you had on earth, I don't know. 56:17 But what I do know is that God knows 56:19 the desires of your heart, He knows your animal, 56:23 and if you get to heaven and you see a dog 56:25 that looks just like, you know, 56:27 your dog here on earth, or has similar character traits, 56:31 whatever it is, you will be happy when you get to heaven, 56:34 God will meet your heart's desire. 56:36 - Amen. 56:38 Shelly's asking, Ephesians 4:8 talks about Jesus ascending 56:40 and taking captivity captive, who are the captives? 56:44 - Who are the captives you read about in Ephesians? 56:46 The captives were those who were resurrected 56:48 at the time of Christ's resurrection. 56:50 The Bible tells us that when the Jesus rose from the dead, 56:52 some of the graves opened up and people rose from the dead. 56:56 They are the first fruits of the resurrection 56:58 and they ascended with Jesus to heaven. 57:00 When it says Christ laid captivity captive, 57:02 meaning those who were held captive by death or the grave, 57:06 they were set free. 57:07 Not everyone, the general resurrection 57:09 is at the second coming, but there was a smaller group 57:12 that were resurrected and Jesus took them to heaven. 57:15 - Amen. 57:17 Joseph is wondering if sinfulness is part of human nature, 57:19 why should he suffer eternal damnation 57:22 for something that is of his nature? 57:24 - Okay, well, 57:26 first of all, we don't have to suffer eternal damnation, 57:28 Jesus has made a way of escape. 57:30 And the Bible says, if we accept Jesus 57:32 as our personal Savior and surrendered to Him, 57:34 we can have everlasting life, whoever believes on Him. 57:38 So nobody needs to suffer eternal damnation. 57:41 Now why we are born with the sinful nature? 57:43 Well, that's because of Adam and Eve's sin. 57:45 But despite the fact that we are born with a sinful nature, 57:49 trusting in Jesus, we can gain the victory 57:51 and we can have hope. - Amen. 57:53 - So we can't use that as an excuse and say, well, 57:56 I have this sinful nature 57:57 and I'm not even gonna surrender to Christ. 58:00 I mean, Christ has the power to give us victory, 58:02 if we trust in Him, 58:03 and that surrender is a day by day experience, 58:06 coming to Jesus and surrendering our hearts 58:08 and our lives to Him. 58:09 Then He is able to work within us a work 58:11 that we cannot do for ourself. 58:13 Well friends, thank you so much for joining us 58:15 at "Bible Answers Live". 58:17 Again, we hope to join you next week. 58:19 God bless. 58:20 - [Narrator #1] "Bible Answers Live", 58:22 honest and accurate answers to your Bible questions. 58:26 (gentle instrumental music) |
Revised 2022-12-26