KHCB Broadcast – Pastor’s Q & A – August 24, 2023

KHCB – 08-24-2023 – Full Program Transcript

Announcer: [00:00:11] Good evening. The time is now 9:30 Central Time. We welcome you to our Question and Answers program, a program where you can call us with your questions about the Bible, about a scripture or the Christian way of life. And our guests will answer that question for you live on the air. Tonight’s guests are Dr. Andy Woods, Senior pastor at the Sugar Land Bible Church, located at 401 Matlage Way in Sugar Land, Texas. Dr. Woods is also the president of the Chafer Theological Seminary. Tonight, he’s also joined by Dr. Jim McGowan, Associate pastor at the Sugar Land Bible Church. Dr. Woods has authored and contributed to many Christian books and theological journals, and he speaks on a variety of topics at Christian conferences and churches. You can find them online at Pastor’s Point of View program with Dr. Andy Woods and Dr. Jim McGowan, where they discuss current issues and prophecy updates. You can find them on YouTube and Rumble or the website Andy Woods Ministries.org  Also, I’d like to announce the prophecy conference coming up. The 2024 Prophecy Conference coming up February 23rd and 24th. Featured speakers will be Olivier Melnick, Russ Miller, Dr. David Reagan and Dr. Andy Woods. You can find additional information online at their church website SLBC.org.

Announcer: [00:02:00] Also coming up on October the 8th, they’re going to welcome a special guest speaker, Mr. Curtis Bowers. Mr. Bowers is an American politician, former educator, restaurateur and a filmmaker who served at the state representative in the Idaho legislature. He speaks extensively on the left’s long war against God and the international promotion of the socialist ideology in education, media and churches. The Bowers family sings at events across the country and recently released documentaries Agenda, Agenda 2 and Masters of Deceit. For our Question and Answers program, if you’re calling from inside the Houston listening area, you can dial (832) 922-4444. If you’re calling from around the KHCB network outside the Houston area, you can dial (877) 999-5422. That’s (877) 999-5422. Or if you’d rather email your question to us, you can send that to questions. That’s plural Questions@KHCB.org and it will appear on our screen here in the studio and we’ll forward it to our guests. We ask that you not mention any denomination or personal names because our aim is to answer questions relating to the Bible. And now to get us started, here we are. Dr. Jim McGowan.

Pastor Jim: [00:04:00] And listening friends, and thank you for tuning in this evening. We’re so very excited to take your questions and to see what God is going to do for us as we open up His Holy Word, the Bible. And of course, we always say that the Bible is the only inspired, authoritative revelation of everlasting truth, and it’s the one and only divine source for all things pertaining to godly living. And we hope that you’re excited too, because God loves you so very much that he’s going to provide answers just for you this evening. And hey, listen, when he does, please remember to thank him for them, would you? We’ll be going to the phone shortly. But before we do, let me remind you of our on air guidelines. First, please remember to turn the volume down before we bring you on the air that prevents feedback and difficulties here. And secondly, please remember to keep your on air time to one question only. I know sometimes it’s hard to do that. You want to ask 1, 2 or 3 questions, but we really need you to keep it to one. And if you need to, you can always call back and ask another question. And the last thing is, please remember that once you’ve shared your question, we want to ask you to just go ahead and hang up and listen for the answer, because that frees up a line for other people who are trying to call into the program. So with that said, let’s kick our program off this evening. And I see we have a caller waiting, so let’s go right to the phones. Thank you for calling the program this evening. What is your Bible question for Doctor Woods?

Caller: [00:05:30] Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello?

Pastor Jim: [00:05:36] I know somebody’s on the line. Hello? Are you there?

Caller: [00:05:40] Yes, I’m here. Can you. Can we hear each other now?

Pastor Jim: [00:05:42] We have got each other loud and clear. Go for it.

Caller: [00:05:45] Sounds like a good Christian relationship where connection is finally made.

Pastor Jim: [00:05:49] I like that.

Caller: [00:05:50] That’s fellowship for you. Hey. 3:20. Ephesians 320, that famous verse. But to him, who is able to do super basically, you know. Anyway, let me I know it by heart, but I didn’t want to anyway – but to him who is able to do super abundantly above all that we can ask or think according to the power that operates in us. Then my focus is on the power. Right now, when I’m asking this questions, I don’t sense any power in me. I don’t have any sensation of any power operating in me. Am I supposed to? Is the power that is operating in us, which is the basis of God doing super abundantly above all that we can ask or think? Is that power something that we can increase like a rheostat where we can just turn a knob and that power will increase and the light in our life will increase? Or is it something that we can dim down where the power is low in us? Anyway, would you. My question is really, would you address this matter of the power that is operating in us, even though I can’t feel it? Can we activate it? Can we deactivate it? That’s the general generalization of my question. Thank you.

Pastor Jim: [00:07:17] All right. Thank you so much for calling the program. Pastor, how would you respond to Ephesians 3:20 there?

Pastor Andy: [00:07:23] Well, you know, I’m looking here at my study Bible notes and it says the power, by the way, that’s the Greek word, dunamis, where we get the word dynamic, dynamite, etcetera, the power that works within us. And then it says here I, you know, the Holy Spirit.  So that’s what the power is. It really has nothing to do with feelings. It has to do with the indwelling ministry of the Spirit of God right within us. So, you know, how do we, how can – Well, to answer this question, can we decrease the power? Well, we can grieve the Holy Spirit. Ephesians Chapter 4. We can quench the Holy Spirit 1st Thessalonians 5. I think it’s around verse 19 and don’t grieve. The spirit is around verse 30, Ephesians 4, verse 30, and we can quench the resist the spirit. Yes, you see that in Acts 7, I want to say around verses 51 and following. And so that’s how you decrease the power. You increase the power by yielding to what the Holy Spirit wants to do within us. And I’m reminded of the book of James chapter 4, and I believe it’s verse 6. Let me flip over there real quick to make sure I’ve got the right address. James, Book of James, Chapter 4, I believe it’s verse 6.

