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Series Code: AFBA
Program Code: AFBA202328S
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00:03 male announcer: It is the best-selling book in history. 00:05 No volume ever written has been more loved and quoted; 00:09 and its words, sometimes simple and sometimes mysterious, 00:13 should always be studied carefully. 00:16 It is the Bible, the Word of God. 00:19 Welcome to "Bible Answers Live," providing accurate 00:23 and practical answer to all your Bible questions. 00:28 This broadcast is a previously-recorded episode. 00:31 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this 00:33 broadcast, call 800-835-6747. 00:38 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 00:43 Now here's your host from Amazing Facts International, 00:47 Pastor Doug Batchelor. 00:49 Doug Batchelor: Hello, friends. 00:51 Would you like to hear an Amazing Fact? 00:53 Beginning as a petty thief smuggling cigarettes and 00:56 marijuana, Pablo Escobar eventually came to dominate the 01:00 global cocaine trade through the Medellín cartel, controlling 01:04 over 80% of the drugs shipped to America. 01:08 At one time, his immense operation earned him an 01:11 estimated $420 million a week and the nickname the "King 01:16 of Cocaine." 01:17 By the 1980s, approximately 70 to 80 tons of cocaine was 01:22 entering the US per month making Escobar, according to Forbes in 01:26 1989, the seventh wealthiest person on the planet worth 01:30 approximately about $30 billion. 01:33 In spite of his lethal business, he sought to generate public 01:36 approval by donating to churches and hospitals in Medellín. 01:40 He built soccer fields, parks, paved roads, and even built a 01:44 new neighborhood with 1000 homes for families from the slums. 01:48 His deceptions were so effective, Escobar even 01:52 succeeded in getting himself elected to Colombia's Congress 01:55 in 1982. 01:57 But at heart he was still a ruthless killer. 02:00 Escobar's criminal empire resulted in the deaths of around 02:04 4000 people who dared to challenge his reign, including 02:08 police officers, government officials, journalists, 02:11 even judges. 02:12 Over time, even the government could not be bribed to overlook 02:16 his outrageous crimes and he went into hiding. 02:20 In 1993 he was killed in the shootout with police in a middle 02:23 class Medellín neighborhood. 02:25 This reminds me, Pastor Ross, of another power hungry killer that 02:29 deceives a lot of people regarding his real character. 02:33 Jëan Ross: That's right, Pastor Doug. 02:34 As a matter of fact, the Bible speaks of this being, and Jesus 02:37 has this to say about him, John chapter 8, verse 44, 02:40 speaking of the devil, 02:42 "He was a murderer from the beginning, and he does 02:45 not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. 02:48 When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he's 02:52 the father of lies." 02:54 Well, you have this being that was created, at one point, 02:57 perfect, but then he becomes a murderer and it says from the 03:00 beginning he's always plotted to destroy. 03:03 And of course, ultimately, that was revealed in the death 03:05 of Jesus. 03:06 Doug: Yep. 03:08 Yeah, he was just motivated by pride. 03:09 Another passage is in Isaiah chapter 14 and you can read, I 03:14 think, starting with verse 12. 03:15 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! 03:19 How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened 03:21 the nations! 03:23 For you said in your heart, 'I will ascend into heaven, I will 03:26 exalt my throne above the stars of God... 03:29 I will sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest 03:32 sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the 03:35 clouds, I will be like the Most High.'" 03:39 He was just power hungry, wanted God's position, but he's tried 03:43 to deceive people as to his true character. 03:46 But the devil has no problem killing anyone that gets in his 03:49 way and that's why Jesus, of course, went to the cross. 03:53 But some people think, well, if God is a loving God, why did he 03:56 make a devil to tempt us? 03:58 Jëan: That's right. 03:59 If He knew what would happen, why did He even do that 04:01 in the beginning? 04:02 Well, we have a study guide that talks about that. 04:03 It's called, "Did God Create the Devil?" 04:05 You need to read this. 04:07 It's free. 04:08 All you have to do is call 800-835-6747 and you can ask for 04:12 offer number 107 or you can dial pound 250 on your smartphone, 04:17 say, "I'd like that study guide called 'Did God Create 04:20 the Devil?'" 04:21 And of course, we'll send that to anyone who calls and asks. 04:24 Our phone line here to the studios is 800-463-7297, with 04:29 your Bible related question. 04:31 Ready to go to the phone lines. 04:32 Our first call of this evening is Cory listening in Ohio. 04:35 Cory, welcome to the program. 04:37 Cory: Hi, how are you doing? 04:39 Doug: Good, good. 04:40 Thanks for calling. 04:41 Cory: Good, good. 04:43 I enjoy your program. 04:44 I glean a lot of information about the scriptures from 04:47 your program. 04:48 Doug: Well, thank you. 04:49 Cory: My question is, in Revelation 12, verse 1 through 04:54 9, it's the story of the war in heaven. 05:01 heavenly host and threw them down to the earth, how could he 05:03 have fought with them against Michael and the angels? 05:06 How could they--if they weren't there? 05:08 Because those angels are considered as his angels, the 05:11 ones that he threw down to the ground, from the information 05:14 that I've received from different sources. 05:18 And I'm just trying to figure out how he was able to fight 05:22 with those angels if he threw them down to the ground. 05:26 Doug: Yeah, when it says that a third of the angels were cast to 05:28 the ground, these are the ones cast out with Satan. 05:32 It's not that Satan defeated a third of the good angels. 05:35 One third of the angels followed Satan in his rebellion and when 05:39 Satan was cast to the earth--that's actually even in 05:42 the verse we just read, "I will cast thee out as profane because 05:45 you have sinned," and Satan was cast out of heaven. 05:48 One third of the angels were cast out with him and you can 05:51 also read in Matthew 25, it says, "This lake of fire is 05:55 prepared for the devil and his angels." 05:58 And so, I don't know, am I answering what you're 06:01 asking, Cory? 06:02 Does that make sense? 06:04 Cory: No, the sequence is--something is wrong with the 06:06 sequence and it says--this is what it says. 06:10 "And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, 06:14 then down to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman 06:17 and there was a great battle in heaven: and Michael and the 06:19 angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon fought and 06:22 his angels." 06:24 I'm trying to figure out, who did he throw down to the ground? 06:27 Doug: Yeah, this--yeah, this is the--a third of the angels that 06:31 were fighting with Lucifer against Michael and his angels 06:35 are the ones that are cast to the ground. 06:37 Jëan: Yeah, maybe just to add a little more, you know, there's a 06:39 feature that we see in Bible prophecy and this might be what 06:41 might help a little bit. 06:43 Sometimes, the statement is made in prophecy and then the 06:46 prophet, in vision, backs up to explain how he got to 06:50 that point. 06:52 So, in other words, like you say, in the introductory of 06:53 Revelation 12, it says the devil with his tail was able to just 06:57 throw down a third of the stars of heaven, but it's not until 06:59 you get to verse 8 and 9 you actually find out how He 07:02 did that. 07:04 Well, then it goes on to say, well, "There was war in heaven: 07:06 Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon 07:09 fought and his angels." 