Participants:
Series Code: TDYQA
Program Code: TDYQA210001A
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00:01 As you're well aware,
00:03 we're living in unprecedented times. 00:05 Join us now for today's 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 01:00 Mending broken people 01:15 Hello, and welcome to the 3ABN 01:17 Today Bible Q and A. 01:19 Question and answer, you heard right. 01:21 This is a brand new Today program 01:23 that by God's grace, 01:24 we're going to bring to you a new one every single week. 01:27 We want to say thank you for joining us today, 01:29 as you do each and every day. 01:31 And we look forward to spending this time with you. 01:33 You know why? 01:34 Because you're our family. 01:36 And we just want to say, thank you for your prayers 01:38 and financial support for the ministry of 3ABN. 01:42 You know, we're all in this thing together. 01:44 And that's to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ 01:46 to a lost and dying world. 01:48 Here at 3ABN, 01:50 we receive a lot of questions, Bible questions 01:53 here at the ministry via email, 01:56 text, social media, phone calls, 01:59 letters that come in here. 02:00 And we decided to just focus on a Today program, 02:04 a new one every week. 02:05 We're hoping that today that you're watching this, 02:07 this will be every day 02:09 the same time each week 02:10 that you'll get some Bible questions answered. 02:13 And we kind of hope to do this rapid-fire. 02:16 A lot of times we'll do like a Bible topic 02:18 on the Today program, 02:20 where we may focus just on one topic 02:21 for the entire Today program. 02:24 But today there's just going to be 02:25 a whole lot of different questions 02:26 that have come in 02:28 and we want to encourage you to send your questions, 02:30 'cause you may be watching right now and say, 02:32 "Oh, I have a question 02:33 that I'd like for 3ABN to answer." 02:35 And I'll introduce our guests, our family here at 3ABN 02:38 to you in just a moment, 02:39 but you can text your questions to 3ABN. 02:42 And here's the number. It's (618) 228-3975. 02:47 That's (618) 228-3975. 02:51 Now, when you text that number, text to that number, 02:53 you're going to get a little reply asking you 02:55 where you want to send that question. 02:57 So just follow those prompts 02:58 and send us your Bible question or you can email. 03:00 Now, this is a brand new email 03:02 because this is a brand new Today program. 03:03 So take a look at this email address. 03:05 It's bibleqa... 03:08 So bibleqa@3abn.org. 03:12 So you're welcome to email your questions to us 03:14 and we'll be answering those questions 03:16 in future programs. 03:18 But today we have... 03:20 I don't wanna say guests 03:22 because you're part of the 3ABN family. 03:24 I live here. You live here? 03:25 I'm married to you. You're married to me. 03:27 And, Pastor, you live just across the street so to speak. 03:29 Yeah, that's right. 03:30 We're all here as family. 03:32 But I'm going to call you all Bible scholars 03:34 or could I, this is not disrespect. 03:35 Bible students. Yeah. 03:37 It's not disrespect to stay Bible students 03:38 because I've never heard either one of you say, 03:41 "Oh, I've got it all. 03:42 I know the Word of God completely. 03:43 I have all the answers." 03:45 Amen. 03:46 Each one of you love the Word of God. 03:47 You're students of the Word. 03:49 And what's really fun is that 03:50 when I get to watch you all on Sabbath School Panel, 03:52 you all just get so excited 03:54 or when you're preaching on the Worship Hour campaign, 03:56 you love the Word of God. 03:58 So today you've had the opportunity to look 03:59 at some of the questions that have come in. 04:01 And it's a blessing 04:02 when people actually are looking for answers 04:06 from the Word of God. 04:08 So you're going to be giving us those answers from God's Word. 04:12 2 Timothy 2:15 says, 04:14 "Study to show thyself approved unto God, 04:17 a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, 04:20 rightly dividing the word of truth." 04:22 So we want to encourage you today. 04:24 Don't just sit back and say, 04:25 "Oh wow, let me just watch this program." 04:26 We want to encourage you to get your Bible. 04:28 So get your Bible out, study along with us, 04:30 grab a pen, pencil, 04:32 maybe some type of electronic device 04:34 and write down your notes 04:37 as the Lord speaks to each one of you as a vessel 04:41 answering these questions. 04:42 So again, this is a brand new program, 04:44 3ABN Today, Bible Q and A. 04:47 Thank you for joining us. 04:48 Pastor John, shall I start with you? 04:50 Sure. You're ready? 04:51 Yeah. Okay. 04:53 And I want to start with you 04:54 and then you open with prayer 04:55 and then we'll go to the first question. 04:57 Let's do that. 04:58 Loving Father in heaven, we thank You for the privilege 05:00 of being in the position 05:01 to impact lives in a positive way 05:03 to lead them to the light that never grows dim, 05:07 Your Word, the everlasting light. 05:09 We pray that You'll give us wisdom and tact 05:12 in answering these questions. 05:13 For those honest heart seekers, 05:16 for those individuals 05:17 whose minds may be that close to making a decision, 05:21 may these questions serve to prompt them, 05:24 trust You and to follow Your Word, 05:26 in Jesus' name I pray. 05:29 Amen. Amen. 05:30 Thank you, Pastor John. 05:31 This one comes from Brandon and he says, 05:35 "How do you think God will rule heaven? 05:39 What will the government be like? 05:41 Will it be a dictatorship 05:42 where He tells us what to do and how to worship Him 05:45 or a socialist type of government, et cetera." 05:48 That's an interesting question that someone is thinking. 05:50 It is a great question. It is. 05:52 When I heard that question, 05:53 I know that so much of what's happening 05:55 in our world today has impacted 05:57 what this question contains 05:58 the word socialist, for example. 06:00 Oh, yeah. 06:01 And dictatorship, we look at dictatorships. 06:04 Praise the Lord. 06:05 It's not going to be either one of those. 06:07 Amen. 06:08 But I like to get answers from the Bible. 06:09 First one, Psalm 89:14, 06:11 because the government is a reflection of the one 06:15 who is ruling that government. 06:17 And the word ruler is quite different 06:19 when it refers to God, as it relates to humanity, 06:22 men rule with weapons and armies. 06:25 God doesn't need a weapon. 06:27 He's calling us to worship Him out of love. 06:29 But Psalm 89:14 says, 06:31 "Righteousness and justice 06:34 are the foundation of your throne, 06:37 mercy and truth go before your face." 06:40 So it's not going to be a socialist government. 06:42 When you think about socialism, 06:44 some people have the idea that 06:45 socialism means you give away everything 06:47 and nobody has to purchase anything. 06:49 Well, the good thing about salvation is 06:52 it's not free. 06:53 It has been purchased. 06:54 We also purchased by the blood of the lamb, 06:57 but it's not going to be a socialist dictatorship 07:00 by any means. 07:01 Righteousness and justice are His foundation. 07:04 Also 2 Peter 3:13, 07:07 "Nevertheless we, according to His promise, 07:09 look for new heavens and a new earth 07:12 in which righteousness dwells." 07:14 It's going to be a righteous government. 07:16 Amen. 07:18 And the most important one to me, Revelation 22:11, 07:21 "He who is unjust, let him be unjust still, 07:23 he who is filthy, let him be filthy still, " 07:25 but look at this, 07:26 "he who is righteous, let him be righteous still, 07:28 he who is holy, let him be holy still." 