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Series Code: AFBA
Program Code: AFBA202418S
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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 Researchers in Florida have discovered that some ants 00:57 perform life-saving surgeries on one another. 01:01 When ants discover that a coworker has an injured leg, 01:04 they'll evaluate the wound and either clean or treat it with 01:07 antibiotics in their saliva or amputate the injured limb. 01:11 They are the only creatures on Earth besides humans that know 01:15 how to perform surgeries on their species. 01:18 The ants are able to diagnose a wound, see if it's infected, and 01:21 treat it accordingly. 01:23 In experiments, they observed that ants treated their nest 01:26 member's femur injuries by cleaning the wound with their 01:28 mouths before amputating the leg by repeatedly biting it. 01:33 Ninety percent of the ants treated this way heal and are 01:36 able to continue working with five legs. 01:40 I didn't know that ants were so durable. 01:42 Jean Ross: I know, Pastor Doug. It's an amazing fact. 01:45 You've got the nurses, you've got the doctors in the ant 01:47 kingdom, it sounds like, and they're able to diagnose and 01:50 perform surgery. 01:51 And I think you even mentioned before the program, they're also 01:54 aware, they can--they can figure out if a limb is--got 01:58 some sort of infection, and I think they even clean their 02:01 mouths somehow. 02:02 Doug: The ants have, like, an antibiotic in their saliva. 02:04 They also use it for cleaning the larva, but if they see 02:07 there's an infection, they'll actually clean it. 02:09 And if it can heal, they seem to know, and if it can't, they 02:13 nibble it off and the other ant stands there and submits to it 02:17 knowing that they're trying to help and then it may scamper off 02:20 with five legs and keep going. 02:21 So it's just amazing, though, the whole study of ants. 02:24 Of course, they're mentioned in the Bible, but what I'm thinking 02:26 of now is something Jesus said in Mark chapter 9, verse 45: 02:31 "And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off, for it's better 02:35 for you to enter life lame, than having two feet, to be cast into 02:39 hell, into the fire that is never quenched--where 'their 02:42 worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.' 02:45 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. 02:48 It's better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one 02:51 eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell 02:54 fire--where 'their worm does not die and the fire is 02:58 not quenched.'" 02:59 Well, right now I'd be tempted to launch into a study talking 03:02 about what does it mean the fire that's not quenched. 03:04 Someone might call in and ask about that. 03:07 But what does Jesus mean when He says, "better to cut off a foot, 03:10 a hand, pluck out an eye, than-- and go to heaven maimed," of 03:14 course, no one is going to be in heaven maimed, "than to go to 03:18 hell with all of your members intact." 03:22 And when I first read this verse as a baby Christian, I thought, 03:26 "Well, you know, if I'm shoplifting, I've got to cut off 03:29 my right hand," but then I realized I'd probably shoplift 03:31 with my left hand. 03:32 So Christ is saying that if there's something as close as 03:37 your hand, your eye, your foot, that is causing the dissent, it 03:42 might be a relationship that's not appropriate, something you 03:45 care about, you're close to, but it's bad, it's hurting you. 03:48 You're better cutting it off, as painful as it might be. 03:51 It might be as painful as an amputation. 03:53 And I know people that have tried to break from drinking or 03:56 smoking or some drug or bad habit. 03:59 It can feel like cutting off a limb. 04:01 Jesus said, "Better to make the break and enter into life than 04:06 to have your sin or your bad relationship and be 04:09 lost forever." 04:11 Jean: And you know, Pastor Doug, that's so true. 04:12 Every person who wants to do the right thing, they have that 04:15 battle where we have to choose daily to surrender self. 04:18 The devil's not going to give up just because somebody has made a 04:21 decision for Jesus, and Christians are tempted. 04:24 It's not a sin to be tempted, but we want power to overcome 04:27 those temptations. 04:28 And we do have a book. 04:29 It's called, "Tips for Resisting Temptation." 04:31 We'll be happy to send this to anyone who calls and asks. 04:33 It's our free offer today. 04:35 Just call the number, 800-835-6747. 04:38 You can ask for Offer number 708 or you can text. 04:43 Dial #250 on your smartphone, say "Bible Answers Live" and 04:47 then ask for the book by name. 04:49 It's called, "Tips for Resisting Temptation." 04:51 We'll send you a digital download and you can just read 04:54 it and you can share it with somebody else. 04:56 You will be blessed. 04:57 If you're outside of North America and you can't text, just 05:00 go to the website, AmazingFacts.org. 05:03 You'll be able to read it there at the free library. 05:06 Well, Pastor Doug, before we go to the phone lines, we've got a 05:08 number of calls. 05:10 Let's start with prayer. 05:11 Dear Father, we thank You once again that we have this time 05:13 where we can just open up Your Word and study. 05:15 There is power in the Word of God. 05:17 And Lord, we ask Your blessing upon this program. 05:20 We know there are many who are listening, some who 05:21 are traveling. 05:22 We just ask that You would guide us all into a clearer 05:25 understanding of what the Bible says in Jesus's name, amen. 05:28 Doug: Amen. 05:30 Jean: Well, our first caller today, we've got Jerry listening 05:32 in Texas, and Jerry, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 05:37 Jerry: Hey, guys. 05:39 I appreciate your continuing ministry always, and mine's just 05:43 a simple question. 05:44 You know, God has an honorable day of worship which God gave to 05:49 us on Mount Sinai, although it was given before. 05:54 Will there be a Sabbath day-- was there a Sabbath day 05:57 before Creation? 05:59 That's all, gentlemen. 06:00 Doug: All right, thank you, Jerry. 06:02 A basic question. 06:03 Did the Sabbath of the Ten Commandments exist 06:06 before Creation? 06:09 Well, it's first introduced as part of the Earth's Creation 06:13 process and our time cycle on this planet. 06:17 And so we have no reason to believe that it existed before. 06:20 But because God made man in His image and God is ultimately 06:24 going to move the new Jerusalem to our Earth, it tells us in 06:28 Isaiah 66 that "from one Sabbath to another, all flesh will come 06:33 to worship before Him." 06:34 So while the Sabbath did not probably predate, I mean there 06:38 may have been other times of rest in God's infinite Creation, 06:42 we don't know. 06:43 But that Sabbath that we celebrate did not predate the 06:46 creation of the Earth because it's controlled by our sun, but 06:49 it will be kept in the Earth made new. 06:52 So great question, Jerry, I appreciate that. 06:54 Jean: Although we do know that the angels prior to the creation 06:56 of the earth, they did worship God. 06:58 There was a gathering. 06:59 It also appears that the angels had tasks that they did. 07:03 You know, they are the ministering spirits, the 07:04 Bible says. 07:06 And so, it would make sense that there was some time where there 07:09 was, you know, whatever the time frame there is in heaven, where 07:13 the angels and the other inhabited beings of the other 07:16 planets would probably set aside their regular activity 07:19 for worship. 07:20 So, likely the principle was there. 07:21 Doug: Yeah, it says in Job: "There was a day when the sons 07:24 of God came to assemble before the Lord," and it's not on Earth 07:28 because God asked the devil, "Where did you come from?" 07:29 He said, "From the Earth." 