KHCB – 04-18-2024 – Full Program Transcript

 Announcer: [00:00:00] Good evening. Welcome to our weekly Question and Answers program. A program where you can call us with your questions about the Bible, 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 Sugar Land Bible Church. He’s also president of the Chafer Theological Seminary. He has authored and contributed to many Christian books and theological journals. He also speaks on a variety of topics at Christian conferences and churches. Also tonight we have Dr. Jim McGowan, Associate pastor of Sugar Land Bible Church. The church website can be found at SLBC.org.

You can also reach them at the “Pastors Point of View” found on YouTube (Pastor’s Point of View) and Rumble (Pastor’s Point of View) and their website Andy Woods Ministries.org.

If you’re calling from inside the Houston listening area, you can dial (832) 922-4444. That’s (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 computer screen here in the studio and we’ll forward it to our guests. We ask that you not mention any denominations or personal names, because our aim tonight is to answer questions relating to the Bible. And now to get us started, here are our Pastors Dr. Andy Woods and Dr. Jim McGowan.

[00:02:37] Pastor Jim: Welcome once again listening, friends, and thank you so much for tuning in this evening. This is Jim McGowan, and I’m here with my good friend, senior pastor of Sugar Land Bible Church, Doctor Andy Woods. And of course, you just heard the lovely voice of Brother Noah, who is our producer and call screener. And with the three of us here, we’re just so excited about what God’s going to do this evening. And we have wonderful news for you. And that is that God is going to do something truly marvelous just for you over the next hour. And we’re very confident of that because we will be depending upon God’s holy Word, the Bible, the only inspired, authoritative Revelation of everlasting truth, which, when properly interpreted, has the answers we need for all things that pertain to life and godliness. So we’re expecting God to speak to you and to us this evening as we trust you’re expecting the same. And again, let me just repeat what Brother Noah mentioned before we bring you on the air. Please remember to turn the volume down on your listening device. And please also remember to keep your on air time to one question. If you’d be so kind, there are generally people waiting in line to get on the air, and we want to give everyone as many opportunities as we can to get their questions on air. And then finally, once you give us your questions, if you’d be so kind as to just go ahead and hang up to listen to the answer, and that would help us tremendously. So thank you for your cooperation and praise the Lord for what he’s going to do this evening. Again, let me give out the lines, the telephone numbers here. The local number is 832-922-4444. If you’re outside the local area, you can call toll free at 877-999-5422. And of course, if you’d prefer to email your question in, you can do so by emailing to questions with an “S” Questions@KHCB.org. And with that said, let’s go to our phones. Thank you so much for calling the program this evening. What is your Bible question for Dr. Woods?

[00:04:49] Caller: Yes. Uh, thank you for taking the call. Um, my question is in the in the letters to the churches in Revelation, uh, Jesus Christ is telling them I would maybe even consider a sermon, a little sermon at each church. But it doesn’t say sermons. So anyway, he definitely is telling him some stuff and but he and the message to him, he never gives any of them an altar call. Uh, the one where he says, uh, coming to, you know, I stand at the door. Not that’s not to that’s not to unbelievers that that’s to a so-called believing church of people that that he is standing at the door of that church and telling them I’m outside the door. Anyway, my point is this. I hear almost every sermon I’ve ever heard in my life, including many sermons I hear on the radio. They always want to at the end of the sermon, no matter what the sermon is about to say. And if anybody is here and hasn’t received the Lord. Uh, do you want to receive the Lord today? My sarcastically said, and I’ll be more direct, instead of sarcastically and sarcastically said, do you think the Lord missed an opportunity to let somebody get saved by not giving the churches an altar call? More directly speaking, why didn’t he give an altar call to those churches? Hey. Thank you. Those are my ideas.

[00:06:17] Pastor Jim: All right. Thank you so much for calling the program pastor. Why in the world didn’t Jesus give an altar call to those churches?

[00:06:25] Pastor Andy: Well, I guess one way to answer that is he didn’t give an altar call because the Bible never, um, mentions altar calls. Uh, I know that’s a common Christian way of evangelism, but if you’re actually looking at what the Bible says, it’s an invitation to believe. That’s what saves the lost sinner – believe on Jesus Christ. And if people want to find an evangelistic presentation, you know, they wouldn’t look to the book of Revelation for that. Because, as he rightly said, that those seven churches are believers. Um, they’re told to repent of their sins that they’re committing as Christians, but there’s no invitation to believe. But you do find an invitation to believe in John’s Gospel.  99 times, John 20, uh, verse 31, uh, talks about the purpose statement of John’s gospel, which is to present the signs of Christ. So people know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, may have life in his name. So obviously John’s Gospel, unlike the Book of Revelation, was written to people that hadn’t believed yet based on that purpose statement and. Hadn’t received the gift of eternal life yet.  You know, the Book of Revelation is very different. When you look at Revelation 1 verse 9, John says, I, John, your brother.

[00:07:51] Pastor Andy: Now he’s going to be speaking as you drop down to verse 11 of chapter 1 to the seven churches in Asia minor. But he calls them, you know, he claims solidarity with them spiritually. I’m your brother, fellow partaker, in the Tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus. So, John himself is acknowledging that we’re co partakers in this together of the coming kingdom, etc. and so it’s very obvious the way John identifies himself and claims solidarity with his audience. He’s talking to save people. And the very worst of the worst of these churches is Laodicea. And even Laodicea is saved, because when you look at verse 19 of Revelation 3, it says, those whom Jesus speaking now, those whom I love, I reprove and discipline. So discipline applies not to the unsaved. It applies to the saved whom the Lord loves the Lord. Chastens uh, Hebrews 12 verses 5 through 13. You know you don’t discipline the neighbor’s kids. Although we may. We may be tempted to at times, but you discipline your own kids because they belong to you. So I agree with what he’s saying. Um, Revelation 2 and 3 is written to save people.