07:31 It's going to be a just government 07:33 righteous, holy and good government, 07:37 because those are all properties of God's character. 07:39 Amen. 07:41 I'm looking forward to being there. 07:42 Praise the Lord. Amen. 07:43 Ryan, Pastor Ryan, go you next? 07:45 Let's do it. Let's do it. 07:47 All right, this... 07:48 There's no name with this one, but it says, 07:49 what does the Bible say about gay marriage? 07:53 So many children are telling their parents 07:55 they are gay or transgender. 07:57 Does the Bible mention anything about this? 07:59 It's a great question. 08:00 Yeah, and it's a timely question, 08:02 that's sensitive, 08:03 we have to deal with this in our real society. 08:04 And so many people have questions about this. 08:07 First of all, as a Christian, 08:08 I believe the Bible is very clear 08:10 about God's attitude towards homosexuality, 08:13 transgenderism and all these things 08:15 that we deal with in today's world. 08:17 First of all, let's be reminded in Genesis 2:24. 08:20 The Bible reminds us that God says, 08:22 "Therefore, you shall leave your father and mother 08:24 and be joined to your wife, 08:26 or he shall leave his father and mother 08:27 and be joined to his wife 08:29 and they shall become one flesh." 08:30 So it was God's original plan 08:32 that, you know, man and woman are together. 08:34 Not necessarily man and man, or woman and woman. 08:37 So the Bible is very, very clear. 08:39 In fact, I'm just going to reference these texts here, 08:41 Leviticus 18:22, 08:44 as well as Leviticus 20:13 and a slew of other texts. 08:49 But these texts communicate God's attitude towards this. 08:51 In fact, he condemned as Pastor Lomacang, you know, 08:54 that God was very strong at saying, 08:56 you know, do not, 08:57 you know, a man should not lie with a man 08:58 and a woman should not lie with a woman. 09:00 So God's attitude towards homosexuality 09:02 and these practices 09:04 is that much of in the sense of condemnation 09:07 because it's not His plan, it's not His will. 09:10 Now, does that mean that God does not love the people 09:12 who practice these lifestyles? 09:13 And we want to make that very clear. 09:16 Another text, just to reference here, 09:17 Romans 1:24-22, 09:20 excuse me, 24:32, 09:23 where Gods again specifies this, 09:26 you know, sexual immorality, homosexualism, 09:29 all these things that the world practices, God, 09:32 you know, He frowns upon it. 09:34 He calls it an abomination in His Word, 09:35 but He loves these people. 09:37 And the sin of homosexuality is no different 09:39 than any other sin in the Bible. 09:40 I want to make that clear. 09:42 There's no different than 09:43 someone who cheats on their wife. 09:44 You know, even if they are with a woman, 09:46 as a man with a woman. 09:47 It's no different than thievery. 09:48 It's no different than killing or stealing 09:50 or worshiping other gods 09:51 or any other sin that you might commit. 09:53 God loves each and every sinner, 09:54 but you know, He wants us to change 09:56 and to turn away from that sin. 09:58 So that would, I would say that, 10:00 you know, in this day and age, 10:01 when we're dealing with children telling their parents, 10:03 you know, that they're gay, that they're transgender. 10:06 You know, we need to love them 10:08 and show them the love of Christ. 10:09 Point them to Jesus, 10:11 and by introducing them to Jesus Christ. 10:13 Then at that point 10:15 they will come to learn the love of God. 10:17 They will come to know God's will and Lord willing, 10:19 they will turn from that lifestyle, 10:21 as they come to know God's will for their life. 10:23 Yeah, fantastic. Amen. 10:24 Yeah. Thank you very much. 10:26 And Jill right to my right. 10:28 It's interesting, we usually are co-hosting together, 10:30 but to hear one of the panelists today, 10:33 so question for you, says, 10:35 how do I know God's will for my life? 10:38 That's a great question, 10:40 'cause I think we all want to know that. 10:41 We want to know, are we walking in the center of God's will. 10:45 I think there's no simple formula 10:46 because if there was, 10:48 we would seek the formula 10:50 instead of seeking the God behind the formula. 10:53 If you want to know God's will for your life, 10:56 seek to know God. 10:58 Having said that, I do think there's some simple keys 11:00 that we can look at. 11:01 James 1:5 comes to mind immediately. 11:04 We can pray for wisdom. 11:05 If any of you lack wisdom, 11:07 let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally 11:10 and upbraids not. 11:11 That wisdom will be given to you. 11:13 So if you want to know God's will for your life, 11:15 ask God for wisdom. 11:17 Another thing that comes to mind 11:18 is to listen for His voice. 11:21 Turn with me to Psalm 32:8-9, 11:25 "I will instruct you..." God's talking. 11:27 "I will instruct you and teach you 11:29 in the way you should go, 11:30 I will guide you with my eye. 11:32 Do not be like the horse or the mule, 11:35 which have no understanding, 11:36 which must be harnessed with bit and bridle. 11:39 Else, they will not come near you." 11:41 You know, sometimes we want to know the will of God 11:44 and we seek His will and we follow it. 11:46 But sometimes 11:47 we don't want to know the will of God. 11:50 Maybe God is revealing His will to you. 11:52 And we become like the horse and the mule. 11:54 And we have to be forced or led 11:56 because we don't want to listen. 11:58 We don't want to surrender to what God's will is. 12:01 So we pray for wisdom, we listen to His voice. 12:04 We are willing to surrender to whatever His will is. 12:09 We ask for godly counsel. 12:11 Proverbs 11:14, 12:13 "Where there is no counsel, the people fall, 12:15 but in the multitude of counselors, 12:17 there is safety." 12:19 And the final principle is wait for His peace. 12:21 Do you want to know God's will? 12:23 When you experience His peace, 12:26 you will know it in the depths of your heart 12:28 and in your soul. 12:29 Philippians 4:6-7, 12:31 "Be anxious for nothing, 12:32 but in everything with prayer and supplication 12:34 with Thanksgiving, 12:36 let your request be made known to God 12:37 and the peace of God 12:39 which passes all understanding 12:42 will guard your hearts and minds 12:44 through Christ Jesus." 12:45 Hmm. Amen. Thank you very much, Jill. 12:47 And you may be watching right now and say, 12:49 am I watching Sabbath School Panel? 12:51 No, you're not. 12:52 You're watching a brand new 3ABN Today program 12:54 called Bible Q and A. 12:56 So we're so glad that you have joined us. 12:58 We're gonna be doing a new program every week 13:01 and will be answering your questions. 13:02 So again, we want to encourage you 13:04 to email and text your questions here 13:07 at the address that's on the bottom of your screen 13:09 right now. 13:10 Pastor John, this question comes from Susan, 13:12 and she's referencing Revelation Chapter 17. 13:15 It says the pure woman in Revelation 13:17 and the woman who rides the beast 13:19 in Revelation Chapter 17, 13:21 are they one and the same thing? 13:23 Oh, the answer is no, absolutely not. 13:26 The characteristics right off the bat, 13:28 describe that they are different. 13:29 Revelation Chapter 12 refers to a pure woman 13:32 standing on the sun, 13:34 reflecting the moon 13:35 and is clothed with a diadem of a crown of 12 stars. 13:38 She is the one who gives birth to the male child 13:41 who rules all nations with a rod of iron. 13:44 And that is Jesus Christ. 