Participants:
Series Code: TDYQA
Program Code: TDYQA210004A
|
00:01 As you're well aware,
00:02 we're living in unprecedented times. 00:05 Join us now for Today special program. 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:18 Mending broken people 00:23 I want to spend my life 00:29 Removing pain 00:34 Lord, let my words 00:39 Heal a heart that hurts 00:44 I want to spend my life 00:50 Mending broken people 00:55 I want to spend my life 01:01 Mending broken people 01:15 Hello, and welcome to another 3ABN Today program. 01:18 I'm Jill Morikone. 01:19 And we're so glad that 01:21 you've taken time from your day to join us 01:22 as we jump in and study the Word of God. 01:25 If you've been following the last few Mondays, 01:28 you know, this program 01:29 is an extra power packed program. 01:32 This is our brand new 3ABN Bible Q and A program. 01:36 So this is where we take your questions at home. 01:38 So I want to encourage you, 01:40 they will be answered by our panelists here. 01:43 Great students of the Word, 01:44 I'll introduce to you in just a moment. 01:46 And each one of the questions is really rapid fire, 01:49 we have two minutes approximately for the answer. 01:52 And I just love 01:53 because each answer is solidly biblical. 01:55 So just grab your Bibles and your pens 01:57 and get ready to take notes and hit that record button. 02:01 Or you can always watch on YouTube. 02:02 So make sure right now to send in your questions, 02:06 and we will answer them 02:07 on an upcoming Bible Q and A program. 02:10 So you can send an email to us. 02:12 That email address is BibleQA@3abn.org 02:18 That email address again is BibleQA@3abn.org, 02:22 or you can text us your questions 02:25 and we'd love to hear from you. 02:26 You can text 618-228-3975. 02:31 That number again is 618-228-3975. 02:35 And today, I want to introduce to you our family. 02:38 It's really your family as well. 02:39 And they are all tremendous Bible students. 02:42 And I'm looking forward to learning today. 02:44 We have Pastor John Lomacang, 02:46 Director of 3ABN World Evangelism 02:47 and our pastor, so glad to have you here. 02:49 Good to be here. 02:50 This is a time 02:52 where we can hopefully encourage people 02:53 to trust God's Word and not ours. 02:55 Amen. That's right. 02:57 Pastor Ryan Day, 02:58 evangelist, singer and student of the Word of God. 03:02 Thank you for being here. 03:04 It's a blessing to be here. 03:05 And I'm ready to answer some Bible questions, 03:07 exciting ones. 03:08 I think Ryan would say locked and loaded 03:09 and ready to go. 03:11 Locked and loaded and ready to go. 03:12 That's right. 03:14 And we have Jason Bradley, 03:15 always enjoy hearing you share as well. 03:18 General Manager for 3ABN Dare to Dream Networking. 03:20 Glad to have you here. 03:21 It's a pleasure to be here. 03:22 I hope I can keep it within two minutes. 03:25 That's the goal. 03:27 That's right. 03:28 I want to open up for the scripture here. 03:29 This is 2 Timothy, you know that scripture. 03:31 2 Timothy 3:16, 03:34 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God 03:37 and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, 03:40 instruction in righteousness," 03:42 why? 03:43 "That the man of God or the woman of God 03:45 may be perfect or complete, 03:48 thoroughly equipped for every good work." 03:50 So join us today as we open up the Word of God 03:54 and discover how we can grow 03:57 and become men and women of God. 03:59 So before we get to the first question, 04:01 Jason, would you pray for us? 04:02 Absolutely. 04:04 Dear Heavenly Father, 04:05 we thank You for the opportunity 04:06 to open Your Word and study it together 04:09 and to find the answers to these questions 04:12 in Your Word. 04:14 And, Lord, we ask that You would guide 04:15 this Bible Question and Answer segment 04:19 and be with the viewers and listeners as well. 04:22 In Jesus' name we pray, amen. 04:24 Amen. 04:25 So Pastor John Lomacang, you are first up. 04:27 Okay. 04:29 So first question for you is, 04:30 who are the great multitude in Revelation 7:9? 04:36 Okay, now obviously Revelation 7 brings out 04:38 two developing pictures, 04:41 one is described as the 144, 000 04:44 and the other the great multitude, 04:46 and the great multitude is a number 04:48 which no one can number. 04:50 Now the 144,000 are referred to in two places in the Bible, 04:53 Revelation 7 and Revelation Chapter 14, 04:55 and they are described in tribal description 04:58 12,000, of 12,000, of 12,000 05:01 and when you look at Genesis Chapter 49, 05:03 these are not the same exact tribes, 05:05 some have been removed. 05:06 For example, Dan is not there. 05:08 Dan never overcame 05:09 because it was a serpent by the way. 05:11 But let's get back to the multitude 05:13 that no one could number. 05:14 Now, there's been some controversial views 05:17 of this even of 144,000. 05:20 Some have nailed him down 05:21 to be an exact number of people. 05:23 Some groups have claimed that is us. 05:25 But the Bible describes them clearly. 05:27 And when you study this carefully, 05:29 and then you parley with Genesis Chapter 49, 05:32 what it suggests strongly is the 144, 000 represent 05:36 those who have overcome 05:38 the different weaknesses in their lives. 05:40 Each of the tribes is identified 05:42 with a particular weakness. 05:44 The 144,000 are specifically referred to. 05:46 Let's look at it in Revelation 7. 05:49 And it says in Revelation 7:13-14. 05:51 Now we know verse 9 talks about 05:54 the great multitude, which no one could number, 05:56 but notice this all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues, 05:59 but here's the answer. 06:02 Verse 13, 06:03 "Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, 06:05 'Who are these arrayed in white robes, 06:07 and where did they come from?' 06:08 And he said to me, 06:10 'Sir, you know.' 06:11 So he said to me, 06:12 'These are the ones 06:14 who come out of the great tribulation, 06:15 and washed their robes and made them white 06:17 in the blood of the Lamb.'" 06:18 The Great Tribulation that is referred to here 06:21 is not the 1260 years, 06:24 that's behind us 06:25 because a greater tribulation is ahead of us. 06:27 Daniel 12:1, 06:28 there should be a time of trouble 06:30 such as never was, 06:31 and those who are part of that, 06:33 who survived through that, who come out of that, 06:35 come out of her My people 06:36 will make up the number that no man could number. 06:40 Amen, powerful answer. 06:42 Jason Bradley, this one's for you. 06:44 This is from Maxine. 06:46 Why is Jesus delaying His second coming? 06:50 Within this question is the presupposition 06:52 that Jesus is delaying His return. 06:55 And the implication is that 06:57 He is altering His timetable based on us. 07:00 We're not in control of time, God is. 07:04 He knows when He's returning, 07:06 and God is also aware of the fact that 07:08 not everyone will be saved, 07:10 however He has been 07:13 and continues to be long suffering with us. 07:17 You know, ultimately, 07:19 it's our choice whom we will serve. 07:21 And God has granted us that freedom of choice. 07:23 If you look at 2 Peter 3:8-9, the Bible says this, 07:29 "But Beloved, do not forget this one thing 07:32 that the Lord one day, 07:35 that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years 07:38 and a thousand years as one day. 07:40 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, 07:44 as some count slackness, 07:46 but is long suffering toward us 07:48 not, willing that any should perish, 07:50 but that all should come to repentance." 