Pastor Jim: [00:08:55] He gives greater grace that.

Pastor Andy: [00:08:57] But I’m sorry, verse 5, that’s what I wanted, he says. Or do you think that the scripture speaks to no purpose? And then he quotes a scriptural concept. He jealously desires the spirit which he has made to dwell in us. So the spirit is inside of us wanting more of us. It’s not it’s not so much us getting more of the spirit. It’s the spirit getting more of us. So yes, I would say that’s the way to increase the power. You obey what the Holy Spirit has told us to do as the Holy Spirit is inspired God’s Word.  And that’s how you increase the power. You decrease it by quenching, grieving or resisting the spirit.

Pastor Jim: [00:09:39] Amen. All right. Great question and wonderful answer. Let’s go back to the phones. Thank you for waiting. What is your Bible question for Dr. Woods this evening?

Caller: [00:09:48] Yes. Can you hear me?

Pastor Jim: [00:09:49] I can hear you. Go. Go for it.

Caller: [00:09:51] Okay. I don’t want to really be on the air. I want to know if Jesus renamed Nathaniel (to) Bartholomew.

Pastor Jim: [00:09:58] All right. Did Jesus rename Nathaniel (to) Bartholomew? Okay. Thank you so much for calling the program.

Pastor Andy: [00:10:06] Um, you know, I don’t necessarily recall Jesus renaming anybody, but he did rename Peter. He renamed him from his name Simon (Hebrew name) to Petros. So it just really doesn’t occur to me that he renamed Nathaniel Bartholomew. I’ll have to, you know, maybe, you know, a verse where he did that. I’m not aware of one.

Pastor Jim: [00:10:30] Off the top of my head. I don’t I don’t remember that. But I do know this, that there are many occasions in the New Testament and the Old Testament where individuals actually have two, or even sometimes, three different names. That’s the same person.

Pastor Andy: [00:10:41] Yeah, and that’s true with Solomon. Solomon. That’s the best I can do from memory. I can’t remember him renaming anybody, but Simon He renamed him to Peter. But I could be off on that. But people in the Bible had more than one name, so I don’t know if I would confuse that with him renaming somebody.

Pastor Jim: [00:11:01] Right, Right. All right. Well, we hope that was helpful. And if I have some opportunity between the breaks, I’ll try to look that up and come back with a better answer if I have time. Thanks for calling the program. And back to the phones we go. What is your Bible question for Dr. Woods this evening?  Hello? Are you there?

Caller: [00:11:21] Hello.

Pastor Jim: [00:11:21] Now we’ve got you.

Caller: [00:11:23] Hi. My question is in regards to the name of using the name Jesus for our Savior. And in English, we use the name Lord when we talk about God. And that’s what the Bible uses. And the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit. So my question is, why don’t we call Jesus Joshua the English name instead of Jesus?

Pastor Jim: [00:11:50] All right. That’s a very good question, Pastor. Why do we say Jesus and not use the Hebrew name?

Pastor Andy: [00:11:57] Well, it’s because the Bible was written in more than one language. It’s written in Hebrew, Old Testament, parts of the Old Testament, a very small section are written in Aramaic. And of course, the New Testament is written in Koine Greek. And so Jesus name in Hebrew is Yeshua, and certainly that’s where the name Joshua is derived from. And then the Greek name, well, the name Jesus comes from the Greek. And so in English we pronounce the Greek name Jesus. And so, you know, it just depends on what language you’re using. That’s his name, I guess, in Spanish his name would be what? Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. So it’s the same person. It’s just different languages have different names for the Savior. And that’s the best way I can explain that.

Pastor Jim: [00:12:53] Yeah. Amen. All right. Well, hope that was helpful. Thank you for calling the program. Back to the phones. Thanks for waiting. What is your Bible question for Dr. Woods this evening?

Caller: [00:13:01] Yes, sir. In Revelation 7 the 144,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel. Can you hear me?  Yeah, I don’t I don’t see Dan there. And I see Manassa  in his place. Can you help me with that – From the tribe of Dan?

Pastor Jim: [00:13:18] All right, 144,000 and wondering what happened to Dan?

Pastor Andy: [00:13:22] Well, the common belief is that Dan is not mentioned because of Dan’s idolatry. Dan, of course, introduced idolatry into the land of Israel, the very first tribe to do so following Joshua’s conquest of the land. So a lot of people believe that. I used to believe that I’m no longer, you know, a big fan of that belief because Dan is mentioned, I believe, in Ezekiel 47. As the tribes are mentioned, you’ll see Dan, which is a millennial passage, Dan is mentioned, I believe it’s in Deuteronomy 33, where Moses is praying over the various tribes. I believe Dan is mentioned. And so I think it’s stylistic. I’m getting this from Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum in his book Footsteps of the Messiah. He talks about this. But, you know, when you have Joseph, I believe Joseph, through Joseph, correct me if I’m wrong on this Brother Jim came Ephraim and Manasseh.  So that means you’ve got a total of 13 and somebody has to get bumped, if you like, if you stylistically like the number 12. So Dan is the one that gets bumped in Revelation 7, but he doesn’t get bumped in Deuteronomy 33 or Ezekiel 47. And so Arnold Fruchtenbaum’s point is it’s more stylistic than anything else, but that’s the view I hold to probably the majority view out there is Dan is not mentioned because of her idolatry as found around Judges Chapter 18.

