Participants:
Series Code: TDYQA
Program Code: TDYQA210008A
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00:01 As you're well aware,
00:02 we're living in unprecedented times. 00:05 Join us now for Today special program. 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:18 Mending broken people 00:23 I want to spend my life 00:29 Removing pain 00:34 Lord, let my words 00:39 Heal a heart that hurts 00:44 I want to spend my life 00:50 Mending broken people 00:55 I want to spend my life 01:01 Mending broken people 01:15 Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn 01:16 and we welcome you 01:17 to 3ABN Today Bible Q and A 01:23 every Monday night, 01:24 or every Monday we are taking this time 01:28 and dedicating it to your questions. 01:32 We're getting Bible questions from all over the world. 01:36 And if you would like to submit some questions for us 01:40 to do on future programs, 01:42 you can go to 01:43 BibleQA@3abn.org. 01:49 BibleQA@3abn.org. 01:54 Or you can text us your questions 01:56 at (618) 228-3975. 02:02 (618) 228-3975. 02:06 And we'd be delighted to try to get to your question. 02:10 Now, here's the thing. 02:12 We've got some of these questions, 02:13 we're trying to do these rapid fire. 02:16 Boy, you all are sending in some questions 02:18 we could preach for a couple of hours. 02:22 But before we begin today, 02:25 Jay, you want to have an opening prayer for us? 02:27 Absolutely. 02:28 Dear Heavenly Father, as we open Your Word, 02:32 we just ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, 02:35 guide our conversation, be with the viewers as well. 02:39 And help a decision to be made for you today. 02:42 In Jesus' name we pray, amen. 02:43 Amen. 02:45 And I guess I'll have to introduce you guys 02:46 just in case somebody hasn't been watching. 02:49 Jason Bradley, we're so glad that you're here today. 02:53 And Pastor Ryan Day, 02:54 and my pastor, Pastor John Lomacang. 02:57 These are Bible students and they're ready to go. 03:02 John, we're going to begin with you. 03:05 This question is coming from Vanessa. 03:07 She said, 03:09 "Recently, I heard a preacher say that 03:11 all are God's children, 03:13 and was not pleased with that statement." 03:15 They said, 03:17 "We are all created by God, 03:18 but only those who obey Him are His children. 03:21 So I'm asking when I obey, am I His child? 03:26 And if I fail, am I not?" 03:30 Well, the Lord, 03:32 I think that what the pastor was probably saying, 03:34 and I'm not trying to defend him. 03:36 When he says we are all God's children 03:38 by creation. 03:40 We are all God's children. 03:41 But when sin entered the world, it broke that relationship. 03:45 And then there became two categorical groups 03:47 that exists ever since then, 03:49 those who are obedient to God's requirements 03:51 and those who are disobedient or at some cases recalcitrant. 03:54 They just determined not to be. 03:57 And Jesus addressed that group in John 8:44. 04:01 When he was speaking to the religious leaders, 04:02 He said, 04:04 "You are of your father, the devil." 04:07 So in that context, 04:08 when a person is recalcitrant, 04:10 he's determined not to follow God's will, 04:12 he does not identify with Him. 04:14 He made it clear, 04:15 you are of your father, the devil, 04:16 and the desires of your father you want to do. 04:19 So we look at the world today. 04:20 And we see people doing some hideous things. 04:22 That's not identified by any means 04:24 with the character of God. 04:26 But I think what he means by this is, 04:28 and I mean to say the other part, 04:30 do we become His children when we obey? 04:32 And do we cease to be His children 04:34 when we disobey? 04:35 No, not any more than 04:36 you cease to be the mother of your child 04:38 when they disobey 04:39 and you become the mother when they obey. 04:41 There's something called grace. 04:43 The Bible makes it very clear in 1 John 2:1. 04:46 "My little children, these things are right to you 04:48 that you may not sin. 04:50 But if anyone sins 04:52 we have an advocate with the Father, 04:54 Jesus Christ, the righteous." 04:55 We are commissioned by Christ 04:58 and encouraged to take hold of His grace and strength 05:00 and not to sin. 05:01 But when we do sin, He doesn't cast us away. 05:04 He says, "But I am your advocate." 05:06 And the Bible says, 05:07 "Beloved, we are the children of God now." 05:09 And finally Proverbs 24:16, 05:13 "A righteous man may fall seven times 05:15 and rise again, 05:16 but the wicked shall fall by calamity." 05:20 So we don't cease to be God's children 05:21 in our growth patterns, 05:23 because we fail along the way. 05:25 He continues to accept us as we repent, 05:28 and continue to mold us and shape us into His image. 05:30 Amen, thank you for that answer. 05:33 All right. 05:34 Pastor Ryan, 05:36 we're going to go to you 05:37 this question is directed to you. 05:40 "In a previous program, 05:41 you made it sound like 05:43 hellfire would be over in one day. 05:45 I just like to point out Great Controversy, page 673, 05:50 where it says, some will suffer many days. 05:52 Can you please explain further?" 05:55 And this question comes from Rachel. 05:57 Absolutely. 05:58 And I appreciate Rachel for sending this in. 06:01 Because this particular quote, 06:03 I have read through the Great Controversy, 06:05 as well as the thousands and thousands 06:08 of other pages in quotes, 06:10 you know that 06:11 you can't really read all of Ellen White's writings, 06:13 but I've read so much and this particular quote, 06:15 just kind of slipped past my radar. 06:18 That taken in consideration, 06:19 I'm going to come back 06:21 and say something in just a moment 06:22 about this quote from Ellen White, 06:23 but just want to make it clear that 06:25 where I was getting that, 06:26 from that day, that single day perspective 06:28 was there was about five or six texts 06:30 that I had referenced, 06:32 that it talks about the judgment of God 06:34 coming down on us in a day, 06:36 the wrath of the Lord coming in a day, 06:38 that they will be burned up in a day. 06:40 And some of those texts were Job 21:30, 2 Peter 2:9, 06:44 Malachi 4:1-3. 06:46 And so I was taking that very literal. 06:49 But that being said, 06:51 this particular question brought me back to a point 06:53 where I had to go back to the drawing board, 06:55 and ask the question that I missed something. 06:57 And we came together and the Bible says, 06:59 "Let us all reason together." 07:01 So I've got Pastor Lomacang, Pastor Dinzey, 07:03 many of the panel members together, 07:04 and we talked through this. 07:05 And, you know, I am not, I'm not too proud to say that 07:09 I have reconsidered this. 07:11 And I can see very clearly 07:12 that if you take a scope 07:14 of multiple texts throughout the Bible, 07:16 you can see very clearly that while yes, it is possible 07:19 that very much God could bring down 07:21 all of that judgment on someone within a 24-hour period. 