The Long-beaked Echidna

Scripture:
Date: 03/14/2004 
One of the strangest animals in the world is the long-beaked echidna or spiny ant eater. Weighing about twenty pounds this nocturnal creature is found mainly in the humid mountain forests of New Guinea and Indonesia.
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Hello friends this is Doug Batchelor. How about an amazing fact? One of the strangest animals in the world is the long-beaked echidna or spiny ant eater. Weighing about twenty pounds this nocturnal creature is found mainly in the humid mountain forests of New Guinea and Indonesia. Interspersed with its brownish and black fur are sharp spines of varying lengths. The spine on its body can be erected and its arms and legs withdrawn like a hedge hog does and at the end of its long-turned, tubular snout it has a very small mouth through which it can put its tongue and rapidly extrude and retract it. It has no teeth in its mouth, but it compensates with a row of teeth-like spikes on its tongue.

The echidna probes with its long beak in the muddy soil and then the tongue is extruded and the prey is hooked by these spikes and then reeled in like a fish. Even though it is technically a mammal the female long-beaked echidna lays shell covered eggs that are incubated and hatched outside the body of the mother like a reptile, but then carried and nursed in the pouch like a marsupial. Perhaps the most remarkable of their extraordinary features is the large and complex brains which have high intelligence characteristics which is unexpected in a reptile-type mammal. They also live for an incredibly long time with one having been kept in a London zoo for over thirty years and another in the Berlin zoo for over thirty-one years. Today the long-beaked echidna is an endangered species.

Some of the reasons for its decline seem to be the loss of the forest habitat due to logging, mining, farming and traditional hunting. The oily meat of the echidna is relished by the people of New Guinea. This spiny ant eater is an enigma for evolutionists because it looks like God has assembled it from spare parts left over from when He created all the other animals and it stands in a class all its own. In spite of the mass of media messages the world did not evolve over multiplied million of years. Stay with us friends and we will learn more as “Amazing Facts” brings you this edition of “Bible Answers Live”.

[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]

Pastor Doug: We are so thankful you have found either by design or providence your way to this program friends. Welcome friends to this fresh edition of “Bible Answers Live”. If you would like to call in and ask any Bible related question now is a real good time to go to the telephone and call. The number is 1-800-GOD-SAYS or 1-800-463-7297. We will try to do our best to claim God’s promise that if we seek we will find the Bible answers. So for any Bible question pick up your phones now, we have lines open at 1-800-GOD-SAYS and we will do our best to participate together in this International, interactive Bible exploration. My name is Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Dick: My name is Dick Debit. Good evening Pastor Doug.

Pastor Doug: Good evening Pastor Dick we missed you last week, but we were glad you are back.

Pastor Dick: Well I just am glad to be here. That is all I can say.

[Laughter]

Pastor Doug: You look like you are in good form.

Pastor Dick: That’s an indication of why you missed me though last week.

Pastor Doug: We are glad you are back and feeling better.

Pastor Dick: Well it is good to be back. I missed the program and I missed you, too. The lines are open you are right. So we still have quite a few lines open and if folks would like to call now would be a great time to do that at 1-800-GOD-SAYS.

But, let’s normally we start this program with prayer and let’s pray together. Father in heaven we thank you for your grace and your love and your mercy and the privilege of being able to come together and use the airwaves to share the word of God. Lord we pray that your Spirit will speak clearly to Pastor Doug and clear his thoughts of anything that might interfere with what it is that you want to say to us all tonight. Lord just make your word clear to all of the callers is my prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Pastor Doug: Amen.

Pastor Dick: This sounds like a very strange creature and I don’t think I have ever seen one.

Pastor Doug: Well I will confess my wife and I were watching one of these nature programs and it was talking about Indonesia and it showed us this creature and I thought what in the world is that? It has pouch like a marsupial or kangaroo, it’s got spines like a porcupine, and it has a tongue that goes around like an ant eater except it doesn’t eat ants it pretty much eats worms. And it really did just look like a hodge-podge and yet it does live a really long time unlike any other creatures I mean like thirty years and it just seemed like it was so unusual. And it appears that it lays eggs you know and it appears just out of nowhere. There are no intermediary links that link the echidna to a rat or a kangaroo or a porcupine.

Pastor Dick: Yes you said it looks like it has just been put together with spare parts.

Pastor Doug: It looks like God has been building and He says well I have got some parts left and what shall I make?

[Laughter]

Pastor Doug: So He made an echidna. That is what it looks like, but you know one thing that is frustrating for me and many other Christians who may be listening is that you see all these wonderful nature programs and I enjoy the photography in National Geographic, but it always grieves me that they need to inject this theory of evolution. Which really I believe is a really terribly flawed theory and very unbiblical not only unbiblical, but very unscientific. And you and I are speaking from the perspective of people who once were atheists and believed these things.

Pastor Dick: That’s right.

Pastor Doug: but, they do not realize that they are very illogical. There may be those out there that still struggle with that in the beginning God created and not only did He create it, but I believe He did it in six literal 24 hour days.

Pastor Dick: And in consecutive days, too.

Pastor Doug: Right not these six million years and then a thousand years or some theory like these. But, my God can be big enough to do that.

Pastor Dick: He is.