Pastor Jim: [00:15:10] Yeah. And by the way, let me just second what Pastor said there about Dr. Fruchtenbaum’s resources. If you can go out to his website, which is Ariel.org, he has some excellent materials that clear up some of these questions, I think. So you might want to check that out. All right. Thank you for waiting. What is your Bible question for Dr. Woods this evening?  Hello, caller.  Hi. Are you there?

Caller: [00:15:35] Yeah. Can I. Is it my turn?

Pastor Jim: [00:15:38] It is your turn. We’ve been waiting for you all evening.

Caller: [00:15:41] Yeah, because I got hung up on before.

Pastor Jim: [00:15:44] Oh, I’m so sorry for that. It wasn’t me.

Caller: [00:15:46] Oh, good. The first verse is Revelation 21:24, and its relation to the verse Revelation 22, 3 and 4. The first one talks about the nations that it says the nations will walk by its light and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it – meaning into the New Jerusalem. Then in 22, 3 and 4, it says, Who will be living there? And it says there will be no curse any more. And the throne of God and the Lamb shall be therein and his servants will serve him and they will see his face and his name. His face will be on their foreheads. So it looks like all the believers and all the Jews are going to be living in the New Jerusalem because the bride of Christ, that will be her dwelling place. So who are the nations that are outside of Jerusalem if all believers, Jewish and Gentile, are in Jerusalem?

Pastor Jim: [00:17:09] That’s a great question. Thank you. We’ll see if we can provide you a good answer. Thank you, Pastor.

Pastor Andy: [00:17:15] Yeah, well, I just think the now this is dealing with the eternal state, you know, the new heavens and the new earth, you know, for all the redeemed, for all the ages. And I just think it’s going to be a very big place. It’s kind of interesting that you don’t really lose your ethnic identity, you know, in your resurrected body in in the redeemed, redeemed world. So there’s going to be people from every nation living all over the earth at that time. The Greek calls them the ethnos. That’s the word translated nation where we get the word ethnicity from. And then, there are people inside the new Jerusalem also. But the whole earth is redeemed. And so I would anticipate people coming to the city for whatever reason, coming in, coming out all the time. And so redeemed Jews are going to come in and out. Redeemed members of the church are going to come in and out. Redeemed Gentiles are going to come in and out of the city. And since you don’t lose your ethnic status in your resurrected body, redeemed of all the nations of the Earth, every ethnicity that happens to be redeemed are going to come in and out of the New Jerusalem – so the gates, that is. And the wall around the city.  Remember, there’s 12 gates and 12 foundations. The foundations are named after the apostles, if I remember right. And the gates are named after the 12 tribes. So it’s almost like set up like a cube, you know, four walls, three gates, it would appear, on each side. And there’s going to be a lot of traffic. It’s going to be the place to go to, but not everybody’s going to live there, right? They’re going to be living throughout the whole Earth. So that’s why people are going to come visit for whatever reason and travel in and travel out.

Pastor Jim: [00:19:10] Yeah, Yeah. That’s going to be fun.

Pastor Andy: [00:19:12] That’s going to be an interesting.

Pastor Jim: [00:19:13] I can’t wait for that. Thanks so much for the call. We really appreciate it. And back to the phones. Thank you for waiting. What is your Bible question for Dr. Woods?

Caller: [00:19:23] Hey, can you hear me?

Pastor Jim: [00:19:25] We can.

Caller: [00:19:27] Okay. My my question is this. And when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights, he encountered Satan, of course. And Satan would say, if you are the son of God, he would go on. And Jesus response would be, It is written. And then Satan would come right back and say, It is also written. So apparently Satan knows scripture very well too. And so my question is this as believers, when Satan tempts us and he does, should we take Jesus’s example and go back and say it is written in quotes and Scripture.

Pastor Jim: [00:20:05] What a great question. I appreciate you calling the program this evening.  Pastor, how would we respond to that?

Pastor Andy: [00:20:11] Well, I would say that’s what Jesus is. Role modeling for us. You know, he I mean, think about that. He’s he was been fasting for, what, 40 days? So he’s in a weakened state and he’s going through these intense temptations, one of which is he could have had the whole world world. You didn’t have to go to the cross to redeem the world. He could have had it in a nanosecond. All he had to do was worship Satan for a moment. It would all be his. And how does he respond? Given the gravity of those circumstances, how does he respond? He responds with scripture. And what’s kind of convicting about it is not only does he respond with scripture, but he responds from citations – all three come from the book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 6, Deuteronomy 8, etcetera. You know, most Christians haven’t even read the book of Deuteronomy. And so here is Jesus at one of the most difficult times in his life, totally relying upon what most today would consider an obscure area of the Bible. So I think you’re right. He’s role modeling to us what we are to do in the midst of temptation. If it helped him, it certainly is going to help us. But we can’t do it unless we commit some verses to memory.

