On April 14, 1912, the huge ship - Titanic - was steaming across the Atlantic gorge, New York. This was the unsinkable ship’s maiden voyage and her captain was encouraged to break the record for speed while making the crossing. As most people know, after striking an iceberg, the unsinkable ship went down in only a matter of hours. Out of the 2,200 passengers, only 711 were saved. Since then, there have been many books and movies about the Titanic.
There was one fictional story written by a merchant seaman by the name of Morgan Robinson. Robinson’s book was about an unsinkable passenger liner that sank while carrying the elite people of the time. The ship in Robinson’s story was called ‘The Titan’ and the book was titled, “The Wreck of the Titan”
Even though the book is fictitious, the events in the story had a lot of parallels with the events of the Titanic. Here are a few facts and comparison.
- The length of the Titan was 800 feet. The Titanic was 882 feet.
- The width of the Titan was 90 feet. The Titanic was 92 ½ feet.
- Top speed for the Titan, 25 knots. The Titanic, 23 knots.
- There were 19 watertight compartments in the Titan. 16 on the Titanic.
- They both had three propellers.
- Capacity of the Titan was 3000 people. Titanic, 2,250.
- The number of people on board ... 2,000 on the Titan. 2,228 on the Titanic.
- Lifeboats on the Titan, 24. Titanic, 20.
- The Titan was sailing in April from New York. The Titanic in April to New York.
- Both ships were built to be unsinkable.
- Both ships were encouraged to break the speed record during their voyage.
- Both ships sink after striking a pyramid-shaped iceberg that had just turned over.
- Both ships were on the maiden voyage.
- The most well-to-do and famous people were on the Titan and the Titanic.
- Only one-third of the passengers on each ship survived.
- Both ships had an inadequate number of lifeboats
Robinson’s book, “The Wreck of the Titan,” was never published. Each time, it was rejected by the editors. They told him the same thing – the events he wrote about could not possibly happen – the story was too unbelievable. Oh, did I mention that the book, “The Wreck of the Titan,” was written in 1898, 13 years before the Titanic was even built? Was Morgan Robinson’s book a coincidence or prophecy?
Stay with us friends, and we’re going to learn more as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of Bible Answers Live!
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Welcome to Amazing Facts, Bible Answers Live, with Pastor Doug Batchelor. Do you find it challenging to understand the Bible? Are there passages of Scripture that confuse you? Is it sometimes difficult to connect what you read in the Bible with what you’ve been taught? Then you’ve found the right program!
The word of God is bread to the hungry, light to the blind, and a powerful sword against evil. If you have a Bible question, lines are open so call now, 1-800-GOD-SAYS. That’s 800-463-7297. Now, here is your host, the president of Amazing Facts, author and Pastor, Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Doug: Welcome once again, listening friends, to another edition of Bible Answers Live. This is a live international Bible study program and you can participate by calling in. You can listen to the answers that are given. You can pray for us while we attempt to answer the questions.
If you like to call in a Bible question, the number is 800-GOD-SAYS. We have some lines that are open right now, 800-463-7297. And my name is Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Dick: My name is Dick Davit and as Pastor Doug mentioned, we do have lines open so we encourage you to call now at 800-GOD-SAYS.
Pastor Doug, we normally start with a word of prayer so why don’t we do that?
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Pastor Dick: Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your word and we believe that it is the truth. We thank You for the prophecy of Your word for laying out the truth for us in advance. Lord, we pray tonight that You will speak to us and speak clearly, Lord, to our listeners that we may know all that we are in Your presence. Forgive us for our sins, Lord, and if there is something that You want to say tonight, speak clearly through Pastor Doug, in Jesus’ name, amen.
Pastor Doug: Amen.
Pastor Dick: Pastor Doug, I have heard radio broadcasters say that there are no more prophets, that prophecy ended with the apostle John on the island of Patmos, and yet, all through history, there have been things that are more than a coincidence. What you’ve just read tonight is an amazing coincidence, if it is a coincidence.
Pastor Doug: Well, I think the statistical odds of somebody writing a book about a ship, an ocean liner, on its maiden voyage with not enough lifeboats that hits an iceberg and it’s called the ‘Titan,’ and a few years later, a book called the ‘Titanic’ fills out the exact same scenario that was in this book that was never published by this, you know, unknown merchant marine. You wonder if the Lord gave him a dream or vision that he wrote about. And everybody said it was too unbelievable.
I mean, you just look at the comparisons between the story and his book and what happened to the Titanic and that could not – the mathematical odds of that being a coincidence is I think would be unbelievable in itself.
Pastor Dick: So was this merchant marine…
Pastor Doug: Was he a prophet?
Pastor Dick: Yeah, was he a prophet?
Pastor Doug: Well, I’m not saying that. I mean, maybe unwittingly. Sometimes the Lord has spoken through a variety of unknown messengers who maybe didn’t even take the classification of a prophet – when God wants to speak through a donkey if He wants to, but this to me would be evidence that God had pre-knowledge that something like this was going to happen.
Pastor Dick: Okay. Now what about the idea that radio evangelists claim that prophecy is over – that there have not been anymore prophets?
Pastor Doug: There are two views among Christians. There’s one school of thought that after the time of the apostles in Revelation that the era or age of prophecy was gone – that it served its purpose. I don’t find that to be a biblical teaching.
Pastor Dick: No.
Pastor Doug: The Bible says in Joel chapter 2.
Pastor Dick: Right.
Pastor Doug: “It will come to pass, in the last days, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh and your sons and daughters will prophesy.”
One of the gifts of the church is prophecy and Paul says that all the gifts are needed until we come into a state of perfect completion and maturity, and we’re certainly not there yet. And you look from the time of creation – I mean, all the way back to Noah and Enoch through the life of Jesus and the apostles, God’s always had prophets.
So why would He not inspire men and women in the last days whenever God does anything significant? But you know, people are very suspicious because if anybody would say, “Well, I’m a prophet,” of course, there are always a few takers but there’s so many false prophets. And Jesus warned in the last days, Matthew 24, first thing He says – talking about His second coming – “Beware that no man deceives you. Many false prophets will arise.”
