Powerful Words of God

Scripture:
Date: 01/11/2015 
The call of a howler monkeys voice can travel three miles but an elephant's voice is deeper. The song of a humpback whale can cross an ocean.
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Pastor Doug: [music] Hello friends, this is Doug Batchelor. How about an amazing fact. The call of a howler monkeys voice can travel three miles but an elephant's voice is deeper. The song of a humpback whale can cross an ocean. But of all the voices on earth, none is as versatile as the human voice. Each person's voice uses a marvelous sound producing mechanism that's more intricate and complex than any musical instrument. Much research and study has gone into attempts to understand the human voice. And scientists have tried in vain to reproduce it with computers but it always sounds unnatural and mechanical.

A human voice can produce a range of several octaves and sound by using just two words wedge like projections of ligament and muscle called vocal chords. These sounds are amplified by built-in resonators in our head called sinus cavities. It's amazing that in order to sing a high c, a soprano's vocal chords must vibrate, open and close 1,200 times per second. On the other hand, a base singer, his lowest note requires only 40 vibrations per second. Besides singing, our voices also are capable of producing the most complex variations in speech. To control speech sounds, 72 sets of muscles work with split-second timing.

In talking for one minute, the tongue, jaw, and lips make at least 300 separate movements. At the same time, our vocal chords are vibrating and our respiratory muscles force out just the right amount of air. And if this isn't complex enough, think of the many inflections of the voice that it's capable of ranging from nearly 500 audible pitches. One can vary the tone tremendously also from a shout to a delicate whisper. Trained singers can hold a note for a long time whereas an auctioneer can speak in hyper fast to cottle. And did you know the Bible says there was one man who spoke unlike any other? Stay with us friends we're going to learn more as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of Bible Answers Live.

[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]

Pastor Doug: Welcome listening friends to Bible Answers Live and if you have a Bible question, that's what this program is all about. Pick up your phone, give us a call, free phone call, that number lines are open. Are you ready? 800-GOD-SAYS. 8004637297 will bring your Bible question into our live radio program. We know we've got a lot of truckers across the country might be listening on satellite. You have a Bible question? Give us a call. We don't have all the answers but we've been doing it for a while, we got some great Bible resources at our fingertips. Together we will search and find out what the answers are. One more time, 800 GOD-SAYS. That is 8004637297. My name is Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Ross: My name is Jëan Ross, good evening listening friends, Pastor Doug as usual, let's begin the program with prayer. Dear Father, once again we want to ask your special blessing upon this program this evening and we don't want to take for granted that the spirit guide us as we open the Scriptures for the Bible is your book. Bless those who are listening wherever they might be and guide us here in the studio in Jesus' name. Amen.

Pastor Ross: Pastor Doug your amazing fact this evening is rather remarkable. All of the things that happen to speak, to produce words, we don't even think about it but all of the tiny muscles that are doing their job and -- interesting thought you mentioned there is how that not only do the muscles have to do their part but even the air pushed through these vocal chords has to be the right magnitude in order to produce the right tone and just remarkable all these things happening. Indeed God is remarkable in creating all of these things.

Pastor Doug: Absolutely. And then this article went on to say that a good singer, they can sing right on key and it's not the vocal chords that pick the right pitch and you think of all the variations in the song, it's coming from the brain. And the brain is telling those vocal chords at what speed to vibrate to produce that sound, how loud the sound will be, how long the sound will be and it is extremely complex. That's why I laugh when people think that it evolved by accident. But what really makes me think about this study is when they talk about just the miracle of speech. God brought the world into existence by his word.

I remember reading that verse in the Bible that when the enemies of Jesus sent spies to arrest him and they came back without Jesus they said, "Where is he? Didn't we send you to arrest him?" and the guard said, "Never did a man speak like this man." They just couldn't bring themselves to arrest him. Never man speak like this man. By the way, that's John 7:46. There's something about the Word of God that is supernatural. Jesus said, "The words that I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life." And there's -- the Bible tells us in Hebrews Chapter 4, "The Word of God is living and powerful." It's not like any other words or book.

And if you'd like to know more about this powerful word that can change your life especially now at the beginning of a new year, we'd like to encourage you to get into Bible study. We have a free offer that we'll tell you about what an incredible resource the Bible is and how this week in church we gave an amazing fact on the US Library of Congress and there's 53 million articles there. And 34 million of them are books. And bestsellers come and go but every year the Bible is a bestseller. You owe it to yourself friends if you don't know why to get a Bible and read it. And it's a supernatural book and we'll send you our free offer. It's called The Ultimate Resource or you can read it online.

Pastor Ross: The number to call is 8008356747, that's our resource line. You can ask for this. It's actually a great sharing resource too. The book called The Ultimate Resource and we'll be happy to send that to anyone who calls and asks. And as was mentioned, you can read it for free online at the amazing facts website. Just go to amazingfacts.org and you can search for it right there online. Go to our free library and read The Ultimate Resource.

Pastor Doug: Now if you call and you don't get picked up right away, stay on, we got operators will pick up your call. Just be patient and we do still have a line or two open. One more time, 8004637297.

Pastor Ross: We have Michael listening in Michigan. Michael welcome to the program.

Michael: Hello?

Pastor Doug: Evening, thanks for calling.

