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Series Code: AFBA
Program Code: AFBA202429S
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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, and its 00:10 words, sometimes simple and sometimes mysterious, should 00:14 always be studied carefully. 00:16 It is the Bible, the Word of God. 00:19 Welcome to "Bible Answers Live," providing accurate and practical 00:24 answers 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 00:34 broadcast, call 800-835-6747. 00:39 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 00:44 Now here's your host from Amazing Facts International, 00:48 Pastor Doug Batchelor. 00:50 Doug Batchelor: Hello, listening friends. 00:51 Would you like to hear an amazing fact? 00:54 The fastest speed ever recorded by a horse was in 2005, when a 00:59 quarterhorse called A Long Goodbye reached 55 miles an hour 01:03 in a sprint. 01:05 The fastest running speed ever recorded by a human was Usain 01:09 Bolt on August 16, 2009, at the World Championships in 01:13 Berlin, Germany. 01:14 The Olympic champion reached 27 miles an hour. 01:18 So what would be the chances of a man winning a race against 01:21 a horse? 01:23 Probably better than you think. 01:24 That is, if the race is long enough. 01:27 It happened in 2004 at the 25th annual Man versus Horse 01:31 21-mile-long marathon in Wales, Britain. 01:35 With 500 runners and 40 horses, Huw Lobb won in 2 hours and 01:40 5 minutes. 01:42 What's more, he beat the horse by 11 minutes. 01:45 It was the first time that a man has won the race and the prize 01:48 of 25,000 pounds. 01:51 When it comes to long distances, humans can outrun almost any 01:55 animal, especially on a hot day. 01:58 Because we cool by sweating rather than panting, we can stay 02:01 cool at speeds and distances that would overheat 02:04 other animals. 02:06 Some people think it's impossible to outrun temptation, 02:09 but they underestimate what we can do with God's power, 02:12 Pastor Ross. 02:13 Jean Ross: That's right, Pastor Doug. 02:15 The Bible says that all things are possible to those 02:17 who believe. 02:18 With faith, you know, it is possible to please God to do 02:20 those things that are pleasing to him. 02:22 Doug: Yep, absolutely. 02:24 Our friends might be surprised to know there's a couple of 02:26 verses in the Bible that talk about people racing horses. 02:29 You've got the verse there in Jeremiah chapter 12, verse 5. 02:34 It says: "If you've run with the footmen, and they've wearied 02:37 you, how will you contend," or compete, "with horses?" 02:40 And then you can read in 1 Kings 18, verse 46 that it talks about 02:45 when "the Spirit of the Lord, the hand of the Lord, came on 02:47 Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab," 02:52 that's Ahab's chariot, "to the entrance of Jezreel." 02:55 He was running before the king and his horses. 02:58 But we're really thinking not about a race against horses, 03:01 but, really, a race of life and against temptation and sin. 03:05 Paul talks about that in Hebrews 12, verse 1-2: "Wherefore," I 03:10 should say, "Therefore, since we also are surrounded by a great 03:13 cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin 03:17 that does so easily ensnare us, and let us run with endurance 03:21 the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author 03:25 and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before 03:29 Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at 03:33 the right hand of the throne of God." 03:36 Tells us the only way we can run this race is by laying aside the 03:39 weights and the sin and looking unto Jesus. 03:43 So, can we outrun temptation? 03:47 Not by ourselves, but with God's help, all things are possible. 03:50 Jean: You know, we have a book. 03:52 It's called, "Tips for Resisting Temptation." 03:53 It gives those biblical principles as to how we 03:56 can resist. 03:57 The Bible--it's good news. 03:58 The Bible speaks that those who trust in Christ, they 04:01 can overcome. 04:02 Blessed are those who overcome, the book of Revelation says. 04:05 We'll send this book free to anyone who calls and asks. 04:08 The number is 800-835-6747, and you can ask for the book. 04:12 It's called, "Tips for Resisting Temptation." 04:15 The number is 800-835-6747. 04:18 You can also dial #250 on your smartphone and ask for the book 04:21 by name, and we'll be able to send it to you. 04:24 Well, Pastor Doug, before we go to the phone lines, we've got a 04:27 few folks who are standing by. 04:28 Let's start with prayer. 04:30 Dear Lord, once again we are grateful that we have this time 04:32 to open up Your Word and study the most important book dealing 04:36 with the most important subject. 04:38 And so Father, we pray Your blessing upon this program 04:40 this evening. 04:42 Be with those who are listening wherever they might be, and 04:43 guide us into a clearer understanding of Bible truth, 04:46 for we ask this in Jesus's name, amen. 04:49 Doug: Amen. 04:50 Jean: Now, Pastor Doug, as I look at those lining up, we want 04:52 to thank all of those who have called in. 04:54 I see we have some repeat callers, which is always nice, 04:58 but if you're a first-time caller, we want to make sure 05:00 that we get your call on the air. 05:03 So if you've never picked up your phone and called with your 05:05 Bible question, do it now. 05:07 The number here to the studio is 800-463-7297. 05:12 That's 800-463-7297 with your Bible question, and we'll try to 05:19 get you near the front of the line if you're a 05:21 first-time caller. 05:22 We're ready for our caller first. 05:24 We got Laura in Colorado. 05:26 Laura, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 05:29 Laura: Yes, my question is if you cuss at the Spirit, can you 05:33 be forgiven? 05:35 Doug: If you could, like, if you're in a seance and you try 05:38 to consult with evil spirits, can you be forgiven? 05:40 Is that your question? 05:41 Lori: No, let's just say, like, you said "F the Spirit" 05:44 because you were mad, can you be forgiven? 05:47 Doug: Oh, is that the unpardonable sin, yes. 05:50 When the Bible says, "All manner of sin and blasphemy will be 05:51 forgiven men, but it's the blasphemy against the 05:54 Holy Spirit." 05:55 Now that certainly is a sin, don't misunderstand. 05:57 But blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not losing your 06:00 temper, getting discouraged, and cursing God or the Holy Spirit. 06:04 While that would be a sin, it's talking about an ongoing 06:08 resistance to the voice of the Holy Spirit, so you no longer 06:11 hear the Holy Spirit anymore. 06:14 So when a person grieves away the Holy Spirit, as in the case 06:18 of King Saul and Judas, and Balaam, and a few others in the 06:21 Bible, then they've reached the point of no return. 06:25 But if you're, you know, if a person sinned and they feel 06:28 conviction, and they repent of their sins, the Lord is always 06:31 willing to forgive if we're willing to confess and repent. 06:34 Jean: And I think we have a book, Pastor Doug, talking about 06:36 that subject: "What is the Unpardonable Sin?" 06:38 And you can call and ask for it. 06:39 We'll send it to you. 06:41 The number to call is 800-835-6747. 06:44 You can ask for the book, "What is the Unpardonable Sin?" 06:46 Friends, if you're listening outside of North America and you 06:49 can't call to get the book, just go to the website, just 06:51 AmazingFacts.org, and you can read the book there online. 06:56 Thank you. 06:58 Next caller that we have is Kimberly in California. 06:59 Kimberly, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 07:03 Kimberly: Yes, good evening. 07:04 This is Kimberly from Bakersfield. 07:06 Doug: Thanks for calling. 07:08 And your question? 