07:53 God wants to save as many people 07:55 as He possibly can. 07:57 But we have to make that choice to follow Him. 08:01 Also, in Matthew 24:14, the Word of God says this, 08:05 "And the gospel of the kingdom 08:07 will be preached in all the world 08:09 as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come." 08:13 So the question is, 08:15 why is Jesus delaying His second comment? 08:17 Are you preaching the gospel? Are you spreading the gospel? 08:20 Do your neighbors know about Jesus? 08:22 Who are you sharing Jesus with? 08:25 Believe it or not, there are a lot of people 08:27 that are still in 08:28 that are in this world that still have... 08:31 They've never heard the name of Jesus 08:33 and they don't know who Jesus is? 08:35 So are we reflecting His character to others? 08:38 And are we sharing Christ with the world? 08:41 Technology thank God has made it possible 08:45 for the gospel to go forward 08:47 to all of the world rather rapidly. 08:50 Amen. Thank you so much. 08:51 God wants us all to be saved. 08:53 Amen. 08:54 Pastor Ryan, what does it mean to be born of the Spirit? 08:57 Hmm, that's a good question. 08:59 Being born of the Spirit is simply being transformed 09:02 and made into a new creature by the Spirit of the Lord. 09:06 Of course, where this concept comes from 09:07 is in the third chapter of John 09:09 when Jesus is having His conversation 09:11 with Nicodemus. 09:12 Nicodemus, you know, ask Him a series of questions 09:15 and Jesus responds to him. 09:17 Notice what it says in John Chapter 3, 09:18 I'm going to be reading verses 3, 5, and 6. 09:21 Notice what Jesus said, 09:22 "He said, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, 09:24 unless one is born again, 09:25 he cannot see the kingdom of God.' 09:28 Jesus answered, 09:30 'Most assuredly, I say unto you,'" 09:31 this is verse 5. 09:32 '"Most assuredly I say unto you, 09:34 unless one is born of the water and the Spirit, 09:36 he cannot enter the kingdom of God.'" 09:37 And then verse 6 says, 09:39 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, 09:41 and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." 09:44 So what does it mean to be born of the Spirit? 09:46 What Jesus was talking to, to Nicodemus here 09:48 was talking about a transformation. 09:50 That's why Nicodemus says, 09:52 look, can I go back 09:53 into my mother's womb a second time? 09:54 Really, that's impossible. 09:56 And Jesus is like, 09:57 "No, no, no, you're thinking literal. 09:59 I'm talking about spiritual things." 10:00 And what's powerful in that chapter is 10:02 Jesus, He gives the illustration of, 10:06 you know, you see the leaves and you hear the wind, 10:08 but you don't really see the wind, 10:09 you don't know where it's coming and going. 10:11 So also is the Holy Spirit 10:13 is what Christ is simply saying here 10:14 is he's saying, as you look 10:16 and he said, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, 10:18 so shall also the Son of Man be lifted up. 10:21 When we look and we place ourselves 10:23 within the, a worship within a relationship 10:26 with the uplifted Savior, 10:28 the Holy Spirit will come into our life, 10:30 and he will begin to transform us 10:32 when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. 10:35 And we follow Him earnestly according to His Word, 10:38 then the Holy Spirit, 10:39 we put ourselves in covenant relationship with God, 10:41 and the Holy Spirit begins to work on us 10:44 to change us, to shape us and mold us as the Bible says, 10:46 He is the potter, we are the clay. 10:48 And so He puts us down there, 10:50 and like that first plop of clay 10:52 on a round table that spinning, 10:54 it doesn't look like much in the beginning, 10:56 but over a period of time, 10:57 the Holy Spirit works in us and through us and changes us. 11:01 That's why 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, 11:04 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ Jesus, 11:08 he is a new creature, old things have passed away, 11:11 behold, all things become new." 11:14 So when we are born of the Spirit, 11:15 we are born again, we are converted, 11:18 we are transformed into a new creature, 11:21 a brand new person in Jesus Christ. 11:22 Amen. What a gift the spirit is. 11:25 I want to remind you to send in your questions. 11:28 You can email them to BibleQA@3abn.org 11:33 That email address again is BibleQA@3abn.org 11:38 or you can always text your questions, 11:40 just pick up your cell phone and send us a text 11:43 at 618-228-3975. 11:48 That number again is 618-228-3975. 11:52 We have this program every Monday, 11:54 where we take your Bible questions 11:57 and they're answered by our Bible teachers here. 11:58 So make sure you send in your questions 12:01 and we'll get to them on our future program. 12:04 Jason, this one's for you. 12:05 Does the Bible allow us to drink alcohol? 12:08 This is from Daniel. 12:10 Okay. 12:11 As someone who used to drink alcohol, 12:13 I'll say, no, it doesn't. 12:15 But we will look into the Word of God 12:17 and we'll see what the Word of God says. 12:19 So look at Galatians 5:19-21, 12:24 beginning in verse 19. 12:26 "Now the works of the flesh are evident, 12:28 which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, 12:32 lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hate, hatred, 12:37 contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, 12:40 it looks like we're on a negative pattern here. 12:43 selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, 12:46 murders, drunkenness, revelries, 12:50 and the like, of which I tell you beforehand, 12:54 just as I also told you in time past, 12:58 that those who practice such things 13:00 will not inherit the kingdom of God." 13:04 And so the Word of God is very clear on this subject, 13:07 it says that they will not inherit 13:10 the kingdom of God. 13:12 Also consider Proverbs 20:1, 13:15 "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, 13:18 and whoever is led astray by it is not wise." 13:21 It is God's desire for us to be wise 13:24 and wisdom comes from Him. 13:26 So, you know, 13:28 if you can't operate a motor vehicle, 13:29 and if it's against the law for you to drink and drive, 13:33 why would we think that it would be okay 13:35 to drink and grow in the Word, 13:38 you're not going to, the two don't coincide. 13:41 Another thing I'd like to point out is that 13:43 when you pass by a liquor store, 13:46 and you see a liquor store, it says beer, wine and spirits, 13:51 that is not the Holy Spirit that is in that bottle. 13:55 And so we need to be aware of that, 13:58 and make sure that we're not consuming alcohol 14:01 because God wants to communicate to us 14:04 through His Word. 14:05 And we need to have the ability, the cognitive ability 14:09 to understand how He is trying to speak to us. 14:12 Amen. 14:14 I love that, God wants to communicate with us. 14:15 Pastor Ryan, this is for you. 14:17 What is the difference between the first, 14:19 second and third angels' message? 14:23 Well, just simply by reading Revelation 14:6-14, 14:28 you can see very clearly 14:29 there are some major differences there. 14:32 I just want to say right off the front, 14:33 I believe that if the world, 14:35 if all of us would respond positively 14:37 to the first angel's message, 14:38 there would be no need 14:40 for a second or third angel's message. 