Michael: Yes. I first would like to say thank you for answering my call and I want to say that I hold Pastor Batchelor with high regard and I appreciate greatly his ministry. He has done quite a bit for me. I was just wondering if at all possible that I can speak with you Pastor Batchelor later off the air. I can either get my number to you or you could give me a number to reach you by.

Pastor Doug: Well, tell you what? Let's do your Bible question first and then after that, we'll put you on hold and our operators will come back to you and try to get a number from you.

Michael: Okay. My question is tonight, is it true that [unintelligible 00:08:20] the devil? Or is it ever a good thing? Is there is ever an instance in the Bible whereby the -- I bring into question the account of Rahab and the spies when they sent out --

Pastor Doug: Which he lied to the guards.

Michael: Yes, right.

Pastor Doug: So is it ever okay to trick the devil?

Michael: I liken that to the fact that she -- it was tricking the devil and even the birth of Christ that Herod was deceived at that time too because an angel told them in a dream to flee for another [unintelligible 00:09:06]

Pastor Doug: Right. Now there is a little difference in the story of Rahab. She did -- she just issued a bold face lie. The guard said, "Do you have these men in your house?" and she said, "No. They were here but they just left. If you go quickly and catch them," while they were upstairs. So she just lied but keep in mind, Rahab was not a believer. As a matter of fact, she was a harlot. And so God is not saying that he approved of telling stories like that. But in war, you'll often find Michel that even in the Bible, whether it was King David or Joshua and others, they sometimes used deceptive tactics in war.

They would pretend that they were being defeated and retreat to draw men out of the city. David once drooled on his beard and acted like he was crazy because he thought the Philistine King was going to kill him. And obviously, he was being deceptive..God is not ever saying this is good. He's just recording what happened. I think that Christians should be honest. Now, with the story of the wise men, God just said, "Do not go back to Herod, and tell him where the baby is." It's not they told Herod a lie, they just didn't go back to him. Now, not telling somebody everything is not the same as deception. Even Jesus said to the disciples, "There's many things I have to tell you, but you can't receive them now."

Sometimes, there's a time to be silent. Even at his trial, Jesus kept silent. There's a time to be silent, and there's time to speak. We don't tell children everything we know about the birds and the bees when they're three years old. You have to give information to them at the right time. That's different than deception, is just to be imprudent. I don't believe we should ever use the devil's tools to do God's work. I don't know if you have anything to add to that Pastor Ross. That's a quick answer Michael. We'll try and get phone number and email or something from you, so we can make contact after the program. God bless, and thank you for your question. Who's next?

Pastor Ross: We have Maurice listening from Brooklyn New York. Maurice, welcome to the program?

Maurice: Hello.

Pastor Doug: Yes, you're on the air.

Maurice: Yes, can you hear me?

Pastor Doug: Loud and clear.

Maurice: I was calling in for an offer for a book or something.

Pastor Doug: Okay, well you got the line to ask a Bible question, but we'll be happy to send you the book. I tell you what --

Maurice: Okay. Yes, I missed -- I just came in and started my car up, checking all the snow, and [unintelligible 00:11:37] and I heard you're offering the 800 number.

Pastor Doug: I tell you what. We'll give you that number one more time, and you can call, this is the studio number. We'll give you the book line and we'll send you the free offer.

Pastor Ross: The number to call is 800-835-6747. That is our resource line. The free offer is called the Ultimate Resource. Again, that number is 800-835-6747. You can ask for our free offer tonight, the Ultimate Resource. All right, let's see if we can get Steve again. Steve, listening from Washington on satellite. Steve, you're on the air.

Steve: Hi. Sorry about that. I was on mute accidentally.

Pastor Doug: I've done the same thing. And your question tonight?

Steve: 2 CorinthiansChapter 5:21. It just talks about -- it talks about Jesus being [unintelligible 00:12:24] My question is, how did he become [unintelligible 00:12:28] for example, is it because of God's power, he's omnipotence. I'm not really clear on that.

Pastor Doug: On the garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus said that -- he was praying and he was even perspiring blood. He then said, "Father, if there's any way for this cup to pass to me, let it pass. If not, not my will, your will be done." At that moment, the Father withdrew his presence from Jesus, and all of the shame and the guilt, and the evil consequences of sin that belongs to the whole human race, for everything that has ever been done wrong, or will be done wrong, suddenly rested down on the soul of Christ. He became sin for us. He, who knew no sin. He never sinned. He said, "I'm going to take your guild and shame. I'm going to suffer in your place."

Paul is using an all encompassing word of saying He became sin for us, that we might become righteousness of God in him. He's trading places with us, and he gives us his righteousness by faith if we accept that he took my sins, and he took my punishment, that I might have the reward that he deserves, and his strength, and his righteousness, he says as a gift. I'm going to give this to you. He takes our guilt. He gives us his innocence, that's why I never can understand why someone would reject the offer of Jesus to wash away all of their sins, and to give them that peace and innocence and eternal life, because he took it all for them. For him to already pay for it, and them not to accept it, is such a waste in their behalf.