[00:09:17] Pastor Andy: And so when it talks there in verses 20 and 21, behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in with him, and he will dine with him, and he with me. That’s not an invitation for a lost person to get saved. John’s gospel has plenty of those.  Uh, but this is an invitation for a wayward, backslidden church to move back into fellowship with him. You know, John, who wrote these words, was there 60 years earlier in the upper room where John 15, Jesus talked about the vine in the branch that bears fruit, and the vine outside of the branch that does not bear fruit. And when Jesus talked about that, he was talking to 11 saved people. And Judas had already left the room at that point. So he’s dealing with in fellowship, out of fellowship in the branch vine, in the branch fellowship vine out of the branch, out of fellowship, not believer, unbeliever status. So, uh, I think that’s what John is developing here, uh, through Christ’s words. You know, I stand at the door and knock, you know, dining is intimacy in the ancient world.

[00:10:30] Pastor Jim: Yes, yes.

[00:10:32] Pastor Andy: And so Jesus is wanting intimacy with his own, his own blood bought church, filled with saved people that aren’t walking in fellowship with him. In fact, Laodicea means the people ruling – Laos = people; diceao = to rule as in democracy, the people ruling. That’s literally what it means. It’s a man centered, humanistic church of regenerated people that are out of fellowship with Christ. And so that really is not a so-called altar call there or an invitation to believe. So we have to go to the right parts of Scripture to teach the right doctrines. If you want to teach evangelism, I’m totally in agreement with what he’s saying. Revelation 2 and 3 is not the place to do it. Go to go to the book of John.

[00:11:15] Pastor Jim: Amen, Amen. Go to the book of John. That’s where you want to go. Great question, great answer. Thank you so much for calling the program. Back to the phones. We go. Thank you for waiting. What is your Bible question this evening? Yes.

[00:11:26] Caller: Hello. How are you doing today?

[00:11:27] Pastor Jim: Wonderful. How are you? I’m doing.

[00:11:29] Caller: Fine. No, I have a friend. And what happened? That she got electrocuted? It was nothing minor on the job. And so her boss told her. It’s your fault that you got electrocuted. And she just didn’t think that was appropriate, knowing that her arm was hurting and she just felt like in her situation, she’s the only one of her race there. Everybody else is one race, and she just feels like she tends to be a little un-sensitive to her because she’s not the race of not only the boss, but the rest of the co-workers. She’s the only one. And so she said, she said, I guess I’m gonna have to quit that job, because she didn’t think that was appropriate for somebody at a time that you got electrocuted. For somebody to say, it’s your fault, you got electrocuted, instead of you saying, you know, instead of you saying that, you know, are you okay? You know just check to see if it’s an electrical problem, because you never know. It could be an electrical problem because she pull out a plug. And I guess my question is, how would you handle that in a godly way? Would you just quit that job or what?

[00:12:36] Pastor Jim: Okay. All right. Excellent question. Let’s see if we can provide you an answer.

[00:12:40] Pastor Andy: Well, I mean, this is not, um, a legal show. I do have a legal background, you know, but it looks to me just from a superficial understanding of what you’re saying is that her rights are being violated. So if I were in her position, I would go talk to the human resources department. And if that doesn’t bear any fruit, I’d go consult a civil rights lawyer. And I don’t think just because you’re a Christian, you give up your legal rights. You know, legal rights apply to everybody whether you’re saved or not. And to me, it sounds like her civil rights are being violated. It sounds like her, um, she’s being mistreated by upper management, making ridiculous statements. It’s to me, it sounds like she’s being taken advantage of. And so if I were a Christian, I would have no qualms whatsoever going talking to a civil rights lawyer. And probably before that, the Department of Human Resources.

[00:13:38] Pastor Jim: Amen. Yeah. And I think the only thing I would add to that is that I also would take it to God in prayer, and I would pray for that particular situation. I’d pray for that boss and the others that that she may feel like are mistreating her, and ask God to touch their hearts and make bring to light the reality of the truth of the situation so that she can get what satisfaction she needs to get. So what a great question. Thank you for taking the time to call the program. We do appreciate that. And let’s take a moment to go to our mailbox here. “I do have a question here for you, pastor. This individual writes in and they’re, uh, speaking from Matthew chapter 5, verse 32, uh, which is dealing with divorce. If divorce in the Bible is only considered under the only exceptional circumstance of sexual immorality. If either spouse remarries a person not divorced under this rule, or if they have not been divorced because of immoral behavior, then they will have committed adultery. Divorce and remarriage are often very complicated messiness of our fallen world. And then finally we get to the question is it unbiblical to remarry after divorce, meaning an act of committing adultery”?