Well, this would have been a very easy time for Jesus to say, “There will be no prophets,” but He said, “Watch out” or “Beware of false one,” which leads us to think that there are going to be some true ones. So how do we tell the difference between a true prophet and prophecy…
Pastor Dick: Okay, yeah.
Pastor Doug: And a false prophet?
Pastor Dick: Yeah. I happen to be driving through a little town today and I saw a sign that advertise a mystic, you know, palm reading. And…
Pastor Doug: Did you stop and get your palm read?
Pastor Dick: No. Both palms were gripping the steering wheel tightly, but I wonder, you know, does God inspire astrologers and psychics, and this is our lesson that we want to make available – a little offering tonight.
Pastor Doug: We have a special offer tonight that will do a variety of things. First of all, it will explore what the Bible says about astrologers and psychics and palm readers. In addition, it will talk about how do you tell a real prophet? What are the criteria of a real prophet of God according to the Bible? And it’s a very important lesson for people to understand today when there are so many self-proclaimed prophets floating around out there that we might be able to identify and distinguish between the true and the false.
Pastor Dick: I have counted at least 12 different tests that need to be identified or…
Pastor Doug: Some criteria.
Pastor Dick: Criteria that a person can follow from the Bible that will help you to identify prophets and this lesson includes all 12 of these.
Pastor Doug: Absolutely.
Pastor Dick: So we want to make this available to people. Do you know what a true prophet is? Do you know whether a psychic or an astrologer is being inspired by God? Get this lesson, you need to have it in your library. Call our resource operators at 1-800-835-6747, 835-6747 and ask for “Does God Inspire Astrologers and Psychics?” or just ask for the lesson on astrologers and psychics.
Pastor Doug: Amen.
Pastor Dick: And we’ll send it to you for free so please call that resource number, 1-800-835-6747. Another new station, Pastor Doug. Boy! They’re coming in!
Pastor Doug: Amen! We love that we see the program growing.
Pastor Dick: Amen. This is San Francisco California that we want to welcome. The station is KDIA 1640 AM so let us hear from you, KDIA. Welcome to the Amazing Facts network of radio stations for Bible Answers Live.
We do internet questions before we go to the phones and we have a couple of interesting ones – good, challenging questions this evening, Pastor Doug.
The first one says, “As far as I can see, the Old Testament sanctuary system only provided a means of cleansing for ignorant or unwillful sins. And this will be the case of the heavenly sanctuary. But what about willful sins? Hebrews 10:26 even says, ‘There is no sacrifice for deliberate sin.’ I’m talking about a sin you deliberately and knowingly committed but repented and stopped it. Did the sanctuary system not provide an offering for deliberate sin?”
Pastor Doug: Well, I think that – and I’ve heard this question before which is one of the reasons that we pulled it out of stack – it’s I think a mistake to assume that there is no forgiveness for willful sin because then, what we’re saying is the unpardonable sin is anytime we sin deliberately and I think that if we could ask everybody to raise their hands right now who has sinned deliberately, we could disqualify all of our listeners from salvation.
Pastor Dick: Right, right.
Pastor Doug: Now the questioner quoted Hebrews 10:26, and this is often misunderstood, “For if we sin willfully after we have the knowledge of the truth, there remains no sacrifice,” meaning forgiveness, “for sins.”
The word ‘sin’ means two things. Sin can be an individual’s sin and then in the Greek word, it can be a practice. And what it is saying here in Hebrews 10:26, if I understand correctly, the word ‘sin’ is “if we continue to sin, if we live a life of sin after we have the knowledge of truth.”
You know, Paul says we should not be servants to sin. Sins should not have dominion over you. In other words, we do not live a life of sin. We have a new direction of our life. It doesn’t mean you don’t slip and fall but if a person continues to live a life of sin after they’ve received the knowledge of the truth, well then, what more can God do for you at that point? It doesn’t mean it’s the unpardonable sin but you need to repent.
And so, this is a common misunderstanding. Of course there is forgiveness for willful sin. I mean, I could just look at the litany of characters in the Bible that committed willful sin – everybody from Peter to David, and on down the line. Moses, when he murdered the Egyptian taskmaster, I mean, he can’t say, “Oops! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to strangle him.” You know, it was willful. And so, we’d all be in big trouble.
Pastor Dick: Right, right. Okay, let’s go to our next question. This comes from Belinda who says, “I gave $4 to a man who said that he needed to buy groceries for his children. My husband was angry that I had thrown away God’s money on someone who was probably going to use the money for alcohol or something else. He says that we have our responsibility to use God’s money wisely and I should not have helped that man. I feel that we should help people when we are able. What do you do when faced with people asking for help?”
Pastor Doug: That’s a very good question. First of all, Jesus said in Matthew 5:42, “Give to him that asks you and from him who wants to borrow, do not turn away.” Now that is not intended, I think, by the Lord to be a cart-blunt statement that anybody who asks you for anything, you’re going to give it to him. You know, someone comes up and says, “I want your car. I want your home. I want your children.” I mean, you can’t give anything. I think Christ is just saying this as a principle: we should give when we can.
Now, what if you see somebody who’s sitting in front of the liquor store and they’re asking you for $5? Well, you don’t want to help a person destroy themselves and it’s never a Christian thing to support somebody in prodigals of destructive behaviors.
Pastor Dick: Right, right.
Pastor Doug: The loving thing to do is not to give at that point. The same way, a parent would not give a child bullets when they’re playing with a gun.
Pastor Dick: Right.
Pastor Doug: If you don’t know, you can always assume the worst of people and say, “I’m not going to give because they might not use this money correctly.” Just today, a couple of teenagers came by our house, I start working in the front and they asked for a donation for a class trip and they were selling candy or something. And I thought, “Well, you know they aren’t bad or anything. This could be a scam.” But you know, they’re going around the neighborhood and they’re trying. They are at least offering the service so I gave them a few dollars.
So I think if you are going to err, err on the side of generosity.
Pastor Dick: Right.
Pastor Doug: Not on the side of being stingy.
Pastor Dick: Right.
Pastor Doug: And God will bless you.
Pastor Dick: Right, compassion.