Pastor Doug: And I remember hearing before about how a volcano and they say yes it took thousands of years for this volcano to develop and that is what they taught until they saw a volcano grow in one month. And once it happened in Mexico and once it happened in the Netherlands. And they have had to rewrite so many times that they were wrong.

Pastor Dick: Well all you have to do is go to the big island of Hawaii these days because that thing is spouting off for years.

Pastor Doug: Yes Pomona is all the time making new real estate.

Pastor Dick: That’s right and it is amazing. Well listen we have a onetime offer and a wonderful gift that we have not offered it recently, but boy this is a great little book that our listeners will want in their library Pastor Doug. It is called “How Evolution Flunked the Science Test” and as Pastor Doug has said a few minutes ago that you may be wondering and you may be struggling with some of the issues in defining Christianity and defining evolution and just what is the truth. This little book will go a long way to helping you separate truth and error and help you in understanding the areas and aspects of the theory of evolution.

You are going to want this in your library so please call our resource operators at 1-800-835-6747 to get the book “How Evolution Flunked the Science Test” and we will send it free to you tonight by calling 1-800-835-6747 and that will put you in touch with a resource operator. And of course any of the materials that we mention on these programs you can call that number to get them that is 1-800-835-6747.

We still have two lines open if you have a Bible related question. Call us and we’ll do our best to get you on the air.

Well Pastor Doug we will take a couple of internet questions before we go to the phones.

Pastor Doug: Okay.

Pastor Dick: And we also want to take just a moment to mention three new stations that have joined us. These stations are part of the Radio 74 USA network and they are KPOL in Canyonville, Oregon, KIHW in West Salina, Arkansas, and KHBR in Decatur, Arkansas. All of them new stations and we welcome them to the “Amazing Facts” “Bible Answers Live” network. And if you are listening please give us a call on those stations. We’d like to hear from you tonight. Okay to the internet. Well rather to the-- our internet questions.

Question: The first one Pastor Doug it comes from a gentleman who says I am enjoying studying the Bible and I feel that I am not getting a good grasp on any particular subject. I have been a Christian for most of my life and I have read the Bible through many times and other books on the Bible, but my problem is that when I want to tell someone about a fundamental truth I have a hard time presenting it in a logical and orderly way. Can you help me with some of this with some ideas?

Pastor Doug: Well two thoughts come to mind and the first is don’t become discouraged as you read the Bible if you don’t comprehend everything. I remember whenever I first started reading the Bible and I came to the word brethren I thought that meant breathing. And you know I thought it was a spiritual term and it was some time before I began to understand some of the archaic language in the King James and it then became beautiful to me. Babies are not born knowing the language of the parents. But, the more they hear their parent’s voice the more they understand. And as you mature as Christian you will understand more and more of your Father’s voice keep reading.

The other thought is that it helps sometimes to go through a series of Bible studies that help compartmentalize the aspects of the truth. Like for instance you go through a series of studies and you study baptism or heaven or one of these other Bible subjects. It makes it easier then to present it to others and then don’t be ashamed when sharing your faith so use a study guide and study it yourself and use it as a springboard in studying with others. And that will make it easier for you to do it freehand later.

Pastor Dick: And I can’t think of a better course than the “Bible Answers Live” Bible study course.

Pastor Doug: Yes a good opportunity Bible Universe studies that.

Pastor Dick: There are twenty-seven Bible studies that are compartmentalized and deal with various subjects from the Bible so that you can deal with specifically particular subjects.

Pastor Doug: There is everything from basic Christianity to advanced Prophecy.

Pastor Dick: Right.

Pastor Doug: Right and they can do that right on line at our Bible University.

Pastor Dick: “Bible University dot com” that is “Bible University dot com” or you can call the phone number if you don’t have access to the web at 1800-835-6747 and they will sign you up for these lessons and they will shed you one lesson at a time and they won’t overwhelm you with all twenty-seven. And then you can take the lessons yourself and study them at your leisure and use them with other people and I know that if you do it will help you because it has helped me over the years. So please take advantage of it.

Question # 2: Pastor Doug the second question here is this person says he was reading 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21 and he seems to think there are some major discrepancies between these two Chapters and it is the same story and so he says he would like you to comment in particular on 2 Samuel Chapter 24: 1. And 1Chronicles 21: 1 where it talks about the Lord or Satan is moving David.

Pastor Doug: Well yes when you read your Bible you will find that 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel somewhat parallel the history of Israel as 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles do and you will also find even in the book of Isaiah some parallels about the reign of Hezekiah and so forth. There is one story where it begins in 2 Samuel 24: 1 where it says “And the anger of the Lord was again kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.” But, when you look at the other passage that is in 1 Chronicles it says Satan moved David. So some of them are saying well who was it that moved David? Was it Satan or was it the Lord? If you’ll read the first passage in 2 Samuel 24: 1 it is in the Young’s literal translation which makes it a little more clear. Sometimes when you go from one language to another it can confuse things just a little because the structure is different. And here it says the anger of Jehovah added to the burden against Israel and the adversary moved David saying go out and number Israel. But, he is not the Lord it is the adversary. And so getting another translation and comparing these verses sometimes clears up the apparent contradictions.