07:10 Kimberly: Okay, yes. 07:11 So, in Revelations 12:6, it talks about the woman, or Israel 07:17 possibly, fleeing to the wilderness for 1260 days. 07:23 But then in Daniel 12:11, it says after the abomination 07:29 happens, there'll be 12-- there'll be 1290 days. 07:34 And then Daniel 12:12 says: Blessed is he who waits until 07:39 the 1335 days. 07:41 So can you explain the differences between these and 07:44 what possibly is happening between those time periods? 07:48 Doug: I can. 07:50 It's hard to do it in the 3 or 4 minutes we kind of budget for a 07:53 question because you're asking about--we have a lesson that 07:58 covers some of that, but let me give you a quick, 07:59 quick overview. 08:01 The number 1260. 08:03 In the Jewish calendar, there are 360 days in the year. 08:07 They use a lunar calendar. 08:09 And so, half of 360 is 12-- 1260. 08:18 So it's what we would call 42 months or 3.5 years. 08:22 And so, you'll often see that number. 08:25 The famine of Elijah was 3.5 years. 08:30 It's 3.5 years into the reign of King Ahasuerus that the queen is 08:35 dethroned and they begin the search that becomes Esther. 08:39 You find 3.5 in the ministry of Jesus. 08:42 He taught for 3.5 years. 08:44 Then after his death and resurrection, there's 3.5 years 08:47 until the stoning of Stephen, and the gospel then goes to 08:51 the Gentiles. 08:52 There's a--there's a prophetic 3.5 years that you mentioned 08:55 there in Revelation chapter 12, where it talks about the woman 08:59 fleeing into the wilderness. 09:00 Now, I think that woman is not just talking about Israel, I 09:03 think it's talking about the Church that goes underground. 09:08 So, and God, it says, miraculously feeds her there. 09:11 So, what is the difference then between what you find in Daniel? 09:16 Now, there is an overlap between Daniel, chapters 7, 8, 9, and 09:22 what you find in Revelation. 09:23 They both have the 1260, and what's a quick way to answer 09:28 that, Pastor Ross? 09:30 I know you know it as well, if not better than I do, but--. 09:31 Jean: Yeah, just a real quick answer on that. 09:33 So you've got 1260, 1290, and 1335. 09:37 The 1260, as you mentioned, Pastor Doug, specifically in 09:39 Revelation 12--. 09:41 Doug: Pardon me, all three of those numbers are in Daniel 12. 09:43 Jean: Yes, they're in chapter 12, and the 1260 is mentioned 7 09:47 times in scripture, so it's an important number. 09:50 Begins with the decree, well, really, the establishment of the 09:53 papal power in 538. 09:55 And it continues to 1798 when the political power of the 09:59 papacy was removed. 10:00 So that's the 1260. 10:02 The 1290 begins a little earlier, and that's in 508. 10:07 You have the first nation, the French under the Franks, or 10:11 Clovis, king of the Frank, it was the first nation to decree 10:15 Catholicism as the official religion and really helped to 10:19 establish the political power of the papacy. 10:22 And that continued until 1798, so the 1290 begins in 508. 10:26 And then the 1335, beginning in 508, goes all the way through to 10:30 1843, 1844, and there was a great revival that took place. 10:35 So in a nutshell, those times do overlap, but they deal with 10:38 different prophetic aspects that took place during the Dark Ages. 10:42 Doug: We need to put together a simple chart because we get that 10:45 question a lot, that explains that and I think you just 10:47 finished a series of lessons on Daniel and I bet you have 10:50 something like that in there. 10:52 Jean: We do. We've got some charts. 10:53 They're actually busy laying it out right now, so, it will 10:56 be available. 10:58 All right, thank you, Kimberly. We've got Gary in Illinois. 11:01 Gary, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 11:05 Gary: Thank you. 11:06 In Genesis 2:15, it says, "Then God took the man and put him in 11:11 the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it." 11:15 Is that a call for humanity to be good stewards of the planet? 11:21 Doug: Well, I think that certainly is a pattern that, you 11:24 know, originally, man was to be a horticulturist. 11:27 God made man to be in the garden, and never is a man 11:32 closer to God than when he's in the garden. 11:35 Because this is my Father's world, as you say, we are to 11:40 care for it, and to be good stewards of the planet. 11:44 And, you know, I think that when it comes to using the resources, 11:47 they're there to be used, but they should be used responsibly. 11:51 We have a little bit of land where we do occasional logging, 11:53 but we do what they call organic logging. 11:55 We thin the trees. 11:57 And so, I think that it's really important that people do 12:01 recognize, it says in Revelation, is it chapter 11 12:04 where it says, "God will destroy those that destroy the earth"? 12:08 And so, there's a judgment for people that not only abuse their 12:12 bodies, the Bible said, "Your body is the temple of the Holy 12:15 Spirit; whoever defiles that temple, him will God destroy." 12:19 I think if we destroy God's creation, there's also judgment 12:22 for that. 12:24 So hopefully that answers that, Gary, and good question. 12:27 Jean: Anthony's listening in New York. 12:28 Anthony, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 12:31 Anthony: Hello, good evening, Pastors. 12:33 Doug: Evening. 12:35 Anthony: In Luke chapter 8 with the woman with the issue of 12:38 blood, Jesus said, "Who touched Me?" 12:42 And He said, "Somebody has touched Me: for I perceive that 12:45 virtue has gone out of Me." 12:47 And then over in John chapter 20, verse 17, when after He 12:53 resurrected and Mary was in the garden, Jesus says--"Jesus said 12:58 unto her, 'Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My 13:02 Father: but go to My brethren and say unto them, "I ascend 13:05 unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God and your God."'" 13:07 So, my question is, why didn't Jesus want anyone to touch Him 13:13 before He presented Himself to the Father? 13:15 Is it because He had to maintain His disposition as the spotless 13:20 Lamb, untainted by sin, and didn't want to be tainted by 13:22 sin, if--by anyone touching Him, or does it have something to do 13:26 with when, you know, somebody touching Him and virtue leaving 13:29 Him before He presented Himself resurrected to His 13:34 heavenly Father? 13:36 Doug: Yeah, good question. 13:37 I remember when I first read that verse, I thought, "Well, I 13:39 thought He really loved Mary Magdalene; she certainly 13:41 loved Him. 13:42 Why would He say, 'Don't touch Me'?" 13:44 It's like you're unclean, don't touch Me. 13:46 I was relieved to find out that word there, "Don't touch Me," 13:49 it's not the best translation in the King James. 13:51 Maybe some other versions have it that way. 13:53 If you'll look, for instance, the New King James says, "Do not 13:56 cling to Me." 13:57 The word there could also mean hold or to cling. 14:02 He said, "Do not detain Me, 'cause I've not yet ascended to 14:05 My Father." 14:07 In other words, Christ said, "I've just risen. 14:08 I've not even ascended before the Father to have My sacrifice 14:11 declared victorious. 14:13 I will be back." 14:14 And notice when He does come back, and I think it's in 14:17 Matthew, where they worship Him, they grab His feet, and He says, 14:20 "All hail." 14:21 So He wasn't opposed to them touching Him because they 14:23 certainly touched Him later. 14:24 He said, "Put your hand in My side. 14:26 Touch My hands. 14:27 See that I'm not a spirit, that I've got flesh and bone." 14:31 And so Jesus was not opposed to the disciples touching Him 14:34 after resurrection. 14:35 He just told Mary, "Do not detain Me. 14:38 Do not cling to Me 'cause I've--" she may have already 14:40 been grabbing His feet. 14:42 He said, "Don't hold Me. 14:43 I've got to go to My Father, but I want you to go tell 14:45 our brethren." 