Participants: Pr. John Carter
Series Code: CR
Program Code: CR001308
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00:08 From Arcadia, California, the Carter Report presents
00:11 "The Living Word" around the world. 00:18 How should Christians treat gays? 00:21 Welcome, to the Carter Report and Fresh Hot Potatoes. 00:25 My name is James Venegas 00:26 and our special guest is Pastor John Carter. 00:33 We believe in the public proclamation 00:35 of all the mighty truths of God saving 00:38 and transforming word around the world in Russia, Ukraine, 00:42 India, Africa, the Philippines, Australia, America 00:46 and the Isles of the Sea, 00:48 millions have been powerfully touch by the Spirit of God 00:51 as the true gospel has been proclaimed. 00:54 Please be a part of the Carter Report team 00:56 by praying, giving and when God calls by going. 00:59 Please write today to P.O Box 1900, 01:02 Thousands Oaks, California, 91358 01:06 or to P.O. Box 861, 01:09 Terrigal NSW, 2260 Australia. 01:13 Your gift will light a candle in a dark place. 01:16 Your gift will bring the Gospel of Christ to allow our soul. 01:19 Please write today. 01:34 Pastor Carter, welcome to the program. Thank you. 01:36 Fresh Hot Potatoes once again. 01:37 Glad to be here, glad to see you. 01:39 Yes, its good to see you too and of course the hot potatoes 01:41 that we are talking about are the questions 01:43 that are coming in from our viewers. 01:45 We really appreciate that, 01:46 it helps to really gauge our viewers 01:48 and our internet audience. 01:50 And we great audience. And we do. 01:51 We have a wonderful audience 01:52 and we love the fact that they are thinking audience. Yes. 01:55 And they are not afraid to ask the big questions. 01:58 Very hot potato. Big hot potato. 02:01 How should we as Christians be treating homosexuals, gay's? 02:05 In our current climate, its a reality that we live in. 02:09 How should we be reacting? 02:10 We should treat them with respect. Okay. 02:13 And with dignity and with love. Yes. 02:16 Jesus said, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 02:21 I cannot say this too strongly 02:26 that the attitude of treating people badly 02:30 because of their race, their color or their sexuality. 02:36 That is unchristian. We are to know what we believe. 02:41 I don't have to believe the same as they do 02:45 but every person is a child born in the image of God. 02:50 Every person is distinct and glorious. 02:54 Every person is important 02:56 and therefore I should treat with respect every person 03:00 and I should do more on this, 03:02 I should love them as Christ love them. 03:04 Now some Christians may say, that sounds all well and good 03:06 but could we be condoning of that if it's not biblical? 03:11 I don't have to condone what I believe is wrong. 03:15 I believe from scripture 03:18 that a marriage is between a man and a woman. 03:21 Though I have the right to say that, 03:23 you better believe that. 03:24 Now I know that there are some people 03:26 who would stop by saying this. 03:28 I know this, there is a trouble and tolerance out there today 03:32 and some people would drain out the voice of a preacher 03:36 who preaches the word of God. 03:38 I have the right to my believes 03:40 but at the same time I should respect those 03:43 who think differently to me. 03:45 They should respect me too. 03:46 Yes, doesn't God do that with us? 03:48 Yes, He does. He doesn't force himself on us. 03:51 So that-- so you are saying basically 03:52 that we should remember 03:54 the importance of loving everybody 03:57 regardless of their decisions. 04:00 Now speaking of our decisions, does God forgive us 04:06 and if so are they conditions to that forgiveness? 04:09 Yes, the very basis of the gospel is that 04:14 Christ died for us to bring us to God 04:18 and to forgive us. 04:20 So forgiveness is taught in the Bible. 04:24 But there is a difference between 04:26 genuine forgiveness and cheap cries. 04:32 Grace tells us that Christ died for us, 04:34 but it's not cheap it cost the blood 04:37 of the Son of the God. 04:38 How could it be cheap? It costs something. 