Pastor Dick: Okay then alright. Let’s go to the phones Pastor Doug and we want to take our first caller from the evening. This is from---I am not sure how to pronounce it is this –Sylacauga is that correct? Alabama where David is listening on 3ABN did I say that right?

[Laughter]

David: Sylacauga that is correct. It is an Indian name. Okay you are welcome and my question is—is it Pastor Dick and Doug?

Pastor Doug: Yes.

David: And Dave the three “ds”. My question is in Ezekiel Chapter 8 where we read about the sun worship and bowing to the sun and burning the incense. And who even put and you come down to verse 17 and in verse 17 you get the last part of it saying lo they provoke me to anger and lo they put the branch in their nose. Lo they put the branch in their nose. What does that mean? I have been looking for that for a whole year.

Pastor Doug: Yes that is another example where in different cultures they had idioms and in our culture we might say thumbing our nose at somebody, sticking out our tongue or gritting our teeth. These are words that describe anger or rebellion. If you look in the new literal translation I know I often use that and let me read that verse to you from there. It says “Leading the whole nation into violence, thumbing their nose at me and I will bring my fury against them.” So there is another example where it has become a little clearer. That was an idiom and that was an expression they used for thumbing their nose at you. You know you do something to somebody and then you go nonny, nonny, nonny. That’s what they were doing to the Lord. They said we know what God wants and we don’t care. They were thumbing their noses at the Lord and it would be the equivalent in our language.

David: Right. Do you have--okay they had come into contact with the Egyptians. I found in Egyptian art that often times someone on there when they are on the walls that the plaster on there is the lotus plant and some people at the lotus plant and made wine from it. And it said that plant would cause them to be in a helpless, irresponsible state.

Pastor Doug: So it was some kind of a drug or a hallucinogenic?

David: Yes.

Pastor Doug: I haven’t heard that, but you know you made me think of something that if you enjoy some of the Bible symbols and archeology you can go to Joe Maniscalco’s website. This man is Joe Maniscalco don’t ask me how to spell it.

David: Who?

Pastor Doug: Just go to his website by typing into a search engine you will probably get close. He has been going around the world taking pictures of ancient architecture and comparing it with the Bible and he has found some wonderful things that show the ancient practices and then he explains them.

David: Well okay.

Pastor Doug: And you would also if you would go to our book “Baptized Paganism” that has some of what you just addressed and we will send that to you for free.

David: Okay yes do I have to make another phone call?

Pastor Doug: Yes and Pastor Dick will give you that.

Pastor Dick: Yes David call our resource operators at 1-800-835-6747 and ask for the book “Baptized Paganism”. You can also ask them how to spell Maniscalco and they can probably find it on something and help you to go check that website. I have seen some of his material, too, and it is fascinating. Let’s go to Santa Loma, California and talk with Desiree welcome Desiree.

Desiree: Thank you.

Pastor Dick: Your question please?

Desiree: Okay the question I have is about honoring the Sabbath commandment and number eight. In Exodus 35 it refers to each week for six days only you should work. The seventh day is this day of rest and a holy one to the Lord. Anyone who works on that day will die. Do not even light fires in your homes on that day. The question is where we draw the line on honoring that Sabbath day and the commandment of household chores. Is it okay to do a load of laundry? I mean down to what level how are we supposed to be following that commandment correctly?

Pastor Doug: Well that is a good question Desiree and we’re going to bring your volume down a little because we are getting some background noises. I hope that is okay. But, keep in mind for instance when God said to Israel you are not to kindle a fire that didn’t mean they weren’t to have a fire the word kindle means to start. You know sometimes in the Batchelor home we have a fire on the Sabbath. I get up and gather the wood and get it all set up. You will remember there was a man found gathering wood on the Sabbath and they stoned him to death. Nay work you can do I advance should be done and keep in mind it was not just the Sabbath it was with many of the Ten Commandments the penalty for breaking them was death. Especially the first four if they were found worshipping other gods when God was right in their midst. Or praying to idols or using His name in vain. The penalty for the first four commandments was death. Sometimes for stealing they had other lesser charges, but the thing that is the whole idea of the Sabbath is to get everything done that can possibly be done and doesn’t have to be done and do it every other day so that, that day is quality time with God. It is holy time. It is time that is blessed. And no I would not do a load of laundry I would try and get that done other days and have the clothes ready.

Desiree: Right.

Pastor Doug: A matter of fact what I do is I pick out Friday what I am going to wear because sometimes at the last minute you find out that I didn’t realize there is a big old moth hole in my pants and I have nothing to wear. Try and get it all set out and I shine my shoes and I am ready.

Pastor Dick: On the other hand if Pastor Doug has a seam to tear in his pants on the Sabbath afternoon he is going to change his pants.

Pastor Doug: Well I don’t know. No I would obviously and well you see the Lord understands that stuff. God is not saying He wants us to eat cold food or to shiver all day on the Sabbath. They were going through the desert and they did not need the fire for heat. And so He typically was saying doing everything ahead was good and they typically built their fires for on the Sabbath to cook and so He was just saying if they were kindling a fire they were breaking. I heard one Pastor say you can’t keep the Sabbath because every time you drive your car to church you have got all of these fires going off in the cylinders of your engine and you know sometimes people can draw these ideas to an extreme and they make it sound like God’s idea of a Sabbath was a bad idea.