Pastor Doug: Yeah.
Pastor Dick: Yeah, yeah.
Pastor Doug: You don’t want to be reckless and take, you know, food from your children to give to stranger on the street but use wisdom.
Pastor Dick: You know what I have done on several occasions, and it’s produced some interesting results, I have said to people who come up to me and say, “Can you spare some change? I’m hungry. I want to get something to eat.” I’ll offer to take them to buy them some food and I’ve had people on occasions say, “Oh no, I want the money,” you know.
Pastor Doug: Right.
Pastor Dick: And so then…
Pastor Doug: We have that at our church because I know you deal with your people’s stuff and say, “You know, our car’s broke down and we need gas.”
Pastor Dick: Right.
Pastor Doug: So I say, “Well, let’s go get gas together.” He’d say, “Why don’t you just give me the money and I’ll get?”
Pastor Dick: Right, right.
Pastor Doug: I say, “No, we don’t operate that way.”
Pastor Dick: Right, right.
Pastor Doug: Anyway, so hopefully that helps.
Pastor Dick: Okay. So let’s go to the phones, Pastor Doug. We want to go to Orlando, Florida first tonight and start with Franklin who is listening on the internet. Welcome Franklin.
Franklin: Hello.
Pastor Doug: Hi, thanks for waiting.
Franklin: Jeremiah 10:31 says, “And if people of the land bring war or any rituals on a Sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the Sabbath – or the holy day – and that we would leave the seventh years in the exaction of every day.”
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Franklin: So my question is, can an ecommerce like me online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, a businessman might be living in the East during standard time zones, should he close down his ecommerce like for the Sabbath? What should he do about people living in the Pacific time zone whose Sabbath hasn’t ended?
Pastor Doug: Well, that’s a good question. We’ve had people ask that question before. Most Christian ministries have websites where there’s ecommerce available 24 hours a day. All you can really do…
First of all, nobody has to work to keep that function operating. You would hope that the people that are supporting a Christian ministry that believes in the Ten Commandments would not utilize the buying and selling aspect of your website on the Sabbath.
You know, when it’s Sabbath in one part of the world, 24 hours later or 12 hours away, it’s not and so you can’t control your website because it’s a worldwide medium. And so, it’s sort of like the electric company. You know, the lights are on but… and the phone company. I’m glad they’re operating on the Sabbath but I don’t want to be down there making it run.
So at our ministry for instance, we’ve got a very big website where people can listen to, you know, programs and they can order materials free. We don’t get our orders until we get into the office Monday. Now if they’re using that on Sabbath, that’s between them and the Lord. We can’t control that. We can’t shut down the website every weekend for people around the world.
Franklin: Okay.
Pastor Doug: Okay?
Franklin: All right.
Pastor Doug: So I can tell you what we do and I know there are other ministries that face the same. You have to evaluate, you know, what’s the moral thing to do. Hope that helps you.
Franklin: All right. Thank you.
Pastor Doug: All right. God bless.
Pastor Dick: Thanks for the call, Franklin.
Franklin: Bye.
Pastor Dick: To Greensborough, North Carolina. Brandon is listening on WLNO. Welcome Brandon.
Brandon: Hello, how are you doing?
Pastor Dick: Great.
Brandon: My question was, how do you avoid demonic deception when like somebody had a vision or a dream and you study the Bible but it seems apparent like God might be talking to you through a vision or a dream in your thoughts?
Pastor Doug: Well, to start with, the lesson that Pastor Dick offered tonight will be ideal for you because it gives those criteria to tell whether or not a vision or dream is from God. And you know, there might even be somebody that meets all of the criteria and then you still need to of course measure if there’s anything in this vision or revelation that contradicts the teachings of Jesus. Well, of course you quickly go with the Bible and the Bible is the foundation for all Christian faith.
So those are the criteria and then of course, if you still cannot get a definitive answer after applying those criteria, you have to just pray the Lord will give you discernment and insight. Pray. You know, the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 6, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication.” So it’s just really praying, God will guide you. Commit your way unto the Lord and He will direct your path.
Brandon: Oh, okay. Thank you.
Pastor Doug: All right?
Pastor Dick: Brandon, I hope you will call for that lesson that I mentioned a few moments ago, “Does God Inspire Astrologers and Psychics?” We’ll send it to you if you call the operators and ask for it this evening.
Brandon: Okay.
Pastor Dick: Okay?
Brandon: Yup, thank you.
Pastor Dick: All right, God bless.
Brandon: God bless you, too.
Pastor Dick: That number is 1-800-835-6747, 835-6747. Or anyone who would like a copy of this lesson, “Does God Inspire Astrologers and Psychics?”
Okay. Let’s go next to Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Hello Jim, welcome to the program.
Jim: Yes. Nice to talk to y’all again. Pastor Doug, I’ve got a question about the Textus Receptus. I’ve been debating some agnostics on the internet and I recently take this up to witness to him but I find out – I’ve been doing an awful lot of learning – and I found out all these agnostics are very, very good Bible scholars.
But anyway, my question is, they brought up something known as ‘cue,’ which, I didn’t know anything about ‘cue’ per se but basically what they’re contending is this is a source that possibly Mark, Matthew and Luke used to help them write the gospels and parenthetically and as a complementing or correcting source.
I looked on the internet and ‘cue’ on the internet some scholars believe was possibly Peter. So what I want to ask you is what opinion is of what the ‘cue’ is.
Pastor Doug: Well, I’m going to answer your question a little differently than you’re asking it but I think it’ll still answer your question. Chances are, based on the material, the book of Mark was largely dictated by Peter. Peter was present and involved in the writing of it because it’s written from a perspective that someone in Peter’s position would only have.
Peter’s treated differently in the book of Mark than the other gospels. You might even call it… I think a person can probably accurately call it the gospel according to Peter because it really has his perspective. It was probably the first of the four gospels written, isn’t this the understanding?
Jim: Right.
Pastor Doug: Pastor Dick?
Pastor Dick: Right.
Pastor Doug: And Matthew shortly after. Matthew parallels Mark very closely.
Jim: Right.