04:44 And the Bible tells me that God will forgive any and every sin. 04:48 There is no sin too bad for God. 04:51 So God will forgive every sin. 04:52 Murder, lying, cheating, adultery 04:57 but the Bible tells me that there are-- 05:00 now, this where it gets a little tough on some people. 05:05 The Bible tells me, there are conditions for forgiveness. 05:10 Now, let me please turn over here 05:13 to the Book of Ezekiel Chapter 33. 05:17 Now, you know, Jesus taught from the Book of Ezekiel. 05:22 Jesus preached from the Old Testament 05:24 and so we really don't need to apologies 05:27 when we go to the Old Testament. 05:29 Ezekiel 33:12 and onwards. Okay. 05:34 Now, I'm gonna read this slowly, we can talk about it. 05:41 "Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, 05:45 'The righteousness of the righteous man 05:47 will not save him when he disobeys, 05:52 and the wickedness of the wicked man 05:54 will not cause him to fall when he turns from it.'" 05:59 And so, just because I have been a righteous person, 06:03 if I turn from that righteousness and I do evil, 06:07 my righteous deeds are not going to save me. 06:11 And the wicked knows of a wicked man, 06:13 is not going to dam him 06:15 if he turns from this wickedness. 06:18 So the Bible says, I have got to turn. 06:21 Well, that people murdering legalism there? 06:23 Well, I guess if you misinterpret the text, 06:28 but legalism is not obeying God. 06:30 Legalism is trust in our own righteousness for salvation. 06:35 "The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live 06:39 because of his former righteousness. 06:44 If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live 06:47 and then he trusts in his righteousness 06:50 and does evil, none of the righteous things 06:53 he has done will be remembered, 06:58 he will die for the evil he has done. 07:02 And if I say to the wicked man, 07:04 'You will surely die,' it's a death sentence, 07:08 You will surely die, but he then turns away from his sin 07:14 and does what is just and right he gives back 07:18 what he took in pledge for a loan, 07:21 returns what he has stolen, 07:25 follows the decrees that give life, 07:28 and does no evil, he will surely live, 07:34 he will not die." 07:36 Even though he is been a thief 07:38 and a murder and a crook, remember the mafia. 07:42 "None of the sins he has committed 07:44 will be remembered against him. 07:46 He has done what is just and right he will surely live." 07:51 Now, James, he got a righteous man goes to church, 07:58 keeps all the commandments outwardly 08:01 but then he turns away from God. 08:03 The Bible says, all his righteousness 08:05 is not gonna save him, 08:06 because of the evil is done he is going to die. 08:10 But then he says here is an evil mind, 08:12 he is been breaking the commandments of God 08:14 may be he is a murderer, 08:17 he is an adulterer, he is a fornicator, 08:19 he is a thief. 08:22 But this man comes to Christ, and he turns from his evil way 08:27 and his life is transformed by the power of God 08:30 and he lives a righteous life. 08:32 The Bible says he is side. 08:35 None of his evil deeds are going to kick him 08:37 out of the kingdom of God. 08:39 And that's good news. That is good news. 08:41 But it teaches that forgiveness is not cheap. 08:48 Forgiveness is given to the person 08:50 who turns to God in repentance. 08:53 And that seems to the key word that turning, 08:56 the turning and repentance. Yes. 08:57 Yeah, it's not just a put on, you know. 09:00 Now, question that flows on from that is 09:03 once saved always saved. 09:05 Just as following from that there are Christians out there 09:07 that believe that once you made a decision for Christ 09:09 how could you turn away if you have, 09:12 if you have made that decision? 09:13 Now you could said that, 09:14 you could be righteous and then turned away. 09:16 Well, that's what the Bible says. Okay. 09:17 All right, Ezekiel says that. 09:20 I didn't believe in the doctrine 09:23 "once saved always saved." Okay. 09:25 I believe that if I come to Christ in true faith, 09:28 I'm saved. I believe this. 09:31 I believe that I passed from death on to life. 09:34 I believe that this is the act of God's glorious justification. 