Pastor Doug Batchelor: Hello friends, would you like to hear an amazing fact about mushrooms? They’re not fruits or vegetables, but we can find plenty of these delicious fungus among us. We enjoy them in salads, sandwiches, gravy and plenty of other ways. Mushrooms also have several health benefits, they’re low in calories, fat-free, cholesterol-free, gluten-free and very low in sodium.
Additionally, mushrooms provide important vitamins, minerals and nutrients including selenium, potassium, riboflavin, nisin, vitamin D, vitamin B and some studies have shown that certain mushrooms can help reduce the risk of prostate and breast cancer.
Science is still exploring the many benefits of good mushrooms, but some Mushrooms can have a dark side. Of the thousands of different kinds of mushrooms out there, about 20% are poisonous and 1% are deadly. If you’re going to forge for wild mushrooms, you need to know what you’re doing. Because some of the deadly ones can look very similar to the healthy ones.
The consequences of eating the wrong Mushroom can range from a little dizziness and hallucinations to severe gastronomical problems and even death. One group of deadly white mushrooms are aptly called Destroying Angels. These incredibly toxic fungus, are very similar in appearance to edible medal mushrooms and they’ve often been collected by mistake.
Symptoms might take five to 24 hours to appear and include vomiting, convulsions, diarrhea, liver and kidney failure that often ends with a coma and then death.
The Bible tells us that the devil is a master of presenting poison teachings in an appetizing way. 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, you heard the number and it is true there are lines open. If you want to call in with your Bible question, this is the best time, 800-GOD-SAYS, that’s 800-463-7297, 800-463-7297, good chance your question will be on tonight's broadcast if you can give us a call right now. And for those who don’t know, this is Bible Answers Live, a live international interactive Bible study, we would like to invite you to join in. My name is Doug Batchelor.
Pastor John Ross: My name is John Ross, good evening listening friends and Pastor Doug. Let’s begin the program with prayer. Dear Father, we thank you for the opportunity to study your word and especially here on the airwaves. As we open the scriptures, Lord, we pray that you would bless our time together. Be with those who are listening and guide us to a clear full understanding of Bible truth. For we ask this in Jesus name. Amen.
Pastor Doug, you opened the program by talking about mushrooms. Now I happen to enjoy eating mushrooms, but I know there’s many people that don’t like mushrooms; they will pick it off out their salad, off their sandwich whatever the case might be. But I guess there are just such variety in the mushroom kingdom of different flavors and kinds and different health benefits as you mentioned. But you’ve got to be careful because what might look healthy might not necessarily be healthy.
Pastor Doug: That’s right. I was doing a little research in preparing the Amazing Fact tonight and I wanted to know how many different kinds of mushrooms are there. And there are so many, they say they haven’t even numbered them. They know of at least 10,000 different varieties and there’s about a third that have not been named or studied. But they know that of those, the vast majority are safe, but as many as 20% are not good to eat, some just does not taste good, they’re not dangerous. But then there’s some that are deadly but they look almost identical to some of the delicious ones.
And many people have died from mushroom poisoning, the problem is because the symptoms don’t appear for as many as 24 hours, they make no connection between what they ate yesterday and all over sudden the terrible health problems. And so it’s very difficult to diagnose, hence a lot of people have to be careful about picking and eating wild mushrooms.
And it just made thinking about how you can have something that looks so delicious and familiar, but instead of being delicious, it’s deadly. And even some of the deadly mushrooms, when a person eats them, they taste great, they don’t realize it at first. The devil, when he wants to poison people with dangerous doctrines, the Bible says in 1 Timothy:4, “There are doctrines that are out there in the Christian world called the doctrine of devils.” And if you’re the devil and you want to get someone to devour a deadly doctrine, you make it look good and it will be similar to the truth.
So whenever you want to poison someone, you mix the poison with something apparently or visibly good. And you can read in 2Corinthians 11:13, “for there are false prophets out there, deceitful workers transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ and no mortal or Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” Like those deadly mushrooms that are called the destroying angels, Satan is a destroying angel that can look like a good angel.
And maybe you aren’t sure what are some of those deadly doctrines that Paul was talking about, we have a free offer we would like to make available tonight, Pastor Ross is going to tell you about it.
Pastor Ross: It is a book that we'll be happy to send anybody who calls and ask, the book is called Satan’s Confusing Counterfeits, and that’s our free offer for this evening. Just give us a call on our resource phone line, that number is 800-835-6747, and you’re going to ask for the book called Satan’s Confusing Counterfeits. That number again is 800-835-6747 and the free offer, Satan’s Confusing Counterfeits. And if you have a Bible question, the phone line here to the studio is 800-463-7297 and with that, we are ready to go to our first caller this evening. We have Michael listening in Henderson, Kentucky.
Michael: Yes, how are you?
Pastor Doug: Doing well. How can we help you tonight, Michael?
Michael: I want you to know that I’ll be watching your Prophecy Encounter, I hear it's very soon. And I'm getting [unintelligible 00:07:19] begin. So I just wanted to let you know about it.