07:25 It's also very much possible 07:27 based on the concept that God is a God of justice, 07:29 that that justice can extend past 07:31 a 24-hour literal period of time. 07:34 Now the Bible, I want to make this very clear, 07:36 the Bible does not explicitly say 07:38 how long that time period is going to be. 07:41 Even Mrs. White says many days, 07:43 she doesn't give a specific time period, 07:45 however many days that is, we don't really know. 07:47 But I will state after reconfiguring 07:49 and looking through a few of these texts, 07:52 we have to recognize that God is a God of justice. 07:54 And yes, the Bible does say that 07:56 each and every one of us will be rewarded, 07:57 or we will receive a reward according to our works, 08:00 according to our deeds. 08:01 And so you know, 08:03 Pastor Lomacang brought this to my attention. 08:04 It's very live, 08:05 very, very much clearer to think that, 08:07 you know, Hitler for all of the horrible deeds 08:09 that he has done 08:11 compared to someone who may not have been repentant 08:13 according to a sin or two that they committed 08:15 is that justice that they would receive 08:17 the same duration of punishment, of course not. 08:20 And so we have to just simply allow the Bible 08:23 to say what it says, 08:24 while it does say in these texts, 08:26 that it comes within a day, 08:27 it is not very clear for myself or anyone 08:29 for that matter to say, 08:31 and to put God's judgment in a box 08:32 and say that it's within this 24-hour period, 08:35 or it's this many days. 08:36 The Bible does not explicitly say, 08:38 and so we're going to say this very clearly, 08:40 God is a just God. 08:42 He is a loving God, He is a passionate God. 08:44 And He loves each and every one of us. 08:45 And He will give the just judgment 08:47 according to however long He sees fit, 08:50 whether it is within 24 literal hours 08:53 or if it is beyond that. 08:55 And I just want to leave it at that for now, 08:57 because I don't want to add too much into this. 08:59 We want to make it clear 09:01 that the overall point of this is not to just, 09:03 not to make a big deal out of this 09:05 because it's not a salvation issue 09:07 one way or the other. 09:08 But we want to stick 09:10 to the whole scope of the matter, 09:11 which is we know for sure 09:12 that God does not allow 09:14 according to His grace and His love 09:15 for people to burn for ceaseless ages to come, 09:18 that He is a just God that these fires will burn out, 09:20 they will consume the wicked, 09:22 and it will come to an end, 09:24 according to His perfect timing. 09:25 Amen. 09:27 Thank you so much for that. 09:29 And now, Jason, 09:31 I want to call you, Jay if that's okay. 09:32 You can. 09:34 Your first question. 09:35 "If God is powerful, 09:38 the creator of heaven and earth, 09:40 what's stopping Him 09:42 from paralyzing the devil's efficiency?" 09:46 And this comes 09:47 I hope I'm pronouncing your name right, 09:49 from Agrai. 09:50 Okay. 09:52 Well, first off, thank you for your question, Agrai. 09:55 I'd like to start by saying that 09:56 God is definitely 09:57 the powerful creator of heaven and earth. 10:01 Having said that, let's begin in the Book of Job 10:04 and examine the conversation between God and Satan. 10:08 And Job 1:10-12, 10:12 "Have you not made a hedge around him, 10:15 around his household 10:16 and around all that he has on every side? 10:20 You have blessed the work of his hands 10:22 and his possessions have increased in the land. 10:25 But now stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, 10:29 and He will surely curse you to your face." 10:31 And the Lord said to Satan, 10:33 'Behold, all that he has is in your power, 10:37 only do not lay a hand on his person.'" 10:40 Now notice that 10:41 He's stopping, He's drawing the line, 10:45 He's drawing the line there. 10:47 "Do not lay a hand on his person." 10:48 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. 10:51 And if you've never read the Book of Job, 10:53 I definitely encourage you to read that book, 10:57 as it's a powerful one. 10:59 But then consider 1 John 3:8 that says, 11:02 "He who sins is of the devil, 11:04 for the devil has sinned from the beginning. 11:07 For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, 11:10 that He might destroy the works of the devil." 11:13 We have to remember that 11:15 sin was never God's ideal for mankind. 11:19 All the bad things 11:20 that are taking place in our world 11:21 are a result of sin, 11:24 and God doesn't force us to worship Him. 11:27 If He got rid of the devil, as soon as He sinned, 11:30 God's character would be in question. 11:33 We wouldn't have any idea how bad sin truly was. 11:38 And we really wouldn't have free will. 11:40 And God is a God of free will. 11:41 He allows us to choose 11:43 whether or not we're going to serve Him. 11:45 Despite everything that we're facing on this earth, 11:48 I find great hope in Revelation 21:4. 11:51 And it says, 11:53 "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, 11:56 there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, 11:59 there shall be no more pain, 12:01 for the former things have passed away." 12:04 Amen. 12:06 Jay, thank you so much. 12:07 So you at home are seeing some of the examples 12:10 of the types of questions we're getting. 12:12 And we want to encourage you, 12:15 because we're doing this for you. 12:16 Send your questions to BibleQA@3abn.org. 12:23 That's how you can email us, BibleQA@3abn.org. 12:29 Or you can text us 12:31 at (618) 228-3975. 12:37 And we look forward to your questions. 12:39 All right, John, 12:41 this is an interesting one is wearing, 12:44 no name, 12:45 "Is wearing a mask 12:48 conforming to the mark of the beast?" 12:51 The answer is unequivocally 12:53 absolutely without any reservation or doubt, 12:57 from the depths of my soul from my feet to my head, 13:01 no, absolutely not. 13:03 What has happened 13:05 in this political rhetoric society 13:07 that we're now existing in, at least in America, 13:10 is the mask has taken on so many different meanings 13:14 that people are saying 13:16 if they're forcing us to wear a mask, 13:18 is this just the genesis of us being forced 13:22 to receive the mark of the beast? 13:23 That's where they're trying to build a bridge. 13:25 And the answer is no. 13:27 Other people might say, 13:29 well, there seems to be an intolerance to me 13:31 not wanting to wear a mask. 13:33 There seems to be a continual push 13:35 that I must wear a mask. 13:37 Are they testing my allegiance to see whether or not 13:40 I will succumb to the powers that be? 13:42 I can't answer that question either way. 13:44 But based on your question, the answer is no. 13:46 It is not the mark of the beast. 