09:39 A justification means that I'm declared righteous 09:43 and this happens in a moment, 09:44 not because of my goodness but because of God's goodness, 09:48 because of Christ, 09:49 because of His death from being on the cross. 09:51 This is the gospel. Yes, yes. 09:53 Now, when I come to Christ, 09:56 and I'm saved then I return from sin, 10:00 I will hate the sin of course the death of the Son of God. 10:04 And so there is hope for every person, 10:06 there is hope of every sinner. 10:09 But often people are told at doctrine that 10:13 free from the law-- 10:15 oh, happy condition, sin all you like 10:18 and then get free mission. 10:21 That's not the teaching of the Bible. 10:22 And it's preached from many of pulpits. 10:24 So, I believe that we can have completely eternal security. 10:29 I know, I believe that you 10:30 and I can know today that we are saved 10:34 and that we are going home to glory 10:36 but I believe that this salvation 10:42 is dependent upon God. 10:47 It depends all upon God 10:50 but God doesn't take from me Pastor Venegas, 10:52 freedom of choice. 10:54 I can turn from God when I want to 10:58 and if turn from God then I will be lost. 11:02 Lucifer in the beginning was saint. 11:04 Yeah, yeah. He was a covering cherub. 11:08 He was right with God, he was saved 11:11 but he became the devil. Yes. 11:14 Now, I believe, 11:18 I think Moody said "holding, I'm held." Yes. 11:23 As I hold I am held, I do not need to fear hell 11:29 but if I turn from God if I turn from Christ, 11:33 all the righteousness will be gone. 11:35 Yes, and of course that's the argument from the negative, 11:38 but let's-- let's wrap up on the positive. 11:41 Those of us that are struggling 11:42 and the good news that we can turn away from that, 11:45 there is one person that written in, 11:47 his name is John actually. 11:49 He says, most people look at pornography. 11:52 How dangerous is that to ones spiritual life 11:55 and how good is that news, that--that we can-- 11:58 we can be released from that? 12:00 You know this guy, Castro who kidnapped those women? 12:03 You know unspeakable acts of evil. 12:07 I heard him say my problem was pornography. 12:11 Pornography destroys people. 12:13 In fact if we go by these statistics 12:16 it seems that most people today are watching pornography 12:20 that is why they can't understand the Scriptures. 12:22 That is why there is so much evil in the world. 12:25 You cannot look at filth and not be made filthy inside. 12:32 If I turn to God, say if I'm a person 12:35 I'm watching pornography I know it's got a hold on you. 12:38 You can't get away from it in your own strength 12:41 but God can help you. 12:42 God can get you away from it. Despair in the blood of Jesus. 12:46 And Pastor Venegas, 12:47 what we got to do the power is in the word. 12:51 A person has to turn from sin and he is got to turn to Christ 12:55 and start to read the Bible. 12:57 You are a Bible preacher, thank God. 13:00 And I say every time I preach to the people, 13:02 read your Bible everyday. 13:04 If people don't read their Bibles 13:06 they are going to fall into sin. 13:09 But we can have deliverance over sin 13:11 and we can have victory and we can have an assurance 13:14 that we are going home to glory in Christ. Praise God. 13:18 So if we just turn from that wicked ways to the Bible 13:21 to the Lord of the Bible we can find that freedom. 13:23 Yes, and feed on the Scriptures. Feed on the Scriptures. 13:26 Now, we got many more questions to answer here 13:28 but we need to just take a few moments 13:29 to listen to this very important message. 13:35 Hello friend, I am John Carter in Colombia. 13:40 Behind me is the great city of Bogota 13:43 the capital of this amazing country. 13:47 This city is a city of more than eight million souls. 13:53 It's up more than 8,000 feet in the Andes 13:58 and we've come here today with one purpose in mind 14:02 to preach the everlasting gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 14:07 We are here because we have a commission from God. 14:11 Jesus said, "Go into all the world 14:14 and preach the everlasting gospel 14:17 baptizing them in the name of the Father, 14:20 and of the Son and or the Holy Spirit." 