Pastor Ross: We have a free offer that deals with this subject. It's a great book called, The High Cost of the Cross. Talks about what Jesus went through in order for us to be forgiven, and redeemed. We'll be happy to send that to you Steve, or anyone who calls and asks. The number to call, our resource line is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book, The High Cost of the Cross. You can also read it for free at the Amazing Facts website, amazingfacts.org. If you have a Bible question, the number here to the studio is 800-463-7297. 800-463-7297. Our next caller is Monica listening from Long Island, New York. Monica, welcome to the program.

Monica: Yes. Praise the Lord everyone. Peace be unto you my brothers and sisters in Christ. I'm just so elated to be in the year 2015. I have a question. In the Bible, I do not remember the scripture. There's a section where it talks about the malice into your heart towards your brother and when you go to the altar to God, it's almost like an offense. Do you remember what scripture that is?

Pastor Doug: Well, I think it's in Sermon on the Mount. I don't know if it's Matthew 6, Pastor Ross is looking it up. He talks about leaving your gift to the altar. If you have anything ought against your brother, you reconcile to your brother, then bring your gift. Is that the passage you're talking about?

Monica: That is the passage, thank you so much. My second question, is the two greatest commandments. The second one, when he says that we must love our neighbors as ourselves. Do we consider our neighbor everyone outside of ourselves?

Pastor Doug: That's a good question, because first of all, that verse in the Old Testament. Jesus quotes that's verse, it's in Leviticus 19:18. Then, he repeats it several times. I think in every gospel, he just about says that verse to love your neighbors as yourself. The two great commandments. Love the lord with all your heart, love your neighbors as yourself. I think it's Luke 10, and the parable of the good Samaritan. Someone asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" And Jesus instead of just saying it's someone who lives 200 feet away from you, He answered with an illustration of this man who fell among thieves, and he was beaten up, and basically the priest and the Levite, like your pastor, and your elder walked by, and the Samaritan. Samaritans and Jews didn't get along at all. Samaritan took pity on the Jewish man who had been robbed and beaten up, and he took him to a hotel and took care of him, and paid for his expenses.

Jesus said, "Who is neighbor to the man that fell among thieves?" And the answer is, the Samaritan. The one who cared for him. Christ is basically saying that if we're all part of the human family, we're all brothers. A neighbor, the word neighbor means, a neigh brother. That's what it just means in old English. We're all brothers through God. We're all related to not only Adam and Eve, but to Noah. Anyone who is in need becomes our neighbor. We all love our neighbors. Doesn't mean you need to agree with everybody. Doesn't mean you need to like everything everyone does, but we should love them as Christ loves them, that they might be forgiven and saved.

Pastor Ross: The verse you're referring about your leaving your gift at the altar, and going to make things right with your brother. Matthew 5:24.

Pastor Doug: Hope that helps a little Monica. Appreciate your call, and don't forget our free offer. At Ultimate Resource, we could either send you, or you can read it at the Amazing Facts website, amazingfacts.org.

Pastor Ross: Or the phone number for our resource line is 800-835-6747. Our next caller is Lana, and Lana is listening from Florida. Lana, welcome to the program.

Lana: Thank you for taking my call. I wanted to ask how I can show from the Bible that saying, "My God." As a response in conversations, and I wanted to just make her aware of that. I felt that was using God's name in vain.

Doug: Well you're on the right track. It's interesting you would say that. Just tonight, I was talking to my son about that, because people, they do it on TV, in the news, just all the time. Whenever they see something they think is interesting, or amazing, or beautiful, they use that phrase. And I don't even want to use it, because I think if there is a name that should be taken on our lips with reverence and carefully, and not in a flipping way, then it would be the name of God. I do believe that it's using God's name in a reckless, careless way. The only time that a person should take his name, is in Prayer like that, or recognizing how sacred it is and serious it is.

It's not just that. Sometimes, people say, "Gosh," and they don't realize that's really a derivative of it. Or they say, "G-whiz." Just all of that, instead of saying Jesus's name, they say that. They say, "Well, there's nothing wrong with that." They're just corruptions of using God's name in vain.

There's other ways of expressing awe or amazement without taking the Lord on your lips as just a bi-word.

Lana: There's no way it would be in a verse in a Bible to say --

Pastor Doug: Sure, it's the 10 Commandments. "Though shall not take the name of Lord thy God in vain." Vain means uselessly. You've got that in the Exodus 20, you got it in Deuteronomy 5. It says, "The name of God is to be Holy and reverend is his name." I forget what verse that is, that's in Psalms. "Holy and reverend is his name." That would be the King James Version. Pastor Ross is looking that up. If you have a Bible with any cross reference, if you look up that commandment that deals with the name of the Lord, you'll see a lot of cross references for other places in scripture.

Lana: I was just having trouble sharing it with another Christian who doesn't seem to be aware that that is taking God's name in vain. To say it in a way that's not judgmental.

Pastor Doug: The Holy spirit will convict them. If you mention that or if nothing else, they'll be careful not to do it around you.

Pastor Ross: There's been references just on that subject of speaking of God's name being Holy. As you mentioned pastor that it is in Psalms and there are many references to that. Just one of the verses that we have here is Psalm 99:3 where it says, "Let them praise your great and awesome name. He is Holy." Then you have Psalm 103:1 that talks about, "Bless His holy name." It's repeated many times.