Pastor Doug: And Mark was the scribe, Peter may have dictated it and he had a lot of influence on it. And just as I’m sure Paul had some influence on Luke’s gospel.
Jim: Right.
Pastor Doug: So I hope that answers your question. I wouldn’t come at it from… the agnostics have a very philosophical way of looking at this knowledge and its source.
Jim: Well, they may also do everything they can to invalidate it. I have one other quick question if you can… yeah.
Pastor Doug: Let’s see how quick it’s going to be.
Jim: Okay. Are you aware of many ancient manuscripts? It would authenticate like the great earthquake, Jesus’ crucifixion, the darkness occurred or the resurrected dead walked around Jerusalem according to Matthew. I was studying Josephus and I…
Pastor Doug: Well, I was just going to say Josephus was a contemporary who does refer briefly to Jesus. He does not specifically mentioned the three things you mentioned.
Jim: Right.
Pastor Doug: And I don’t know of any historical documents outside of Christian authors. I mean, you can look at the church fathers who mentioned those things.
Jim: Right.
Pastor Doug: But I think you’re looking at some historical document other than Christian perspective.
Jim: What about Paul? The Pauline Epistles, did they mention anything about that?
Pastor Doug: Well, Paul does talk about in 1 Corinthians 15 the resurrection at great length but he doesn’t speak specifically of the resurrection that took place in the earthquake at the death of Jesus.
Jim: Right. So they just claim that doesn’t happen because there’s no ancient historical authentication.
Pastor Doug: Well, you know what, use their argument and these same agnostics do believe in Alexander the Great and a lot of things that he did and there’s only one source, Herodotus, for a lot of what Alexander the Great did.
Jim: Right.
Pastor Doug: And yet they believed it, cart-blunt with one source. And so I’m sure these folks and a lot of historians, the arguments they use against the Bible, because there’s only one source. It would completely destroy most of modern history or most of our understanding of ancient history if we said we cannot accept only one source. We need more sources.
Jim: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: Okay?
Jim: Thank you very much, sir. Appreciate it.
Pastor Dick: All right. Thanks for the call, Jim. Revision is in such a big thing these days.
Pastor Doug: Yeah. They’ve been trying to rewrite everything.
Pastor Dick: That’s right, yeah.
Pastor Doug: And critical theology.
Pastor Dick: All right, let’s move on to Spokane, Washington. Melinda is listening on KEEH. Hello Melinda.
Melinda: Well, hello. Thank you so much for taking my call.
Pastor Doug: You’re welcome.
Melinda: I’m calling you about Yokiyo cards. They’re like trading cards and young children have them. My little boy get some from kids. They look evil and wicked and some other names, they have people on them that are kind of peaceful. They are called ‘dark magician.’
Pastor Doug: Yeah.
Melinda: ‘Red eyes,’ ‘black dragon,’ and they look awful and I sense in my spirit that they’re evil but I can’t and I don’t allow him to play with them. I don’t allow them in my home but I’m trying. I want to know some Scriptures that would support that that I could talk with him to help him understand what they are.
Pastor Doug: All right. First of all, as a parent, we have some young children in the Batchelor homes still and my wife and I do not let our boys, I think if we let them they’d love to, but if we don’t let our boys get involved in Pokémon, they don’t watch the cartoons; they don’t play with the cards.
And the Yokiyo, or whatever it is, a lot of these are role playing in cards that just really enhance children living in a fantasy world. And I think that we need to encourage the children to become acquainted with the heroes in the Bible and not all these fantasy that is not going to raise their standard. So, yeah, we just say, “Nope, we don’t do that,” and we don’t send them out trick or treating either.
Melinda: Yeah, I don't either. So that’s about it, huh? Just talk about…
Pastor Doug: Yeah, I would say, here’s a scripture for you – Philippians 4:8.
Melinda: Okay.
Pastor Doug: “Finally, brother, and whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, noble, good report, think on these things.”
Melinda: That’s what the Lord keeps bringing to me. That’s the only one I could think of, though.
Pastor Doug: Well, that scripture’s good enough.
Melinda: That’s it! Okay. Well, thank you. That does help. Thank you so much.
Pastor Doug: God bless.
Melinda: Bye-bye.
Pastor Dick: Thanks for the call, Melinda.
Pastor Doug: There is a scripture in Psalms where King David says, “I will set no wicked thing before me,” and that would apply.
Pastor Dick: You know Pastor Doug, I think we’re going to go to our break in a few minutes.
Pastor Doug: We don’t have enough time to take a caller?
Pastor Dick: Well, we have two minutes.
Pastor Doug: Let’s see what we can do.
Pastor Dick: Let’s see what we can do and we’ll talk with Mike and he’s from Texas. Mike, we have about two minutes. What can we do?
Mike: Hello guys. Well, Pastor Doug, I was watching your television show today and you mentioned the scripture about the war in heaven, you know.
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Mike: And where Satan is cast out of heaven.
Pastor Doug: Revelation 12.
Mike: And I’ve kind of been thinking about that for a long time and I was thinking, “How could you actually have war in heaven?” I mean, what are you going to do to an immortal angel, pull a sword out? I mean, how could you even harm an angel?
Pastor Doug: That’s a good question. You know, the Bible says, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers.” And for us to engage angels in a war would be a joke for them because our weapons are physical weapons. The Bible tells us, you know, we’re not wrestling against that; it would be futile. They would be powerless.
But this is not man against angel. This is angel against angel. This is spirit against spirit and they do have some kind of war, a way that they can build resistance with each other. That’s something we don’t really understand in this world.
Mike: Well, let me throw this out right quick. I think it was a war of words. It’s more of a spiritual war, a rebellion, an argument, like a courtroom war that we have here on earth. I think…
Pastor Doug: Well, I’m sure that has part of it. But, I’m quite sure that that has part of it, Mike. I hate to cut you off like this, but I would also add when Satan was finally cast into the lake of fire, and in Revelation when it says he is cast into the bottomless pit, I think that there is actually some force involved? How they do it, I don’t know. We cannot enter into that spirit realm but I guess they can with each other. And I didn’t mean to cut you off. That’s why we hesitated taking a call before our break.
