Transcript

KHCB – 04-25-2024 – 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 Pastors Dr. Andy Woods and Dr. Jim McGowan.

[00:02:37] Pastor Jim: Well, welcome and thank you for tuning in to the program this evening. For the next hour we’ll be looking to 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. And we’re expecting God to speak this evening. And we trust you’re expecting the same. So if you have a Bible question, why not give us a call? And before we go to our first caller, let me remind you that when we do take your call, we need to ask you to please turn the volume down on your listening device before we bring you on the air so we don’t get feedback. And then please remember to keep your on air time to one question. We realize sometimes that seems limiting, but we often have many people waiting to get through. So if you’d be so kind to remember that one question, and if need be, you can always call back. And then finally, if you would be so kind as to once we get you on the air and you’ve given us your question, please remember to hang up and listen for the answer. So that’s the house cleaning for the evening. So we have one caller waiting. And so let’s go right to the phones. Thank you for waiting. What is your Bible question for Doctor Woods this evening?

[00:03:56] Caller: Yes. Um, the King Solomon said all is vanity. Does that mean what’s the use of, you know, trying to live for God? It’s all in vanity.

[00:04:12] Pastor Jim: That’s a great question. I really appreciate you calling and asking that. So let’s see what Pastor Woods has to say. Thank you so much.

[00:04:20] Pastor Andy: Well, you know, I think that comes from the book of Ecclesiastes. And that basically was written by Solomon in the final, uh, final part of his life, uh, where he had, uh, sort of strayed away from the things of God. Uh, you actually see a record of that happening in, uh, I believe it’s 1st Kings, um, around chapter 11. Chapter 12, mostly chapter 11, right in there. You know, his many wives had led him away from the things of God. He did not follow the Lord, as had David, his father, the way David, his father had followed the Lord. And so consequently, you know, Solomon spent some time away from the Lord. And so when so and he kind of talks about that in Ecclesiastes, because he talks about life under the sun, meaning life from the human vantage point. And so a lot of the things he’s describing in Ecclesiastes is his frustration, you know, with that kind of a lifestyle. So I think that’s what he’s calling vanity, not living for God. Because at the end of his book, he says, you know, the best thing to do is to, you know, remember your creator in the days of your youth. And so, uh, it seems like he’s exhorting people to do that, but and stay away from a humanistic approach to life, which is what the vanity that he’s talking about refers to.

[00:05:51] Pastor Jim: Yes, yes. And what a great lesson for all of us to learn if we I know if when I was a young man, if I had understood what Solomon was saying, it’s very likely that it would have prevented me from getting into some of the trouble I got into. So thank God for Solomon’s life and witness good and bad to us. So thank you again for the call. And let’s go back to the phones. Thank you for waiting. What is your Bible question for Doctor Woods? Hello? Caller, are you there? All right. Now, are you there?

[00:06:29] Caller: Hi. Yes, hello.

[00:06:30] Pastor Jim: Yes. Go ahead. What’s your question this evening?

[00:06:33] Caller: Hi. Good evening, Jim and the Dr. Woods. I just have a quick question. Uh, regarding the two people of God in the New Testament, the church, the entity of the church, and the entity of, uh, of Israel. My question is. Is the if a Jewish, let’s say, a Jewish Hebrew, uh, you know, person, if they accept Christ in their heart and they become a believer, are they’re part of the church or are they still against within the people of the people of Israel? And I guess my other question, I guess, if Andy Wood can answer this question as well, is there any, any promises of, uh, the land in terms of the land, the promised land for the according to the Abrahamic Covenant, where the Bible tells us about that Israel will possess the land. That’s my question. And, uh, have a good night.

[00:07:22] Pastor Jim: All right. Thank you so much for calling us. And that’s a great that those are two very, very good questions that many people get confused. So, pastor, help us out here.

[00:07:32] Pastor Andy: I didn’t quite catch the second question about the land. What did he ask?

[00:07:36] Pastor Jim: He was asking if there are any current promises regarding the Abrahamic Covenant for Israel today. I believe if I understood the question.