14:46 So no, it wasn't that He thought that she was unclean and that He 14:50 would somehow be contaminated. 14:51 It actually means do not hold or cling or detain Me. 14:56 Thanks, good question, Anthony. 14:58 I'm glad you asked it. 14:59 Jean: We got Tim in Arkansas. 15:00 Tim, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 15:04 Tim: Good evening, Pastors. 15:05 How are y'all? 15:06 Doug: Much better than we deserve. 15:09 Tim: Amen. 15:10 Hey, my question is, in the New Testament, why is Jesus Christ-- 15:16 they say Jesus Christ in the same sentence, then they change 15:19 it back over to Christ Jesus. 15:22 Is there a reason for that? 15:25 Doug: Well, I--if you understand that it's not like my 15:29 name, which is Douglas Batchelor, you would never say 15:32 Batchelor Douglas. 15:33 That would seem odd, unless, of course, you're going 15:36 alphabetically in school, and there's a comma after Batchelor. 15:40 But Christ is the title, and so He is Messiah Jesus, Jesus 15:48 the Messiah. 15:49 So it can be said interchangeably because one is a 15:52 title and one is a name that, you know, was more of a proper 15:56 name that He had been given. 15:58 But it's interesting, His name also means Yeshua, which means 16:03 God or Jehovah saves. 16:05 So, it's Messiah, God saves, or God saves the Messiah, the 16:12 Anointed One. 16:13 That's what that means. 16:15 Jean: And Christ, there's the Greek version for the word 16:17 Messiah, which is Hebrew. 16:18 Doug: For anointing, yeah. 16:19 Jean: The Anointed One. 16:21 Doug: Yeah, when they launch a ship, they christen it. 16:22 That means they anoint it. 16:24 Usually they break champagne over it, but they call that 16:26 a christening. 16:27 It means an anointing. 16:28 Jean: So in other words, you could say, for example, Dr. 16:30 So-and-so, or you can say So-and-so, doctor, because the 16:35 one's the title and the Messiah or the Christ is the title and 16:38 Jesus is the name. 16:40 All right, good. Robert in Washington. 16:42 Robert, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 16:45 Robert: Hello, evening, Pastors. 16:47 Doug: Evening. 16:48 Robert: My question tonight was, what is the new covenant, 16:52 because I was reading in Hebrews 8 through--Hebrews 8:7 through 16:56 10 that it seems like that God writing his law in our hearts is 17:03 the new covenant. 17:05 But then I was reading tonight in Matthew 26, where it talks 17:08 about Jesus saying, "This is My blood of the new covenant." 17:13 So there must be some kind of thing that would explain what 17:21 the new covenant is. 17:23 Doug: Yeah, well, what you read there, you're right, and--but 17:25 that goes together perfectly. 17:28 To understand the new covenant, it's good to take a peek at the 17:30 old covenant. 17:32 The old covenant, and you read this in Deuteronomy, I think 17:34 it's chapter 4, verse 13, says, "And He gave them His covenant 17:38 ten commandments, which He commanded them to observe." 17:42 The covenant was ratified with blood. 17:45 Even in the days of Moses, there was a sacrifice that was made 17:48 that ratified the covenant. 17:50 And so it's saying that the new covenant is the same law written 17:55 in our hearts rather on stone. 17:57 Instead of it being based on the promise of the people: in the 18:00 old covenant, the people told the Lord, "All the Lord has said 18:04 we will do." 18:05 They said, "We will promise to keep Your law." 18:07 The new covenant says, "I'm making a promise. 18:10 I will cause you to walk in My ways, and I will write My law in 18:13 your heart. 18:14 You'll be motivated by love instead of just being compelled 18:17 by your own power and will." 18:20 And no one really can keep God's law that way. 18:22 People in the Old Testament are actually saved by the 18:25 new covenant. 18:27 And so Jesus at the Last Supper, He's saying, "This is the blood 18:29 of the covenant, and," you know, "My body and My blood," and that 18:35 was really sealing it. 18:36 They would have a sacrifice where they would sprinkle blood, 18:39 and they'd offer the body of the victim. 18:41 And so Christ is making statements about the sacrifice 18:44 of the covenant. 18:46 But the first place you find the new covenant is actually in the 18:50 Old Testament, right? 18:52 I'm dyslexic. 18:53 I think it's Jeremiah 31:31 is where you find it, and he says, 18:58 "A new covenant I'll make." 18:59 And Moses even alludes to the new covenant where he said, you 19:03 know, instead of it being circumcision in the flesh, it 19:06 should be circumcision of the heart. 19:08 So they understood the principle that the--only the new covenant 19:11 is really what God wants. 19:13 King David said, "Sacrifice and offerings you do not desire, but 19:18 a body I prepared," and what God desires is a contrite heart. 19:22 They all understood that what really God wanted was a 19:25 transformed heart. 19:26 Ezekiel said, "I'll sprinkle you, and He's going to make a 19:29 new covenant with us. 19:31 I'll write my law in your hearts." 19:32 So that's the new covenant, and we have a book on that, I think. 19:35 Jean: I'm trying to think, Pastor Doug, 19:37 what the name of that-- 19:38 Doug: Well, probably the, "What Was Nailed to the Cross," 19:42 I think talks about that. 19:43 Jean: Is that the name of the book? 19:45 Doug: Yeah, it's one of them. 19:46 We've got two or three books that talk about the subject, and 19:50 we've got, you know, "Written in Stone," I think, talks about the 19:53 new and the old covenant too. 19:55 Jean: All right, we've got a number of resources talking 19:57 about the new covenant. 19:59 Just call and ask, "Written in Stone" and we'll be happy to 20:01 send it to anyone who calls and asks. 20:04 Also, the book, talking about the new covenant. 20:06 Don't we have a book called, "Why the Old Covenant Failed"? 20:08 Doug: Yeah, there you go. 20:10 Jean: That's the one I was thinking about, yeah. 20:11 So you can call and ask for that. 20:12 The number is 800-835-6747. 20:15 Ask for the book, "Why the Old Covenant Failed." 20:18 And also ask for the study guide; it's called "Written 20:20 in Stone." 20:21 Doug: Wait, I want to confuse 'em more. 20:23 We got another one, yeah. 20:24 "Does God's Grace Blot Out the Law?" 20:25 Jean: Yes, that's a good one too. 20:28 So you can ask for any of those books. 20:30 It's an important subject, so we have a number of resources. 20:33 Glenn in Ohio. 20:34 Glenn, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 20:37 Glenn: Thank you, Pastors, for taking my call. 20:39 Good evening. 20:40 My call concerns Revelation 13 and Revelation 14, and it's 20:46 about the program, the mark of the beast. 20:49 Why is the mark of the beast in the Bible? 20:53 Doug: Why is--well, God puts it in the Bible as a warning, so 20:58 that for one thing, when that time comes, we'll be prepared 21:03 and, you know, want to avoid that, because the Bible says 21:06 whoever receives the mark of the beast, the wrath of God is 21:10 poured on him, and he's going to be destroyed. 21:14 And it's basically also that what happens at the end of the 21:17 time, Glenn, with the mark of the beast and the seal of God, 21:21 is a battle between good and evil. 21:22 It's the culmination of the battle between good and evil 21:25 that goes all the way back to Cain and Abel. 21:27 Cain was a gentle shepherd, he sacrificed, he obeyed God. 21:32 His brother Cain, he rebelled, and Cain ends up getting marked 21:37 by God, and he was cursed. 21:39 And I was just reading today in, oh, was it James or Peter where 21:45 it says that "like that murderer Cain." 21:47 I think it's 2 Peter. 21:49 So, when you get to Revelation, you've got the same thing. 21:54 You've got one group is persecuting the other group 21:57 because they're worshiping according to God's will, and the 22:00 devil inspires them with anger and malice. 