13:46 She is not connected by any means 13:47 to the woman of Revelation Chapter 17, 13:50 who sits on a scarlet colored beast 13:52 and who is described as mother Babylon, 13:55 the harlot of the earth. 13:57 She is described as the one who prostitutes herself 14:00 to the kings of the earth. 14:01 And that's a picture of the coalition of Babylon 14:04 as it develops fully. 14:06 And you find Revelation 16 contributes to that, 14:08 the kings of the earth, the merchants of the earth. 14:11 Revelation 18 gives you the complete full picture. 14:14 So that woman in Revelation Chapter 17, 14:16 by no means she has on purple and scarlet. 14:20 Now, why is there one particular color missing? 14:22 The color blue is missing 14:24 because purple and scarlet and blue are colors 14:26 in the sanctuary curtains. 14:28 But why is the color blue missing? 14:30 Because blue is a reminder of the commandments of God. 14:33 She doesn't keep the commandments of God. 14:36 She is a woman who has daughters. 14:38 She is the head of a system that has distorted God's Word 14:41 and misled the people of God. 14:43 She has brought together the coalition of finances, 14:46 politics, and religion. 14:48 She's ruling the earth until she is unmasked. 14:51 That's why the Bible says, "Come out of her My people." 14:53 Revelation Chapter 18. 14:55 Come out of her My people, 14:57 that woman in Revelation chapter 17, 14:59 but Revelation Chapter 12, 15:01 the Bible describes her as a faithful woman. 15:04 The one that Satan is angry with. 15:06 Revelation 12:17, 15:08 the dragon is angry with the woman 15:10 and went to make war with the rest of our offspring 15:12 who keep the commandments of God 15:14 and have the testimony of Jesus. 15:16 She is faithful 15:17 and the woman in Revelation 17 is not. 15:20 Wow, thank you, Pastor. 15:22 Yeah. That's a fantastic answer. 15:23 Pastor Ryan, this question says, 15:26 why do SDAs or Seventh-day Adventists 15:28 worship on Saturday Sabbath 15:30 rather than on Sunday, the Lord's Day 15:32 like most people do? 15:34 Okay. Good question. 15:35 That's a loaded question. Yes, it is. 15:37 But, first of all, I understand where this person's coming from 15:39 asking this question. 15:40 I just want to clarify for all those watching, 15:42 we should worship God every day. 15:44 Okay. 15:45 I worship the Lord every single day. 15:47 There's not a day Sunday through Saturday 15:48 that I do not worship the Lord. 15:50 Saturday is not necessarily set aside 15:52 just for Seventh-day Adventist to worship. 15:54 And then no other day 15:55 it's less like we refrain from worshiping. 15:57 But to clarify, there is one biblical Sabbath. 16:00 And that day is the seventh day. 16:02 It always has been the seventh day. 16:04 Of course, it's linked back to Genesis 2:1-3, 16:07 it goes all the way back to creation 16:09 where the Bible says that 16:10 God did three things on the seventh day 16:12 that He did not do to any of the other days. 16:13 And that is He rest, He blessed and He made holy, 16:16 sanctified the seventh day. 16:18 Notice, the seventh day, God was specific, 16:21 not the first day, not the second day 16:22 or any of the others, but the seventh day. 16:24 And, of course, as Bible Christians, 16:26 that's what we are. 16:28 We want to make sure we're Bible Christians, 16:29 not necessarily going out on a tangent 16:31 doing our own thing, 16:33 but following the Bible, The word of the Lord, 16:34 and it's linked to the Ten Commandments. 16:36 The fourth commandment 16:37 of the Ten Commandments tells us. 16:39 In fact, it says right there 16:40 in verse 8 of Exodus Chapter 20. 16:43 So, Exodus 20:8, 16:44 "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." 16:46 And then verses 9 and 10 tells us how we keep it holy. 16:49 We rest and we make sure everyone else rest 16:51 within our control. 16:53 And then verse 11, again, points us back to creation, 16:55 "For in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth, 16:58 the sea, and all that in the midst 16:59 and rested the seventh day, 17:01 wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day 17:02 and hallowed it." 17:04 So, the last thing I want to make very clear, 17:05 we keep the Sabbath on Saturday the seventh day, 17:08 because it's the seventh day Sabbath. 17:10 It's the biblical Sabbath. 17:11 And we want to honor God. 17:12 Last thing really quickly in that question, 17:15 I believe it said something about Sunday, the Lord's Day. 17:17 Sunday is not the Lord's Day. 17:19 The first day is never mentioned 17:20 as the Lord's Day. 17:21 In fact, right there in the Ten Commandments there, 17:23 the fourth commandment, it says, 17:24 "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." 17:26 Notice, verse 9, 17:27 "Six days, you shall labor and do all your work." 17:28 Verse 10, 17:30 "But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord. 17:31 It's the Lord Sabbath." 17:33 Jesus said in Mark 2:27:28 that, 17:36 "He is Lord of the Sabbath. 17:38 So therefore we honor and keep it 17:40 according to the Bible, according to Jesus, 17:42 of course, He's the creator, He created all things. 17:45 He knows which day the Sabbath is. 17:46 He kept the Sabbath Himself on the seventh day. 17:49 And so should we if we're going to be Bible Christians. 17:51 Amen. Wow. Amen. 17:52 Great answer. Thank you very much, Pastor. 17:54 Yes. So, Jill, this is for you. 17:56 It says, 17:57 "If He is a God of love, why do people suffer?" 18:02 Wow. That's an age old question. 18:04 Yes, it is. Is it not? 18:05 And there's so many people, 18:07 so many who experienced so much pain in their life, 18:11 or maybe you've seen pain in other people's lives 18:14 or just seeing the pain in the world. 18:15 And you'll say, 18:17 "Wait a minute, 18:18 if God is a God of love, why do people suffer?" 18:20 I think there's three principles 18:22 that we need to remember. 18:23 Principle number one, 18:24 that God did not cause the evil in this world, 18:27 Satan is the one 18:28 who came to steal, kill and destroy. 18:30 John 10:10 tells us that 18:32 the thief came or Satan to steal, kill and destroy. 18:35 Jesus said that He came that we would have life 18:37 and that we would have it more abundantly. 18:40 So the evil, the sin, 18:41 the sickness of suffering that we see in this world 18:44 is not the result of God. 18:47 Principle number two, 18:48 God allows the outworking 18:52 of the great controversy on this earth 18:55 to reveal sin, to reveal the effects of sin 19:00 and to vindicate His character and His name. 19:04 So while God does not cause any of the evil 19:07 and any of the suffering that takes place right now, 19:11 you and I, we have to see the full result of sin. 19:14 You know, when Eve partook of the fruit, 19:16 she thought it looked pretty good. 19:18 She didn't think of death. 19:19 She didn't think of the consequences 19:22 of what would happen. 19:24 She thought it looked pleasant to the eyes and desirable, 19:27 and she wanted to partake of that. 19:29 When we look at sin, many times 19:31 Satan makes it look attractive. 19:33 So God has to allow this outworking 19:36 of the great controversy. 19:38 So we see the full effect of sin. 19:41 Principle number three, sin will not last forever. 19:45 I love the promise in Revelation 21:4, 19:50 God... This is in the new earth. 19:52 "God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. 