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Series Code: AFBA
Program Code: AFBA202424S
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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? 00:54 In the summer of 1923 Frank and Elizabeth Fraser and their 00:58 2-year-old dog, Bobbie, set out from Silverton, Oregon, on 01:02 a road trip to Indiana to visit family. 01:05 When they stopped at a service station in Indiana, their dog, 01:08 a medium-sized collie, was attacked by three other dogs 01:12 and fled. 01:13 They searched everywhere for him, but in the end, they could 01:16 not find him. 01:17 Heartbroken, they eventually returned to Oregon believing 01:21 they'd never see their beloved dog again. 01:23 Then one day, 6 months later, their daughter saw a skinny and 01:28 exhausted dog approaching them up the street that looked 01:31 like Bobbie. 01:32 After seeing his joyful reaction and noting the unique scar above 01:35 his eye, they knew it was their long-lost dog. 01:39 After his story drew national attention, some of the people 01:43 who sheltered him during his journey came forward and the 01:46 Frasers were able to reconstruct the complete route that 01:48 Bobbie crossed. 01:50 It was 2500 miles. 01:53 He journeyed across hundreds of miles of open plains, he swam 01:57 countless streams and rivers, plodded through dry deserts, and 02:00 then crossed the Rocky Mountains in the middle of winter, earning 02:04 him the nickname, "Bobbie the Wonder Dog." 02:07 He was the inspiration for several books and the movie, 02:10 "Lassie Returns." 02:12 Wouldn't it be wonderful, Pastor Ross, if all of us were that 02:15 determined to be back with our masters? 02:17 Jean Ross: Yeah, that's an amazing fact, Pastor Doug. 02:20 You know, we're just talking about some of these different 02:21 animals and, of course, dogs are not the only ones, but there's 02:25 been a story of other pets that have made their way back home, 02:27 traveling long distances. 02:29 But I think there's a sense of loyalty. 02:31 There's many stories about dogs and their loyalty and their 02:34 desire to be back with their master. 02:37 And there's a good lesson in that for us. 02:38 Doug: Yeah, they bond when they're young, they know their 02:40 master, they know their home. 02:42 And the incredible thing, we were talking about this, is 02:45 they've got an amazing sense of smell, but I'm quite sure that 02:49 the track of this family's car and its exhaust had blown away 02:53 a long time before the dog was able to catch up with them. 02:57 And so, there's something beyond just their tracking the smell. 03:02 I don't know if the dog had remembered the different smells 03:05 driving across the country or if they're guided by some kind of 03:08 magnetic inner compass, like some birds and it's--or the 03:11 turtles that find their way to the place where they're born. 03:14 I don't know how they do it, but I've heard some amazing stories 03:16 about dogs, and even cats that have found their way after miles 03:21 and miles of being separated from their home, they find their 03:24 way to their masters. 03:26 And I thought, you know, if we all had that same kind of 03:29 dedication to search for God and to get to our heavenly home. 03:35 There's a verse whenever I sign one of my books, I usually put 03:39 this verse in there: Jeremiah 29:13: "And you will seek for Me 03:43 and find Me, when you search for Me with all of your heart." 03:47 Now, people know that there's God and there's a lot of folks 03:52 that are searching for God and the truth. 03:54 But once you accept Jesus, there are so many different versions 03:59 of Christianity and ideas about what the church is. 04:03 What do you do? Where do you go? 04:05 Where do you begin to find out what is the truth? 04:07 Because there's some vast differences between various 04:11 denominations about who the Lord is and how to be saved. 04:14 And--do we have something special that maybe we can offer, 04:18 people can find those answers? 04:20 Jean: We do Pastor Doug. 04:22 It's a book entitled, "The Search for the True Church." 04:24 Now, in the book, we don't just say, "Well, we think this is 04:26 the church." 04:27 We actually give biblical principles that one could follow 04:30 in weighing up different churches and different groups 04:32 and saying, "Well, which group is the closest to the Bible?" 04:35 And that's really what the goal is. 04:36 We want to find a group of believers that believe 04:39 the Bible, that are following the teachings of scripture. 04:41 What are those principles? 04:43 What do we look for? Well, it's in the book. 04:45 It's called "The Search for the True Church." 04:47 That is our free gift. 04:48 We'll send it to anyone who calls and asks. 04:50 The number to call is 800-835-6747. 04:54 That is our resource phone line. 04:55 Just call and ask for our free offer. 04:57 It's called, "The Search for the True Church." 04:59 You can also get a digital copy of the book by simply dialing 05:02 #250 on your smartphone. 05:04 Say, "Bible Answers Live," and then ask for the book by name. 05:08 It's called, "The Search for the True Church." 05:10 And the number to call if you have a Bible-related question, 05:12 the number is 800-463-7297. 05:16 You probably see that on your screen. 05:18 If you are watching this online, 800-463-7297. 05:23 I want to greet those who are also watching on "Amazing Facts 05:25 TV," and on Hope Channel and 3BN and the other networks, 05:28 Good News TV. 05:30 I want to greet all of you, those who are live. 05:32 Call us with your Bible question. 05:34 Well, Pastor Doug, before we go to the phone lines, let's start 05:36 with prayer. 05:38 Dear Father, what a joy to be able to open up Your Word and 05:40 study together. 05:41 The most important thing that we can do is to know the truth, for 05:44 the truth will set us free. 05:46 So we ask Your blessing upon our time of study today. 05:48 Be with those who are listening and watching and just lead us 05:51 all into a clear understanding of Bible truth, for we ask this 05:54 in Jesus's name, amen. 05:56 Doug: Amen. 05:57 Jean: Our first caller this evening, we've got Jerry 05:59 listening in Texas. 06:00 Jerry, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 06:02 Jerry: Astonishing, Pastor, that story. 06:05 But anyway, simple Bible questions tonight is Hebrews 06:10 12:26 and God will shake the earth immensely and is 06:16 shaking heaven. 06:17 Is that when all the angels leave? 06:20 Doug: In Hebrews chapter 12 and you go to verse 26, let me read 06:24 this for our listeners. 06:25 It says--I probably need to start 06:28 with verse 25. 06:29 "See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. 06:32 For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, 06:35 much more shall we not escape if we refuse Him who speaks from 06:38 heaven, for whose voice then shook the earth." 06:41 He's talking about when God gave the Ten Commandments. 06:43 It says: "The mountain did quake and the people were terrified." 06:47 But now He's promising, "Yet once more I'll shake not only 06:50 the earth, but heaven also." 06:52 Here is a quote from the book of Haggai that Paul, who we believe 06:56 wrote Hebrews, is referencing. 06:58 He says, "I'll not only shake the earth, but heaven also." 07:01 And the Bible tells us in 07:03 Revelation when the Lord comes there's a great earthquake. 07:06 Says: "The heavens departed as a scroll." 07:07 So you got the heavens and the earth shaking at 07:09 the Second Coming. 07:11 So--but even when Christ was on the earth during His ministry, 07:15 there was a great earthquake when He died on the cross, but I 07:17 think this is, of course, after that, so he's looking ahead. 07:20 Jean: That's right. 07:22 Sort of the next big visit of God to the earth. 07:24 So he's referring to the Ten Commandments. 