[00:07:42] Pastor Andy: Okay, well, the first, um, part of the question is, yeah, if a believer happens to be a physical descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and he believes in Jesus for salvation sometime after the day of Pentecost, but before the rapture, then he is part of the body of Christ. Yes. Um, Paul, in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 14 talks about how in this age the dividing wall between the two is removed, and we are all parts of the same body, whether Jew or Greek, slave nor free, male or female. We are all one in Christ Jesus. And so they’re actually part of the church, regardless of their nationality, Jew or Gentile. And so they’re going to receive their resurrected body at the point of the rapture.  Um, very different than Israel, who will be saved through the Great Tribulation, a time of Jacob’s trouble, but he will be saved out of it. And they receive the resurrected bodies at the end of the Tribulation Period. Daniel 12 verse 2. So hopefully that helps. And then concerning the Abrahamic covenant, um, are those promises still alive and well today? Um, I think they are.

[00:09:00] Pastor Andy: First of all, the Abrahamic covenant is unconditional, um, and it’s eternal, so nothing can cancel it. And um, although the Abrahamic Covenant land promises are not as frequently cited in the New Testament as they are the Old Testament, I think there are some, um, references to it. For example, in Matthew 19, verse 28, this is the New Testament. Jesus speaking to the disciples, uh, says, And Jesus said to them, truly I say to you, that you who have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, that’s the Davidic throne, which is earthly. Uh, 2nd Samuel 7 verses 12 through 16. You shall also sit upon 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes. Now the the tribes, their allotment of land in the Millennial Kingdom. Ezekiel 47 is literal, terrestrial and earthly. So when the disciples here are promised that they’re going to sit on these 12 thrones alongside Jesus on his earthly throne, governing the 12 tribes, it’s all it’s all speaking of a fulfillment of Ezekiel 47. And so that’s a New Testament text that continues the land promises of the Old Testament.

[00:10:27] Pastor Jim: Amen, Amen. Praise the Lord. Yes. That’s, uh, and it’s very exciting, too, because if we go back and look at the boundaries as God has designed them during the Millennial Kingdom, they are significantly larger than they are currently today. Amazing stuff. Great question. Thank you for the call. Back to the phones. Thank you for waiting. What is your Bible question for Doctor Woods this evening? Hello? Are you still there?

[00:10:55] Caller: Yes, yes.

[00:10:56] Pastor Jim: Okay, okay. Listen, I can’t I can’t hear you because I’m getting an echo. Can, could you turn down your listening device?

[00:11:03] Caller: Can you hear me now?

[00:11:04] Pastor Jim: Oh, that’s much better. Bless your heart. Thank you. What’s your question?

[00:11:07] Caller: My question. So I recently we were recently at church and a couple came in and we didn’t know them, but later found out they were two females who were married and they seemed interested in our service and church. And of course, we’re a Bible based church. And I just wondered, what are some scriptures to guide us on how to minister to, um, same sex couples who are, um, already married by the time they come to us?

[00:11:43] Pastor Jim: All right. That’s a great question. Thank you so much, pastor. This is, uh, an issue that we’re going to be confronted with more and more today. So how would we handle this?

[00:11:53] Pastor Andy: Well, it’s a tough spot to be in. Um, but the basic Christian position on that, as it’s we’ve believed for 2000 years that we were to love the sinner and hate the sin. In other words, you know, we love the human beings, but we recognize that the lifestyle that they’re involved in is not of God. Uh, Paul and uh, Romans 1 verses 26 and 27 indicates that homosexuality, lesbianism is a result of suppressing truth and unrighteousness. Jesus in Matthew 19 I think it’s around verses 3 through 6. Um, basically, uh, affirmed the heterosexual monogamous standard from early Genesis, quoting there Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:24. You go over to the book of Leviticus chapter 18. I don’t remember the exact verse. I think it’s around verse 21 or 22. And then over in Leviticus 20, I think it’s around verse 13, if memory serves. But there you see, under the Mosaic law, you know, very strong, um, condemnations of the homosexual lifestyle. And when you go over to 1st Corinthians 6, verses 9 through 11, Paul lists a whole bunch of sins, uh, including covet, you know, covetousness and all kinds of things.