19:55 There shall be no more death, 19:57 no more sorrow, no more crying, no more pain, 20:00 for the former things have passed away." 20:03 Someday, this world of sin and sickness 20:04 will be over forever 20:06 and God's government will reign forever. 20:09 Amen. Wow, fantastic. 20:10 Amen. Thank you so much. 20:12 Pastor John, this one, again, there is no name here 20:15 that who submitted this question, 20:17 but it's a great question, it says, 20:19 "Will there be a secret rapture?" 20:22 Okay, I could just say no and go on. 20:24 Okay. 20:25 Expound on that a little bit. Yeah. 20:27 First of all, the rapture, 20:29 the word rapture means 20:30 to be caught up against not by your own power, 20:32 but the drawing power of God, 20:34 that's going to happen, 20:36 but it's not going to be a secret. 20:37 That's why we don't use the word rapture. 20:39 It's been misunderstood. It's been misinterpreted. 20:41 It's been misapplied. 20:43 The rapture came about 20:45 with something called dispensationalism, 20:47 the misinterpretation of Daniel 20:49 9:24-27 to 70 week prophecy. 20:53 When you begin at the wrong dates, 20:54 the prophecy never comes to a close 20:56 and evangelicals have done that. 20:58 They began as Cyrus and Darius as date. 21:00 So, they have this seven year period 21:02 that never happened according to theirs. 21:04 But when the Bible is followed according to the exact date, 21:07 the seven years refers to the ministry of Christ 21:10 and the gospel going to the Gentiles. 21:11 So it already happened. 21:13 There's no seven year tribulation 21:14 that leads into a secret rapture. 21:16 But is the coming of Jesus going to be secret? 21:18 Revelation 1:7. 21:20 The answer is, no, 21:21 "Behold, He is coming with clouds, 21:23 and every eye will see Him." 21:25 So it's going to be visible to everyone. 21:27 And not only that, 21:29 all the tribes of the earth will mourn 21:30 whether you're righteous or not. 21:32 Everybody's going to be affected in one way. 21:34 Matthew 24:30, 21:37 "Then the sign of the Son of Man 21:38 will appear in the heavens, 21:40 then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, 21:42 and they will see the Son of Man 21:43 coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." 21:46 Is it going to be secret? Is he going to sneak up on us? 21:48 The answer is no. 21:50 Psalm 50:3, 21:51 "Our God shall come and shall not keep silent." 21:54 That's right. 21:55 "A fire shall devour before him, 21:57 and it shall be very tempestuous 21:59 all around Him." 22:00 And 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, 22:03 "When He comes, it's going to be the trumpet of God. 22:05 The dead in Christ are going to rise. 22:07 There's going to be a great shout." 22:08 That's anything but secret. 22:10 So the answer is absolutely not. 22:12 That has come from a theory that is not based on the Bible. 22:16 And National Geographic's Look It Up has done an exposa 22:20 disclaiming it, 22:21 showing that Christians believe something 22:22 that's not founded on Scripture. 22:24 Wow, I didn't know about that, Pastor. 22:26 It was an amazing two-hour program 22:28 I saw about seven years ago. 22:29 So Look It Up and it says... 22:30 Because millions of Christians believe something 22:32 that has no biblical support 22:33 and they trace it all the way back 22:34 to its origins. 22:36 Wow, fantastic. Thank you, Pastor. 22:37 Yeah. Great answer. 22:39 Pastor Ryan, it says, 22:40 "If the living cannot communicate with the dead, 22:43 then what about Saul's experience 22:45 with the Witch of Endor?" 22:48 Okay. Wow. That's a good question. 22:50 Yeah, so a lot of... 22:51 Where this stems from is, you know, 22:53 we teach as the Bible clearly communicates that 22:54 once the dead is dead. 22:56 Once they've been buried in the grave, they sleep 22:58 until the resurrection of Jesus Christ 23:00 at the second coming. 23:01 But when you read this story 23:02 about Saul's experience with this Witch of Endor, 23:05 it seems like she was able to conjure up 23:07 the dead spirit of Samuel the prophet, 23:09 and there's this exchange and Paul, 23:11 or excuse me, Saul in this case, 23:13 King Saul believes that 23:15 this witch is communicating with the dead spirit, 23:18 the ghost of Samuel the prophet. 23:20 And so, first of all, let's be reminded 23:22 of God's attitude towards, you know, 23:25 seeking necromancers or witches or sorcerers. 23:28 The Bible makes it very clear 23:30 and I'm just going to reference here Leviticus 19:31. 23:33 Leviticus 19:31, the Bible says, 23:35 "Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits, 23:38 and do not seek after them to be defiled by them. 23:41 I am the Lord, your God." 23:43 There's several texts in the Bible 23:44 that clarifies this. 23:45 Leviticus 20:27 also alludes to this. 23:48 Isaiah 8:19-20, where God clearly says, 23:52 "Look, don't go seek after these witches, 23:54 these sorcerers, these necromancers, 23:55 the spiritists, " 23:56 because it's an abomination. 23:59 They're not actually communicating 24:00 with dead spirits 24:02 because God's Word has been very clear 24:03 that they sleep, they know nothing. 24:05 That's Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 and 10, 24:09 that the dead do not know anything, 24:11 they're asleep in the grave of waiting that resurrection. 24:14 And so God is very clear towards that. 24:15 So the question is, 24:17 was it really Samuel the prophet 24:19 that Saul was communicating with? 24:21 And the answer, 24:23 the simple answer to that is no. 24:24 If you go to the actual text, so this is 1 Samuel 28:13-14. 24:29 And by the way I want to mention here really quickly. 24:31 Saul had actually, 24:32 previously the record of Scripture 24:34 records that Saul previously banished 24:36 the witches and the spiritists 24:38 and all these people from the land. 24:39 So Saul knew that what he was doing 24:41 by going and seeking after this witch 24:43 that he was doing something wrong 24:44 that he shouldn't have done. 24:46 Really quickly, 1 Samuel 28:13-14, it says, 24:48 "And the king said to her, 24:50 'Do not be afraid. What did you see?' 24:53 And the woman said to Saul, 24:54 'I saw a spirit ascending up out of the earth.' 24:56 So he said to her, 24:57 'What is his form?' 24:58 And she said, ' 25:00 An old man is coming up, 25:01 and he is covered with the mantle.'" 25:03 Now notice this next part. 25:04 It says, "And Saul," here's the key word, 25:05 "perceived that it was Samuel." 25:08 Notice how Saul himself 25:10 never actually saw Samuel the prophet. 25:12 He's going off the record of this witch. 25:14 And so this which is telling him 25:16 what she's seeing, he is believing this witch, 25:18 and the Scripture says 25:19 he perceived that it was Samuel. 25:21 So the quick answer to this question, 25:22 the simple answer is Saul didn't actually... 25:25 First, number one, 25:26 he didn't see Samuel, the prophet. 25:28 He perceived that it might have been Samuel 25:30 based off this witch's record. 25:31 And so the clear answer is 25:33 what who was he communicating with 25:34 according to God, according to God's Word? 25:36 It wasn't the dead spirit of an individual who had died. 25:39 It was probably more than likely actually a dead spirit 25:42 or excuse me, a demon perceiving himself 25:45 or manifesting himself as a dead spirit. 25:47 Wow. Absolutely. 25:49 Yeah. Thank you so much. Very good answer. 25:51 This one or for you, Jill, it says, 25:53 "If we have truly forgiven someone, 25:57 does that mean we no longer feel the pain?" 26:00 Short answer is no. 26:02 You can truly forgive someone 26:03 and still feel pain in your heart, 26:05 but that will not last forever 26:07 'cause there's coming a time 26:09 when all of that pain will be taken away. 26:12 Forgiveness is not forgetting. 