Pastor Doug: Thank you and you just gave us an excellent opportunity to explain to our listeners that in what--just a few days, next Friday evening, we are going to be beginning a brand new national television evangelism study, it's a prophecy study called Prophesy Encounter, that we'll be presenting live from the Orlando area, Sanford Florida suburb of Orlando. And if people want more information on how they can watch that on television, cable, Roku, YouTube, Facebook, just go to prophecyencounter.com.
And Michael I’m glad you reminded us to--that was--honest, we did not pay Michael, friends, to call in that question, he just did it on his own. Thanks for mentioning that brother, we‘re glad you’re going to be tuning in.
Michael: I have a question; my question is when is the second coming and why is it important?
Pastor Doug: I’m glad you asked. For one thing, that is the opening presentation next Friday--another great plug, we’re going to be talking about the second coming and signs of His re-coming. Of course, the Lord comes for everybody in a sense when they die because their next conscious thought is the resurrection. And the Bible says, “the Lord will descend from heaven with a shout, the voice of the Arch Angel, the trumpet of God” --that’s what? 1Thessalonians chapter four “and the dead in Christ will rise.” When the righteous rise from their graves, they see the Lord coming, but there will be some who are alive when the Lord comes. Of course, every believer has always wanted to live and be alive when Jesus comes. And I frankly think he's going to be--
Michael: I was wondering if you had a magazine called The Day of the Lord Magazine by Amazing Facts that you can send me?
Pastor Doug: We do have that magazine, and I tell you what, you call we’ll send you one. Call the resource line.
Michael: All right. Thank you so much.
Pastor Ross: Michael, if you call this number 800-835-6747 and you ask for-- you want to mention it specifically The Day of the Lord Magazine, we don’t often give that one away but we will today. Ask for The Day of the Lord Magazine and they’ll be happy to send that to you. That number again is 800-835-6747, and they’ll take your mailing information. All right there, our next caller is Franklin listening from Brooklyn, New York. Franklin, welcome to the program.
Franklin: Hello?
Pastor Doug: Hi, how are you doing?
Franklin: Okay. I want to ask a quick question and maybe another one if I could get the time. It says in the Bible that Joshua descended. Now, he descended as it says in the Bible, but the thief next to him, he told the thief next to him, "Today you will be with me in paradise." How could be He descended into [unintelligible 00:10:18] and be with the thief in paradise on the same day?
Pastor Doug: That's a good question. First of all, people misunderstand the verse and Pastor Ross will help me look it up, the verse where it says that Christ preached to those spirits in prison. Was it 2 Peter?
Franklin: [unintelligible 00:10:36].
Pastor Doug: When that happened, it's not talking about Jesus descending into a place of torment, it's talking about the grave. Pastor Ross will--
Pastor Ross: The verse you're looking at there is-- let me find it here. It's 1 Peter3:19. A matter of fact, probably need to start in verse 18. It says "For Christ also suffered once for sin, and that just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly with disobedient, when once the Divine long suffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared in which, a few, that is eight souls, were saved through water." That Pastor Doug is 1 Peter chapter three, starting there in verse 18 and 19.
Pastor Doug: What Jesus is saying there, Franklin, is that the same spirit that raised Christ, went and preached to those who were in prison of sin back in the days of Noah. Now that refers to Genesis chapter six when it says "my spirit will not always strive with men." So during the 120 years when Noah was building the ark, God's Spirit was striving with him, and the same spirit that raised Jesus was preaching through Noah to the people that back then who perished in the flood.
It's not saying Jesus went to some catacomb down on the earth somewhere and talked to spirits to give them a second chance. And that's often been a kind of a strange interpretation that's been put on that. But when it says you will not leave his soul in hell, it's not saying that Jesus went to hell. The word hell there means grave or hideous in the Old Testament it's sheol.
And it just means a grave. Jesus was not left in the tomb. And that's what that's talking about there. Franklin, we do have a few people standing by so I appreciate your understanding, we'll keep it to one question tonight so we can get a few more. If you don't mind call in back, we might get another question in later. Thank you for your call.
Pastor Ross: Next call is Jean listening from Clear Lake, Wisconsin. Jean, welcome to the program.
Jean: Hello pastors.
Pastor Doug: Hi.
Jean: My question tonight is on Matthew 9:13 and Matthew 12:07, what it means about desiring mercy and not sacrifice?
Pastor Doug: Matthew 9:13. Let me read this--
Jean: And Matthew 12:7. They both say pretty much the same.
Pastor Doug: Matthew 9:13 says, "But I say to you that Elijah has come and did whatever he wished." That's probably not the one you're talking about, is it?
Jean: Matthew 9:13.
Pastor Doug: You mean Matthew or Mark?
Jean: Matthew.
Pastor Doug: I'm sorry, Matthew 9:13. All right. And--
Jean: Matthew 12:7.
Pastor Doug: "I desire mercy not sacrifice for I did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." And so what's your question about that?
Jean: And then in Matthew 12:7, it says about the same thing, what it means about desiring mercy and not sacrifice.
