BAL 2025, Ep07 - Why Did Adam Need a Savior but Lucifer Did Not ?

Jëan Ross: Hello, friends. How about an amazing fact? In the 16th century, Holland was ruled by Margaret of Austria, a woman renowned for intelligence and political skill. She was the daughter of emperor Maximilian I of the Holy Roman Empire, one of Europe's most powerful rulers at the time. As a ruler in an era filled with court intrigue, assassinations, and power struggles, Margaret was constantly on guard against betrayal, especially the threat of poisoning, which was a common method of assassination in those days. To protect herself, Margaret only drank from a beautiful goblet made of pure rock crystal. She believed in the widespread myth that the crystal would reveal poison by changing color.

However, fate had a different plan. One day as a servant handed her a drink, the goblet slipped from his hands and shattered on the stone floor. Although the pieces were carefully cleaned up, a tiny unnoticed shard found its way into Margaret's slipper. Over time, the small piece of sharp crystal embedded itself in her foot, leading to an unfortunate infection that caused gangrene. Despite the best efforts of her doctors, her condition worsened until the only hope was the amputation of her leg, and a deal from which she never recovered. In a strange twist of fate, the very crystal goblet that she had trusted to keep her safe became the cause of her death.

Just as Margaret depended upon a crystal goblet for protection, many people today put their trust in wealth, status, man-made traditions, yet these false assurances will ultimately fail. The Bible warns against placing trust in material possessions or in human wisdom. In Proverbs chapter 14, verse 12 we read, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end of it is the way of death." You know, Pastor Alden, we're living in a society today where people are looking at what's happening in the world around them, and they're wondering, "Where can I put my trust? Where can I find security? Is it in finances? Is it in possession? Is it in human power?" Well, the Bible says there's something better. We can trust the Word of God, right, 'cause the Bible reveals to us a Savior, and we can trust in Jesus. Matter of fact, the Bible tells us in Psalms 118, verse 8, "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." I think that's a pretty clear verse there, not to be putting our confidence in any man-made tradition or human, earthly power but put our trust in Jesus.

Friends, we do have a study guide that'll help you understand the power of the Word of God, which is to be our foundation, that is a free gift, and we'll offer it to anyone who calls and asks. How do they receive that free offer?

Alden Ho: Well, if you want this offer, the offer is called "Is There Anything Left You Can Trust?" And you can get it by calling 1-800-835-6747. If you happen to be driving and you can't juggle all those numbers, you can just hit #250 and you can ask for the offer "Is There Anything Left You Can Trust?" That's not a text, but that's an actual call that you're going to be calling in. For those who just tuned in, we have our number here if you'd like to call for asking a question. It's 1-800-463-7297.

Jëan: And my name is Jëan Ross. And?

Alden: Pastor Alden Ho.

Jëan: All right, Pastor Alden. As you can see, Pastor Doug is out of town today. But this is a live, interactive, international Bible study. So, friend, if you have a Bible question, it's a good time to pick up your phone and give us a call. We've got some Bible software programs here on our computer we can look up different Bible answers. We love talking about the Word of God. We like talking about the Christian life and faith. So, give us a call this evening. But before we go to the phone lines, we always like to start with a word of prayer.

Alden: That's right. Let's bow our heads. Father in heaven, we thank You for a wonderful day. Today we ask that You would guide and direct us as we go through some of these calls. Direct our thoughts and minds and lift us up closer to You. Be with those who are calling. Convict us of what we hear from the Bible because that is the only thing we can trust in these days. In Jesus's name we pray, amen.

Jëan: Amen. All right, who's our first caller this evening?

Alden: We have Janean. She's in North Carolina, and she actually has a very good question. And her question pertains to, well, can she actually stay home?

Jëan: Janean, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." You're on the air.

Janean: Well, my question is I'm handicapped and I haven't been into church for a while because I have one bad leg that really jumps, and I don't want to go to church and fall. Will I be saved if I don't go to church? I do watch church on the Hope Channel.

Jëan: Okay. Well, that is a good question. Do we have to go to church to be saved? Well, obviously, there's situations, like you explained, where we can't get out for sickness or handicap. Fortunately, we can still participate in worship through modern technology. At Granite Bay Church, one of the church--churches--well, the church that I pastor here, we have what we call online members. So, folks actually tune in every week, and they watch through the internet, and they participate as much as they can from a distance. So yes, there are situations where people can't actually get out to church. God understands. We can still worship Him in truth. We can still be faithful wherever we are. If possible, it's always nice and we encourage people to visit or at least try to get out as much as possible to participate in a local church in your area, but obviously because of health situations, maybe somebody is living too far away from a church and they can't get to the church, well, then you can participate through modern technology. So yes, God knows the heart. He understands the situation of each person. And yes, don't be worried that you won't be saved. No. God understands and God knows. Thank you, Janean. Who do we have next?

Alden: We have Glenn calling from Ohio. Glenn, he's got a question regarding two verses.

Jëan: Hi, Glenn. Welcome to "Bible Answers Live."

Glenn: Good evening and thank you for taking my call, pastors. And my two Scriptures is Isaiah chapter 60, all of it, and the Old Testament Scriptures, Zechariah chapter 8. They both start with an accolade to Jerusalem, and they end up talking about a massive movement of Gentiles to Jerusalem. My question is, is it possible that these two events could be the same prophetically?