26:15 Forgiveness does not equal trust. 26:18 Forgiveness is not even about the other person. 26:21 Forgiveness is for me. 26:22 When I forgive someone, it's for me, 26:24 it's not even about the other person. 26:27 I forgive because I want to be forgiven. 26:30 Matthew 6:14-15 says, 26:32 "If you forgive men their trespasses, 26:34 your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 26:37 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, 26:39 neither will your heavenly Father 26:41 forgive you." 26:42 I forgive because I want God to hear me. 26:46 Psalm 66:18, if I regard iniquity, 26:49 that word is cherished sin in my heart. 26:53 "If I hold on to cherish sin, the Lord will not hear me." 26:57 I forgive because I want to be free from the pain, 27:01 from the hurt, from the bitterness, 27:03 from the resentment. 27:05 John 8:36, 27:07 "Whoever the Son sets free is free indeed." 27:11 The pain can still sometimes be there. 27:13 It depends on 27:15 how the other person responds to you. 27:17 Forgiveness is not, 27:18 this is a whole other topic, Pastor John, 27:20 it's not reconciliation. 27:22 Forgiveness is me, but it takes two people to reconcile. 27:26 It takes two people 27:28 for that pain to be completely gone. 27:29 "But there is coming a time, Revelation 21:4, 27:33 when that pain will be gone forever. 27:36 And that is in the heaven and the new earth, 27:38 God will wipe away all those tears." 27:40 And that tells me that when we go to heaven, 27:42 there will still be pain. 27:44 Whether it's pain from something 27:45 that someone did against me, 27:47 or whether it's pain from a loss of a loved one 27:49 or someone who is not there, 27:50 there will be times of pain, 27:52 but God at that point 27:54 will wipe away all the pain from the past. 27:58 Amen. Thank you so much. 28:00 You're watching 3ABN Bible Q and A. 28:03 And by God's grace, 28:04 we're going to air this every Monday, right? 28:06 You do the programming for Monday's stuff. 28:07 Every Monday, we're going to be airing this new program 28:10 and there'll be, 28:11 of course, different hosts sitting in this chair 28:12 and we'll be rotating people through this spot. 28:14 And, of course, different people panelists here. 28:16 But we just want to say thank you 28:18 for sending in your questions. 28:19 You know, you're students of the Word too 28:21 trying to find answers. 28:22 And we appreciate that you're asking 28:24 because you're asking from the Word of God. 28:26 You know, these are students of the Word that study 28:28 and definitely enjoy studying the Word of God. 28:31 You, Pastor Ryan work in the pastoral department, 28:33 you get a lot of questions. 28:35 And a lot of people that have, want answers 28:36 from the Word of God. 28:37 Pastor, you've been in the ministry 28:39 for many, many years, not saying you're old, Pastor. 28:41 No. 28:42 With due respect to you, but you know. 28:44 Seasoned. Seasoned, thank you baby. 28:45 That's been while. 28:46 It's been, I don't know 28:48 how many years, but a number of years. 28:49 Thirty four. 28:50 Thirty four years, yeah, in the ministry. 28:52 You know, when you see a lot of people 28:53 that are hurting and looking for answers 28:55 and you, of course, being in the office 28:56 receives a lot of letters and stuff coming in. 28:58 So we want to encourage you. 28:59 You see what's coming up on the bottom of your screen, 29:01 how you can submit your questions to the panelists 29:03 for future programs. 29:04 And thank you for doing that. 29:06 Pastor John, the next question is, 29:07 "Does unforgiveness hinder your prayers or my prayers?" 29:11 I'm kind of picking up where Jill left off. 29:13 Okay. 29:14 Well, the answer is, 29:16 would God hear the prayer of a person 29:18 who hasn't forgiven another person? 29:21 The Bible doesn't give any indication 29:22 that he will not hear the prayers of a person 29:24 who hasn't forgiven someone, 29:27 but that prayer will be hindered 29:29 from being answered. 29:31 The Lord puts a responsibility in our hand to settle matters. 29:35 This is kind of like along the line of reconciliation. 29:37 If we give, bring our gift to the altar 29:39 and we have something 29:40 or our brother has something against us, 29:42 go first be reconciled 29:44 and offer that gift to the Lord. 29:46 So what will hinder our prayer? 29:48 And I want to make it very clear. 29:50 If you have unforgiveness in your heart, 29:52 you are actually blocking yourself 29:54 from spiritual growth. 29:56 You are hindering your own development, 29:58 but don't hold another person in jail 30:02 and require of them 30:04 something that God doesn't even require of you. 30:07 Sometimes we make the price of forgiveness higher 30:10 than God does. 30:11 He says, "If we confess our sins, 30:13 He is faithful and just to forgive." 30:15 If somebody comes to you and confesses, 30:16 are you faithful and just? 30:18 Are you going to forgive them? 30:19 Or are you going to say, "I'll never forget that." 30:21 That's the spirit of unforgiveness 30:23 and it will hinder you. 30:25 You'll end up becoming bitter and recalcitrant 30:27 and jailed in. 30:29 But here's some things that will hinder your prayer. 30:31 Proverbs 28:9, 30:33 "One who turns his ear from hearing the law, 30:35 even his prayer is an abomination." 30:38 So the Lord is saying, 30:40 and here's the principle, it's very simple. 30:41 If you want God to hear you, when you pray, 30:44 listen to God when He speaks. 30:46 Don't make this a one way street. 30:48 It's good. 30:49 Isaiah 59:2, 30:51 "But your iniquities have separated you 30:53 from your God, 30:55 your sins have hidden His face from you, 30:57 so that He will not hear." 30:59 Now does God not hear or is that saying, 31:01 God, won't listen. 31:03 I'm not answering that question. 31:04 "Settle your life, get things right before me, 31:07 and then, I will be willing to be the God 31:10 who reconciled you to me 31:12 and makes the difference in your life." 31:14 So forgive and you will be forgiven. 31:17 Excellent. Thank you very much, Pastor. 31:18 And I have to be, I have to remind myself this 31:21 because your wife works in 3ABN Radio. 31:23 And when I just say, 31:24 look at the bottom of your screen, 31:25 that doesn't tell anyone on radio, 31:27 who's listening, what that means. 31:28 So this is how you can contact us 31:29 for any questions. 31:31 Those that are listening on radio 31:32 or listening to a podcast of this program. 31:34 You can text us at (618) 228-3975. 31:39 Or you may email your questions to us 31:41 at Bible QA. 31:43 So, bibleqa@3abn.org. 31:46 That's where you can submit your questions to us. 31:48 Okay, Pastor Ryan, this question says, 31:51 "Why doesn't hell last forever 31:54 if Revelation says 31:56 their torment ascends forever and ever?" 31:59 Right, absolutely. 32:00 So, the concept or the term forever and ever 32:03 is mentioned several times in Scripture, 32:04 for example, 32:06 just based on the King James translations alone, 32:09 the term for forever is used 56 times 32:13 in connection with things that have already ended. 32:15 Okay? 32:17 So what basically the concept is that 32:18 the term forever in the modern sense, 32:21 it's not necessarily in the same 32:23 as what we see in Scripture for certain things, 32:26 for instance, you know, like the word tall, 32:28 it means something describing, 32:30 you know, men, trees and mountains. 