14:41 For instance, if you read chapters, 14:43 Chapter 14, Revelation 14:6-7, it says, 14:47 "Then I saw the angel fly in the midst of heaven, 14:49 having the everlasting gospel, 14:51 to preach to those 14:52 who dwell upon the earth, right, 14:54 to every nation, tribe, tongue and people 14:56 saying with a loud voice, 14:58 'Fear God and give glory to Him, 15:00 for the hour of His judgment has come, 15:02 and worship Him who made heaven and earth, 15:05 the sea and the springs of waters.'" 15:07 God is calling the whole world into communion, 15:09 into worship, into relationship with Him 15:12 through this first angel's message. 15:14 Now these messages are packed with a lot of information 15:16 in which you can't talk about in two minutes. 15:18 But you asked the difference between the two, 15:20 the first angel's message is 15:21 God's loving call to the entire world saying, 15:24 "Hey, I'm your God, return to worshiping Me. 15:26 I am the creator of the world, 15:28 and you are living in my judgment hour, 15:30 and I'm coming soon. 15:32 So this is God's call to the world. 15:33 Now, if you don't respond positively 15:35 to the first call, 15:37 and we know that the world doesn't, 15:38 the majority of the world 15:39 rejects the first call of the Lord. 15:41 He sends the second and third angels' message. 15:44 And there's a sense of chronology 15:45 to these messages. 15:46 For instance, the second angel's message talks about 15:48 how Babylon has fallen, is fallen. 15:50 This is speaking of spiritual Babylon, 15:51 not the literal city of Babylon, 15:53 she's fallen, that great city, 15:55 because she spent on nations drink of the wine of the wrath 15:58 of her fornication, 15:59 this is talking about that counterfeit, 16:01 false system of worship 16:02 that has made the world confused 16:04 with her false doctrines. 16:05 We see that woman in Revelation 17. 16:08 But when we don't realize 16:09 and we don't respond to the second angel's message, 16:12 which warns us that Babylon is fallen, 16:14 and that we need to come out of her, right, 16:16 then comes the third angel's message 16:18 which reminds us that 16:21 the in this third angel's message, 16:22 there's the warning of not to worship this beast, 16:25 not to receive its mark or worship the image. 16:28 And so the difference is, 16:29 is as God is taking us through multiple levels of warning, 16:33 so that He can prepare us for His soon return. 16:36 Amen. 16:37 Now, this question has to do 16:38 with the three angels' message as well. 16:40 So, Pastor John, this is coming to you. 16:42 When did the first 16:43 and second angels' messages happen in time? 16:46 So a little different than Ryan's question? 16:48 When did the first and second happened in time? 16:50 Well, the first time 16:51 we're talking modern times, specifically, 16:54 denominationally, 16:55 there was a movement called the Millerite movement, 16:57 which began to proclaim the messages of the first angel 17:01 in the 1830s. 17:02 William Miller was a deist, became a Baptist minister. 17:05 And he was moved 17:07 by his discovery of this message 17:09 in the Book of Daniel. 17:10 And he believed that it revealed 17:13 when the Lord would be returning. 17:14 So they began to preach a judgment hour message, 17:17 so chronology or chronologically 17:19 according to time, 17:20 the Millerites 17:21 that were called the early Advent believers, 17:23 not Seventh-day Adventists, 17:24 believe that 17:25 that message was preparatory for the coming of the Lord, 17:28 which they believe was going to happen in 1844. 17:30 So that's the chronology of it. 17:32 However, these messages are broader in their scope, 17:35 because if these messages, 17:37 the contents of them is a continual proclamation, 17:40 that's why Revelation 10 says, 17:43 it says in verse 11, 17:44 "And he said unto me, 17:46 'You must prophesy again 17:47 before many peoples, nations, tongues and kings, 17:50 after they experienced this great disappointment, 17:52 that the Lord did not come 17:54 because no one really knows the day nor the hour, 17:56 they were told to prophesy again." 17:58 So the judgment hour message is still being proclaimed today, 18:01 the fall of symbolic or spiritual Babylon 18:03 is still being proclaimed today. 18:05 But you'll notice something 18:06 the first angel and the third angel's message 18:08 is a loud voice, 18:09 the second one is going to be repeated, 18:11 because when Babylon becomes a full coalition, spiritual, 18:15 financial, religious and social coalition, 18:17 the kings of the earth, the merchants of the earth, 18:20 when it fully coalesces together in a power 18:22 that is united in its adversity against God, 18:26 then that proclamation 18:28 just like the Hebrews on the Plain of Dura, 18:30 they knew about not bowing to images, 18:31 but there were three of them 18:33 at a literal Babylonian setting. 18:35 And at that moment, 18:37 the message became pertinent 18:38 and relative to the time in which they live. 18:40 So it's very relevant to today. 18:42 Amen. Thank you. 18:44 We're staying with the three angels' messages. 18:45 So I'm mixing it up just a bit here. 18:47 We're going back to Ryan, 18:49 this is the third angel's message. 18:50 Is it possible to refuse the mark of the beast 18:53 without having a relationship with Jesus? 18:57 Well, I think the simple answer to this is no. 18:59 And the reason why is because 19:01 it comes down to you 19:03 either have the seal of God 19:04 or you received the mark of the beast. 19:06 Now, that doesn't mean that there won't, 19:08 obviously the issuing of the mark of the beast, 19:11 this whole mark of the beast issue. 19:13 It basically calls for a response from everyone. 19:15 So there will be people 19:17 that have no idea about the truth, 19:19 you know, behind and involving this mark of the beast issue 19:22 that have never heard it before. 19:23 Maybe they haven't even been in relationship with Christ 19:26 up to that point, 19:27 but they will hear this message, 19:28 they will hear the message of the third angel's messages. 19:31 And because they have heard that message, 19:33 it will spark within them to make a decision for Christ 19:37 and in making a positive decision 19:38 to accept Jesus Christ 19:40 and to respond positively to that third angel's message. 19:43 The Spirit of God 19:44 will again place them in a situation 19:46 because they're humble 19:47 because they have submitted themselves 19:48 to the Spirit of the Lord to listen, 19:50 they will be placed 19:51 within relationship with Christ. 19:53 And, of course, they will have received that seal of God. 19:55 So the answer is, 19:56 if that person doesn't have the Spirit of the Lord 19:58 and they have not made that decision to follow Christ. 20:01 I don't believe a person 20:02 who's not in relationship with Christ, 20:03 who is in complete constant 20:05 perpetual rebellion to the Lord, 20:07 they're not going to be able to push the Lord away and go, 20:09 I don't want anything to do with the seal of God. 20:11 And I don't want anything to do with the Spirit of God. 20:13 And I don't want anything to do with Jesus Christ, 20:15 but I'm also not going to receive 20:16 that mark of the beast. 20:18 I don't think that's how it works. 20:19 At that point, you either have, 20:20 you're either in full control by the Spirit of the Lord 20:23 or by the spirit of the enemy. 