Jëan: Okay. Yes, there is a connection. There is a theme that we see in the Old Testament, and then it's also paralleled in the New Testament. And that is in the Old Testament you have Israel representing the people of God, and then you have the Gentiles, those who have not made decision for the truth. They don't know the truth. And the purpose of God raising up Israel was to proclaim the truth. They were the recipients of his law, and they were to be a light unto the Gentiles, to shine forth the gospel of truth. And there was a remnant, as we know, that did receive Jesus as the Messiah and they came out of--well, they were literal Jews, but they became part of spiritual Israel or the church, and the gospel then goes to the Gentiles.

So, these passages of Scripture in particular that you talking about in Isaiah chapter 60, we don't have time to read through the whole chapter, and also Zechariah 8, it speaks of the Gentiles coming to Jerusalem, the ancient historical city of Jerusalem which existed in the time of Jesus. The temple, of course, in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD. And, of course, Jerusalem today is a type of the new Jerusalem that we read about. And the new Jerusalem is symbolic in two senses. One, it represents the people of God or represents the church and its people responding to the preaching of the gospel and they coming and being a part of God's spiritual Jerusalem, God's spiritual temple. But there is a new Jerusalem that the Bible speaks of. And when the earth is made new, in Revelation chapter 21 it talks about the new Jerusalem coming down from heaven. It speaks of all the nations gathering and coming into the new Jerusalem, coming to worship God. So, it's got a prophetic application as well. It's got the symbolic meaning, meaning the new Jerusalem or the--Jerusalem the church, and then it has this prophetic fulfillment that happens at the end of time when all things are made new.

Alden: Pastor Jëan, don't we have a pocketbook on that? That's "Spiritual Israel."

Jëan: We do. That is a great read that I think deals with a number of these passages of Scripture that people have. And how do they get that book?

Alden: So, if you'd like to get that book called "Spiritual Israel" you can call the number 1-800-835-6747 and ask for that book "Spiritual Israel." And speaking of Jerusalem, Andrew's here with--from Kansas and he's got a question about city or country living.

Jëan: Hi, Andrew. Welcome to "Bible Answers Live."

Andrew: Hello. Yeah, my question is, where do we find in the Bible that we're supposed to head out to--head out of the cities in--at--you know, at the end times?

Jëan: Okay. Well, you know, the Bible does make it clear that in the end time God's people are going to face persecution. First of all, you're not going to be able to buy and sell. God does promise to be with these people, and He will direct. Cities are probably one of the first things that are going to face judgment. Even now when there's political unrest, it usually centers in the cities, especially as we reach the end of time. And there's an increase of strife, judgments are coming. Eventually you read in Revelation, talks about the seven last plagues falling upon cities and upon entire nations. You want to be in the country. And throughout history when God's people face persecution, they would often flee from the cities to a more remote area. During the 1,260 years of papal supremacy you had groups like the Waldensians who found safety in the mountains of Northern Italy. Jesus said when they persecute you in one city, then flee to the next. And so, as we near the end of time, I think God's going to be leading, and we want to start removing ourselves especially from these big, dense cities. Even now I don't think you want to be in Downtown L.A. or San Francisco or New York City and try and raise a family. There is so much crime and conflict and issues that are taking place in our cities. Now, there's still a work to do. We got to reach people in the city. And so, some are called to preach and teach, share the gospel even in large cities, but it's pretty clear from Scripture that as we near the end, the safest place is going to be in the more rural country type areas.

Alden: You know, my mind goes to the verse that Jesus was talking about in Matthew 24, verse 15. "Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place," and then verse 16 is the key, "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." And we have a pocketbook on that too that's called "The Abomination of Desolation."

Jëan: Okay. So, there are some prophetic signs that the Bible gives us.

Alden: There is.

Jëan: And in particular, the abomination of desolation. Now, that is a historical application, refers to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD by the Romans. But like many of these symbols, it also has a future prophetic application even to our time. So, you want to get that, friends. It's called "The Abomination of Desolation." One of the Amazing Facts' pocketbooks, and it's free. As they say, the price is right. What do you have to do to get the book?

Alden: And it's on the screen right now. If you call 1-800-835-6747, ask for "The Abomination of Desolation," and we'll be glad to send that to you. We have Lena in Florida, first-time caller, and she's got a question here regarding her faith and how she--how you live today.

Jëan: Hi, Lena. Welcome to "Bible Answers Live." You're on the air.

Lena: Thank you. My husband and I had seven children. He's since passed in 2021. And my children are faced daily with the burden of the economy, the way it is and everything, and I worry that I--when they talk to me and I fall short of giving them, like, a Christian answer. And I watched the Doug Batchelor program on the Holy Spirit today. And I don't want to lose my chance with having possibly the Holy Spirit come to me. I feel like I'm just hanging on by the grace of God, but I want to be faithful and talk to my children, but I don't know how to do without turning back to sin. You know, I'm not saying anything bad, but—

Jëan: Yeah, so basically you're asking, how can we live a Christian life and be a witness to our family even in the midst of a very sinful world? Well, first of all, you want to begin by making sure that your heart is right with God, and you do that by coming before Him with a spirit of repentance. The Bible says if we confess our sins, 1 John 1:9, He's faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all our unrighteousness. So, we need to believe that if we come to God and we say, "Lord, please forgive me," that He will. Then we also need to ask for the Holy Spirit. And Jesus says, "How much more your heavenly Father is willing to give the Holy Spirit to those that ask Him."