Pastor Doug: Yes. You'll find a lot of references like that. Thank you for your call Lana. I hope that helps a little bit. I do have a book, I'll send you a free copy if you'd like. It's called The Name of God and it talks about this subject and the reverence for the name of God. It does talk about saying some of these phrases, using God's name disrespectfully. It's called The Name of God.

Pastor Ross: The number to call is 808356747 and the book is entitled The Name of God. We'll send that to anyone who calls and asks for the book. We have Trudy listening from Virginia. Trudy Welcome to the program.

Trudy: Yes. Good evening. My question is -- it's something I think, I haven't done it but I just like to know your interpretation or understanding about it. That it is online dating for Christians. Specially women. My understanding is in the Bible it says "He who finds a wife finds a good thing." I don't know if women are supposed to be looking online trying to find a mate online. It didn't seem to be scriptural. Can you help me out there?

Pastor Doug: Well there's no question that we're living in an age of fast food. What I mean by that is everything that you had, if you go 100 years ago, if you wanted to hear a song you needed to know somebody who could sing or you had to sing. You couldn't record it and concentrate it. So you had 10,000 songs on a little phone device. If you went to the market 100 years ago there was five things at the market, your bread, your flour and so forth. It was pretty simple. You go to a Walmart today and look at the variety and people are actually just drowning under a blizzard of options.

Now the Internet, all of the knowledge of the world is basically at your fingertips with a search engine. That's also that same dynamic has come into the courting and dating avenue. Now, it's not wrong. It used to be years ago, sometimes people would be introduced and they get to know each other through the mail. I know a pastor and his wife they met, she was a missionary and they were in different parts of the world and they fell in love through love letters. There's certainly nothing wrong with that and they've been married for many, many years happily. They really get to know each other but it takes time to write and to get to know a person and let it digest and really find out who they are and see the consistency.

What the Internet has done is you fill out some very personal information and the computers do their whiz bang thing and try and match you up with the people that have those same things. I'm not saying it's wrong. I just think people need to be very careful and very prayerful if folks are lonely, and if you're going to develop a relationship that way, Pastor Ross and I are pastors and I know some people that met married through the Internet. It seems to be going fine. I know somewhere it was a disaster. I just think that people need to go slow. Like I said, the Internet we're just living where everyone wants things instantly. People need to pray. Go take it very carefully, go slow and I wouldn't do all my courtship over the Internet. If you're going to meet somebody, you want to take your time, get to know them and really find out what you're getting into because marriage is supposed to be for life commitment.

Pastor Doug: By the way there are -- and I've been married since way before this all became available. I've never used these sites but I am aware that there are some Christian based sites. Different denominations have sites. You can actually try and find someone within your denomination. It's a broad spectrum and so I want to be careful not to lump all these dating sites into one category. I don't think there's a Bible mandate that says that it's wrong for a woman to in some way announce she's available. Typically men are to be the pursuers, but I don't think there's any Bible command that says that a woman can somehow announce that she's interested or available and looking for somebody. I hope that helps a little bit Trudy. Appreciate your call. It's a practical question.

Pastor Ross: We have Jerry Listening from Medford Oregon. Jerry welcome to Bible Answers Live.

Jerry: Good evening pastors Ross and Batchelor. Mine is a very general question this time. Basically, when I'm with nonbelievers and they have needs, I'm reluctant to pray or ask them to pray with me for them because if the Lord opts not to answer their prayer, I feel it will weaken what little faith they have. I do pray for them on my own of course. Is this a valid concern of mine or what's you're feeling?

Pastor Doug: That's a great question. I'll tell you in my personal experience I have found that when we have the courage to pray with people that are either marginal or nonbelievers, God is more inclined to answer their prayers because they need faith. I've often found, I've been just like you I've been afraid to make a person feel awkward by saying to someone who I knew he wasn't a believer, "Hey, can we pray about that?" I do sometimes. Especially the people are sick. I know Pastor Ross says you go visit someone they may not be a believer and you say, "Can I pray with you?" I don't remember anyone ever saying no.

A few times I've prayed about things I know someone lost something, they weren't a believer and I said, "Let's pray about that," and then they found it and it just made him really stop and go wow. There's a greater danger that Christians don't pray with non-believing friends rather than they pray too much. I'd encourage you to take a step of faith. You always want to be polite and diplomatic and say, "Hey, do you mind if I pray with you about that?" Most of the time people appreciate it especially if they're going through some crisis. I found that even nonbelievers they'll play it safe and say maybe there is a God and sure you can pray. I'd go for it and just leave the results with God.

Jerry: Okay. Well thank you very much for your advice.

Pastor Doug: All right. Hey good question Jerry. Appreciate it.

Pastor Ross: You know we do have a book dealing with the subject of prayer. Pastor that you wrote this book it's called Teach us to pray. We'd be happy to send that to Jerry or anyone wanting to learn more about what does the Bible say about prayer. The number to call is 8008356747 and you can ask for the book Teach us to pray. You can also read it for free online at Amazing Facts.org

Pastor Doug: Absolutely. You know friends we'd like to just mention to you before we go to our break that amazing facts has a website. You may not be aware of where we have Christian television 24 hours a day. People have learned about Roku that anywhere in the world you have a respectable internet connection. This is a very inexpensive device. You can plug into the Internet, you can take it with you on the road all over the world and you can listen to and watch Christian television. Amazing fact has a channel there. We've also got one all over the country on satellite. It's called AF TV.org. Amazing Facts.tv same station. You can listen to Christian programming all the time. We hope that you'll do your best to take advantage of that. You're listening to Bible Answers Live.