13:48 The mark of the beast is a religious issue 13:52 based on religious intolerance and persecution. 13:55 The mask is based on a medical ordinance, 13:59 simply put. 14:00 Simply put and beautifully stated. 14:02 Thank you. 14:03 I'm going to jump back to you, Jason, on this one 14:05 because it kind of these questions 14:08 go hand in hand, if you will. 14:10 "Can taking the COVID vaccine affect my faith 14:14 or is taking or not taking the COVID vaccine 14:19 a matter of faith." 14:20 And this is Rovestry in Canada? 14:23 Okay. 14:24 Well, before I answer this question, 14:26 I just want to put this disclaimer out. 14:28 I am not a doctor, nor do I profess to be one. 14:32 So I think that 14:33 you should consult your primary care physician 14:36 as to whether or not 14:37 you should take the COVID vaccine. 14:39 I'm not going to tell you either way. 14:41 But I will say that 14:43 the COVID vaccine is 14:45 whether you get it or whether you don't, 14:47 it's not a matter of faith. 14:49 It's not indicative of a lack of faith 14:53 or a surplus of faith or any of that. 14:56 God has blessed us with the intellect 14:58 to go seek the help that we need from doctors 15:02 who he's blessed with the resources 15:04 and the knowledge to treat us. 15:06 Now with anything, 15:07 we should always take everything 15:09 in prayer to the Lord. 15:10 So even when we go in for surgery, 15:12 we pray and ask God to guide the physician's hands, 15:16 or the guide the surgeon's hands 15:18 and come up with the best treatment plan for us. 15:21 So with everything 15:23 we should pray and ask God for His guidance, 15:26 but that is not a lack of faith if you get it, 15:29 and it's not a lack of faith if you don't. 15:31 If you break your arm and you go to the doctor, 15:34 you're going to get your arm set back in place, 15:37 that doesn't mean that you lack faith. 15:39 Amen. Well spoken. 15:40 All right. 15:42 Now kind of turning back to a Bible question, Ryan. 15:46 "Why is the study of Daniel so very important, " 15:52 and this is from Rustan. 15:54 Thank you. 15:56 Because your life depends on it. 15:59 It's a matter of life and death literally. 16:03 Let's be reminded for 2 Peter Chapter 2, 16:05 excuse me, 2 Peter 1:19-21. 16:09 This is what the Bible says about prophecy. 16:11 And Daniel is a prophetic book. 16:14 And so notice what verse 19 through 21 says 16:16 of 2 Peter Chapter 1. 16:17 It says, 16:19 "And so we have a prophetic word confirmed, 16:20 which you do well to heed as a light 16:23 that shines in a dark place until the day dawns, 16:26 and the morning star rises in your hearts, 16:28 knowing this first, 16:29 that no prophecy of Scripture 16:31 is of any private interpretation, 16:33 for prophecy never came by the will of man, 16:35 but holy men of God spoke as they were moved 16:38 by the Holy Spirit." 16:39 So this is a message from God in the Book of Daniel, 16:42 straight from the Holy Spirit. 16:44 And so how important it is, 16:45 is it for us to know and to study 16:48 and understand the Book of Daniel? 16:49 It is extremely important. 16:51 Even Jesus Himself in Matthew 24. 16:53 In His day, some 500-600 years after Daniel's book 16:57 had been written and put out there 16:59 for people to read those scrolls, 17:00 Jesus is referring His disciples 17:03 back to the study of Daniel 17:05 so that they will be aware of the signs of the times 17:07 that they were living in. 17:08 And, you know, not to mention 17:10 how in the world we're going to understand 17:12 the great prophetic 17:13 end time apocalyptic Book of Revelation, 17:16 if we have not first studied responsibly 17:18 the Book of Daniel. 17:20 For instance, Revelation 13:1-2, 17:22 when you read about 17:23 this beast rising up out of the sea, 17:25 how in the world would you know what a beast represents 17:26 if you haven't first studied Daniel? 17:28 It talks about horns in this chapter. 17:30 How would you know what a horn represents 17:31 if you haven't first studied the Book of Daniel? 17:34 And he goes on to talk about this beast comprised of, 17:36 you know, a bear and a mouth of a lion 17:39 and the body of a leopard, 17:40 you wouldn't know what any of those things meant 17:42 have you not first studied the Book of Daniel. 17:45 So how important is it? 17:46 It is crucially important 17:47 because much of the great prophecies of Revelation 17:50 depends on your knowledge and responsible study 17:53 of the great prophetic Book of Daniel. 17:55 So study, study, study, 17:57 come to show yourself approved 17:58 asking the Lord to give you understanding. 18:01 Thank you so much. 18:02 All right, John. 18:04 Does a person have to... 18:06 This is from Julie in South Dakota. 18:08 Julie, thank you for your question. 18:10 "Does a person have to be 100% surrendered in the light 18:16 that has been given to him or her 18:19 in order to be saved?" 18:22 Okay, I love the question. 18:23 Let me make it very clear. 18:25 Following light that you've been given 18:27 is not the means of salvation, Jesus Christ is. 18:31 That's the first and foremost thing, 18:33 because there are people 18:34 that have become intellectual sinners. 18:37 They have a lot of understanding, 18:38 they have 28 fundamentals. 18:40 And, you know, we know Ryan knows, 18:41 as he do a lot of evangelism and preaching. 18:44 There's some people that could argue very well 18:46 the doctrines of the Bible, 18:47 and they can maybe back you into the corner, 18:49 but they don't know Jesus. 18:51 So first and foremost, 18:53 salvation is based on 18:54 not an intellectual understanding, 18:55 but a heart surrender. 18:57 Having said that, when you surrender, 19:00 I'm married, 19:01 my wife and I don't have a 50-50 relationship, 19:03 it's a 100%-100%. 19:05 That's right. 19:06 And I've said to somebody in counseling once, 19:07 if you think that 50-50 is going to work in a marriage, 19:09 you don't know woman and you don't know men. 19:13 If you think that 50% in relationship with Christ 19:15 is going to work, 19:17 you don't know Christ and you don't know math. 19:19 He said in Matthew 16:24. 19:22 Matthew 16:24, 19:24 "If anyone desires to come after Me, 19:26 let him deny himself 19:28 and take up his cross and follow Me." 19:31 And by the way, He says in Luke 14:33, 19:34 "So likewise, 19:35 whoever of you does not forsake all 19:39 that he has cannot be My disciple." 19:42 If God has given you understanding, 19:43 100% dedication, 19:46 100% investment in the bank brings 100% interest. 19:50 Absolutely. 19:52 I just praise God that the light that we have 19:55 glows brighter and brighter with each passing day. 19:58 Good point. 19:59 This is a fun one, Jay. 20:02 Since fish are water creatures, this is Irene in Tennessee. 20:07 "Since fish are water creatures, 20:10 did all the fish die in the flood waters 20:13 since they were outside of the ark? 20:16 If not, how were they preserved?" 