So, we need to ask and say, "Lord, I can't live the Christian life without the help of the Holy Spirit." Don't wait for some kind of feeling because the Bible says we are to walk by faith, not by sight. So that means that we claim the promises of God, we believe that God is doing a work within us. Even though we might not feel it right then and there, we are trusting that God is in control.

You know, there's an interesting picture that you see in Scripture where it describes God as the potter, and we are the clay. And the one who molds the clay is the potter. And so, when we give our hearts to Jesus, we need to trust that He is molding our characters, He is transforming us. Sometimes we can't even see it, but we are to trust that He will finish the work that He has started. Don't get discouraged though, Leanne, if you stumble and fall. And God is on your side. He wants to save you. Just come back to Him and say, "Lord, please forgive me." Claim the promises.

What can we do to influence those around us, especially our children? Well, first of all, we can be an example. So, we can have a life of faith, trusting in the Lord, holding on to Him. We can speak or share with others, with our family, our faith, as the opportunities open up. I mean, if they don't want to hear, you can't push it on them, but you can also pray. So, you can live a life, you can share where you can, and you can pray for them, asking that the Lord would guide in their hearts and lives and bring them to a point of realizing their need of Jesus. So those are the things we want to do. And, you know, living the Christian life is the work of a lifetime. You know, we step forward and we stumble. We just got to get right back up and say, "Lord, please forgive me," and press on, trusting in the Lord. Sometimes Christians are living a life, their Christian life, and they're so filled with fear and anxiety and worried, "Well, am I saved? Am I doing the right thing?" Just commit your heart to Jesus and trust in Him, right, and then be faithful each and every day.

You know, we do have a book. It's talking about life in the spirit. Talks about the Holy Spirit, you know, how we can have assurance in our Christian experience. Actually, we have a book called "Assurance:" as well, "Justification Made Simple." So "Life in the Spirit" and the book "Assurance: Justification Made Simple." Both of them are excellent reads filled with wonderful Bible promises. And, Leanne, you would be blessed to read that. Just call and ask. And for anyone, you can call and ask for those two books, "Life in the Spirits--in the Spirit" and "Assurance: Justification Made Simple."

Alden: You know, the other thing I was thinking of too is that children are actually watching mom. And so, if you display your faith and you have morning worships with your children, that's very important for them to be able to see that you actually practice what you profess to believe and what you're trying to talk about. And that's very needed for their own faith as well.

Jëan: Yeah, they want to see faith in action, right—

Alden: Exactly.

Jëan: As a witness. Well, thank you, Leanne, for your question. Good question. Who do we have next?

Alden: We have Anna from Oregon, and she's got a question regarding justification and salvation. Welcome, Anna.

Jëan: Hi, Anna. You're on the air.

Anna: Hi. Evening, pastors. So, I've heard a bunch of different pastors and preachers talk about justification, I guess sanctification, and salvation. I don't know if those are the same thing, but I was wondering if you could maybe clear it up for me.

Jëan: Absolutely. So, there are three terms that is often used with reference to salvation. So, salvation would be the big umbrella, salvation or redemption, and it's divided up into three parts. The first is what we call justification, the second is sanctification, and the third is glorification. Now, each of them have a different function, a different work. So, justification occurs when we come to Jesus and we confess our sins, just like 1 John 1, verse 9, the verse I just quoted. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us. The famous passage in Scripture, John 3:16 says if we believe in Jesus, that's justification. That's where God accepts us just as if we have never sinned. We are clothed with Christ's robe of righteousness. All of our sins are cleansed and the righteous of Jesus is accredited to our account. So, we are justified. Another way of thinking of justification is freedom from the penalty of sin. The Bible says the wages of sin is death, but if we receive Jesus, and He is our substitute, our sacrifice, we are freed from the penalty of sin, which is death, and we can have hope and we can trust in a glorious future of eternal life.

But in addition to justification, there is something the Bible refers to as sanctification. When you receive Jesus as your personal Savior, the Holy Spirit now begins to work within your heart and within your life. The things you once loved you don't love so much anymore and the things you weren't interested in, the spiritual things, suddenly there is a growing desire to learn more. You want to know more about Jesus. And the sins that before you probably didn't think too much about, but now when you sin you feel bad and you say, "Lord, please forgive me." And that's evidence that the Holy Spirit is working upon your heart, and the Holy Spirit is beginning to do a work of transformation or changing us from the inside out. So, sanctification is freedom from the power of sin.

Justification, freedom from the penalty, and then sanctification is freedom from the power of sin in our lives and in the world even today. But we are still living in a sin-polluted environment. There is pain, and suffering, and sorrow, and death in this world today. And so the ultimate reward for the redeemed is when all things are made new. That is freedom from the penalty or the presence, I should say, the presence of sin, and that's glorification. That happens when Jesus comes the second time. These mortal bodies put on immortality, and one day Jesus will make all things new, a new heavens and a new earth as we read about in Revelation chapter 21.

So, justification is the freedom of the penalty of sin, sanctification is freedom from the power of sin, and glorification is freedom from the presence of sin. So that's an easy way to think of it. We do have a book called "Justification--" Or "Assurance: Justification Made Simple." We also have another book that I just thought of right now. It's called "Three Steps to Heaven." It talks about justification, sanctification, glorification. You might want to call and ask for that. And what's the number?