Pastor Ross: Pastor I would also like to bring to the attention of our listeners a brand new website. We mentioned it once or twice before on the program and it's just a great resource for people wanting to study the Bible. It's called Bible history.com

Pastor Doug: We're really excited about this. When you go right there to the opening page, you're going to see in one view of course that you might have to shrink your screen a little bit. You'll see all the panorama of Bible history and it's got the history divided up between the first generation, Adam, the Garden of Eden so forth that it's Noah and the flood, then it's got the patriarchs and we had to divide these up because they lived hundreds of years back then they needed their own segment. Egypt to Canaan, the judges, United Kingdom, the divided kingdom, the exile, the life of Christ, the early church, Middle Ages, reformation prophecies of Revelation and that goes off into eternity. We have the whole scope of Bible history all the people, names, ages, places, Bible history.com you got to check that out friends. You'll really enjoy it. We're going to take a break but don't get very far. We'll come back with your questions.

[COMMERCIAL BREAK]

Pastor Doug: We're back listening friends, this is Bible answers live and for any you may have gotten on board along the way, it's a live interactive Bible study going all around the world. Last week we had calls from Australia and New Zealand and Caribbean and Africa and China. [laughs] We had calls from all over the world last week and if you want to call in with your Bible questions, we do have a couple of lines open for our last half hour. That number is 800 God says 8004637297, one more time you're ready? I know you get some friends out on the road listening on satellite so I like to give it to you again you might remember it. 8004637297, we'll bring your Bible question into the studio. One also just to mention that amazing facts produced a very special yearly devotional and it's not too late for you to order. It's 365 Bible questions that come from this program with spiritual applications. If you just contact amazing facts, you'll still see the devotional right there on the home page. It's just great every day to get a little spiritual devotional corresponds with a verse in the Bible and just calibrate your life spiritually at the dawn of the day. Are we ready?

Pastor Ross: Yes our next caller is Dominic listening in New York Dominic Welcome to the program.

Dominic: [unintelligible 00:32:02] My question is a couple of weeks ago you mentioned something about no alcohol in the religion in the Bible. It was a particular Bible translation because you also believe in it. I believe you believe it yourself.

Pastor Doug: Yes, I believe that Christians should not drink alcohol and I know that there's verses in the Bible that talk about wine and Jesus turning water to wine. Not every time you find the word wine in the Bible is it fermented or alcoholic. There was only one word in the Bible for the juice of the grape, it's the word wine. One reason you know that is because it actually talks about as the new wine is in the cluster. The Bible -- Jesus said you don't put new wine, new wine is grape juice in old wine skins and Christ at the Last Supper he said, "I will not drink of this cup again until I drink it with you new in the Father's kingdom." They drunk new wine and so --

Dominic: I think the passage was in Old Testament?

Pastor Doug: Wine is a mocker, Proverbs is it 22? I forget, wine is a mocker strong drink is raging, whoever is deceived thereby is not wise. Bible says give wine to him that is ready to perish, you get the pastor?

Pastor Ross: Yes it's Proverbs 20:1.

Pastor Doug: Yes 20:1, there's several in Proverbs actually and then you read in the Bible -- Noah drank wine, he got drunk and he was naked and it caused a curse to come on [laughs] the family. Lot drank wine and he slept with his daughters. David got Uriah to drink wine and tried to get him to go against his conscience. So at the end of --

Dominic: Wine is an intoxication against the spirit of God?

Pastor Doug: Paul says do not be filled with wine but rather be filled with the spirit.

Dominic: The other thing that follows with the reason why I’m calling is because I received a letter from you the following day I believe it was, that had a lion on the envelope cover. Something about a roaring lion and then inside, it referred to the Pope’s was going to speak before congress or something like that and he's a promoter of wine and I believe Christianity is [unintelligible 00:34:15] It seems to me there's a difference there.

Pastor Doug: That's true, well you're going to find that a number of churches, Protestant churches during their communion service, they use non fermented grape juice. Matter of fact that’s how well just grape juice got invented. You'll also find there are churches both Protestant and Catholic, Orthodox, they use fermented wine when they have the mass or they do their communion service. This is been a much disputed subject among Christians [laughs] for many years but even if you set the Bible aside Dominic, I feel very strongly because I used to drink, my father was an alcoholic and I have just seen what it does to people’s lives.

Dominic: I had the same problem.

Pastor Doug: -yes it’s a drug.

Dominic: I had the same problem, my father was an alcoholic. I had to help him make wine --

Pastor Doug: Yes [laughs] well --

Dominic: -when I was a child.

Pastor Doug: I knew how to make beer when I was a teenager so I know exactly what you're talking about. Anyway and it just --

Dominic: Then he used to beat me up.

Pastor Doug: -yes, why would a Christian want to support an industry that causes so many problems? Now, we do have a free book we'll be happy to send you Dominic that is on the subject, it has all the verses not just the two or three we gave you tonight but there's quite a few verses.