32:31 You wouldn't say that that man is tall 32:33 in the same way that that mountain is tall, right? 32:34 It's a different concept. 32:36 And that's the same thing 32:37 basically that is used in Scripture. 32:39 I'm thinking of scriptures like Jonah 2:6. 32:41 Jonah is describing 32:43 his experience in the belly of that fish, right? 32:46 And he actually says there in the scripture that, 32:48 you know, that the earth and its bars were about me 32:50 and he says forever, right? 32:52 So, it's probably seemed like he was down there forever, 32:54 but yet we know the Bible makes it clear that 32:56 that forever experience came to an end. 32:59 It was only three days and three nights 33:01 that he was actually in the belly of that fish, 33:03 Deuteronomy 23:3, describing 10 generations. 33:07 But yet it says it's forever, right? 33:09 But that forever term was referencing 10 generations. 33:12 In other words, it came to an end. 33:15 So it's talking about time that it does have an end. 33:18 Another one when Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:22 offered up, 33:23 you know, her son, there's a Samuel. 33:26 It's very clear that she said, 33:27 "I'm giving him to the Lord forever." 33:29 But the Bible actually clarifies 33:30 it was until the end of his life. 33:33 And so we often take that term forever and we say, 33:35 "Oh, you know, well, I'm going to use my modern understanding 33:38 and say forever and ever to infinity and beyond 33:40 that's how souls are going to burn in hell." 33:42 But yet it has an, it has an end. 33:45 And we know that the Bible clarifies that 33:47 God is going to burn the elements of this earth. 33:49 He's going to burn the sinners. 33:51 And it's all going to happen in one single day. 33:53 In fact, if you go read Malachi 4:1-3, 33:57 it says that those sinners, the unrighteous 33:59 will be brought to ashes in one single day. 34:02 So that forever does have an end. 34:05 Wow, amen. 34:06 Yeah, excellent answer. Thank you very much. 34:08 And thank you for submitting the question to us. 34:10 This one, Jill, says, 34:12 "Are there degrees in sin or of sin? 34:14 Are their degrees in sin?" 34:15 The short answer is yes, 34:17 but it's not the degrees that we think. 34:18 There's God's perspective of sin 34:21 and there's our human perspective of sin. 34:24 You know, if you think about it from a human perspective, 34:26 we have what we think our minor sins and major sins. 34:29 Is that not true? 34:30 Minor sins would be a little white lie, 34:32 that's a minor sin. 34:34 Gossip, oh, that's definitely a minor sin. 34:35 And some people think it's not even the sin at all. 34:38 Backbiting, that's a minor sin, 34:40 jealousy and envy and pride, lust. 34:43 Well, that might be a minor sin, 34:44 but we consider major sins would be murder, rape, 34:49 incest, adultery. 34:51 Those are more major, 34:52 but let's look up what the Word of God says. 34:55 Proverbs 6:16-19, 34:59 God's perspective of sin. 35:01 "These six things the Lord hates, 35:04 yes, seven are an abomination to Him." 35:07 Now you'll notice here that 35:08 some of the sins we consider to be minor, 35:10 God considers to be pretty major, 35:13 a proud look, that's pride, 35:15 a lying tongue, that's deceitfulness, 35:19 hands that shed innocent blood, that's killing. 35:24 A heart that devises wicked plans, 35:26 feet that are swift and running to evil, 35:28 a false witness who speaks lies. 35:32 And one who sows discord among the brethren. 35:36 Backbiting or gossip, 35:39 which we consider is not even a big deal, 35:41 God hates. 35:43 If you read the Sermon on the Mount, 35:45 you think about Matthew Chapter 5. 35:46 What did Jesus say? 35:48 You have heard it said that you should not kill someone. 35:52 But I say to you, 35:53 if you hold hatred in your heart against someone, 35:55 that that is the same thing. 35:57 You have heard that it was said, 35:58 you should not commit adultery. 36:00 But I say to you, 36:02 if you even have lust in your heart 36:03 for someone else, 36:05 that is the same thing. 36:06 What does that say? Are there degrees in sin? 36:09 Absolutely, but the motive and the heart behind it, 36:14 the action matters just as much. 36:17 Sin is sin in the sight of God, 36:19 and He wants to cleanse and forgive and restore us. 36:22 Wow. Thank you very much. 36:24 Great answer. Amen. 36:26 This one, Pastor John, comes from Gordon. 36:29 And Gordon is asking, 36:30 "If we are saved by grace, 36:32 why worry about keeping the Ten Commandments?" 36:35 Okay, I'm going to take my time here. 36:36 Okay, yes. 36:38 First of all the commandments are not... 36:39 It's a good question. 36:40 The commandments are not kept to save you. 36:42 The commandments reminds you 36:43 that you are in need of salvation. 36:46 It's the mirror that shows us our character. 36:48 That's why I always have 36:50 a difficult time with this question 36:51 because people think that somehow 36:53 when you are set free from jail, 36:54 you can go ahead and keep robbing 36:56 and stealing and killing. 36:57 Would a person who just got freed from prison 37:02 go out and do the same thing that got him in there? 37:04 Would you consider a person who served his time, 37:08 a criminal that paid his debt, goes back out in society. 37:13 And you say to him, watch this, 37:15 "From now on you don't have to keep the law." 37:18 That's what we're saying as Christians. 37:19 We're saying, 37:20 "When Jesus sets you free, 37:22 you no longer have to keep the law." 37:23 Well, you couldn't even keep the law 37:25 unless you are set free. 37:27 If you are not set free, 37:29 you are under the condemnation of the law. 37:31 That's why people go to jail. 37:32 The law that they broke, condemns them to do jail time. 37:36 In the same way the sinner is under the condemnation. 37:39 That's why the Lord says 37:40 that you are no longer under the law, 37:41 but under grace, 37:43 that means under the condemnation. 37:44 But the obligation to keep the commandments of God 37:47 is very, very simple. 37:48 If you love Me, keep My commandments. 37:51 You can't even keep the commandments of God 37:53 unless you are in a saving relationship. 37:55 Sinners don't need to keep the commandments of God. 37:58 Sinners first need to be saved. 37:59 And what is a sinner? 38:01 Sin is the transgression of the law. 38:03 1 John 3:4, so here we are. 38:06 We're set free. We're saved. 38:08 And Paul asked the question that you just asked, 38:10 "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" 38:12 He says, "Certainly not," 38:14 Roman 6:1. 38:16 So here it is. 38:17 Do we keep the commandments of God? 38:19 Solomon ended it very clearly. 38:20 Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, 38:23 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: 38:26 Fear God and keep His commandments, 38:28 for this is the whole duty of man. 38:30 For God will bring every work into judgment, 38:33 including every secret thing, whether good or evil." 38:36 We keep the commandments 38:37 because we are in a saving relationship. 38:39 Amen. 38:40 Whoo, that's powerful. Wow, that was really powerful. 38:42 Yeah. Great illustration too. 38:43 Yes. Amen. 38:45 Pastor Ryan, this one says how this question says, 38:48 "How can I know 38:49 if I've committed the unpardonable sin 38:52 or grieved Him?" 38:53 It's a capital H 38:54 so I'm assuming the Holy Spirit or God away. 38:56 So how can I know if I've committed 38:57 the unpardonable sin or grieved Him away? 38:59 Yeah, that's one of those that are... 39:02 That's one of those questions 39:03 you really need more than two minutes 39:05 to really break this down, 39:07 but I'm going to give the simple answer. 