Alden: You can call 1-800-835-6747 and ask for those books. You know, one of the things I was thinking about when it comes to this is many religions believe that when you accept Christ, you're saved at that moment and you just jump from justification to waiting for the Lord to return, glorification, but they miss that long road in the middle, which actually Jesus talked about in Matthew 25 with the virgins.

Jëan: That's right. Well, you know, when we receive Jesus we're not immediately transported to heaven. We still have to live in a world of sin. Our characters don't change overnight. That sinful inclination is still there even after we receive Jesus. And we want to live a victorious life. We need to gain victory. And so that's sanctification that begins to work within us. All right, thank you. Who do we have next?

Alden: We have Anthony in New York. Anthony is asking a question about marriage here.

Jëan: Hi, Anthony. Welcome to "Bible Answers Live." You're on the air.

Anthony: Yes. Hello. Good evening, pastors. My question is a very sensitive topic, but I think it's very important, especially in this day in which we're living. I know that God hates divorce and, you know, I--but I do see in Matthew chapter 19, starting in verse 8 where it talks about--well, yeah, around that area where it talks about Moses allowing divorce because of the hardness of our hearts. And--but the Bible--God does make it very clear that it's only as a matter of adultery that He condones divorce and separation. So, my question is specifically though as it pertains to abuse, physical, emotional, verbal abuse, things like that. What does the Bible have to say about how God wants us to handle abuse in a marital relationship?

Jëan: Okay.

Anthony: Especially when there's children involved.

Jëan: Yes, that's a good question. Of course, we live in a world of sin, and sin affects every area of our lives, including relationships. And it's especially difficult when in a marriage you have a believer and somebody who's not a believer or maybe you have different conflicts of personalities and people are facing abuse. First of all, if somebody is in a situation where they're facing physical abuse, you probably want to remove yourself from that situation. Of course, there is verbal abuse that somebody can give you and so on and so forth. That doesn't necessarily mean that you get divorced right away. There are situations where separation might be needed, where you need to take a break and maybe you do need to seek some counseling and speak to the pastor if it's two believers. And you want to find a Christian counselor to kind of help you in that situation. The divorce is not the first option.

There are other options. First, separation. You want to make sure that you're safe and you want to make sure your children are safe, especially if it's a very physically abusive situation, and they are suffering. So, we want to be aware of that. And then maybe seek the guidance of a trusted Christian counselor or a pastor and pray for guidance. Say, "Lord, what would be the right steps?" You don't want to rush to divorce, but you do want to make sure that you are in a safe environment first, and then begin to dialogue and discuss. Ultimately, you know, God is able to change the heart if two people are willing. I've seen miracles in my ministry in counseling many people, many couples. And if there is a willingness and a humbling of the heart, God can transform somebody's life. It's amazing what can happen. But that's where you need to kind of pray for guidance and seek some counsel and some guidance from some Christian counselor. So yeah, that is a difficult situation, but there is hope.

Alden: Also if you go to--if you actually attend church, Anthony, maybe talk to the pastor and get some counseling with the pastor, not just you but also with your wife too. But we have a pocketbook on this called "The Bible on Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage." And you can get that book if you call 1-800-835-6747. And thank you for the call, Anthony.

Jëan: That is a great resource, just to add. That's a fairly newer book, "Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage," and it gives all the Scriptures there and gives the additional details. Thank you, Anthony. Who do we have next?

Alden: We have Ryan in New Mexico and he's got a question in regards to the name Yahweh.

Jëan: Hi, Ryan. Welcome to "Bible Answers Live."

Ryan: How are you doing tonight, guys?

Jëan: We're doing great. Thanks for calling.

Ryan: Well, my question is, is Jesus Yahweh? And when I say Yahweh I'm talking about, you know, they changed the name over 6,000 times, you know, out of tradition, out of man-made tradition to the LORD, all capitals, or GOD, all capitals, but the original said Yahweh. And I'm just wondering, is Jesus Yahweh?

Jëan: Okay. Well, a good question. Well, first of all, about the word Yahweh, we're not exactly sure of the pronunciation, and here's why. In the Hebrew Old Testament when it came to the name of God, they didn't put down the vowels. They had the consonants, but the vowels, it was such a sacred name that they didn't spell it out fully. So, the best we could tell, it's possibly connected to Yahweh, would be a good--at least a best understanding that we have of that. Is the name Yahweh referring to Jesus? I think it is, and here's why. When Moses appeared--well, God appeared to Moses at the burning bush, and Moses said, "Well, what's Your name?" God said, "I Am that I Am." And that's sort of this name given of God. Jesus in the New Testament refers to Himself and says, "I Am." Refers to Himself as before Moses was, before Abraham, "I Am." So that name is associated with Jesus. Lord, Yahweh, Jehovah, there's different pronunciations of that, but it's a name referring to God. And in the Old Testament, yes, Jesus used that name as well. So, I think that's pretty clear from Scripture.

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Jëan: Hello, friends. Welcome back. This is "Bible Answers Live," a live, interactive, international Bible study. Pastor Doug is out of town this evening, but my name is Jëan Ross. And joining me is Pastor Alden. Yes. Thank you, Pastor Alden. It's been a while since last you were here, but we are glad you are here. You know, we were just talking to a caller, the previous caller before the break, about the names of God, and he asked specifically about Yahweh and Jehovah that we find. We have a book.