07:10 And then it goes on in verse 9, "So the great dragon was cast 07:13 out, that old serpent of old called the devil and Satan, who 07:15 deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his 07:18 angels were cast out with him." 07:19 So, it begins with the statement, "The devil was able 07:21 to deceive a third of the angels and they were cast out," and 07:24 then it's not until 9, you get the details of exactly how that 07:27 happened, "While there was a war, and he lost and he and his 07:30 angels were thrown out." 07:32 Doug: All through prophecy it'll give you the headline. 07:34 Jëan: That's right. 07:35 Doug: Then it goes back and gives you the story. 07:36 Jëan: That's right. 07:38 Kind of repeat and enlarge. 07:39 So, hopefully, that helps, Cory. 07:40 Doug: He would enjoy our study that we're offering on "Did God 07:43 Create the Devil?" 07:44 Jëan: That's right. 07:45 I think it's in there. 07:47 We talk about that. 07:48 Again, the number to call for that is just 800-835-6747. 07:50 That is our resource phone line, you'll see it on your screens if 07:52 you're watching, or dial pound 250 and say, "I'd like 07:57 to--'Bible Answers Live,' I'd like that study guide, 'Did God 08:00 Create the Devil?'" 08:02 All right, next caller that we have is Brittany in California. 08:04 Brittany, welcome to the program. 08:05 Brittany: Yeah. 08:07 My question is, is the Torah relevant for Christians today in 08:12 our modern time? 08:14 Doug: Is it okay for a Christian to read the Torah? 08:17 Brittany: Mm-hm. 08:19 Doug: Yeah. 08:20 Now, of course, the Torah are sacred Jewish writings and 08:22 there's a lot that can be learned from that, so there's 08:25 nothing morally wrong with doing that. 08:29 You know, by all means there's a good history in there. 08:33 The Torah is a word that is used to sort of encompass a lot of 08:37 the Hebrew scriptures, but it may also include some that would 08:41 not be in our Old Testament, but would be the sacred writings. 08:45 I think the word "torah" is law, in the greater sense. 08:48 So, yeah by all means. 08:50 When you're reading your Bible, you're reading part of the Torah 08:52 right there. 08:53 So, hopefully that helps a little bit. 08:56 Hey, thank you Brittany. 08:57 Jëan: All right, we've got Tina listening in Nevada. 08:59 Tina, welcome to the program. 09:02 Tina: Hi. 09:03 Doug: Hi, Tina. 09:04 Thanks for calling. 09:06 Tina: This is her daughter. 09:07 She's standing--she's sitting right here with me. 09:10 This is Tina. 09:11 She just gets nervous on the phone which--and now I am a 09:14 little nervous too, but we are both here. 09:18 We were just wondering about lots of different religions and 09:25 one particularly that we had been involved in, you know, 09:29 before--I guess our question is, why do some believe that they're 09:34 the only ones, they're the only ones who have the truth and you 09:38 have to do it, it gives you almost that sense of fear to go 09:42 off and look in a direction or to keep reading, actually, 09:45 because the Bible says, you know, "Keep reading, keep 09:47 seeking, keep knocking," but you have man telling you a whole 09:50 another thing. 09:52 And so, I guess what our question is, is that why do 09:54 some--and some in particular believe they're the only ones 09:59 that are going to get--? 10:01 Doug: Yeah, why do some denominations teach that they're 10:03 the only ones that are going to make it to heaven? 10:05 Well, to be honest, I think they do that the same reason that 10:09 some political candidates can't say anything good about any 10:13 other candidate because they say, "I'm the only answer." 10:15 They don't want to give any other options. 10:17 As soon as you admit to people that you don't have all the 10:22 truth and they begin to look around, there are some churches 10:26 that teach their members they are not allowed to look at or 10:29 read religious information from any other denomination. 10:34 Now, we don't do that in our church. 10:36 In fact, you know, I said, I think, during this series, we 10:39 think the greatest part of Christ's true followers are not 10:42 members of our church. 10:43 I hope they all come and join before it's over, but we know 10:46 there's godly people in many different churches. 10:49 But when a church says you're not allowed to read anything 10:52 written by another church, it's like they put blinders on their 10:55 members so they can't look around and I think the truth--if 10:59 your church has the truth, it should bear up 11:01 under investigation. 11:04 A couple of years ago, you know, we did a friendly debate at our 11:10 church here and another pastor said, you know, he doesn't think 11:13 we need to keep the Sabbath anymore. 11:15 And I said, "I think we do," and we said, "Well, let's take it to 11:18 the people and see what the Bible says." 11:19 And I think that the truth should bear up 11:22 under investigation. 11:24 And so, yeah, a lot of these denominations, they say, "If 11:27 you're not a member of our church, then you're not one of 11:29 the 144,000 and only members of our church are going to 11:33 be saved." 11:34 You know, while I believe my church is the closest to the 11:37 Bible--I mean, if it's not, I'm in the wrong church, clearly. 11:40 I mean, you want to be--every pastor should think, my church 11:42 is as closest to the Bible as I can get, because you--we all 11:45 want to be as close to scriptural truth as we can be. 11:48 But I think it's reckless to say that we're flawless. 11:52 There's a Pope that says that he's infallible. 11:55 The only one who is really infallible in this world 11:57 is Jesus. 11:58 Jëan: And that's right. 12:00 Jesus Himself said, "Other sheep I have which are not of this 12:02 fold, them I need to call and they will come." 12:05 So, yes. 12:06 So, see, as seekers of truth, in whatever church, even different 12:09 religions, if they open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, 12:13 they will be led into truth. 12:14 And Jesus said, "You shall know the truth and the truth will set 12:17 you free." 12:18 So, we shouldn't be afraid of the truth. 12:20 All right, thank you. 12:21 Next caller that we have is Andrew in West Virginia. 12:24 Andrew, welcome to the program. 12:26 Andrew: Awesome, awesome. 12:28 So, my question is--say you're seeking employment and it's 12:33 very, very hard, but every employer wants you to work on 12:37 Sabbath, that they'll give you Sunday off. 12:39 Obviously, you need money live. 12:40 How should you proceed with that? 12:43 Doug: Yeah, it's a challenge. 12:46 And you know, I think that if you're going to seek first God's 12:49 kingdom, then you just need to settle that that is not 12:52 an option. 12:54 And of course, there's millions of people around the world 12:58 that--I know just in our church are 22 million members, and 13:02 there's many other Sabbath keepers around the world. 13:04 They're just resolved that even if it is difficult, that 13:08 breaking God's commandments are not an option. 13:09 And God opens doors, it sometimes can be a challenge, 13:12 but I don't think you need to be afraid. 13:15 He'll work miracles. 13:16 He provides for his people. 13:18 Jëan: Yeah, and Jesus said, you know, do not worry about what 13:20 you're going to wear or what you're going to eat, God 13:22 will provide. 13:24 So, if we stand up for what we know to be true, God has 13:26 promised to provide for our needs, for us and our families. 13:29 Doug: Yeah, there'll be tests. 13:31 We're not denying that, you know, you may get tested on your 13:33 faith, but give God a chance to prove himself God and say, "I'm 13:39 going to trust the Lord." 13:40 And you know, if it were me, I think a lot of employers would 13:43 say finding honest employees is hard. 13:46 And if you got an employee that says, "I'm not going to break 13:48 the fourth commandment even if I lose my job," that means that 13:51 employee is probably going to work when they're there and 13:54 they're not going to steal your materials from your office or 13:57 your store or whatever. 13:59 So, honest employees are hard to find. 14:02 I just--I trust the Lord, he's going to provide. 14:06 Thanks so much, Andrew, appreciate your call. 14:08 Jëan: We've got Bonnie listening in Oregon. 