14:23 The people here need the Gospel of Christ. 14:27 And I am asking you today come with us, 14:30 if not in body but come with us in spirit. 14:34 This is been a very, very dangerous city. 14:37 A very dangerous part of the world 14:40 but we believe that we are safe 14:42 when we are in the hands of God. 14:45 Therefore I am beseeching you in the name of Christ 14:49 and in the name of these eight million plus inhabitants 14:54 in the city of Bogota to come 14:57 and help us to preach the word of God. 14:59 Please support the preaching of the word of God in Columbia. 15:03 Please write to me John Carter, 15:06 PO Box 1900, 15:08 Thousand Oaks, California, 91358. 15:12 In Australia write to me at the address, 15:15 Terrigal, New South Wales, Australia. 15:19 Jesus said, "Work while it is day 15:22 the night is coming when no man can work." 15:26 Please, write to me today. 15:28 Thank you and God bless you. 15:37 And welcome back to Fresh Hot Potatoes 15:39 with Pastor John Carter. 15:41 We are asking questions about forgiveness 15:45 and about sin and pornography 15:46 and how all you need to do is turn to Christ 15:48 and its great news, and we praise God for that. 15:51 I just want to change the angle over a little bit. 15:54 We have a question that's coming from Ron. 15:57 He asks, why is there so much violence in America? 16:02 And I guess we have spoken about this 16:03 before we are Christian nation, why is so much violence here? 16:08 We were a Christian nation. 16:11 This nation was founded on the Bible. 16:14 It was founded on the Commandments of God 16:16 and the early American's where of that Godly people, 16:20 many still are. 16:24 We have a violence society 16:27 that is why millions of America's keep guns. 16:31 And you know I'll be the last person 16:32 to criticize them 16:34 because there is so much violence. Yes. 16:39 I think one of the main reasons we have so much violence 16:42 is because of the television movie culture 16:47 and the video culture. Okay. 16:49 Children are looking at videos that are absolutely violent, 16:54 killing people, chopping of their heads. 16:56 Parents have got no idea what their kids are looking at. 17:00 And if you turn on television today, 17:04 it is difficult to get a decent movie. 17:08 There is so much quarrel and blood and immorality. 17:13 Now what people look at they will become. 17:16 Now people don't like to think this 17:18 but you become what you eat, 17:21 what you feed on is what you become. 17:24 If a person feeds on pornography, 17:27 he will become a pornographic person. Yes. 17:31 And if a person feeds on violence, 17:33 even though many people in Hollywood hate 17:37 what I'm going to say now, 17:38 if you feed on violence you are feeding the violence 17:44 in your own nature. Wow. 17:47 You are making yourself most acceptable to violent thought 17:51 and violent acts and deeds. 17:52 So it's kind of numbing our conscientious. 17:55 More than that it is, it is changing man soul. 17:59 Wow, but some would say that 18:01 it's really just art imitating life, 18:03 but you don't think that. 18:04 I don't believe that at all. Okay. 18:06 No, I believe by beholding we are changed. 18:10 The Bible says, let me read you a text Pastor Venegas here, 18:14 and you see I go by the Bible, 18:17 I believe in the old American way of thinking. 18:21 I believe in this. I believe in the constitution. 18:25 I believe in the bill of rights. 18:27 I believe in the great America 18:29 that was founded by the Pilgrim Fathers. 18:32 I don't believe or have any tolerance for this-- 18:36 this insane culture of violence that we are breeding. 18:42 And that, that is of course so much suffering. 18:47 I won't talk about the statistics 18:49 of the tens of thousands of woman 18:53 who are raped in America 18:56 of the thousands and the thousands 18:59 who are shot to death. 19:02 I think more than ten thousand murders a year. 19:07 And then you have got tens of thousands of others 19:10 who are killed not through murders 19:12 but another ways, suicides and so forth. 19:14 This is a part of the culture of violence. 