Desiree: Umm-hmm.

Pastor Doug: But, the idea is to get everything done you can do and if you read in Isaiah 58. It says remember to keep the Sabbath holy and do not enjoy your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of its delight as the Lord’s holy day honor it in everything you do. Don’t follow your own desires or talk idly if you do this the Lord will be your delight and I will give you great honor. And then it goes on to a number of promises there in Isaiah 58: 13.

Desiree: Thank you.

Pastor Dick: Alright Desiree thank you for calling.

Pastor Doug: You know Pastor Dick I cannot miss this opportunity to remind our friends that I just did a two part series on how to keep the Sabbath because we get that--and this was not a planned promotion, but we get that question a lot and I think they can find that at the “Amazing Facts” website and that is something that is not without cause. But, it is called “How to Keep the Sabbath and Make it a Blessing”. Okay.

Pastor Dick: Okay “Amazing Facts dot org” and check it out folks. Alright let’s go to Brooklyn, New York and Calvert is listening on WMCA. Welcome Calvert.

Calvert: Yes and so I wanted to know about the religion that was just asked. I am-–you know I worship on Sundays. And the question always comes up which is the right day to worship? Is there real Biblical reference as to why we worship on Sundays not Saturdays? And also if this is shown that this is wrong is it a grave sin and we are not going to be in the elect coming in the last days?

Pastor Doug: Well you have asked two important questions Calvert and let me start with the first one. I used to go to church on Sunday and I still do the worship to visit friends. There is nothing that is wrong with worshipping seven days a week. But, we are never commanded to keep any other day as the Sabbath other than Saturday. And I will pause now and ask you do you know of any other day in Scripture the Bible that we are commanded to keep the first day as the Sabbath?

Calvert: No the only thing is that during Jesus’ ministry several times there was something about the Sabbath which was not right and He says that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.

Pastor Doug: Exactly there was quite a bit of conflict over the Sabbath during Jesus’ ministry because the religious leaders were very legalistic about that and all of the commandments. Jesus said you keep traditions of men instead of the commandment of God. Now nowhere does Jesus say don’t keep the Sabbath. He says the Sabbath was made for man and of course the Bible says that woman was made for man. And it is not good for a man to be alone. We still need women and we still need the Sabbath. But, there are eight references in the New Testament to the first day of the week because Saturday and Sunday do not appear in the Bible those are the modern Roman names that are used and all eight references about the first day of the week in all of the historical records none of them call it a new Sabbath day. It does tell of the disciples meeting on the first day because of the resurrection out of fear not because it was a new Sabbath and Jesus appeared to them because He kept the Sabbath because He died on Friday and rose on Sunday. So there was no place in the Bible where the Lord rescinds or over rules the Sabbath commandment and substitutes it with another day. The only day He blessed and commanded us to remember was the seventh day.

Now the second part of your question was what does that mean for a Christian and are they going to be the people in heaven that kept the day and the answer is yes obviously millions. My contention is the Bible tells us that whatever the subject if we know God’s will and we refuse to do God’s will when we understand it then that is a sin. Sin is knowing to do good and not doing it. And then again in Hebrews 26 the Bible tells us if we continue to sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth then there is no more sacrifice for sin. In other words we can’t blatantly rebel against God after He has shown us what His will is.

And I think we answered a question similar to that last week, but I hope that helps you a little bit and I strongly recommend you go to our website and you can either download our free study guide on the Sabbath truth. You know we have that website people have to go to visit because there are so many questions on this subject. And the truth of the Sabbath is exploding through the Christian world right now. Just go to “Sabbath Truth dot com” there is everything there you wanted to know about the Sabbath truth, but were told not to ask will be there.

Calvert: Okay thanks.

Pastor Doug: Thanks bye. Let’s do one more real quick.

Pastor Dick: Let’s go to Gwen in New York who is listening on WMCA. Welcome Gwen.

Gwen: Yes good evening. How are you this evening?

Pastor Doug: Very well and your question please we just have a couple of minutes?

Gwen: Okay thanks for taking my call. Okay. My question is I have been divorced for a number of years and I haven’t seen my x-husband for a long, long time. And this question has always puzzled me and in the back of my mind. If I marry again would that be a sign of adultery in the Lord’s eyes?

Pastor Doug: Well maybe.

Gwen: When I divorced I wasn’t saved so I don’t know if that matters.

Pastor Doug: Well I was going to ask that next if when you and your husband were married and divorced were you a Christian?

Gwen: No we were not.

Pastor Doug: Has your husband remarried?

Gwen: I don’t know what to say about it. I don’t know if he is dead or alive.

Pastor Doug: Well let me tell you what Jesus said. Jesus when He met the Samaritan woman at the well she was obviously not a Christian and she was not even a Jew.

Gwen: Right.

Pastor Doug: And she had had five husbands and the one she was living with she wasn’t married to. Jesus revealed to her that He was the Messiah and chances are she went home and either kicked that man out or married him. I would say when you came to the Lord you cannot unscramble scrambles eggs and whatever your past is you make a new beginning. How long was this?

Gwen: Many years.