Friends, we’re not done. This is just our half-time and we want to remind you before we move in to our break, check out all of the resources at our website, AmazingFacts.org. Be right back!
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Welcome back to Bible Answers Live with Doug Batchelor. You can call right now with your Bible-related questions and get clear, understandable, down-to-earth answers straight from the Bible about prophecy, biblical principles and misunderstood passages. Call now, 800-GOD-SAYS, 800-463-7297.
Now join us as we open our Bibles for more Bible answers live with author and evangelist, Pastor Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Doug: Welcome back, listening friends. You found your way to Bible Answers Live. We are halfway through our program and we have some lines open. If you have a Bible-related question, this is a good time to pick up your phone and dial the number which is 800-GOD-SAYS. That’s in numerical code, it’s 800-463-7297. And my name is Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Dick: My name is Dick Davit and as Pastor Doug says, we still have three lines open. If you have a Bible-related question, now is the time to call.
Pastor Doug, let’s go directly to the phones. We’ll take our first caller for this segment from Lexington, Kentucky. Kylie is listening on WJMM. Hello Kylie.
Kylie: Hello. My question is about witnessing to parents. You know how in Proverbs it says, “Parents, train up your children in the way of the Lord, and when they’re older they should not depart from it.”
Pastor Doug: Right.
Kylie: Would you happen to know of any scriptures that has something to do with the opposite situation, which would be children raising up parents in the way of the Lord?
Pastor Doug: Well, I think I know what you’re asking. Are there some scriptures that speak more specifically to how a child – and when I say child, I don’t mean an infant, I mean – how a child can witness to their parent. And maybe it lead them to the Lord.
There is that scripture that says, “Out of the mouths of babes, You have perfected praise and a little child will lead them.” A matter of fact, I’ll type that in. Pastor Dick, say something for a second here.
Pastor Dick: Kylie, that’s probably the best verse that Pastor Doug can come up with and he’s looking for it right now on his quick verse program. And he’ll find it here in a flash.
Pastor Doug: Well, I’m almost there, here. Well, in Isaiah 65, it talks about “and a little child will lead them.” It’s talking about the lion and the lamb playing together, so to speak.
Pastor Dick: That’s right. That’s right.
Pastor Doug: But then, praise is the one out of the mouths of babes. You hardly find that one.
Pastor Dick: We’re very thankful for the folks and persons who have given us this quick verse program. It’s really great!
Pastor Doug: Searches the whole Bible very quickly here. Okay. Here is Matthew 21:16, “And Jesus said, ‘Have you not read, out of the mouths of babes and nursing infants, You have perfected praise’?” And I think I’ve got a cross-reference for that as well. Let me see where that is.
You know, I don’t know what Jesus is quoting. It doesn’t have the Old Testament reference here. But Jesus said it, that’s good enough for me.
Pastor Dick: I know.
Pastor Doug: And so, you know, God speaks through young people. Another example would be – it just came into my mind – is you got the story where two kings were very godly as young people and they led the nations back to the Lord and that was Joash and Josiah.
I think one was eight years old when he began to reign, the other was seven. And they led the nation back to God by their example of obedience.
Kylie: Wow!
Pastor Dick: And of course, King David was the youngest of his family and was selected by God.
Pastor Doug: We don’t know exactly his age but he was a youth, right? So there are some principles there that I think would say that yes, you can lead.
Kylie: Okay, thank you because…
Pastor Doug: Now, one more popped into my mind. See, this is the first time we’ve ever had this question and it’s a good question.
Pastor Dick: Kylie, it’s a good question.
Pastor Doug: Paul said to Timothy, “Let no man despise your youth.”
Pastor Dick: There you go! That’s right.
Pastor Doug: And Timothy, though young, was leading a church of people who are older.
Pastor Dick: That’s right and Paul was training him.
Pastor Doug: So hopefully that helps.
Kylie: Thank you, because my mother is the type that choose to argue those types of stuff. So I’ve been looking for three years and I’ve had like little luck.
Pastor Doug: Well, hopefully there’s a little bit there. That one in Timothy is 1 Timothy 4:12, “Let no man despise your youth but be an example.” There you go. There’s the scripture you’re looking for.
Kylie: Okay, thank you.
Pastor Doug: All right, God bless.
Pastor Dick: All right Kylie. Thanks for the call.
Kylie: All right, bye.
Pastor Dick: Bye-bye. To District Heights, Maryland. First time caller, Emmanuel, is listening on the internet. Welcome Emmanuel.
Emmanuel: Hello, how are you doing, Pastor Doug and Dick? I have a question for over the years and I was very puzzled about this because coming up from many churches in background and religion, I had one that says that you have to speak in tongues and all that to receive the Holy Spirit. And I wanted to know how does a Christian know he truly has the Holy Spirit?
Pastor Doug: Well, the Bible never says that we determine whether or not a person has the Holy Spirit by the gifts of the Spirit. This is a big misunderstanding. Nowhere does it say you can tell the person has the Spirit based on the gifts. The Bible said, “You’ll know them by their fruits.” This is what Jesus said, “You can know by the fruits.” And the fruits of the Spirit, which you find in Galatians chapter 5.
Emmanuel: Right.
Pastor Doug: It says that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,” and so forth – goodness, faith. And if a person has these fruits in their life, that’s evidence of the Holy Spirit. A person can pretend to speak in tongues, a person can pretend to be holy and go to church, and you can fabricate that. That’s why Jesus talked about all the hypocrites. But you cannot fabricate the fruits.
That’s why Jesus said, you know, “a grapevine does not bring forth thistles,” and grapes don’t have thorns. If it’s got thorns, it’s not a grape.
Emmanuel: Exactly.
Pastor Doug: So if a person’s got thorns in their lives, they’re not Christians.
Emmanuel: Right.
Pastor Doug: I’ll tell you in another way. Somebody said you can tell what’s in a vessel when you bump it. Whatever comes out is what’s in the vessel. And sometimes under trial, you can find out what is in a person’s heart.
Emmanuel: Right.
Pastor Doug: Okay?
Emmanuel: Okay, well thank you for that answer.