22:04 So God's warning us about what's going to happen. 22:06 That's why it's in the Bible. 22:08 Jean: We do have a study guide. 22:09 It's called, "The Mark of the Beast." 22:10 It's important, very important subject that you can read about 22:13 in the Bible. 22:14 We'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. 22:16 If you'd like to learn more about that, the number 22:18 is 800-835-6747. 22:21 You can ask for the study guide. 22:23 It's called "The Mark of the Beast." 22:25 We've got Jim listening in Oregon. 22:26 Jim, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 22:28 Jim: Hello, Pastors. 22:30 Doug: Evening. 22:32 Jim: There is one peculiar word that's only in the Bible in 22:37 one place. 22:39 I think I know what it means, but I'm not sure. 22:43 It's in Revelation 1:1, the word "signified." 22:50 What does that mean? 22:52 Doug: Well, the word "signify," it mean--and actually I think 22:55 it means semaino in Greek, it means to sign-ify or it's given 23:01 in signs. 23:02 And when it says: "He sent and He signified it by His angel, 23:05 through the angel," the vision is given in signs and 23:09 apocalyptic symbols, you might say. 23:13 Yes, it means, I'm looking at the Greek definition right now. 23:16 It's rather lengthy, but it's talking about to desire a sign 23:21 or the characteristics of the sense of relating something, it 23:24 could be a shape. 23:25 But, best definition I've heard is it means to sign-ify, because 23:31 that's what, you know, you break down the word "signify," 23:34 it's sign-if-y. 23:36 And it means given in signs or symbols. 23:39 Jean: And of course, the whole book of Revelation, you find 23:41 lots of symbols in the book of Revelation. 23:43 So the Bible's telling us that if we need to understand the 23:47 book of Revelation, we need to let the Bible interpret 23:49 these symbols. 23:51 And that's why you go through the Old Testament. 23:53 A lot of the Revelation is actually quoted from the 23:56 Old Testament. 23:57 So it's given in symbols and types. 23:59 All right, thank you, Jim. 24:01 Next caller that we have is Loydene in Nebraska. 24:04 Loydene, welcome to the program. 24:07 Loydene: Well, thank you very much and good evening, Pastors. 24:10 Doug: Good evening. 24:12 Loydene: Okay, my question is on Isaiah chapter 17, verse 1, when 24:19 it's talking about Damascus. 24:21 And I have the question because I know the USA bombed Syria 24:27 today and Israel bombed Damascus, so I wanted to know if 24:33 chapter 17 has anything to do with what's going on now or was 24:39 it something that was in the past? 24:41 Doug: The vision of Isaiah against Damascus, and Isaiah, 24:45 when you start marching through, I just finished reading the book 24:48 of Isaiah, you start marching through chapter 17 and 24:52 subsequent chapters, talks about his visions that pronounce 24:55 judgment on Nineveh, on Damascus, on the Philistines, on 25:00 several countries. 25:01 They all came true, many of them during the time 25:04 of Nebuchadnezzar. 25:05 He went marching through the Middle East, and he conquered 25:08 many of these cities, and Damascus was destroyed. 25:12 Now Damascus is rebuilt, and if you look at verse 1, it says: 25:16 "The burden against Damascus. 25:17 'Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will 25:20 be a ruinous heap.'" 25:21 Well, that did happen, but it was eventually rebuilt. 25:24 Some cities that were destroyed were never rebuilt, and God--it 25:28 specifically says that Babylon, ancient Babylon, would never be 25:31 rebuilt, and it wasn't. 25:33 I think there's some tourist ruins that were rebuilt there, 25:36 but the city has not been a thriving city. 25:39 And I don't think that Isaiah here is talking about the 25:43 present conflict in Syria. 25:46 But the news certainly is interesting these days 'cause I 25:49 think the whole power structure of the Middle East is going 25:52 through a transition again. 25:54 Jean: And of course, Syria and Egypt and--Syria and Israel 25:58 have been at war many a time. 26:00 You have Syria that conquered the ten tribes of Israel, took 26:04 them off into captivity. 26:06 So yes, there's a long history between the Syrians and the 26:09 Israelites and all of those various nations in that area. 26:12 Doug: Yeah, now you'll notice the word "Syria" in Syria, and 26:16 then you'll notice in the Bible, you've got Assyria. 26:19 So, the capital of Assyria was Nineveh, the capital of Syria 26:24 was Damascus, and even back when Naaman the leper, he was the 26:29 Syrian, he came down, he was healed, so they were--they were 26:32 kind of at war, then peace and war then peace, and it's not 26:35 changed since the time of Israel, I guess, their 26:37 whole history. 26:40 Thank you. 26:41 Jean: All right, Pastor, I'm looking at the clock. 26:42 We probably don't have time to take another caller because 26:45 we're coming up on a break, but we do want to let people know 26:47 that we have all kinds of great resources at the "Amazing 26:51 Facts" website. 26:53 Doug: Yeah, absolutely. 26:54 And people sometimes think, "Well, I have to wait another 26:56 week to listen to 'Bible Answers Live,'" but you can go to 27:00 YouTube or the Amazing Facts Facebook page, and you can 27:03 listen to past programs. 27:05 There's even a place at the "Amazing Facts" website where 27:08 you can look at the particular Bible answers. 27:11 In fact, I just heard this week, we've got 8000 pages at the 27:16 "Amazing Facts" website. 27:18 So there's a, as they would say, a blizzard, a plethora, a 27:21 kaleidoscope of Bible study information there, and make sure 27:25 you check out AmazingFacts.org. 27:27 But we're not done with this program. 27:29 Coming back in just a few moments. 27:35 announcer: Stay tuned. 27:36 "Bible Answers Live" will return shortly. 27:46 announcer: Amazing Facts Changed Lives. 27:58 Scarlett Varley: I'm Scarlett Varley. 28:01 I grew up in a military home. 28:02 Both my parents were in the Navy, and my mom left fairly 28:06 early, and then my dad stayed for 15 years and so he was 28:10 deployed a lot. 28:12 We would read the Bible every night together as a family, and 28:15 I mean I knew, like, that God was there and, like, I knew that 28:18 He, like, died for me but it wasn't something that, like, you 28:21 know, stuck in my head. 28:22 Any time I went to church, I never got enough information. 28:26 You know, you're there for just, like, an hour. 28:29 I was super, super hungry for knowledge and I wasn't being 28:31 given it. 28:33 Even though I accepted Christ, my faith, like, really wasn't 28:36 all that strong. 28:39 I mean, I lost my first friend in high school, you know, my 28:41 first boyfriend to suicide, and that was really hard and I 28:44 didn't understand it. 28:47 And I was just really, really depressed. 28:50 I was also, like, abused and so I was just really confused and I 28:55 was like, "Lord, why was I put in that situation where I had no 28:59 control over anything?" 29:01 I was suicidal. 29:02 I was developing an eating disorder, so like, all these 29:05 things were just coming into play. 29:08 You know, I don't feel loved, you know, that's not something 29:10 that would happen if I was loved and that's not something that 29:13 happened if maybe I must have done something wrong if I went 29:16 through that, and I just blamed myself for everything. 29:20 On the outside I was still like super-happy and outgoing and I'd 29:23 give everyone a hug and compliment them and try to put 29:26 the attention on other people. 29:28 And so people didn't know what I was going through. 29:32 I was just super-confused about life and why am I here? 29:35 Like, I don't think I have a reason to even be alive. 29:39 And I was really confused with God, like, why would You let 29:41 this happen? 29:43 Like why wouldn't You intervene? 