Alden: It's called "The Name of God." And you can get that book if you call 1-800-835-6747 and ask for that book "The Name of God." We have David from Virginia. He's got a question about the Sabbath.

Jëan: Hi, David. Welcome to "Bible Answers Live." You're on the air.

David: Hello, pastors. Happy to be here.

Jëan: Yeah, thanks for calling.

David: So, my question is--so I'm 18 and my grandfather is a Southern Baptist pastor. And me and my family, my--with my dad, you know, we started keeping the Sabbath. And I'd like to know what would be the best way to share with him about the Sabbath. You know, it's solemnity that we are to still keep it even after, you know, Jesus, you know, was resurrected.

Jëan: Yes, yes. Good question. Yes, how do we share the truth specifically about the Sabbath? And so, you talking about sharing the truth with others who are Christians, who are already members of a church. Well, there's several things. First of all, you want to be the best example that you can be. So, first of all, by keeping the Sabbath, you setting an example, that often will raise questions, where someone will ask and say, "Well, that's a little odd. You know, why are you keeping the Sabbath? I thought that was done away with." And that does give you an opportunity to share, as you faithfully keep the Sabbath. If the person is open to learning more, you can maybe share with them some resources. And Amazing Facts has some wonderful resources. There is a website that Amazing Facts has called sabbathtruth.com. Just sabbathtruth.com. It's got all the Scriptures there. It's got some wonderful resources. It's got some video content. You can even share a YouTube video if your grandfather is open to watching something on that. There is a lot of excellent information on that subject of the Sabbath.

And, you know, there are many Christians from different denominations that are beginning to discover the truths of the Sabbath. It--as if there's a revival of folks realizing, "Well, the Ten Commandments are still ten, not nine. So why do we ignore the fourth commandment? How does that apply to our life?" So by your own example you want to do the best you can, when opportunity arises you want to be able to give a passage of Scripture to help support the truth, and then if they willing, share resources, whether that is a piece of literature or maybe directing to a video that they can watch that'll give more information. So blessings, David, in your work of sharing our Bible truth.

Alden: David, I would encourage you, call in to the number 1-800-835-6747 and ask for the book "Why God Said Remember." There's a reason why He said remember, because He knew we would forget.

Jëan: That's right. And that's a great resource.

Alden: All right, we have Carol in California. She's got a question regarding good and evil. Carol, you there?

Carol: Yes, I'm here. Good evening, pastors. Thank you for taking my call. Hello.

Jëan: Welcome. Yeah, thanks for calling.

Carol: Yes. I have been struggling about this and I just want to have a better understanding between good and evil. Where do we draw the line between good and evil, or in other words, what is the determining factor between good and evil?

Jëan: So good question. Often we face choices and we trying to decide, "Well, what's the right path? What's the right decision for me to make in this case?" The first thing you want to do is look at the principle. So, does that principle line up with Scripture? If the principle conflicts with one of the commandments, if it is a principle that contradicts the Scriptures, well, then the answer is pretty clear. You know, the Bible says, "To the law and to the testimony," this is Isaiah, "if they speak not according to this, there is no light in them." So, any teaching, any idea, any decision that needs to be made, it needs to first of all be in harmony with Scripture, but there are many decisions that are in harmony with the principles of Scripture and we still not quite sure which way to go.

The second step is then to seek Christian counsel. So, if there are Christians maybe in your church or family, it's wise to say, "You know, here's the situation I'm facing. What do you think? What guidance can you give me?" And be open to listen to different thoughts that people might have. Of course, make it a matter of prayer and pray and say, "Lord, I want to do what's right. I don't want to fall into the trap of making a bad decision, so please guide." And then pray that He would open and close doors according to His providence. So, God is able to close doors, He's able to open doors, He's able to guide us. And then trust His leading. So those would be the principles you want to follow. You want to make sure the principles are correct, lined up with Scripture. Seek the guidance of godly people. Pray. Make it a matter of prayer, and then pray that God would open and close doors according to His will. So those are the steps you want to follow. We do have a book. It's called "Determining the Will of God" and it outlines these principles and gives more details on that.

Alden: Wonderful. You can get that, Carol, if you call 1-800-835-6747 and ask for that book. We also have now Mary also in California. She's got a question about Matthew 21. Mary.

Mary: Yes. What does it mean to be broken on the rock, was Christ?

Jëan: Okay. Yes, let me read the verse. I think you're referring to Matthew 21, verse 44. And you know what? Maybe I will just read the verse. Let me start in verse 42 for those who might be driving and get the context of the question. "Jesus said to them, 'Have you never read the Scriptures: "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes." Therefore, I say unto you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.'" And He's talking to the religious leaders here. "And whoever falls upon this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."

This is a great prophecy. But let me just back up a little bit. Jesus talks about the stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. There's a little story connected with this. In the building of the temple, in Solomon's temple, you remember the story in Scripture, all of the stones that were used in the construction of Solomon's temple were actually--they were quarried off-site. So, they got the dimensions, and they dug the stone or carved out the stone. And they had it made so it would fit perfect, so it could just slide it into place when it actually came to the construction of the temple. There was a very important cornerstone that would bear a lot of weight, and it was sent from the quarry to the actual building site where they were going to build the temple. And at first people didn't quite know what the stone was for. It didn't seem to fit in anything that they were working on at the moment. So, they kind of just set it off to the side. It was a bit of a stumbling stone. It was kind of in the way. But when it came time to put in a cornerstone, this chief cornerstone, they were looking around for the right stone that had extra strength and the right angle and the cut, and it was that stumbling stone, but it fit just perfectly. And that kind of became the chief cornerstone, and it's a symbol of Christ.