07:26 He's referring to the time when Christ was here and then 07:28 the next time when God comes to earth, well, it's the Second 07:31 Coming, Jesus comes. 07:33 And the earth is going to shake violently, as the Bible says 07:36 in Revelation. 07:37 You know, we do have a study guide that talks about 07:39 the Second Coming. 07:40 And it is called "Ultimate Deliverance," talking about the 07:43 Second Coming of Christ, what does the Bible say about that. 07:46 We'll be happy to send that to anyone who calls and ask. 07:48 The number, again, is 800-835-6747. 07:52 And the study guide is called the "Ultimate Deliverance." 07:55 The "Ultimate Deliverance." 07:56 You can get it by dialing #250, and just ask for it by name. 08:00 We'll be happy to send it to you. 08:02 Jean: Thank you, Jerry. 08:04 We've got Gary in Illinois. 08:05 Gary, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 08:08 Gary: Thank you. 08:10 In Revelation 7, verse 3, it says that "angels are told not 08:14 to harm the earth until the servants of God are sealed 08:17 in their forehead." 08:18 And then again in Revelation 9, verse 4, it says that "angels 08:22 will torment those who don't-- do not have the seal of God." 08:26 So my question is, what is the seal of God? 08:28 Could you explain that more deeply? 08:30 Doug: Yeah, well, right on the surface, the seal of God is 08:35 the Holy Spirit. 08:36 That's the first part. 08:37 I think everyone knows that those that are saved have 08:41 the Holy Spirit. 08:42 Now, let me give you some verses here. 08:44 It says, for instance, 2 Corinthians 1:22: 08:47 "Who has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts." 08:51 Ephesians 1:13: "Whom, having believed, you were sealed with 08:55 the Holy Spirit of promise." 08:57 Ephesians 4:30: "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom 09:01 you were sealed." 09:02 So obviously, those who have the mark of the beast have 09:04 the spirit of the devil. 09:06 And those who have the seal of God, have the Spirit of God. 09:09 But there's something deeper. 09:10 A seal biblically was when a king or an official attached 09:16 authority to a document, he would put his seal on it. 09:19 And the seal typically had three things. 09:21 It contained the king's name, his title, king, governor, 09:25 whatever it was, or-- and his territory. 09:29 And so you had the title, the name, the territory were 09:32 contained in a seal. 09:34 Then you read in the Bible in Isaiah chapter 8, it says: "Bind 09:37 up the testimony, seal My law among My disciples." 09:43 In the law of God, you find a seal of God. 09:47 That's in the fourth commandment where it says, "Remember to keep 09:50 the Sabbath Day holy for in 6 days, the Lord," there's His 09:54 name, "created or made," that's his title, He is the creator, 09:59 "the heavens and the earth," that's His territory. 10:02 So you've got the seal of God and the law of God. 10:05 And I think that's one of the characteristics is the people of 10:08 God in the last days, it says: "They keep the commandments of 10:10 God and they have the testimony of Jesus." 10:12 That's a quick answer. 10:14 Jean: Yeah, you mentioned there, Pastor Doug, that there's two 10:15 groups in the book of Revelation at the end of time. 10:17 Those with the mark of the beast, those with the seal 10:19 of God. 10:21 Revelation 7 describes the group with the seal of God and says 10:23 they have it in their forehead which, of course, 10:25 represents the mind. 10:27 Those that have the mark of the beast have it in their forehead 10:28 or their hand. 10:30 So, you know, they also have the hand. 10:31 It's interesting, the word used for mark. 10:34 And it's also the same idea that you find in Ezekiel where it 10:37 talks about setting a mark or a seal. 10:40 The Greek there is karaktia where we get the English 10:43 word "character." 10:44 So it is something to do with choosing to obey. 10:47 Do we obey God, keep commandments, or do we obey the 10:50 beast's power and keep the commandments of the beast? 10:52 We do have a study guide. 10:54 It's called "The Mark of the Beast." 10:55 Now, "The Mark of the Beast" also talks about the seal 10:57 of God. 10:58 You can't talk about the mark of the beast without 10:59 the seal of God. 11:01 Very important subject because the third angel warns about not 11:03 receiving the mark of the beast. 11:05 We'll be happy to send this to anyone who calls and asks. 11:07 The number is 800-835-6747. 11:10 Just call and ask. 11:11 It's--ask for the study guide, "The Mark of the Beast," and 11:14 we'll send it to you. 11:15 You can dial #250 on your smartphone and say "Bible 11:18 Answers Live" and then ask for it by name. 11:20 "The Mark of the Beast" is one of our more popular study guides 11:24 and we will send it to you. 11:26 Next caller that we have is Brittany in California. 11:29 Evening, Brittany. 11:31 Brittany: Hey, hey. 11:32 Doug: Hi, thanks for calling. 11:34 Brittany: Yeah, my question is, does the sixth commandment in 11:39 the Ten Commandments, "You shall not kill," involve killing all 11:44 the unclean animals, specifically squirrels, rats, 11:47 or mice? 11:49 Doug: Oh, okay. 11:51 Does the commandment that says, "Do not kill," also apply to 11:54 even, like, unclean animals and rats and mice? 11:58 I don't, I think, yeah, I don't think that God is saying in the 12:01 commandment do not kill, you know, a mosquito. 12:05 I had to kill a cockroach today. 12:07 It's killing. 12:09 But let me just--let me just say, I don't want to take this 12:13 rabbit trail too far. 12:15 There are variations of value in life. 12:20 Jesus said we are worth more than sparrows. 12:23 He also said you're worth more than many sheep. 12:25 Killing a mosquito is not as big a moral dilemma as maybe killing 12:29 an intelligent creature, you know, you know, killing a dog 12:34 or, yeah, I think a mouse is worth more than a mosquito. 12:36 There's like a value and man is the crowning act of God's 12:39 creation, but the commandment really has nothing to do with 12:42 killing because every time you pull a weed, you're technically 12:45 killing something. 12:46 It has to do with murder. 12:48 Now, when Jesus quotes the Ten Commandments, it's in Mark 12:51 chapter 10:19. 12:53 He said, "You know the Commandments: 'Do not commit 12:56 adultery,' 'Do not murder.'" 12:58 Murder is different from killing. 13:01 The Ten Commandments don't really mean--in the Hebrew, it 13:03 says, "Thou shall not kill," and the word there is "murder." 13:06 Murder means the unlawful taking of innocent life. 13:11 So if a policeman needs to shoot someone in the act of defending 13:16 innocent parties, they don't ever charge him with murder. 13:20 It's justifiable homicide, and you're not guilty, you won't 13:24 be incarcerated. 13:25 Or if you're defending your home and someone dies. 13:27 So murder is a definition of taking the innocent life, 13:31 unlawful, taking an innocent life. 13:34 It's different than killing a rat. 13:36 I had to kill a mouse the other day too. 13:37 People are going to think I'm terrible, killing mice and 13:39 cockroaches, but, all in one week, but that's not murder. 13:43 It's not breaking the sixth commandment. 13:45 Jean: And, of course, sometimes having to kill some of these 13:47 pests, it's for health reasons too. 13:49 It's unhealthy to have mice running around your house. 13:52 Doug: You know, there's this temple in India where they 13:55 actually, they worship rats. 13:57 Jean: The rats are everywhere. 13:59 Doug: And they feed them and they, yeah, and it's just, it's 14:01 true, friends. 14:03 It's another amazing fact. 14:04 You can look it up and I don't think I could ever deal 14:06 with that. 14:08 They're running everywhere, yeah? 14:10 Jean: All right, next caller that we have is Anthony in 14:12 New York. 14:13 Anthony, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 14:15 Anthony: Oh, good evening, Pastors. 