07:31 So yeah, they had some kind of cycle of time in the cosmos. 07:35 Thanks, Jerry. 07:37 Jean: Next caller that we have is Gary, listening in Illinois. 07:39 Gary, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 07:42 Gary: Thank you. 07:43 My question comes from Revelation 13, verses 14 and 15, 07:49 that says: "Telling those who dwell on the Earth to make an 07:52 image to the beast." 07:53 So people are instructed to make a graven image. 07:56 It's further explained in 15, it says: "He was granted power to 08:01 give breath to the image of the beast, and the image of the 08:04 beast should both speak and cause many as would not worship 08:08 the image of the beast to be killed." 08:11 So my question is, is the graven image going to come to life, and 08:16 will it kill those who do not worship it as a graven image? 08:21 Doug: Okay, hey, great question, Gary. 08:23 You know, the first thing to understand is what is the beast? 08:25 'Cause the image is a representation or a likeness or 08:29 a facsimile of the beast, and when you study what the beast 08:33 is, the beast is a religious political power because it's 08:37 compelling worship that persecuted God's people, 08:40 starting, you know, in the dark ages, and then it receives a 08:43 deadly wound and this religious political organization comes 08:47 back into power and the second beast makes an image to 08:51 the beast. 08:53 So in Revelation chapter 13, I think it starts with verse 11, 08:58 an image there does not mean a statue. 09:00 It's talking about a likeness. 09:01 It forms another religious political confederacy that 09:05 becomes a persecuting power. 09:07 So we're not talking about a statue ruling the world or a 09:10 statue coming to life like some people think it's an AI robot or 09:13 something that's going to rule the world. 09:15 But no, this is talking about a religious political power. 09:19 All through Daniel, the prophecies of these beasts are 09:23 talking about kingdoms and powers, and in Revelation it's 09:26 talking about the kingdoms and powers. 09:28 The image of the beast is a likeness of one of these 09:32 kingdoms and powers. 09:34 Jean: And the key there is that this image is--what's unique 09:37 about this beast's power is it's a religious power, but it uses 09:40 civil authority or governments to enforce its teaching, its 09:44 religious teaching. 09:45 So an image to the beast would do something similar where you 09:48 have a political power, a nation, that is legislating how 09:53 people ought to worship. 09:55 That is an image to the first beast. 09:57 And, you know, there's a lot more we can say about this 09:59 passage, Pastor Doug, but just to, you know, get right to it. 10:02 The second beast that you read about is the United States in 10:05 Bible prophecy. 10:07 And we do have a lesson that talks about this. 10:09 It's called, "The USA in Bible Prophecy." 10:11 It's a very important prophecy. Revelation chapter 13. 10:13 Doug: Especially now. 10:14 Jean: Yeah, when we see everything happening in our 10:16 world today. 10:17 We'll be happy to send that to anyone who calls and asks. 10:19 Just ask for that study guide. 10:20 It's called, "The US in Bible Prophecy." 10:23 The number to call for that is 800-835-6747, and again, ask for 10:28 the study guide, "The United States in Bible Prophecy," or 10:30 dial #250 on your smartphone, say "Bible Answers Live" and 10:34 then ask for it by name, "The US in Bible Prophecy." 10:38 All right, thank you, Gary. 10:39 Next caller that we have, Titus from Virginia. 10:42 Titus, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 10:44 Titus: Hey, my question is, just because something is tradition 10:49 to someone, like, how do you explain to them that just 'cause 10:52 it's tradition doesn't mean it's right? 10:54 Doug: Yeah, well, there's nothing wrong with a tradition 10:59 that does not conflict with scripture. 11:02 So, you know, every culture has traditions and some are 11:05 beautiful and innocent, and, you know, you go to Japan, the 11:08 tradition is you--or Korea more so, when you bow and you 11:11 greet someone, others shake hands and some take off their 11:14 shoes when they go into church. 11:16 There's some--traditions are fine. 11:18 It's when a tradition conflicts with the Bible you should never 11:21 put tradition ahead of the Bible, and I don't remember the 11:24 verse, Pastor Ross, but I can quote where Jesus said, "You put 11:28 aside the commandments of God that you might observe 11:31 your tradition." 11:32 Now that's one verse. 11:33 In another place, He said that "you make your man-made 11:39 traditions more important than the commandments of God." 11:41 And so Christ made it very clear that no man-made tradition 11:45 should supersede or eclipse the commandments. 11:47 Jean: The verse you're referring to, Mark chapter 7, verse 8: 11:50 "For laying aside the commandments of God, you hold to 11:53 the traditions of men." 11:55 Doug: So, hopefully, that helps, Titus and that, yeah, no 11:58 tradition should supersede the Word of God or a commandment or 12:01 a principle. 12:03 Jean: Next caller that we have is Glenn, listening in Ohio. 12:05 Glenn, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 12:08 Glenn: Well, good morning or good afternoon or evening, 12:10 whatever it is, Pastors, and thank you again for taking 12:12 my call. 12:14 The question is, after learning the derivation of three words 12:17 that are commonly used in the assembly today, I wonder if it's 12:22 appropriate to continue using those words. 12:26 And the first word is the word "God," which comes from the god 12:30 Gad, which meant good luck and good fortune. 12:33 I think that the God of the Bible says is an abomination 12:36 to Him. 12:38 The second word is the hymns that we sing out of the hymnal, 12:42 the title of that comes from the goddess of music, hymnists. 12:46 Does that make any difference? 12:49 And the third word is the word "church." 12:52 Not a group, but the church from an early word, which means a 12:56 place where idols were worshiped. 12:59 And are those three words considered in today's church, 13:02 that's my question. 13:04 Doug: All right, well, you've done a little etymology of some 13:07 of these words. 13:09 Because a word had an original meaning that may have been 13:13 dubious, meanings of words change over time. 13:18 And you know, a lot of words I could mention right now used to 13:20 have a very different meaning, and you know, through use its 13:24 context changes. 13:25 The word "God," which springs from a similar root word to the 13:28 word "good," there's nothing wrong with that. 13:31 It's just, it's a descriptive title, and it may mean our God 13:34 Jehovah, and it could be used if you say someone is making a god 13:38 out of their car. 13:39 So anything could fit that definition. 13:42 And then you have the words, "hymnal" and "music" or, there, 13:47 you know, you could find pagan trappings probably in a lot 13:50 of words. 13:51 It doesn't make them necessarily wrong. 13:52 Now, if you are convicted, anything that's not of faith is 13:56 sin, if you're convicted, you shouldn't use those words. 13:58 There's probably other words you could use. 14:00 Jean: Now, of course, we do find that the word "hymn" is used in 14:03 the English Bible in the King James Version. 14:05 It says, "When they sang a hymn or psalms, they left," and then, 14:08 of course, the New Testament talks about church. 14:10 So back, you know, when the Bible was translated into 14:13 English, people had a clear understanding that a church 14:16 represented a Christian gathering, and a hymn had to do 14:19 with a sacred song. 14:20 Doug: Kirk is not, yeah, and which is a Scottish, yeah, word, 14:26 it just meant a gathering place. 