Pastor Doug: All right, God bless, Emmanuel.
Emmanuel: God bless you, too.
Pastor Dick: Thanks for the call. To Sacramento, California. Valentin is listening on KFIA. Welcome Valentin.
Valentin: Hello.
Pastor Dick: Get real close to your telephone, please.
Valentin: Hi, yes. I had a question. Have you heard of the book by Michael Danton called, “Evolution: A Theory In Crisis”?
Pastor Doug: I have heard of the book. I can barely hear you but I did hear the question. I have heard of the book but I haven’t read it.
Valentin: Okay, what’s your intake on that?
Pastor Doug: Well, having heard of the book is different. Now, I’ve heard people comment on the book and my understanding is that evolution is, indeed – the theory of evolution – is in crisis that more and more people are exposing the contradictions even among the evolutionary scientists and their research is all contradictory, and it sort of like driving around in the neighborhood where everything is a cul-de-sac.
They’re missing all of the intermediary species. They have no links for evolution and so they’re developing new theories of quantum leaps in evolution. The theories in the textbooks keep changing so frequently that it is so much more inconsistent than creation that has been a very consistent teaching.
So I haven’t read his book but based on what I have heard on commentaries on the radio, I agree with the content that evolution is in crisis.
Valentin: More specifically about micro and macro evolution.
Pastor Doug: Yeah. See, I know what the difference is but I haven’t read the book.
Valentin: Oh, okay. All right, thank you.
Pastor Doug: Okay, God bless.
Pastor Dick: Let’s go next to Queens, New York. Janet is listening on WMCA, a first time caller. Welcome Janet.
Janet: Hi, Pastor Doug, how are you?
Pastor Doug: Very good. Janet, will you mind one second if I say a closing thought to our last caller.
Janet: Thank you.
Pastor Doug: Valentin, I just remembered, if you’re still listening we’ve got a book. It’s called, “When Evolution Flunked the Science Test.” We’ll send you for free. That has a lot more information that I think you’ll appreciate.
Okay, Janet, we’re with you now. Your question?
Janet: Yeah. My question is regarding divorce. My husband is an ex-minister and he left like a year and he’s never filed, you know, or never served me papers. And he’s never basically gave me the reason why he’s left. I have three children.
Pastor Doug: He just abandoned you.
Janet: Yeah. Well, he’s supporting us because I’m not working and I’m in the house.
Pastor Doug: But you’re not divorced?
Janet: No. He has never served me paper and I brought up the question because I was still devastated.
Pastor Doug: Are you thinking that – are you wondering if you should move forward with the divorce?
Janet: Well, you know, sometimes yes. That’s where I am. You know, I pray about it because he… I can’t talk to him about the topic. He’s very angry and you know, sometimes he’s okay and sometimes…
Pastor Doug: Well, it could be one reason he’s avoiding divorce is his conscience and if he was in the ministry and he’s supposed to be a Christian, he may be waiting for you to initiate it so he can put the blame on you. He could be avoiding divorce because then, there might be some legal proceedings that will also force him to pay alimony or settlement. I don’t know.
I hope you have a church that you’re attending with Christian counsel where you can get some more specific counsel for your situation.
Janet: Okay, okay.
Pastor Doug: Of course, if you want the Bible – you know the Bible if you’ve been married to a minister – that there’s only one biblical excuse or reason for divorce and that’s in the event of fornication.
Janet: Yes.
Pastor Doug: If one of the parties has been unfaithful to the vows and some people like to expand that to include abandonment.
Janet: Well, I’ve found evidence of him having… I mean, you know, female… information but I’ve never really actually, you know, I don’t have…
Pastor Doug: Well, I don’t know if it means that you’ve got to have video and photographs.
Janet: Okay.
Pastor Doug: Because that’s not always the case but if you have strong reason to believe that he has been unfaithful, then you need to talk to a Pastor about that. You know, obviously you don’t want to advertise those specifics on a radio program.
Janet: No.
Pastor Doug: You may feel led of the Lord that you need to move ahead and make this separation finalized through divorce, which is a very painful thing.
Janet: It is very painful because from what he has been through, you know. He didn’t grow up a Christian, and God has had miracles in his life. And he entered the ministry.
Pastor Doug: Well, do you think there are any redeemable qualities or hope for your relationship or are you pretty convinced it’s hopeless?
Janet: I prayed about it and many times I ask God, you know.
Pastor Doug: You have three children.
Janet: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: How old are they?
Janet: Eight, five, and a baby.
Pastor Doug: And does he come over? You say he supports the children. Does he come then?
Janet: Yeah, he comes twice. He takes the kids on weekends.
Pastor Doug: When you see him, are you able to be cordial with each other or does it get tensed and bickering?
Janet: Well, now, I think for the last few months, if I don’t confront any issue, he’s very cordial and I’m asking God, “Is that a sign?”
Pastor Doug: Well, if you have any hope, let me give you some advice, Janet. If you have any hopes of your relationship being restored, make yourself as attractive as possible. And what I mean by that is not time spent in front of the mirror. I mean, in your attitudes.
Sometimes in relationships, one spouse or the other wonders why they can’t get back together but every time they get back together, there’s bickering and bringing up old history and that’s never the way to win somebody. And so, you want to be as winsome and attractive as can be in your behavior and maybe he’ll begin to say, “You know, I’m beginning to see in her again what I saw the first time.”
Janet: But I am praying, you know, if… I mean, I know it’s not God who will force us to separate but if he comes back, I mean, would he want to go back to church? Because I’m trying to raise the kids with Christian values, and before he left you know, alcohol within the home.
Pastor Doug: Oh, that’s not good. Let me recommend something we’d like to do is for one thing, we’d like to have a brief prayer with you. We do have a lesson specifically on “When Holy Wedlock Becomes Unholy Deadlock,” and it sounds like your situation. And we’d like to send that to you for free. Pastor Dick will give you the phone number.
But if it’s okay, Janet, I just like to have a quick prayer for you in your situation. Father in heaven, we want to thank You that we can come before You even through this medium of radio and just lift Janet and her family, and I know there are hundreds, if not thousands, like her who are listening that are also struggling in their homes. Please bless them with Your spirit and love and wisdom and reconciliation. I pray that Christian homes can be an example of how people with different backgrounds can work things out and stay together. And so be with her and give her courage. We ask in Jesus’ name, amen.