Pastor Doug: Do you have a Pastor at the church you go to now?

Gwen: Well yes matter of fact I did and he advised I since I repented and that I didn’t know the Lord at the time it was okay. But, when I read the Scriptures it is not Biblical and it doesn’t make sense to me.

Pastor Doug: Well for one thing don’t ever do anything against what the Holy Spirit is telling you. Make sure you base it on the Bible and read Gwen 1 Corinthians Chapter 7, Romans Chapter 7 and of course I know you have read Matthew 5: 31 & 32 where he talks about committing adultery. But, we have a free study guide on the subject of marriage. We would urge you to ask for it is the one on “Holy Wedlock”. Just ask for our study guide on that subject and we will send that to you for free.

Gwen: Okay.

Pastor Dick: There is the music Pastor Doug. We’re taking a break.

Pastor Doug: That doesn’t mean good bye now friends we will be right back in a minute. Hey before we go off with some announcements here I want to mention to you that we have a lot of sermons you can see at the “Amazing Facts dot org” website. Lots of people are watching our videos with a high or low band width and you will see some of the sermons we have been doing over the years as well as a video of heaven. Check it out.

[COMMERCIAL BREAK]

Pastor Doug: Welcome back listening friends you have found your way to “Bible Answers Live” and this is as you can tell from the name a live, interactive, international Bible study. We’re going across North America with this broadcast and we have a line or two open if you still have a Bible question. Pick up the phone and call 1-800-GOD-SAYS which stands for of course 1-800-463-7297. My name is Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Dick: And my name is Dick Debit. We want to go tight to the phones Pastor Doug to Englewood, New Jersey and talk with Anthony who is listening on WMCA welcome Anthony.

Anthony: Good evening.

Pastor Doug: Good evening. Thanks for your call.

Anthony: Yeah my call is this.

Pastor Dick: Oops just a second. Anthony you dropped out of here. Just for a second are you here?

Anthony: Yes I am here.

Pastor Dick: Yes go ahead and start over again.

Anthony: Okay I wanted to know if the Pastor preferred the King James Version. Are you still there?

Pastor Doug: Yes I am still here.

Anthony: Yes I some time ago some individuals from Brooklyn came to my house and offered me some kind of Bible called New Word Translation and said it is the best one etcetera, etcetera and I ordered one in the Greek and the English because I have to know the Greek and I found it is a travesty of translation. When they came back I pointed it out. And they told me it was the best one, but I told them do you have any information if anybody needed some translations?

Pastor Doug: Yeah the New World Translation is produced by the Watch Tower Society. And the main reason for this translation was to if possible dispose of or disprove the deity of Christ. And in that they really had to torture the original languages in the Greek to try to extract that teaching. So it really without trying to be unkind this is basically the Jehovah witness Bible and it doesn’t even deserve to be on the shelf with other serious translations. It is a very biased translation. And the scholars had to enter into their bias to prove their church’s teachings rather than develop teachings from the Bible, they started out with the other objective.

Anthony: I found that and do you have any idea anybody did any--

Pastor Doug: Any research on that? Are you able to access the internet Anthony?

Anthony: Yes, sir.

Pastor Doug: If you type in the Watch Tower Society and look into the study of that you will see that there are reams of study on that and on how their Bible was developed and on the history behind it and it is pretty well documented.

Anthony: Another question is about the information last week on the women in ministry. Wasn’t Michelle ordained as minister?

Pastor Doug: No that is a myth she was never ordained. They did not believe in the ordination of women and during her time there were no women ordained in the Seventh Day Adventist Church. And as I said on my answer on this subject we believe that women are called to ministry, but being involved in ministry or mission work is completely different than being ordained as an Elder, Pastor or a Priest. That is where we find no example of that in the Bible. Probably need to move on Pastor Dick. Let’s see how many calls we can get in.

Pastor Dick: Okay let’s go to Woodland, California and Randy is listening on KARM. Welcome Randy.

Randy: Hi.

Pastor Doug: Hi thanks for waiting Randy and your question.

Randy: My question was about Revelations 4: 5 and 8: 5 and 11: 19 and in 4:5 it says there’s out of the throne proceeded lightening, thundering and voices. And then in 8: 5 it says there were voices and lightening and an earthquake and the n in 11:19 it says lightening, voices and thundering and an earthquake and a great hail. So as you g through there seems to be an increased activity there and I wonder and wanted to ask you are those symbolic and what are they symbolic of?

Pastor Doug: Good point. Well you are looking at three passages of Scripture Revelation 4 comes on the heels of the seven churches. And it is the Revelation of the Elders around the Lamb. Then when you go to the next ne you had was Revelation 8: 5 it is of course the vision of you know I just lost my place here in the Bible.

Randy: The angel took a censor and filled it with fire and cast it to the earth. Then there were thunders, lightening and earthquakes.

Pastor Doug: That I think is synonymous with the second coming as is the vision in Revelation 11:19 and that’s on the end of the seven seals so each one of these magnificent, devastating descriptions comes on the end of one of these visions. So it is like the culmination of one of the sections. But, when you look in Revelation 11: 19 that is synonymous with the second coming because it tells us that there is a very great earthquake and a great hail and all the things you see happening there go along with the second coming of Jesus. But, you are right that they do seem to increase with intensity.