[00:13:26] Pastor Andy: And then he says, such as some of you were and he mentions homosexuality in that group of sins. In other words, a person can be changed. Their lifestyle can be changed through the power of the Holy Spirit. So that’s how to minister to people in that situation. And it’s not I’m not just picking on homosexuals, it’s anybody in any kind of, uh, ungodly lifestyle be like, uh, for example, a man that wants it comes in married to an underage girl. Um, or a drunkard or someone that’s a thief or, you know, you name it. So, you know, you can say they’re married, but God doesn’t look at that as a real marriage. That’s, that’s a fake. You know, we talk about fake news today. That’s a fake marriage. It’s not real in the eyes of God. And you know how you communicate that to them? Uh, you just have to pray for wisdom. But our calling. Ephesians 4, verse 15 is to speak the truth in love. And we really aren’t loving people when we affirm them in lifestyles that are anti-God and ultimately self destructive.

[00:14:34] Pastor Jim: Very true, very true. And it doesn’t make any difference what the government does. The government can make all kinds of laws, but ultimately it’s God’s Word that has the final authority. So we hope that was helpful to you. Thank you so much for calling the program. I see we have someone else waiting. So let’s go back to the phones. Thank you for your patience. What is your Bible question this evening?

[00:14:54] Caller: Yes. Hi. Good evening. My question is regarding John 17 uh 17:1 where Jesus is praying to the father and he says, father, the hour has come. Glorify your son, that the son may glorify you. What exactly does that mean when he says, Glorify your son? Is the word glorify? Does that mean adoration or how is this to be interpreted?

[00:15:23] Pastor Jim: All right. What an excellent question. Thank you so very much. So, pastor, uh, this word is used two times here. Glorify. So how would we understand this passage?

[00:15:33] Pastor Andy: Yeah. This is, um, the high priestly prayer of Jesus. It says, you know, people like to call Matthew 6 the Lord’s Prayer, but that’s really the prayer for the disciples teaching them to pray. This is really the Lord’s Prayer. And it’s given just before his death during the Passion Week. And he prays for himself, verses 1 through 5. Prays for his disciples, verses 6 through 19. And then he prays for those who will be impacted by the disciples, which would be the soon to be birthed church.  Verses 20 through 26. And so as he’s praying for himself, basically what he’s praying for, there is a return to his position of pre-incarnate glory. You know that he enjoyed with the father in eternity past, before, uh, the world was and before, you know, Jesus, uh, you know, added humanity to eternally existent deity in the incarnation. So it was a marvelous position. It was a position of glory. It was a position at the father’s right hand. The right hand in the Bible is that position of honor. And so now that he’s going to die and resurrect from the dead and ascend, it’s a prayer that he would, you know, return to that position of pre-incarnate glory. And then once he gets there, he’ll take on his role of continuing to glorify the father, you know, throughout the ages.

[00:17:04] Pastor Jim: All right. Great answer and great question. Thank you so much for the call. All right. Back to the phones. Thank you for your patience and waiting. And, uh, how can we help you this evening? What’s your Bible question?

[00:17:14] Caller: Yeah. I wanted to ask. Um. The thief died on the cross with Jesus, and Jesus told him that today you’ll be with me in Paradise. Did that man go in under the old covenant or the new covenant.

[00:17:31] Pastor Jim: All right. Excellent question. Thank you so much for calling, pastor.

[00:17:35] Pastor Andy: Well, that’s, um, an old test, not an Old Testament passage. It’s a New Testament passage, but the principles of the Old Testament, the Old Testament law, were still in effect. So remember, Jesus was born under the law. Galatians 4, verse 4, I mean, he had his wholeministry under that prior age of the law. And so that thief, uh, was saved like anyone else in the Old Testament would be saved. Abraham was saved by looking forward to a coming Messiah. Abraham believed God and it was credited to him for righteousness. And this thief was saved by faith. Also, he just recognized that the Messiah was right there, being crucified right next to him. So he would be what we would call, I guess, today, uh, an Old Testament saint.  Um, and people are saved in the church age the same way, but they’re part of the body of Christ. Um, this man, I think, would be considered, you know, an Old Testament saint, and he would be resurrected at the end of the Tribulation Period.

[00:18:40] Pastor Jim: Right. And I think we have a clue there also in that passage there, pastor, because, uh, of what Jesus says, you will be with me today in Paradise, which was synonymous,  I believe, with Abraham’s bosom.

[00:18:53] Pastor Andy: Yeah. And today Paradise has been caught up into God’s presence. Abraham’s bosom probably being in the center of the earth. That seems to be described in Luke 16, verses 19 through 31. So the reference to Paradise today being caught up into the 3rd Heaven, as Paul being taken to the 3rd Heaven, and he saw Paradise, uh, encountered Paradise. Second Corinthians 12, I think, it’s verses one through four.