Pastor Andy: [00:21:29] And I like what she said there. You know, Satan got into the scripture quoting act. He quoted Psalm 91. I think it’s around verses 11 and 12 where he says, Throw yourself from the temple and the angels will catch you. The problem is Satan took the scripture out of context, and that’s why Jesus came back with another accurate citation from the book of Deuteronomy. You know, do not put the Lord thy God to the test. So, yes, a lot of people quote the Bible, but they don’t do it in context. And so when we quote the Bible, we want to do it accurately or else our minds are open to spiritual deception. So, yes, in spiritual warfare, which we’re all in, she pointed that out. Follow what Jesus told us to do or emulate it for us, but make sure you do it accurately, unlike the way Satan does it. And this may be the sword of the Spirit, which is described in Ephesians 6, which is the word of God. And it’s kind of interesting over there. The word for word in Ephesians 6 is not logos, but it’s Rhema meaning spoken word.  And so, you know, what does that mean? It means to quote the scripture back in the midst of spiritual warfare. Verbally.

Pastor Jim: [00:22:54] Yes. Amen. I like that. What a great question and what a great answer. Let me take a moment to give our phone numbers back out. I see that we have a number of lines open, but if you’d like to call the program and ask your question on the air, you can call 832-922-4444. If you’re in the local area, if you’re outside the local area, you can always call toll free at 877-999-5422 And if you would prefer to email your question, you can do so at questions plural Questions@KHCB.org and look you there. We have someone that’s called in. So let’s go back to the phones. Thank you for calling the program. What is your Bible question for Doctor Woods this evening?

Caller: [00:23:37] Hi I’m a I’m a follower of Jesus Christ. I study his word and I love his word. My question is, in Matthew chapter 22, it says, Many are called, but few are chosen. That speaks to me that not everyone is going to enter the kingdom of God. Would you agree or do you have another perspective?

Pastor Jim: [00:24:08] All right. Thank you for that excellent question. Pastor Matthew 22, he says that it says there that some will not enter the kingdom of heaven. I believe he was saying. Is that true?

Pastor Andy: [00:24:19] Well, the truth of the matter is God desires all men to be saved and come to repentance. I think you’ll see that in 2nd Peter 3 around verses verse 9, if I remember right. And you’ll also find that over in 1st Timothy 2, really around verse 3, really verse 4. So God desires all people to be saved. In fact, the Holy Spirit, John 16 verses 7 through 11 is convicting the world, the cosmos, everyone of sin, righteousness and judgment, sin because they don’t believe. And so God has made provision for all people to be saved. God desires all people to be saved. But the truth of the matter is, people still have a free will. And there are many, many people that will not enter, not because of some fault on the part of God, but because they never received the pardon with their name written on it, which only can be accessed by way of faith. And so to teach otherwise would be to teach universalism that everyone in the end will be saved. But that simply is not true. Jesus said Broad is the road that leads to destruction. Many there are that go that way. Narrow is the road that leads to life. Few are they that find it. Matthew 7, 13 and 14. Over in Matthew 25 verses 31 through 46 he talks about depart from me you workers of iniquity. You see that also in Matthew 7:21 through 23. Not everyone will be saved. You see it in Revelation 20 verses 11 through 15 at the final Great White throne Judgment as their name is not found written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. They are cast into the Lake of Fire. So people will end up in the wrong place. But it won’t be God’s fault. It will be because of their own volition.

Pastor Jim: [00:26:21] All right. Well, thank you so much for calling the program. We appreciate that question. I see we have two callers waiting, so let’s go back to the phones. Thank you for waiting. What is your Bible question for Dr. Woods? Hello. Caller.  Well.

Caller: [00:26:37] Hello, I’m here.

Pastor Jim: [00:26:38] There you are. Okay. What’s your question?

Caller: [00:26:41] Okay, So my question is and I and I trust God, believe God wholeheartedly believe in Jesus. He’s my Lord and savior. But sometimes I wonder, you know, if Satan’s going to be cast into the Lake of Fire. Why didn’t God just do that right off the bat instead of allowing him to be able to deceive Adam and Eve when it was already set up for Paradise for them?

Pastor Jim: [00:27:04] All right. That’s a really good question. Why did God allow Satan to continue his evil practices Pastor?

Pastor Andy: [00:27:10] Sure and why we could even say why didn’t why did God create him to begin with when he knew that he would rebel and cause all of this havoc? The truth of the matter is, as one man put it, the devil is God’s devil. God is so great that he’s actually using his arch enemy to accomplish his will. Let me give you one example. Over in 2nd Corinthians, chapter 12, verses 7 through 10, Paul had a messenger from Satan delivering to him a thorn in the flesh, and Paul pleaded way all the way through the Bible. And that’s the only reason Satan. And once that purpose is finished, he according to Revelation chapter 20, verse 10 will be thrown into the lake.

Pastor Jim: [00:28:00] Amen All right. Thank you for that call. And back to the phone. What is your Bible question for Doctor Woods?

Caller: [00:28:06] My question is, you know, career problems. You know, like what direction does God want me to where do he want me to be. And, you know, I prayed about it, but I’m still not clear what the answer is in situations like that. It could be a lot of things quite clear on what God wants you to do. What do you do with that?

Pastor Jim: [00:28:25] All right. What do you do when you need to hear from God and you don’t feel God’s calls.

                                                                          Note to reader :  There were some network issues here with the recording.