14:10 Bonnie, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 14:12 You're on the air. 14:13 Bonnie: Thank you so much for taking my call. 14:16 My question is, when we get to heaven, will we still have the 14:20 same character that we died with even though we've taken our sins 14:26 to the Lord and asked Him to help us to overcome? 14:30 What will our characters be in heaven, because the thief on the 14:32 cross really didn't have much time for character development. 14:36 Doug: Yeah, well, that's a good question. 14:38 But the thief on the cross did have time for heart conversion 14:42 and we think he went through the steps of conversion, which are, 14:46 you repent and you confess and then you receive. 14:51 And he publicly said, you know, we're getting what we deserve, 14:55 he expressed sorrow and then he prayed and said, "Lord, remember 14:59 me," and Jesus promised, "You'll be with Me in paradise." 15:02 I think he accepted that and his heart was transformed. 15:05 And as soon as we are justified and we're given that new heart, 15:08 when he comes forth in the Resurrection, he's still going 15:10 to have that new heart. 15:11 Now, he may not have had time to, you know, go through the 15:15 character development of being tempted on his diet or his 15:18 temper or whatever the problems might have been, but I think the 15:21 Holy Spirit will compensate at times like that. 15:25 He'll be in the kingdom. 15:26 Thank you, Bonnie. 15:28 Hope that helps a little. 15:29 By the way, I have a book about the thief on the cross and it's 15:33 called, "Crucified with Christ." 15:35 I think you'll enjoy that. 15:36 Jëan: All right, next caller that we have is Cindy listening 15:38 in California. 15:40 Cindy, welcome to the program. 15:42 Cindy: Good evening, pastors. 15:43 Thank you for taking my call. 15:45 Doug: Thank you. 15:46 And your question. 15:48 Cindy: My question is about the prophecies in the Old Testament 15:53 and New about the sun turning dark, the moon turning to blood, 15:58 and the stars falling, earthquakes. 16:01 I've heard from pastors that these already happened in the 17 16:05 and 1800s, but it seems in Revelation that maybe these are 16:11 ahead of us, from Revelation 6:12, the sixth seal. 16:16 So, are these things that could still be in front of us? 16:19 Doug: Yes and yes. 16:21 This is one of those prophecies where I think you've got a 16:24 dual application. 16:25 God sometimes shows us, historically, the fulfillment of 16:28 these things. 16:30 After the 1798 period that is given in Revelation and Daniel, 16:36 it says that the sun would be dark and the moon would turn to 16:38 blood and the stars would fall from heaven. 16:40 Those things happened on a grand scale globally. 16:45 Big Lisbon earthquake was felt, sent shockwave all around North 16:49 Africa and Europe and it's still recorded by the seismologist as 16:54 one of the biggest and a great human loss of human life. 16:58 Jëan: Seventeen fifty-five. 17:00 Doug: Yeah. 17:01 These things happen historically, but they're going 17:03 to happen again in quick succession just before the 17:05 Second Coming because one thing that didn't happen, says, "And 17:07 the heavens departed as a scroll." 17:09 And so, that's still to come. 17:11 So, isn't that what you understand? 17:12 Jëan: Yeah, absolutely. 17:14 I'm just looking at it. 17:15 You know, what's significant about that is you look at 17:16 the date 1755 and then you have 1780 and then you have 1833. 17:21 Right around that time, it's after the Protestant Reformation 17:23 is already taken off, people are beginning to study the 17:25 scriptures, in particular the prophecies of the Bible. 17:28 And as they were studying these prophecies, recognizing that the 17:32 2300 year prophecy of Daniel 8:14 was coming to an end, then 17:37 there was this great earthquake, the Lisbon earthquake. 17:39 Something else passed that is interesting. 17:40 At the time, Lisbon was the capital and Portugal was the 17:43 capital of the slave trade around the world and a judgment 17:46 came upon this city, and then, of course, North Africa, Europe, 17:49 and even as far as the Americas. 17:51 And then the dark day, May 19, 1780. 17:54 And then, probably the most spectacular star shower 17:58 was in-- 17:59 Doug: That's the one that was in--it's--was November 12. 18:01 Jëan: Oh, that's 12. 18:02 Doug: Yeah, it was November 12, 1833, and so this is the 18:04 190th anniversary. 18:07 Sorry, I got my events mixed up. 18:10 They called it a Leonid meteor storm. 18:12 I'm looking at it in the Library of Congress. 18:15 It's--and history is-- 18:16 Jëan: Remarkable, yeah. 18:17 Yeah. 18:19 So, yes, it had a historical application. 18:20 Could it have a future application? 18:22 Well, when you read about what happens just before Jesus comes, 18:24 it seems as though all of nature's turned upside down. 18:27 There's a great earthquake that the Bible speaks of at the end 18:30 as well, so. 18:31 Doug: Sun will go dark, moon will look like blood because the 18:33 skies will be filled with smoke. 18:34 It's all going to happen again. 18:36 Thank you so much. 18:37 Appreciate your question. 18:38 And who's next? 18:40 Jëan: All right, we got Gary listening in Illinois. 18:41 Gary, welcome to the program. 18:43 Gary: Thank you. 18:45 In Genesis 1:26 it says, "Let them have dominion over 18:49 the earth." 18:50 Does that mean we're to be good stewards over the planet or have 18:54 the option to run the planet straight into hell like we're 18:58 currently doing by using coal and oil? 19:02 Doug: Well, to answer your question, yes, people should be 19:05 good stewards of the planet. 19:07 In fact, in Revelation, I think it's chapter 16, verse 11, it 19:12 says, "God will destroy them that destroy the earth." 19:15 Jëan: Chapter 11. 19:16 Doug: 11, verse-- 19:17 Jëan: Probably 16. 19:19 We might have got that backwards. 19:20 Doug: We're dyslexic, a little bit sometimes. 19:21 Yeah, it says that "the nations were angry and the time of Your 19:24 wrath should come and that You should destroy those that 19:27 destroy the earth." 19:29 Jëan: Yes, Revelation 11, verse--I'm looking at it 19:33 right here. 19:35 Doug: Yeah, so we should be good stewards of the planet and 19:38 dominion was given to the planet--given to Adam and Eve of 19:41 the planet and they were to care for the creatures and tend 19:45 the Garden. 19:46 And even now, I think, you know, Christians should be responsible 19:51 stewards of everything, their time, their words, and the world 19:55 that God has made. 19:57 As far as possible, we should do our best. 19:58 Jëan: Revelation chapter 11, verse 18. 20:00 Doug: That's it. 20:01 Thanks so much. 20:03 Appreciate that, Glenn. 20:04 Jëan: All right, next caller that we have--I think that 20:06 was Gary. 20:07 We've got Glenn now listening in Ohio. 20:08 Glenn, welcome to the program. 20:10 Glenn: Good evening to you and thanks for taking my call. 20:13 Doug: Absolutely. 20:15 Glenn: Scripture is Luke 17, verses 20 through 22. 20:20 My question is, what did Jesus mean when He said, "The kingdom 20:23 of God is within you"? 20:26 Doug: Yeah, well, the--and He says here, "The kingdom of God 20:29 does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' 20:32 or 'See there!' 20:33 For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." 20:34 When Jesus began His ministry, He said, "Repent, for the 20:38 kingdom of heaven is at hand." 20:40 I think John the Baptist said the same thing. 20:43 And if you read in Acts chapter 1--I forget, it may have been 20:47 Philip that said to Jesus, "Lord, will you, at this time, 20:51 you know, establish Israel as a kingdom?" 20:53 And He said, "It's not for you to know the times and seasons." 20:56 So, they even misunderstood there. 20:59 There's two aspects to the kingdom, Glenn. 21:02 You've got the internal kingdom where you invite Jesus to be the 21:06 Lord of your life and sit on the throne of your heart, that 21:08 begins right now. 21:10 But there is a time when Christ comes to receive the kingdom, 21:13 and this world that He has ransomed, He will get it back. 21:17 And so, that is the--the physical kingdom of God will be 21:20 set up here on earth at the end of the 1000 years, the spiritual 21:24 kingdom is already available and it's within reach for everyone. 