Pastor Doug: Yes. There's a place in the Old Testament where Saul said, "I didn't slaughter the sheep of the Amalekites because I brought them to sacrifice." And Samuel says, "to obey is better than sacrifice." What God wants is it's not a lamb that he wants, He wants us to be merciful. It's not us killing lambs and goats, He wants us to be obedient. And so what the Lord is wanting is our hearts is what it's saying.
So if a person thinks that I can make a gift to the church-- we don't offer lambs today, but some people say,"Well, I'm going to make a donation of sacrifice, but I'm going to be mean to my family at home." God is not wanting your money as much as He's wanting your heart, and being kind to your family, and kind and honest and obedient. And I think this is what Jesus is saying because the Scribes and the Pharisees, they thought it was all about "I'm going to fast and I'm going to give, and I'm going to say these long prayers and that means God is going to hear me." But then they were stealing widows houses. And He says, "No, I want mercy not sacrifice."
Jean: Do you believe that's what the desire in mercy would mean?
Pastor Doug: Yes. They were upset because Christ was preaching that-- if you read the previous verse, you read verse 10, it happened as Jesus sat at the table with the tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees saw and they were saying, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors. He's going to be unclean and He'll be contaminated." And Jesus said, "Look, I want mercy. I want to reach for lost. I'm not interested in sacrificing lambs and then letting your brother and sister die because they don't-"
Jean: Will sacrifice be what's being given up by the sinner?
Pastor Doug: No. The Pharisees and the Scribes, they put all of their-- they put a lot of stock in their works and they would say long prayers, and they would make sacrifices and give big offerings and blow the trumpet, it was all an outward religion. And Jesus saying, "I want to see the the lost saved." I think that's the main gist of what He's talking about. I hope that helps a little bit, Jean, I appreciate your question.
Pastor Ross: Our next caller is Gardner listening from Yonkers, New York. Gardner, welcome to the program.
Gardner: Good evening. I recently received a Bible study guide from your ministry that I greatly appreciate because it forces me to study topics that I wouldn't probably normally study in the Bible. I would probably stay in prophecy, I like prophecy. But I was surprised to read that there's going to be terrible consequences as far as God's dietary laws. I think that the Bible guy were to say that there would be no place in heaven for people who eat swine. Is that true? And can you give me some-- I think that was Isiah 66:17. Could you give me any type of further Scriptures to prove that?
Pastor Doug: First of all, I don't think that-- the lesson--I'm acquainted with the lesson that I think we sent, we believe there's going to be people in heaven that ate pork. I think what Isaiah is talking about is those who know better that are-- God's people had been given a pretty clear command not to eat pork, and yet they were hiding behind the trees and doing it. So that was disobedience. Now I think you would agree with me, Gardner, that God does not want us to have multiple wives. Do you agree?
Gardner: Sure.
Pastor Doug: But there will be people in heaven that had multiple wives like King David and Abraham and Jacob. Because they didn't know back then in the age they were in. He winked at their ignorance, but we do know better. And so when a person knows what the Bible says whether it's regarding adultery, whether it's regarding dietary laws, in any area when someone knows what God says and they deliberately disobey, that's serious.
So let me read the verse for our listeners. You and I know what it says, but I want to read Isaiah 66;17. It says, "for those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves and they go to the gardens," talking about the idol gardens, "after an idol in the midst eating swine's flesh, and the abomination and the mouse will be consumed together says the Lord." So there were people who said, "Yes, I trust the Lord" but secretly, they are worshiping idols and they were eating swine's flesh. You notice they put swine's flesh in the same category as mouse. So hopefully, people out there aren't eating mouse burgers, but the Bible also says pork's unclean too [laughs].
Gardner: We all know that the Bible says, these are all different between Jew in Greek male and female. But is there anything else that you can give me that would solidify that that is still binding on his new testament church?
Pastor Doug: Yes. Let's talk about it. Some people think that the health laws were just given to the Jewish people. But the distinction that God made between clean and unclean goes all the way back to the time of Noah. When Noah was on the ark and everyone sings the animals come two by two, but in reality, the Bible says the unclean animals came on the ark by two, the clean animals came on the ark by sevens, meaning there were only two pigs on the ark.
So God was making a distinction between clean and unclean all the way back then. No unclean animal was to be sacrificed to the Lord. Only things that have a cloven hoof and they chew the cud. And people were never to eat anything that was unclean. Typically, the unclean animals are the scavengers. People are not supposed to eat dog, they're not supposed to eat pig, they're not supposed to eat vultures and skunks and that's usually the rule of thumb.
Pastor Ross: There was a general council that occurred in Jerusalem when the Gospel began to be preached to the Gentiles. And there was a question that arose with reference to how many of the of the Old Testament laws that apply to Israel also apply to the Christians? And as a result of this council, you read in Acts chapter 15, one of the things that they recognize is still being binding upon the Gentile was dealing with diet.
It says, "But writing to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality and things strangled, and from blood." Now, this is talking about the Gentile believers, the Christians. And right here at the beginning of the Christian church, there are regulations given from Scripture with reference to diet. One of which is not to eat blood and we know that's an Old Testament law connected with the clean and unclean animals.