29:45 I just wanted to change it. 29:46 I wanted to change it so bad and there was nothing I could do. 29:51 I quit choir because I was around too many people. 29:56 Choir was a big thing. 29:57 I just isolated myself because I couldn't stand being around 30:01 people and I was like, Oh well, if I don't have any friends and 30:05 if something happens to them, well, then it won't affect me 30:07 because I'm not part of their lives. 30:09 And so I was just really scared of just losing people and so I 30:12 thought if the more I push them away, the easier it would be to 30:16 just go through life. 30:17 The problem was I didn't turn to God and that's when I needed 30:20 Him most. 30:22 My sophomore year in high school we went on this thing called 30:25 Fall Weekend, so we went on a retreat for, like, the weekend 30:28 and they showed this clip of Jesus Christ on the cross and 30:32 that broke me. 30:34 I mean I was crying, crying so much, and after they showed the 30:39 clip, you know, everyone's just super-quiet and they're like, 30:42 all right go out on the campus, and we're going to do this thing 30:44 called 20 Minutes and so I'm sitting out there and I'm just, 30:48 like, praying. 30:50 I gave my life to Christ and it was just such, like, a 30:52 beautiful moment. 30:55 Right around that time, my dad found Doug Batchelor on the TV. 31:02 And so he was like, "Scarlett, come watch this," and I'm like, 31:04 "All right, like, I'll watch it." 31:06 And so we started watching it, like, all the time and he's 31:10 like, "You know, this is, like, the Bible truth." 31:11 I was like, "It definitely is." 31:13 He's like, "Scarlett, you should go to AFCOE," and I was like, 31:18 "That's not really my cup of tea." 31:21 I was a very spirited person and AFCOE was structured and I--me 31:27 as a person, I wasn't too structured. 31:30 But you know, the more I thought about AFCOE, the happier I got. 31:32 And it was, like, a 2 weeks' notice before AFCOE started. 31:35 She's like, "You got accepted." 31:37 Like, "We emailed you your letter and all this stuff," and 31:39 I was like, "Oh no, oh no, I have to pack up my entire life." 31:42 And so I'm like frantically, like, packing up everything and 31:46 me and my dad, like, drive cross country and AFCOE was not what I 31:50 expected at all. 31:52 They've definitely led me and helped me and talked to me and 31:55 taught me and just loved me, and accepted me as who I was and 31:59 just helped me grow as a person and showing me different ways of 32:02 life and just how to live, like, a better life in all sorts 32:05 of areas. 32:07 Without the help of the Lord and without, like, people who love 32:10 the Lord and love me, I wouldn't be where I am today. 32:14 Even though I didn't want Him, I, you know, I kind of shoved 32:17 Him away, He didn't let go and so I'm super-grateful. 32:24 ♪♪♪ 32:36 announcer: You're listening to "Bible Answers Live" where every 32:39 question answered provides a clearer picture of God and His 32:43 plan to save you. 32:44 So what are you waiting for? 32:46 Get practical answers about the Good Book for a better 32:49 life today. 32:53 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 32:56 If you'd like answers to your Bible-related questions on the 32:59 air, please call us next Sunday between 7 p.m. 33:02 and 8 p.m. Pacific time. 33:05 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this 33:08 evening's program, call 800-835-6747. 33:13 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 33:18 Now, let's rejoin our hosts for more "Bible Answers Live." 33:24 Doug: Amen, friends, you heard the number. 33:26 Just give us a call with a Bible question and we're trying to 33:29 encourage people, even if you've never called in before, call in, 33:33 and as soon as you get through, we're going to try and put you 33:35 at the head of the line. 33:36 We get so many people calling in and they've got great questions, 33:39 but we always like to have some new first-time fresh callers. 33:44 Before we go to the phones, while our friends are picking up 33:47 the phone, we've got a couple of email questions that have 33:49 come in. 33:51 Jean: We do. 33:52 And if you'd like to send us an email question, it's easy. 33:54 The email address is just BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. 34:00 All right, Pastor Doug, Richard is asking: "When we are going 34:02 through trials in life, how do we know if we are being led by 34:05 the Holy Spirit?" 34:07 Doug: Well, whenever you're going through trial, God may be 34:10 trying to teach you something or to reach others through you, 34:15 witnessing through the trial. 34:17 Whatever trial it might be, you can turn to God and ask for the 34:21 Spirit to guide you through the trial. 34:23 So you might be in the trial because you've done something 34:26 wrong or you took a wrong turn, but at any time along the way, 34:29 you can turn to God, and the Spirit will take that and use 34:33 you and lead you through that trial just like He led the 34:37 children of Israel with a pillar of fire through the Red Sea and 34:40 through the wilderness. 34:41 When you go through your wilderness, God's Spirit will be 34:45 there, and you've just got to be praying and commit your life to 34:48 Him every day. 34:49 Jean: Okay, and then we have another question. 34:52 Leslyn is asking: "Can you explain the process of 34:55 justification and sanctification? 34:58 Or is it sanctification and justification? 35:00 The Bible mentions it both ways." 35:03 Doug: Yeah, there's three technical terms in the process 35:06 of salvation. 35:07 You've got justification, sanctification, 35:11 and glorification. 35:13 And justification, to keep it simple, it means you come to 35:17 Jesus just as you are. 35:19 He will forgive you through His blood just as if you had 35:23 never sinned. 35:24 He'll wash you, and then out of love for Him, you follow Him, 35:29 and He teaches you to live a new kind of life. 35:31 So you can come to the Lord like the thief on the cross and turn 35:34 to Him and say, "Lord, remember me," repent of your sins, 35:36 confess your sins. 35:38 He will then forgive you, cover you with His righteousness, and 35:40 look upon you just as if you've never sinned. 35:43 Sanctification means that you're learning to walk in a newness 35:46 of life. 35:48 Glorification is ultimately when we get into glory and we have 35:51 our new bodies and we're not tempted anymore. 35:53 There's no more devil. 35:54 Jean: Okay, final question that we have, email question here, 35:57 Pastor Doug. 35:58 Annette is asking: "If God created everything in the 36:00 universe, did He create Himself?" 36:02 Doug: Well, that'd be hard to comprehend. 36:04 He would have to exist in order to create Himself. 36:07 It is a mystery, you know, and even people that are atheists 36:11 realize that the great mystery is how do you get something 36:14 from nothing. 36:15 The very enormous, complex, infinite universe that we 36:18 observe right now, to say that it came from what they call a 36:23 singularity, that means something exploding 36:25 from nothing. 36:27 There's no scientific way that can happen. 36:29 It's the same problem of saying how can you have a God that's 36:32 lived from everlasting to everlasting? 36:34 Mystery for us, but it's easier for me to believe that an 36:38 intelligent God designed the universe that we observe as to 36:42 believe that all the incredible systems and organization we see 36:47 in the world today all happened out of nothing for no purpose. 36:50 Jean: Okay, we're going to go to the phone lines. 36:52 The next caller that we have is Hector in New York. 36:55 Hector, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 36:57 Hector: Good evening, Pastor. I saw you in New York. 36:59 Thank you. I enjoyed the seminar. 37:01 Doug: Oh, praise the Lord, thanks for coming. 