Randy: Yeah and do you know if they are symbolic of something else? Or if they are literal?

Pastor Doug: Let me say something to you. I am actually thinking about this now while I am looking at it because I never thought of it before. I am looking at Revelation 8: 5 and I am thinking oh that is a good question. S you have stumped the Pastor. You are making me think about things and give me some time to study that and I think you may have something there I have never thought about.

Randy: Okay.

Pastor Doug: So all I can do is commensurate with you and say that is a good question and I wonder what it means. You don’t want me to pretend I know do you?

[Laughter]

Randy: No.

Pastor Doug: Well thank you I appreciate that question, but I think you are onto something there, but the only thing that I can realize is that these increasing calamities come at the end of these sections of seven. You know of course that Revelation has the seven churches, the seven trumpets, the seven seals, the seven thunders and so forth the seven plagues. Okay?

Randy: Alright. Just like today I love what you are doing and I thank you.

Pastor Doug: Alright God bless you. I appreciate it. Bye-bye.

Randy: Bye.

Pastor Dick: Randy thanks for the call. Pastor Doug you will study that out and come back?

Pastor Doug: If you help me remember, but I am thinking about it now so I had better pay attention to the next caller.

Pastor Dick: Well let’s go to the next caller. It is Linden, New Jersey we want to talk with Al who is listening on WMCA hi Al.

Al: Hi. God bless. I was wondering in regard to the Sabbath what to do and not to do on that day and also if it would be okay to see that movie “The Passion”? And if you did see it what did you think of it?

Pastor Doug: Well you have asked two questions and I’ll just say we just had a question on the first part of it on what is appropriate on the Sabbath. But, in connection with the question I personally do not go to movies at all. I haven’t been to the theater in years and first of all I don’t think it is a good witness. For me most of the movies out today are rated “R” some might be “PG” and of course there is the use of profanity and things with where they take God’s name in vain. And it is not appropriate for a dedicated Christian. But, I know you have to buy a ticket to go to the movie. And as far as movies and that stuff I don’t do any buying or selling on the Sabbath. So if a person did feel moved by the Lord to go see something that might be an appropriate movie. Then I wouldn’t do it on Saturday.

Al: Okay.

Pastor Doug: I am sure there are those who would disagree with me and I would just have to respectfully disagree. My experience has been you know my mother was the President of the Los Angeles film critics. She was very well known in Beverly Hills by all the movie stars and my experience has been that Hollywood has never been capable of making a movie where somebody accurately portrays Jesus. That doesn’t mean there isn’t some good that have come from these Biblical epics, but a lot of people have called in and asked questions about this. The movie on the passion and you know we what we recommend is we have a book that “Amazing Facts” is carrying that is a classic. And we reprinted a special version of it and it is called the passion of His love. And you can request it I think maybe it is about one dollar or a dollar fifty at the website just go to “Amazing Facts dot org”. At the home page just type in you can go to “dot net” “dot TV” or “dot org” and right there on the home page you will see “The Passion of His Love” and it is the most amazing book and covers the same time period as Mel Gibson’s movie. It begins in the Garden of Gethsemane and ends with the resurrection. And we made them so accessible because people can share them with others because the movie doesn’t tell you how to accept Christ. It just really shows His sufferings and people really need to know now what do I do I am moved by what I saw and what do I do? So they might request the book and share with those who have seen the film.

Al: Alright okay thank you.

Pastor Dick: Thanks for the call Al. Let’s go next to Hermiston, Oregon Randy is a first time caller welcome Randy.

Randy: Yes. Sir I love what you guys are doing and I have been listening to your show and it is the first time that I have called it.

Pastor Doug: Well glad you called in and your question?

Randy: I drive a truck for a living and one of my fellow drivers he was a Christian and basically he renounced Christ for evolution and he is really hung up on evolution.

Pastor Doug: You need to request the book we started our program with. “When Evolution Flunked the Science Test” we’ll send that to you for free Randy and then share it with your friend okay?

Randy: Now the question is from him on a repeated question he asked me and I don’t want to come up with the wrong answer to his question he will consider Christianity again. His question is who are God’s parents?

Pastor Doug: Well the answer to that is the same answer to the question, how does life make itself?

Randy: Exactly.

Pastor Doug: And so he is asking a question that doesn’t have an answer because he is using that as an excuse. The same way I would talk to your friend here is what I would say Randy. You have got two choices and both choices come to a dead end. Like you came to a fork in the road and both roads g o off into the horizon and around the earth and you can’t tell exactly where they go or where they come from. One of the forks is evolution and it says that all of the other life forms evolved from other life forms and yet with no evidence of a scientist reproducing any life from a single life cell has not been produced spontaneously. Science has not been able to come in to anywhere near that because life is so complex.

Randy: Right.

Pastor Doug: They believe the solar system formed when the sun exploded and our galaxy formed when there was some super nova and the big bang was when the universe exploded and then people say well where did that come from and then they say well there were gas masses particles in the universe and they say these nebulae collided and exploded and then you say well where did that come from? And then evolutionists will always say well something was always there. So that is one option that you can feel all the life, feeling and emotion in the universe happened accidently by explosion or you can believe that there was an intelligent God that was always there. So he can believe in gas particles as his heritage or made in the image of God. Those are our choices and I don’t know where God came from the Bible says He has always existed. Your friend believes that gas particles always existed.