20:20 Okay, excellent question. 20:22 There is no thus saith 20:25 the Lord on this particular subject, 20:27 but I believe that 20:29 we will be able to deduce from scripture 20:32 that fish were preserved. 20:34 Genesis 7:20-24. 20:39 "The waters prevailed 15 cubits upward 20:43 and the mountains were covered, 20:45 and all flesh died that moved on the earth." 20:48 Okay, notice that all flesh died 20:51 that moved on the earth. 20:53 "Birds and cattle and beasts, 20:55 and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 20:58 Okay, so fish swim, 21:00 "And every man, all in whose nostrils," 21:03 okay, fish have gills, 21:06 "was the breath of the spirit of life, 21:09 all that was on the dry land died." 21:13 Fish are in the water. 21:15 "So he destroyed all living things 21:18 which were on the face of the ground. 21:21 So on the face of the grounds, both man and cattle, 21:26 creeping thing and bird of the air, 21:29 they were destroyed from the earth. 21:32 Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark 21:35 remained alive, 21:36 and the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days." 21:41 So the other thing to consider is that 21:43 people ate fish, 21:45 like after and there was no place 21:47 that I've seen in the Word of God 21:49 that says that fish were recreated. 21:51 So there were still fish after, we still have fish today. 21:55 And so I think 21:56 fish were just swimming just fine throughout the flood. 21:59 Good deduction. I thought that was good. 22:02 All right. 22:03 This next question kind of breaks my heart. 22:08 Lovanna, we love you. 22:12 My mother suffered with this, Lovanna, is Ryan, 22:17 we're going to let you answer this. 22:18 She says, 22:20 "I am currently admitted in the hospital 22:22 diagnosed with bipolar disorder. 22:24 It's been a real struggle for me 22:26 to act right 22:28 in the circumstances I have been placed. 22:31 And my mental health 22:32 and with my mental health issues. 22:35 How does one keep the hope 22:37 in the darkest moments of their life?" 22:40 There is hope. 22:42 Absolutely. 22:43 You know, it's, this is very tough, 22:45 because there's so many different, 22:49 very strange and interesting scenarios 22:52 that people have to go through 22:54 and that they have to experience. 22:55 And it's not always easy from one person to the next. 22:57 You just say, 22:58 "Oh, you know, just hang in there and go on, 23:00 everything's going to be okay." 23:02 But nonetheless, 23:03 in the darkest moments of anyone's life, 23:05 no matter what they are going through, 23:07 the one thing that we can rely on 23:10 is God's Word. 23:11 The promises of God's Word. 23:13 And, you know, as I was reading this question, 23:16 Lovanna, I thought of Isaiah 41:10, 23:20 which says, 23:21 "Fear not for I'm with you, 23:23 be not dismayed for I am your God, 23:26 I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, 23:29 I will uphold you with the right, 23:31 with my righteous right hand." 23:33 There is an array of beautiful promises 23:35 in God's Word 23:36 that no matter what we are going through, 23:38 no matter what we are experiencing, 23:40 God says, I'm there with you, 23:41 that you may have to walk through the fire, 23:43 but I'm there with you. 23:45 You may have to deal with whatever anxiety, 23:47 depression, mental illness or whatever it is 23:50 that you're dealing with at that moment. 23:51 But God promises that 23:52 not only will he walk through that with you 23:55 and get you through that, 23:56 but He promises that on the other side, 23:58 whenever that may be, 23:59 He will deliver you from that if you remain hopeful in Him 24:02 and place your faith in Him. 24:04 I think of Jeremiah 29:11-13, 24:07 which promises that God has a plan for your life. 24:10 And it was never God's plan 24:11 for you to have to go through the troubles 24:13 and whoever's watching this right now, 24:15 whatever difficulties, trials, tribulations, ailments, 24:19 or whatever you're dealing with. 24:20 It was never God's plan for you to have to go through this. 24:23 It's the enemy's fault. 24:25 And he should be the one to get the fist shaken at. 24:27 But God wants to see you through. 24:29 Philippians 1:6 promises us 24:31 that He who has begun a good work in us 24:34 will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. 24:37 All of these promises together. 24:38 All I'm saying is dwell on those promises. 24:40 Believe in the Word of God, 24:42 believe that when Christ says 24:43 that He will see you through 24:45 and that He will be there through it. 24:46 Yes, sometimes we have to endure things 24:48 for the building of our faith, 24:50 for the building of our character. 24:51 I'm thinking of James Chapter 1. 24:53 It says that 24:54 sometimes we have to go through 24:55 these tribulation and trials to build patience, 24:57 and to build our faith in God. 24:58 And for whatever reason, 25:00 God will allow us to go through it. 25:01 But He will not allow us to go past the point 25:03 that we can't bear. 25:05 Don't lose your hope in Christ. 25:06 Keep pressing forward and know that 25:08 no matter what dark cloud hovers over your life, 25:11 Jesus is in that cloud. 25:13 And He is there with you to see you through, 25:15 if only you will believe. 25:16 Amen. 25:17 And, Lovanna, I just want to add this, 25:19 do not allow the stigma to take away your hope. 25:24 You know, if you were a diabetic, 25:27 that's a chemical imbalance, you need insulin. 25:30 Well, bipolar mood disorder is a chemical imbalance. 25:34 It's usually because of the lithium in our bodies 25:36 and the minerals. 25:38 So this is something just stay on your medication, 25:41 don't be embarrassed by it, 25:43 and know that God has a plan for your life. 25:45 All right, that's good. 25:48 Now let's see, John. 25:52 "Is the purpose of speaking in tongues, 25:56 if the purpose of speaking in tongues 25:58 is to hear the gospel in your own language. 26:01 Why were tongues given to the disciples 26:04 in Ephesus in Acts 19? 26:07 That comes from Sida for you. 26:08 Wonderful. Acts 19:6-7. 26:11 And I think that's what you're referring to 26:12 and the Bible says, 26:14 "When Paul had laid hands on them, 26:16 the Holy Spirit came upon them, 26:18 and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 26:21 Now the men were about 12 in all." 26:24 I think that a thorough study or a more detailed study 26:27 of the book of Ephesus 26:28 or the city of Ephesus at that time 26:31 would really be enlightening. 26:32 And I decided to do that in light of this question. 26:35 And I've discovered that as Jerusalem was to the Jews, 26:39 Ephesus was to the Gentiles. 26:42 Ephesus was a city where the God called Artemis, 26:47 also known as Diana was worshiped. 26:49 It was a center of commerce for the Gentiles. 