14:28 So yeah, I don't think there's anything inherently evil with 14:31 those words, but thank you for your question. 14:33 Jean: We've got April listening in Florida. 14:35 April, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 14:38 April: Good evening, Pastor Doug. 14:39 Good evening, Pastor Ross. 14:40 Can you hear me okay? 14:42 Doug: We can, loud and clear. 14:43 April: By the way, Pastor Doug, I look so forward to meeting you 14:46 in the Florida Keys next year at Bible camp meeting. 14:50 Doug: That's right, we'll be there. 14:51 April: It was my bucket list. 14:53 Awesome. 14:54 It was on my bucket list to meet you, and God answered my prayer. 14:57 So my question is, in the book of Genesis, I want to say 15:01 chapter 12, the Pharaoh gave-- excuse me, Abraham told Sarah to 15:09 pretend like he was the brother so they wouldn't kill him. 15:15 So the Pharaoh was impressed with her beauty and that she was 15:20 a foreign-born person, she wasn't from that area. 15:24 So he took her as a wife, as his wife. 15:27 I don't know how long they were together for, I don't think 15:29 it says. 15:31 I was wondering if they had any children together. 15:33 Doug: Okay, I think if you read that text carefully, 15:36 good question. 15:37 When Abraham went down during a famine to Egypt because there 15:39 was always food in Egypt because they had a river to water their 15:43 crops, he was afraid because Sarah, even though she was 15:46 older, she was a very beautiful woman, with striking beauty and, 15:51 you know, maybe the people in Egypt were more swarthy back 15:54 then and she may have had blonde hair and blue eyes. 15:56 We have no idea, but anyway, she stood out somehow, so much so 16:00 that Abraham feared for his life. 16:02 And so, it says that I think the Pharaoh took her maybe into his 16:07 house intending to make her a wife, and that's when it was 16:13 revealed, and that never happened. 16:15 They--she never became his wife. 16:17 Jean: Yeah, verse 19 actually where Pharaoh's talking to 16:19 Abraham and he says, "Why did you do this? 16:21 Why did you say 'She's my sister'? 16:23 I might have taken her as my wife." 16:26 So it seems as though, you know, they had told the Pharaoh and 16:29 Pharaoh thought it was a good idea, but the wedding hadn't 16:32 taken place because God plagued the house of Pharaoh. 16:35 And so they began to ask questions: Why are all these 16:37 things happening to us? 16:39 Doug: The Lord had great plans for Abraham and Sarah. 16:41 He wasn't going to let that interfere. 16:43 So no, she never had any relations with Pharaoh. 16:46 There's nothing in the scripture that says that. 16:48 Jean: And of course, she only had one child, and that 16:51 was Isaac. 16:52 So yeah, there was no--she didn't marry Pharaoh, but Isaac 16:56 was the only child she ever had, so there could not have been any 16:58 other children with Sarah and Pharaoh. 17:01 Doug: Yeah, and technically just so everyone knows, you could say 17:05 it was a half lie if there is such a thing because Abraham and 17:09 Sarah were half brother and sister. 17:12 They shared the same father but different mothers, so, he 17:15 thought he, well, it was really dishonest, but he thought, 17:17 "Well, I could say it's sort of true." 17:21 Jean: Now we know somebody, Pastor Doug, both of us know 17:23 somebody who he married his stepsister, but from 17:28 different parents. 17:30 And they grew up together and fell in love and got married. 17:33 So, you can't marry your sister in one sense, but I think that's 17:36 a little different. 17:37 Yeah, it's totally different there. 17:39 All right, next caller that we have is Shannon in Georgia. 17:41 Shannon, welcome to the program. 17:43 Shannon: Hi, thank you for taking my call. 17:45 I have a question. 17:49 Jacob blessed Ephraim, although Manasseh was first born. 17:55 And I was just wondering, does it say in the Bible why he 17:59 did that? 18:00 And when I look back at Jacob, who stole Esau's birthright, and 18:06 then Judah was considered the first--given the birthright 18:11 over Reuben and because of these things that Reuben had done 18:16 while Judah was first in with Esau, Jacob stealing 18:21 Esau birthright. 18:22 And I just wanted to know why was Ephraim considered, you 18:28 know, he received the blessing over Manasseh because it seems 18:31 like everybody in the family except Isaac, the ones that 18:35 should have been first were not first. 18:38 Doug: Yeah, that's a very good observation. 18:42 When Jacob called Joseph and he said, you know, I've not seen 18:45 your two sons, you were separated from me in Egypt, and 18:48 I want to bless them. 18:49 And normally you would place your hands on the 18:51 firstborn first. 18:53 Jacob's eyesight was failing, and Joseph thought, "Oh, he's 18:55 putting his hands on the wrong one. 18:57 Let me correct him." 18:58 Jacob said, "No, I know what I'm doing. 19:01 God is going to bless the younger above the older." 19:05 Now, you look at the story of the Hebrews, Jacob had the 19:08 same experience. 19:10 He was younger than Esau, but he got the blessing of the 19:13 firstborn, and Moses was younger than Aaron, and it seemed like 19:18 he was called and blessed. 19:19 David was the youngest, and you see the pattern where, you know, 19:23 the least are first and the first are last and the last are 19:26 first, and God knew it was prophetic that the tribe of 19:31 Ephraim would end up becoming much bigger than Manasseh. 19:34 And indeed when Israel had a civil war, the whole northern 19:38 kingdom of the ten tribes were called Ephraim because it had 19:42 grown so large, where Manasseh always stayed a minor tribe, so 19:47 it was a prophecy among other things. 19:49 Jean: Yeah, absolutely. 19:51 And if you look at the blessings that were pronounced upon the 19:53 children of Israel, or, you know, the 12 sons, and in this 19:57 case, Joseph, he has a double blessing through his 2 sons. 20:02 They have prophetic significance. 20:04 They kind of portray what role that tribe is going to play in 20:08 the history of Israel. 20:09 And of course, the prophecy is made that the Messiah would come 20:12 through Judah, the tribe of Judah. 20:14 Doug: Yeah, and even, yeah, when Jacob blessed all the sons, he 20:16 made that clear. 20:18 Well, thank you, great question. 20:19 Jean: All right, next caller that we have is Fred, listening 20:21 in Connecticut. 20:22 Fred, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 20:24 Fred: Oh yes, the 144,000, is that a literal or a 20:30 symbolic number? 20:33 Doug: Good question. 20:34 Now, for our friends listening, the 144,000 can be found in 20:38 Revelation chapter 7 and Revelation chapter 14, and it's 20:42 this unique group that John calls out there in that 20:46 prophecy, and it's 12 times 12,000, which adds up to, of 20:50 course, 144,000. 20:52 Just to give you a little background, everything in 20:54 Revelation, not everything, but a great deal of Revelation, 20:59 springs from experiences in the Old Testament. 21:02 Of course in the Old Testament you had the 12 sons of Jacob. 21:06 New Testament 12 apostles. 21:09 In the Old Testament, David divided his army in sets of 12 21:15 and 24, and you can see where he divided the priests' service, 21:20 and Solomon followed up with this 12 and 24, so in some cases 21:24 they had 144,000 that were ministering 6 months and another 21:28 144,000, they'd rotate in the army. 21:31 So when you get to Revelation and it says 144,000, some people 21:36 wonder, is a literal number. 21:37 First concern is, does that mean only 144,000 are saved? 21:41 Let's answer that question first. 21:43 No, because in Revelation chapter 14, and I forget which 21:47 verse it is, maybe it's in chapter 7, it says, who are 21:50 these--who are these that have come out of great tribulation. 21:53 And it's talking about a great multitude that no man 21:56 can number. 