Pastor Ross: The book's called the Christian and Alcohol and we’ll be happy to send that to you Dominic or anyone who calls and asks. The number again is 8008356747, you can ask for the book the Christian and Alcohol.

Pastor Doug: How much does that cost?

Pastor Ross: Price is right. It’s free, all you have to do is pick up the phone and call and we’ll be happy to send that to you. You can also read it of course online at the amazing facts website amazing facts.org, just type in there Alcohol and the Christian and you'll be able to take --

Dominic: Amen.

Pastor Ross: -a look at that online as well. We have Ingrid who is listening from Yonkers New York, Ingrid welcome to the program.

Ingrid: Good evening pastor, thank you for having me at the show.

Pastor Doug: Thanks for calling.

Ingrid: Well, my question is I've been reading the book of Genesis lately and my question is what is our purpose here on earth? I understand that God created us after Satan had betrayed him but God is a God who knows the past the present and the future and he knew what would happen when he created us. Eve would have eaten the apple so on so. I was just wondering why?

Pastor Doug: Why did God create man when you consider all the suffering in the world if he knew the devil would rebel and that man would fall? Is that what you’re wondering?

Ingrid: Yes.

Pastor Doug: Well, do you have children?

Ingrid: I do.

Pastor Doug: Do you mind my asking why? [laughs]

Ingrid: Well it's something that I wasn't planning on but I always desired to have children as back --

Pastor Doug: All right well let's go back to the part where you desired to have children. At some point you expected you’d have children. When you thought about having children how wonderful that would be, did you have any guarantee that they would always be happy or that they would always love you and always obey? Or do you realize that when you have children, there's a risk?

Ingrid: Of course.

Pastor Doug: God creates his creatures free because he wants our love, he can't force us to love him. So even after the devil rebelled and even though God knew that many people would choose not to love Him, to show that He really makes us free, He still made us. Now there's a CD that we have -- matter of fact, the whole thing's online now. You can order it from amazing facts, it's a DVD and it's called Cosmic conflict. It tells where did the devil come from? Why did God continue creating the world even after the devil came? It purposely answers the question you're asking, if God is all powerful, if God is all knowing, then what went wrong, why did God make the world? Did he make a devil? If you'll type in cosmic conflict, you just go to Google type that in you can either order it from amazing facts but people have pirated and it's free on You Tube now. Cosmic conflict, it explains all that in much more detail with the scriptures.

Pastor Ross: We also have a study guide called Did God create the devil?

Pastor Doug: That's right.

Pastor Ross: We'll be able to send that to you Ingrid or anyone who calls and asks. The number to call for a resource line is 8008356747, you can ask for the study guide called, Did God create the devil? You can also sign up for amazing facts it's free Bible study school at Bibleuniverse.com or dot org and you'll be able to study this lesson right there online as well. Our next caller is John and John is listening from Tennessee. John welcome to the program.

John: Gentlemen I appreciate you having me on.

Pastor Ross: Thanks for calling.

John: I just want to make a comment and hear your take on it. Obviously now at this day and time there's many translations of the Word of God and there has to be one that's best and I of course relate to the King James version because it's the oldest version we have and the problem gets to where it becomes more of interpretation. Man's individual interpretation rather than actual translating the words and I have many friends -- I'm 25 years old, many friends that prefer it not that type of thing. I've done a little of research and this is just a few tidbits of information like King James would say, "Virgin woman," and in other translations, they would young woman and obviously that's not the same thing.

In Genesis it would say, the first day or the second day, in this version it says says one day. I just wanted to hear you alls’ opinion on that matter.

Pastor Doug: All right there're a number of English translations and it's interesting you would ask that because I was just talking about it this weekend that my favorite is the King James and no translation of the Bible has done more actually to shape the English language than the King James Version. That doesn't mean that the King James Version is flawless. There's a few places where --And keep in mind I believe the scriptures are flawless. I believe the word of God is perfect and complete. Translations are what men do and they put it in another language. Anyone can do a translation. I think that God oversaw the King James translation.

The King James translation as it was originally was made in 1611 was actually an updated version of the Wycliffe Bible that John Wycliffe had translated into English and that King James translation has been updated several times since 1611 just to modernize some of the words because we all know that contemporary language sometimes it changes and you need to know what do the words mean. The word gay used to mean very different 50 years ago than it does today. That word isn't used the same way anymore because it's taken on a different meaning. Another good translation is the New King James, it just basically is like the King James, except it takes some of the 'thees' and the 'thous' and it simplifies it to words we use like 'you' or 'I.' But the best thing is to get a translation that comes from some of the original manuscripts like the Textus Receptus or what they call the received text. I think it's a very accurate text.

Pastor Ross: PastorI believe technology has helped in this way. Obviously the Bible was not written in English originally by the apostles or the prophets. It was written in Hebrew in the Old Testament, a little bit of Aramaic and then Greek. When you study the Bible and you want to get into some really deep Bible study, it's nice to be able to go back to the original languages. You don't even have to know Greek but there's software that'll help you and give different ways a word could be translated into Greek. And you can search all of the verses where that Greek word's used or the Hebrew word is used and you can get a broader understanding of a particular passage.