21:28 Jëan: Yes, you know, if somebody surrenders their life to Christ, 21:30 they become a citizen of the kingdom. 21:32 If Jesus is ruling in their heart, we call that the kingdom 21:35 of grace. 21:36 And eventually, the kingdom of grace will give way to the 21:38 kingdom of glory when Jesus comes a second time and the 21:41 earth is finally recreated at the end of the 1000 years. 21:44 So, two parts of the kingdom as you mentioned. 21:47 All right, great. 21:48 Next question that we have is--let's see, we've got James 21:51 in Texas. 21:52 James, welcome to the program. 21:54 James: Yes, thank you for taking my call tonight. 21:58 Doug: Yes, and we're glad you're calling. 22:00 Your question. 22:01 James: Yes, I'm trying to get the truth about a kind of 22:05 a urgent matter. 22:07 Some people say that the death decree is the end of probation 22:12 and some say that is the mark of the beast. 22:15 Can you tell me if that's in scriptures, when the death 22:19 decree--I mean, not death decree, the end of probation is, 22:22 because I can't find it anywhere and it's kind of confusing me. 22:25 Doug: Yeah, yeah, good question. 22:27 You're not going to find the phrase in the probation, 22:31 you'll find the teaching. 22:32 Now, for instance, is it Revelation 22 where Jesus said, 22:36 "Let him that is just"--you might want to look that up 22:38 real quick. 22:39 As far as the decree, it doesn't call it a decree, it's called a 22:42 decree--in Daniel 3 a decree is made by Nebuchadnezzar. 22:47 A decree is signed by Darius in Daniel chapter 6 as a death 22:51 decree, unless they worship a certain way. 22:53 Revelation alludes to the same kind of law, it doesn't use the 22:56 word decree. 22:57 And it says in verse 17 of Revelation 13, "No one might buy 23:00 or sell except the one who has the mark, the name of the beast, 23:04 or the number of his name." 23:05 Well, it stands to reason that if they're going to enforce a 23:08 law that no one can buy or sell, there'll be a decree that 23:12 states that. 23:13 Jëan: And we have that verse that I think you're referring 23:15 to, Revelation 22, verse 11. 23:16 Jesus says, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; he that 23:20 is filthy, let him be filthy still; he that is righteous, let 23:23 him be righteous still; he that is holy, let him be holy still, 23:26 and behold, I come quickly..." 23:28 So, that is made before Jesus comes. 23:30 And then Daniel chapter 12, verse 1, it says, "At that time 23:33 Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands over the 23:35 sons of thy people; and there will be a time of trouble, worse 23:38 than the world has ever seen... 23:40 But at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one 23:42 found written in the book." 23:43 So, you have the close of probation, you have a time of 23:46 trouble, the seven last plagues, the end of which is the death 23:49 decree, but Jesus comes before that death decree can 23:52 be enacted. 23:53 Doug: Yeah, and when you read about the seven last plagues it 23:55 says instead of repenting, they don't repent, they curse 23:57 their God. 23:59 Yeah, so there's no repenting, their probations close during 24:02 the seven last plagues. 24:03 That's probably the best we can do now. 24:05 The other idea about probation closing would be when Noah and 24:09 his family boarded the ark. 24:11 There were seven days when life went on, but their probation was 24:15 closed, the door was shut, and it'll be that way near the end 24:18 of time. 24:19 Well, friends, we got 13, 10, 9 seconds before our break, but 24:24 we're going to take more questions in the second half 24:27 that's coming up. 24:28 Don't forget, also, check out amazingfacts.org. 24:31 A lot of resources there. 24:32 Don't go away. 24:34 More questions to come. 24:37 male announcer: Stay tuned. 24:39 "Bible Answers Live" will return shortly. 24:45 Doug: Hi, friends, Pastor Doug Batchelor. 24:47 This morning, my wife Karen sent me on a mission. 24:49 She said, "When you're taping your announcements this morning, 24:52 tell people about my favorite Amazing Facts app." 24:55 It's called the "Amazing Facts Radio" app. 24:58 You simply type that in, "Amazing Facts Radio," you can 25:01 download the app and you can listen to good Christian music, 25:04 Bible reading, sermons all day long. 25:06 Keep your faith focused in heaven through the day. 25:09 Check it out if you haven't done it yet, 25:11 the "Amazing Facts Radio" app. 25:13 You'll be blessed. 25:15 male announcer: Doug Batchelor was the teenage son of a 25:17 millionaire father and show business mother. 25:20 Yet, he was living in a cave. 25:22 He had everything money could buy, everything but happiness. 25:25 But all of the fun and excitement he enjoyed left his 25:28 life out of control. 25:30 His search eventually led him to a cave above Palm Springs that 25:34 became his home. 25:35 While Doug scavenged for food in garbage bins, his father owned a 25:39 yacht, a Learjet, and an airline. 25:42 But in his cave home, he discovered a dust covered Bible. 25:46 As he began to read, he soon learned of his true purpose 25:49 in life. 25:50 "The Richest Caveman," is the extraordinary true story of 25:54 Doug Batchelor that tells how a rebellious teenager who once 25:57 lived in a cave became a tremendous soul winner for 26:00 Jesus Christ. 26:02 It's a thrilling testimony of the transforming power of 26:04 God's Word. 26:06 To order your copy of, "The Richest Caveman," 26:08 call 800-538-7275 or visit afbookstore.com. 26:15 male announcer: In six days God created the heavens and 26:18 the earth. 26:19 For thousands of years man has worshiped God on the seventh day 26:23 of the week. 26:24 Now, each week, millions of people worship on the first day. 26:29 What happened? 26:30 Why did God create a day of rest? 26:32 Does it really matter what day we worship? 26:34 Who was behind this great shift? 26:37 Discover the truth behind God's law and how it was changed. 26:40 Visit SabbathTruth.com. 26:48 male announcer: You're listening to "Bible Answers Live," where 26:51 every question answered provides a clearer picture of God and His 26:54 plan to save you. 26:56 So, what are you waiting for? 26:58 Get practical answers about the good book for a better 27:01 life today. 27:05 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 27:08 If you'd like answers to your Bible related questions on the 27:11 air, please call us next Sunday between 7 p.m. 27:14 and 8 p.m. Pacific Time. 27:17 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this 27:20 evening's program, call 800-835-6747. 27:25 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 27:30 Now, let's rejoin our hosts for more "Bible Answers Live." 27:36 Doug: Welcome back listening friends. 27:37 We're glad that you have stayed tuned. 27:39 And some of you who joined us along the way, this is "Bible 27:42 Answers Live," live, international, interactive 27:45 Bible study. 27:46 You can participate and call in your questions. 27:48 Once again, it's 800-463-7297. 27:52 My name is Doug Batchelor. 27:54 Jëan: And my name is Jëan Ross and we're going to go to Jim. 27:57 Jim is listening in Indiana. 27:58 Jim, welcome to the program. 28:00 Jim: Yes, hello. 28:02 Doug: Hi, thanks for waiting. 28:04 Jim: We were doing a Bible study the other week and somebody 28:07 brought up about Adam and Eve running around naked. 28:13 I said, "No, they was clothed with the light of God," I guess. 28:19 How do you explain that to somebody? 28:22 Doug: Well, I'll have Pastor Ross look something up for me 28:25 while I share some other verses with you. 28:27 In Revelation where he talks about clothes with white 28:28 robes--is that 7--I forget. 