21:57 Jean: From every nation, kingdom, tongue, and people. 21:58 Doug: So there's a lot more saved than the 144,000. 22:02 The key to the number in my thinking is you have in the New 22:06 Testament 12 apostles that were a special group given a special 22:10 work, filled with the Spirit, and they were a position of 22:15 leadership just like the Old Testament. 22:17 You had the 12 judges, you had the 12 tribes. 22:20 And it's saying in the last days God's going to pour out His 22:23 Spirit in a special way for this group to do a last 22:27 global ministry. 22:29 Will we see people going around with like marathon numbers on 22:32 their back that say "I am number 133,000"? 22:36 No, I don't believe so. 22:38 But most of the numbers you find in Revelation do have 22:40 real value. 22:42 So it may be a literal number, doesn't mean they're the only 22:45 ones saved. 22:46 On the day of Pentecost, there's 120 in the Upper Room, 12 of 22:50 them were apostles. 22:51 The Holy Spirit is not poured out until they replaced Judas, 22:55 and they went from 11 back to 12. 22:57 Then the Holy Spirit's poured out on the whole group. 22:59 But there's a special work and authority given to the 23:03 12 apostles. 23:04 I think that this is like a last day example. 23:08 When Jesus came the first time, special group, trained, filled, 23:12 12 apostles, not the only ones saved. 23:15 When He comes a second time, He's going to the whole world, 23:18 not just 12, but it's 12 times 12,000, and they're not from 23:21 literal Israel but from spiritual Israel. 23:24 Jean: And of course, 12 in the Bible is often associated with 23:27 the church: 12 tribes of the Old Testament, 12 apostles of the 23:29 New, and like you say, 12 times 12 times 1000. 23:33 So symbolic of God's people in the last days. 23:36 We have a book, Pastor Doug, called, "Who Will Sing the Song? 23:39 Understanding the 144,000." 23:40 And you go into this in more detail. 23:42 You wrote the book. 23:43 We'll be happy to give this to anyone who calls and asks. 23:45 The number is 800-835-6747. 23:49 And just ask for the book, "Who Will Sing the Song?" 23:51 Or say, "The book on the 144,000," and we'll be able to 23:55 send it to you. 23:56 You can dial #250 on your smartphone, say "Bible Answers 23:59 Live," and then ask for the book that way as well, and you get a 24:02 digital copy and you'll be able to read it right away. 24:05 Next caller that we have is Christi in Canada. 24:07 Christi, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 24:10 Christi: Hello, good evening. 24:11 So I just had a question. 24:13 I'm sort of stuck in a rut of not reading my Bible and failing 24:18 to trust God. 24:20 I went through a period where this happened and it was a 24:24 pretty significant period in my life. 24:26 So I'm just wondering how I can return back to God and learn how 24:30 to trust Him despite perhaps my laziness and weariness. 24:36 Doug: Yeah, well, there's three things that you can do that will 24:40 help to stimulate a revival. 24:42 There's actually several things, but three things I'm going 24:44 to highlight. 24:45 Faith, if you want more faith, "Faith comes by hearing," Romans 24:48 chapter 10, I think verse 17. 24:51 "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." 24:54 Spend time in the Word of God. 24:56 When you pray and pray for specific things, you will get 25:00 more specific answers and your faith will grow. 25:04 Mark out times to pray even though you may not feel like it. 25:06 Talk to the Lord. 25:08 Expand on it, and then don't be afraid to share your faith. 25:11 If everybody would spend time every day reading the Word, 25:16 praying, sharing their faith, they would grow. 25:20 It's like breath is the prayer, and the exercise is sharing your 25:25 faith and eating the bread of life is studying the Bible. 25:29 Now, we have a book on "12 Steps to Revival," and I think, 25:32 Christi, that will encourage you. 25:34 I just gave you 3 but there's 12 steps you can read in this 25:36 free book. 25:37 Anyone out there. 25:39 Jean: The number to call is 800-835-6747. 25:41 Ask for the book, it's called, "12 Steps to Revival." 25:44 You can dial #250 on your smartphone, just say "Bible 25:48 Answers Live," and then ask for the book, "12 Steps to Revival." 25:51 And you know, Pastor Doug, as you mentioned, we've got to 25:53 actually put forth some effort. 25:55 If you're going to grow physically, you're going to have 25:58 to eat, and if we're going to grow spiritually, sometimes we 26:00 might not feel like it, but you just need to sit down and read 26:04 the Word. 26:05 You'll feel better afterwards. 26:06 You've got to make that commitment and you've got to 26:08 follow through with it. 26:09 And as you do that, the Lord will be able to work a work 26:11 within us, but we have to give Him the opportunity. 26:14 Doug: Yeah, you know, when I was younger, I didn't have to try to 26:18 keep muscle, but as you get older, if you want to keep any 26:22 kind of muscles, you've got to exercise and it's no fun at the 26:25 time, but it feels better later when you go to lift 26:28 something up. 26:30 So I guess that's just a fact of life that, as they say in the 26:34 gym, no pain, no gain, and it's also true in the Christian 26:37 experience that you need to invest that time with God in 26:41 prayer, in study, and, you know, getting the exercise, breathing 26:45 in prayer, feeding on the bread of life, and you will grow. 26:49 You've got a spiritual body with real needs and if you neglect 26:52 those needs, you suffer. 26:54 I'm sorry, if you've got a physical body with practical 26:56 needs and if you neglect those needs you suffer. 26:58 You have a spiritual body, the needs are just as real and if 27:02 you minister to those needs, you'll see the benefit. 27:05 Well, we're going to come back after a brief break, be back in 27:08 just a couple of moments. 27:14 announcer: Stay tuned. 27:15 "Bible Answers Live" will return shortly. 27:22 Doug: Millions of people believe that planet Earth is on the 27:25 verge of some apocalypse that will plunge the world's cities 27:28 into chaos. 27:30 In response, thinking people everywhere are wondering if it 27:34 might be a good time to locate their families outside of the 27:37 congested metropolitan areas. 27:39 In my new book, "Heading for the Hills: A Beginner's Guide to 27:43 Country Living," I do my best to provide a biblical balance. 27:47 I'd like to share with you some of the crucial things you'll 27:50 need to know before you head up for the hills. 27:53 I'd also like to identify some of the practical things you look 27:56 for in buying a piece of country land, how to develop water, 28:00 power, and a garden, all while still seeking to save the lost. 28:05 This book has some very valuable information for anybody that's 28:08 ever considering country living. 28:10 announcer: Order your copy of "Heading for the Hills." 28:12 Call 800-538-7275 or visit AFBOOKSTORE.COM. 28:21 female announcer: Did you know "Amazing Facts" has a free Bible 28:24 school that you can do from the comfort of your own home? 28:26 It includes 27 beautifully illustrated study lessons to aid 28:30 in your study of God's Word. 28:32 Sign up today for this free Bible study course by 28:35 calling 1-844-215-7000. 28:38 That's 1-844-215-7000. 28:47 male announcer: You're listening to "Bible Answers Live" where 28:50 every question answered provides a clearer picture of God and His 28:54 plan to save you. 28:56 So what are you waiting for? 28:58 Get practical answers about the good book for a better 29:01 life today. 29:04 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 29:08 If you'd like answers to your Bible-related questions on the 29:10 air, please call us next Sunday between 7 p.m. 29:14 and 8 p.m. Pacific time. 29:17 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this 29:19 evening's program, call 800-835-6747. 