Randy: Right.

Pastor Doug: So you can just pick where you want to hang your faith. I think it is a lot safer to believe in God because when I go to my grave I’d have rather lived a Christian and find out there is not any purpose than not lived a Christian and find out there was.

Pastor Dick: Amen.

Pastor Doug: Do you know what I mean?

Randy: Yeah.

Pastor Doug: Alright I hope that helps a little and we will send you that book if you will just call.

Randy: Appreciate it.

Pastor Dick: Call that number Randy that we have been giving out 1-800-835-6747. And ask for “When Evolution Flunked the Science Test” and we will send it out to you for free tonight. Let’s go to New York Pastor Doug where Cheryl is listening on WMCA welcome Cheryl.

Cheryl: Hello.

Pastor Doug: Hi Cheryl thanks for waiting.

Cheryl: God bless.

Pastor Dick: And your question please?

Cheryl: My question is in Mark 8: 34 it says if someone wants to come after me let him deny himself and take up the cross and follow me.

Pastor Doug: And I think in verse 35 it says “Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel will save it or will find it.” And Jesus is telling us that there are really two choices in life if you follow the devil we live for ourselves and for our own satisfaction and happiness and we will lose everlasting life. If we decide I am not going to live for myself I am going to live for a loving God and my fellow man we will have a better life here and in the eternal life to come. It is a question of living for love or selfishness of living for Satan or Jesus. You can also read John 12: 25 and where Jesus says the same thing that unless like a grain fall on the ground and die then we can’t live. You know it is a seed does not live unless it dies first. And we need to die to self if we are going to live for God and that is why He says to take up your cross and follow me.

Cheryl: Yes, but does it say that the cross lies in the pathway of every follower of Christ? And I am trying to say which crosses of the second and will.

Pastor Doug: The cross is self-denial. Before He went to the cross His biggest battle was what He prayed not my will, but thy will be done. That is the biggest battle of everybody when we surrender to Jesus. We have got to trust Him with our lives and not our self. Saying not my will, but I am going to follow your will and that is when real happiness begins.

Cheryl: Right, right. That is what He means by who so ever will come then come to me.

Pastor Doug: Yes.

Cheryl: And denying what you are and come to Christ.

Pastor Doug: Right.

Cheryl: Okay so thank you very much brother and God bless you okay.

Pastor Doug: God bless you.

Cheryl: Bye, bye.

Pastor Doug: Bye.

Pastor Dick: Let’s stay in New York WNCA and Pauline is listening this evening a first time caller. Pauline welcome.

Pauline: Hi.

Pastor Doug: Hi.

Pauline: My question is when a Christian at what age is the sin no longer on your mother? That is the question they ask me and I assume no longer on their mother, but on them. So that is the question I have.

Pastor Doug: Okay so in other words what is the age that children become accountable for themselves?

Pauline: Yes for their sins yes.

Pastor Doug: Let me tell you generally speaking in the Bible a Jewish girl or boy would go to the temple at about twelve years of age and today I don’t know where it passed in history do you Pastor Dick? But, they would go through their Bar Mitzvah and Bar Matzos at about age thirteen. But, Jesus the Bible says was twelve. And of course we all know that is about when puberty begins to take over. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean that that is when the child is old enough to be saved or lost. Because that must mean Pauline that when they are old enough to be lost they are old enough to be saved right?

Pauline: Yes of course.

Pastor Doug: So what determines if a child is old enough is his understanding of right and wrong and the consequences of those decisions and obviously you can teach a two year old baby the difference between no and yes. But, that doesn’t mean they understand the eternal consequences of those decisions and when they are old enough to understand that and that varies between the children.

Pauline: So this then you think that will have to be Biblical at that point? Will it be more than just a regular understanding I mean.

Pastor Doug: There is not a specific age given for accountability when a Jewish boy became a man you could look in the gospel of Luke Chapter 2 and it tells about of course in Chapter 1 when Jesus came and He was dedicated at eight days old. When in Luke Chapter 2 it is when He is twelve years old He goes to the temple in verse 49, but that is when He became a man that doesn’t mean when He began to understand right from wrong or was old enough to be saved or lost. Okay so I do believe that it may vary because I have one of my boys I have my third boy was baptized a few months ago and he is ten years old. And my wife was baptized at nine and she is still in church and she is forty now. Oops I shouldn’t have said that.

[Laughter]

Pauline: But it.

Pastor Doug: On National radio no less.

[Laughter]

Pauline: In my country they start even earlier and really they don’t even know what is happening to them.

Pastor Doug: I think a matter of fact that my wife will say that when she was baptized at nine she thinks she was too young. But, you need to be old enough to understand the consequences. In some countries you go to Romania and some of these other countries and they wait until sixteen or seventeen.

Pastor Dick: That is right.

Pauline: Yes that is good I think that is appropriate time.

Pastor Doug: Yeah. Well I think you just want to make sure that you don’t discourage the children and at the same time enforce the sacredness of the decision. Okay?

Pauline: Alright. Thanks for the answer Pastor. Bye-bye.