Pastor Doug: And then Peter has that vision in Acts chapter 10. And years after Jesus has gone to heaven, Peter says, "I have never eaten anything common or unclean." And some people think that vision means you can go ahead and eat anything. Peter says the vision means not to call any man unclean. He didn't make any change in his diet. Peter didn't take anything from that sheep as some people say. Anyway, that's in Acts chapter 10. There are plenty of New Testament references also, that our bodies are still the temple of the Holy Spirit. And do not be deceived, God is not mocked, what you sow you will reap. God wants us to take care of our bodies or we will reap cholesterol and heart attacks.
Pastor Ross: Pastor Doug, we have a book that we don't often give out, but I just like the rhyming in the name. It's called Hogs and Other Hazards.
[laughter]
It's a book, we'll send it out to anybody who calls and asks. The number to call is 800-835-6747, and you can ask for the little book called Hogs and Other Hazards, and we'll send it to you.
It really just gives some practical Biblical guidelines with reference to living a healthy life. Again that number is 800-835-6747, and ask for the book Hogs and Other Hazards. If you have a Bible question, the phone line here to the studio is 800-463-7297. That's 800-463-7297. Our next caller is Mel listening from Jersey City, New Jersey. Mel, Welcome to the program. Mel, are you there?
Mel: Yes I am.
Pastor Doug: Your question-- yes you're on. Your question tonight?
Mel: I'm trying to get some information on Luke. I've listened to them mention, the same station that we are on now. And they were talking about Luke. Did Luke come on after Jesus died or was he one of the original ones and he was a Greek? I thought I just want some information that you would have on Luke.
Pastor Doug: Yes, good question. Luke, of course, is one of the great writers of the New Testament. He probably was not a Jew, he was alive when Jesus was born, he was probably young. He became a traveling companion of the Apostle Paul. Luke-- we're so thankful for the history that Luke wrote with his education, it says he was a physician. Luke wrote the book of Acts and he also wrote the Gospel of Luke and they actually are one book. I should say they are one discourse written to someone by the name of Theophilus.
Luke is giving a report to some wealthy person in the Greek world named Theophilus, and he gives the Gospel of Luke and then he gives the Acts of the Apostles all the way up until just before the death of the Apostle Paul. It is a wonderful history. And Luke is probably my favorite gospel. Now, we don't know how Luke died, there's legends, but he was with Paul till the end and was one of the early leaders. Luke was not called an apostle, but he was one of the elders of the church.
Mel: Well, you've been most helpful and I appreciate your station and your program.
Pastor Doug: Well, thank you so much, Mel. I appreciate your question and we'll send you a free copy of the Amazing Facts Bible study lesson if you like. It'll start you out on that course.
Mel: Okay.
Pastor Ross: The number to call is 800-835-6747. You can ask when they answer the phone just to enroll you in the free Amazing Facts Bible study guide series. And that's for anyone. The number to call is 800-835-6747, ask to enroll in the free Bible study series of the Amazing Facts. Our next caller is Lynn listening from Brooklyn, New York. Lynn, welcome to the program.
Lynn: Hello.
Pastor Doug: Hi, you're on the air.
Lynn: Pastor Doug, I appreciate you so so so very much, so very much. I had a thorn in my flesh for about 15 years, and then one Sunday I accidentally left my radio on, walked into the door and you was answering the question you don't know what a load you took off of my chest.
Pastor Doug: Well, praise the Lord, that's the word of God.
Lynn: My question is concerning members-- these fellowshiping members from the church, what is quite like-- I mean what's that all about and how is treating them like a tax collector, are you sure would bring them back in. I think that would shun them and throw them further back.
Pastor Doug: Well, I think when Jesus says and by the way that's Matthew 18, I think it's verse 17 when He says "If a person has been misbehaving in some way, they've accepted Jesus, they say they're a believer, but then they start to live like the world, they're they doing something that is very inconsistent with a Christian life." You go to them one on one first, if they don't listen individually to appeal, then you maybe take one other person as a witness. It says "if he refuses to hear the church, then you basically-- they're put off the membership and you treat them as a tax collector."
Tax collector didn't mean internal revenue, it meant like the lost. Treat them like they're no longer a member of the church. Tax collectors were considered the off scouring of society. That's just what they're saying, is that if you are a member of a church, it means something and it stands for something. If a person says "I love Jesus and I follow Jesus" but they're persisting in some form of sin and they're not repenting and turning from that, you appeal to them. But if they continue to rebel and to follow their course, they'll end up bringing reproach on the name of the Lord and you need to put them out of the church and treat them like they are no longer members.
And that's what he means when he says the tax collector. The publicans were just sort of out there and they're lost. I know that's difficult but membership means something. You notice in Acts two when people were baptized, they were added to the church. It means somebody actually recorded them because they counted exactly how many were baptized, someone was taking notes. If someone misbehaved, they were deducted. The Catholics use a big word called excommunicated and that's sort of a Latin term, but in effect, it means they're put out of the church.
Lynn: Okay.
Pastor Doug: Hey, I appreciate your question, Lynn, and we do have a book that talks about what it means to be part of the church and it's called The Bride of Christ: How Do You Identify the True Church?