29:24 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 29:30 Now, let's rejoin our hosts for more "Bible Answers Live." 29:35 Doug: Welcome back, listening friends, to "Bible 29:37 Answers Live." 29:38 We know some have tuned in along the way. 29:40 Let me just explain. 29:41 This is a live interactive international Bible study. 29:45 You're invited to join in by calling in with your 29:47 Bible questions. 29:49 That number again, 800-GOD-SAYS, that's 800-463-7297 with your 29:55 Bible questions. 29:56 My name is Doug Batchelor. 29:58 Jean: My name is Jean Ross, and we've got Lillian who 30:00 is listening. 30:02 She's calling from Maryland. 30:03 Lillian, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 30:05 Lillian: Thank you so much. 30:06 Thank you. 30:08 So, my question is regarding 2 Kings 5, chapter 5, regarding 30:12 the story of Naaman, the leper, and I'm just wondering how is it 30:16 that someone with leprosy before he was healed or cleansed, was 30:20 able to continue being the commander of an army. 30:23 He lived in society, in the community, he lived with his 30:27 wife and the servants, and he was a leper. 30:30 So why wasn't he forced to be isolated like other lepers? 30:34 Doug: Yeah, good question. 30:35 First part is consider the laws of containment and isolation 30:41 that you find in Leviticus applied to the Jews. 30:44 Naaman is a Syrian. 30:45 They did not recognize the books of Moses and those laws. 30:49 Secondly, when it says that he was a mighty man, a commander, 30:53 I'm assuming that that's saying before he was diagnosed with 30:56 leprosy, he had all of this, and he may have been living in a 31:00 separate room of the house because even the Syrians knew 31:03 leprosy was contagious. 31:05 So, it says that the little girl ministered to Naaman's wife, not 31:09 to Naaman. 31:11 So we don't know what the exact circumstances were. 31:14 Another reason I think that Naaman, they did understand 31:17 some separation. 31:18 When Naaman goes to see Elisha, he's got a contingent of 31:22 soldiers with him, but it's not until the end of the story it 31:25 says his soldiers drew near, meaning they had been riding at 31:29 a distance. 31:30 They drew near and said, "Please wash in the Jordan River." 31:33 So, you know, they may have kept some of that, but they wouldn't 31:37 be keeping it the same way as those reading the laws of Moses. 31:41 Thanks, Lily, and hope that helps a little bit. 31:43 Jean: Next caller that we have is Connie, listening in Arizona. 31:46 Connie, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 31:48 Connie: Yes, good evening, gentlemen. 31:50 My question is, I am trying to help some others. 31:54 They do know some Bible and I have, I don't know as much as I 31:59 could, but if you can find me the text that says that God 32:03 knows you before you're in your mother's womb, and this is the 32:08 question they have, and I felt helpless because I don't have a 32:12 clue what to tell them. 32:15 They said, if the God that you worship knows the beginning to 32:20 the end, why would He create ahead of time, someone who would 32:25 be as horrible as Hitler or Ted Bundy, or they were just using 32:30 people they know who have committed hellacious crimes 32:34 against other human beings, caused so much suffering, if God 32:38 already knew that before they were even in the womb. 32:42 How would I answer something like that? 32:44 Doug: That's a good--that's one of the most common questions of 32:47 people who are skeptical about the Bible and God. 32:50 First of all, the verse I think you're talking about is Jeremiah 32:53 chapter 1, verse 5, where He says, "Before I formed you in 32:57 the womb, I knew you." 32:59 So let's--I think that's the verse you're talking about. 33:01 But then the question is, if God does know before a person is 33:05 formed, why would He form a Stalin and a Hitler and a Pol 33:09 Pot and these other despots of history? 33:12 Why would He allow all the evil? 33:14 You know, I would recommend that they or anybody look at a DVD 33:19 that we produce. 33:20 It's filled with scripture. 33:21 It's called "Cosmic Conflict." 33:24 It explains that the devil used to be a beautiful angel. 33:27 He rebelled. 33:29 He basically kidnapped this planet. 33:31 That when our first parents, Adam and Eve, when they chose to 33:34 listen to the words of the serpent instead of the Word of 33:37 God, Satan basically claimed the planet. 33:40 Anything good happening is because God is intervening, but 33:45 this planet Jesus calls the devil the prince of this world. 33:48 And so it's not God's will that there be any evil. 33:51 The whole plan of salvation is to save the world from evil and 33:55 this archfiend called the devil. 33:58 So, that's a truncated explanation. 34:02 Jean: You know, we do have a study guide that talks 34:04 about this. 34:05 It's called "Did God Create a Devil?" 34:07 And it talks about the fall of Lucifer and where sin came from. 34:10 And of course, one of the big themes I think, Pastor Doug, 34:13 throughout scripture is God recognizes freedom of choice. 34:17 The Bible calls us to make a choice, like Joshua says, 34:20 "Choose you this day whom you'll serve." 34:22 God respects freedom of choice. 34:24 And because of that, bad things happen to good people and the 34:27 devil has a hand in bringing suffering and pain. 34:30 So, yeah, call and ask for that. 34:32 You'll be blessed. 34:33 The number to call is 800-835-6747. 34:37 Ask for the study guide, it's called, "Did God Create 34:39 a Devil?" 34:40 You can dial #250 on your smartphone and ask for the study 34:43 guide that way, and we will send you a digital copy. 34:47 Thank you, Connie. 34:48 We've got David, listening in California. 34:49 David, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 34:53 David: Hi, pastors. 34:54 Thank you for taking my call. 34:55 My question is, there's a verse in the Bible that goes sort of 35:00 like, you know, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 35:05 And so, with that being said, why is there a differentient 35:11 between the Old Testament and the New Testament actions of 35:16 God, as far as like an example of that is like the Old 35:19 Testament says, you know, God executed the women, children, 35:24 and men of certain tribes, and then in the New Testament, you 35:29 know, God tells us how to, you know, love our enemies and 35:34 so forth. 35:35 Doug: Okay, very good. 35:37 I think the verse you're looking at, Jesus Christ the same 35:39 yesterday, today, and forever, is in Hebrews. 35:42 Jean: Hebrews 13:8. 35:44 Doug: Hebrews 13:8, and it is true. 35:47 It's the same God in the Old Testament. 35:49 Jesus said, "If you've seen Me, you've seen the Father." 35:51 There's not two different Gods. 35:53 It's the same God in both. 35:55 Part of the confusion comes in because in the Old Testament you 35:59 have God's people working under a theocracy and you've got 36:03 civil law. 36:05 Jesus talking about turning the other cheek and forgiving people 36:08 is talking about interpersonal law, 36:11 interpersonal relationships. 36:13 The government cannot operate on, we're going to turn the 36:16 other cheek when someone steals from you. 36:19 You have to implement in a law, you'd just have chaos. 36:22 You can do that in your interpersonal relationships, and 36:26 so when God tells a nation of Israel or another nation to 36:31 annihilate their enemies, that was a government acting in a war 36:36 against people that were vowed to destroy Israel if they didn't 36:39 destroy them. 36:42 But God is not willing that any should perish. 36:44 War, the Lord hates war. 36:46 He hates evil. He hates death. 36:49 Jesus came to give us life. 36:51 It's the same God that is so merciful in the Old Testament, 36:54 and even those nations that He judged, He says, "I'm going to 36:57 give them a few hundred years to repent." 