19:17 And we have got to say enough is enough 19:21 and we are not going to be a part of this 19:24 and that we are going to return to God 19:26 and we are going to return to the America of a yesterday. 19:30 This seems terribly old fashioned 19:32 but it's the only solution. 19:35 The Bible says this, "Finally, brothers," 19:38 Philippians 4, "Whatever is true, noble, 19:42 right, pure, lovely, admirable-- 19:46 if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-- 19:49 think about such things." 19:50 The Bible says, think about good things. 19:54 You know why? 19:55 If you look at good things 19:57 and if you think about good things 19:59 that goodness will get inside you. 20:01 If you think about purity and if you dwell on purity, 20:04 the purity will get inside you. 20:05 If you think about things that are excellent 20:08 you will become an excellent person. 20:09 But if you feed on violence, 20:13 make my day in crime and pornography, 20:19 instead of these good things being reflected in your life 20:23 those evil things will be reflected in your life 20:26 and that is why it is two minutes to 12 20:30 it is time to return to the God of our fathers. 20:34 The God of the Bible. 20:36 And I can here the amen's 20:37 from the older folks out here but-- 20:39 And plenty of the young people too. 20:41 But, we need those young people 20:42 to understand the subtleness 20:44 those who are at there watching these things 20:46 to see the subtleness of what they are watching. 20:49 Now, we mentioned that we are getting questions from-- 20:52 from the internet, we are now on Facebook 20:54 and we have got a lot of followers on Facebook 20:57 and we are very glad for to that. 20:58 Tremendous number in the Philippines. 21:00 Yes, and we are very grateful for our viewers 21:03 and they--our friends there and they interact 21:06 and we got some really 21:07 insightful questions here for you. 21:10 This is a question from Phil from Facebook, 21:13 he says, please explain Luke 14:26 21:18 "If anyone comes to me 21:19 and does not hate his father and mother, 21:23 his wife and children, his brothers and sisters-- 21:26 yes, even his own life-- he cannot be my disciple." 21:31 Hate, what is that-- what is that verse mean? 21:34 God has never told us to hate out father and mother, 21:37 He tells us love your father and mother. 21:40 The Greek word means loveless. Loveless. 21:43 Yes, and in parallel passages, 21:45 Jesus said unless you love Me more than these, 21:50 therefore He's talking about a hierarchy of values. 21:53 Number one, you got to have God. 21:55 If you don't have a hierarchy of values, 21:57 you gonna be messed up in your mind. 21:59 So, its got to be God first, got to be others next. 22:03 Then it's got to be, yourself after that, 22:06 and then it's got to be cars 22:07 and all the rest of that junk after. 22:10 And so the Bible says, 22:14 you got to love these things less 22:16 God is got to be the supreme person in my life. 22:20 So this is a good reminder again of making sure 22:23 that we understand the scripture and what they are saying. 22:25 Now, the scripture wouldn't contradict itself 22:27 and teach hatred. 22:29 And if I love God the most, I will love my wife the most. 22:35 You see, if God is first 22:37 my love for others will be greatly enhanced. Yes. 22:41 And that turns into our last question, 22:42 violence and all those things, 22:44 we need to love God first before all of the media 22:47 and all the pornography and all of that, 22:49 of course these to be first and foremost in our lives. 22:51 Another question that comes from the internet 22:53 a really good questions. 22:55 This from Marcus, he wants to know 22:57 your thoughts on Matthew 10:26-28, 23:01 Matthew 10:26-28 and it reads, 23:03 "So do not be afraid of them. 23:06 There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, 23:09 or hidden that will not be made known. 23:10 What I tell you in the dark, 23:13 speak in the daylight what is whispered in your ear, 23:16 proclaim it from the house tops. 23:18 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body 23:23 but cannot kill the soul. 23:26 Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy 23:28 both soul and body in hell." 23:31 I guess the implication here is, 23:34 what is it mean there which says body 23:36 and the soul, kill the body but not the soul? 23:39 Firstly, it's quite plain from the words of our Lord, 23:42 that this soul can be destroyed. 