26:53 The Lord decided, 26:55 He filled the disciples to proclaim the gospel 26:58 on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, 27:00 the center for the Jews, 27:03 and where Diana was worshipped in Ephesus, 27:05 the center for the Gentiles, 27:07 people from all Gentile backgrounds 27:10 commerced that city. 27:12 He ignited the lives of 12 men 27:14 to communicate in the languages of the people 27:17 through the amazing gospel 27:19 that they would only have access to 27:21 as they came to worship Diana, 27:23 and the evidence of that is verse 20. 27:26 So the word of the Lord grew mightily 27:29 and prevailed. 27:31 So the Lord ignited men in the center of pagan worship 27:34 for the Gentiles, 27:35 as He ignited the apostles on the day of Pentecost 27:38 in the center for the Jews. 27:40 Amen. Well, that's good. 27:41 Amen. Thank you. 27:43 That was good question. 27:45 This comes from Bruce in North Carolina. 27:48 And, Jay, we're going to let you answer this. 27:52 He says, 27:53 "Ever since I was re-baptized, 27:56 I've lost my job became anemic and have a hole in my eardrum. 28:01 Why is God letting all this bad luck happen to me?" 28:07 Bruce, first, I just want to say that 28:09 I'm sorry to hear that 28:10 you've had such a rough experience. 28:12 But I have to say that 28:15 it's not uncommon that 28:16 that this type of thing happens 28:18 and so we're going to get into that. 28:20 Anytime we make a decision to serve the Lord, 28:22 the devil gets angry and wants to attack us. 28:25 Now consider the following scriptures. 28:27 1 Peter 5:8-10 says, 28:30 "Be sober, be vigilant 28:32 because your adversary the devil 28:35 walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. 28:40 Resist him steadfast in the faith, 28:42 knowing that the same sufferings 28:45 are experienced by your brotherhood 28:47 in the world. 28:48 But may the God of all grace 28:51 who called us to His eternal glory 28:53 by Christ Jesus, 28:55 after you have suffered a while, 28:57 perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you." 29:01 James 1:2-4, 29:05 "My brethren counted all joy 29:07 when you fall into various trials, 29:09 knowing that the testing of your faith 29:11 produces patience, 29:13 but let patience have its perfect work 29:16 that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." 29:20 Also, Bruce, keep in mind who we're wrestling with. 29:24 If you look at Ephesians 6:12, the Word of God says this, 29:28 "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood 29:31 but against principalities, against powers, 29:33 against the rulers of the darkness of this age, 29:36 against spiritual hosts of wickedness 29:39 in the heavenly places." 29:41 And so even though 29:42 you are facing these tough trials, 29:45 God is standing with you through the midst of them. 29:49 Just continue to persevere in faith, 29:51 stay steadfast in your walk with Him, 29:54 and continue to give these burdens to the Lord. 29:57 He's there with you. 29:58 Think about the three Hebrew boys 30:00 who stood in the fiery furnace. 30:03 Jesus stood with them in the midst of their trial. 30:06 And He's standing with you now. 30:07 Amen. 30:09 Thank you there, Jay. 30:10 All right. This is a question from DJ. 30:13 Ryan, and let's give this one to you. 30:16 Does Ash Wednesday and Purim have a biblical basis? 30:23 Well, the simple answer is no. 30:26 Neither one of these particular practices 30:29 or celebrations are mentioned in Scripture. 30:32 Now, of course, Purim is a, 30:35 it's a Jewish celebration 30:37 based on the real actual story 30:39 that we find in the Book of Esther 30:40 in which, obviously, 30:42 the children of Israel were saved 30:43 from the hands and the destructive plans 30:46 and dark plans of Haman 30:48 to wipe out all of the children of Israel. 30:50 And so the Jewish nation has, 30:52 they celebrate Purim in commemoration, 30:54 and in celebration of that redemption 30:58 that was brought to them, 30:59 but that particular celebration 31:02 is not found in Scripture anywhere. 31:04 We can find obviously the story of this 31:06 in the Book of Esther, but that's not found. 31:08 Ash Wednesday, 31:09 that also is not mentioned in Scripture. 31:12 Now the concept behind Ash Wednesday, 31:14 those who don't know what Ash Wednesday is, 31:16 it's basically marks 31:17 the beginning of what is called Lent. 31:19 And so basically Lent is this extended period 31:22 in which not all Christian denominations 31:25 but some, such as Catholics, Aether 31:27 Norse, Orthodox, Lutherans, Methodists and Anglicans 31:31 all have this 40 day period 31:32 in which they give up something for the Lord 31:35 or they have a time 31:36 in which they surrender something to God. 31:38 Now, the concept of that 31:40 giving up and surrendering for the Lord 31:42 absolutely is found in Scripture. 31:44 But the 40 days of Lent or the Ash Wednesday, 31:47 that marks the beginning of this, 31:48 of this time period in which you kind of, 31:51 you know, you give this up, 31:52 or you purge your soul for the Lord 31:54 that is specifically not mentioned in Scripture. 31:57 And we do know that some of these practices 31:59 do have kind of a pagan background. 32:01 And we want to be careful 32:03 not to just adopt any little thing in our life. 32:06 So to answer this question very directly, very simply, no, 32:09 these particular practices and celebrations 32:11 are not found in Scripture. 32:13 Giving up something for the Lord is great. 32:15 Absolutely, we should. 32:16 But you know, what, 32:18 if we have to do it for 40 days, 32:19 we probably should be rethinking 32:20 and praying through 32:22 because more than likely, 32:23 that's something we need to be giving up permanent 32:25 for the Lord. 32:26 So we'll just leave it at that. That's good. 32:29 All right, I'm going to come back to you, Jay. 32:32 "When man was created on the sixth day, 32:35 was he in a spiritual or flesh body? 32:37 If so, was Adam who was formed from the ground 32:40 and in the Garden of Eden, 32:41 a spiritual body till he sinned, 32:44 and then became flesh? 32:46 Looking for scripture to understand if there is any." 32:50 And this is from Sherry in Pennsylvania. 32:53 Well, yes, Sherry, there is definitely scripture 32:56 that will provide you with the answers 32:58 that you are seeking. 33:00 The simple answer is Adam was in a flesh body. 33:04 So let's prove it. 33:05 Genesis 2:7, 33:08 "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, 33:11 so He formed man of the dust of the ground 33:15 and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, 33:19 and man became a living being." 33:21 Genesis 2:21-24, 33:26 "And the Lord God caused the deep sleep to fall on Adam, 33:31 and he slept, 33:32 and He took one of his ribs." 33:35 So notice he has ribs 33:36 and closed up the flesh in its place. 