37:00 And so I mean, He's very, very patient with them. 37:03 Now, whether God sends an army to destroy a nation or they're 37:06 destroyed by a plague or they're destroyed by an earthquake or a 37:08 flood, the judgment and death comes to everybody, and so will 37:13 we turn before our day comes. 37:15 Jean: And you even see, Pastor Doug, in the judgments of God, 37:17 you see mercy. 37:19 For example, in the days of the flood, before the flood, God 37:22 waited until there were just really Noah and his family that 37:25 were left. 37:26 Everyone else had turned against Him, so He waited as long as He 37:29 could before judgment came. 37:31 And that's why the Bible says: "God is longsuffering, not 37:34 willing that any should perish, but that all should come 37:36 to repentance." 37:37 But there is a day of judgment, as the Bible makes that clear. 37:40 God can't wait forever. 37:41 Doug: And you see plagues and blood in the Old Testament, and 37:45 you go to Revelation in the New Testament, you see plagues 37:47 and blood. 37:48 You see the love of God. 37:50 The commandment, "Love your neighbor," starts in the 37:52 Old Testament. 37:53 Jesus is quoting Moses when He says, "Love your neighbor 37:56 as yourself." 37:57 So it's the same God. 38:00 Some confusion comes because Old Testament, it's sort of like a 38:03 civil story. 38:04 New Testament, it's more of interpersonal. 38:07 Jean: All right, next caller that we have is Virginia, 38:09 in California. 38:10 Virginia, welcome to the program. 38:12 Virginia: Hi, good evening. 38:13 I'm calling in regards to, I think I told them, 1 Kings 14, 38:18 but I think I've found it. 38:19 It's 1 Kings 13, and it has to do with the prophet that went to 38:24 the king on behalf of the Lord, and he was not to eat or drink, 38:31 and an old prophet got a hold of this and got him to eat 38:35 and drink. 38:37 Long story, basically, at the very end, he died 'cause the 38:41 lion, you know, ate him and everything. 38:44 The old prophet told his sons, my question is, the old prophet 38:48 told his sons, please bury him. 38:53 And when you bury me and, put my bones next to him. 38:59 Was he feeling guilty or really mourned for it, because it even 39:04 says, "I mourned for him," you know, like 1 Kings at 13:29, 39:09 I think. 39:10 I'm trying to get it to help you out. 39:11 Doug: No, you got--I know the story very well. 39:13 I know exactly what you're talking about. 39:15 And just for our friends that are listening, we always 39:17 remember there's a lot of folks driving down the road and they 39:19 can't thumb through the Bible. 39:21 We don't want them to text either. 39:23 This story is a very interesting, somewhat bizarre 39:27 story, true. 39:28 Prophet comes to Jeroboam, sent from Judah, and says, "Because 39:33 you've turned the nation to idolatry, you know, God is going 39:37 to destroy this altar and there'll be a curse upon 39:40 your family." 39:42 And he's told to not eat in that place because they turn to 39:45 idols, or drink any water. 39:46 Well, this prophet, his sons tell him what had happened that 39:51 day in the king's presence, and this was, he said, "Well, go 39:53 chase him down, bring him to me." 39:55 He went after the young man and said, "Come stay at my house." 39:58 He said, "No, the Lord told me not to eat or drink in 40:00 this place." 40:01 He said, "Oh, but I'm a prophet like you are. 40:03 God told me to come and relieve you." 40:05 Well, he lied to him. 40:06 He wanted so much to talk to him, and he didn't listen to 40:09 the Lord. 40:11 He listened to a man saying he had the Word of God, very 40:13 important lesson there. 40:15 So it ends up the lion kills him. 40:18 Lion does not eat him, but a lion kills him and the prophet 40:22 said, "I know what he said is going to come to pass," and it 40:25 did, and during the time of Josiah. 40:27 And he says, "Bury me on his bones because I know he was a 40:30 true prophet of God." 40:32 Yeah, it tells you that someone who once had the gift of 40:34 prophecy actually lied, but that's not new because you got 40:37 Balaam, who is a prophet, who also goes bad. 40:40 So, it's kind of a bizarre story, but I'm sure there's a 40:44 lot of good lessons in there. 40:46 Jean: You know, you also wonder why did God have to send a 40:47 prophet all the way from Judah when there was a prophet right 40:50 there in the northern kingdom. 40:51 Why didn't he speak up and say, "Wait a minute, this is not the 40:54 right thing. 40:55 We shouldn't be building altars here and golden calves." 40:58 And he almost neglected his responsibility, and then he lied 41:02 to the younger prophet and--. 41:04 Doug: That cost him his life. 41:06 Jean: That's right. 41:07 Interesting story. 41:08 All right, well, thank you, Virginia. 41:10 Next caller that we have is Jerry, in Texas. 41:12 Jerry, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 41:15 Jerry: Last question, Pastors. 41:17 This is a thing I was searching. 41:19 I'm reading my Bible on a daily basis now for my church. 41:22 In Nehemiah 6:65, did the Urim and Thummim survive all those 41:31 generations or did they make different breastplates for the 41:35 priests throughout all those ages? 41:37 Doug: Yeah, the Urim and Thummim were on the shoulders of the 41:41 ephad, the breastplate of the high priest. 41:45 When Nebuchadnezzar sacked the temple, and he took away 41:48 everything, the only thing that was missing was the ark of 41:50 the covenant. 41:52 We believe Jeremiah and some priests hid it in a cave 41:54 somewhere around Jerusalem. 41:55 Thousands of caves around that country and it's never been 41:59 found, but all of the other articles were carried off. 42:03 Some returned, following the Babylonian captivity, but 42:06 there's no mention. 42:08 It seems that the Urim and Thummim, they wanted to be able 42:10 to consult the--it had these stones that would light up or 42:15 glow or something, and it seems that that had disappeared or 42:19 maybe it was melted down. 42:21 We don't know, but it, yeah, there's no record that it ever 42:24 came back. 42:25 They probably had to fabricate another one for the priest. 42:28 And yeah, because it said that they didn't know what to do 42:30 until they could consult the Urim and Thummim. 42:32 I just--I'm reading through the Bible probably same pace as you 42:35 right now, just got done reading that Nehemiah a few weeks ago. 42:38 Jean: You know, it's interesting, Pastor Doug, after 42:40 the captivity, you do have this example, but from then onwards, 42:43 it doesn't seem as though God really communicated a whole lot 42:47 to Israel through the Urim and the Thummim. 42:50 I mean, He'd speak through a prophet, but even the prophets, 42:53 there was a period of time where the prophets were quiet 42:55 leading up. 42:57 And then, of course, there's a flurry of prophetic activity 42:58 just before the Messiah comes, with reference to John the 43:01 Baptist and others. 43:02 But, yeah, that is interesting, interesting story with that. 43:05 Doug: I heard an old country preacher said, Today's Urim and 43:09 Thummim is you get Urim Bible and thumb them through it. 43:13 Jean: That's a good one. 43:14 All right, next caller that we have, let's see, we've got 43:18 Jonathan, from Michigan. 43:19 Jonathan, welcome to the program. 43:22 Jonathan: Hello, hello. 43:24 Doug: Hi, thanks for calling. 43:26 Jonathan: Yeah, it's a, it's just a real honor and privilege 43:28 to be speaking with both of you. 43:31 So I had this supernatural experience, but I don't know how 43:36 to explain, and for the last couple of years I've been trying 43:39 to understand what it is 'cause I know in the last days, God's 43:45 going to bring a revival back of the Ten Commandments. 43:49 The experience that I had, it took place back in midsummer 43:54 of 2019. 