37:02 Hector: Yeah, I have a question. 37:04 In Isaiah 11:9, I'm going to see--I'm going to read 37:08 the Bible. 37:09 "The earth shall be filled--the earth shall be full of the 37:11 knowledge of the Lord as the water cover the sea." 37:15 But in Revelation 21:1: "Then I saw a new heaven and a 37:20 new earth. 37:21 So the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and 37:23 the sea was no more." 37:26 How come He didn't see no water? 37:28 Doug: Well, first of all, in Isaiah, he's saying the 37:31 knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth like the sea. 37:35 So he's using a metaphor. 37:36 We know how the sea kind of covers the earth. 37:38 Two-thirds of the world is water. 37:40 Isaiah is using that as a metaphor for heaven, that 37:44 everybody around the planet will understand God. 37:47 They'll know God. 37:48 It won't be like in the world today where so many people don't 37:51 know God. 37:52 So, the knowledge of God will blanket the new earth as the sea 37:56 covers the world today. 37:58 But when it says there's no more sea in Revelation, it doesn't 38:00 mean there's no more water, and no more large bodies of water, 38:05 because it says there's a river that's flowing from the throne 38:07 of God, and even Ezekiel talks about that river that flows from 38:11 the temple that flows out to the sea, but it says that it's fresh 38:15 water in Ezekiel, that there's-- it's all--that the trees go-- 38:18 grow beside it. 38:20 And so, if trees are growing beside it, it's not salt. 38:23 So it's telling us you're not going to have the salty water 38:25 you can't drink, it stings your eyes. 38:27 But there will be large bodies of water in heaven, but it's 38:30 probably not going to cover the earth like it does now, so that 38:34 everyone's separated. 38:36 Hope that makes sense. 38:37 Thank you. 38:38 Jean: We've got Gabriel in California. 38:40 Gabriel, welcome to the program. 38:43 Gabriel: Hi. 38:44 Doug: Hi, Gabriel. 38:46 Gabriel: Pastor Doug, why do people use Peter's vision of the 38:50 unclean animals as excuse to eat unclean food? 38:54 Doug: Why do people use Peter's vision that you find in Acts 38:57 chapter 10 as an excuse to eat unclean animals? 39:02 Well, I've heard that many times where people say, well, there's 39:06 nothing wrong with eating unclean animals, because Peter, 39:09 in Acts chapter 10, he's up on the roof praying, he's hungry, 39:13 and he has this vision of a sheet lowered from heaven full 39:16 of all kinds of unclean animals, and God says, "Arise and eat," 39:20 and Peter says, "Not so, Lord! 39:22 I've never eaten anything common or unclean." 39:25 God says, "Do not call unclean what I have cleansed." 39:28 People say, "Aha! God cleansed all the animals." 39:31 That happens three times and Peter's wondering what this 39:34 vision means. 39:35 He never eats anything from this sheet 'cause it's hard to eat a 39:37 vision, and it says he explains it later that God showed him 39:43 that He wanted him to go to the Gentiles. 39:46 Right when he has that vision, he was being invited to the 39:50 house of a Gentile. 39:51 They didn't know they were supposed to preach the gospel to 39:54 the Gentiles. 39:55 They had just been going to the lost sheep of the house of 39:57 Israel, and Peter explains the vision later. 39:59 So let's take Peter's word for it. 40:01 He said, "God has shown me through this vision, not to call 40:05 any man unclean." 40:07 M-A-N, not P-I-G. 40:09 So that's the purpose of the vision. 40:11 Some people have misapplied that to think that that means you can 40:14 eat anything that crawls, and that's not what the Bible's 40:17 teaching there. 40:19 Thanks for your question. 40:20 Appreciate that, Gabriel. 40:21 Jean: And the verse you're referring to is Acts chapter 10, 40:23 verse 28. 40:24 Doug: Thanks so much. 40:26 Jean: We got Rona in Virginia. 40:28 Rona, welcome to the program. 40:30 Rona: Oh, thank you, and may God bless you and your ministries. 40:35 Doug: Thanks so much. 40:36 Rona: My question is, where was Satan during the flood? 40:40 Was he hiding in the ark? 40:42 Doug: No, I don't think so. 40:44 I think that God's angels were in the ark and Satan doesn't get 40:47 along very well with good angels. 40:49 They had a war once. 40:50 So my assumption is that he was out in the raging elements, and 40:56 I read in one commentary that he feared for his own existence 41:00 when he saw how the whole creation had been--was in that 41:04 tremendous tempest that, you know, trees are being uprooted 41:11 and rocks are flying through the air and water's pouring from the 41:14 skies, and it was--it was the, what would you call it? 41:17 The mother of all storms. 41:19 So, no, I think Satan was out in the darkness and the raging 41:22 elements, and God's angels were in the ark protecting Noah. 41:25 Jean: All right, next caller that we have is Mandy 41:28 in Florida. 41:29 Mandy, welcome to the program. 41:31 Mandy: Hello, good evening. Doug: Evening. 41:36 Mandy: So I just got done reading Joshua chapter 7. 41:40 It starts, verse 16, and I don't know how to pronounce his name. 41:44 Is it Achan? 41:46 Doug: Yeah, that's right, Achan, like bellyaching, yeah. 41:51 Mandy: Achan, so he stole some of the spoils, some clothes and 41:57 gold and silver, and, as you know, they killed not only him, 42:03 but they took his wife and his children too and I don't 42:08 understand why first of all, he was judged so harshly. 42:11 Did he not repent? 42:13 Did he have an opportunity to repent? 42:16 And why did they have to kill the children too? 42:18 I just feel like they're--I mean, like, were they--I just 42:20 feel like they were innocent and why would they--I mean that-- 42:24 this is just like really bothering me. 42:27 Doug: No, don't let it be-- don't let it trouble you. 42:29 Just keep this in mind: that in the Hebrew, when it says they 42:33 killed the children, it doesn't mean little children. 42:36 It meant, you know, sons or daughters. 42:38 Achan could have been, you know, 40 years old, and he had adult 42:42 children, and he, first, he did have an opportunity to repent. 42:45 He didn't repent until they cast lots and the lot fell on him. 42:49 Then he finally confessed when God basically pointed him out. 42:53 So he was--he had lots of opportunity to confess, and he 42:56 waited until the last minute. 42:58 And it says that he hid this forbidden--he didn't 43:01 just steal. 43:02 God specifically said, "Do not take any of the bounty 43:05 from Jericho. 43:06 That all belongs to the Lord," and he was stealing from 43:08 God, basically. 43:10 The first city they conquered was Jericho, and because it was 43:13 the first fruits, any of the booty of war, that would be 43:16 consecrated to God. 43:18 The other cities, they got to keep it when they 43:19 conquered them. 43:20 So Achan, when he stole this, his family, now these may have 43:23 been adult children, they were conspirators with him. 43:27 They were accomplices. 43:28 They knew that he had hidden it underneath the rug in his tent. 43:33 And so they were all brought out. 43:36 Now, Moses is the one who said that the son will not die for 43:39 the sins of the father, and the father will not die for the sins 43:42 of the son. 43:43 I think Ezekiel repeats that. 43:45 So they must have been accomplices. 43:47 They knew what was going on and just keep in mind, though it's 43:50 says they're children, they may have been above the age 43:53 of accountability. 43:54 Jean: And because of his sin, Pastor Doug, there was a battle 43:56 that took place and several of the Jewish soldiers died as a 44:01 result of him hiding this and still he refused to confess it. 44:05 So he had blood on his hands to some degree because of the role 44:08 that he played in this. 44:09 Doug: Yes. 44:10 Jean: Okay, next caller that we have is Alice in New York. 44:12 Alice, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 44:16 Alice: Yes, hi. 44:17 I'm so happy to talk to you for the first time. 44:19 Okay, here's my question: When a person dies, a true believer, 44:25 and he gets buried, does the soul go to God, 44:28 Jesus, in heaven? 