Pastor Ross: The number to call for that is 800-835-6747, you can ask for the book. Actually, it's a study guide called The Bride of Christ. The number again is 800-835-6747. Ask for the study guide The Bride of Christ. And if you have a Bible question, the phone line here is 800-463-7297.
Pastor Doug: We're going to take a break in just a moment, but before we go to our mid-term announcements, I want to remind everybody that a very special program is going to begin this Friday evening. We're going to be up linking a live evangelist program 10-part called Prophecy Encounter from the Orlando Florida area. If you want more information on that, go right now prophecyencounter.com. We'll be back with questions in a moment.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug: We are back and ready to go to the phones, we do still have a couple of lines open. If you have a Bible question, this is Bible Answers Live the number here you go 800-463-7297, that will bring you to master control here in Sacramento, California. But we're going out on hundreds of stations around the country in satellite. My name is Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Ross: My name is John Ross. And pastor Doug, we're ready to go right back to the phone lines we have Olivia who is listening in LA. Olivia, welcome to the program.
Olivia: Hi.
Pastor Doug: Hi, thank you for waiting and I appreciate your call. You have a question tonight?
Olivia: Yes, my question is just how do we know what God wants us to do with our lives and how to do we know that what we're doing is what God's will for us?
Pastor Doug: Well, the first thing and pastor Ross might help me find this verse, Jesus said "If any man will do his will," it's the Gospel of John, "he will know the doctrine whether it be of God." So the first criteria in knowing the will of God is being perfectly willing to do the will of God. And once we do that-- you have that?
Pastor Ross: Yes, it's John 7:17.
Pastor Doug: "If any men will do his will, he will know. And if you're willing do to his will, then the next things are, you wait patiently, you look in the word of God." God-- He wants in all of us the basics we all know, God wants us to come to Jesus, to give our lives to Him, to obey Him as expressed-- to start with the 10 commandments and the laws of love. But he has a different plan for each person.
Now there's a promise, Olivia, you'll find in Jeremiah chapter 13 or 29 rather and verse 11 Jeremiah 29:11. God says, " I know the plans that I have for you, to give you a future and a hope." God says He's got good plans for each person. And then He says, "You'll search for me and you'll find me when you search for me with all your heart." Jesus said, "seek and you'll find," another way to know His will is to seek, to pray, to wait and then do the work that God has near you with all of your might.
Whatever is near at hand don't say, "Lord, I'm not going to do anything until I can go win souls in some foreign mission field" start working on your neighbors next door and then God-- he'll make it clear. Does that make sense?
Olivia: Yes. So just talk to God and just keep--?
Pastor Doug: Yes, pray. I've got a book I wrote that is exactly on this subject, Olivia, it's called How to Know the Will of God and I will be happy to send you a free copy. It goes through I think 12 steps, Bible steps, of how you can know the will of God. And it talks about prayer, seeking, getting Christian counsel, waiting, looking for providential openings and there's about a dozen steps there. Would you like a free copy of that?
Olivia: Yes, please. Thank you.
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Pastor Ross: The number to call is 800-835-6747, you can ask for the book called Determining The Will of God, we'll send that to you Olivia or anybody who calls. The number is 800-835-6747. Our next caller is George and he's listening from here in California. George, welcome to the program.
George: Thank you. First of all, I want to commend you on your job that you're doing.
Pastor Doug: Well, thank you. We were just having a-- we have a wonderful time doing it and it's a blessing.
George: My question is when Jesus comes back the second time, I know He does not touch the earth and the righteous dead that are buried will rise first, and then those which are righteous living will be gathered together. But when He does come back, the evil ones are destroyed by his brightness, true?
Pastor Doug: Yes and you can read about that, is that the wicked are destroyed by the brightness of the sun in Thessalonians? "We who are alive were caught up to meet him in the air," and that's in 1 Thessalonians chapter four.
And then if you read in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 talks about in the moment, in the twinkling of an eye, twinkle of an eye is quicker than a blink, we're transformed and we go from, the once who are alive, we go from our mortal bodies that we're wearing now and God gives us immortal glorified bodies. Because you don't flesh and blood these whole bodies that we've got cannot inherit the spiritual realms of heaven. He's going to give us a special spiritual glorified body much better than this one. But the real body, we still eat and drink and run and do things.
George: So that's where it says the ones that are alive will be changed?
Pastor Doug: That moment when the Lord comes after the resurrection, we're caught up to meet Him in the air and somewhere from the time, that's where you get the word rapture. We're raptured up, we're caught up, we're transformed and we get these glorified bodies.
Pastor Ross: We've got a study guide on the subject of the second coming. And a big part of that study guide is talking about what happens when Jesus comes with reference to the righteous, those who are living and caught up to meet Jesus in the air, and those who are resurrected when Jesus comes, and also what happens to the wicked. I think you'd find that very helpful. It's got a lot of Bible verses and some commonly asked questions in the back. And we'll send it to anybody for free, just call our resource phone number it's 800-835-6747 and ask for the study guide on the second coming called The Ultimate Deliverance.
Pastor Doug: And one last verse, I'm sorry go ahead George.
George: If you're still sinning when Jesus comes back, you'll be lost.
Pastor Doug: If a person's living and deliberate--
George: No sinning.