[00:14:47] Pastor Andy: So biblically, there are certain things that dissolve a marriage. Um, and if you’re marrying somebody that hasn’t fit these criteria, then I do believe it is adultery. Sure. So if a marriage has not been authentically, in God’s eyes, dissolved, um, you’re actually marrying a married person, essentially. What is what you’re doing? So those three things are adultery Matthew 5, verse 32, Matthew 19, verse 9. If the someone commits adultery, that allows the non uh or the non-offending non-guilty party to end the marriage and remarry, the second condition or criteria, uh, is death. Romans 7 verse 2 if you’re married to someone and your spouse dies, then you’re, you know, that dissolves the marriage and you’re free to remarry. Romans 7 verse 2. And then the third one I would say is abandon, abandonment. And that comes from the writings of Paul. Paul here says, you know, this is what I say, not the Lord, which Paul could do because he was an apostle. So he’s adding something beyond what Jesus allowed. First Corinthians 7, verse 15 and verse 39 of the same chapter, if you are married to someone and they abandon you and it looks like there’s no hope reasonably for reconciliation, um, then I believe that the, uh, non-abandoning party is free to dissolve the marriage because it’s dissolved in God’s eyes and remarry. So those are the, uh, exceptions to divorce and remarriage, as far as I can tell. It’s, um, and so if you’re marrying somebody outside of those exceptions, in my opinion, it is adultery.

[00:16:43] Pastor Jim: Amen. All right. I appreciate that, pastor. And I see that we don’t have any callers waiting. So let me give out those phone numbers one more time. The local number to call, if you’d like to get your question on the air is 832-922-4444. And if you’re outside the local area, you can call toll free at 877-999-5422. And as we’ve mentioned previously, if you’d like to email your question in, you can do so at questions with an S – Questions@KHCB.org. So while we’re waiting, let me go ahead and pull up another email question that came in. Pastor. Uh, this individual writes and says, “Hi Andy. In your Acts series, you recommend a book by an author Bullinger. And after looking into him, he said, the church, the Body of Christ began with Paul, where you say it began at Pentecost. Can you help me understand this better?

[00:17:37] Pastor Andy: Yeah. Well, first of all. E.W. Bullinger is someone that, you know, was alive and passed away 100 years ago. So we’re not making comments on a, you know, a current, uh, theologian. But E.W. Bullinger was brilliant in a lot of ways. He wrote something called Figures of Speech in the Bible. And it’s about a thousand pages.

Transcript Note:  See his books at https://www.amazon.com/e-w-bullinger-books/s?k=e+w+bullinger+books

[00:18:01] Pastor Jim: Yeah, it’s a massive volume.

[00:18:02] Pastor Andy: And he goes through every figure of speech you could possibly imagine in Scripture. And he was a very strong literal interpreter. But if you want and his work stands today 100 years later.  Uh, so, you know, you’ve done well when what you wrote 100 years ago is still the standard work. That’s the truth. Subjects. So probably that’s the book I was recommending. Um, figures of speech in Scripture, I think is what it’s called. E.w. Bullinger, you know, hyperbole, metaphor, simile, hendiadys. I mean, there’s figures of speech you never would have thought of or knew about in that book. So he did a wonderful job. However, um, he was what we would call a hyper dispensationalist. Um, a hyper dispensationalist is somebody who thinks the church started with Paul. Um, after Acts 2. See? See what we as normative dispensationalists believe is that the baptizing ministry of the Holy Spirit or the Body of Christ began, started in Acts 2.  Paul just explained it. He didn’t start it because man doesn’t start the dispensations or the new eras when a different set of rules apply. And so the church age formally started in Acts 2 – Bollingers would say no, it started with Paul because Paul is the one that mentioned the mystery of the church for the first time. I don’t think that’s true that Paul mentioned the mystery of the church for the first time. What I think is true is Paul gave the fullest explanation of the mystery of the church.

[00:19:43] Pastor Andy: But Bullinger unfortunately took that as Paul started the church. And since he wrote the book of Ephesians from prison in Acts 28, Bullinger didn’t believe that the church started until Acts 28. So therefore, a lot of the things the church did in early Acts, he would say, the church is not supposed to practice today. Like the Lord’s Supper baptism. You know, these kind of things. And so they’re they’re taking a dispensation of God and they’re dividing it further. And that’s basically what’s happening with this hyper-dispensationalism, um, hyper-dispensationalists come in different shapes and sizes. Some believe the church started in Acts 9. – those are the more moderate kind. Some believe it started in Acts 13 with Paul’s first missionary journey. Bullinger was like the hyper-hyper of the hypers. Uh, can’t too much Mountain Dew, I guess we would say with him, uh, he I mean hyper hyper. He was hyped up. I mean, he was a brilliant guy and he had a lot of brilliant things to say, but he was wrapped up in this Acts 28 idea. And so he, he doesn’t think anything is really applicable to the church other than the, um, prison epistles forward.  And so that’s where he was at. I don’t agree with him on that. But you know what? Someone could be off on one thing and really good on something else. So that’s probably why I recommended his Figures of Speech book.

[00:21:17] Pastor Jim: Yeah. And that’s probably why we, we always want to say that when we mention someone’s name or someone’s material, it’s not a blanket endorsement of everything they say or write. Just as you shouldn’t look at anything that we say and, you know, on the air here and say, well, that’s the final word. You need to go be a good Berean and check it out.

[00:21:36] Pastor Andy: Yeah. And I love the Declaration of Independence. You know, all men are created equal. We’re all endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights. I mean, I can quote that till the cows come home, but the truth of the matter is, that doesn’t mean I agree with everything Thomas Jefferson ever said or did throughout his life. I mean, he actually owned slaves. And he had some funny views of the Trinity at different phases of his life. So just because I quote, the Declaration of Independence is not a ringing endorsement for everything Thomas Jefferson ever said or did. That’s true with Bullinger or really anybody else you quote.