14:18 My question is based on Matthew chapter 18. 14:22 Just to be succinct, it, you know, talks about how to handle 14:26 disputes with the brethren, those in the Christian faith, I 14:29 believe, you know, go to the person alone. 14:32 If they don't hear you, then take two or three others. 14:35 If they don't hear you, then take it before the church. 14:38 Now within the context of social media and Youtube and other 14:44 platforms like that, where content creators put videos up, 14:47 I'm noticing a trend where, you know, different content creators 14:52 and usually pastors or people in the church are handling disputes 14:58 or, you know, making videos disputing each other or talking 15:03 about each other, debating each other, just went back and forth 15:06 like a volleyball with videos. 15:08 So I just want to understand what is--how do we apply 15:12 Matthew 18 within the context of our current social 15:16 media environment? 15:17 Doug: Yeah, good question. 15:19 Well, I think that if you're in--if you're in a position of 15:22 public teaching and you want to dispute a topic, well, you're 15:27 free to, you know, just post what you believe the truth is on 15:29 that topic. 15:30 If you've had a personal dispute with another individual, I don't 15:33 think it's ever right for a Christian to publicly demean a 15:37 person or, you know, take them to task. 15:39 You should make every effort to contact them on a personal basis 15:42 is what Jesus said. 15:44 You go to that brother alone and I did a debate with another 15:48 pastor but we sat down and went to lunch first and we were, you 15:51 know, said very friendly, we're going to stand up, we're going 15:53 to share our different positions, and this was not a 15:55 personal attack. 15:57 If I've got a problem with another individual, I'm not 15:59 going to post something and disparage that person without 16:02 trying to contact them first. 16:05 Now, if we're having theological discussions, well, you know, and 16:08 people do it with me all the time, you know, they'll say, 16:11 "Pastor Doug said such and such, but I take exception with that," 16:14 and they'll post a video, and that's fine, you know? 16:17 They're dealing with an issue. 16:19 But if they said, you know, "Pastor Doug beats his 16:22 children," and they don't call me first to find that that's not 16:26 true, that's not appropriate when you start getting personal 16:30 with people. 16:32 Jean: And, you know, this is not a new thing. 16:33 Of course, we have social media, but in the old days people 16:34 would write articles in newspapers, 16:36 even religious magazines, and they would, 16:39 you know, argue back and forth and it wasn't good. 16:43 It kind of put the whole message, the whole movement, 16:46 the church, in a negative light. 16:48 Here are people that claim to believe the same thing, or 16:50 they're part of the church and yet they slinging mud at 16:53 each other. 16:54 And I think as Christians, that's something we want 16:55 to avoid. 16:57 Social media, sort of, amplified that in a big way. 16:58 Doug: And, you know, a bigger principle that this raises is 17:01 when there's error out there and someone is teaching error, don't 17:06 spend a lot of time talking about what the counterfeit is. 17:08 You got to highlight the true, and a lot of people go back and 17:11 forth, exposing the other counterfeits, but they don't 17:15 really say, "Well, what is the truth?" 17:17 And if people are better acquainted with the truth, 17:19 they'll recognize the counterfeit. 17:21 So that's another thought on that. 17:24 Good question, Anthony. 17:25 Jean: All right, next caller that we have is David, listening 17:27 in California. 17:28 David, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 17:30 David: Hello. 17:31 Doug: Hi, David. 17:33 And your question tonight? 17:34 David: How can I stay away from energy drinks? 17:38 Doug: Well, you just say, what's that, Nike says: "Just do it." 17:41 I'd say, "Just don't do it." 17:43 Now, it is true that energy drinks, typically it's caffeine, 17:49 caffeine is proven to be addictive. 17:52 It's not as bad as heroin or even nicotine, but any of these 17:56 things that end with an "ine," nicotine, caffeine, morphine, 18:02 they can be addictive, and people who are in the habit of 18:07 drinking a lot of Coke or coffee and they stop, they're prone to 18:12 get a headache, but that usually goes away in 2 or 3 days. 18:16 And I'd say just, you know, grin and bear it. 18:19 You have to--after you get through the first few days you 18:22 should start feeling normal and then it's really getting out of 18:24 just the habit of doing it and you'll probably sleep better. 18:29 Jean: Yeah, and, you know, you can substitute it with something 18:32 good for you. 18:34 So, instead of reaching for that Pepsi or that energy drink that, 18:36 like you said, Pastor Doug, is just loaded with caffeine, drink 18:39 water, I don't know, drink juice, do something different. 18:42 But yeah, it can be a challenge. 18:45 I've worked with people that I had to kind of taper off. 18:48 But yeah, you've got to make that decision, not good for you. 18:52 Doug: And you know, they're doing more and more. 18:55 It started out just soda and now they got this, you know, Monster 18:58 and Jolt and Rockstar and these folks are--they've had kids 19:04 that have gone to the hospital and they check them out and 19:07 their blood pressure, their hearts, are racing. 19:08 These are teenagers and they found out that they were 19:11 drinking one energy drink after another and it's not energy, 19:15 it's really a drug. 19:17 Jean: All right, thank you, David. 19:18 Next caller that we have is Steve in Oregon. 19:20 Steve, welcome to the program. 19:23 Steve: Hi. 19:24 I, in the 1970s, was in the Navy, US Navy, and stationed out 19:31 of Scotland and went on a submarine and we'd go out for, 19:35 you know, 70 days submerged and come back. 19:39 Well, after the patrol, we'd get one month off and we didn't have 19:46 to, you know, we had--and what I would do is I would hitchhike 19:51 around Europe. 19:53 We got a backpack and, in my travels I, my heritage 19:58 is from Sweden. 19:59 I got up into Sweden and got a ride with a guy 20:05 that was very wealthy and I asked 20:12 him about tithe and because he told me 20:19 that the government of Sweden in the '70s back then at his income 20:25 level would tax him 90% of his income. 20:31 And I was, you know, astounded like that how can you--I just 20:36 have to earn more money and then I have plenty. 20:40 But how in the past when I've heard on your program that we're 20:46 supposed to do the 10% from our gross income, that would leave 20:53 someone with no but--nothing. 20:56 Doug: Well, I'd never had that question before. 20:58 So if you're in a country that taxes you 90% and then you give 21:01 your 10%. 21:02 Of course, let me just answer right away. 21:05 I don't know how God will do it. 21:06 But yeah, you do what God says, you have to put him ahead of 21:09 the government. 21:10 And so you obey God with tithe. 21:13 How that works out mathematically, I don't know 21:16 the answer. 21:19 Jean: You know, usually somebody that is being taxed at that high 21:21 of a level, they probably make a whole lot more than the average 21:25 person does. 21:26 So, even though, yeah, they end up with 10% they probably have 21:30 a lot of money that makes up that 10%. 21:32 So, I don't know. 21:34 Did they pay the whole-- pay the whole thing? 21:38 So, that's a good--we've never had that before, Pastor Doug. 21:40 That's a good question. 21:41 But really, the biblical principle is your increase. 21:44 Doug: I'd say move to another country. 21:46 That's my answer. 21:48 If you're in a country that charges 90 percent tax, 21:51 the biblical thing to do is move to another country. 