[00:19:22] Pastor Jim: Amen. All right. Well, I see that we have some free lines. So let me give out the phone numbers again quickly. If you’d like to call the program and you live in the local area, you can call (832) 922-4444 again. (832) 922-4444. If you’re outside the local area, you can always call toll free at (877) 999-5422. Once again (877) 999-5422. If you prefer to email your question, that can get to us. Also, you just send it to questions with an S Questions@KHCB.org. That’s Questions@KHCB.org. And the Bible says you have not because you ask not. And we just asked. And now we have four people waiting to speak to you pastor. So let’s go back to the phone. Thank you for waiting. What is your Bible question this evening?

[00:20:21] Caller: Uh, Dr. McGowan. Uh, Dr. Woods, good evening. Um, okay, I’m just going to read my question from my notes here. So, um, I was recently re-watching the film Schindler’s List, and my question is, do you think Christ will have. Ah, okay. I’m just going to read what I have. Do you think Christ will have mercy on people like Schindler and others who hid the Jews in World War II? Um, because he’s sort of like, in the spirit of the sheep and the goat judgment, even though that’s for the nations. But. Or is it that all our works are filthy rags, or is it that he will receive lesser punishment in hell if he didn’t put his faith in Christ? So that’s my question, and I’ll hang up.

[00:21:12] Pastor Jim: All right. Thank you so much for calling the program pastor.

[00:21:16] Pastor Andy: Well, that is a pretty intense movie. I remember watching that myself. Um, the truth of the matter is, God in Genesis 12, verse 3, concerning the nation of Israel just getting off the ground at that point, uh, God gave a promise. I’ll bless those who bless you and the one who curses you, I will curse. And so there always is kind of, um, some sort of blessing that seems to follow people that will, you know, respect and honor, um, look out for the Nation of Israel, protect the Nation of Israel as Oskar Schindler, you know, truly did during the Holocaust era. So I do believe there’s a blessing associated with that. However, the Bible is also equally clear that there’s only one way to Heaven. You don’t you don’t get saved by doing humanitarian works. You get saved one way, you know, by faith alone, through Christ alone. I don’t know enough about the life of Oskar Schindler. I think they would refer to him in Israel. There’s actually a tree planted in his honor there at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial. He’s called, uh, what they call a righteous gentile. Those Gentiles that, you know, tried to help the Jews during difficult times. So I think there is a blessing to him. I don’t know exactly what that blessing is, and I don’t know where he stood with the Lord. You know, Jesus is pretty clear. I am the way, the truth, the life. No man comes to the father but by me. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to get to Heaven and see Oskar Schindler there. But if he’s there, it’s the same way any of us get there. Not by humanitarian works, but by faith alone in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

[00:22:58] Pastor Jim: Amen. And it’s also very interesting, pastor, that there are many examples all through the Bible where God has used unbelievers to bless Israel. In fact, the nation of Persia was used by God to bless Israel. So we just we’re ultimately we’re just going to have to leave that in God’s hands. We’ll find out when we get to Heaven, won’t we? All right, back to the phones. Thanks for waiting. What does your Bible question this evening?

[00:23:22] Caller: Yes. I was just wondering, um, for people that have family members, friends that have died and were not Christians, I’ve heard different speakings on this to say that, well, you will have no recollection of them in Heaven because you know you wouldn’t be sad in Heaven. And the reference is made to Revelation  7:17 but my question is, the fact that every tear has to be wiped away means that at some point we’re crying. So I’m just wondering what your, um, how you interpret that, that God wipes away every tear in Heaven. Um. How that would happen if you weren’t crying. If there was not something, you know, that you would be missing someone or something like that. And so I hope you understand the idea behind my question.

[00:24:08] Pastor Jim: Yes, ma’am. That’s a great question. Thank you for calling the program. Thank you. Pastor?