33:41 "Then the rib 33:42 which the Lord God had taken from man 33:44 He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man." 33:48 Well, that's the best sleep ever right there. 33:50 And Adam said, 33:52 "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, 33:57 she shall be called woman 33:58 because she was taken out of man. 34:01 Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother 34:05 and be joined to his wife 34:06 and they shall become one flesh." 34:09 So Adam and Eve 34:10 were both flesh and bone prior to entering, 34:15 prior to sin entering the world. 34:17 Amen. 34:19 Okay, you guys are doing great. 34:21 Pastor John? 34:22 Okay. 34:24 This is a good one. 34:25 This is from Kathy in Connecticut. 34:27 Kathy, thank you for your question. 34:29 She says, 34:31 "I know the spirit, 34:33 the witch of Endor called up was an evil spirit. 34:36 I just always wondered how the devil knew exactly 34:40 what would happen to Saul the next day. 34:42 Did God have the devil speak those words?" 34:46 Well, Kathy, the answer is God doesn't unite with evil 34:49 to accomplish His purpose. 34:51 When this experience occurred, 34:53 and we find this in 1 Samuel Chapter 28. 34:55 Saul had already been... 34:58 Saul had already turned away from the Lord 35:00 and the Spirit of the Lord left him 35:02 and he didn't even know it. 35:04 And therefore, 35:05 he went ahead and participated in a practice 35:09 that he himself had forbade in his own kingdom. 35:12 You find in 1 Samuel 28:9 and 10. 35:16 This is where Saul even stepped over the bounds 35:19 because when the witch of Endor recognized him, 35:22 she said, 35:24 "Wait a minute, you know what Saul has said 35:27 concerning the witches and how they are banned 35:29 and how they can be killed." 35:31 And then Saul said in verse 10, 35:34 "Saul swore to her by the Lord." 35:37 He included God in His rebellion against God. 35:43 He used God's name to give authorization to evil. 35:47 He says, 35:48 "As the Lord lives, 35:49 no punishment shall come upon you 35:51 for this thing." 35:53 The Lord did not participate with Saul 35:56 or with the witch of Endor or brought up actual Samuel. 36:00 Here's one of the reasons why. 36:02 And let's go to Leviticus 20:6. 36:04 What happened here was a familiar spirit. 36:07 Why familiar? 36:08 Because the devil knows what Samuel looked like. 36:11 And the devil allowed in his rebellious moment. 36:14 This today is called seance soothsayers. 36:17 But I'm going to give you a passage very quickly. 36:19 Leviticus 20:6, 36:21 God's attitude about familiar spirits. 36:23 "The person who turns to mediums 36:24 and familiar spirits 36:26 to prostitute himself with them, 36:28 I will set my face against that person 36:30 and cut him off from his people." 36:32 The Lord does not participate in evil 36:34 to accomplish good. 36:35 And finally, Isaiah 8:19-20. 36:38 We know verse 20, 36:40 but the context of it is the very same thing. 36:42 Verse 19 of Isaiah 8, 36:44 "And when they say to you 36:45 seek those who are mediums and wizards 36:48 who whisper and mutter." 36:50 That's exactly what the devil did, 36:51 brought up a fake Saul, 36:53 which was a familiar evil spirit 36:55 that looked like Saul. 36:56 Because remember, he didn't see him, he said it. 36:59 He said, "Tell me what you see." 37:01 And she said, "It looks like." 37:03 "Should not people seek their God? 37:05 Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?" 37:08 That's exactly what Saul was doing 37:10 through the witch of Endor. 37:11 And that's where this context come from, 37:13 to the law and to the testimony 37:14 if they do not speak according to this word. 37:17 It is because there is no light in them. 37:19 God did not participate. 37:20 And there was no light or union 37:22 between God and Satan 37:24 to participate in the activity of Saul. 37:27 Amen and amen. 37:28 All right, Ryan. 37:31 This is from JC or Jayce. 37:35 "Is it okay to cook on the Sabbath 37:37 for personal consumption? 37:41 How about doing charitable works 37:44 on the Sabbath?" 37:45 Okay. All right. 37:47 So let's just address the charitable works 37:49 just for a moment. 37:50 Obviously, Jesus Himself said in Matthew 12:12, 37:54 of how much more value than is a man than a sheep, 37:57 talking about the situation that He was dealing 38:00 with the Pharisees at that time. 38:01 He says, "Therefore, 38:03 it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." 38:05 What's better to do good on the Sabbath, right? 38:07 But here's we have to be careful, 38:09 you know, those spontaneous unavoidable, 38:11 unplanned actions 38:13 that may cause us to have to labor 38:14 or do something good for someone else? 38:16 Absolutely. 38:17 Jesus says it's good, it's better to do good. 38:19 Well, we want to be careful as those deeds, 38:21 those charitable deeds that we might plan to do 38:23 that may require heavy, laborious activity 38:26 that we can do on the other six days of the week. 38:28 We want to make sure that we plan that out carefully 38:31 and not try to violate or desecrate the holiness 38:34 or the sacredness of that day of rest, 38:36 by putting our events and our works on that day 38:39 that we could do on another day. 38:40 So be careful with that, 38:42 as far as the cooking on the Sabbath, 38:43 and this is, this is where you know, 38:45 anybody can look this up, and of my own knowledge 38:47 and you guys can correct me if I'm wrong, 38:49 of my knowledge, 38:50 the only reference in the Bible, 38:52 Exodus 16, 38:54 is where we find 38:55 God giving instruction to the children of Israel 38:57 on how to cook their food, 38:59 the day before the seventh day. 39:01 So on the sixth day, He says to them, 39:04 "Tomorrow is the Sabbath day 39:05 of rest the Holy Day of the Lord 39:07 bake what you will bake today and boil what you will boil 39:08 and lay up for yourselves all the remains 39:10 that will be kept until morning." 39:12 And so people will use that text 39:13 and say you're supposed to cook everything 39:15 the day before 39:16 and do no cooking on the Sabbath. 39:18 Because if you do, you're sinning. 39:19 Well, you have to also take in consideration 39:21 the times that we're talking about. 39:23 Heavy activity was definitely used 39:26 and exploited. 39:28 Back in these days, 39:29 there was not good cooking technology, 39:30 there was a lots of heavy labor that went into these things, 39:33 even all the way back to the 1800s 39:34 in Ellen White's day, 39:35 where she has a dozen quotes where she says, 39:37 you know, do all your cooking 39:39 as much preparation as you can on the sixth day. 39:41 And the principle there is, is that we want to rest, 39:44 we want to use the Sabbath as the day of holiness 39:46 to be with our family, to be with our friends, 39:48 and some people they will pull out all stops 39:51 to prepare a meal that just is labor. 