Pastor Doug: Yes, if a person's living in deliberate sin when the Lord comes they will be lost. I found another verse for you on specifically on your question. and that's in 1 Corinthians 15:51 it says, " for the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed," meaning we, those that are alive. So that's when the mortal puts on immortality, it's at the coming of the Lord. Anyway, we really appreciate your call, George, and the study guide pastor Ross recommended will also talk about the holy state we need to have when Jesus comes.
Pastor Ross: One more time the number is 800-835-6747, just call that number and ask for the study guide on the second coming called The Ultimate Deliverance. And for your Bible question the number to call is 800-463-7297, 800-463-7297, that will get your Bible question here to the studio and on the air. Our next caller is Caroline listening from New Jersey. Caroline welcome to the program.
Caroline: Good evening. I have a question, what is the difference between the second coming and the rapture?
Pastor Doug: That's a great question. First of all, the word rapture it simply means caught up. Now, there are two principle views on the second coming, the old traditional view which is what we espouse here, is that when the Lord comes and we are caught up to meet Him in the air, that it is not a secret, that it's very loud, it's audible, it's visible, it's earth shaking, that every eye will see him.
And then more recently in the last 80, 10 years, there was the idea of the secret rapture that was made very popular through the books, first by Hal Lindsey and then by the series of books that were done by Tim LaHaye, the Left Behind series which, of course, was a fiction series. He believes the secret rapture that the saint suddenly disappear and life goes on for another seven years during the tribulation.
People who believe, historically, believe that the tribulation happens just before Jesus comes and that's what Paul said it is through tribulation we enter the kingdom of God. So there's a time of trouble before Christ comes and that's why Jesus said, "he that endures to the end will be saved" endures this time of trouble. Those are the two principle views we hear at this radio program. We believe the historic view that when the Lord comes there are not seven more years for people during the tribulation to repent and get another chance, that when the Lord comes and the dead in Christ rise and we are caught up to meet Him in the air, that is the end of this time of trouble.
That's a very short condensed study on that, Caroline. And we have that lesson that Pastor Ross, I think, just told another caller about that you would really appreciate because it explains those two theories.
Pastor Ross: Yes. Again, the study guide is called The Ultimate Deliverance. And if you'd call for that, we'll be happy to send it to you. The number to call is 800-835-6747 and ask the study guide called The Ultimate Deliverance. Pastor Doug, Amazing Facts just recently released a magazine dealing with the second coming called The Day of the Lord. I don't think this is something we can give for free, but if anybody goes to the website at amazingfacts.org you can type in day of the Lord, and you can actually order one of those magazines. It's very in-depth, deals with a lot of scriptures dealing with the subject the second coming.
Pastor Doug: Beautifully illustrated, it's about probably 80 pages. It's a big magazine.
Pastor Ross: Yes, great resource. All right, our next caller. Thanks for your call. Next caller is Ernest Jean, listening from Detroit, Michigan. Ernest Jean, welcome to the program.
Ernest: Hi, how are?
Pastor Doug: Doing well, how are you?
Ernest: I'm okay. My question is in Isaiah 54:5, "For your creator would be your husband.The Lord [of hosts?] is His name. He is your Redeemer the Holy one or Isaac or is it Israel?
Pastor Doug: Israel, yes.
Ernest: The God of all the earth. What do that mean? Are they speaking of the Holy Spirit?
Pastor Doug: Well, you can read in the New Testament, is it the Ephesians, Pastor Ross, where it says, "Husbands love your wives even as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her." Throughout the Bible, God calls His church His bride. This is one of the Old Testament references to God saying "I love you like a husband loves his wife and I will provide for you and I will protect you, you are my nation." And every believer, it's not just for the church at large, every believer men and women, could look to the Lord as someone who loves us more than a husband, a good husband [chuckles], there are some bad ones out there. But He loves us more than a good husband loves his wife and would lay down his life for her.
Ernest: Actually, he's not only talking about the church, he's also talking about human--
Pastor Doug: An individual relationship. Yes but it's a spiritual-- Yes an individual relationship. It's a spiritual analogy that Jesus loves you more than a good husband would love his wife. And it's not just for women, it's for men too. I know it's harder for men to relate to, but we are-- the church is the bride of Christ. Not just the church at large, but individually, He loves us that much.
And when you get to Revelation, it talks about the church inside the New Jerusalem coming down as a bride adorned for her husband. Then the Bible ends by God is inviting us to the wedding supper of the lamb. The first miracle of Jesus was at a wedding to try and teach that message.
Ernest: Okay, now I got it. I kept wondering and wondering and wondering when am I going to figure this out. I woke up and here's the answer.
Pastor Doug: Well, praise the Lord. I'm glad that it made sense and it is a beautiful truth that the Lord loves us more than a husband loves his wife.
Pastor Ross: We have a study guide called The Bride of Christ, and it deals with the subject of the church. I think you'll really enjoy this Ernest Jean. Just give us a call in our resource phone number. The number is 800-835-6747, you can ask for the study guide called The Bride of Christ. Again, 800-835-6747. Our next caller is Bob and he is in College Place, Washington. Bob, welcome to the program.