[00:24:14] Pastor Andy: Well, I have a hard time with the belief that you get to Heaven and the things that, you know, your memory is canceled kind of idea that you can’t remember. You know, your relatives who were unsaved. I have a difficult time with that because in Luke 16, verses 19 through 31, the unbelieving rich man you know in hell, I remember, could think backwards and remember his five brothers.  And wanted them to be warned. So if they can remember backwards in hell, why would it be any different in Heaven? So that’s that idea is always not sat well, real well with me. So I think there is a remembrance and I think she’s right that that very well could be why there’s tears in Heaven that need to be dried. There’s a reference to that in Revelation  7:17, as she pointed out. You’ll also find it over in Revelation 21 verse 4, which is describing the eternal state. But you kind of, um, in Heaven, it makes sense why they’re not there. You know, it’s like here we look through a mirror, you know, dimly, but then, you know, we know fully. So there’s something that happens where what has happened to our lost loved ones. It makes sense why they’re not there. And we respect God’s perfect standard of grace and his perfect standard of righteousness. And the tears are dried and we move on into eternity. I mean, that’s my best understanding of those texts. I don’t know if you have a different approach to that.

[00:25:53] Pastor Jim: Well, basically, I think I think that when we get to Heaven, number one, we’re going to have much greater understanding of God’s plan and purpose for humankind. And I think, you know, the knowledge of God’s plan, his perfect plan is going to be very helpful in that situation. I’m not sure that we’re going to, you know, be dwelling on the sadness of our lost loved ones. But I think the key point is that God’s going to wipe away those tears. And I think in the process of wiping away our tears, any sense of grief or ongoing sadness is also going to be removed. And again, I think it’s going to be based on the fact that we’re going to have a fuller understanding of God’s plan. So that’s just my opinion. And, you know, you can do with it what you want on that, right? My word doesn’t really matter. It’s God’s word that matters. All right. One more caller I see. So let’s go back to the phones. Thanks for waiting. What is your Bible question?

[00:26:47] Caller: Yes, I had a question concerning. I believe it was in Matthew where a man brought his son to the – first he brought him to the disciples because I believe he used to, uh, he had a spirit that would just, uh, allow, you know, make him fall or throw him into the fire. And he brought he bought the boy to the disciples. Disciples couldn’t heal him, so he brought him to Jesus. Of course, Jesus healed him. My question is, number one, why couldn’t the disciples heal him? Uh, because, you know, they were followers of Jesus. And two, was it because, uh, Pentecost had not arrived yet? And, you know, the Holy Spirit was not present, you know, with them yet. So I’ll just hang up. Thank you.

[00:27:29] Pastor Jim: All right. Thank you so much for your question. We appreciate that. Pastor?

[00:27:34] Pastor Andy: Well, I think one of the problems the disciples ran into is there are differing degrees of evil, you know, in the demonic realm. So, for example, I believe it’s in Matthew 12 where Jesus, you know, talked about what happens when a spirit, a demon, is exorcized out of a person. It kind of wanders through arid places and then it wants to, you know, sort of return to the place that it was evicted from. And so it gets, um, what does it say, seven spirits or something to that effect?

[00:28:13] Pastor Jim: Yeah. Goes and finds seven more.

[00:28:15] Pastor Andy: More wicked than itself. Notice that? More wicked. I believe that’s in Matthew 12, if memory serves. So there are differing degrees of evil amongst the demonic realm. And it’s interesting. In the passage she talks about Jesus makes this statement. He says, he says this kind. What kind? The more wicked kind. This kind only comes out through much, you know, prayer. I believe it says, and fasting. So I think that’s why the disciples had difficulty with that particular variety. Um, you know, they just weren’t equipped to deal with that, that level of wickedness. Whereas Jesus as the Son of God, you know, is all powerful and could deal with it. That’s my best understanding of that.

[00:29:02] Pastor Jim: Amen. Yeah. And it’s interesting, though, also to remember that Jesus had given them power to cast out demons, which apparently they had been doing. So it wasn’t a matter of them not having the power. It’s perhaps they had did not have the necessary requisite closeness to Jesus that they needed, and understanding of what he wanted to do in their life through, uh, through them. So, yeah. So thank you so much for the question. We appreciate that. And back to the phones. Well, actually, I think we’re going to have to take a station break here momentarily. So hang with us and we’ll be back with you in just a minute for our prayer for the nation. God bless you.

[00:29:44] Announcer: Christ centered programing without commercials. This is KHCB-FM Houston 105.7 FM. Our call letters stand for keeping him close by the Lord Jesus Christ. From Del Rio to Lockhart, Paris to Port Arthur. This is the Keeping Him Close By radio network.