28:31 But if you look in Mark chapter 9, when Jesus is glorified on 28:36 top of this mountain, with Elijah and Moses appear, says, 28:40 "His clothing became exceedingly shining, white like snow, such 28:45 as no launderer on earth can whiten them." 28:47 I think another passage in Matthew it says that "his 28:52 clothes became like the sun." 28:55 That's what it's--yeah, that's in Matthew--what is it, 16 28:59 or 17? 29:01 Yeah, verse 3, and then when Moses came off the mountain 29:03 after talking to God, he had to veil his face. 29:06 So, he had to cover his face with clothes because it was so 29:08 bright you couldn't look on his face. 29:11 Adam and Eve used to talk to God face to face. 29:13 They had garments of light. 29:15 It was, you know, no artificial fabric, but they were just 29:18 shimmering with God's glory, made in the image of God, and 29:21 when they sinned, those garments of--robes of light went out. 29:25 Jëan: That's right. 29:26 When we look in Revelation chapter 7 talks about those 29:27 who are arrayed white robes, speaking of the redeemed. 29:30 And then we have in Acts chapter 1, verse 10 talks about an angel 29:34 wearing white apparel, dazzling white brightness. 29:38 And I think in the verse itself in Genesis when it talks about 29:40 Adam and he suddenly realized they were naked, it gives the 29:43 idea that at some point in time they weren't naked and they 29:46 became naked and they suddenly realized it. 29:49 So, that would imply then that at some other time they were 29:51 wearing something. 29:53 Doug: Why would they try to cover themselves? 29:54 Jëan: Yeah, why would they suddenly say, "Oh, we're naked"? 29:56 Doug: And then, it's not like God didn't say, "Oh, you 29:58 shouldn't be ashamed to be naked." 29:59 God said, "You should be ashamed. 30:01 Your garments are too small." 30:02 He made bigger ones, because in the book of Genesis it says they 30:07 made aprons of fig leaf and it says they were small and God 30:11 gave them tunics of skin. 30:14 So, not only was it the wrong material, but it wasn't enough. 30:17 So clearly, the clothing in heaven, it's not, you know, it's 30:20 not wool, it's not skin, it's not polyester. 30:24 These are some supernatural garments of glory that they had. 30:29 Jëan: You know, one of the verse, Psalms 104, verse 2, God 30:32 says, speaking of God, "[You] 30:34 cover yourself with light as a garment..." 30:37 Doug: There you go. 30:38 Jëan: And if we're created in God's image, God wears light and 30:42 Adam and Eve had this garment of light. 30:44 Doug: That's a good verse. 30:46 Jëan: Okay, thank you, Jim. 30:48 We have Joan listening in Australia. 30:50 Joan, welcome to the program. 30:52 Joan: Hello, how are you? 30:54 Thank you for taking my call. 30:55 Repetition is the key, "Bible Answers Live." 30:58 My question tonight is Jeremiah chapter 3, verse 9. Can you 31:02 please explain to me that verse and who is she? 31:07 Is she the people or the developing people of God? 31:11 Doug: Alright, let me read this for our friends listening. 31:13 In Jeremiah chapter 3, verse 9 it says, "So it came to pass, 31:17 through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and 31:21 committed adultery with stones and with trees." 31:24 It's talking about when the people of God, yeah, 31:27 they--when--the stones and trees, it means they made idols 31:31 out of wood, they made idols out of stone, and they 31:35 worshiped them. 31:36 God consistently called that harlotry. 31:39 In fact, in the book of Hosea it specifically says that Israel 31:43 had played the harlot with her idols. 31:46 So, because God said, "Do not make graven images in the 31:50 second commandment. 31:51 I'm, you know, I'm a living God. 31:52 Any image you make of Me is going to diminish your concept 31:55 of My greatness." 31:57 Whenever they started worshiping idols like the pagan nations 31:59 around them, He said, "You're giving your love to another 32:02 God," and it was called harlotry. 32:05 Jëan: And in Revelation chapter 17, you have a woman, her name 32:08 is Babylon, and she's described as a harlot. 32:10 So, whenever a church leaves the truths of God's Word and forms 32:15 an alliance with political powers or begins to worship 32:18 idols, in this case, spiritually she's described as a harlot. 32:22 Doug: Yeah. 32:24 And in this passage in Jeremiah, it talks about both Israel, the 32:27 northern kingdom, and Judah followed suit and they got 32:29 involved in idolatry too in the time of--well, Solomon did 32:33 before he died, but then got really bad during the time 32:36 of Manasseh. 32:37 Jëan: And both kingdoms would judge for that at some point. 32:40 All right, thank you, Joan. 32:41 We got Betty Lou in California. 32:43 Betty Lou, welcome to the program. 32:46 Betty Lou: Thank you. 32:47 My first question of the first text is Acts 9:36 where Peter 32:55 goes and raises Dorcas. 32:58 It calls her a disciple. 33:01 So, there were women disciples. 33:04 Then, we go to Luke 24:13 and onward for two disciples were on 33:11 the way to Emmaus and Jesus joined them and they didn't 33:15 recognize him. 33:17 Now, they didn't usually put women's names down, and if there 33:22 were women disciples, why could not this other disciple had been 33:26 Mrs. Cleopas? 33:28 And they went to their home together and they asked Jesus to 33:32 stay with them. 33:34 Am I wrong in believing that? 33:36 Doug: No, you're absolutely right in believing that there 33:40 are women disciples. 33:42 Now, of course, the word disciple is different 33:44 from apostle. 33:45 There were no women apostles, the 12 apostles were all men. 33:50 And then, when Judas was replaced in Acts chapter 1, they 33:53 replaced him from among two men. 33:56 Could this other woman--or could this other disciple, Cleopas, it 34:01 couldn't have been Cleopas and his wife. 34:04 Well, it could have been, it doesn't say in the text whoever 34:08 they were. 34:09 It says, "The same hour after Jesus revealed Himself to them," 34:13 that they turned around and went back to Jerusalem together. 34:17 So, all we can do is speculate about what the name or identity 34:22 of the other one was, but there's nothing in the text that 34:25 says it wasn't his wife and there certainly were 34:29 women disciples. 34:30 Mary Magdalene was a disciple. 34:32 Jëan: Just to add to that, Jesus in the Great Commission, He 34:34 said, "Go and make disciples of all nations." 34:37 So, that obviously includes both men and women. 34:40 Doug: Yep, absolutely. 34:42 So, I hope that helps Betty Lou. 34:43 Thank you. 34:44 Jëan: We've got David in Alaska. 34:46 David, welcome to the program. 34:48 David: I've been abused and I'm mentally ill and my question is, 34:52 will God put people to sleep if they can't handle the 34:55 end-time persecution? 34:57 Doug: Well, let me read you a verse that I hope will bring you 35:00 some comfort and maybe some peace of mind. 35:03 You go to 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and let me--just give me a 35:07 second here. 35:09 Here it is, yeah. 35:10 1 Corinthians 10, verse 13. 35:12 Thank you. 35:13 "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; 35:17 but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted 35:22 beyond what you are able, but will with the temptation also 35:26 make the way of escape, that you are able to bear it." 35:29 So, either God is going to, you know, get you out of the way of 35:33 the temptation or make sure that whatever temptation or trial 35:37 comes you are able to bear it. 35:39 So, don't worry that you're ever going to be given something by 35:42 God that you can't handle with His grace. 35:45 But there are going to be some that, you know, He loves that 35:48 He'll lay to rest. 35:50 Where is that prophecy that says, "And none considers it, He 35:54 takes them away to avoid the the trials to come"? 35:58 You know what I'm talking about? 35:59 Some people are laid to rest and it's because God loves them. 36:03 "Blessed in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His saints." 36:05 And then even in Revelation it says, "Where the souls under the 36:08 altar rest, until the other fellow servants might be 36:13 martyred as you were." 36:14 So, you know, God sometimes lets people go to sleep so they won't 36:18 have to go through trials they can't handle. 