Bob: Thank you. I want to add regarding the rapture, another good book for that lady would be Anything But Secret.
Pastor Doug: Well, that's right. Thank you very much. Yes and so if that caller who asked about the-- I think it was Caroline, asked about the rapture, that book, Anything But Secret, you can read that for free at the amazing facts website. I appreciate that reminder, Bob, and your question tonight?
Bob: I read that online. I had a question regarding the ministry-- about the 10 commandments being the ministry of death. I think that's in Romans and then 1 Corinthians it says that the strength of sin is the law.
Pastor Doug: Yes, what do you think that means? I'm just curious before I delve in.
Bob: I'm not sure. Someone was telling me-- I was telling them that we need to have the law of God in our hearts and mind. But she was [unintelligible 00:44:09] there, but she was saying, "Well, I don't want the source of sin in my heart." [crosstalk]
Pastor Doug: People misunderstand that. And obviously-- the elementary question you need to ask when people start talking that way is, do you believe God wants us to keep His law? You look at all the verses word Paul says the law is just and holy and good, and you look in Romans 2:13, Paul said, "it's not the hearers of the law that will be justified before God, but the doers of the law will be justified."
When Paul says by the law is the strength of sin, he simply is saying that the law shows us our sin. The law is very powerful in revealing our sin. We are not saved by the law but the law is an important medicine to help us need or recognize our need of Christ. It's the mirror that points us to Jesus. There's nothing wrong with the law, it's just we're not saved by the law, the law is to inform us of our need of salvation.
Anyone who says that they think those verses mean I don't want to think about the law because the law is the source of sin or something bad. No. The law is just the law, is holy, the law is good. And read Psalm 119. That's one of those longest chapter in the Bible, but it's all about the beauty of the law. We do have--
Bob: [crosstalk]
Pastor Doug: What's that?
Bob: Which means that it shows us?
Pastor Doug: Yes, well, it exactly, it reveals.
Pastor Ross: Yes, it defines. It reveals, it defines what sin is. Paul goes on to argue he would have never known covetousness unless the law said thy shalt not covet. Where there is no law, there is no transgression, therefore there is no sin. In that sense, the law does reveal sin but it's not a bad thing. If somebody is sick with a deadly disease and there is a cure, they need to know what the disease is in order for them to seek out the correct cure. That's really the function of the lawyers who reveal our sinful condition and then find Jesus with the solution. For He is-- we are saved by grace through the work He does.
Bob: Amen
Pastor Doug: I appreciate that, Bob. We do have a study guide that talks about Does God's Grace Blot Out the Law? It's actually booklets from a book. And you can probably read that online, or we'll send it to anyone that wants to better understand the relationship of grace and law. Very important subject for people to understand. I appreciate your call.
Pastor Ross: Again the number to call is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book called Does God's grace Blot out the Law? And we'll be happy to send that to anybody who calls and asks. Our next caller is Michael listening in Florida. Michael, welcome to the program.
Michael: Hi Pastor Doug, Pastor Ross.
Pastor Doug: Hi.
Michael: My question was I guess in regard to the Scripture-- I forgot the reference but it's when Jesus says that no man knows the date or the hour of His coming. And I just want to know because from what I understand, even from stuff like-- I was tuned to Amazing Facts, there are certain key events that happened here on Earth before Christ coming. The thing is, I'm just wondering when people sometimes they're just in a discussion or maybe internet media will say that "This event precedes Jesus' coming will definitely happen in this year, 2018 or 2017 or whatever." Is that a form of date setting? I'm not sure if that's fair to say.
Pastor Doug: Well, if they're talking about connecting the date with the second coming, yes it is and that's inappropriate. I think Pastor Ross may have that verse.
Pastor Ross: Yes, Matthew 25:13. Jesus said, "Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man comes."
Pastor Doug: Then I think there's another corresponding reference in Matthew 24, "No man knows that day or the hour." Nobody should be setting dates for Christ's coming and so far, I think I can say 100% of the people that have set dates, have been wrong [laughs]. It's probably not a good practice. It doesn't mean we can't know when there are signs that tell us when it's near because Jesus actually tells us when you see these things come to pass, know that it is near. He's telling us to look for kind of some of these general comprehensive signs that tell us His coming is near. But no one should set a date. No man knows the day or the hour.
Michael: Because it wasn't exactly setting a date for the actual advent of Christ, but just like setting, I guess, a date for the-- certain key events that will definitely happen.
Pastor Doug: They set a date for the close of probation and some of those other things.
Michael: Right.
Pastor Doug: Yes, I think we need to avoid that. The bottom line is what difference will that make if you believe the Lord is coming in a month, you're obviously going to be really excited and try and get ready but the Lord could come for anyone listening to my voice right now in 24 hours. We don't know that. And why would we play with eternity and wait like it's the day before your taxes are due and then you start doing your tax returns. We want to give ourselves 100% to the Lord now. Because no man does know the day or the hour. Hey, I appreciate your question, Michael, that's a good one.
Pastor Ross: Again, I think you'd enjoy reading the study guide on the second coming called The Ultimate Deliverance. And we'll send that to you or anyone, Michael, who calls and asks. The number is 800-835-6747. Next caller is Franklin. He is listening in Brooklyn, New York. Franklin, welcome back.