[00:22:13] Pastor Jim: Right. So there’s two things going on here. Don’t believe everything just because somebody says it. But don’t disregard someone because you haven’t taken the time to check out what they are saying. So, uh, anyway, appreciate that question. And I see we do have some individuals waiting online. So let’s go back to the phones. Thank you for your patience. What’s your Bible question this evening?

[00:22:34] Caller: Yes, sir. I have a. Friend who he believes that the Rapture and the Second Coming will be simultaneous. For I believe that the Rapture will be at the beginning of the Tribulation. Can you shed some light on that and maybe tell me where in the Bible some details might be found?

[00:22:57] Pastor Jim: Thank you. Yes, sir. Thank you so much for calling. You happen to have one of the best Bible prophecy people in the world sitting across the table from me. So get ready and get your pen out and take some good notes.

[00:23:08] Pastor Andy: Well, the main reason why you can’t lump them all together is they’re described differently. Um, Zechariah, um, I believe it’s chapter. Where is it? Chapter 14. Right in there. It says he’s coming back, and when he comes back, his feet are going to touch the Mount of Olives. So his feet actually touch down on planet Earth. In fact, Job, I want to say, um, in chapter 19, roughly. I want to double check me on that. But he says, I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end he will take his stand on the earth. So there’s an earthly coming of Jesus now, the Rapture, um, his feet never touch the earth. And you’ll see that in 1st Thessalonians 4 around verse 15, where we are caught up to meet him in the air, in the clouds. That’s completely different than his feet touching the earth. So right away, you see there’s two comings of Christ. Um, first, he’s coming to rescue the church from the wrath of God. And secondly, after the seven year period, Tribulation period is almost over. And concluding he’s coming back to rescue Israel. Matthew 23, verses 37 through 39 from the wrath of Satan through the beast trying to gobble up Israel.

[00:24:27] Pastor Andy: So those are two different things. So once you once you move in that direction, then you say, well, when does this Rapture occur? Is it before middle, post, three quarters? What is it into the Tribulation period? I’m of the persuasion that it’s it takes place before the Tribulation period even starts. Why? Because his coming for the church is imminent. You know, behold, the Lord is standing at the door. The book of James tells us, you know, chapter 5. Um, we wait eagerly, uh, for our Lord Jesus Christ, for our citizenship is in Heaven. Philippians 3 verse 20. In my father’s house are many rooms. If it weren’t so, I wouldn’t have told you. Behold, I go to prepare a place for you, and I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am you may be also. So in all of these passages there’s no prophetic event that has to happen first. It’s just he can come at any minute. And if you put it into the Tribulation period, suddenly something has to happen first before the Rapture can occur. You know, beyond that, we’re promised an exemption from divine wrath.

[00:25:33] Pastor Jim: Thank you, Jesus.

[00:25:34] Pastor Andy: And the Tribulation period when you study it is a time period, you know, of God’s wrath. And beyond that, when the church is never found on the earth, anywhere in any Tribulation passage. Uh, the church is mentioned 19 times in Revelation 1 through 3, but the word disappears when you get into the futuristic section of the book describing the Tribulation period. You know, chapters 4 through 19, if the church is mentioned at all, she’s always in Heaven. She may be referenced by the 24 elders, or the seven lamps and lampstands always in Heaven, but never on the earth. And the Tribulation period concerns Israel. It’s a time of trouble for Jacob. The church is not Jacob. Jeremiah 30 I think it is indicates that a time of trouble for Jacob.  So you put together a lot of factors like this, and you start to see that this Rapture, which is described very differently than the Second Advent, must be something that transpires before the seven year Tribulation period starts. And I’ve got some other reasons I could give you, but that’s sort of the gist of it. Um, the timing of the Rapture is such that it will transpire before the 70th week of Daniel. The seven year Tribulation period even begins.

[00:26:55] Pastor Jim: Yeah. I would just recommend that you check out the Sugar Land Bible Church website. You can go to our sermons tab and search on the term Rapture, if I’m not mistaken, and you’ll find Doctor Wood’s teaching on that much more in depth than anything he can do this evening. And I think that would be very helpful to you. So thank you so much for calling.

[00:27:16] Pastor Andy: And one other quick thing that came to mind. You know, uh, he the Rapture is a comfort.  Comfort one another with these words. Paul says in 1st Thessalonians 4 verse 18, how is it God’s comfort if you’re going to be put into a time period where demons are going to come out of the abyss and sting you for five months? And you’ll want to seek death and won’t be able to find it. Revelation 9 talks about that. Oh, comfort one another with these words because you’re going into that. That doesn’t harmonize at all. Not at all. So there’s a lot of very good reasons for a pre-Tribulation Rapture.

[00:27:51] Pastor Jim: All right. Thank you. Once again. Let’s see if we can get one more caller in before the station breaks. Thank you for waiting. What is your Bible question this evening?

[00:27:58] Caller: Oh, my Bible question, I don’t know. Dr. Woods may be able to come up with a quick scripture reference for this, but two people, two people, uh, commit fornication. There’s a baby involved. And the question is, uh, you know, should they get married or should they not get married, given the fact that it’s extremely likely that if they do get married, they would get a divorce, then we’d have the second sin of them getting a divorce. Um, because having the child conceived during fornication would be, you know, not a biblical basis. I mean, maybe it is a biblical basis for getting married. It’s certainly a way to collapse, you know, a way to have a bad marriage and a quick divorce. So that’s my question.

[00:28:45] Pastor Jim: Okay, thank you so much for calling pastor.