20:25 Great answer. Thank you. 20:27 Pastor John, 20:28 we're coming back to you for a moment. 20:30 Okay. This is in Psalm 91. 20:31 This question I've heard from many people. 20:33 In Psalm 91 it says, "That no evil will befall you." 20:36 Why then are so many Christians being killed? 20:40 Why is God not protecting them? 20:42 This is from Peggy in North Carolina. 20:44 Okay, let's go to Psalm 91, 20:46 the verses that refer primarily 20:48 to what is being referred to here. 20:50 I'm going to read verses 7 to 11. 20:52 Psalm 91:7-11, 20:54 "A thousand may fall at your side, 20:55 and ten thousand at your right hand, 20:58 but it shall not come near you. 21:00 Only with your eyes shall you look, 21:02 and see the reward of the wicked. 21:04 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, 21:06 even the Most High, your dwelling place. 21:09 No evil shall befall you, 21:11 nor shall any plague come near your dwelling, 21:13 for He shall give His angels charge over you, 21:16 to keep you in all your ways." 21:17 A lot of people read that and say, 21:19 well, why are Christians 21:20 and just like you phrase the question. 21:22 The specific application of Psalm 91 21:24 is referring to a time of trouble 21:26 that's coming. 21:27 Good. That's the specific timeframe. 21:29 And to qualify that, 21:31 and to quantify that as Daniel 12:1, 21:33 referring to deliverance on both ends. 21:35 Daniel 12:1, 21:36 "At that time Michael shall stand up, 21:39 the great prince 21:41 who stands watch over the sons of your people, 21:43 and there should be a time of trouble 21:44 such as never was 21:45 since there was a nation, 21:47 even to that same time. 21:48 And at that time, your people shall be delivered, 21:52 everyone who is found written in the book." 21:54 But the Lord just gave me one more. 21:56 Got to Revelation Chapter 6, look at this, 21:58 because this question was asked 22:00 before the symbolic statement of the question, 22:02 and I'm just trying to squeeze this in there, 22:04 the fifth seal, look at this. 22:07 "When he opened the sixth seal, I saw under, " 22:09 verse nine, 22:10 "the souls of those 22:11 who had been slain for the Word of God, 22:13 they were slain 22:14 and for the testimony which they held." 22:15 So people are dying for their witness. 22:17 "And he cried," 22:18 verse 10, 22:19 "saying 'How long, O Lord, 22:21 holy and true until you judge and avenge our blood 22:22 on those who dwell on the earth?' " 22:24 They're asking the same question 22:25 and listen to what he said. 22:26 Verse 11, 22:28 "And white robes were given to each of them, 22:29 and it was said to them, 22:30 that they should rest a little while longer, 22:32 until both the number of your fellow servants 22:34 and their brethren 22:35 who would be killed as they were, 22:37 was complete." 22:38 So many more will die for their faith. 22:40 But when the time of trouble reaches its apex, 22:43 God is going to stand up and deliver His people. 22:45 Amen. 22:47 What a glorious day that will be. 22:48 Jason, we're coming to you. 22:50 What are the steps to improve my relationship with Jesus? 22:55 So you've already got a relationship with Jesus, 22:57 but you want to improve upon that relationship, 22:59 you want to grow in that relationship. 23:01 So I would say that 23:02 you need to continue to submit to God, 23:05 you have to die to self daily. 23:06 In James 4:7, the Bible says, 23:10 "Therefore, submit to God. 23:13 But then you have to resist the devil 23:16 and he will flee from you." 23:17 See, the devil is kind of like these pop up ads 23:20 that keep coming up on the internet, 23:22 they just keep coming up, keep coming up, keep coming up. 23:25 And then he's trying to pull you 23:27 from your Bible study, 23:28 he's trying to pull you from all of these things 23:31 by putting these pop up ads up to distract you 23:34 and get you off base. 23:36 But God wants to connect with you. 23:38 So then the next thing you need to do is 23:40 search for God with your whole heart. 23:42 Now, Jeremiah 29:13 says, 23:45 "You will seek Me and find Me 23:47 when you seek Me with all your heart." 23:50 So think about the last time 23:52 maybe you've pursued a relationship, 23:54 maybe you were in love with somebody, 23:56 and you were following them, 23:57 you were seeking them with your whole heart. 23:59 What did you do? 24:01 Did you find out what they liked? 24:03 Did you pursue them? 24:05 Did you reach out to them? 24:06 Did you try and spend time with them? 24:08 God wants to spend time with us. 24:10 So spend if you want to grow, 24:12 super saturate your mind in things 24:16 that will draw you closer to Him. 24:19 Then we need to pray and proceed with faith. 24:21 Mark 11:24 says, 24:23 "Therefore I say to you, 24:25 whatever things you ask when you pray, 24:27 believe that you receive them and you will have them." 24:31 Pray in accordance to God's will 24:34 and remember that God has eternity in mind, 24:37 and He desires your salvation. 24:40 Amen. Thanks you, Jason. 24:42 This one, we're gonna stay with relationships, 24:44 but little different aspects of relationships. 24:46 We're coming back to Pastor John. 24:47 How long should you stay married 24:49 to a mocking non believer 24:52 that doesn't want to divorce 24:53 but is not kind with their words? 24:56 Okay. 24:57 Now, this is an interesting question. 25:00 I'm always cautious about answering these questions 25:02 when it comes to relationships, 25:04 because I don't want you to take this question to say, 25:06 Pastor John said, I need to leave you. 25:08 That's very important. 25:09 I think it's always encouraging 25:11 to seek out a professional counselor, 25:13 not for one of you, but for both of you. 25:15 Because there's always three sides to the story, 25:17 hers, his and the truth, combining them together, 25:21 not the each one, 25:22 you got to combine the two stories 25:24 to get the true picture, the full picture. 25:25 But we find in the Book of 1 Corinthians Chapter 7, 25:28 this issue is addressed. 25:29 Verse 13 to 16. Notice what it says? 25:32 "A woman who has a husband who does not believe, " 25:35 very question, 25:36 if he is willing to live with her, 25:38 let her not divorce him, 25:40 for the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, 25:44 and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband, 25:47 otherwise your children would be unclean, 25:50 but now they are holy. 25:52 But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart. 25:55 A brother or a sister 25:56 is not under bondage in such cases, 26:00 but God has called us to peace. 26:02 For how do you know, 26:04 O wife, whether you will serve your husband? 26:07 Or how do you know, 26:09 O husband, whether he will save your wife." 26:12 I said serve, but save your wife 26:13 or save your husband. 26:15 The key issue, you can't save your husband, 26:17 or you can't save your wife, 26:19 but the Lord does not give 26:21 a cantankerous relationship 26:23 and say, he's got a hard head, leave him. 26:26 She doesn't wash the dishes, 26:27 she doesn't clean the house, leave her. 26:29 The Lord doesn't say that at all. 26:31 Seek professional counseling. 26:32 But here's something 26:33 that I always encourage people to do. 26:35 You got to ask yourself the question, 26:37 who is he or who is she before marriage? 26:40 A lot of times people take on another person 26:43 thinking that they are a project, 26:45 they're going to change them 26:47 that they're a duck before. 