21:54 Jean: You know, we do have a study guide that talks about 21:57 the Bible and finance. 21:59 It's called, "In God We Trust?" 22:01 Lays out some great biblical principles that the Bible gives 22:04 for how to use our resources. 22:06 We'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. 22:08 The number is 800-835-6747. 22:11 You can ask for the study guide. 22:13 It's called, "In God We Trust?" 22:14 It's 800-835-6747. 22:18 I think we have time for another caller here before the break. 22:20 We got Donna in Maryland. 22:22 Donna, welcome to the program. 22:25 Donna: Hi, thank you. 22:26 Hi, Pastors. 22:27 Doug: Hi, thanks for calling. 22:30 Donna: So, my question is about the Sabbath. 22:34 There's this very fine line 22:36 when it comes to helping others. 22:39 So, if I'm approached by a 22:42 homeless person on the Sabbath 22:44 and I took them to McDonald's 22:46 to get something to eat, 22:47 did I just break the Sabbath? 22:49 Doug: Well, I don't think so. 22:51 If you meet someone that's hungry and, you know, you don't 22:54 have any resources at your home or at your fingertips and you 22:57 want to feed them and the only way to feed them is either-- 23:01 and sometimes you hand money to homeless people and it doesn't 23:03 go to food. 23:04 So I can understand where-- but I think you'd be better off 23:08 taking them to Taco Bell than McDonald's. 23:11 But, anyway, I don't know that that's a moral dilemma, 23:17 Pastor Ross? 23:18 Jean: No, you know, there are situations, for example, another 23:22 situation, somebody might be sick and you've got to go buy 23:26 some medicine. 23:27 I know we've had to do it with our kids. 23:28 It's the Sabbath. 23:30 You don't want them suffering. 23:31 Like, there's nothing wrong. 23:32 We don't have any medicine. 23:34 You'll get some medicine on the Sabbath. 23:35 That's not breaking the Sabbath. 23:37 Of course, you're not doing it on a regular basis. 23:39 It's a unexpected event, somewhat of an emergency. 23:43 That's sort of the illustration of the ox falling in the ditch, 23:47 yeah, on the Sabbath. 23:48 You reach in and you pull it out, you help. 23:50 So, yeah, there are exceptions. 23:52 Doug: Yeah, so, yeah, and I-- that's not the kind of thing 23:56 that usually happens to you every day, so. 23:58 Jean: No, it will be unique. 24:00 Doug: The Lord understands that. 24:01 All right, thanks so much, Donna. 24:02 I appreciate your call. 24:04 We got 2 minutes. 24:05 We might get one more in. 24:07 Jean: We've got Joyce in Tennessee. 24:08 Joyce, welcome to the program. 24:09 Joyce: Oh, hi. 24:11 Thanks for taking my call. 24:12 Listen, I'm going to try to be really quick. 24:15 I listened to a sermon not too long ago and the person alluded 24:20 to the relationship between Jesse and David in a way that he 24:26 mentioned Psalms chapter 53:5. 24:29 And I wanted to find out just what was the relationship 24:34 between Jesse because he mentioned something that made it 24:37 sound like there was some contingent between them. 24:40 And that's why Jesse was--David was not called into the meeting 24:44 when the prophet came to anoint the sons of David. 24:47 So I just wanted to know is there something there that we're 24:50 not aware of? 24:52 The scripture makes me--I thought--I always believed that 24:55 the scripture, Psalms 53:5 was a man's condition, general 25:01 condition, versus a personal thing with David. 25:05 I hope that question makes sense. 25:06 Doug: All right, now, so you said Psalm 53 verse 5. Jean: 51. 25:10 Doug: 51:5. 25:12 Joyce: 51:5. Doug: Okay, all right. 25:14 Yeah, that's where he says, "Behold, I was brought forth 25:17 in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me." 25:18 Some people, I think Augustine and others, use this to try to 25:21 argue for original sin. 25:22 But he's just saying that, you know, as Job says, as the sparks 25:28 fly upwards, so are people naturally prone to sin. 25:32 It wasn't meaning that there was anything particularly sinful 25:35 about David's birth. 25:36 There's nothing in the Bible, I've read the whole story of 25:39 David many, many times, every year just about. 25:42 And I've never read anything that says there was any 25:44 particular problem between David and his father. 25:48 The only reason he was not there is because he was the youngest 25:51 and they needed someone to watch the sheep during the feast. 25:56 And later, David protects his family and he saves them 25:59 from Saul. 26:01 He sends them, his father and mother, to live in Moab because, 26:03 remember, David had a Moabite grandmother, 26:05 a great-grandmother. 26:06 So, I've never read anything, Pastor Ross, that said there 26:10 was anything, any other animosity between Jesse 26:14 and his father. 26:16 He sends--or David, rather. 26:17 And Jesse, he sends his son to his brothers with food, entrusts 26:22 him to feed them. 26:23 Jean: There's some little jealousy between David and some 26:24 of his older brothers, as you have--you alluded to 26:27 that story. 26:28 But no, as far as David and his father, we have no record of 26:30 there ever being an issue. 26:32 Doug: Yeah, anyway. 26:34 Hey, friends, don't go away. 26:35 We're just going to have a little break here. 26:36 You can give us a call. 26:38 More Bible questions in just a few minutes. 26:39 We'll be back. 26:43 ♪♪♪ 26:46 announcer: Stay tuned. 26:47 "Bible Answers Live" will return shortly. 26:57 announcer: Amazing Facts Changed Lives. 27:04 ♪♪♪ 27:08 Justin: Growing up as a kid, my mother was on drugs and alcohol, 27:14 lots of fighting in the home. 27:16 My mom would be abused mentally, verbally, physically. 27:21 Went from California to Oregon, spent some time in Oregon, and 27:26 it was just the same cycle of drugs, alcohol, violence. 27:30 My mom's boyfriend would go to jail at times. 27:34 She would wait until he would, you know, get out of jail and it 27:37 was back to square one. 27:39 The drugs and the alcohol escalated to a lot harder drugs, 27:44 crystal meth, cocaine, and lots and lots of alcohol. 27:49 So I started using the alcohol to--as a medication. 27:54 It was like a--the misery and the fear that I had. 27:57 I wanted to drown all that misery. 28:00 Times I would just grab, you know, a bottle of beer and go 28:05 out into the desert and just drink until sometimes I'd just 28:09 pass out in the desert somewhere and wake up the next morning 28:12 and, you know, and I just couldn't find rest. 28:16 My step-dad had got me a motorcycle and so I started 28:20 riding motorcycles. 28:22 I'd drink a lot of beer, get on the motorcycle, ride into 28:25 the desert, do donuts, and just throughout, you know, just ride 28:29 on private property. 28:31 People would chase me off and I was just causing--stirring up 28:35 dust and rocks and just causing chaos and the adrenaline rush 28:40 that I had was so exciting. 28:43 And the feeling of it was so intense that I loved it and it-- 28:48 I forgot about all my problems, you know, at the moment and I 28:52 thought that material things would make me feel so good, 28:57 you know? 28:58 And so I started working, started making money, had 29:00 a responsibility. 29:02 But, as time went by, I had more money. 29:06 So I would, you know, use my money that I made to buy drugs 29:12 and alcohol. 29:13 Got pulled over, drinking and driving, ended up going to jail 29:18 for a couple of days. 29:20 I lost my job because I missed work for a few days. 29:24 Lost my girlfriend, lost all the money that I had. 29:29 So once again, I was empty, no money, no drugs, no alcohol. 29:34 And that was a turning point in my life. 29:36 At this time, I was living with my grandfather. 29:39 And as I was flipping through the channels on the satellite 29:43 system, I found "Amazing Facts." 