39:53 It's heavy, heavy labor. 39:55 Now I don't think in and of itself 39:56 that it's wrong to heat something up, 39:58 to warm something up on the Sabbath 40:00 because we have great technology these days 40:03 in the ovens and the countertops 40:05 and the things that we use and the cookers that we use 40:07 that does not require 40:08 a lot of heavy, laborious activity. 40:10 So we got to use good judgment, 40:13 don't make it such a dogmatic issue. 40:15 And when you know when I pop some popcorn in the microwave, 40:18 oh, we've broken the Sabbath. 40:20 You know, use some sense here. 40:22 Make it a day of joy. 40:23 Make it a time, but do as much preparation as you can 40:26 on the sixth day, if possible. 40:28 Yeah, you know what ladies ought to be very happy. 40:31 We can precook and just warm up on the Sabbath 40:36 because it, I remember my first Sabbath, 40:38 it was like, I don't even have to do the dishes. 40:42 I was so excited. 40:43 All right. 40:45 We are through with assigned questions. 40:48 We've got some bonus questions, if you will. 40:50 And I wanted to give you another opportunity. 40:53 This program is specifically for you. 40:56 We want to answer your Bible questions 40:59 and you can send them to us by email, 41:02 by mailing it to 3ABN, 41:05 excuse me, 41:07 start that one over to emailing it 41:10 to BibleQA@3abn.org. 41:16 That's BibleQA@3abn.org 41:21 or you can call us, text us, 41:24 wake up here in a minute, 41:25 (618) 228-3975. 41:31 (618) 228-3975, 41:34 text your questions 41:36 and we'll be sure to get to them 41:38 on another program. 41:39 All right. We've got a few extra questions here. 41:42 This one's interesting. 41:46 Catherine from Seattle, says, 41:48 "I heard a prominent pastor 41:51 being interviewed on a TV show. 41:53 The host asked him about the gender of God. 41:57 His response was God is gender neutral. 42:01 He's neither male nor female. 42:03 He also said Jesus is a created being. 42:07 I don't know if he's reading the Bible. 42:09 I've lost much sleep over this. 42:12 Can you please speak on this?" 42:16 Well, if we go to Genesis 1:26, 42:19 I think we could start there. 42:21 In Genesis Chapter 1, 42:23 and if you have your Bibles go there with me, 42:24 I'm going to go ahead and just turn to this 42:26 because this is the creation of humanity 42:28 and we begin to see clearly 42:30 how God delineated this should be done. 42:32 Genesis 1:26, and the Bible says, 42:35 "Then God said, 42:36 'Let us make man in our image, 42:39 according to our likeness, let them," 42:44 He obviously was not referring to just one person. 42:47 Watch, He's going to go and make it clear 42:48 in the next verse to come. 42:50 "Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, 42:52 over the birds of the air, over the cattle, 42:54 over all the earth, 42:55 and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 42:58 And look at verse 27. 42:59 "So God created man in His own image, 43:03 in the image of God, 43:05 He created him, 43:07 male and female, 43:09 He created them." 43:11 Now, so what we're seeing here beautifully in the passage is 43:15 from God came the creation of woman 43:18 and the creation of man. 43:20 God's plan was, but now let's look at how He did this. 43:23 He created Adam first. 43:25 And then from Adam, He took the rib 43:26 and then He formed Eve. 43:28 And as, I think in one of the programs 43:30 we talked about, 43:31 and now from this point, 43:32 you are born of my bone and flesh of my flesh. 43:35 But the question is about God's gender. 43:38 The Bible continually refers to God. 43:40 And He said, and God said, and He said, and God said, 43:45 the ideology that God is a female 43:46 comes from Eastern mysticism and Eastern religions. 43:50 And so they say, Mother God and Father God, 43:52 which you have no scriptures 43:53 on which to base the gender of God 43:55 in the context of the female. 43:57 But here's the other thing you have to be very careful of, 43:59 God is holy and the Bible says, God is a spirit. 44:04 Let us not try to nail down the gender of God 44:07 because it has nothing to do with the issue of salvation. 44:10 Amen. 44:12 The knowledge He revealed to us as the Bible says, 44:14 that belongs to us, 44:15 but the secret things belong to the Lord. 44:18 And this is not something 44:19 that the Bible ever makes even allusion 44:21 that God is female. 44:23 Amen. Absolutely. 44:24 And I just want to add to that beautiful explanation 44:26 that pastor gave. 44:27 And we got to be careful with this 44:29 because someone that's even, 44:30 that's even trying to allude to the fact 44:32 that somehow God is gender neutral 44:34 or that He's that God is a makeup of male and female, 44:36 this is just a new age ideology of trying to use this 44:40 to push the agenda that we see today 44:42 of this whole LGBTQ transgender and all that stuff 44:46 that we see happening today. 44:47 Now, I just want to be very clear about this, 44:49 that, you know, we want to respect all people, 44:53 but we have to call sin by its right name, 44:55 and we have to make clear what the Bible actually says. 44:58 And so, as pastor brought out very clearly 45:00 there's thousands of references to God, 45:03 both Father, Son and Spirit in using the pronoun He, 45:07 He said this, He did that. 45:09 And so, and also addressing this question here, 45:12 I think it mentions here also that 45:13 He also said Jesus as a created being, 45:16 you know, that's very dangerous, 45:18 because there's so many texts 45:19 of which I don't have time to share. 45:21 But just looking at the very first words 45:23 of John Chapter 1, 45:25 speaking of Christ, 45:26 "In the beginning was the Word, 45:27 and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." 45:30 Notice the very first word of verse 2, 45:32 "He was in the beginning with God, 45:36 all things were made through Him. 45:38 And without Him, nothing was made, 45:40 that was made." 45:41 Speaking of Jesus Christ, 45:42 referring to Him as a Him, a He, 45:45 and Jesus has been from the beginning, 45:46 the very first chapter of Revelation 45:48 and the very last chapter of Revelation 45:50 refers to Christ as the Alpha, the Omega, 45:53 the beginning, and the end, 45:55 He has no end, He always has been. 45:57 And so for anyone to try to suggest that 45:59 Jesus Christ is a creative being 46:01 has not studied their Bible properly, 46:03 and probably needs to go back to the drawing board 46:06 and do a responsible study of the Word of God. 46:08 Amen. 46:09 Philippians 2:53, 46:11 we think of when Christ as God, 46:15 the person, I shouldn't even say, 46:17 God came down 46:18 to become the person of Jesus Christ. 