26:49 They're gonna be a duck for a long time 26:50 until they'll meet Jesus. 26:52 This is realistic. Don't try to change them. 26:54 Let that be the Lord's work, 26:56 but do not be unequally yoked intentionally 26:59 together with unbelievers. 27:01 2 Corinthians 6:14, 27:03 "Make wise decisions about your relationship." 27:05 Amen. 27:06 So the bottom line is, don't be a duck. 27:08 Okay. 27:11 You had your questions for this panel. 27:13 And we always trade out hosts and guests. 27:16 So you will see a different variety of people. 27:18 Send in your Bible questions to BibleQA@3abn.org. 27:23 That's BibleQA@3abn.org, 27:26 or you can text your questions in, 27:29 that number is 618-228-3975, 27:33 618-228-3975. 27:36 We're coming to Pastor Ryan. 27:38 Will there be a burning hell, and how long will it last? 27:41 This came from Valerie in Jamaica. 27:43 Amen. Thank you, Valerie for that. 27:45 First of all, I'll say, Pastor Lomacang, 27:46 you always know how to quack me up. 27:48 That's a good, that was a good point. 27:50 That was a very good point. 27:52 Okay. I'm without any, brother. 27:54 Yeah, I'm both speechless for the first time. 27:57 It doesn't happen often. 27:59 Will there be a burning hell, and how long will it last? 28:02 Thank you, Valerie, for this question. 28:04 The simple answer the Bible makes it very clear 28:06 that there will be a burning hell. 28:08 In fact, I'll just give it, 28:09 there are many scriptural references that I can give 28:11 but for the sake of time, 28:12 I'm going to take us to Matthew 5:22. 28:15 Jesus Himself is speaking here and He says, 28:17 "But I say to you that 28:19 whoever is angry with his brother 28:20 without a cause 28:21 shall be in danger of the judgment. 28:23 And whoever says to his brother, 28:24 'Raca! will be in danger of the council. 28:26 But whoever says, 'You fool!' 28:28 shall be in danger of hellfire.'" 28:30 So the Bible makes it clear 28:32 that there will be a burning hell fire 28:34 for those wicked people who are not surrendered 28:37 and in relationship with the Lord. 28:39 Now you ask the question also, how long will it last? 28:42 There are many different texts that make this clear. 28:46 But I want to just reference for the sake of time, 28:49 Matthew 13 28:50 when Jesus tells the parable of the wheat and the tares. 28:52 He gives an explanation of these tares 28:54 and He makes it clear 28:56 that this hellfire will be at the end of the age. 28:59 So this is Matthew 13:40-42, 29:02 in which he says this will be at the end of the world. 29:04 And so the question is, 29:06 how long will this hell, will this hellfire last? 29:08 Would it last as some people believe 29:09 for ceaseless ages to infinity and beyond, never ceasing? 29:14 There are multiple texts that make it clear 29:16 that obviously this hellfire will burn up the wicked. 29:19 In other words, 29:20 as Pastor has brought out clearly before, 29:22 Romans 6:23, 29:24 "The reward of the wicked 29:26 is not eternal life in hellfire, 29:28 but rather death, eternal death." 29:30 And so Malachi 4:1 tells us 29:33 how long this hellfire will last 29:36 and it gives it to us not once, not twice, but three times 29:39 in the same passage. 29:40 Notice what it says, Malachi Chapter 3, 29:42 excuse me Chapter 4, 29:44 and I'm gonna read verses 1 and 3. 29:45 It says, "For behold, the day is coming." 29:48 Behold the what? 29:49 The day is coming. 29:50 There's a single day, 29:52 "burning like an oven and all the proud, 29:53 yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble." 29:56 And then notice, "And the day" 29:58 there it is again, 29:59 "which is coming shall burn them up, 30:01 says the Lord of host, 30:02 'That will leave them neither root nor branch." 30:04 This is verse 3 now coming in, 30:06 "You shall trample the wicked, 30:08 for they shall be as ashes under the soles of your feet 30:10 on the day that I shall do this, 30:13 says the Lord of hosts." 30:14 So there is a hellfire, 30:16 and it will be at the end of the world, 30:17 and it will be for the duration of one single day. 30:22 Amen. Thank you so much. 30:23 Coming to Jason, 30:25 how do I witness 30:26 when people don't want to hear about the gospel? 30:30 Great question. 30:32 First off, let's look at this, 30:33 this witnessing occasionally when people are witnessing, 30:37 they covet the job of the Holy Spirit. 30:39 So let's look at the work of the Holy Spirit. 30:42 And this is John 16:7-13, 30:45 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. 30:48 It is to your advantage that I go away, 30:50 for if I do not go away, 30:52 the Helper will not come to you, 30:54 but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 30:57 And when He has come, 30:58 He will convict the world of sin, 31:01 and of righteousness, and of judgment: 31:04 of sin, because they do not believe in Me, 31:06 of righteousness, because I go to My Father 31:08 and you see Me no more, 31:09 of judgment, because 31:11 the ruler of this world is judged." 31:13 In verse 12, 31:14 "I still have many things to say to you, 31:17 but you cannot bear them now. 31:18 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, 31:22 He will guide you into all truth, 31:24 for He will not speak on His own authority, 31:27 but whatever He hears He will speak, 31:29 and He will tell you things to come." 31:32 So it's the Holy Spirit's job to convict. 31:35 We need to plant the seed, we need to live out the gospel, 31:40 we need to reflect Christ's character in our life. 31:44 And so when we're doing that, 31:46 when we come into contact with these people 31:49 that don't want to hear about the gospel, 31:51 guess what? 31:52 They're going to see the gospel 31:54 being carried out in your life and in your lifestyle. 31:58 And I would say that 31:59 Christ's method of evangelism 32:01 was the most effective method of evangelism. 32:04 So build these relationships, 32:06 a lot of times we want to lead people to doctrine, 32:09 as opposed to introducing them to Christ, 32:12 the one that they need to be falling in love with, 32:15 and then all of that other stuff 32:17 will fall under that. 32:19 So live out the gospel. 32:21 Amen. 32:22 I love that, live out the gospel. 32:23 Pastor John, we're coming to you. 32:25 This is from David. 32:26 In the Book of Daniel, it says, 32:28 while Daniel prayed 32:29 that his prayers were held 32:31 by the Prince of Persia for 21 days. 32:33 Can the evil angel be more powerful 32:35 than the holy angel? 32:37 Well, the answer clearly is no. 32:40 Now the question you have to ask is, 32:41 what is this story communicating? 32:43 First of all, 32:45 I don't see this to be a symbolic 21 day period, 32:48 because it says 32:49 the Prince of Persia resisted me 32:50 and you're reading in Daniel 10:12-13, 32:53 "Then he said to me, 32:54 'Do not fear, Daniel, 32:56 for from the first day 32:57 that you set your heart to understand, 32:59 and to humble yourself before your God, 33:00 your words were heard, 33:02 and I have come because of your words. 33:05 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia 33:07 withstood me twenty-one days, 33:09 and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, 33:11 came to help me, 33:12 for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.'" 33:16 You know, this is a beautiful allegory. 33:18 But the one thing that I have to keep in mind 33:20 that I want you to remember, 33:22 Daniel felt alone. 