Pastor Dick: Janet, call our resource operators, 1-800-835-6747, and ask for the lesson on holy wedlock and they’ll send it to you this evening if you’ll call right away. So please call for that and I know that it will help you to sort out some of the issues that you’re dealing with.
Pastor Doug, let’s go to Memphis, Tennessee. Tristan is waiting on a cellphone, I believe. Tristan, are you there?
Tristan: Yes, I’m here.
Pastor Dick: Okay, welcome to this program.
Tristan: Oh, thank you. I had a question. I was listening to your show earlier how you said that humans were inclined to sin, you know, how he’s having to destroy the earth with different means and give us back as cancers. And my question to ask is that we are created in the image of God as was Jesus, and God gives us free will as He gave Jesus free will. So Jesus had the option to stand, but therefore, He resisted it. And since we are in His image, do we have an option of maybe being perfect like He was? Because that’s an option for humans.
Pastor Doug: I believe that the Lord says that through Christ, all things are possible. Of course Jesus says in Matthew 5:48, “Be therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” And the term there – I think we may have just lost Tristan, but I’m hoping you’re still listening on the radio. The term there is talking about Christian completeness.
A matter of fact I think the key to understanding that verse is in Luke. In Luke it says, “Be therefore merciful even as your Father in heaven is merciful.” What the Lord wants from us is perfect love. If we love Him so much that we would rather die than deliberately disobey – like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and Daniel – that kind of trust and love that is Christian perfection.
When we can have the relationship with the Lord that Daniel had, that David and Moses, and these others – I’m talking about when they’re walking with God – walking in the Spirit. Enoch walked with God and God took him. That is Christian perfection.
Pastor Dick: Right.
Pastor Doug: If those mortals can have that relationships, so can we. All things through Christ are possible.
Pastor Dick: Amen. Amen.
Pastor Doug: I hope you heard the answer.
Pastor Dick: Let’s go next to Brooklyn, New York. We want to talk to Ode who is listening on WMCA. Welcome Ode.
Ode: Shalom!
Pastor Doug: Hi, how are you doing?
Ode: Fine. How are you doing Pastor Doug and everybody out there?
Pastor Doug: And your question.
Ode: All right, my question. Actually I was in the car coming back from somewhere and I happen to hear your program for the first time and it was talking… it started off talking about prophecy.
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Ode: I think I know, you know what I’m saying? I’m pretty sure I know like how to obtain the gift of prophecy and the other gifts that are available to Christians. And if I’m correct, it’s through asking for it and believing that you have it. But my question pertains to right now, I would like you to explain exactly what is prophecy and maybe give me a distinction.
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Ode: Or maybe as a relationship between prophecies and visions.
Pastor Doug: All right. Well, I’ll give you a little answer here that covers a few areas, Ode. First of all, the word ‘prophecy’ is used a couple of different ways in the Bible. You’ve got the traditional view of a prophet like someone in the caliber of John the Baptist or Elijah – people who are especially called and anointed with a special mission to bring revival and sometimes they’ll have visions and they’ve got supernatural powers in some respects in their relationship with the Lord.
They may have dreams. God speaks to prophets in a variety of ways. He spoke to Daniel in dreams, visions; He spoke through angels; and then of course you’ve got a more classical sense of a person who has the gift of prophecy, meaning that they preach – and that’s what Paul is largely talking about in 1 Corinthians chapter 14 when he compares the gift of tongues and the gift of prophecy.
Prophecy there means to speak and place out or to be able to preach or proclaim. And we can have that gift; many people do have that gift. The chosen prophets like Noah and Jeremiah, and Isaiah and Ezekiel, that is something that is unique and rare. God raises up these people for usually a special work.
But it sounds like Ode would really enjoy the Bible study guide that we’re offering tonight.
Pastor Dick: That’s right.
Pastor Doug: We’ll send it out for free.
Pastor Dick: That’s right. Ode, call our resource operators and get that lesson. It will help you with your question and will help you to sort out this issue. 1-800-835-6747 is the number, and ask for the lesson on astrologers and psychics.
Pastor Doug, let’s go to North Brunswick and speak with Robert who’s listening on WMCA. Robert, welcome.
Robert: Thank you very much. Isaiah 66:12-13 area.
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Robert: About God pouring out peace upon Jerusalem.
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Robert: Is this to be the present at that time, the past, the future? I don’t think this pertains to Jerusalem since, well I guess since the first stones were laid there.
Pastor Doug: Well, let me read this for our listeners. A lot of people of course are always in their cars. Isaiah 66:12, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river,’” and we’ve all heard that song, “I’ve got peace like a river.” “And glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream, then you will suck and you shall be born upon her sides and be dandled upon her knees.” Verse 13, “As one whom your mother comforted so will I comfort you and you will be comforted in Jerusalem.”
Now there are two ways these Major Prophets, and the Minor Prophets, used Israel. First of all, they had prophecies for literal Israel and Isaiah had quite a bit of that. He talked about Israel being conquered by the Babylonians and their restoration.
This prophecy was literally fulfilled when the children of Israel came back from Babylon and they ended up having peace for a period of time before the Greeks begin to give them a hard time. So there was a period of peace. The ultimate peace, Robert, that Israel is going to enjoy is when the New Jerusalem comes down and it says that all nations gather together to worship before the Lord. That’s Isaiah 66, let’s see here. Let’s go to the end of the chapter.
Here you go! Verse 22, same chapter, “For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me.” So the context of Isaiah 66 is speaking of what? The new heavens and the new earth, and then it says in Revelation 21 that I saw the New Jerusalem come down. So I think a lot of what Isaiah 66 is dealing with is the New Jerusalem and the eternal peace that will be in that city. Okay?
Robert: Far, far in the future. Yeah.
Pastor Doug: Yeah. I am not holding my breath for a lasting peace and I’ve been to Israel twice now and I tell you, the situation there is very, very grim.