43:56 And it was in the midsummer day, and I went, you know, I was 44:01 tired, so I decided to go lay down in bed and I fell asleep 44:06 and I woke up to the sound of thunder. 44:09 But the second time. 44:12 When it struck, it wasn't thunder. 44:15 It was a voice as clear as you and I that said, "The 44:19 Ten Commandments." 44:21 And I was, in that moment, I was in shock and awe. 44:26 I didn't know how to explain it. 44:27 A part of me was fearful, but at the same time, the other part of 44:31 me was in peace. 44:35 And right after that, the Book of Psalms 29, verse 7 came to 44:43 mind: "The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes 44:46 of lightning." 44:48 Doug: So you're wondering what does this mean or why did 44:50 this happen? 44:52 Jonathan: Yeah, yeah, it's always puzzled me as to why. 44:57 Doug: Well, you know, I won't pretend that I've got the gift 44:59 of Joseph where I can interpret dreams and visions. 45:02 I do know the Bible says in the book of Joel chapter 2 that "in 45:06 the last days I'll pour out My Spirit and your sons and 45:09 daughters will dream dreams and see visions." 45:12 You know, God sometimes will give a particular vision for 45:14 an individual. 45:15 It's not that, you know, you've been called to the gift of 45:17 prophecy, but God can speak to you through an experience. 45:20 Certainly it would mean keeping the Ten Commandments, and not 45:25 only Psalm 29, but I'd invite you to read Psalm 119, which is 45:30 all about the Word and the law of God. 45:33 And, for any of our friends out there that are wondering, I do 45:37 believe that there needs to be a revival of proclaiming the Ten 45:42 Commandments in the last days. 45:44 The will of God has not changed, and some people think the Ten 45:47 Commandments were done away with at the cross, which is absurd. 45:51 And we have a book that's called, "Does God's Grace Blot 45:54 Out the Law?" 45:55 We'll be happy to share. 45:57 We also have that study guide, "Written in Stone." 45:58 Jean: That's right, we'll be happy to send that as well. 46:00 Just call 800-835-6747. 46:03 You can ask for a book. 46:05 It's called, "Does God's Grace Blot out the Law?" 46:07 And you can get the study guide called, "Written in Stone," and 46:10 you can learn all about the Ten Commandments and its application 46:13 for us today. 46:14 The number is 800-835-6747. 46:17 You can dial #250 on your smartphone and just say "Bible 46:21 Answers Live" and then ask for it by name. 46:23 Again, "Does God's Grace Blot Out the Law?" 46:25 or "Written in Stone." 46:27 You can ask for both and we can send you a digital copy of that. 46:29 Doug: Price is the same, huh? It's free. 46:31 Jean: Price is right, yeah, it's a good price. 46:33 Next caller that we have is Phoenix, in Montana. 46:36 Phoenix, welcome to the program. 46:38 Phoenix: Hey, guys, I appreciate both of you. 46:41 2 Corinthians 12:2, Paul talks about a gentleman he knew that 46:46 was taken up to the third heaven. 46:48 I never knew who he was talking about and a brother in the faith 46:52 who's walked a lot longer than I, said it was Paul. 46:55 So who was it? 46:57 Doug: Well, I agree with your friend in the faith. 46:59 I think Paul is speaking in modest terms when he said, "I 47:04 knew a man that was caught up to Christ, whether in the Spirit or 47:07 not in the Spirit." 47:09 He's basically saying it felt like it was real, but it may 47:11 have been a vision. 47:12 "And heard things he's not supposed to utter." 47:15 I think Paul is saying it's him, and he's using kind of, what's 47:20 the word for it, he's using sort of ambiguous language. 47:22 It's not uncommon of, you know, John the apostle said, "The 47:25 disciple whom Jesus loved," he wouldn't say "me." 47:28 And so Paul, he's talking in the beginning of chapter 12, "It's 47:32 not profitable for me to boast." 47:35 He--Paul said, you know, "Because of all the visions and 47:38 stuff I've had, God allowed the devil to test me with a thorn." 47:43 So Paul's saying, "I don't want to boast, but I knew a guy that 47:45 was caught up to heaven." 47:47 We believe he's talking about himself. 47:49 Jean: All right, great, good question. 47:51 Thank you. 47:52 Sabra, he's listening in Hawaii. 47:54 Sabra, welcome to the program. 47:57 Sabra: Oh hi, hey, Pastor Doug, real quick. 47:59 I know some people you know from Tahquitz Canyon, James William 48:04 McIntyre, Tahquitz Jim, and Sunny. 48:07 They have a little boy named Tuy Tahquitz. 48:10 Doug: Yeah, I know Jim lived in Hawaii the last few years of 48:13 his life. 48:14 Well, that's great. I'm glad to meet you. 48:15 Sabra: Yeah, well, yeah, Jim died about 15 years ago, but I 48:21 have a son of his. 48:23 Doug: Oh really? 48:25 Oh, well that, I'm glad to make your acquaintance. 48:27 You need to call me after the program, we'll catch up. 48:30 Sabra: I would love to. I saw that you talked to Glenna. 48:33 Her real name's Glenys, Sunny, on Facebook and yep, yep, 48:38 well, good. 48:40 That's a small world, huh? 48:41 Anyways, my son, Jimmy's son, Reggie's going to be 32. 48:46 He needs--or 33. He's going to need prayer. 48:49 He's struggling with heavy crystal meth right now, and he 48:53 needs prayer. 48:54 He's over here in Maui. 48:57 But my question is for another son, I have a 27-year-old boy 49:03 that just started reading the Bible and has given his heart to 49:07 the Lord. 49:08 And we've been fellowshipping for the last 6 months. 49:13 Now he loves history and he's-- yeah, he started reading the 49:19 Bible from the beginning to the end, that's what he's doing now. 49:22 And he struggles with gaming. 49:25 He's very addicted to gaming, video gaming, and I'd like to 49:29 know, where should I start with him 'cause he's agreed to 49:33 do this. 49:35 Where should I start with him with Bible studies? 49:36 Doug: Well, you know what, this may sound like an odd answer and 49:40 I wouldn't give it to everyone, but I would recommend, you know, 49:44 I have a testimony book and, of course, Jim and Sunny are in the 49:50 book, and it tells how I was converted through reading the 49:54 Bible, and I struggled with the Old Testament, and then I went 49:57 to the New and read about Jesus, so I started in Matthew. 50:00 That's where I'd tell him to start, but boy, he would 50:02 really--I think he'd get a kick out of hearing my testimony 50:06 because of the history we have, and it might encourage him. 50:09 It's called, "The Richest Caveman," and yeah, talks all 50:13 about the canyon and stuff. 50:14 Hey, Sabra, I hope you'll reach out and contact me sometime 50:17 after the program. 50:18 I'd like to catch up. 50:20 Thank you so much. 50:21 For my friends listening, I became a Christian because I met 50:23 somebody up in a cave. 50:25 This is who Sabra was talking about, who passed away a few 50:27 years ago, Jim McIntyre. 50:30 Jean: All right, that's a great story, Pastor Doug. 50:31 I think--I think your testimony is also on YouTube. 50:34 Doug: That's right, they can watch it for free. 50:36 Just go to Doug Batchelor testimony on YouTube. 50:38 There's several versions of it. 50:39 Jean: Okay, great. 50:41 Stacie, listening in Indiana. 50:42 Stacie, welcome to the program. 50:46 Stacie: Thank you so much for taking my call. 50:50 My question is that I belong or I'm going to two different 50:53 churches, okay? 50:56 And I love them both. 51:00 They're really not that different. 51:04 So my question is, am I sinning for going to two 51:09 different denominations? 51:11 Doug: Of course, you know, you'll find good people in many 51:13 different churches and many different denominations, but 51:16 ultimately, you want to pick a church that is founded on 51:20 principles of truth, that the fundamentals of the church 51:24 doctrines are biblical doctrines. 