29:46 Pastor Doug Batchelor was telling his--sharing his 29:49 testimony about how he was living in a cave and he was-- 29:54 he struggled the same struggles of alcohol and drugs. 29:57 And I continued to read the book, "The Richest Caveman," 30:02 and it really impacted my life and really related to the things 30:05 he was struggling with and all of the events that took place in 30:09 his life. 30:10 And when I started reading the Bible, Philippians 4:13 says: "I 30:13 can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." 30:16 I recognized that I had no strength. 30:18 I was weak and I was wretched and I needed help. 30:23 So I just asked the Lord, I said, "Just help me, Lord." 30:26 And the Holy Spirit convicted me and I decided to be baptized and 30:33 to give my life to Jesus Christ. 30:35 A few years after the Lord took the temptation of drinking and 30:40 doing drugs, He gave me a beautiful wife I met at church. 30:44 Now I have a beautiful baby boy, 2-year-old baby boy. 30:47 It's just exciting to see, you know, what God is doing in my 30:52 life and my family. 30:54 I met with some friends from my local church that I was 30:58 attending and they had told me about Amazing Facts, Center of 31:03 Evangelism Training Seminar. 31:06 The AFCOE to Go program really inspired me and motivated me to 31:12 tell young people about, you know, the same struggles that I 31:16 was struggling with to help these kids give your life to 31:19 Jesus Christ. 31:21 And there's nothing else that you could ask for. 31:23 I'm Justin and God used you to change my life. 31:28 ♪♪♪ 31:37 ♪♪♪ 31:40 announcer: You're listening to "Bible Answers Live" where every 31:43 question answered provides a clearer picture of God and His 31:47 plan to save you. 31:48 So what are you waiting for? 31:50 Get practical answers about the good book for a better 31:53 life today. 31:57 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 32:00 If you'd like answers to your Bible-related questions 32:03 on the air, please call us next Sunday 32:05 between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Pacific time. 32:09 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this 32:12 evening's program call 800-835-6747. 32:17 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 32:22 Now let's rejoin our hosts for more "Bible Answers Live." 32:28 Doug: Welcome back, listening friends, to 32:29 "Bible Answers Live." 32:31 And for those who may have joined us en route, this is 32:33 a live international interactive Bible study. 32:36 You can join us with your Bible questions calling 800-GOD-SAYS, 32:40 that's 800-463-7297 and I am Doug Batchelor. 32:45 Jean: My name is Jean Ross and you can also send us your 32:48 question via email. 32:49 The email address is BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. 32:54 Just BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. 32:58 Pastor Doug, we have a couple of email questions. 33:00 Steve is asking: What verse in the Bible states that the earth 33:03 is round? 33:05 Doug: Well, if they're looking for a verse that says the earth 33:08 is a sphere, there's no verse that--Isaiah talks about the 33:12 circle of the earth. 33:13 And yeah, I'm guessing maybe this question is coming from 33:19 somebody, I--it's amazing to me how many people have kind of got 33:22 caught up in what they call the Flat Earth Theory. 33:26 And you and I have flown all around the world. 33:29 Friends, we've seen firsthand, the earth is round. 33:33 We've been all the way around the world. 33:35 Jean: Yeah, and the Bible says: "God sits on the circle of 33:37 the earth." 33:38 So another question that we have: Did God command the temple 33:41 builders to construct the temple stones and the temple 33:44 furniture off-site? 33:46 Doug: Well, we know that the construction was done off-site 33:49 and all the measurements were made off-site, which is one 33:52 reason for that story about the stone which the 33:56 builders rejected. 33:57 They had quarried a cornerstone at the quarry. 34:01 And when it was sent over to the construction site, they weren't 34:04 sure where it went and they kept tripping over it. 34:06 And that was because the quarrying and the measurements 34:09 were made at the quarry, which was several miles away. 34:13 I think they found the place where Solomon's stones 34:15 were quarried. 34:17 But it--there's no command where it says, "You shall not 34:21 chisel any of the stones on the building site." 34:25 They didn't do it probably, one, out of reverence because it was 34:28 a holy building and there was no sound of tool as it was being 34:32 put together, also because it was in Jerusalem city limits. 34:36 And that would have whenever you live next to a construction 34:38 site, it could be pretty disruptive and the king's palace 34:41 was there. 34:43 So--but there was no command that I have ever found where it 34:46 said you're required to build it off-site. 34:49 Jean: I think there's also a practical aspect of that. 34:51 If you were going to--and some of those stones in 34:53 the construction of the temple are massive. 34:55 And if you're going to have to transport a lot of stone from 34:58 one place to another, you want to transport just what you need. 35:01 You don't want extra stone. 35:03 So they would cut it to the right size, amazing measurements 35:05 to make sure that all the stones fit together. 35:07 But they would carve it out and get it just to the right size 35:10 and then transport that to the building site. 35:13 Otherwise, they'd have a lot of gravel they had to haul away. 35:15 Yeah, they'd have extra stone they have to carry. 35:17 All right, one more question, one more email question, 35:19 then we'll go back to the phone lines. 35:21 Chris is asking is the term that we find in the Bible, "the 35:24 bottomless pit" in Revelation, the same as "the abyss" that you 35:27 read about where the demons say, "Don't cast us into the abyss"? 35:31 Doug: Yeah, in Luke chapter 8, the demon-possessed man, he 35:35 says--well, the demons are speaking and they say they're 35:38 a legion of demons. 35:39 They say, "Do not cast us into the abussos," which is the Greek 35:43 word for the nothingness, meaning no one to manipulate, 35:47 to possess. 35:48 And it is the exact same word you find in Revelation 20. 35:51 It's a condition of the world during the 1000 years where 35:54 it's dark. 35:56 It's the same word in the Septuagint, when the Greek 35:59 version of the Old Testament, when they explain the creation. 36:02 It says the earth was void. 36:03 It says the earth was abussos. 36:06 And it's--it means an emptiness. 36:08 It doesn't mean bottomless pit, though we sometimes use when 36:11 there's a void, where there's an emptiness, we call it the abyss. 36:14 Like the Grand Canyon is an abyss. 36:17 Anyway, thanks so much. 36:19 And we're going to take live calls now, I think. 36:20 Jean: That's right. 36:22 The phone line here to the studio is 800-463-7297 with your 36:26 Bible question. 36:27 We've got Abi in California. 36:28 Abi, welcome to the program. 36:30 Abi: Hi. 36:31 Hi, Pastor Batchelor and Pastor Ross. 36:33 Doug: Hi, thank you for calling. 36:36 And your question? 36:37 Abi: My question is if I--okay, so scarlet is associated with 36:43 sin and I was wondering if I have a daughter, would it be 36:47 a sin to call her "Scarlett"? 36:49 Doug: Well, it wouldn't be my first choice. 36:51 If you've ever heard of the classic called "Gone with the 36:54 Wind," that one of the title characters is Scarlett O'Hara. 36:59 So it's not uncommon to have the name "Scarlett." 37:02 Scarlet's a beautiful color. 37:05 It's often associated with blood in the Bible. 37:09 It talks about, you know, scarlet is connected with blood 37:11 and scarlet's connected with "though your sins be 37:14 as scarlet." 