44:30 Doug: Let's tell you what goes to the Lord. 44:32 You read in Ecclesiastes chapter 12 that the dust returns, I 44:37 think it's verse 7. 44:38 The dust returns to the earth as it was, 44:40 and the spirit returns to God who gave it. 44:43 Now, there's a difference between spirit and soul. 44:45 It doesn't say the soul returns to God. 44:47 It says the spirit. 44:48 That word there, "spirit," is ruach in Hebrew, and you got to 44:53 say it in the back of your throat, ruach, and it 44:56 means breath. 44:58 The breath of life returns to God who gave it. 45:01 Now when God created Adam in the beginning, says God made Adam 45:04 out of the dust of the earth, He breathed into him the breath of 45:08 life, and Adam became a living soul. 45:11 So notice Adam doesn't become a soul until God combines the 45:15 breath of life with the body that He's made. 45:19 When a person dies, the body returns to the dust, the breath 45:23 of life returns to God. 45:25 The breath of life is not a conscious soul that's, you know, 45:28 floating around thinking, "Well, you know, when do I get my 45:31 physical body?" 45:32 The Bible says that when a person dies, they sleep until 45:35 the resurrection. 45:37 Jesus said, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, and I go to wake 45:40 him up." 45:42 And there's about 12 resurrections in the Bible, and 45:44 all the people who are resurrected, none of them ever 45:47 comment on being conscious of anything during death. 45:51 So, it's simply saying the spirit of life goes to God who 45:55 gave it. 45:57 Jean: And there's another verse in Ezekiel chapter 18, verse 20. 45:59 It's a verse that a lot of people don't know about or 46:02 forget, and the Bible's very clear. 46:03 It says: "The soul that sins shall die." 46:07 So there you have the soul dying. 46:08 Well, if the soul dies, it can't go anywhere. 46:10 Just doesn't exist after a person dies. 46:13 Doug: I think in Revelation it says: "And all the souls that 46:15 were in the sea died." 46:17 Jean: Yeah, that's right. 46:18 Doug: So, you know, it's even telling you that fish 46:20 have souls. 46:21 That means that anything that had the breath of life died. 46:24 So, yeah. 46:25 Jean: You know, we do have a study guide. 46:27 It's called, "Are the Dead really Dead?" 46:28 And this gets into the subject and gives a lot of excellent 46:31 Bible verses. 46:32 If you'd like to receive that, Alice, or anyone listening, all 46:34 you have to do is call 800-835-6747, and ask for the 46:39 study guide. 46:41 It's called, "Are the Dead Really Dead?" 46:42 It's just 800-835-6747. 46:46 Ask for the study guide, "Are the Dead Really Dead?" 46:47 and we'll send it to you. 46:49 Or you can also dial #250 on your smartphone and you can get 46:53 it that way as well. 46:54 Doug: Pastor Ross, let me remind people, you know, we give out a 46:56 lot of resources. 46:58 The--all the resources we mention, with rare exception, 47:00 these are all free. 47:02 And I think people sometimes are afraid, they think, "Oh, there's 47:04 got to be a catch." 47:06 That "someone's going to be knocking on my door and I'm 47:08 going to have these problems now, or we're going to all of a 47:10 sudden start getting mail and--" Friends, if--we're just going 47:14 to send you the book. 47:15 Or you can download it. 47:16 And we just want you to have the truth. 47:18 And there are people that believe in what "Amazing Facts" 47:21 is doing, and they support us through the year. 47:23 We'd be happy if you want to be one of them, but we send these 47:26 books out with no obligation. 47:30 So take advantage of it. 47:31 You read these things, it'll change your life. 47:34 Jean: All right, next caller that we have is Derrick 47:35 in California. 47:36 Derrick, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 47:39 Derrick: Hello, Pastor. Good evening. 47:40 Doug: Evening. 47:42 Derrick: Yes, well, my question is, are all 47:46 sins forgiven? 47:48 Doug: Well, Jesus tells us in Matthew chapter 12 that "all 47:51 manner of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven to the sons of men, 47:55 but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven 47:58 either in this life or the life to come." 48:01 So clearly, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not forgiven, 48:05 but I don't know, am I answering what you're asking? 48:09 Derrick: Yes, yes. 48:10 Doug: Yeah. 48:11 So, and we identify, we've got a free book that we'll send you, 48:14 Derrick, that talks about what is the unpardonable sin. 48:18 People always try to conjure up in their mind the most heinous 48:21 thing they can think of. 48:22 Is it--do you have to be a serial killer? 48:24 Is it killing your child? 48:26 Is it--some people have thought abortion was the unpardonable 48:29 sin, or maybe it's if you were to kill your parents, is that 48:32 the unpardonable sin? 48:34 They try to think of the worst thing they can think of. 48:36 And you'd be surprised what the Bible says about it, so send for 48:40 that free offer. 48:41 Jean: The number to call for that is 800-835-6747. 48:44 You can ask for the book. 48:46 It's called, "What is the Unpardonable Sin?" 48:48 And we'll send it to anyone who calls and asks. 48:50 Mark in Michigan. 48:52 Mark, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 48:53 You're on the air. 48:54 Mark: Yeah, thank you. 48:56 Real quick, my church's state conference disciplined a member 48:58 of my local church for a non-moral issue. 49:00 No due process through our senior pastor or local church. 49:03 Our senior pastor tried to protect them both. 49:05 The conference suspended a local evangelistic ministry 49:10 until the member would be disciplined and recently our 49:12 senior pastor was fired, again with no due process. 49:15 We're still trying to reason with the conference leaders. 49:18 Should our local church hold our state conference 49:21 accountable by voting out the leaders, or by diverting tithe 49:25 elsewhere, or just follow what they say, according to Acts 5:29 49:29 and 2 Timothy 2:1 and 2? 49:32 Thank you. 49:33 Doug: Okay, that's a big question. 49:35 Well, you know, what you have happening in the New Testament, 49:38 it seemed like they did use-- they would combine prayer, and 49:42 then they would choose leaders, and, you know, they prayed and 49:46 they chose seven deacons. 49:48 Another time they cast lots to pick between the two best, and 49:52 when they chose leaders, they would respect the decisions of 49:54 the leaders. 49:55 If you're in a church that is using a democratic process where 49:59 there are conferences, and I know they have that, for 50:01 instance, in our church, in the Methodist Church and Baptist 50:03 Church, where you elect leaders and it's a 50:08 representative leadership. 50:10 Then the thing to do is if you're unhappy with that 50:12 leadership, as they do in North America, people vote in and vote 50:16 out senators, presidents, then when the time comes, you vote-- 50:21 you voice with your vote your approval or disapproval. 50:25 So, you know, I'm always very reluctant to say that you would 50:30 divert your tithe. 50:32 I think the best thing to do is for people to communicate. 50:35 Sometimes it means writing a group letter. 50:38 Or if the conference will allow a face-to-face meeting, that a 50:41 group might meet with the conference and sit down and best 50:44 thing is always to discuss things before you take some kind 50:48 of a severe action. 50:50 Jean: Okay, next caller that we have is Carla in California. 