[00:28:48] Pastor Andy: Well, that’s a I don’t have a quick verse on that, you know. But I would say this now you’ve got an innocent life involved and you’ve got to do what’s in the best interest of the child. And I didn’t catch completely all the details he was talking about. But, you know, um, you got an innocent child involved, you got to die to yourself, and you’ve got to do what’s best for that child.  And that’s my general principle that I would leave you with.

[00:29:15] Pastor Jim: Amen all right. Well, thank you again for calling the program. We’re going to go ahead and stop at this time for a station break. So stay with us and we’ll be back with you shortly for our prayer for the nation.

[00:29:28] Announcer: Experience the power of uplifting music and words of hope on listener supported Christian radio without commercials. This is KHCB- FM Houston 105.7 and also bringing uplifting music and words of hope to Lockhart, San Marcos, Austin, Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Natchitoches, Louisiana.

[00:30:26] Pastor Jim: All right. Welcome back to KHCB’s Question and Answer program at the top of the hour. We do like to stop and pray for the nation. So we encourage you if you can do so if it’s safe to join with us here in prayer. And let’s go to the Lord at this time. Abba Father, in 1st Timothy 2, verses 1 through 3, your word says, “I exhort therefore that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior”. Therefore we come to pray for President Biden and his cabinet, for Vice President Harris, for the Senate, for the House of Representatives, for the Chief Justice, and all the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court. We come to pray for our state and local leaders, and our prayer is that they might receive the wisdom of God and act in obedience to that wisdom. Please pour out your Spirit on our nation and our leaders and our citizens, and help each of us, father, to discern good from evil and choose to do what is right, no matter what the cost. Abba Father, as we enter this upcoming election season, we pray that you would motivate and prepare your saints to make wise and enlightened decisions not based upon party affiliation or personal agendas, but rather according to sound biblical principles.

[00:32:21] Pastor Jim: And one way in which we can do this is to support candidates who support Israel. Because you tell us in Genesis 12:3, that you will bless those who bless Israel and the one who curses Israel, you will curse. Therefore, since our national well-being is directly tied to our blessing of Israel, we ask for leaders who will pray for the peace of Jerusalem. As we’re told in Psalm 122 verse 6, and leaders who will work with Israel to that end, and leaders who will oppose the dividing of Israel and act which brings with it the wrath of God Himself, according to Joel, chapter 3, verse 2. We ask for leaders who will support and enforce the security of Israel’s borders as defined in Exodus chapter 23 and verse 31. We also pray that you would move upon the body of Christ there in Israel, to continually pray for the people of Israel themselves, that they might come to know their Messiah, Yeshua, as he is revealed in Psalm chapter 40, verses 6 through 8, and in Isaiah chapter 53. And please protect them and use them to draw the lost to Yeshua as they observe their love for him and one another.

[00:33:59] Pastor Jim: As we’re told in John 17 verses 11 and 23 and Abba Father, please also reveal yourself to the Palestinian people who are suffering at the hands of religious zealots like Hamas and strategically placed believers in their lives, who will be the hands and feet of Jesus to them, and grant that many may come to eternal life through their witness. Finally, help us, your children, not to be lukewarm and apathetic in our lifestyle and personal testimony, but help us, Lord, to stand courageously and confidently for truth as found in your most Holy and precious Word. Please strengthen us in our daily lives so that we might glorify you in all that we do, and help us also to be salt and light to those within our circle of influence who are lost and dying, those without hope, so that they too might come to place their faith, their trust, and their confidence in Jesus, your one and only beloved Son and the Savior of their souls. And we pray these things in Jesus name, Amen. And Maranatha! Thank you so much for pausing with us. And now let’s go back to the phones. Thank you for waiting. What is your Bible question?

[00:35:36] Caller: Hello, am I on the air?

[00:35:37] Pastor Jim: Sir, you are on the air.

[00:35:39] Caller: Okay. Thank you very much. Uh, my question is, did when the Holy Spirit moved on, Mary to impregnate her with Jesus Christ? Is that is that when Jesus Christ became a entity? Is that when he was first got my. You understand, I believe.

[00:36:04] Pastor Jim: Let me see if you’re if you’re if I’m understanding what you’re saying, you’re asking if when the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, if that’s when Jesus came into existence.

[00:36:12] Caller: Yes, sir.

[00:36:13] Pastor Jim: That’s correct. Okay. Excellent question. So appreciate you calling the program. And if you’d like to go ahead and hang up and listen to the answer, I know that pastor has a good answer for you.

[00:36:23] Pastor Andy: Okay. Well, we believe that Jesus is eternally existent. You know, there never was a time in which he was not, uh, in Micah 5 and verse 2, a prophecy about his birth in Bethlehem, it says, you know, from the days of old, his goings forth were from the days of eternity.  So he is always been. He is the uncaused cause. What happened at the Virgin conception is two eternally existent deity was added humanity.  And at that point he became the God man. Formerly he was God. Now he is the God man. So his humanity began at the point of the Virgin conception, but not his deity. And that’s why he could say things like, um, you know, before Abraham was, you know, I am.  And they would quibble with him, you know, you’re not yet 50 years old. How could you? Abraham was glad, Abraham saw my day and was glad.  Well, you’re 50. You’re not even 50. How could you make that kind of a statement? Well, that’s because he’s. He’s been around for eternity in his deity. So don’t confuse the adding of humanity at the point of virgin conception to the beginning of Jesus. Jesus had no beginning point. And if you say he had a beginning point, you move into the heresy called Arianism. The heretic Arius was promulgating this. And that’s what the Nicene Creed, the Creed at Nicaea was designed to refute. There’s a line in the Creed at Nicaea developed about AD 325. I would say it says of Jesus was begotten but not made. In other words, he’s the unique one. But he never was made. And very sadly, the Jehovah’s Witnesses not if, but when they come to your door. We’ll try to teach you that Jesus is some kind of created being, and they’re recycling the ancient heresy of Arianism. So I hope that helps.