36:19 Jëan: And I think the point that you mentioned, pastor, that you 36:21 look in scripture, whenever one of God's disciples faced a trial 36:25 and they stood for the right, they were always empowered to 36:28 handle that trial. 36:29 And of course, we have many martyrs who gave their life, 36:32 frail--you know, women who you might think, well, I don't think 36:35 they can handle trials, but yet they did, they became like a 36:38 lion in the face of persecution and had this holy boldness and 36:42 this peace and their life was such a testimony. 36:45 And when they gave their life there was this calmness--many 36:48 actually sang while being burned at the stake. 36:51 Now, that's humanly impossible, so God sustained them in 36:54 a miraculous way. 36:55 Doug: That's right. 36:56 Jëan: All right, thank you, David. 36:58 We have got Steve listening in Oregon. 37:00 Steve, welcome to the program. 37:02 Steve: Yeah, I've got recently got "The Days of Noah" DVD set 37:07 and I've watched it dozens of times and they have answered 37:11 numerous questions I've had been--I've been plagued by for 37:15 years, but one question's left me with--at the end of the--all 37:20 four DVDs, all of the main characters are on foot traveling 37:24 through the forest over hills and crossing streams, heading 37:28 towards one mountain top that is covered by a huge rainbow 37:33 colored, halo-looking cloud. 37:37 Is that the end of the days of Noah's story or is there another 37:42 DVD that finishes the production I can request? 37:46 Is that huge rainbow colored halo-type cloud the New 37:51 Jerusalem coming down? 37:53 I'm confused like, fireball-type asteroids are impacting 37:59 the earth. 38:00 Is it too late to be saved or should we be heading towards 38:04 this rainbow type thing? 38:07 Doug: Well, I--first of all, I was a contributor to that 38:11 DVD series. 38:13 We did not produce it, it was produced by our good friends at 38:15 Layman Ministries and Jeff Reich. 38:17 And I'm pretty sure that what's implied there is that they are 38:22 going towards a place of safety and it's just prior to the 38:26 coming of the Lord. 38:28 You don't need to worry about where to run right now because 38:32 when that day comes, just like a pillar of fire led God's people 38:36 through the wilderness, angels are going to guide us during 38:39 that time. 38:40 And says He'll give His angels charge over you to keep you in 38:43 all your ways, 1000 may fall at your side, 10,000 at your right 38:47 hand, but it will not come near you. 38:49 So, God is going to preserve His people. 38:52 I never worry about, you know, am I going to know where to run 38:54 and hide in the last days? 38:56 My concern is, I just want to be faithful day by day to be doing 39:00 what God wants me to do. 39:01 But thanks so much and I'll tell our friends at Layman's 39:06 Ministries that you've been blessed by the series. 39:09 Jëan: Next call that we have is Linda listening in 39:11 West Virginia. 39:12 Linda, welcome to the program. 39:14 Linda: Thank you for taking my call. 39:18 Pastors, I want to tell you first of all, I really 39:21 appreciate y'all's ministry. 39:24 I have learned so much and I'm going on 74 and I've seen a lot 39:29 in my lifetime with--I call them my family, my aunt. 39:36 And I was wondering about demons because, my mom and my brother, 39:44 we went to my aunt's house and she was a pretty bad alcoholic 39:50 and she wanted to get saved on her deathbed, she had cancer, 39:52 bone cancer. 39:54 And mom took a couple of preachers, and this was when I 39:58 was 25 and I'm going 74 now, and when we got there the preachers 40:04 coming around with Bibles praying and her voice changed 40:07 and it was like a demon coming out of her. 40:10 Pastors, is that possible? 40:12 Because, I was there and I heard it. 40:14 Doug: It is possible, to answer your question. 40:17 And I don't know that every person struggling with 40:21 alcoholism is demon possession because the drug itself is a 40:25 very powerful thing and the devil, I'm sure, takes advantage 40:27 of that. 40:28 Jesus can save people from alcoholism. 40:31 I've seen it, you know, many, many times. 40:34 And you know, you can read in Mark chapter 16. 40:38 Jesus said in verse 16, "He that believes and is baptized will be 40:42 saved; he that does not will be condemned, these signs will 40:45 follow those who believe: in my name they will cast out devils; 40:49 and they will speak with new tongues; and they'll take up 40:51 serpents," meaning if, you know, if they get bit by a serpent, 40:54 it's not going to hurt them, "and if they drink anything 40:57 deadly, it will by no means hurt them; and they'll lay hands on 41:00 the sick, and they'll recover." 41:01 So, everything that Jesus lists here, the apostles did. 41:06 There's no listing of them being poisoned, but it may have 41:09 happened and then they survived it. 41:12 So, I do believe that the power of God is still there and we can 41:16 pray and ask God to set people free from sin and temptation, 41:20 and sometimes it may be a more direct demonic obsession 41:25 or possession. 41:26 Jëan: Well, yes, it's--just to add to that, pastor. 41:28 Like, it's very real. 41:29 I know you've been in Africa, you've done meetings, I've done 41:31 meetings in Africa, and you know, maybe we don't see it as 41:34 much in the US, although there are times where that happens 41:37 even here, but I remember one--in one occasion in 41:40 particular and just like what the lady described on the phone, 41:45 there was a spirit there, a demonic force, and everyone knew 41:48 it and the voice changed and kind of supernatural strength 41:52 and it's scary. 41:53 You can kind of feel the hair on the back of your neck. 41:55 So, the Bible says we don't wrestle against flesh and blood, 41:58 there are demonic forces out there. 42:00 Doug: Absolutely. 42:01 Jëan: Now, of course, God protects us. 42:03 We are grateful for that. 42:04 We don't have to walk around in fear, but I think that is 42:06 a warning. 42:07 We don't want to give ground to the devil. 42:08 Doug: Yep, absolutely. 42:10 Well, thank you, Linda. 42:11 I hope that helps a little bit. 42:13 And we got time for a couple more before our break. 42:15 Jëan: Yeah, we got Steve from California. 42:16 Steve, welcome to the program. 42:17 Steve: Thanks for taking my call. 42:19 So, I wonder if you could help me with a--verses 1 John chapter 42:23 2, verses 7 and 8, I was reading my Bible study this morning and 42:30 I'll just read you the first line from each of those verses 42:33 seems to be a contradiction. 42:35 It says in verse 7, "Brethren, I write no new commandment 42:39 to you." 42:41 And in verse 8 it says, "Again, a new commandment I write 42:44 to you." 42:45 I wonder if you can help explain it. 42:46 Doug: Yeah, well, sometimes in Hebrew writings they used some 42:52 irony where they would kind of juxtapose two thoughts that 42:57 sounded like their opposite. 42:59 Let me give you another example. 43:00 King Solomon said, "Do not answer a fool or you sound 43:05 like him." 43:07 Then he says immediately after that, "Answer a fool according 43:11 to his folly, or he'll be wise in his own eyes." 43:14 And you're thinking, well, make up your mind, answer him or 43:17 don't answer him? 43:18 And what he's basically saying is that no matter what you do, 43:23 you're not going to win when you're trying to communicate 43:25 with a fool. 43:26 And so, if you don't answer him, he thinks he's right; if you do 43:29 answer him, then you look like him. 43:31 Well, here John is doing something similar. 43:34 He's saying, "Don't forget the original commandments." 43:39 "That which you've had from the beginning. 43:41 It's the old commandment which is the word you've heard from 43:43 the beginning. 43:44 And again, a new commandment I write you." 43:45 So when he said, "I write no new commandment to you," it's 43:48 another way of his saying, "I'm not asking you to forget the 43:51 foundational commandments. 