The church is to be built on Jesus the chief cornerstone. And so that's what Christ is referring to there. But then in verse 44, more specifically on your question, Jesus said, "Whoever falls upon this stone will be broken; but on whom it falls, it'll grind him to powder." The stone there is a reference to Christ. If we fall upon Jesus and we confess our sins and we humble our hearts, yes, we will be broken, but we will be healed, we'll be made whole, we'll be restored, but if we reject and we rebel against Christ, it talks about a stone falling upon us and grinding us to powder. Now, that imagery comes from Daniel chapter 2. In Daniel chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar has a dream, and he sees this image with all these different metals, and then a stone comes and strikes the image upon its feet and grinds the metals to powder, and the wind blows it away, and the stone grows and becomes a great mountain that fills the whole earth. That stone striking the image represents the second coming of Christ. So, when Jesus says: whoever the stone falls upon it'll grind him to powder, that is a reference to Daniel chapter 2 and it's a reference to judgment that is coming upon those who reject, those who refuse to humble their hearts and come to Jesus for salvation. It's a great study. There's a lot more we can say about it, but that's sort of caps, I think, these key questions.

Alden: Don't we have the magazine "Daniel and Revelation?"

Jëan: We do have a--that's right. We have a magazine that talks about Daniel chapter 2 and the stone cutter without hands.

Alden: Right. And that's called the "Daniel and Revelation" magazine. You can get that magazine if you call 1-800-867-8--sorry. 835-6747. Chris has got a question about taxes in Texas.

Jëan: Okay. Hey, Chris. Welcome to "Bible Answers Live."

Chris: Thank you. So, my question refers to taxes and tithes.

Jëan: Okay.

Chris: Should I be adding the tithe receipt that I get from my church to that? And then when I get my tax return, do I pay a tithe on my actual tax return as well?

Jëan: Okay. Well, a good question. The receipt that you get from your church--your donations to the church is actually tax-deductible, and that's why you get a receipt that comes from the church. There are laws in the United States. It's not in all countries, but the United States does have certain laws that any charitable donation which includes to a church is tax-deductible. So you can remove from your taxes that portion. Do you pay taxes on your tax returns if funds come back to you? Typically not because usually you pay tax--you pay your tithe at the beginning of your income. When you receive your paycheck you want to pay your tax right--I mean, you want to pay your tithe. You want to pay your tithe right away. Usually your employee will withhold taxes. So usually if you paying on the gross on everything, you've already technically paid tithe on your taxes, and then the return has already been taxed. If you don't pay on your taxes, then yes, you'd want to pay a tax--tax. You want to pay a tithe, excuse me, on your tax return. So hopefully that helps, Chris. Yes.

Alden: It's a good thing you didn't talk about Texas too because Texas and taxes would be—

Jëan: Yeah, that would be fun. Do you pay taxes in Texas? Do you pay state tax? I know some states you don't have to.

Alden: No state income tax.

Jëan: Okay.

Alden: That was the blessing about being there.

Jëan: Yeah, all right.

Alden: But yeah.

Jëan: That's not the case in California.

Alden: Not the case. There's taxes on everything, even the air you breathe.

Jëan: That's right.

Alden: Phyllis. We have Phyllis, first-time caller. Phyllis in Arizona. Are you there, Phyllis? Thanks for calling.

Phyllis: Yes, I am. Thank you. My question tonight is in the Gospel of John 14 chapter, 3. Jesus said, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Me--un--receive you unto Myself; that where I Am, there ye may be also." My question, just curiosity, why did Jesus say if? When I say if, well, then I might do something and I might not. But Jesus said if.

Jëan: Okay. Good question. The if in the verse applies to the previous statement. For example, if you read in verse 1, He says, "Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house there are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." In other words, Jesus is saying to His disciples, "If you believe in the Father, then you need to believe that I'm going to go and prepare a place for you. If you don't believe in the Father, well, I'm not going to prepare a place for you." Remember the preparation of the place in heaven is for the saved. It's for those who believe in Jesus, those who believe in God or believe in the Father. So if we believe in God, we have the promise that He will prepare a place for us. If we don't believe in God, then there is no place prepared for us in heaven. Does that help, Phyllis?

Phyllis: Yes. I absolutely believe what the Bible says, but I guess it was just out of curiosity. I wonder why He said if. Yeah.

Jëan: The if is for those who believe. If they don't believe, they won't have a place. If they do believe, they will have a place.

Phyllis: Okay, okay. And also, if you have information on why we shouldn't eat pork.

Jëan: Okay. Well, we—

Phyllis: Because I have several people that, "No, I don't eat pork," and they wonder why.

Jëan: They wonder why. All right, good question. Well, we do have some material. It's called "God's Free Health Plan." It's one of our Amazing Facts' study guides. We also have a book, I think, that's entitled, at least it was, "Death in the Kitchen." It's kind of got an intriguing title. Talks about food. Now, of course, you know, pork is probably one of the most unhealthy meats that one could eat. The Bible in the Old Testament and also in the New Testament refers to unclean foods, and pork would fall into that category. Pigs are unclean. And the biblical principle for a clean meat or an unclean meat has to do with whether the animal has cloven hooves, divided hooves, and chews the cud. So, a cow or a sheep, they have divided hooves, they chew the cud, but a pig does not chew the cud, even though it might have a cloven hoof. Camels chew the cud, but they don't have a hoof, so they're unclean. And then there are also principles applying to the fish as well. But call and ask for that study guide. It's called "God's Free Health Plan." It'll put all the verses there and provide some additional information.