Pastor Andy: [00:28:30] Pastor Yeah, I gave a wrong – Paul humble and you’ll see this pattern God resisting the proud is not in 1st Peter 5, 8 and 9. It’s in 1st Peter 5:5. So I just wanted to correct the record, you know, what do you do if you like some doors to open and they’re not opening and you’re not really hearing from God? I would say God could have you in the waiting game. Maybe he’s preparing you for something greater down the road that you can’t see. He maybe he just has to develop your character a little bit before you can walk through that door. You know, you look at what Joseph went through from age 17 to age 30. He probably felt miserable. And, you know, all his ordeal, ordeals and trials, he probably didn’t feel like a lot of doors were opening and he wasn’t fulfilled in life. But during that whole time, what was God doing? He was shaping Joseph for his role when he would hit age 30, when he would be second in command of all of Egypt. And I doubt Joseph saw that coming. Of course, he had a vision about it that his brothers would bow down to him, but he didn’t know the specifics and he was probably very frustrated, particularly when he kept doing right and he kept being falsely accused and all that kind of stuff. And really what it was, was God was shaping his character a certain way because God knew the door that would open to him at a certain point in his life. And he character had to be prepared correctly to walk through that door. So maybe you’re in that kind of circumstance now. And so I would just take heart perhaps, and that. Would you add anything to that?

Pastor Jim: [00:30:16] Yeah, I like the expression bloom where you are. Yeah. Sometimes it’s a waiting game and you want to just be the greatest example of a believer where you are and God will open doors for you when the timing is right.

Pastor Andy: [00:30:28] And the Bible also says if you’re faithful with the little things, he’ll trust you with the greater things. And so if you see greater things in your life, you know the question is, are you being absolutely faithful with every little thing that God has put in front of you. Because to us, they are little things, but to God, they’re actually big things.

Pastor Jim: [00:30:48] Good point. All right. Well, the first half of the program has come to the end.  We’re needing to go to a station break. But may I just say thank you for all those that have called thus far? We’re getting great questions this evening. So we’re going to pause now for a short break. We’ll be back in just a moment with our prayer for the nation. Stay tuned.

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Pastor Jim: [00:32:08] Right. Welcome back to KHCB’s Question and Answer program. It’s the top of the hour, so we like to pause and pray for the nation. And if you’re in a position where you can do so safely, would you just join with us now as we go to the Lord in prayer? Abba Father, you tell us in Romans 13:1 that we’re to be in subjection to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. You also tell us in Titus 3:1 to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient to them. Then in 1st Peter 2:13 and 14, you tell us why we should do this. When you say submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake, to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. And finally, you charge us in 1st Timothy 2:1 through 4 saying, first of all, then I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and Thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men for kings and all who are in authority so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God, our Savior who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Pastor Jim: [00:33:39] Therefore, we come this evening to pray for our leaders, local, state and federal, that as authorities set up by you, they might humble themselves before you because they will all one day give an account of their stewardship over this nation. We pray that they might pursue wise and godly counsel and that they might walk in humility and integrity. We pray that they would put the needs of all of the citizens and not just of some of the citizens of this great land before themselves as true servant leaders. We pray that you would move upon them in such a way that they might put aside personal agendas and that they would be honest, morally upright, working for the benefit of all the people. We pray for, all the true believers serving in government, that you would energize and encourage them to seek the wisdom that comes from above and that they would remember that they are above all else ambassadors for Christ. We also ask for the salvation of unbelievers serving in our government that they might see and respond to the glorious offer of eternal life through Jesus Christ. We thank you, ABBA Father, for our great Republic and for the Constitution upon which it was established. We pray that righteousness would prevail and that you would grant our President, his Cabinet, the Congress and the Supreme Court grace and courage to make sound decisions that align with your will for this Christian nation.

Pastor Jim: [00:35:22] We ask you to bring down those who are working to undermine America and her citizens, specifically those individuals who are committed to bringing harm to our government and our nation. We also ask that you would help all Americans to seek out ways and means to work together in harmony that will benefit each and every citizen. We pray also for believers that we might remember and hold on to the knowledge that your purpose will be established and you will accomplish all your good pleasure. And finally, Father, thank you for loving your children so much that you do not leave us as we are. But you work within us to conform us moment by moment into the image of your dear son. Please help us not to lose sight of the fact that this present earth is not our home and that we are merely sojourners currently occupying until you send our Lord to take us to himself. And remind us also of our Commission to be light and salt to those who are lost and dying all around us. This we pray in the name of Jesus, Maranatha and Amen. Thank you so much for pausing with us. And it’s time to go back to the phones. So let’s do that now. Thank you for waiting. What is your Bible question for Dr. Woods this evening?

Caller: [00:36:59] Yes, it’s in Genesis 6, verse 7. So the Lord said, I will wipe mankind whom I have created from the face of the earth – men and animals and creatures that move along the ground and birds of the air. For I am grieved that I have made them. Now I know that he was grieved that he made man because of their because of the wickedness of their hearts and the sin. But why? Why the creatures? Why was God grieved that He created creatures and the birds of the air and all the animals?

Pastor Jim: [00:37:35] What a wonderful question. Thank you for calling the program, Pastor. How would we respond to that?

Pastor Andy: [00:37:41] Well, I mean, we know that he wanted to continue, you know, the animal kingdom. That’s why he had Noah, you know, bring, you know, two of each kind into the ark. Beyond that, you know, I really don’t know why I don’t know how much of an answer why he would destroy all the animals. You know, it may have something to do with the effects of sin even, you know, let’s go back to Adam’s sin. I mean, Adam’s sin affected everything in the cosmos. The whole universe, the whole universe, including the animal kingdom. And maybe there was something going on in the days of Noah that somehow affected the animals. I’m thinking of the commands that God gave to Joshua to wipe out everything. And I’m thinking of Leviticus 18 and Leviticus 20, where the Canaanites in Joshua’s Day were even involved in bestiality and perhaps something like that was going on. You know, the Bible just doesn’t say those that would be, you know, basically my guess. But we do know that God loves the animals and he wanted to further the animal kingdom. And that’s why he brought, you know, two of each kind into the ark.