46:21 I think people get thrown off because the word begotten, 46:25 and that is a covenant term. 46:29 God used it of Exodus, he said, 46:33 "I have begotten you." 46:35 Jesus is not created. Yes. 46:38 And that word means 46:39 that is a term of preeminence above all, in through all 46:44 and in all, 46:45 but just really going back to the dual nature of God. 46:49 This is a paganistic view. 46:51 I did a series not many years ago, 46:53 I mean too many years ago called The Unclean Spirits. 46:58 And I talked about Baphomet, 47:00 which is a male, female god figure 47:03 in the occult world, 47:04 it's a male with female breasts. 47:08 And you find at the feet of this evil image, 47:11 man is on one side, 47:12 and woman is on the other chained, 47:14 and in the philosophy of the pagan world, 47:16 they blend the genders together. 47:18 This is where this whole ideology 47:20 of Mother God and Father God comes from. 47:23 But in the pagan world, when they talk about God, 47:26 they're not talking about the sinless beautiful God, 47:29 they're talking about this dark god, 47:30 this god called Baphomet, 47:32 which is an evil force 47:34 that has nothing to do with divinity or righteousness. 47:36 And it's interesting that you say that 47:38 because that Baphomet 47:39 that pastor was referencing this, 47:40 this amalgamative beast of male and female, 47:44 actually is the official symbol, 47:46 it's the official being to represent Satanism 47:49 in the Church of Satan. 47:51 I'm from Arkansas. 47:52 And it's interesting that 47:54 right there in Arkansas in the capital, 47:55 there was a copy of the Ten Commandments 47:56 where the Church of Satan didn't like that 47:58 there was a copy 47:59 of the Ten Commandments on display. 48:00 So what do they put up next to that Ten Commandments? 48:03 A statue of Baphomet. 48:05 And so absolutely, pastor's right, 48:07 it's an agenda of the devil himself. 48:09 And another text back to the Christ question. 48:12 You know, I love this right here. 48:13 John 17:5, 48:15 when Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, 48:17 he said, these words was just beautiful. 48:18 Jesus Himself, He said, 48:20 "Oh, now, O Father, 48:21 glorify Me together with Yourself 48:23 with the glory, which I had with you 48:25 before the world was." 48:27 Even Jesus Himself recognize that before the world ever was, 48:31 He was there with the Father, He always has been. 48:34 Amen and amen. 48:35 As you just mentioned about the Baphomet 48:37 and all of that stuff, 48:38 we need to be careful about what vegan restaurants 48:40 would go check out, I went to a website, 48:42 and I saw the Baphomet on the menu, 48:46 so check the ownership 48:47 and find out where you're dining. 48:50 That's scary. 48:51 That's a great point, Jay, 48:53 because people think veganism is a point of evidence 48:55 of a sign of salvation. 48:57 You find Satanists 48:58 sometimes more vegans than some of us are. 49:01 And they use that to be the catch. 49:04 Anyway, good point. 49:05 I don't think we've got time 49:06 to get into another question here. 49:08 But does anyone have a little something 49:10 that they wanted to add to their day? 49:15 Absolutely. 49:16 Yeah, I guess I'll go ahead and start us off here, 49:18 you know, back to the question 49:19 that I got in reference to Lovanna. 49:23 As she's just been on my heart, in my mind, 49:24 and she's pouring her heart out here 49:26 asking about how she can remain hopeful 49:29 during this dark time in her life. 49:31 You know, I was thinking of, you know, oftentimes, 49:34 when we're dealing with something, 49:35 it seems like we're the only ones 49:37 having to go through. 49:38 And Lovanna was the one with suffering from bipolar. 49:40 Bipolar, 49:41 and she's in the hospital and says, 49:42 "I've been really in this dark portion of my life. 49:44 How do I look forward through this 49:46 in a hopeful perspective," 49:47 and, you know, oftentimes, 49:50 even in I have experienced dark times in my life, 49:52 and it's very easy for us to get locked in on this, 49:55 you know, it's almost feels like 49:57 we're the only one right, 49:58 it almost feels like we were the only ones 50:00 and that's a real feeling to have. 50:02 It's a real thing to go through. 50:03 And I know that that's very real. 50:05 But you know, I also sometimes 50:07 I think about some of the Bible characters 50:10 and what they went through. 50:11 I think about Job, and Joseph, and John the Baptist, 50:15 and you know, Mary and Martha, 50:17 when they sent out for Christ to respond, 50:19 hey, come heal our brother. 50:21 He's sick. 50:22 And Jesus didn't come back and heal him. 50:24 And what happened to him? He died. 50:25 These were very dark, dark, despairing moments 50:28 for these individuals. 50:29 I can think of John the Baptist, 50:30 when he's lying there in that prison, 50:32 he just thinking, 50:33 you know, Jesus, 50:35 He's the greatest of all the prophets, 50:36 the greatest of all the prophets. 50:37 I had to imagine was probably they're saying, 50:39 Jesus is going to show up eventually, 50:40 and bust me out of this jail. 50:41 That was a very dark despairing moment for him. 50:43 And I could imagine, in those moments, 50:45 being very real people that they were, 50:48 I'm sure that they had those negative thoughts 50:49 of how am I going to get through this. 50:51 But nonetheless, 50:52 these are powerful examples of faith, 50:54 people who still held on to their faith in Jesus, 50:57 their faith in God to know 50:59 that he was going to see them through, 51:00 so, Lovanna, I just want to encourage you 51:02 and anyone out there 51:03 who's going through that dark despairing time 51:06 in their life. 51:07 Hang on, keep holding on. 51:08 Remember Paul says, 51:10 fight the good fight of faith, right? 51:11 I have fight. I have fought the good fight. 51:13 I've kept the faith I've run the course. 51:15 Keep pressing through because remember, 51:17 those who persevere to the end shall be saved, 51:20 so keep holding on to Jesus Christ. 51:22 Lovanna, we will be praying for you 51:25 and we pray for all 51:27 who find themselves in a difficult position. 51:30 Just remember that God is always with you. 51:32 He never leaves you or forsakes you. 51:34 Now we're going to go to our news break 51:36 and we'll be right back with another closing thought. 51:39 If you're enjoying our 3ABN Bible Q and A, 51:42 then tell your friends. 51:44 Each Monday we'll bring you a fresh program, 51:46 answering the Bible questions you send us 51:48 and we'll use God's Holy Word to shed light on those texts 51:52 that seem difficult to understand. 51:54 If you would like your questions answered 51:56 on an upcoming program, just email them to us. 51:59 Our email address is BibleQA@3abn.org. 52:04 That's BibleQA@3abn.org. 52:08 You can also text us your questions 52:10 by sending them to (618) 228-3975. 52:15 That number again is (618) 228-3975. 52:20 Be sure to include your name and where you live, 52:22 and then watch 3ABN Bible Q and A |
Revised 2022-08-01