[00:38:32] Pastor Jim: All right. Thank you again for calling the program. And back to the phones. Thank you for waiting. What is your Bible question? Hello. All right. I think we might have lost someone there. So while we’re waiting, I have another email that came in. So, pastor, let me give this to you. It says here, “is there a book that you would recommend that explains the book of Revelation”?

[00:38:59] Pastor Andy: Well, there’s some wonderful ones out there. Um. Starting with some of the most academic ones. I recommend Robert Thomas’s two volume set on the Book of Revelation. That’s for the advanced student deals with Greek and then kind of moving from there. I recommend John Walvoord treatment, which is less exegetical and more theological. If you’re just a beginner and you want something more at the popular level, I got a lot out of as a new Christian Hal Lindsey’s book, There’s a New World Coming, which is a verse by verse teaching on the Book of Revelation. And then Grant Jeffreys has a book, uh, verse by verse commentary on the Book of Revelation. I’d have to I’m going to have to look up that title. But those are some ones that I think will, you’ll find really helpful.

[00:39:52] Pastor Jim: All right. Thank you, pastor. And I do think we have our, uh, friend waiting on the phone. Uh, can you hear us now? Hello? Hello. Yeah. Hi. We finally got connected here.

[00:40:06] Caller: Am I on the air?

[00:40:07] Pastor Jim: You are on the air. What’s your question?

[00:40:08] Caller: I you know, I didn’t get Noah, I just went right through. So I’m a little confused. Okay. Um, I have two quick questions.

[00:40:17] Pastor Jim: Um, well, give us one and we’ll see if we can answer that one first.

[00:40:21] Caller: Okay, fine. Um, why does, why does the beast hate Babylon?

[00:40:27] Pastor Jim: Why does the beast hate Babylon?

[00:40:31] Pastor Andy: All right, well, that’s a, that’s a good question, because in chapter 17, if that’s the city of Babylon that the beast is destroying, um, the, you know, the woman, Babylon rides the beast. Um, the beast being the city of Babylon as defined later on in the chapter. Um, let me rephrase that. The woman rides the beast. The woman is the city of Babylon as defined later in the chapter. And she’s riding the beast. So it talks in that chapter about how the beast will hate the harlot called Babylon and burn her, etc. so why would he do that? Well, I think the answer is the woman is riding the beast. She’s got some kind of hegemony, some kind of supremacy over the beast, and he doesn’t like it. Because remember, according to Second Thessalonians two verse four, the beast or the Antichrist desires to be worshiped above all that is called God. And he doesn’t. He doesn’t like any competitors. And so I think that’s the motive for him, you know, burning the city of Babylon, which will take place commensurate with the, uh, seventh bowl judgment.

[00:41:45] Pastor Jim: Amen. All right. You got one more question. We’ll go ahead and let you give it to us. You still there? Nope. Okay. Sorry about that. Well, call back in and we’ll get you. Get you back on the air. All right, pastor, here’s another question that came in by way of email. It says, uh, “I have a dear Christian friend who insists we have the ability to cast out demons from people and believe she has done this herself. Can you please shed some light on this from your own knowledge based on God’s Word”?

[00:42:15] Pastor Andy: Okay, well, the subject of demon possession and casting out demons is very interesting. But when you get into the epistolary literature which governs the church, you’ll notice there’s no instructions on exactly how to cast out a demon.  So that in and of itself tells me that that’s not to be our focus. Um, the focus in the church age is we’re on defense against Satan. And it just says things like, resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4 verse 7, 1st Peter 5, verse 9, Ephesians 6, verse 13, and it talks about putting on the full armor of God. There’s a big emphasis there, Ephesians 6, verses 10 through 20. And that’s basically our defense. And so, you know, don’t cater to the flesh, lest you give the devil an influence over your life. You have passages like that Ephesians 4, verses 26 and 27. I think those ought to be our focus rather than, you know, casting out demons. And so you say, well, didn’t Jesus cast out demons?  Because he was one of a kind. Um, he was the Son of God. And he did a lot of things that I don’t do, you know, like walk on water and things like that. And you say, well, didn’t the apostles cast out demons?  But there again, one of a kind. Ephesians 2:20 tells us that the Lord built the church on the foundation of the apostles. So, you know, generally when people get into this sort of spiritual warfare theology, they spend a lot of time watching the life of Christ instead of following the epistles, which are governing the church age and not understanding that Jesus was one of a kind. So I just don’t see that as as one of our main focuses going around casting out demons.

[00:44:04] Pastor Jim: Amen. All right. Thank you so much for that email and that response. And I see we do have a caller. So hello this evening and thank you for calling. What is your Bible question?

[00:44:15] Caller: Okay. Here’s my second question.

[00:44:16] Pastor Jim: All right. You’re back. Yay.

[00:44:18] Caller: Yeah I don’t know. The phone lines got weird. Um, uh, Colossians 1:23. Colossians 1:23. Um, the, uh. The NASB says, uh, the, the, the gospel which you have heard, which was which was proclaimed in all of creation under Heaven, and which I Paul, was made a minister. So I’m just I’m just curious. Um, that statement back then, as the gospel wasn’t proclaimed and all creation was proclaimed. Yet I was just kind of curious about the, uh, I don’t know, kind of like the grammar there or whatever. Like, did that statement, that’s all.