I find that very helpful and I use a number of translations but I like to also go back to the original languages and study that out. Of course it's made it so much easier now with computers to be able to do that. You don't have to take a whole course in Greek or Hebrew, you can just download some free software and you're ready to go.

Pastor Doug: I'm looking at -- matter of fact there's a program I could recommend, it's called e-Sword. It's free that you can make a donation which is nice if you do. They've got an interlinear where you can click on every word in the King James Version and go to the original Greek or Hebrew word depending on if it's the old or new testament. You can research the word and [unintelligible 00:43:13] wonderful tools. But the other reason I like the King James is when you have a church and it memorizes verses and you have everybody say a verse together, everybody is reading from different translations and it starts to sound a little like babble but anyway, thank you for your call, appreciate it John. By the way our offer tonight he would enjoy.

Pastor Ross: Yes the Ultimate Resource all about the Bible. Be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks, 800-835-6747. Ask for the book called The Ultimate Resource and of course you can read that online as well. Louis is listening from Michigan on XM radio. Louis, welcome to the program.

Louis: Yes. My question is --

Pastor Doug: You're real close to your phone.

Louis: Why doesn't all-knowing God create people he knows will never repent? [unintelligible 00:44:00]

Pastor Doug: Yes. The Lord makes people because He gives everyone an opportunity and even though God knows, others don't know. It just demonstrates that He is a God of love and a God of freedom.

Pastor Ross: It's encouraging for us to realize that God treats us based not upon what our final decision might be, but He treats us based upon where we are in time at that point. In other words, somebody is praying and he believes in God and maybe that person ultimately chooses to turn away from God but when he prays in sincerity and asks God, God hears and answers that prayer because God deals with us where we are in our lives. So even though He knows the end from the beginning, He still listens and still responds based upon our present situation.

Pastor Doug: He shows His fairness in giving everybody the opportunity. Jesus knew what Judas was going to do but Jesus still washed Judas' feet and prayed for Judas. He's a loving God and He doesn't want anyone to perish just because He knows who will, doesn't mean He's making it happen. Thanks for your question Louis.

Pastor Ross: We have an interesting book dealing with this subject. Sometimes referred to as predestination and what does the Bible teach on that. The book that we have dealing with that is called, Can a Saved Man Choose to be Lost and we'll be happy to send that to anyone who calls and asks once we study this a little bit more. The number again is 800-835-6747 and the book is called, Can a Saved Person Choose to be Lost and we'll send it to anyone who calls and asks. We have Cathy who is listening from Queensley New York. Cathy, welcome to the program.

Cathy: Good evening pastors. Thank you for taking my call.

Pastor Doug: Evening.

Cathy: I'm very troubled and a bit tortured about the situation in my life. My mom is in a nursing home, she -- God blessed her to celebrate her 89th birthday yesterday but she's got dementia. Thank God it's not to the point where she doesn't recognize her family and she can converse with you so that's a blessing in itself but our father passed away since my mom's been in the nursing home these last two and a half years. I've deceived her about him being alive.

Pastor Doug: Because you didn't want to break her heart.

Cathy: She -- They were married just about 60 years and my father passed away and when she asked me, "How's your dad?" Because he was sick and she was very well aware of that and so she asked me, "How's your dad?" and I would tell her, "He's resting." I feel so bad that I'm deceiving her.

Pastor Doug: You're not if -- He is resting. And the Bible says that -- Did Jesus tell the disciples that Lazarus was sleeping?

Cathy: Yes.

Pastor Doug: And was Lazarus sleeping or was he dead? He was dead.

Cathy: He was dead.

Pastor Doug: Matter of fact Jesus finally said, "Tell you Lazarus is dead," but he said our friend Lazarus sleepeth the first time. And Jesus refers to death as asleep. You've probably seen graves where it says, 'Rip' on the grave, "rest in peace."

Cathy: Yes.

Pastor Doug: In her mind it just can't handle the reality of that, just let her find comfort in the truth that he's resting.

Cathy: Okay.

Pastor Doug: You're still telling the truth. She probably doesn't enquire a lot beyond that if she's got this dementia and you don't want to needlessly break her heart and torment her.

Cathy: Yes.

Pastor Doug: I don't ever suggest that you would be deceptive but if there's a gentle way you can comfort her, then do that.

Cathy: Okay. Thank you, that makes me feel better because I'm really tortured about it because I know that I'm -- Deception is --

Pastor Doug: We're not [unintelligible 00:48:15] Biblically, when a person dies, it says they're asleep.

Cathy: Yes.

Pastor Doug: Nathan said to David, "When you sleep with your fathers." And if you just tell your mom he's asleep now, then that's Biblically accurate.

Cathy: Okay.

Pastor Doug: Especially believers, they don't really die, they go to sleep and then they'reresurrected.

Cathy: Yes. Thank you very much I appreciate that. That makes me feel a lot better because this has been torturing me for quite some time. My dad's been dead for a little more than a year now.

Pastor Doug: Yes. Your mother's condition's probably not getting better.

Cathy: No. God has put her through many, many trials. She's survived a stroke, a couple of seizures, a cardiac arrest, and she's still here and thank God she recognizes all of her family members. She reads her daily scriptures. We're blessed that she's still here.

Pastor Doug: Yes. That's good. Well, we'll just be praying for you Cathy that Lord gives you wisdom and grace and that you'll always be honest but there's a way to break things to your mother so that she still finds comfort.