Pastor Jim: [00:38:58] Yeah, I think what you said first there is really, really important. I think we forget that when Adam and Eve sinned, we don’t think in terms of the entire universe and everything in it being affected by the curse. And so I think that’s probably the best answer. So thank you for that great question. And Pastor, thanks for that wonderful answer. Back to the phones we go. Thank you for waiting. What is your Bible question for Dr. Woods?

Caller: [00:39:22] Yeah, looking at Colossians chapter 3, verse 1 and 2, where Paul encourages us to keep seeking the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God and set your mind on things above. Does Paul define what those things above are in Colossians, or are we, in a sense left to our sanctified imagination that things above refer to Heaven and try to figure that out?

Pastor Jim: [00:39:49] Well, another great question. Thank you so much for calling the program. Let’s see if we can find you a good answer here, Pastor.

Pastor Andy: [00:39:55] Well, it’s I think it’s a matter of just, you know, researching what actually is above. I’m thinking of 2nd Peter 1, I think it is our inheritance, you know, where is that? If you go over to 2nd Peter chapter 1 verses 3 and 4, it says Seeing that his divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness. No, that’s not the verse I’m looking for. Maybe it’s 1st Peter chapter 1, verse 4. There it is. To obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away reserved in heaven for you. So that may be one thing we can think of that’s above. We think of the father, our Father who art in heaven. Matthew 6, around verse 9. You know he is above. We think of the rooms that Jesus is building for us in the father’s house. John 14 verses 1 through 3. That’s something to seek above. And, you know, we can just go right on through the New Testament particularly and we could, you know, see all the wonderful things that are in Heaven, those things that are eternal. I’m thinking of Philippians 3, verse 20, our citizenship is in heaven. So just go through the Bible and pay attention to all the things that are above and that may help fill in the gaps in Colossians 3, 1 and 2.

Pastor Jim: [00:41:28] Yeah. And actually I would jump back to 2nd Peter 1 verse 4, because it mentions that we’re partakers of the divine nature. Well, what does that mean as we begin to look at the scriptures and see what that means, then you know that we enter into the mind of Christ and we begin thinking the way God wants us to think. So I like that. That’s a great question. Thank you so much for calling the program. And let’s go back to the phones. Thank you for waiting. What is your Bible question for Dr. Woods this evening?

Caller: [00:41:58] Hi there.

Pastor Jim: [00:41:59] Hi.

Caller: [00:42:00] Hi. Thanks for taking my call.

Pastor Jim: [00:42:01] Our pleasure.

Caller: [00:42:03] Um, I have a bit of an odd question just about. I’m not the most well-versed Christian, but I do have a question. It’s kind of related to one of the earlier questions about how we deal with temptation and when it comes along and you quote scripture. But I’m wondering, like when it comes to certain thoughts that enter your mind, is it wrong to just say things like, you know, Lord, rebuke these thoughts? I don’t want these thoughts. Forgive me for them, You know, is it wrong just to say like that, or does it have to always be certain scripture that kind of addresses that certain thought? Does that make sense?

Pastor Jim: [00:42:49] Great question and appreciate your humility and calling and asking it. Pastor, how would we address this question?

Pastor Andy: [00:42:55] Well, I think there is power in the scripture.  And the more scripture you have memorized, the better. I mean, just for example, I would commit to memory a few areas of scripture that, you know, you’re weak in.  So if you struggle with bitterness, you might want to memorize Ephesians 4:26 and 27. You know, you’re going to get hit with that. And you’ve got some verses there that say, Do not let the sun go down on your anger lest you give the devil a foothold. And it goes on and it talks about be forgiving of one another. I go back to that one quite a bit. You know, when I get hit with bitterness.  If you get hit with anxiety a lot, you know, you might want to memorize Philippians 4. I think it’s verses 6 and 7, you know, be anxious for nothing but in everything, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. So when those anxious thoughts come, you know, it’s just it’s a good thing to do, to quote that scripture. So yeah, it’s okay to be generic and say, Lord, I know these thoughts are wrong, but you really take things to another level in your defense, in spiritual warfare, when you’re able to actually quote a scripture that really pertains to your area of weakness and your situation. And those are some things that have helped us. So yeah, why don’t you give that a try and see how it works?

Pastor Jim: [00:44:23] Yeah. And if I could just add on to that, you know, you may be one of those individuals like me that you, your memory capability is, is waning. And so what I do is a lot of times I will actually, when I go find a passage that will, you know, meet a particular need or issue in my life, I’ll jot that down in a little booklet that I can keep with me. And then when I get that same issue coming back in my life, I can immediately go there and I can just say, okay, yeah, this is what I used last time. I’m going to read this scripture. I’m going to meditate on this scripture. And it’s amazing how when you meditate on the scripture, it just seems like, you know, God just comes upon you and gives you victory. So I encourage you to do that, maybe. And I appreciate you calling the program. Thank you. We’re waiting for someone to call. So while we’re waiting, Pastor, let’s go to our mailbox. And an individual had called in on a previous program and asked the question, can a believer be demon possessed?