33:24 But when you look at the reality 33:25 that the Lord has committed to us, 33:27 I will never leave you nor forsake you. 33:30 This was a unique situation that brought out the reason 33:33 why we need to endure in prayer. 33:36 Why we need to persist in prayer. 33:37 That's why Paul says, pray without ceasing. 33:40 The reality is there is no power 33:42 in the world of evil 33:44 that is stronger than the power of good. 33:46 You take the story of one angel had killed 180,000 men. 33:51 So just imagine 33:53 the coalescing powers of heaven together. 33:56 There's no power in hell that could resist that. 33:58 That's why Jesus says 34:00 the gates of hell will not prevail against it. 34:01 But you see this 34:03 what's being talked about here is 34:05 in Daniel's vision, 34:06 there was great resistance for Daniel to communicate 34:10 what God had had revealed to him. 34:14 And he was getting direct resistance 34:16 when the Bible talked about the Prince of Persia. 34:17 In this context, it's talking about Satan himself resisting. 34:21 So the Lord Himself Michael, 34:23 this was a controversy repeated again, 34:26 Christ taken on Satan, 34:28 preventing him from 34:29 getting the message through. 34:31 But what's the lesson that's learned here? 34:33 It says, Hebrews 10:35, 34:35 "Do not cast away your confidence, 34:37 which has great reward. 34:39 For you have need of endurance 34:41 so that after you have done the will of God, 34:42 you may receive the promise." 34:44 The endurance is what's talked about here, 34:46 pray without ceasing. 34:47 And if you don't give up, 34:49 if you do not faint 34:51 you will be able to reap what God has sown in your life. 34:54 Amen. That's so encouraging. Thank you. 34:56 Pastor Ryan, this is from Julie in South Dakota. 35:00 Many people say 35:01 all you have to do to be saved is accept Jesus 35:03 and what He did on the cross, 35:05 is this the truth 35:06 and where in the Bible is the scripture reference 35:08 for this concept? 35:10 Okay, so there is something in this question 35:15 that really sparks my attention. 35:16 And that is, it says many people say, 35:18 all you have to do. 35:20 That simply is not true. 35:21 And there is no scripture in all the Bible 35:23 that tells us that 35:24 all we have to do is just believe on Christ, 35:26 and accept that what He done on the cross, 35:29 and then that brings salvation in and of itself. 35:31 We have to remember that the Bible says that 35:33 even the devil believes and trembles, right, 35:36 he believes in Jesus Christ, he knows who Jesus Christ is. 35:39 And he knows that Jesus died on the cross 35:41 for every one sins. 35:42 And so that right there in and of itself 35:44 is proofing the fact that 35:45 there's a little something extra 35:47 in the sense 35:48 that we now have to follow through 35:50 once we believe in Him, once we have accepted Him, 35:52 we have to follow through in daily relationship with Him, 35:55 we have to follow Him, 35:57 we have to remain committed to Him. 35:58 You know, this sparks me many people live 36:00 according to this selective Christianity. 36:03 I'm going to just kind of eeny, meeny, miny, moe 36:05 the scriptures that I like, 36:07 and I'm going to live according to those, 36:08 but we have to take 36:09 the entire Bible in harmony, right? 36:11 We have to look across the board 36:12 and make sure that 36:14 we're living according to God's will 36:15 harmoniously across the board 36:17 according to what the whole of God's Word says, 36:19 not just select scriptures here and there. 36:22 While Jesus did say, 36:23 "Believe on Me, 36:25 and you shall be saved 36:26 or call upon the name of the Lord, 36:27 and you shall be saved." 36:29 Those are important texts that we should keep in mind. 36:30 That's the starting point. 36:31 But nonetheless, even Jesus said that 36:33 there are people that draw nigh to me with their lips. 36:35 I'm thinking of Matthew 15:8-9, 36:37 they draw nigh unto me with their lips, 36:39 they say good things about Me. 36:41 They tell people, they're Christians, 36:42 they tell people that they believe in Me, 36:44 but their heart is far from Me. 36:46 Jesus is looking at the heart. 36:47 Are you really committed to Him? 36:49 That's why, you know, just adding to this, 36:51 Jesus said in John 17:3, 36:53 "And this is eternal life that they may know you, 36:56 the only true God and Jesus Christ 36:57 whom You have sent." 36:59 But when you go over to 1 John 2:3-4, 37:02 it's not just that we just mentally believe 37:04 or accept Him. 37:05 1 John 2:3-4 says, 37:07 "Now, by this, we know that 37:09 we know Him if we keep His commandments. 37:11 And he who says, 37:13 I know Him and does not keep His commandments is a liar, 37:16 and the truth is not in him." 37:17 So yes, we must physically, mentally, 37:19 emotionally, spiritually accept Christ in every aspect, 37:22 believe in what He done on the cross, 37:24 accept that sacrifice, 37:25 but then remain committed to Him 37:27 and following through 37:28 in an obedient daily relationship, 37:30 keeping His commandments, because we love Him. 37:33 Amen. Thank you so much. 37:35 Jason, this is for you. 37:36 What do I do if my children have walked away from God? 37:42 The implication there is that 37:44 your children were once with God, 37:46 which means that they have some sort of foundation there. 37:49 I don't have any kids. 37:51 But I remember when I was 14, and I was a child myself, 37:54 I walked away from the Lord. 37:56 And you know, from about the age of 14 to 28, 38:00 I didn't want anything to really do with God. 38:03 But I'm going to share with you what my mother did 38:06 that made all the difference in my life. 38:08 Number one, 38:10 my mom held on to the promise 38:11 found in the second half of Isaiah 49:25, and it says, 38:16 "For I will contend with him, who contends with you, 38:21 and I will save your children." 38:24 Number two, she prayed for me, 38:26 my mother prayed and prayed and prayed. 38:29 There's nothing like the prayers of a mother. 38:31 So make sure that 38:33 you're praying for your children. 38:35 And number three, she loved me throughout it all. 38:38 She didn't condone my bad behavior, 38:40 but she loved me nonetheless. 38:43 So if your children have walked away from the Lord, 38:45 you need to ask and keep on asking, 38:48 you need to seek and keep on seeking, 38:50 you need to knock and keep on knocking 38:52 and go forward 38:53 knowing that God wants to save your children 38:55 even more than you want them to be saved. 38:58 And He loves them even more than you do. 39:02 Continue to pour out your love on your children, 39:06 and share the gospel. 39:08 Stay in prayer for your kids. 39:12 Amen. I love that. 39:13 Now we have an opportunity. 39:15 We always do this toward the end of the program 39:17 where we toss out a question. 39:19 Excuse me, and everybody has a chance to answer, 39:22 so everybody can jump in 39:23 and pick up whoever wants to start. 39:25 This question actually has to do with prayer. 39:27 I think we'll start here, Jason, 39:28 because you talked about that with praying for your children. 39:31 This is from Shamila. 39:33 How do I pray? 39:34 Do we pray once 39:36 or do we pray every day until we receive a response? 39:41 Is there a need for persistence in prayer? 39:44 Absolutely. 39:45 Let's go to 1 John 5:14. 