43:53 So, I'm not writing these new commandments to you to forget 43:55 the old ones." 43:57 But he says, "Then again, there's a new commandment which 43:59 is in Him, because darkness is passing away, and the true light 44:03 is shining." 44:04 In other words, I think he's saying that Christ came to 44:07 magnify the law and make it honorable. 44:10 Jesus didn't really take away the law, He showed that the 44:13 summary of the law is love. 44:15 Jëan: I think maybe another way to put it is, "The new 44:18 commandment that I'm telling you is the old commandment." 44:21 So, John is saying, you know, "If people are talking about a 44:23 new commandment, the reality is that new commandment is really 44:26 the old commandment that you read about to love God with all 44:29 your heart and love your neighbor as yourself." 44:31 Doug: Kind of like where Jesus said, "You've heard it said by 44:34 them of old," speaking of an old commandment, "that you shall not 44:37 commit adultery." 44:39 And then He said, "But I say unto you do not look on a woman 44:42 to lust in your heart." 44:44 So, did He do away with the old commandment? 44:45 No, you're not supposed to commit adultery, but He gave a 44:47 new insight. 44:49 It goes beyond the action. 44:50 It includes the attitude. 44:52 I think John's doing the same thing here. 44:55 So, thanks. 44:56 I hope that helps a little bit, Steven. 44:57 And let's see, we move on to--who is it? 45:00 Rosemary? 45:01 Jëan: Yeah, Rosemary, welcome to the program. 45:03 California. 45:05 Rosemary: Hello. 45:06 Hi, Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross. 45:09 I have a question regarding witnessing. 45:13 Now, I have a passion for witnessing. 45:17 I really want to witness to my neighbors, the new city I 45:20 moved in. 45:21 But recently, I was--from discouraged from passing 45:26 out pamphlets. 45:27 A person told me that that's not a good way to witness, that 45:32 they'll be thrown away, people don't read these days. 45:35 What is the better way to witness if I'm discouraged to 45:39 witness using pamphlets? 45:43 Doug: Well, people do still read pamphlets. 45:45 I've met folks that have had their lives changed by reading 45:48 books and literature and little "Amazing Facts" prints and sells 45:52 thousands of these pocket--"Amazing Facts Tracks," 45:55 we call them. 45:57 They're little pocket-sized pamphlets that they just cost a 45:59 few cents a piece and people can give them out and they'll talk 46:01 about salvation and different present truth. 46:03 It's true. 46:05 It's like fishing, you know, you reel in the line empty a lot. 46:09 When you're passing out literature, you need to just 46:11 figure that, you know, maybe 1 out of 50 will read it, but that 46:16 1 out of 50 that reads it, it changes their life in some way. 46:20 So, you're scattering seed, not every seed you scatter is going 46:23 to sprout. 46:25 And, you know, I'm guessing that some of the people that are 46:27 discouraging you, they may even be folks in the church. 46:31 And I would ask them, "Well, what are you doing to witness?" 46:34 You know, you're better doing something that has minimal 46:37 results than doing nothing with no results, and you're better 46:41 doing something wrong than doing nothing very well. 46:44 And there's a lot of folks that criticize witnessing efforts and 46:47 they're not doing anything. 46:48 But you know, today, you know, we're using media. 46:51 Of course, we use publishing still at "Amazing Facts," but we 46:54 also use media. 46:55 The internet is very effective. 46:57 Tech people are texting using WhatsApp. 46:59 All kinds of ways to witness these days. 47:02 And-- 47:03 Jëan: Even Facebook. 47:05 Doug: Yeah, that's right. 47:06 Jëan: People are posting, you know, encouraging statements 47:07 or verses. 47:09 Yeah, sure. 47:10 Doug: So--but literature is not--it's still a medium for 47:12 communication, so you can still do that. 47:15 Jëan: All right, very good. 47:16 Next caller that we have, Doug listening in California. 47:18 Doug, welcome to the program. 47:19 Doug: I'm Doug, I'm listening. 47:21 Jëan: I know, you're right there. 47:22 Caller Doug: Hi, Doug, you're on the air. 47:24 Doug: Hi. 47:26 So, I have a question. 47:27 Once you accept Jesus Christ in your heart, do you--do you need 47:33 to be baptized? 47:35 Doug: Well, if you've never been baptized, once you accept Jesus 47:40 you don't necessarily need to get baptized immediately, 47:42 because Christ said in Matthew 28, "Go therefore, teach 47:46 all nations." 47:48 So, prior to baptism there should be some teaching where 47:52 a person understands the foundational basics of, what 47:55 does it mean now to be a Christian, I've accepted Jesus's 47:58 sacrifice, and then be baptized, and then there's more teaching 48:02 that comes afterward. 48:03 Jëan: You know, we do have a study guide talking 48:05 about baptism. 48:06 It'll answer this question for you. 48:07 It's called "Purity and Power," and just call and ask for that. 48:10 It's 800-835-6747. 48:13 Ask for that study guide, "Purity and Power," or dial 48:16 pound 250 and we can send it to you that way as well. 48:20 All right, the next caller that we have is Paul in Australia. 48:23 Paul, welcome to the program. 48:25 Paul: Hi, good evening, Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross. 48:28 Doug: Evening. 48:29 Thanks for calling. 48:30 Paul: So, my question is this. 48:32 Genesis chapter 4, verse 16 to 17. 48:37 They say that Cain has killed Abel and then they went out from 48:40 the presence of the Lord and marry his wife. 48:44 And from that time, from that period, it's just four people, 48:49 Adam and Eve and then you get Cain and Abel, and Abel is dead. 48:53 Where did Cain find wife from? 48:57 Doug: Yeah, that's a good question. 48:59 A lot of people wonder about that. 49:02 They start reading through the Bible--and if you go a little 49:05 further, you may not have read this yet, but if you read in 49:09 Genesis chapter 5 it says that Adam had sons and daughters. 49:18 Genesis 5, verse 4, "After he begot Seth, the days of Adam 49:22 were eight hundred years; and he had sons and daughters," 49:26 probably quite a few. 49:28 So, when it talks about Cain and Abel and one murdering the 49:31 other, it doesn't say they're the only children Adam and 49:34 Eve had. 49:36 Those were probably the two oldest boys and they may have 49:38 been the only ones at that time, but Adam and Eve had also had 49:42 sons and daughters and they married their sisters. 49:46 I know that always seems a little odd to us, but keep in 49:48 mind, Abraham married his half-sister and Jacob married 49:52 his first cousin and it was not odd. 49:55 Both Adam and Eve, they were brother and sister, if you think 49:57 about it. 49:59 And so, that's what happened. 50:01 And by the way, again, that's Genesis 5, verse 4, they had 50:06 sons and daughters, many others. 50:08 Jëan: Okay, maybe time for one more. 50:10 Richard in Michigan. 50:11 We have about a minute, Richard. 50:13 Richard: Okay, I want to know if I've lost my salvation. 50:18 I got saved, got baptized, and in Revelation it says he'll spew 50:23 you out of your--His mouth if you're not doing what he wants. 50:27 Doug: I don't believe you've grieved away the Holy Spirit or 50:29 you wouldn't be calling and anxious about your salvation. 50:33 There's a free book that you can call and ask for and just ask 50:37 for Pastor Doug's book on the unpardonable sin. 50:39 I think it'll bring you some comfort and also some knowledge 50:43 about, you know, what does that mean? 50:46 So, have faith, Richard. 50:50 The Bible says, "Where there's life, there's hope." 50:52 You're alive. 50:53 Reach out for that door of mercy and start following the Lord. 50:56 Jëan: The number to call for that is 800-835-6747. 51:00 Just ask for the book. 51:02 It's called-- 51:03 Doug: It's on the unpardonable sin. 51:04 Jëan: The unpardonable sin. 51:06 I know we have another one called, "Rescue From Above," 51:07 but that's the one on unpardonable sin. 51:10 Doug: Well, listening friends, just so you understand how this 51:13 works, we are on hundreds of stations around the country and 51:16 we are on satellite radio. 