Alden: And that whole scenario of what you can eat and can't eat is found in Leviticus 11, in case you haven't read that before. You can always get them to refer to that. So, thank you for your call, Phyllis. Paul in South Dakota has a good question regarding Bible study and becoming a member, but yet living a certain way.

Jëan: Hey, Paul. Welcome to "Bible Answers Live."

Paul: Yes. Thank you, brothers. God bless you. So my scenario that I've thought in my mind is if a man and a woman are living together and they decide they want Bible studies, and they come to your church or contact you somehow, and you set up, you know, a time for them to study with, and during the course of the studies you find out that they're not married and that they're in an intimate relationship. Would they be able to be baptized at the end of the studies?

Jëan: Okay. Well, that's a good question. That's a real-life situation that I have faced in my ministry, and I'm sure Pastor Alden has faced that too. If we meet with someone or a couple and we do Bible studies with them, during the Bible study it becomes pretty clear what God's ideal is, and God's ideal is for marriage. So, if two people are living together and they're not married, well, then they need to get married. So, there have been times in the work that I've been doing where I have married, you know, a man and a woman and baptized them. Married them one day and baptized them a week later. So, we want to make sure that we do everything we can before we are baptized to set our lives in water. Doesn't mean we perfect, but the clear principles of faith we want to embrace, we want to be faithful. And so, it's important for a person to first work that out before they are baptized. And that's usually the path that we follow.

Alden: And we have lesson number five in our Bible study guide called "Keys For a Happy Marriage," and that would be very helpful to pass on to them as you're studying with them as well. And let's see. We have Rachel in Arizona talking about the Ark of the Covenant. Rachel, are you there?

Rachel: Thank you. So, my question is, does Bible Scripture disclose the location of the Ark of the Covenant?

Jëan: Okay. It doesn't clearly tell us where the ark is. It would kind of be nice if it did because we could go find it, but it's--from just the historical account, the Ark of the Covenant was removed from the temple in Jerusalem most likely by Jeremiah the prophet before the Babylonian captivity. And that occurred around 600 BC, 600 years Before Christ. So, Jeremiah knew that the Babylonians were coming, Nebuchadnezzar was coming. He knew that the city would eventually fall. He prophesized about that event. He was in Jerusalem during that time period and when Jerusalem actually did fall. So, it's quite possible that Jeremiah and some of the other priests, knowing that the city was going to fall, they hid the Ark of the Covenant in one of the many caves around Jerusalem. And it's still there today.

Now, after the 7 years of Babylonian captivity when the Jews came back from Babylon and they started to rebuild the temple, it was a time of instability, there was political unrest by the nations around them, and they didn't feel, at least at first, to bring the temple back--or bring the ark back into the temple. It could very well be that some who hid it at that point had forgotten where it was, they didn't know where it was. But after the Babylonian captivity, the Ark of the Covenant never made it back in the temple. Even in the time of Christ the Ark of the Covenant was not in the most holy place of the temple. And it's still hidden somewhere today. And hopefully they will find it before the end of time, before Jesus comes. It would be kind of neat to see the Ark of the Covenant. That will be the biggest archaeological discovery of all.

Alden: We're told that it could be discovered, right?

Jëan: It seems that way, yeah. The Bible seems--not a clear statement, but it seems to indicate that yeah, there's a possibility that the law will be revealed.

Alden: Hollywood's made a lot of movies on that too.

Jëan: I know. It's a big thing.

Alden: But God has—

Jëan: So it's not in Ethiopia, in case you've heard people say that. No. It is somewhere in the vicinity of Jerusalem, hidden in one of those caves.

Alden: We have Aaron in California, and he's got a really good question. Aaron, you're there?

Aaron: Yes. Can you hear me?

Jëan: Yeah. Welcome to the program, and your question.

Aaron: Yes. So, my question is, to make it pretty quick, when Lucifer was in heaven, right, he did certain things that to--that literally went against God, and God literally bore along with Lucifer. Why was it that when Lucifer sinned that he didn't need a Savior in comparison to when Adam sinned? If Adam had went to Jesus and said, "God, I'm sorry," that wouldn't be enough because his character was mauled or, you know, diminished. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, right? So why didn't Lucifer--why would it be that Lucifer would have just gotten a free pass back into heaven if he sincerely repented while he was there, but Adam needed a Savior?

Jëan: All right. Good question. Now, Revelation chapter 12 talks about a war in heaven. So, we know that Lucifer, one of the covering cherubs, began to covet God's position. I'm sure there were conversations that took place, some very important conversations in heaven where God the Father set forth the proper possession of His Son Jesus. And, you know, Jesus is the Creator. He is worthy of worship. And I'm sure the angels spoke to Lucifer and there was this pleading going on for a period of time, but at some point Lucifer hardened his heart, and he passed the point of no return. There probably was a period of time where maybe he wasn't fully rebellious, maybe he was questioning things and had he repented of that he could have been reinstated in heaven. Of course, in the case of Adam and Eve it's different. When they sinned, Jesus stepped in as a substitute for them. Lucifer rebelled in the full light of the glory of God, whereas Adam and Eve didn't have that same understanding, that same exposure to God's glory as Lucifer did in heaven. We don't know how long Lucifer was in heaven before the rebellion took place. But God being a God of love, said, "I have a plan of redemption to save mankind." So how long would that door of opportunity have remained open in heaven for Lucifer to say, "I'm sorry?" The Bible doesn't say, but very clearly now he has passed that point. There is no sacrifice for Lucifer and for the fallen angels.