39:49 1 John 5:14, 39:51 "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, 39:55 that if we ask anything according to His will, 39:58 He hears us." 40:00 Now the key there is 40:01 we need to pray according to His will. 40:04 We also need to keep in mind that God is viewing things 40:07 in the eyes of eternity as I stated earlier. 40:11 He sees the big picture, 40:12 we just see kind of what's in front of us and that, 40:17 but like He sees 40:19 the whole picture in its totality. 40:23 The other thing that we need to take a look at is 40:25 1 Chronicles 16:11. 40:28 And this is speaking in regards to how often we should pray, 40:32 seek the Lord in His strength, 40:35 seek His face ever more. 40:39 So, always, we always need to be seeking the Lord. 40:43 That's in His Word, that's through prayer. 40:46 And also, we need to recognize the fact that 40:49 God is not too busy for us. 40:51 He desires that relationship, 40:52 and He's longing to speak with us. 40:55 So we can go to Him at any time. 40:57 You don't have to necessarily be on your knees, 40:59 you can be driving down the street, 41:01 you can be walking and talking, all of that, 41:04 just go to the Lord. 41:05 Absolutely. 41:06 You know, I just want to add here. 41:08 This question reminds me 41:09 of the experience that Jacob had with the angel, right? 41:13 He would not let him go until he blessed him. 41:16 Sometimes the Lord wants 41:17 to build our faith, our patience, 41:20 and sometimes He will allow us 41:21 to experience that extended waiting period 41:24 when it seems like we've asked for something once, 41:26 and some people have this idea. 41:27 Just ask one time and that's all I need to do, 41:29 because the Lord heard me the first time 41:31 but God actually encourages us to be persistent, 41:35 keep going forward and asking 41:36 not because He's hard of hearing 41:38 but because He wants you to have faith 41:40 and express that faith in Him. 41:42 Make it of Matthew 7:13, excuse me, verses 7-8. 41:47 So Matthew 7:7-8, Jesus says, 41:50 "Ask and it will be given you, seek and you will find, 41:52 knock and it will be open to you. 41:54 For everyone who asks receives and who seeks finds, 41:57 and to him who knocks, it will be open to him." 42:01 I love this text, because, 42:02 you know, it's beautiful on the surface 42:04 right here in the English. 42:05 But if you study within the original Greek here, 42:07 it actually says keep on asking, 42:09 keep on knocking, 42:10 you know, keep on seeking, 42:12 you know, God says, 42:13 keep on keeping on, right? 42:15 So, you know, sometimes we think one is enough. 42:17 But maybe we need to build our faith 42:18 in going to the Lord continuously 42:20 and saying, Lord, I'm coming back again 42:22 to show my faith. 42:23 I'm asking for this once more. 42:24 And if we ask anything according to His will, 42:27 He will answer and He will hear us. 42:28 That's right. And I like the story of Daniel. 42:31 Prayer was Daniel's practice. Yeah. 42:33 When prayer is your practice, 42:35 prayer won't be your frustration. 42:37 That's something we have to keep in mind. 42:39 Daniel 6:16, Daniel 6:10, 42:42 "Now when Daniel knew the writing was signed, 42:44 he went home and in his upper room, 42:47 with his window open toward Jerusalem, 42:49 he knelt down on his knees three times a day, 42:52 and prayed and gave thanks before his God, 42:55 as was his custom." 42:58 When prayer is your practice, 42:59 prayer will not be your frustration. 43:02 You have to keep that in mind. 43:03 Isaiah 40:31, 43:05 God answers and sometimes He says, Wait, 43:08 what happens if you trust God and you wait? 43:10 Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. 43:13 They shall mount up with wings like eagles, 43:15 they shall run and not be weary, 43:17 they shall walk before the answer comes 43:19 and not faint. 43:20 So make it your practice, not your frustration. 43:23 That's powerful. I love that, I'm gonna write that down. 43:25 Okay, this one says, 43:26 what does the Bible say about circumcision? 43:29 Is it mandatory? 43:31 Okay. 43:32 Well, let me throw that one out there. 43:33 1 Corinthians 7:19. 43:35 Let's go ahead and go to the New Testament, 43:36 because the Bible in the Old Testament, 43:38 this was a right that 43:40 when you are an observer of the law, 43:42 when you are a male observer of the ceremonial laws, 43:45 this was a requirement, 43:48 but it didn't continue as a requirement. 43:50 The Jews that did not accept Christ 43:53 made it almost a requirement to the Gentiles. 43:56 Continuing to suggest that you've got to keep, 43:59 you got to be circumcised to keep the law. 44:01 And this is important because a lot of times people say, 44:04 you know, how can Adventist or Seventh-day Adventist say, 44:06 you have to keep the commandments of God. 44:08 Are you circumcised? 44:09 It's not the case. 44:10 It's not a requirement. Right. 44:12 Look at 1 Corinthians 7:19. 44:14 Here's what the Apostle Paul says. 44:16 And the Apostle Paul is never out of harmony 44:19 with God's word. 44:20 He says, 44:21 "Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, 44:26 but keeping the commandments of God 44:28 is what matters." 44:30 So it's not a requirement to be circumcised, 44:33 it was when you kept the ceremonial law, 44:35 but that was all fulfilled in the life 44:37 and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. 44:40 So there is no law today that we have to be circumcised 44:42 to honor and to revere. 44:44 What does he require more than anything else? 44:46 The circumcision of the heart, a new heart, 44:48 cut away that old heart and have a new heart in Christ. 44:51 Amen. 44:53 I'd like to just piggyback off of that 44:54 and go to Romans 2:25-29. 44:58 Okay. 44:59 Romans 2:25-29, 45:02 "For circumcision is indeed profitable 45:04 if you keep the law 45:05 but if you are a breaker of the law, 45:07 your circumcision has become uncircumcision, 45:10 therefore if an uncircumcised man 45:13 keeps the righteous requirements of the law, 45:15 will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 45:19 And will not the physically uncircumcised 45:22 if he fulfills the law judge you 45:24 who even with your written code and circumcision 45:28 are a transgressor of the law? 45:30 For he is not a Jew 45:32 who is one outwardly nor is circumcision, 45:35 that which is outward in the flesh, 45:37 but he is a Jew, 45:38 who is one inwardly 45:40 and circumcision is that of the heart, 45:43 in the spirit, not in the letter 45:46 whose praise is not from men, but from God." 45:50 That's right. I'll leave it at the word. 45:51 That's right. Amen. 45:53 That's right. 45:54 What these two brothers said I agree with it. 45:56 It's the circumcision of the heart that matters. 45:58 Amen. 45:59 All right, here's another one. 46:01 I've heard that Seventh-day Adventist Christians 46:03 identify themselves as a movement. 46:05 What does that mean 46:07 when as Seventh-day Adventists say we're a movement? 46:09 Okay, we've spoke, I'll let Ryan start with it. 46:10 Well, no, I'm just gonna 46:12 just want to go back 46:13 to the first angel's message real quick. 46:14 First angel's message in Revelation Chapter 14. 46:16 First of all, you know, everyone likes to say, 46:19 Well, I'm, I go down to the Baptist Church, 46:22 or I go to the Methodist Church, 46:23 or in this case, 46:25 oh, I attend the local Seventh-day Adventist Church, 46:27 right? 46:28 And, yes, we are a denomination. 