37:15 If--I'd say if you're ever in doubt if you're going to have 37:18 a child, it's not a sin to name them "Scarlett." 37:22 It's not a sin to name them Jezebel or Pilate. 37:26 Oh, it might be, I don't know. 37:28 But, you know, I'd say if you're going to--if you're going to 37:32 have second thoughts about a name, well, pick something else. 37:36 You don't want to be forever wondering why you named 37:39 them something. 37:40 So, but no, I don't think there's any Bible injunction. 37:43 There's other places in the Bible where the word "scarlet" 37:45 is also positive. 37:46 I'm trying to think of them right now, but I've read both. 37:49 Jean: Okay, thank you. 37:50 The next caller that we have is Annette in Texas. 37:52 Annette, welcome to the program. 37:55 Annette: Good evening. 37:56 Doug: Evening. 37:58 Annette: Yes, my question is, does God still use prophets in 38:03 the church today? 38:06 Doug: Well, I believe so. 38:08 When you look in 1 Corinthians chapter 14 and chapter 12, he 38:14 talks about the gifts of the Spirit, and one of the gifts of 38:18 the Spirit is the gift of prophecy. 38:21 And when you read in Joel chapter 2, says: "One of 38:26 the signs of the last days, I'll pour out My Spirit on all flesh 38:29 and your sons and daughters will prophesy." 38:32 So one of the things He says will happen in the last days, 38:34 and then if you read the last verse in the Old Testament, 38:37 "Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet before the great and 38:41 terrible day of the Lord." 38:42 And that first was fulfilled in John the Baptist. 38:45 But Jesus says Elijah will come, even after John. 38:49 So the Bible doesn't say that God ever withdrew this gift. 38:55 And then when you look in Revelation 12, at when it 38:58 describes in chapter 12, verse 17, characteristics of His 39:03 church in the last days, it says: "This--these are they 39:06 that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony 39:09 of Jesus." 39:11 And then you say, "Well, what's the testimony of Jesus?" 39:13 You go to Revelation 19, verse 10, it says the angel says: 39:17 "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." 39:20 So one of the characteristics of God's people in the last days is 39:24 they are obeying the commandments of God. 39:27 And they still have and believe in the modern example 39:31 of prophecy. 39:32 So I don't see anywhere where the Bible says He was 39:36 withdrawing one of the gifts of the Spirit in the last days. 39:40 Jean: Now, the Bible does warn against false prophets in 39:42 the last days. 39:44 Well, that would then maybe mean, well, maybe there's a true 39:45 gift of prophecy in the last days. 39:47 And how do we know the difference? 39:48 Well, the Bible gives us signs, certain tests that could be 39:52 applied for a prophet. 39:53 And these are important because Jesus warned. 39:55 He said, "Be aware of false prophets in the last days." 39:58 So we've got to test what so-called prophets say by 40:03 the Word of God. 40:04 And we do have a study guide. 40:05 It's called, "Did God Inspire--" or "Does God Inspire Psychics 40:08 and Astrologists?" 40:10 And that is a free offer. 40:11 We'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. 40:14 The number is 800-835-6747. 40:17 Or you can dial #250 on your smartphone. 40:20 What are the signs that the Bible gives? 40:22 Determine the true gift of prophecy versus the false gift 40:26 of prophecy, and you'll be blessed. 40:28 So just call and ask for that. 40:29 We'll be happy to send it to anyone who contacts us. 40:32 Next caller that we have-- did you want to add to that, 40:34 Pastor Doug? 40:35 Doug: No, I'd just say, yeah, that lesson actually 40:37 goes through. 40:38 It doesn't mention prophets in the title, but it does go 40:40 through the test of a true prophet in that lesson. 40:43 Jean: Sammy is calling in California. 40:44 Sammy, welcome to the program. 40:46 Sammy: Good evening, Pastor Batchelor. 40:47 Good evening, Pastor Ross. 40:49 Doug: Evening. 40:50 Sammy: My question is, you know, a lot of protestants believe in 40:53 sola scriptura, right? 40:55 And other denominations don't believe in that. 40:58 They have--they put less weight in scripture. 41:02 How do we know if the original early church correctly chose 41:07 the books of the--that form the New Testament today? 41:11 Doug: Yeah, well, it's through the mouth of two or 41:14 three witnesses. 41:16 They were guided by the Holy Spirit. 41:17 There's actually several criteria that the early church 41:22 used to evaluate if a book was to be considered inspired. 41:27 For one thing, Peter calls the writings of Paul "scripture" and 41:33 that's in 2 Peter chapter 3-- so it, right there, since Paul 41:38 wrote about half the New Testament, that settles about 41:41 half the books. 41:43 And then they looked at the books based on, were they in 41:46 harmony with the teachings of the Bible? 41:51 I want to say teachings of the Bible! 41:52 Did they correspond with the teachings of the prophets, that 41:55 you would find in the Old Testament? 41:57 Were they endorsed by the apostles? 42:00 I understand that by 100 A.D., all of the books that we now 42:04 have in our Bible people say, "Well, they didn't know for 42:06 hundreds of years," there were church councils years later that 42:09 affirmed it. 42:11 But by 100 A.D., the 27 books in our New Testament were already 42:16 settled and recognized as inspired. 42:18 And there was no book of Judas. 42:20 There was no book of Thomas, there was no book of 42:22 Mary Magdalene. 42:23 Those things all came as apocryphal books, hundreds of 42:26 years later. 42:27 And they were cross-referenced, basically, by the apostles. 42:34 Jean: And then these letters that came from these different 42:36 apostles, they were recognized by the churches, they were 42:39 copied, and then sent to other churches and it was repeated. 42:43 And so the same letter was copied many, many times. 42:46 And so we have evidence to support that these were 42:48 recognized as sacred writings. 42:51 You know, we have a book called, "The Ultimate Resource," that 42:53 talks about the Bible, talks about the different books, and 42:56 how we ended up with the Bible. 42:58 And we'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. 43:01 The number is 800-835-6747. 43:05 That's 800-835-6747. 43:07 You can ask for the book. 43:09 It's called, "The Ultimate Resource," or dial #250 and 43:12 you'll be able to get a digital download of the book. 43:14 Just #250, and ask for "The Ultimate Resource." 43:19 Doug: I was just reading, Pastor Ross, in my Bible reading this 43:23 morning where at the end of 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, Paul 43:27 says, "I charge you by the Lord that this Epistle be read to all 43:30 of the holy brethren." 43:32 And so, he would write a letter, they'd read it, they'd make 43:35 copies, they'd spread it around, because he was in jail, so they 43:38 didn't have Xerox machines back then. 43:40 Jean: And you know, that was good in one way because for 43:42 example, the writing of the book of Revelation was written to the 43:44 seven churches, but it was written in Ephesus, copied and 43:47 then sent to the next church and so on and so forth, Smyrna, and 43:50 went all the way around. 43:52 But then it was copied and spread throughout all the 43:53 Christian churches. 43:54 So there were many manuscripts of the same letter that had been 43:57 copied time and time again. 43:59 So when it came to compiling the Textus Receptus, you know, the 44:02 New Testament collection of these Greek manuscripts, there 44:05 were a lot of texts that they could look at and they could 44:08 compare and make sure that they found the one that was the most 44:11 faithful to the original. 44:12 So there's good reason for that. 44:14 Doug: Yeah, thank you. 44:15 Jean: In other words, we can trust the Bible. 