51:26 Some people pick a church because there's a friendly 51:28 charismatic pastor, and but yet some of the doctrines that they 51:32 teach are very dangerous. 51:35 Paul calls them doctrines of devils. 51:37 Some people pick a church because they love their choir 51:39 program, but they don't realize that the foundational doctrines 51:42 of the church are unbiblical. 51:45 And so that's your first criteria. 51:47 Everything else is the candy and the dressing. 51:50 But so we have a study guide that talks about "Search for the 51:54 True Church." 51:55 It's actually--that's a book, "Search for the True Church," 51:56 and we have a study guide called, "The Bride of Christ." 51:59 Jean: The number to call for that is 800-835-6747. 52:03 You can ask for that study guide, "The Search for the True 52:05 Church," and a book called, "The Bride of Christ." 52:08 You can also dial #250 on your smartphone and just say, "Bible 52:12 Answers Live," and you can ask for the book as well. 52:16 And, you know, Pastor Doug, I think there is something if we 52:18 find the truth and we find a group of believers who are 52:21 holding to the truth, you know, we want to not only attend, but 52:24 we want to get involved. 52:25 We want to make a stand for the truth. 52:27 And sometimes it's a difficult decision, but you can't, as they 52:31 say, have your foot in two boots. 52:33 You've got to make a decision, so. 52:35 Doug: We're running short on time. 52:36 I wonder if we can do number 11. 52:38 Jean: All right, let's see, we've got Marvins in Canada. 52:40 Marvins, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 52:43 Marvins: Hi, Pastor. Doug: Hi. 52:46 Marvins: My question is, according to John 6, verse 46, 52:53 no one has saw the Father. 52:55 However, Enoch, Elijah, and Moses, I think they see him. 53:01 Can you explain this for me? 53:02 Doug: Yeah, well, we'll do our best. 53:04 I know it can sound confusing 'cause some places like Jesus 53:07 said, "No one has seen the Father." 53:09 But, and in the Old Testament when Moses said, "Can I see 53:12 your glory?" 53:13 God said, "No man can see My face and live." 53:16 We're assuming this is speaking about God the Father in His 53:19 undiminished glory. 53:20 "And so God put Moses in the cleft of a rock. 53:23 He passed by and He moved His hand away, and He said, 'You 53:26 will see Me from behind, but you can't see My face.'" 53:30 And those who did say they saw God where, like, the wife of 53:37 Menoa actually said, "We've seen the Lord, we're going to die," 53:40 and Jacob said, "I've seen the Lord." 53:42 They were seeing what you call a Christophany. 53:44 Jesus, pre-incarnate Christ, is what they saw. 53:49 So "No man has seen the Father" is still true. 53:52 Of course, Elijah now and Enoch, they're ascended in heaven. 53:55 It's talking about "no sinful man." 53:57 Once you get your glorified body and you're pure, you can--you 54:00 can see God the Father. 54:01 And it says in Revelation, we'll see Him face to face in the end. 54:05 Jean: That's right. 54:06 Revelation 22 talks about the promise you shall see Him face 54:08 to face. 54:10 So that is the ultimate reward or the joy. 54:12 All right, maybe one more, Pastor Doug. 54:14 Let's see. We got Bob in Washington. 54:15 Bob, welcome to the program. We got less than a minute. 54:19 Bob: Yes, is this me? Jean: Yes, it's you. 54:21 Bob: Oh, okay. Hi there, Pastor Ross. 54:25 I'm just wanting to know if God's love is unconditional. 54:32 Doug: Yes, God's love is unconditional. 54:34 You can read in, is it Romans chapter 8 where he says, 54:37 "Neither height nor depth nor things past or present," I'm 54:40 paraphrasing, "can separate us from the love of God that is in 54:44 Christ Jesus our Lord." 54:45 Even if people are lost, it breaks the heart of God. 54:49 He loves them. 54:51 God loves us while we're sinners. 54:52 That's why He sent Jesus. 54:54 Yet friend, you who are listening right now, wherever 54:56 you are, He loves you and He wants you to come to Him. 54:58 I hope you'll do that. 55:00 For those listening on satellite, we're going to 55:02 sign off. 55:04 For the rest of you, stay tuned, we're going to be coming back 55:06 with rapid fire Bible questions in just about 20 seconds. 55:13 announcer: Thank you for listening to today's broadcast. 55:16 We hope you understand your Bible even better than before. 55:19 "Bible Answers Live" is produced by Amazing Facts International, 55:23 a faith-based ministry located in Granite Bay, California. 55:30 Jean: Hello, friends, and welcome back to "Bible 55:31 Answers Live." 55:33 Pastor Doug, we've got some email questions that have been 55:34 sent in. 55:36 Friends, if you'd like to send us an email question, the email 55:38 address is BALquestions@amazingfacts.org, 55:42 just BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. 55:46 All right, Laura is asking: "How are God's chosen people the 55:49 Jews, when so many Jews today don't even believe that Christ 55:52 is the Messiah?" 55:54 Doug: Well, God chose the Jewish people, and some, you know, all 55:58 through history, even in the Old Testament did not believe and 56:01 follow God. 56:02 So New Testament, Old Testament, there were believers and there 56:05 were unbelievers in the Jewish nation. 56:07 So that's not the criteria. 56:09 He chose them to be two things. 56:11 They were to be the ones who would protect the Word, the 56:16 written Word, and they were to present the living Word, Jesus. 56:21 The Jews were to announce and proclaim the Messiah to the 56:24 world, which they did at Pentecost. 56:25 They introduced Jesus. 56:27 And so, and now not only are there Jews, literal Jews, I 56:30 believe, now there's a whole nation of spiritual Jews that 56:33 have been grafted in, that also believe. 56:36 And we have a book called "Spiritual Israel" they 56:37 can order. 56:39 Jean: All right, Alfred is asking, "If one angel could kill 56:41 185,000 soldiers in one night, why do the angels stand by and 56:45 allow things like mass shootings to take place?" 56:49 Doug: Well, because we're in a world that's filled with not 56:51 only good angels, but there are millions of evil angels. 56:55 Paul said, "We wrestle against spiritual powers of wickedness 56:59 in heavenly places." 57:00 And there's a battle. 57:03 Jesus said we are to pray that God's will is done. 57:05 The reason we pray that is because God's will is not always 57:08 done, and it is not God's will when these terrible 57:11 things happen. 57:12 But there's a war raging between good and evil. 57:15 God does not always interfere with His superior power. 57:19 He lets people make choices and others suffer from those 57:21 bad choices. 57:23 Jean: All right, another question: "What does it mean 57:24 when Jesus said, 'The night is coming and no one can work'?" 57:27 Doug: Yeah, we want to work for the night is coming. 57:29 That's a famous hymn. 57:31 For one thing, Jesus was able to preach with a certain amount of 57:34 freedom in His day, but He knew after His death, you read about 57:37 this in Acts chapter 8, a great persecution arose, and it's-- 57:43 many times the night of persecution has come upon God's 57:45 people where the church had to go underground, and they were 57:49 persecuted in the days of the apostles as well. 57:52 So friends, today, when--if you're in a country in the world 57:56 where you've got freedom to proclaim the gospel, that's why 57:59 Amazing Facts is doing what we're doing. 58:01 You notice we spend the bulk of our time proclaiming the Word 58:04 because it changes hearts. 58:06 Hope it'll change yours and, God willing, we'll be doing this 58:09 again next week. 58:11 You want to tune in, we'll also be on Hope Channel as well as 58:13 our other stations. 58:15 God bless, friends, and keep praying. 58:21 announcer: "Bible Answers Live," honest and accurate answers to 58:25 your Bible questions. |
Revised 2025-05-21