[00:45:05] Pastor Jim: Okay. Thank you so much for calling, pastor. How should we interpret this in verse chapter one, verse 23 of Colossians?

[00:45:12] Pastor Andy: Okay. And before we get to that, the Grant Jeffrey’s Jeffrey book I was recommending earlier, his commentary on the book of Revelation is called The Coming Judgment of the Nations. I think that’s his verse-by-verse commentary in the Book of Revelation. I found it helpful. So maybe you will too. Colossians 1:23 says, if you if you indeed continue in the faith, firmly established and steadfast, not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which is proclaimed in all creation under Heaven, and which I Paul, was made a minister. So I think what it says here is which was proclaimed in all creation. Um, I’m taking that as it has been proclaimed in the known world.  And it’s continuing to be proclaimed. Um, that’s a done deal, because Jesus said that was the commission of the church to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, son, and Holy Spirit. Matthew 28 verses 18 through 20. So I would take that as it’s been proclaimed in the known world, and it continues to be proclaimed throughout all creation, because that’s what Jesus said would happen.

[00:46:34] Pastor Jim: Yeah. And I’m not so sure that there isn’t some hyperbolic language here also. Um, so I hope that’s helpful. Thank you so much for calling the program, and thank you for waiting. What is your Bible question this evening?

[00:46:47] Caller: How are you doing this evening?

[00:46:51] Pastor Jim: Yeah, great. We’re having a little difficulty hearing you.

[00:46:55] Caller: Sorry about that. Let me go off speaker. And, uh, I just wanted to thank you. Um, my question is regarding 1st Peter chapter 2, verses 5 through 9, where God is calling us to be his royal priesthood. And the question falls in on the context of what here we just experienced this Eclipse, and we have on the Hebrew calendar the Passover that is coming up. And considering that we’re here as Americans, we’re subjected under a Roman Gregorian calendar. Uh, how do we context to be priesthood and to know the festive days of God? If we’re how do we how do we apply God’s calendar unto us, since he says he is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow? And if we should idealize more with, uh, God’s calendar and his festive days, since his kingdom is obviously established.

[00:47:59] Pastor Jim: All right, that’s a great question. Thanks for calling the program pastor.

[00:48:04] Pastor Andy: Well, you know, the feast days and I love to study them and, you know, respect them. But the truth of the matter is, those are part of the Mosaic Law, which was given only to Israel. Psalm 147, verses 19 and 20, you know, is very clear. And Paul in the book of Colossians. Talks about how, you know, let people not take you captive. I believe it’s in Colossians 2, if I remember right concerning what feast days you’re going to honor. Colossians 1. Maybe it’s Colossians 2. Maybe you could help me locate that. But what feast you’re going to honor? Don’t eat this, don’t eat that. And so there’s a warning in the epistles about not being placed under the Mosaic law. So when we put ourselves under the feast days as some kind of something that’s obligatory, um, we’re violating what Paul told the Colossians. And so, you know, the feast days are wonderful, but those are given only for the nation of Israel. And so, um, that’s probably the best answer I could give to him on that particular subject.

[00:49:14] Pastor Jim: All right. Well, we hope that was helpful. Thank you for calling the program. And we have free lines. So if you’re in the area and you would like to call in and give us your question, feel free to do that. While we’re waiting for our lines to light up, I have another email question Pastor. This individual writes in and says, “I have a I have a question. Does God and Jesus have favorites? For example, if two believers are serving Jesus and living exactly the same way and both living to please God and Jesus, I know that God and Jesus would rather bless a Christian who is living right than one who is not. Thanks and God bless”. So, pastor, does God have favorites? He must, because I’m one of them.

[00:49:57] Pastor Andy: Uh, well, I would say there’s a distinction between position and fellowship. Yes. So we are important distinction. We are children of the living God. Um, we have such a close relationship to God that Galatians 4, I think it is, tells us that we can cry out to him, Abba Father. So that is an unalterable position. But look at your own children, for example, um, when they’re in total rebellion against you, that doesn’t change the fact that they’re your child, right? But you typically don’t reward bless, uh, a child that’s in rebellion. You move into discipline. So I think God deals the same way with us. Um, we’re his children. That’s eternally secure. However, when we’re in rebellion against him, you know, through known sin and our unwillingness to confess that sin, you know, I wouldn’t expect, you know, a lot of reward at the Bema Seat judgment of Christ and a lot of blessings from the Lord here and now. What I would expect is divine discipline. So that’s how I think the principle works. Just look at how you relate to your own children. And in essence, that’s how God I think interacts so much with us.

[00:51:18] Pastor Jim: Amen. All right. I see we have a caller waiting. Thank you for your patience. What is your Bible question this evening?

[00:51:25] Caller: Yeah, this question is coming from Ephesians 4 and the very young and very for me, it’s about where it talks about, uh, let me see. I got a little flashlight here. Excuse me. Okay. For I won’t read the whole thing where it says but unto this is 7, but unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. And then here’s the section. Wherefore he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men. And then it goes on. It’s kind of very strange. Anyway, it’s very interesting. And I’d like for you, would you please, uh, elaborate on that? And one of the things in Ephesians and some of the other epistles, he writes, uh, Paul, he starts off the first few chapters of his epistles are just super charged with high, Heavenly, unbelievable stuff that like, you know, and he feels blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed with every spiritual blessing. I mean, and then. But the last chapter is children, obey your parents brings us right smack down to earth. Is that on purpose that he supercharges us with, with 3 or 4 chapters of supercharged spiritual, uh, stuff? And then he gets us into the daily walk that that is not that easy. Uh, or is that just an accidental thing that he starts out with, uh, spiritual stuff and winds up with practical stuff? Those are my two questions. Thank you. Okay.