23:45 Now people would teach the immortality of the soul 23:48 should give it up straight away. 23:50 Because the Bible says, "Soul can be destroyed" 23:54 and when it says here body and soul it is talking soul, 23:57 it is talking about great life force 24:00 that God has put with in us. Okay. 24:02 Sometimes the word soul, 24:03 well not sometimes it is often used in different ways. 24:07 The Hebrew word for living soul as know is Nephesh chayah, 24:12 Nephesh chayah. 24:14 In the King James Version it says, a living soul. 24:18 In the NIV it says, a living being. 24:22 So, sometimes the soul means a person, 24:25 sometimes in the Old Testament 24:27 and the New Testament it means that great life force 24:32 that God has put with in us. 24:33 The Bible says, don't be afraid of people, 24:37 who can kill your body 24:41 because your life is in the hands of God. 24:44 But be afraid of the person who can destroy your body 24:49 and your soul in hell 24:51 and the person who can do that of course is God himself. 24:56 And therefore, we shouldn't be afraid of men, 25:00 but we should respect God 25:02 who has that destiny in His holy hands. 25:07 Now, I want to expose a little bit further 25:09 because for some people out there, 25:10 they've always believed that we have-- 25:13 An immortal soul. An immortal soul. Yeah. 25:15 That's a very important fundamental belief. 25:17 My grandmother--it now lives on for example. I do. 25:20 In heaven and it's a-- 25:22 That's a basis of Roman Catholicism 25:24 that Peter is in heaven, everybody is in heaven. 25:26 So, can you, just break this time a little bit 25:28 for those really trying to wrestle with that question, 25:33 what is the negatives of believing that the, 25:35 the soul is immortal? 25:37 Ezekiel 18:4 says, "The soul that sins will die". 25:42 Ezekiel 18:4 "The soul that sins will die." 25:45 The Nephesh that lives will die. 25:48 The Bible teaches that the soul 25:51 is capable of experience of death. 25:54 Now, if you don't believe this, 25:56 you believe in the dreadful doctrine 25:58 of the eternal torment of the damned 26:02 that God is the torturer-in-chief. 26:06 You know why some people in the dark ages tortured people 26:09 in the Inquisition. I don't know why? 26:11 Because, they wanted to be like their God. 26:14 They said God tortures people for trillions of years. 26:18 He put some of them in purgatory 26:20 for million of years 26:21 but most people He burns and burns and burns and burns. 26:27 It's enough to give you a nervous breakdown 26:30 to think of this dreadful concept of life 26:33 with out end in a burning, 26:37 horrible hell where people are screaming 26:40 and screaming and screaming. 26:41 An un-baptized baby is screaming 26:44 for trillions of years. 26:46 That's why Ingersoll said, 26:48 after he heard a sermon on this doctrine 26:52 "If that's God then I hate Him." 26:54 And another man said, 26:55 if that's God then He is the devil. 26:59 Even Billy Graham used to teach 27:02 eternal torment the all of this stuff, 27:05 the immortality of the soul. 27:07 He said no, I don't think that is soul. 27:09 The Bible teaches that the righteous 27:12 are going to go to heaven 27:14 and they are going to live with Jesus 27:15 for ever and ever. Praise God. 27:17 But, the Bible says 27:19 that the wicked are going to die for ever and ever. 27:24 They are going to be consumed by fire 27:27 but the fire is going to go out 27:31 and I can give you a thousand texts on it. 27:33 I believe in the justice of God, 27:36 I also believe in his love and his mercy. 27:38 Amen and I think that's a good place to finish. 27:40 The importance of knowing the scriptures 27:42 is knowing the love of God. 27:43 The mercy and the goodness of God. Amen. 27:46 And so Pastor Carter, we just want to thank you 27:47 for your time. Thank you. 27:48 We want to thank you too for watching Fresh Hot Potatoes 27:51 and we would love to see you next time, 27:53 keep those questions coming in. God bless you. |
Revised 2014-12-17