50:53 Carla, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 50:56 Carla: Hi, Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross. 50:59 Thank you for everything that you guys do. 51:01 May God continue to bless you. 51:02 My question for today is based on 1 John 3 and Galatians 3:26, 51:09 and it is: Is it correct to call all people children of God, or 51:15 does this title or identity belong only to believers? 51:21 Doug: All right, good question. 51:22 You know, it's a kind of a mixed bag. 51:28 What I mean by that is you'll often hear people say, "Well, 51:31 all of us are children of God." 51:33 And it's true in the sense that God loves everybody. 51:36 He wants to save everybody, but Jesus made it very clear there 51:39 are some people that have accepted Christ and they are 51:42 adopted into the family through baptism. 51:45 God said to Jesus, "You are My beloved Son," and when we're 51:48 baptized, we become part of God's family. 51:51 Jesus told the religious leaders, "You're of your father 51:54 the devil," so that means not every human is a spiritual child 51:57 of God. 51:59 And you know, Jesus said, "You say you're God's children, 52:02 you're children of Abraham, but you're not, really. 52:05 Those who are of faith are children of God." 52:07 You read in 1 John chapter 3, and I think Carla was quoting 52:10 that, "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on 52:13 us, that we should be called children of God!" 52:16 So, and then Isaiah says we are sons and daughters of God, 52:20 speaking about believers. 52:22 So to be a real child of God means that you have accepted Him 52:26 as your heavenly Father and that you're submitting to Him. 52:30 Children often resemble their parents, and so if you're trying 52:32 to follow or resemble your Savior, you're a child of God. 52:37 But there are some people that are called children of the devil 52:40 in the Bible. 52:41 Jean: All right, next caller that we have is David 52:43 in Missouri. 52:44 David, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 52:48 David: Yes, thank you, Pastors. 52:50 I was wondering, when Jesus Christ arose from the tomb, from 52:58 that time, the angels, the two angels, were waiting in the tomb 53:06 to speaking to Mary. 53:09 Where was He? 53:11 Doug: Okay, that's a great question, because when the 53:13 disciples came and looked in the tomb, they didn't see Him; they 53:16 saw the angels. 53:17 But after they left, He appears to Mary. 53:19 So where was He? 53:20 I think Jesus, first of all, Jesus can make Himself appear 53:23 and disappear. 53:24 He can close eyes and open eyes. 53:26 You see in, was it Luke chapter 24, on the road to Emmaus, He 53:32 basically blinded the eyes of the disciples so they didn't 53:34 recognize Him until the appropriate moment when He 53:37 blessed the bread. 53:39 So, you know, Jesus may have just made Himself invisible. 53:44 Could have been standing by a tree. 53:46 I don't know where He was. 53:47 He hadn't ascended to heaven yet, so He was probably there 53:49 watching everything. 53:50 He waited until they had all left but Mary, who stood outside 53:53 the tomb alone weeping, and He chooses to first reveal Himself 53:57 to her. 53:58 But I don't know, Pastor Ross, the Bible doesn't say, you know, 54:02 was He hiding behind a rock or where He was. 54:03 I just figured He made Himself unseen during that brief 54:08 interval and it's not--we're talking about maybe 20 minutes, 54:11 half an hour, it's not long. 54:13 Jean: And then we also read later on where Jesus did appear 54:16 to the disciples and He appeared suddenly in the room. 54:20 So for a period of time they couldn't see Him in the 54:22 room and then suddenly He appeared, so. 54:23 Doug: Good point. 54:25 So He could make himself disappear. 54:26 Jean: That's right. Okay, thank you. 54:29 Carol in Arizona. 54:30 Carol, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 54:32 Carol: Oh, thank you for taking my call. 54:35 I just enjoy your ministry. 54:39 My question is: Where in the Bible does it say, chapter and 54:46 verse, that it took Noah 120 years to build the ark? 54:53 I can't find it. 54:54 Doug: All right, the closest you're going to get is where you 54:57 read in Genesis 6, and you'll read in verse 3: "And the Lord 55:04 said, 'My spirit will not strive with man forever, for he is 55:08 indeed flesh; yet his days will be a hundred and twenty years.'" 55:12 Now, it's telling us that when the sons of God, meaning the 55:15 children of Seth, intermarried with the daughters of Cain, that 55:19 through those intermarriages they lost their distinct 55:22 holiness, and wickedness increased in the earth, so that 55:25 God was sorry that He made man, the thoughts of his heart were 55:28 only evil continually. 55:30 And so you've got this point where God is giving a warning 55:35 that they're going to have about 120 years before the end comes. 55:39 Then that's also referred to in Peter, where He says in 2 Peter 55:42 chapter 3 that "in the days of Noah, while the ark was 55:46 being prepared." 55:48 And so it doesn't mention 120 years there, but it says his 55:51 spirit was striving with people. 55:54 That's where you're going to get the 120 years. 55:56 So from that time, God tells Noah to, you know, you go into 56:00 chapter 7, he calls Noah, and God--Noah begins to build the 56:04 ark, and then the flood comes, and most scholars believe that 56:07 it's about 120 years. 56:09 His spirit was just going to strive with humanity to repent 56:12 of their sins before the flood would come. 56:15 Jean: Well, here's a quick question, Pastor Doug. 56:17 David in Missouri, real quick, what's your question? 56:20 David: Hey, okay, we'll make it quick. 56:22 Cain, where did his wife come from? 56:25 Doug: All right, good question. 56:26 Says: "Cain took his wife and went east to Eden." 56:30 Where did he come from? 56:31 It just says Adam and Eve had Seth and Abel, and Abel died. 56:36 They had brothers and sisters. 56:37 It says in Genesis chapter 5: "Cain married one of 56:41 his sisters." 56:45 Jean: All right, very good. 56:46 We've got another caller, Gary in Washington. 56:48 Gary, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 56:50 Gary: Hello. 56:52 Doug: Hey, Gary, we got just a minute. 56:53 Your question? 56:57 Gary: I want to know how it happened that when Adam and Eve 57:03 sinned, somehow, all of humanity instantly became a sinner. 57:11 Doug: All right, that's a great question. 57:14 It's almost like something happened in our DNA. 57:17 Adam used to be, at Creation, motivated by love. 57:20 God created Adam and Eve to be motivated by love. 57:23 After sin, something changed in our natures where the compass 57:27 needle was broken and it was pointing in the 57:29 opposite direction. 57:30 And instead of humans being motivated by love for God and 57:33 love for our fellow man, we became motivated by selfishness, 57:37 and that really is the disease that's passed on to all 57:40 humanity, is that we love ourselves. 57:43 The biggest battle that Jesus ever fought was there in the 57:46 Garden of Gethsemane when He was praying before He went to the 57:50 cross, and He said, "Not My will; Thy will be done." 57:54 Jesus said, "Deny yourself. 57:56 Take up the cross and follow Me, and you'll be in the kingdom." 57:59 That's the big question, friends, is taking up the cross 58:01 and following Jesus. 58:03 God willing, we'll talk about it more next week. 58:05 Thanks for listening to "Bible Answers Live," and check out 58:08 the website. 58:11 announcer: Thank you for listening to today's broadcast. 58:14 We hope you understand your Bible even better than before. 58:17 "Bible Answers Live" is produced by Amazing Facts International, 58:21 a faith-based ministry located in Granite Bay, California. |
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