Pastor Doug: Alright. Thanks for calling. Bye.

Pastor Dick: Again we will stay in New York and Faye is listening on WMCA Faye welcome and thanks for the call.

Faye: Hello.

Pastor Dick: And your question please?

Faye: My question is our relationship with God through the faith of Jesus Christ so why do we have to keep the Sabbath? Because the law was given because of the transgression of man and that is mentioned in John 3:19.

Pastor Doug: Yes a very good question and here is the real question Faye. Because Jesus died to save us from our sins and because He kept the law perfectly does that mean that Christians do not need to keep the Ten Commandments? I am not talking about the ceremonial law I am talking about the Ten Commandments. If we say Christians no longer need to keep the Ten Commandments then we need to think about what we are saying because that would mean that adultery is okay and stealing is okay and lying is okay, idolatry and murder is okay. So obviously I don’t know any Christian that would say that and in Galatians is Paul saying that because Christ fulfilled the law for us that means we no longer have an obligation? Do you see what I am saying?

Faye: Yes I hear you.

Pastor Doug: So that every commandment in the Ten Commandments has a letter and a spirit. For instance the letter of the law says don’t commit adultery. Jesus said the spirit of the law said don’t look on a woman to lust. And of course God wants us to keep the spirit of the law and if we keep the spirit we are going to keep the letter because it is the starting point for the kindergarten. The letter of the law says don’t lie and Jesus said let your yes be yes and your no be no. The letter of the law says don’t murder, but the spirit of the law says don’t hate your brother without a cause or you are guilty of murder in your heart. So God wants us to keep the spirit and the letter. But if we are keeping the letter and not the spirit then we are still missing then we are still missing out on everlasting life. One more thought the letter of the law says remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. The six days you work the seventh day you rest. The spirit of the law Jesus said come unto me and I will give you rest. So we come to Jesus for spiritual rest, but of course we need that day of physical rest. That is all I am saying and does that make sense?

Faye: What you stated is very well taken, but my difficult perspective is that one can’t really keep the Sabbath today as it was kept under Abraham based on all the technology and all of that.

Pastor Doug: Well I am going to go back to the first time the Sabbath is introduced goes back to before Abraham it s the seventh day of creation when God blessed it. And then again we read in Isaiah that we will keep the Sabbath in the new earth. I don’t think God would ask us to do something we can’t do or then God becomes unjust and unfair.

Faye: And that is why I a believing through Scriptures that Christ came and then let’s assume that Christ had not come and shed His blood and the way sacrifices were offered under Abraham was the turtle dove and blood of the bullock. And if that was still this way today then we wouldn’t have our sins forgiven by the high priest. My position in Scripture is that Jesus Christ has come and taken that place once and for all. Therefore there will be no more priests for taking the sacrifices.

Pastor Doug: Yes I would agree with you that we are not under the obligation to keep the ceremonial laws and sacrifices, but what we are talking about tonight though is much more important than that. That is the Ten Commandments. The ceremonial laws were written on paper and came after sin and the Ten Commandments were written by God’s finger and spoken by His voice it is a whole different category. But, I appreciate your input Faye and we invite you to g to the website for a free copy of that study guide on the Sabbath truth or you can go to the “Sabbath Truth dot com”. A lot of information there. Do we have tie for another call?

Pastor Dick: Let’s try and get one more in. We are going to McGowan, Texas and Robert is listening on the internet and Robert we have about two and a half minutes. Your question please?

Robert: My question is taking into consideration that God has a plan in our lives. Where does prayer fit in and why do we pray?

Pastor Doug: Good and first Jesus says your Father knows what you have need of before you pray. So obviously we do not pray to inform God. He already knows and prayer doesn’t do anything for God because He already knows. It does something for us. It doesn’t bring God down it lifts us up. And what it does—what prayer also does is it helps us to recognize where the power and the benefits are coming from. An example would be why confess our sins if God already knows what they are. Well when you offend somebody and they already know you are then why do you tell them you are sorry? They know that you have done something and it is because you acknowledge to them that you did something wrong. And so prayer is communication with God. Like I want to say it is like a love relationship you can’t obey God without love and we talked a moment ago about the Ten Commandments you can’t keep them without love. And Jesus said if you love me keep my commandments. But, you can’t love someone you don’t know and the way we know God is by communicating through prayer and He communicates with us through His word. And that is how that love relationship primarily is nurtured. I hope that helps Robert.

Robert: Okay thank you.

Pastor Doug: We have got to go because we are out of time as you can tell from the music that is chasing us away. Now Pastor Dick want to remind our friends that we are completely listener supported and we are here tonight because someone like you was impressed and said hey I learned from that program and I am going to keep them on the air.

Pastor Dick: Yes.

Pastor Doug: We have a special offer for friends we have a book with amazing facts and hundreds of them for those of you who teach in your churches. There are illustrations for Pastors and we will send a free copy to anyone for a donation of any size. And we are working on Volume 2 now. This is Volume 1 of “Amazing Facts” and also check out the website “Bible University dot com and if you would like to study prophecy on your own and “Amazing Facts dot org” and you can see our program guides there to watch our TV from around the world. God bless until next week friends and remember that Jesus is the truth.

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