Pastor Andy: [00:45:24] All right. Can a believer be demon possessed? I would say no, because when you get saved, your body becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit. And you’ll see that in Romans 8, verse 9, you’ll see that our body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit in 1st Corinthians 6, verse 19, and the Holy Spirit after you get saved is inside of you forever. John 14 verses 16 and 17. And so God and the demons can’t be roommates. God and Satan can’t be roommates. Now we can cater to the flesh and when we cater to the flesh, we give Satan influence. But influence is not the same thing as being possessed.  Being oppressed is not the same thing as being possessed. So, for example, we mentioned that this verse I think in the prior call, but over in Ephesians 4 verses 26 and 27, it says Be angry and do not sin and not let the sun go down on your anger and do not give the devil an opportunity.  So when we harbor to the sin nature, we give Satan an inroad to influence us, not to possess us. I think that’s what happened to Peter, where Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16:21 through 23, you know, get behind me, Satan. And I think that’s what happened with Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 verses 3 and 4, where it talks about how Satan had filled their hearts. In all these cases, you’ve got believers catering in those contexts to the sin nature. But that’s not the same thing as possession. Possession is where a demon or Satan just comes right into somebody and takes over and subjugates completely and totally the person and the personality. So that can’t happen to a Christian. But oppression or influence can when we go back to the sin nature.

Pastor Jim: [00:47:39] All right. Well, I see that all of our lines are free, so let me give those numbers out one more time. If you’re in the local Houston area, you can call 832-922-4444. If you’re outside the local area, you can call toll free at 877-999-5422 And again, if you’d prefer to send your question in by email, you can do so at questions, plural Questions@KHCB.org and lookie there, there’s a caller. So back to the phones we go. Thank you for calling the program. We really appreciate it. What can we do for you? What is your question for Dr. Woods this evening?

Caller: [00:48:18] Are there distinctions between studying the scriptures diligently and then as opposed to having the Word of God dwelling in you? And are there distinctions if there are between the types of people who do one or the other?

Pastor Jim: [00:48:39] All right. Interesting question. Thank you for calling the program. A distinction between diligently seeking or having the word dwell in you, I believe, is what he said. Pastor?

Pastor Andy: [00:48:48] Well, I largely think those are synonymous. You know, Psalm 1, Joshua 1 that we’re to meditate on his word day and night. And as we do that, we are allowing the Scripture to dwell in us richly, particularly when you take what you’re studying and apply it. That’s when it really starts to dwell richly within you.

Pastor Jim: [00:49:12] Yes. Amen. All right. Let’s go back to the mailbox here. I have another question. This individual says, I would like the pastor’s view on women going into ministry, specifically youth pastor or associate pastor.

Pastor Andy: [00:49:28] Well, you know, when you go over to 1st Timothy chapter 2, verses 12 through really 12 and 13, Paul the apostle, by the way, in a pastoral letter. So this should take precedence because it telling pastors how to be pastors.  1st Timothy, 2nd Timothy and Titus. But over in 1st Timothy 2 verse 12, it says, But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. And then he gives a reason. It has to do with creation, for it was Adam who was first created and then Eve. So there is a gender limitation on women. They cannot teach or exercise authority over men, and I would understand that as men, I guess we might define when do you become a man? We might define it. The age of puberty, you know, over the age of puberty, puberty. A woman is not to teach a man or to exercise authority over a man. Now, does that mean a woman can’t be in ministry? Far from it. Young Timothy had a very powerful, two very powerful female influences over his life. Lois and Eunice, You know, that’s mom and grandma. You’ll see that in 2nd Timothy 1 verse 5. And that’s why he knew the scriptures from infancy. 2nd Timothy 3, verse 15. Also Titus 2 verses 3 and 4, says that the older women should teach the younger women so women can have great ministries.

Pastor Andy: [00:51:21] You know, you could teach children, you could teach young people under the age of puberty, you could teach other women. But, you know, having said all that, Paul is very clear that within the church, a woman is not to exercise authority or to teach or to exercise authority over a man. Now, you know, when you talk like this today, people get very upset and they think you’re throwing a roadblock into women and their contribution to the church. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you go to Dr. Constable’s online notes and you go Sonic light.com and you go to his opinion, one of the appendixes appendices, I guess I should say, that he has after his 1st Timothy notes he has an amazing treatment there where he lists every time God uses a woman in the Bible, Genesis to Revelation. And you look through that list and it’s just overwhelming. God is using women constantly all the time.  In fact, any pastor will tell you that probably the most active members of his church are women. And if you took the women out, the whole church would collapse. And certainly probably true with our church, Sugar Land Bible Church. So women have a huge role to play in ministry. But there is a limitation, you know, regarding not teaching or exercising authority over men.

Pastor Andy: [00:52:48] I think there’s a gender limitation also on the Office of Elder because he the elder 1st Timothy 3 verses 1 through 7 must be the husband of one wife. I don’t even in this day and age, I don’t know how a woman could be a, you know, a husband of one wife. Probably get us in trouble saying even that today. But, you know, the problem is and I’ve heard this, I’ve heard some of my female colleagues use this example. And I agree with them. They call it the Eve syndrome, where God said, in Eden, you’re free to eat freely. He put no limitations on them, but he only said, don’t eat from the tree of knowledge. So what what did the serpent focus Eve’s attention on? On the one thing she couldn’t do instead of all the things she could do. I feel like that when this discussion of women in the ministry comes up. There are tons of ministries women can do, but they just can’t teach. They can’t occupy the office of what we would call senior pastor. They can’t be an elder and they can’t be in a situation where they’re exercising authority or teaching a man. But teaching children. Great, teaching other women great. And think of all of the other non teaching ministries you can do in the church. So I hope that gives some good parameters.