[00:53:01] Pastor Jim: Thank you. All right, pastor, first question has to do with Ephesians 4 verses 7. And I think he’s wanting to know down through about verse 10, maybe.

[00:53:10] Pastor Andy: Okay, let’s get to that. But let’s, let’s take let’s tackle his second question first. If we could um, and even before I do that, the verse I was looking for with the feasts is in Colossians 2:16 it says, therefore, let no one act as your judge in regard to food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.  So that’s the basis that the church is not, in an obligatory sense, under the feast system. And then, I was also struggling to find Galatians 4 verse 6 with the question about children. And I wanted to demonstrate that we are all God’s children. And it’s in Galatians 4 verse 6, and because you are sons of God, he has set forth the Spirit of His son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father!  Because sometimes I’m trying to answer these questions so quickly. I think a verse is there and I’m praying it’s there. So those two verses, but, um, you know, he brings up a great point related to the epistles, particularly Ephesians. Um, you know, Ephesians 1 through 3 is very different than Ephesians 4 through 6.  There are no commands to follow in Ephesians 1 through 3. But I believe that there are 38 imperatives which are great commands in Ephesians 4 through 6 related to marriage, child rearing of children, etc.

[00:54:39] Pastor Andy: and I think this is deliberate in Paul. He doesn’t tell people to do something until he tells them what their resources are in Christ. That would be like driving a car with no gasoline in it. I mean, Ephesians would be a difficult book if it started in chapter 4. So, you know, Paul wants us to understand our riches in Christ before he teaches us how to live for Christ. So you learn about your individual and corporate blessings in Ephesians 1 through 3, but then you learn how to apply those in Ephesians 4 through 6. And so many, so much teaching in Christianity ignores this structure because people want to get to here’s what you’re supposed to do. Paul never taught that way until he helped people understand who they are in Christ.  And there’s a there’s a therefore there in chapter 4, verse 1, which is the transition from orthodoxy, correct belief to orthopraxy. And you’re going to see Paul doing the same thing in Galatians 1 through 4, Orthodoxy, Galatians 5 verse 1, therefore Galatians 5 and 6 Orthopraxy.  Romans 1 through 12, or 1 through 11. Really Orthodoxy. Then there’s the therefore Romans 12:1 now Orthopraxy in light of these mercies, how shall we then live? Well, let’s present our bodies as a living sacrifice, etc..

[00:56:07] Pastor Andy: So I appreciate his question about why there’s so much wealth that we have early in Ephesians, but later in Ephesians it’s just getting down to brass tacks what we ought to be doing. And there’s a deliberate pedagogy that Paul is following, um, concerning Ephesians 4, verses 7 through 12. Um, it’s a very debated passage. I what I think it means is through the transaction of Jesus, which would be his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. Um, he accomplished something. And following that ascension, he gave gifts to men. He gave his newborn church on the day of Pentecost. Spiritual gifts. One of those spiritual gifts is developed in verses 11 through 16, the gift of pastor teacher, which is necessary to bring the saints to a greater position of maturity. And so I think Paul is tying together a lot of Old Testament, uh, scripture and belief, uh, concepts to explain what Jesus actually did. His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension put him into a position where his first order of business, once he ascended to the father’s right hand, is he gave to the newborn church spiritual gifts which are necessary for that local church or church universal to function, not the least of which is the gift of pastor teacher, which is developed in in verses 11 through 16, which is necessary to bring the saints to maturity.

[00:57:53] Pastor Jim: Yes. Amen. All right. Excellent. Let’s see. I have another email question. And this individual writes in and says, “after the Rapture, will my brother and I again know each other as brothers? I know there’s no marriage in Heaven, but I don’t recall scripture dealing with other blessed relationships when we meet again in Heaven”.

[00:58:15] Pastor Andy: Well, according to 1st John 3:2 and 1st Corinthians 15, verse 49, our resurrected body is patterned after his resurrected body.  And it’s sort of interesting that Christ in his resurrected body. And you’ll find this in John 20 verses 15 and 16 was not immediately recognized by Mary. But as he began to speak, she could see that it was him. So you have these sort of, uh, occasions where at his resurrection, you know, people think he’s the gardener, but they look a little more carefully and it’s really him exactly. And so I think that’s how it’s going to be in our resurrected state. It’s still us. It’s still our body. But the curse, uh, because, the because sin, original sin affected our human bodies, um, is pulled out of it. So kind of in the same way, although Jesus had no sin, of course. So we don’t want to push the analogy too far, but I think, you know, we will know as we are known.  Paul even says that in 1st Corinthians 13 verse 12. So I think you will be able to recognize your brother, assuming he’s a believer and you’re a believer post-Rapture in the afterlife.

[00:59:39] Pastor Jim: Amen. Amen. Well, all right, what a great, uh, question to end the program on. And it is time to end the program. So we want to thank all of you for taking the time to call the program this evening and give us these wonderful questions. We truly appreciate you, and our prayers are with you. We ask you to be in prayer for us also, and please remember to tune in next Thursday for the next version, edition, if you will, of the Question and Answer program. God bless you. Have a blessed evening.