51:18 All these cars with satellite radios are getting this 51:20 broadcast, they operate on different clocks. 51:22 We're going to say farewell. 51:24 God bless to our friends listening on satellite. 51:26 The rest of you, stay by for a minute. 51:27 We're going to address the internet questions that have 51:30 come to us in rapid fire. 51:32 So, don't go away. 51:36 male announcer: Thank you for listening to today's broadcast. 51:39 We hope you understand your Bible even better than before. 51:43 "Bible Answers Live" is produced by Amazing Facts International, 51:47 a faith based ministry located in Granite Bay, California. 51:55 announcer: "Amazing Facts Changed Lives." 52:03 male: I met my ex-wife, and her family were real big into 52:06 drugs and it started out with them wanting me to go to the 52:10 doctor to help get them drugs. 52:12 And, you know, I'm noticing they're going to the doctor, 52:15 they're coming back with, like, 60 pills and they're selling 52:17 these pills for like $1000 and I'm thinking, wow, this is a lot 52:22 of money I'm giving these people, so I'm just going to 52:24 start selling it myself. 52:25 The problem with that was--and we had all this money, but we 52:29 was absolutely miserable. 52:31 She would go out and sleep with other guys to get drugs, and 52:35 that ended my marriage, but during this time I have to get a 52:39 job to build back up to where I was at, to open my shop again. 52:43 So, I get a job at Food City and when I get this job at Food 52:46 City, there's my wife now, Rebecca, she's a cashier there. 52:51 And when I walk in, she's the most beautiful girl I've ever 52:54 seen in my life. 52:55 I was like, man, I could never have a girl like that. 52:58 Wow, she's so beautiful. 53:00 But as I'm working with her, she's actually kind of mean to 53:03 me and she's saying, "I don't want anything to do with you. 53:07 Get away from me," and stuff like that. 53:09 But, you know, I just keep being nice to her and I keep trying to 53:12 give her my phone number and it's around Christmas Eve, we'd 53:16 just been dating for a little while and moved in together. 53:19 My ex-wife shows up with my three children that I had by her 53:24 and she's like, "Here's your kids, here's their birth 53:26 certificates, here's their social security cards. 53:28 I'm done." 53:30 And we're starting a family. 53:31 We have--already have three kids. 53:33 During this time we spent the next year watching nothing but 53:37 "Amazing Facts" on YouTube. 53:39 I didn't even know they even had a website at this time. 53:41 I just knew that this little guy on YouTube was super smart, was 53:45 teaching Bible, and I wanted to follow him. 53:48 I wanted to be a Christian. 53:49 I gave my life to God now because of these truths that I'm 53:53 learning from Doug Batchelor. 53:54 Just because Doug taught it didn't make me real sure about 53:57 going to this church. 53:59 I really didn't want anything to do with it, but I'm--I called 54:01 the guy up and I'm telling him, and I'm not very nice about 54:05 it, actually. 54:06 I'm telling him, "Look, we was thinking about coming to 54:08 your church." 54:09 And he's really nice and he's like, "Well, you're more than 54:11 welcome to. 54:13 We'd like to have you come." 54:14 And I'm like, "Well, hold on. 54:16 I'm going to lay down some ground rules." 54:17 I'm telling him, I said, "Look here, I'm covered in tattoos and 54:20 I'm a tattoo artist," and he don't say, "Well," you know, 54:23 "wow, I didn't know all that. 54:25 Don't come to my church." 54:26 He says, "You're more than welcome. 54:27 We would love to have you. 54:29 Please come." 54:31 He asked me what I want to do and I said, "Well, I want 54:34 to preach." 54:35 I said, "I have all these truths. 54:37 I have all this knowledge, stuff I'd never known before, stuff, 54:40 if I'd had when I was younger that would have been life 54:43 changing to me." 54:44 I said, "I got to share this with the world." 54:47 I said, "I want to preach. 54:48 I want to teach." 54:50 He gives me the book, says, "Study that." 54:52 Well, now that I'm a Bible worker I'm able to go reach 54:54 people that most of the normal churches wouldn't even bother to 54:58 even speak to. 55:00 I'm able to go out and reach the people who have lived the life 55:03 that I've lived. 55:05 I'm able to let them know that I am like you. 55:08 I've been there. 55:09 I've done that. 55:10 I want to show you what my life is like now. 55:13 I want to teach you this Bible. 55:14 I want to show you what Jesus can do for you. 55:17 It's not too late. 55:21 ♪♪♪ 55:27 ♪♪♪ 55:30 Jëan: Hello, friends, and welcome back to 55:32 "Bible Answers Live." 55:34 We have just a few minutes to answer your email 55:35 Bible questions. 55:37 If you'd like to send us an email Bible question, you can 55:40 send it to BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. 55:43 That's BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. 55:47 Pastor, I got a first question from Emily. 55:49 She says, "Why did Jesus have to be tortured in order to 55:53 save mankind? 55:54 Couldn't He have just died?" 55:56 Doug: Well, no, because the penalty for sin, while it is 56:00 death, it is not just death, it is suffering and death. 56:03 Every man is rewarded according to his works. 56:05 Jesus not only took the death penalty, He took the pain that 56:10 we all deserve for our bad behavior. 56:13 There are varying degrees of suffering that are going to be 56:17 meted out according to people's sins and Jesus took all of that. 56:20 So, He took not only death, He took the suffering and 56:24 the death. 56:25 Jëan: Okay. 56:26 We have Wilma asking, "In Genesis chapter 1, verse 14, it 56:29 says God created night and day, but then in Revelation 21:25 it 56:34 says that there is no night in the New Jerusalem." 56:37 Doug: Well, it--and it says that there's no night there because 56:41 you get the presence of God and the Bible says that God is 56:44 light, in Him is no darkness. 56:47 Even during the Creation folks say, "Why did God say, 'Let 56:50 there be light,' and He hasn't made the sun until the 56:52 fourth day?" 56:54 Well, it's because that light was coming from the very 56:56 presence of God. 56:57 So, if God is dwelling in the New Jerusalem, there is no night 57:00 there in the city, but there is still day and night. 57:04 Isaiah tells us even in the new earth, there's still day 57:06 and night. 57:07 Says the night is brighter than the day is now and the day is 57:10 seven times brighter than it is now. 57:13 So, yeah, there will be still a sun, there'll still be days. 57:17 Jëan: Okay. 57:18 In Mark chapter 12:26 Jesus said the God of Abraham, Isaac and 57:22 Jacob is the God of the living, not the dead. 57:25 So, does this mean that they were taken to heaven? 57:28 Doug: No, it simply means that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 57:31 they're sleeping. 57:33 A person asleep is not dead. 57:34 They have eternal life. 57:36 They are going to be in the Resurrection. 57:37 Jesus refers to them as living beings that still exist, because 57:42 they're just resting, waiting for the Resurrection along with 57:44 myriads of others who are saved. 57:47 We got a book on that, "Are the Dead Really Dead?" 57:49 How do they get that? 57:51 Jëan: That's right. 57:52 Just call and ask. 57:53 It's 800-835-6747. 57:55 And again, you can ask for that book, "Are the Dead 57:57 Really Dead?" 57:58 and we'll be happy to send that to anyone who calls and asks or 58:00 just dial pound 250 on your smartphone and you can get 58:04 that--get it that way as well. 58:06 Doug: Well, thank you, friends. 58:08 Don't forget. 58:09 Check out amazingfacts.org. 58:10 We have a plethora of resources there. 58:13 God bless. 58:14 We'll study again together next week. 58:17 male announcer: "Bible Answers Live," 58:19 honest and accurate answers to your Bible questions. |
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