Franklin: Hello?
Pastor Doug: Yes Franklin, you're on the air.
Franklin: Yes, you said I should call back if I had another question because I spoke to you earlier.
Pastor Doug: We wanted to give you a chance. Thanks for your patience.
Franklin: Yes. Ham got the curse from Noah.
Pastor Doug: Yes, right in Genesis.
Franklin: He cursed his son and his descendants. Most of his descendants got destroyed, the Canaanites, they all got destroyed. Some of them went to different places like Kush, all these places in Africa. Is that they why there are all these diseases and everything and the people made each other slaves, different tribes have invaded other tribes, made them slaves and these things happen in Africa? Is that why, because of the descendants of Ham?
Pastor Doug: No, I don't think so. I think that when Noah pronounced a curse on Ham and Canaan, it was because they had been disrespectful. Noah made the mistake of-- he was drinking and he was stumbling around drunk and naked in his tent. Ham and his son came in, and instead of covering their father they made fun. They went out, they told others about it. Because of the disrespect for their father-- one commandment is honor your father and mother, God placed a curse on Ham.
When it talks about the descendants of Ham, it's not talking necessarily about blood descendants but anybody who shows disrespect for their parents. You gossip and say things about revealing some of the embarrassing things to put down your family, that was very disrespectful. Whereas Japheth and Sham, they went back and they covered their father, they showed respect and he said there's a blessing on them.
Now, through the course of history, there have been slaves of every race. I don't think that you can say that that curse had something to do with a lot of slavery that fell upon certain African races. Because the Canaanites, that the children of Israel fought with, were probably not the same group of people that you find that inhabited a lot of Africa. I think there was a difference there. At the Tower of Babel, long after the flood and the ark, everybody intermarried and scattered based upon who they could understand. It wasn't all based upon their ancestry. I appreciate your call, Franklin. Thank you.
Pastor Ross: Our next caller is Dan listening from Sula, Montana. Dan, welcome to the program.
Dan: Well, thank you. I was surprised that I got through on the number.
Pastor Doug: Yes. How can we help you? We'll try and get a couple of more calls in.
Dan: My question is in Genesis, it says that God created man out of the dust, and he breathe the breath of life into a living soul. That breath is either breath or a spirit. I'm just wondering is that spirit the same as the Holy Spirit? Or is the Holy Spirit yoked up to that spirit?
Pastor Doug: When it's talking about He breathed into man and he became a living soul, the Hebrew word there is Ruach and it means, it's breath, it's wind. It doesn't necessarily mean the Holy Spirit, but you can be sure the holy spirit came into him. It's more talking about the breath of life came into Adam. He was animated by the power of God's Spirit, and he became a living soul. The word breath there and wind, is used often for interchangeable with the spirit through the Bible. Hey, I appreciate your call. We do have a study guide called Are the Dead Really Dead? where it talks about the breath and the spirit. We'll send you a free copy of that.
Pastor Ross: The number to call is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the study guide called Are the Dead Really Dead? Let me see if we can get another call on here this evening. We have Joe listening from Ohio. Joe, welcome to the program.
Joe: Thank you. I have a question on adultery.
Pastor Doug: Yes. We got just a couple of minutes Joe, can we make it-- What's that now?
Joe: What does the Bible say about committing adultery once a Christian?
Pastor Doug: Well, you can read in Matthew chapter 5, Matthew chapter 19 and, of course, the 10 commandments that thou shall not commit adultery. You understand that adultery, which is a little different than fornication, fornication can be any kind of impurity or sex outside of marriage. Adultery is when the marriage vows have been violated because one of the two parties or both have made a marriage covenant. Am I answering what you're asking?
Joe: I just wanted to know if it is a forgivable sin?
Pastor Doug: Yes. The Bible says all men are-- Well, let's look in the Bible. King David committed adultery, and he prayed for forgiveness, and God forgave him. You've got Samson committed adultery, and the last act of his life was being filled by the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 11 indicates Samson's going to be in heaven. You've got-- and then King Solomon. You've got several people in the Bible that fell in that area that were later forgiven. You got the woman at the well in the New Testament, she had had five husbands and she was living with a man she wasn't married to. That would qualify as same category of sin. She was forgiven.
Joe: What I don't understand is the unforgivable sin. How can that be, I don't believe I have committed it, but how could you commit it?
Pastor Doug: Now, there is a sin that is called the unpardonable sin and it talks about that in the book of Matthew. I have a book I've written on that. It's called Beyond Mercy. Because we're running out of time, let me send you the book. Call the resource number 800-835-6747, and tell them you'd like to get the copy of the book on the unpardonable sin. It's called Beyond Mercy. Sorry to chase you off the air like that, Joe. We just-- you're getting chased by the clock.
For our listening friends, thank you so much. We do have a couple of important exciting announcements. Be sure to tune in this Friday to Prophecy Encounter. If you want to know about our national evangelistic program on prophecy, go to prophecyencounter.com. You stay tuned. Keep listening because God-willing, we'll study His word with you again next week.