39:08 And that is that, first of all, 39:09 the person who submitted this question, 39:11 I can tell that you haven't committed the unpardonable sin 39:14 because you're submitting the question about it, right? 39:16 You're worried about it. 39:17 Maybe not worried, but maybe you're concerned. 39:19 You know, I want to make sure that I haven't done this. 39:21 I can tell you for sure 39:23 based on a responsible study of God's Word, 39:25 that if you are asking that question 39:26 or remotely concerned about yourself 39:28 having committed that one sin 39:31 that God said cannot be forgiven, 39:33 then you're safe because you haven't. 39:35 The Bible makes it very clear in a ray of different texts 39:39 that basically, you know, a person who is deceived, 39:42 they're unaware that they are deceived. 39:44 That's kind of the nature 39:45 or the overall essence of deception 39:47 is that you're unaware that you've been deceived. 39:48 And a person who has grieved the Holy Spirit 39:50 has pushed the Holy Spirit away 39:52 to the point that they've created 39:53 that spiritual callus up on their ear. 39:55 They're not really listening to the Holy Spirit anymore, 39:57 but yet the deception is that 39:58 all the while they're pushing them away, 40:00 they think that they're saved. 40:02 First of all, let me make this clear. 40:03 Matthew 12:31 is where we're getting this from 40:05 the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit 40:08 in reference to that unpardonable sin, 40:10 the unpardonable sin, 40:11 that phrase is not found in Scripture, 40:13 but the concept is found in Matthew 12:31, 40:15 where Christ says, 40:16 "Therefore, I say to you, 40:18 every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, 40:20 but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit 40:22 or the Spirit will not be forgiving men. 40:24 So blasphemy of the Spirit. 40:26 First of all, let's make this clear. 40:28 Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is not, 40:30 it's not a type or kind of sin. 40:32 I want to make that clear. 40:33 It's really a state of being. 40:35 It's a point in which you reach, 40:36 where you stop listening and obeying the Holy Spirit. 40:39 For instance, in 1 John 1:9, what does Jesus say? 40:41 He says, "If we confess our sins," 40:43 he is what? 40:44 He is faithful and just. 40:45 So if you come to a point where 40:47 Lord, I'm sorrowing for this, I'm sorry, Lord, 40:48 please forgive me. 40:50 Jesus says, I'll forgive you of this. 40:51 So in order for you to commit the unpardonable sin 40:54 or the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, 40:56 you have to reach a point 40:57 where you stop listening to the Spirit of truth. 40:59 You stop listening to the Holy Spirit 41:00 leading and guiding you, 41:02 and you start doing your own thing. 41:04 You know, he, that the Bible says that 41:06 there is a way which seems right into a man, 41:07 but the end thereof are the ways of death. 41:10 So we have to be clear on that. 41:12 Another text that comes to mind really quickly. 41:13 I got to read this, 1 Timothy 4:1-2. 41:16 It says, "Now the Spirit expressly says that 41:18 in latter times some will depart from the faith 41:20 giving heed, " 41:21 here it is, "to seducing spirits 41:23 or deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 41:25 speaking lies and hypocrisy, 41:26 having their own conscience seared with a hot iron." 41:30 I think of the cauterizing of a wound, right? 41:32 What does it do? It seals it up. 41:34 So in this case, when a person has, 41:36 has reached the point where they've pushed away 41:37 or grieved the Holy Spirit, 41:39 they've committed that blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. 41:41 They've reached a point in their life 41:42 where they're no longer listening to the Holy Spirit. 41:45 They've pushed him away. 41:46 They're not listening anymore, 41:47 but all the while they're deceived 41:49 in believing that they know God. 41:50 You don't have to worry about that. 41:51 If you, if you're concerned about your salvation 41:54 and you're seeking the Lord each and every day, 41:55 you have not committed that unpardonable sin. 41:57 Amen. 41:59 Yeah, what an incredible assurance. 42:00 Amen. 42:02 So this one, Jill, says, 42:03 thank you, Pastor Ryan, for that too. 42:04 Amen. All right. 42:06 So this one, Jill, says, 42:07 "How do I prepare 42:08 for the second coming of Jesus Christ?" 42:10 I would say live as if He's coming today 42:13 and you will be ready. 42:15 Let's look at Romans 13. Romans 13. 42:17 When I think about getting ready 42:18 for the second coming of Christ, 42:20 this is the first scripture that pops in my mind. 42:21 Romans 13, 42:23 we're going to look at verses 11 through 14. 42:24 And, Pastor John, we have a list of four things. 42:26 Hopefully we'll get through it in two minutes. 42:28 Number one is to wake up, 42:31 be aware of the signs of His return. 42:35 We're in Romans 13:11, 42:37 "Do this knowing the time 42:39 it is now high time to awake out of sleep, 42:42 for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believe." 42:46 Number one, wake up. 42:47 Number two, 42:49 use proper weaponry 42:51 that would be cast off the works of darkness 42:54 and use weapons of the light. 42:57 Verse 12, 42:58 "The night is far spent, the day is at hand. 43:00 Let us cast off the works of darkness 43:02 and let us put on the armor of light." 43:05 We cast off the works of darkness. 43:07 It reminds me of Ephesians 4:22, 43:09 "You put off concerning your former conduct, 43:11 the old man, 43:13 which grows corrupt 43:14 according to the deceitful lust." 43:16 And what do we put on? We put on the armor of God. 43:18 We have our ways girded with truth 43:21 and the breastplate of righteousness. 43:23 We have our feet shod 43:24 with the preparation of the gospel of peace, 43:27 the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, 43:29 the sword of the spirit, and we pray. 43:32 Principle number three, walk appropriately. 43:35 Verse 13, 43:37 "Let us walk properly, " 43:39 that word in Greek means 43:40 becoming what is respectable or honorable, 43:44 "not in revelry, 43:46 not in drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, 43:49 not in strife and envy." 43:51 And finally principle number four, 43:53 prepare for battle. 43:54 Verse 14, 43:55 "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ 43:57 and make no provision for the flesh 44:00 to fulfill its lusts." 44:01 We are called to put on Christ to be clothed 44:04 with His character, His disposition, His habits, 44:07 and we make no provision for the flesh, 44:10 no provision for temptation in our lives. 44:13 So we wake up, we use proper weaponry. 44:16 We walk appropriately and then prepare for battle. 44:18 Oh, Amen. Wow. Thank you very much. 44:21 We're getting down to the end of this hour 44:24 and it has gone by quickly. 44:25 It's almost like I need oxygen, it's like, 44:28 I mean, there's so much information. 44:29 I just want to say thank you, Pastor John, Pastor Ryan. 44:31 Thank you, Jill. 44:32 You know, for explaining and giving answers 44:34 from the Word of God. 44:36 What I want to do here 44:37 since we're getting so close on time 44:38 is just put one question out there 44:40 and let everyone comment on it 44:41 because we've been kind of going to John, Ryan, 44:43 Jill, that kind of thing. 