46:30 But nonetheless, I like to always say, 46:32 you know, I'm a member 46:33 of the Seventh-day Adventist movement, 46:35 because what is, 46:36 what's the root word of movement? 46:38 You're moving, right? 46:39 This work is not something that is just setting still right 46:42 and creating mold. 46:43 Because if we are a people of the Lord 46:45 as Matthew Chapter 24, reminds us, 46:48 "This gospel of the kingdom must go to all the world. 46:51 And so God has a remnant people, 46:53 a people who are on fire full of the Holy Spirit, 46:55 that are moving 46:57 to take this gospel to all the world. 46:58 And we see evidence of that in Revelation 14, 47:01 first angel's message as we read earlier, 47:03 notice what it says, starting with verse 6, 47:05 "Then I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, 47:07 having the everlasting gospel to preach to those," 47:11 where? 47:12 "Who dwell on all the earth, 47:13 okay, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people." 47:17 If we are going to get this gospel 47:18 and to share the love of Jesus with all of the world, 47:21 it's going to take a movement, okay? 47:24 And so, yes, while we have our individual churches, 47:26 and while we have our denominations, 47:27 and our groups here and there, and our organizations. 47:29 At the end of the day, 47:31 I can count on that hand right there 47:32 how many denominations or churches 47:34 are found in almost every single part of the world, 47:37 and Seventh-day Adventism is one of them. 47:39 And I'm proud to say that 47:40 because we're not just a people 47:42 whose experience is found 47:43 within four walls of a church building 47:45 on one day of a week, in this case, Sabbath. 47:48 We are a people who are constantly moving 47:49 and taking the gospel to all of the world. 47:51 So why are we a movement? 47:53 We're moving for Jesus, 47:54 we are moving the gospel 47:55 and taking that everlasting gospel 47:57 to all of the world 47:58 to all nations, tribes, tongues, and people. 48:00 That's right. 48:02 And by the way, the word movement 48:03 was exactly what happened on the day of Pentecost, 48:06 when the Holy Spirit moved on the apostles, 48:08 that something happened, 48:10 they went from 3000 to 5000 48:12 till the church clerk couldn't add any more. 48:14 And she said, multitudes were added to the church. 48:16 That's what a movement is all about. 48:18 A movement is not a stagnant body of people. 48:20 And I like the phrase that you talked about, 48:22 that sometimes can get moldy. 48:24 No, they will never be mold on a movement. 48:26 That's right. 48:27 That's why the Bible spoke about in 2 Peter 1:21, 48:30 "Holy men of God spake 48:32 as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." 48:35 When the Spirit of God is on your life, 48:37 you will never be anything but a movement, 48:41 continually going and growing. 48:42 And like a snowball 48:44 that continues to roll down the hill, 48:46 anyone in this path looking for truth 48:48 will be picked up by that movement. 48:50 So the advent movement is, in fact, just what it is. 48:52 What is an Adventist? What does advent mean? 48:54 People getting the world ready, we are on the move, 48:57 getting the world ready for the advent of Christ. 49:00 And we honor the seventh day Sabbath 49:04 as a result of allegiance to our Creator. 49:06 That's right. 49:08 I just want to add really quickly, 49:09 one of the slowest animals on all the planet is a sloth. 49:12 And they have that thick hair. 49:13 And it's actually known that they move so slowly 49:15 that moss and mold will grow on their fur, 49:18 but we want to be, we want to be a movement, 49:20 I like to refer to ourselves 49:22 as we're spiritual hummingbirds. 49:23 We just never stop moving. 49:25 We're just all over the place, 49:26 spreading the gospel 49:27 and the love and the grace of Jesus Christ. 49:29 Let me add quickly, 49:30 everyone is invited to be a part of that movement. 49:31 Amen. 49:33 John 10:16, 49:34 "Other sheep I have that are not of this fold, 49:36 but them also I must bring." 49:37 That's what a movement does, 49:38 he doesn't leave you where you are. 49:40 The Spirit of God doesn't leave you 49:41 where you are. 49:43 He says, them also I must bring. 49:44 And they'll hear my voice 49:45 and there'll be one fold and one shepherd, 49:47 not gonna be 33,000 denominations going to heaven. 49:49 Those who keep the commandments of God, 49:51 and those who receive the mark of the beast, 49:53 there's no third category. 49:54 Amen. 49:55 He basically said everything 49:57 that I was going to say somewhat, 49:58 you know, in terms of it being a movement 50:00 and not stagnant and all that stuff. 50:01 And when I think about a movement, 50:03 I think about growth, 50:04 and I think about the upward mobility 50:06 of one's character to reflect that of Christ 50:09 and as Adventists I believe that 50:11 we embrace a lifestyle, 50:14 not just like a mere profession of faith, 50:18 things change, you know, 50:20 as you're following the Word of God. 50:21 And so, you know, if it's one thing to say, 50:24 Okay, I'm a Christian, 50:26 and then everything goes back to like 50:29 how it was before you became a Christian? 50:32 Well, there's a problem, there's a disconnect there. 50:34 So I believe that as Seventh-day Adventists, 50:37 it should be a lifestyle. 50:39 And that's a part of the movement. 50:40 I love that, don't let the mold grow on you, 50:43 allow God to move you. 50:45 I think we have time, 50:46 we're going to get one more question 50:47 in real quick. 50:49 When will the gospel go to all the world, 50:50 so we can go to heaven? 50:52 You know, no man knows the day nor the hour 50:55 and no one knows 50:56 when the gospel will go to the entire world but Christ, 50:59 but we're not waiting for that to happen without us. 51:02 We are part of a movement 51:04 24 hours a day, seven days a week 51:06 we do what we do here, radio, television, 51:08 every particular form of communication. 51:11 When it does, believe me, you will know. 51:14 Spiritual hummingbirds, what's gonna take. 51:16 You don't really know. 51:17 What's gonna take, moving, 51:19 allow the Holy Spirit to move you. 51:21 That's what it's going to take. 51:22 It's gonna take the Spirit of the Lord 51:24 to finish this work. 51:25 Jesus said, God repulses, 51:27 God will finish the work 51:29 and cut it short in righteousness. 51:30 It's not gonna be as long as you think. 51:32 Absolutely, We're gonna go right now 51:33 to the email address and the texting number 51:37 that you can text in one more time. 51:39 If you have your questions, 51:40 we want to answer them on an upcoming Monday. 51:43 In addition, if you have comments or suggestions 51:45 for this brand new program, 51:47 feel free to send them in just now. 51:50 If you're enjoying our 3ABN Bible Q and A, 51:53 then tell your friends. 51:54 Each Monday we'll bring you a fresh program 51:56 answering the Bible questions you send us 51:58 and we'll use God's Holy Word 52:00 to shed light on those texts 52:01 that seem difficult to understand. 52:04 If you would like your questions answered 52:05 on an upcoming program, just email them to us. 52:08 Our email address is BibleQA@3abn.org. 52:12 That's BibleQA@3abn.org. 52:17 You can also text us your questions 52:18 by sending them to 618-228-3975. 52:22 That number again is 618-228-3975. 52:27 Be sure to include your name and where you live, 52:30 and then watch 3ABN Bible Q and A |
Revised 2024-01-19