Robert: Looks deteriorating, amen!
Pastor Doug: I don’t see with it but without some kind of a charismatic leader coming in to that maybe, what happens? I think that they’re in for years of strife.
Robert: Boy! You’ve got a good point here. Let’s pray for that. That’s for sure.
Pastor Doug: As long as they serve the Lord. And you know, the devil could come in and use them…
Robert: Oh, I never thought of that. Right, you only have to think of that. Yeah, you have to think of both sides of the story.
Pastor Doug: That’s right. If it’s someone who is led of the Lord, I’d love for them to come and bring peace.
Robert: Amen! Thank you.
Pastor Doug: All right, God bless.
Pastor Dick: Let’s go next to Nampa, Idaho. Ray is listening on KBXL. Welcome Ray.
Ray: Hello, how are you?
Pastor Doug: Very good. How can we help you, Ray?
Ray: Yes. During the last days, my question is, how can you tell the difference between true and false prophets?
Pastor Doug: All right. Well, first of all, get our lesson that we’re offering for free and I’ll give you a couple of other scriptures, okay? I didn’t let you finish your question. You were still talking, I’m sorry.
Ray: Oh, because here in the last days, we have so many men and women out there speaking about Revelation and the true identity of Revelation hasn’t been revealed yet. Pieces have but not the entire book.
Pastor Doug: Well, let me give you a couple of scriptures – two of them – from Isaiah, Isaiah 8:20, “To the law and the testimony,” and that’s one of the words in the Bible for the ‘word of God,’ – the law and the prophets, the law and the testimony – “if they speak not according to this word, there’s no light in them.” So measure everything by the law and the testimony.
And you also have Isaiah 8:16, “Bind the testimony, seal the law among my disciples,” so by the word of God, we’re to determine those things. And Jesus said, “Don’t live by bread alone but every word that proceeds from the word of God.” So now, I believe that Revelation – a great deal of Revelation – has been revealed and we’re living in the last days when so much of what is in the book of Revelation I think can be understood by comparing scripture with scripture.
There are some things obviously in Revelation that haven’t happened yet and all prophecy is best understood looking back. You know, Jesus said, “When these things come to pass, then you will know, then you will believe.”
Ray: Right.
Pastor Doug: And so, some things we don’t know until we look back and see.
Ray: Yeah, because I’ve ran a test on a few, like about 100 of them, and they would get angry.
Pastor Doug: What do you mean you ran a test?
Ray: Yes. These man, women who are self-proclaimed…
Pastor Doug: Oh, that claimed to be prophets!
Ray: And seven to eight have true knowledge of Revelation.
Pastor Doug: Oh yeah, very few. A matter of fact, somebody did a study on a lot of the supermarket tabloid prophets and they found that out of the 250 specific predictions, less than five could be said that were reasonably fulfilled. And those five out of 250, they just got lucky and it’s like shooting it up buckshot into the clouds, you’re going to eventually hit a duck.
Ray: Right.
Pastor Doug: And that’s what happened. It’s that, you know, they just got a couple of things right. So I think some would predict to a list of “will Taylor get married again?” and you don’t really have to be a prophet for that.
So, you know, there are a lot of false prophets out there. But God still has His troop. Hey, I hope that helps, okay?
Ray: Yes. Well, thank you.
Pastor Doug: Thank you very much, Ray.
Pastor Dick: Thanks for the call, Ray.
Pastor Doug: We’ll do one more call.
Pastor Dick: Let’s get one more. Let’s go to Orlando, Florida. Virginia is a first time caller on WTLM. Welcome Virginia.
Virginia: Hi.
Pastor Doug: Hi, how can we help you?
Virginia: Oh, I was just wondering, I was told that Zachariah got bathed to death. They bathed him to death because he wouldn’t tell where John was.
Pastor Doug: Are you talking about Zachariah, the father?
Virginia: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: You know, that is a legend. There is no record of that in history or in the Bible. And I think it’s probably just a fable. I’ve never heard that before. I think Zachariah was already an old man when John was born. My guess is that he died of old age. John had not begun his ministry. I think Zachariah must have died by the time John was 30 when he started his ministry. So it’s not very likely that this is true.
Virginia: Well, has it been known when he went to the wilderness – John the Baptist – when he went to?
Pastor Doug: Well, it tells us that, you know, he grew up and he entered into the wilderness probably as in his late teens, he began to spend more and more time in the wilds until by the time his parents didn’t need him anymore, I expect that he was there full time. It would have been the obligation of a firstborn and only son to care for your family.
Virginia: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: And I have a feeling both Zachariah and Elizabeth, by the time they died, he – full time – went into the wilderness praying and fulfilled his mission.
Virginia: Yeah. Okay, thanks a lot.
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Virginia: Bye-bye.
Pastor Doug: Thank you.
Pastor Dick: Thanks for the call, Virginia. I think we’re out of time, Pastor Doug.
Pastor Doug: Well, let’s use this opportunity to remind our friends that we love to hear from them. A few people have sent me some amazing facts. A matter of fact, tonight’s amazing fact is one that someone sent us.
In addition, friends, if you’ve sent a donation of any size to help keep us on this station you’re listening to as well as others, we will send you a free copy of our book of amazing facts.
That sounds like a contradiction – for any donation, get a free copy. It’s like I said, “Free, no purchase necessary. Details inside. But you got to buy something to get the details.” So we do appreciate that if you would like to make a donation. We’ll send you a copy of the best amazing facts. I think there’s hundreds of them from the first five years of this program.
Pastor Dick: Oh yeah.
Pastor Doug: And you can use them in your sermon illustrations if you’re teaching a class and they’re just great reading. I’ve seen people on airplanes reading the book and enjoying it as they go. Also check out the website, BibleUniverse.com, you can through a lot of our Bible studies online and get your certificate as an apostle of prophecy.
Listening friends, again we want to thank you for tuning in. Keep in mind, we are a faith-based ministry. Keep us in your prayers.
Pastor Dick: Amen.
Pastor Doug: We believe we’ve come this far because people are praying for the station and it’s expanding. Most of all, we want you to know Jesus is the Truth that will set you free.
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