44:44 So, this question, it's a great question. 44:46 This comes from Michelle and she says, 44:49 "Why does God only answer certain prayers you pray?" 44:53 And that's a really good question. 44:55 I know a lot of people have asked me that too. 44:56 So, why does God only answer certain prayers you pray? 45:01 Pastor John? 45:02 Well, it's just like, why does a parent only give you 45:04 certain things you asked for? 45:05 Because God knows best, you know, God knows. 45:08 Simply He says, I will provide all of your need 45:12 according to My riches and glory. 45:14 Okay. We want our wants. 45:16 And James says, 45:17 we ask amiss 45:19 so that we'll spend it on our own selves. 45:21 He's not going to answer that question. 45:23 He's not going to answer that prayer. 45:25 Somebody say, I need a... 45:26 Jill, we need a jet to fly to Marion to shop. 45:30 I was just joking with Jill one day and said that 45:32 that's a prayer that will never get answered. 45:33 Yeah. That's right. 45:35 That's a request that never be fulfilled. 45:36 That's right. God is a just God. 45:37 He would not give you anything that will hinder you 45:40 or be opposite to His will for your life. 45:42 Okay, anyone else? 45:44 So the question is why does God only answer 45:45 certain prayers you pray? 45:46 Yeah. Go. 45:48 Go ahead. Pastor Ryan. Yes, go ahead. 45:49 Well, I mean the text that always comes to my mind 45:51 when I'm thinking of this question, 45:52 as I've been asking many times is 1 John 5:14-15. 45:57 It says, 45:58 "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, 46:00 that if we ask anything," here's the key, 46:03 "according to His will he hears. 46:06 And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, 46:08 we know that we have the petitions. 46:10 And we have asked that we have asked of him. 46:13 So many times as pastor brought up very clearly there. 46:15 Sometimes we ask things 46:16 that necessarily may not be according to His will. 46:18 And if it is according to His will 46:20 and some people say, 46:21 well, why doesn't He answer it then and there? 46:23 Why doesn't it come in a timely manner? 46:25 You know, I think of that text in scripture 46:26 where the Bible says, you know, God, 46:28 God's thoughts are not our thoughts, 46:29 His ways are not our ways. 46:31 God, He knows what's best for us. 46:32 But He's an on-time God. 46:34 He's sometimes that answer may be according to His will, 46:37 but He delays it because 46:39 He knows what's best for us in the time that we need it. 46:42 And so, you know, 46:43 I guess pastor brought up very clearly. 46:45 Sometimes we may ask for things 46:46 that isn't according to His will 46:47 and God knows what's best for us. 46:49 And He's protecting us, right? 46:50 He's not just going to give us any and everything, 46:52 because it also helps build faith 46:53 that we trust in Him. 46:55 When we ask those things of Him, 46:57 that He will hear us and He will answer us 46:59 according to His will not our own, 47:01 or we think of the words of Christ. 47:02 Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours be done all the way. 47:05 Amen. I love that. 47:07 I was going to 1 John 5, so a different scripture. 47:10 I love that scripture. 47:11 So I'm going to flip instead the question on its head. 47:14 The question was what? 47:15 Why does God only answer certain prayers we pray? 47:17 My answer is God answers every prayer you pray. 47:19 Just the answer might not be what you expected. 47:23 What's the Word of God say? 47:24 2 Corinthians 1:20, 47:25 "All of God's promises are yes and amen in Christ Jesus." 47:30 And if we build off 47:31 of what both of you have just shared, 47:34 the principle is that 47:35 God wants us saved in the kingdom. 47:37 So whatever is going to help us in that journey, 47:41 He's going to answer those prayers. 47:42 All of His promises are yes and amen. 47:44 Those promises are for salvation. 47:46 Those promises are for forgiveness. 47:48 Those promises are for peace. 47:49 They're not necessarily for a fancy house or a new car, 47:52 but those promises any spiritual promise, 47:55 any spiritual need. 47:57 Those promises are an automatic yes. 47:59 I love that. 48:00 Now it might be something 48:01 about maybe healing or physical healing. 48:04 God always answers that prayer too. 48:06 Sometimes it's immediate healing. 48:08 Sometimes it's a healing through natural remedies 48:11 or through the medicine that God gives us. 48:13 Sometimes it's the healing at the resurrection, 48:15 but He always heals. 48:17 Wow. Amen. 48:18 Thank you all three of you. Yes Pastor. 48:20 Now there is one prayer 48:21 that the Lord does answer immediately. 48:22 Peter knows that. 48:24 It's the shortest prayer ever prayed, 48:25 "Lord save me." And He answered immediately. 48:28 And whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord 48:31 shall be saved. 48:32 When it's about salvation, it's never delayed. 48:35 Amen. Praise the Lord. 48:36 So this question, I hope it's. 48:38 This is, this comes from Andrew 48:40 and then Jessica also sent it in. 48:41 "Should we believe in the Trinity?" 48:43 Got about a minute, 30. 48:46 I know y'all can do it. So Pastor John, okay. 48:48 Fifteen seconds. All right. 48:49 The Bible doesn't mention Trinity anymore 48:51 that it mentions millennium, but a thousand years. 48:54 It doesn't mention Trinity, 48:55 it doesn't mention millennium either, 48:56 but there's a thousand years, 48:58 but the concept of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit 49:02 is not even a concept, it's a reality. 49:03 Yeah. 49:05 God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy spirit. 49:07 So do we believe that God exists, 49:10 in Jesus Christ His Son exists, 49:12 and there's a Holy Spirit? 49:13 The answer is yes. 49:14 And I honor, and I believe all three of them. 49:17 Amen. 49:18 The answer is yes, you should because the Bible teaches it. 49:21 The concept is there as pastor said. 49:23 And so yes, God is a plurality, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 49:26 They are one. Amen. 49:28 I love John 1:1, 49:30 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, 49:32 and the Word was God." 49:33 Jesus preexistent from beginning. 49:35 And you can see in the creation account, 49:37 the Holy Spirit present there also. 49:39 I love that, the three of them working together. 49:41 Amen. Thank you. 49:42 Oh, this has gone by in a hurry, isn't it? 49:44 The fastest Trinity. 49:46 We need to do that on another one. 49:47 Yeah. 49:49 Unpack that a little bit. 49:50 Amen though. This has been a really fun. 49:52 Again, this first hour has gone by in a real hurry. 49:54 We're going to be right back in just a moment. 49:57 We're going to take a quick break 49:58 and we'll see you on the other side 49:59 with another closing comment. 50:02 If you're enjoying our 3ABN Bible Q and A, 50:05 then tell your friends. 50:07 Each Monday, we'll bring you a fresh program 50:09 answering the Bible questions you send us 50:12 and we'll use God's Holy Word 50:13 to shed light on those texts 50:15 that seem difficult to understand. 50:17 If you would like your questions answered 50:19 on an upcoming program, 50:20 just email them to us. 50:22 Our email address is bibleqa@3abn.org. 50:27 That's bibleqa@3abn.org. 50:31 You can also text us your questions 50:33 by sending them to (618) 228-3975. 50:38 That number again is (618) 228-3975. 50:43 Be sure to include your name and where you live 50:45 and then watch 3ABN Bible Q and A 50:48 for the answers from God's Word. |
Revised 2024-01-02