44:17 The more you get into it, the more you study it, there is no 44:19 document more verified and trustworthy than the Bible. 44:25 Doug: Absolutely. 44:26 Jean: All right, next caller that we have is May 44:27 in Wisconsin. 44:29 May, welcome to the program. 44:30 May: Hi, my question is, what is the mark of the beast? 44:33 Doug: To answer that question, you almost need to know first, 44:34 if you're going to know what the mark of the beast is, you need 44:36 to know what is the beast. 44:38 The beast, that's a whole Bible study. 44:40 I usually take two nights to explain this. 44:44 The beast that you find in Revelation 13, there are two 44:47 beasts in Revelation 13. 44:49 The first beast is the one that we're really thinking of. 44:53 Most of the Protestants believe these different beasts you find 44:56 in Daniel and Revelation were different kingdoms, 44:58 different powers. 44:59 And you've got, in Revelation 12, you've got this dragon that 45:04 tries to devour the woman. 45:05 This is the devil operating through the kingdom of Rome, 45:08 Rome ruled by Caesars. 45:11 After the Caesars died off with the fall of Rome, about the same 45:15 time, the church was turning into a political 45:18 religious power. 45:19 That lasted over 1000 years and better known as the Roman 45:23 Catholic church, and it became a persecuting power and they 45:28 freely admit that. 45:29 So that is the first beast that you find in Revelation 13. 45:33 Now, we've got a lesson that talks about what is the mark 45:35 and, rather than try and fit it all into a 3-minute answer, 45:39 we'll send you or anyone a free copy of that lesson. 45:43 Jean: It's called "The Mark of the Beast." 45:45 It's a very important topic. 45:46 Revelation chapter 13. 45:48 And we'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. 45:51 The number again is 800-835-6747. 45:54 Ask for that study guide: "What is the Mark of the Beast?" 45:57 You can dial #250 and receive a digital download. 46:01 And it's all in there. 46:02 You'll find that helpful. 46:04 Next caller that we have is Donna in Oregon. 46:06 Donna, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 46:08 Donna: Thank you for taking my call. 46:10 Hebrews chapter 6, verse 4 through 6, and it's saying that 46:17 "once we have been enlightened by God and became followers of 46:23 Him and then we fall away, we can't ever be partakers again of 46:27 His righteousness." 46:29 Does that mean that I'm lost? 46:31 Doug: Well, if you're talking about when a person knows 46:35 the Lord and they backslide, can they be saved? 46:38 Absolutely. 46:40 Because look at the prodigal son. 46:42 He was in the father's house. 46:44 He knew the father, he fell away. 46:47 He went to a far country. 46:48 He came to his senses, he came back. 46:50 You look at Peter who denied the Lord and he came back. 46:54 And you look at people in the Bible like King Manasseh who 46:57 fell off in a big way. 46:59 So if there's no hope for backsliders, then what about 47:03 those verses where Jeremiah says, "I will heal 47:05 your backsliding"? 47:07 So God is not saying in this verse that if a person 47:11 backslides or if they fall away, they cannot be restored. 47:14 He's saying--He's talking about a person who resists the best 47:18 that God has to offer. 47:20 If they fall away, meaning if they reject the best that God 47:24 has to offer and they don't repent, there's no 47:28 restoring them. 47:30 But I think everybody listening to my voice right now has fallen 47:34 away in varying degrees where you get discouraged at some 47:37 point and then you come to your senses, you return to the Lord 47:40 or you have--you get dead and then you have a revival. 47:43 This is talking about a person that has really all the best-- 47:46 notice the words that are used. 47:47 "They taste the good Word of God, the powers of the age 47:50 to come." 47:52 It says: "They're partakers of the Holy Spirit. 47:53 They taste the heavenly gift. 47:55 They were enlightened." 47:57 These people have had the best of everything. 47:58 And if they reject that, then what more can God send to reach 48:02 them is what it's saying. 48:04 So if you feel the Holy Spirit, Donna, that is calling you, 48:09 by all means, come back. 48:10 God's arm is not shortened that He cannot save. 48:13 And He said whosoever, if you come to Him, if we repent-- 48:18 the children of Israel, God told them, "If you're carried off to 48:21 a foreign country, because you disobey, even if it's the other 48:24 side of the world, if you turn back to Me again and repent 48:27 of your sins, I will bring you back." 48:30 All through the Bible, that's the message of God is that I can 48:32 bring you back, if we repent. 48:34 Jean: Absolutely. 48:36 Next caller that we have is Lilian or Liliana from 48:39 Washington State. 48:41 Liliana, welcome to the program. 48:43 Liliana: Hi. 48:44 Doug: Hi, thank you for calling. 48:46 Liliana: Thank you for taking my call. 48:47 I'm 14 and I was wondering how can I witness better to younger 48:53 kids who might not go to the same church as me? 48:57 They're younger and it's different than witnessing to, 49:00 like, an adult or an older teenager. 49:02 Doug: Right, yeah, yeah. 49:05 Well, there's three things you can do for people that you want 49:08 to reach. 49:09 One is you be a good example. 49:12 I always say three and I really mean four. 49:14 Be a good example. 49:16 If they're open, share information with them. 49:19 That means you can talk to them about the Lord. 49:22 You might give them something to read. 49:24 If they're young, it would be maybe a little simpler than if 49:27 it's an adult, that directs them to God. 49:31 And then the third thing is, you pray for them. 49:35 So be a good example. 49:36 If you can share information with them. 49:38 Now, when they're children of somebody else, you've got to be 49:41 careful about proselytizing someone's kids. 49:44 Some people, you can't, like, you know, sneak them away from 49:47 their parents so that you can indoctrinate them. 49:50 Some parents wouldn't appreciate that. 49:51 But you want to be a witness to them and share truth as 49:54 you're able. 49:55 And the fourth thing is continue to do it. 49:58 So, don't get discouraged. 50:00 So, be a good witness. 50:01 Share information. 50:03 It might be a DVD, or--if anyone uses those anymore. 50:05 Direct them to a website where they can see Christian 50:08 information, a Bible study. 50:11 Pray for them, and keep it up. 50:16 Jean: All right, very good. 50:17 Next caller that we have is Robert in Washington. 50:19 Robert, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 50:21 Robert: Hi, Pastor Ross. 50:23 Hi, Pastor Doug. 50:24 Doug: Hi, Robert. Thank you for calling. 50:27 Robert: I was wanting to know if Jesus is called the first 50:31 fruits, then how could Moses be raised? 50:33 And also there's a--where David--and I think in Psalms, 50:37 he's called the firstborn, but he's actually not 50:39 the firstborn either. 50:41 Doug: Yeah, when Christ is called the first fruits of those 50:43 who are raised from the dead, people say, "Well, he wasn't 50:45 the first one resurrected." 50:47 For one thing in the Old Testament, you've got three 50:49 or four resurrections. 50:51 You've got Elijah and Elisha, both respectively resurrected 50:55 a boy. 50:56 A man was resurrected when he was lowered on Elisha's bones. 51:01 Then you got, you know, Elijah never died. 51:03 Of course, that's not a resurrection. 51:05 And so why would it call Christ the first fruits among those who 51:08 have risen from the dead? 51:10 The first in Hebrew did not always mean sequence. 51:13 First sometimes meant greatest. 51:16 You know, you call the president's wife the first lady. 51:19 She's not the first lady to arrive in North America, but 51:23 first means a position of prominence. 