Cathy: Thank you so much pastors and God bless you.

Pastor Doug: All right, God bless you. You have a good evening.

Pastor Ross: We have Joe listening from Hawaii on WCIF. Joe, welcome to the program.

Joe: Thank you very much. Appreciate being on here. My question has to do with the faith of Christ. We had a gentleman just a few moments ago talking about interpretation, and I noticed -- The scripture says, "I'm crucified with Christ and [unintelligible 00:49:53] but Christ lives in me [unintelligible 00:49:56] and I live, I live by the faith of the son of God." That's the old King James. Faith of the Son of God. Now the new version, the new international version says, "Faith in the Son of God." My point being this. The faith of Christ as the Scripture says by grace, you are saved from faith and that is the gift of God. Not of works [unintelligible 00:50:15] you see but faith of Christ is salvation. You hear pastors all the time say, "Put your faith in Jesus." Well what faith you have? [crosstalk]

Pastor Doug: What's the question?

Joe: The question is, why is it that ministers and pastors will not preach about the reality of the faith of Christ? Yes, it'd be in you, this faith. That's why we believe the scriptures because the faith of Christ is in us. We believe because we have His Spirit, we have His faith, and we have His mind according to the scriptures as well. We have the mind of Christ, we have the faith of Christ.

Pastor Doug: Do you want us to try to answer --

Joe: I'm just trying to say -- the point being that human faith, if you want to comment on that.

Pastor Doug: I thought you were going to ask a question, I'd be happy to answer.

Joe: That was my question is that, do you believe that it's an issue that should be discussed? Is it faith in Christ or the faith of Christ? Should that be talked about at all or do we just disregard that?

Pastor Doug: There's a verse in the Bible that says, I believe it's Revelation Chapter 14 --

Pastor Ross: 12.

Pastor Doug: Yes. "Here are those that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." The Bible supports what you're saying Joe. There are passages in the Bible that talk about faith in Christ and then there are passages in the Bible that talk about the faith of Christ. [crosstalk]

Joe: I understand. One of the changes to King James -- One of those new translations change from of to in. How did that happen?

Pastor Doug: I'm not approving a lot of these translations have done. We agree that there is some very poor translations out there.

Pastor Ross: That's why I'm suggesting that when you study the Bible, don't just take one translation as the only way the original language can be conveyed. It's always nice to go back to the original. It is significant where Revelation talks about God's people at the end of time and says they have the faith of Jesus. They've surrendered their lives to Christ, they are trusting in Christ in the same way that Christ trusted in His Father. That's a whole study in itself, an important study. These little things are important and we want to be careful with how we understand or how we study. Take a look at the original language as much as possible.

Pastor Doug: Those little words, those nuances do make a big difference. The Bible's pretty clear that without faith, it's impossible to please God. We need to have that faith in Christ and the faith of Christ. All right, thank you for your question Joe. We're going to take another caller.

Pastor Ross: We have Jackie listening from New Jersey. Jackie, welcome to the program.

Jackie: Thank you for taking my call. I have a question about Genesis 1:2, about the darkness. Darkness was on the face of the deep. I was thinking that the Heavens went with the Spirit that was moving over the face of the waters and that took off, being the first part. Is the face of the darkness is going to come upon us that's going to be so dark and deep? There's going to be the part two?

Pastor Doug: Interesting. Well, of course, in Genesis 1, when it talks about darkness was on the face of the deep, verse 3 says, "And God says, "Let there be Light."" Well, before God introduces light, when you take away light, what do you have?

Jackie: The darkness.

Pastor Doug: There's a darkness before the light.

Pastor Ross: Something interesting about this verse. Obviously, it's talking about a literal creation here in Genesis Chapter one. In the Bible, you have different symbols for different things. Darkness represents a misunderstanding of who God is, it represents sin. In the Bible, sea represents multitudes of nations. At the end of time, it was as if the world was going to be engulfed in darkness, not literal darkness but spiritual darkness. It's going to cover the waters, it's going to cover the nations, cover the masses and we want to share the truth, the truth about God, the truth of His words. There's some interesting parallels that you can draw from creation, an account given here in Genesis 1.

Pastor Doug: It says in Isaiah, I don't remember the exact verse where it says, "Darkness covers the land, gross darkness the people." That's speaking of that same spiritual darkness that is going to cover the world when the beast gets busy with his final show. Hope that helps a little bit Jackie. Of course, Jesus, He's the light of the world. He's the opposite of that. When God said, "Let there be light," that same light He brought into the world is the light that He can bring into our lives.

Jackie: But the face of the darkness, is there a face to it? Is there anything, the face? But the spiritual wrath is coming?

Pastor Doug: You mean darkness being on the face of the deep?

Jackie: Yes.

Pastor Doug: Yes. There's going to be a darkness all across the world. Hey listening friends, I apologize, Jackie. We're running out of airtime. There's nothing we can do. Listening friends, glad you tuned in today. Please keep Amazing Facts in your prayers and you can keep the program going by going to amazingfacts.org. You can watch the program 24 hours a day on the television program. Let us know if you've been blessed and send us a note. Just click Contact Us. God bless. Till we study together again next week.

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