Alden: You know, I was thinking too about this, because Adam, if you read Ephesians 6, talks about he is blood and he is flesh, where Lucifer is spiritual being. Totally different separation from that.

Jëan: Good question. Thank you, Aaron. Who do we have next?

Alden: We have Gus in Idaho, and Gus has got a question regarding Matthew.

Gus: Thank you. I enjoy your guys' program. I listen every Sunday. I'm a truck driver. And I finally got through after I don't know how many attempts, but—

Jëan: Thanks for being persistent.

Gus: It must be the Lord's will. It must be the Lord's will because I've been carrying this burden that I don't know, it's just been--it's been tearing me apart. So, my question is in Matthew 19:9 when the Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus in regards to the question of marriage and divorce. And I know that you had another caller, I believe, earlier touch on that, but not in detail like I want to. But--and I'm not--I don't want to bash anybody, but there's another Bible answer program that's a couple of slots ahead of you guys on Sirius 131 FM. And I called in I think a week ago to ask a different question. And anyway, to make a long story short, this gentleman reached back out to me to do a Bible study, and we did. And he was asking about my marriage, and I told him--well, he asked me if it was my first marriage and my wife's first marriage, and I told him no, it was my first marriage and my wife's second marriage. And he asked why my wife had divorced, and I explained to him that her ex-husband was a heavy drug user and didn't want to seek help, and my wife did everything she possibly could to save the marriage, but it was not savable. But anyway, me and my wife have been married for 25 years. We have three beautiful daughters. This particular gentleman told me that our marriage is an adulterous marriage and not valid in the eyes of God, and therefore I'm living in adultery with my wife, and I must divorce her in order to enter into the kingdom of God.

Jëan: Well, first of all, Gus, yeah, thank you for calling. And probably the verse he's referring to is if somebody puts away a wife and there's no biblical grounds for that, and she marries another, the person who marries her is guilty of committing adultery. However, there are exceptions to the rule. And in the case of somebody who wasn't living a Christian life, and then, you know, they get a divorce, and then they come to the Lord, and they repent, and they ask for forgiveness, our past sins are all forgiven. We are free to start fresh and trust in the Lord to open the way and lead. It's pretty evident that, you know, you've been married for a long time. You're both committed. You can ask for God's blessing upon your marriage, and you can trust that He does. You want to do everything you can to safeguard your marriage and protect your marriage, but you can't go back and change the past. And the last thing you want to do is divorce her because she's not going to be able to go back to her first husband anyway. So, I think you just put it behind you, you pray and ask God, "If we've done something wrong, please forgive us," and live up to all the light that you have in the Scriptures.

You know, the book that we offered a little earlier you might enjoy reading. It's called "Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage." And we'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. We also have another study guide called "Keys to a Happy Marriage" for those who are married, and they want to make sure that they living up to everything that God purposes for marriage and that you want your marriage to be blessed. There are some biblical principles, and it's called "Keys to a Happy Marriage." We'll be happy to send that to anyone who calls and asks. The number is just simply 800-835-6747, and as for that study guide, it's called "Keys for a Happy Marriage." And you will be blessed by reading it.

Well, you know, Pastor Alden, I'm looking at the clock. We don't have time to take another caller just yet. We are going to take some of your email questions in just a moment, but before we get to that, friends, if you're listening and you want to learn more, just visit our website. It's AmazingFacts.org. It is packed with all kinds of great resources. And the free offers that we mentioned on the program, you can read them online at the Amazing Facts website. We want to encourage you to go ahead and take a look at it. Pastor Alden, what are our email questions this evening?

Alden: I want to tell Gus also that he can call--because he's driving, you call #250 and you can ask for those books while you're driving—

Jëan: That's right.

Alden: So you don't have to type all that in. We've got a few email questions here. James is asking, when does Satan's impersonation or impersonation of Christ's return occur in relationship to the close of probation? Would it be for the purpose of everyone's destiny to be fixed by that time? So, is it after or before?

Jëan: Good question. All right, so the Bible says that in the last days, Jesus said in Matthew 24, there'll be false Christs and false prophets, and they'll deceive, if possible, even the very elect. So, Jesus warns His people. Will there be a caliphate of an impersonation by the devil of the second coming of Christ? Yes, we believe there will be. It kind of takes place in twofold, you might say. There is going to be some deception before probation closes and false Christs, plural, will appear, but there is also going to be this masterful, great impersonation that takes place. It actually happens after probation closes during the plagues. And the purpose of that impersonation isn't to deceive the righteous at that point, it is to try and gather the whole world to finally pass a death decree upon God's people. The good news is that that death decree is never carried out because Jesus comes to their rescue.

Well, friends, that's it for today. Until next week, God bless.

Announcer: Thank you for listening to today's broadcast. We hope you understand your Bible even better than before. "Bible Answers Live" is produced by Amazing Facts International, a faith-based ministry located in Granite Bay, California.