51:26 And so Christ is the greatest of those who have risen from 51:29 the dead. 51:31 And he is really the first fruits also in the sense that 51:34 he's the first one and only one who lived a perfect life and he 51:38 rose, you know, with a glorified body to make it possible for 51:41 anyone else to be in heaven. 51:43 So even Moses and Elijah and Enoch are there by virtue of 51:47 Jesus's sacrifice. 51:50 Jean: All right, next caller that we have is Glady 51:52 from Arizona. 51:53 Glady, welcome to the program. 51:55 Glady: Oh, good evening, Pastor. 51:57 Doug: Evening. 51:59 Glady: My question is, do I need to preach the gospel in 52:02 order for me to be saved? 52:04 Because someone told me that I won't be saved unless I will 52:08 preach the gospel. 52:09 Doug: Well, there are different gifts of the Spirit and you read 52:13 in, I just mentioned, 1 Corinthians chapter 12. 52:17 Some are pastors, some are evangelists, some are teachers, 52:20 some have gifts of administration, gifts of help. 52:23 Some have gifts of healing. 52:24 I think some people have gifts of prayer, there are gifts 52:28 of intercession. 52:30 And so the idea that everyone is supposed to be a pastor, 52:33 preacher, teacher, not everybody is a good public speaker. 52:37 Some people could be and they don't know. 52:40 I didn't know I could. 52:43 I lived in a cave like a hermit because I was scared of crowds. 52:47 And I don't know about you, Pastor Ross. 52:49 First time I got up to preach, my knees were shaking and my 52:51 hands were sweating and I was-- my mouth went dry and I was 52:54 so scared. 52:55 So you might have ability to share with others. 52:59 But in the sense that every Christian is called to be a 53:03 witness, yes, some of us preach with our lives and our example 53:09 or you might give a Bible study or share with a person on 53:11 a one-to-one basis. 53:13 Doesn't mean you need to stand up and go to be missionary in 53:16 another country and preach. 53:18 So you want to add to that? 53:20 Jean: Yeah, I was going to mention the same thing, where 53:21 there's different ways of preaching. 53:22 We can preach in the way we live. 53:24 We can focus our mission field on those who are closest to us. 53:28 Maybe if we're a parent, our first mission field is our kids 53:31 and we've got to set an example and teach them. 53:34 So yes, we want to be faithful in whatever area God has placed 53:38 us and whatever gifts God has given to us. 53:40 Doug: Someone, I don't remember who, said, "Preach Christ and if 53:43 necessary use words." 53:45 So, you know, all of us are to by our--by our lives, let our 53:50 light shine. 53:51 But if someone's telling you, you've got to go do literal 53:55 preaching to be saved, I don't think you find that in 53:57 the Bible. 53:58 Jean: Next caller that we have is Vivian in Canada. 54:00 Vivian, welcome to the program. 54:02 Vivian: Hello, Pastor. 54:03 Jean: Evening. 54:05 Vivian: My question is about Christian persecution. 54:08 As we know, the Christians in the Roman Colosseum, 54:11 the martyrs, were sacrificed. 54:13 However, Jesus says, "I will never leave you or forsake you." 54:17 Can you explain that, please? 54:19 Doug: Yeah, the idea when Christ said, "I'll never leave you or 54:22 forsake you," why would He say that to the apostles when 54:26 probably 10 out of the 12 died as martyrs? 54:31 Well, did Jesus ever leave them? 54:33 Did Paul get the idea? 54:34 He--Paul knew he was going to be executed by Nero through 54:38 beheading and Paul was in prison and he knew that he was on 54:42 death row. 54:44 He said to Timothy in 2 Timothy, "The time of 54:46 my departure is at hand." 54:47 Did Paul have the idea that Christ had forsaken him? 54:50 Not at all. 54:51 He said, "I know to whom I've committed my life and that He is 54:55 able to keep that which I've given Him until that day." 54:59 Paul had great confidence. 55:00 He said, "Hereafter there is laid up for me, a crown of 55:03 righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will 55:05 give me." 55:06 So when Christ said, "I'll be with you," that didn't mean you 55:09 will not be persecuted. 55:11 As He said, "Some of you will be martyred." 55:12 Jesus foretold that, actually. 55:14 He said, "You will be hated of all nations for My namesake," 55:18 but He's still with them to the end. 55:21 And so, many of them died in great peace because they knew 55:24 Christ's presence. 55:25 Even the--you know, you-- we're all going to die if Jesus 55:29 doesn't come. 55:30 So if you die at the hands of persecution, it doesn't mean 55:33 that God has forsaken you. 55:35 In some ways, that's an honor. 55:37 Jean: During a time of severe persecution that we have 55:39 recorded in Revelation chapter 2, Jesus gave a promise to 55:44 the people and He said, "You're going to suffer persecution, 55:46 you're going to be tried." 55:48 And then He says, "Be faithful unto death, and I'll give you 55:50 the crown of life." 55:52 So obviously, Jesus was with them right up till the very end, 55:54 even though they went through trials and persecution. 55:57 And He reminded them that if they are faithful, they will 55:59 receive the ultimate reward, which is the crown of life, 56:02 eternal life. 56:03 Doug: In the Gospel of John, Christ said, "The hour is coming 56:07 in which those that kill you will say that they're 56:11 serving God." 56:12 So I think the Lord's told us that--and then you--where is 56:17 it in Revelation where it says the souls of those under 56:21 the altar that were beheaded for Christ. 56:24 Jean: That's the sixth seal. 56:25 Doug: Sixth seal, yeah. 56:27 Jean: Fifth seal, actually. 56:28 Doug: So there, yeah, there's no question that Jesus knew that 56:31 some of His followers were going to be persecuted severely for 56:34 their faith. 56:36 And don't let that frighten you or discourage you, friends. 56:38 Jean: Our next caller that we have is Christopher in Montana. 56:41 Christopher, welcome to the program. 56:43 We have about a minute. 56:44 Christopher: I'll make it as quick as I can, Pastor. 56:46 Thank you for your time. 56:47 My question is referring to the pre-trib versus post-trib and 56:51 with all the events going on in the world, with Jerusalem being 56:54 surrounded, the star of Jacob appearing, celestial events 56:57 happening on the Feast of Trumpets and all that stuff, my 57:01 question is, is how do we know He's not knocking on the door 57:04 right now, showing us the signs and wonders that He promised us 57:08 and how we can expect that? 57:11 That's, I guess, what I'm asking. 57:13 Doug: Yeah, well, I do think the Lord's Coming is soon. 57:16 He said there'll be a great time of trouble and it looks to me 57:19 like we're on the verge of some very exciting days. 57:23 Oh, I wish I could delve into your question a little more, 57:25 Christopher, but we're pushed up against the clock. 57:27 Listening friends, that's probably a good place for us to 57:31 think about with everything going on in the world, in 57:34 the country, with the wars and rumors of wars, we need to 57:37 be praying. 57:39 With all of the political polarization, we need to be 57:41 praying because people's hearts are failing from fear. 57:44 And the only answer to that is if they could be introduced to 57:47 the Prince of Peace. 57:49 Jesus said He's offering us a peace that passes 57:52 all understanding. 57:53 No matter what happens in the world, friends, Jesus is the 57:57 truth that will set you free. 57:58 So do not fear. 57:59 God willing, we'll be studying His Word with you again 58:01 next week. 58:03 ♪♪♪ 58:05 announcer: Thank you for listening to today's broadcast. 58:08 We hope you understand your Bible even better than before. 58:11 "Bible Answers Live" is produced by Amazing Facts International, 58:15 a faith-based ministry located in Granite Bay, California. |
Revised 2025-01-04