Pastor Jim: [00:54:14] Yeah, and just think about the women. There are certain women that have ministries here on KHCB regularly that are profound ministries. So praise the Lord for that. All right, let’s go back to the phones. Thanks for waiting. What is your Bible question for Dr. Woods this evening?

Caller: [00:54:29] Am I on? Okay. Hey, Hebrews 2:1 wherefore holy brothers, partakers of the heavenly calling and so forth and so on. My point is, Holy brothers, as I’ve been a Christian for a few decades, I’ve been called brother. I’ve been called brother in Christ, but nobody has ever called me Holy brother. And of course the Scripture says here that I am. Is that because the people who are referring to me don’t recognize how holy I am? Or is it because I’m not holy enough for them to say I’m a holy brother? That’s my question.

Pastor Jim: [00:55:08] Boy, that’s a loaded question. All right. Let’s see if we can answer that.

Pastor Andy: [00:55:11] Well, I think the issue is that’s what God says about you. And you’re holy because if you’re a believer in Christ, you have his transferred righteousness. And God looks at us not through our own self righteousness, but through the lens of Christ’s righteousness. And that makes you part of the Holy Brethren. It’s God’s assessment.

Pastor Jim: [00:55:30] I love that. Great answer. All right, back to the phones. Thanks for waiting. What is your Bible question for Dr. Woods this evening?

Caller: [00:55:37] Hi. I called earlier about the name of Jesus, and I wanted to continue that thought. And the reason I was asking is I wanted to know why we use the Greek pronunciation Jesus in the English language, for example, for God we call him Lord. We don’t use the Greek name for that, which I believe is Kyrios. And for Holy Spirit we don’t use the Greek name Paraclete for that in normal speaking. So my question is, why don’t we – why don’t we use the name Joshua, which would be the English name for Jesus in the English language when we’re talking about Jesus and leading someone to Christ.

Pastor Jim: [00:56:22] All right. Thanks for calling back, Pastor.

Pastor Andy: [00:56:24] Well, I mean, there’s nothing that says you can’t I mean, you can call him Yeshua. A lot of my Hebrew Christian friends, you know, prefer that. Yeah, but it’s just the name Jesus has caught on in English because that’s the way it’s pronounced in Greek. I mean, I don’t know if there’s a hard, fast rule, you know, for every member of the Trinity, is this going to work out? But that’s the that’s how it linguistically worked its way out. In this case, we call him Jesus because it’s referring back to his Greek name, basically Greek pronunciation.

Pastor Jim: [00:57:04] And it’s also possibly that there could be some Latin influence. It’s there because you remember the Roman church was in power for many, many, many years. So there may be some influence in that case, too, also. All right. Let’s see. No more calls for now. So let’s go back to our mailbox. We’ve got time for maybe one more question here. Let’s see what we have here. This person says, how do you break a habit of sin?

Pastor Andy: [00:57:33] Oh, wow. Well, I would say, first of all, to acknowledge that you’re sinning.  1st John, one talks about how, you know, if we you know, if we if we deny the fact that we’re sinners, then we’re denying the you know, we’re denying scripture, we’re denying Jesus. And the truth is really not in us, right? Romans 13, verse 14 indicates that I still have a sin nature, even though I’m a born again Christian. And so what I have to learn to do is to reckon. And that’s from Romans 6, it’s the translation of the Greek word logisma, which is an accounting term. You have to reckon as true a positional reality. And that positional reality is in Romans 6 verses 1 through 4 that we have been baptized into Christ. It’s already happened. In other words, when he died, we died when he rose, we rose. When he ascended to the right hand of the father, we ascended. That is our position. So when I am tempted to sin, I have to acknowledge that it is a positional reality that I have been identified. That’s what baptized here means into Christ Jesus. Beyond that, I have to lean upon the resources of the Holy Spirit. Romans 8, Galatians 5, verse 16, says, If we walk according to the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. And with those positional truths in mind, we tell the sin nature “No”. And you have the power to do that because of these positional truths. Romans 6, verse 12 says, Do not let sin reign in your mortal body. And so we can say no to sin. Now, I would also recommend even beyond that, as we learn to break habitual sin in our lives to replacing that sinful behavior with something better.  And you see that expressed in Ephesians 4:28 and 29. It says Let him who steals steal no longer, but rather let him labor performing with his own hands what is good in order that he may have something to share with him who has need. You see this in verse 29. Let no un-wholesome word proceed out of your mouth, but only such a word as is good for the edification of the need of the moment that it may give grace to those who hear so you know a bad using the mouth for sinful purposes. Replace that with edifying words. Using the hands for stealing, replace that with use those same hands for productivity so that you can have something to be generous with. So I think that becomes a big part of breaking habitual sin. So acknowledge that we do sin. Romans 13, verse 14. Reckon or Logisim I acknowledge your baptism into Christ. Romans 6 verses 1 through 4, meaning the power of the sin. Nature has been broken. Lean upon the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5, verse 16. Say no to the sin nature Romans 6, verse 12. And replace those sinful activities with better activities. Ephesians 4:28 and 29.

Pastor Jim: [01:01:01] Amen Well, brothers and sisters, thank you so much for calling the program this evening. We’ve come to the end of another exciting case question and answer program. Thank you for your participation. We’re praying for you. You pray for us and we’ll see you next time. God bless.