[00:30:41] Pastor Jim: All right. Welcome back to the program. Thank you for staying with us at the top of the hour. We do like to pause and pray for the nation. So we’re going to do that at this time. And we encourage you to join us as we do so if it’s safe for you to do so. So let’s go to the Lord in prayer. Abba Father. As we pause at this time to pray for our nation, we remember what you’ve told us in your Holy Word through the Apostle Paul in 1st Timothy chapter 2, verses 1 through 3, where he wrote, 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. And so we humbly come before your throne of grace this evening to pray for our leaders. We pray first for President Biden and ask that if he does not have a personal relationship with you, that he would place his faith, trust, and confidence in Jesus Christ for salvation. We pray also that you would give him wisdom beyond his own understanding and the courage to do what is right.

[00:32:01] Pastor Jim: We also pray for salvation for Vice President Harris, the cabinet members, our senators and our representatives, and for the members of the Supreme Court. And we pray the same for our state and local leaders. And we ask that you would cause each and every one of them to act and lead according to your word. We pray that you would pour out your Spirit on them, and help them to discern good from evil, and with your grace and strength, to stand against the temptation to use power as a weapon, but rather to wield that power carefully, judiciously, and thoughtfully. And since a house divided against itself cannot stand, we ask that you would have mercy on the USA and restore unity based in righteousness for the sake of the nation. We pray that your hand of protection will be upon and cover all our law enforcement officers and the men and women in that are serving in the military. We pray that you would cause our spiritual leaders, pastors, and teachers to seek your face, to heed your voice, and act accordingly. Abba Father, with all the things that are going on in our country presently, many are losing hope and even doubt that things in our country can change.

[00:33:34] Pastor Jim: So help us all to understand and acknowledge that to a large extent, our personal and corporate spiritual apathy has brought these things down on our own heads and help us to turn our hearts, individually and nationally, back to you and your will, and help us to be doers and not merely hearers of your Word, so that we will be able to stand courageously and confidently influence the world for good. And finally, Abba Father, help us to humble our hearts so that you don’t have to humble us and help us also to remember who we are in Christ. And with that knowledge, help us to live and walk before you, filled with gratitude and thankfulness, and help us also to be salt and light to those within our circle of influence who are lost and dying without hope, so that they too might come to place their faith, trust, and confidence in Jesus, the God man, and Savior of their souls. And we pray these things in Jesus name. Amen. And Maranatha, come, Lord Jesus, thank you so much for praying with us and let’s go back to the phones. Appreciate you waiting. What is your Bible question for Doctor Woods this evening?

[00:35:00] Caller: Is it me?

[00:35:01] Pastor Jim: It is. You. Go for it.

[00:35:03] Caller: Hey, you know, um, just to throw this out there. For 40 years, I’ve been following Michael Carr. I don’t know if you’re familiar with him. He sings a song called Heal Our Land. Check it out sometime. Um, he’s a Hebrew. Greek Aramaic scholar. Uh, his daddy was a famous doctor. He abandoned, really, the family. And, uh. But anyway, the man who mentored, mentored him. Came to him when he was young, like, 16 years old, with a guitar and asked him to put a sermon to music. And I’ve been following him for 40 years, and he sings like King David in the Bible. He’s awesome if you’ve never heard of him. But anyway, check him out. Michael Carr. Uh, well, I went to a Bible study tonight. Without mentioning any names. And I go to one church, which I’m loyal and a member and faithful, but I go to AA meetings and other Bible studies in my town just to try to, I guess, share whatever I can, whenever I can. But I was there tonight, and the man who they call pastor at this one building, they call a church, he said to the crowd that Satan and all his angels were going to be in Heaven redeemed. And I said, well, I didn’t know what to say. But anyway, can you elaborate on that? Because this is a big building all around the world with a bunch of people hearing this message, and I need to hear you say something about how it’s not true.

[00:36:49] Pastor Jim: Well, thank you so much for calling the program. We really appreciate that. And, uh, that’s not necessarily something that isn’t uncommon. There are some individuals that teach that. So let’s see if we can go to the Word of God and find the mind of God on that question. Thank you so much for calling the program. Pastor?

[00:37:08] Pastor Andy: Right, well the plan of salvation is not open to the fallen angelic realm. Uh, in fact, when you look at Matthew 25, verse 41, it says, then he, that’s Jesus will say to those on his left, depart from me a cursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.  So it’s pretty crystal clear in the Bible that Satan and his fallen angels, you know, will not find themselves in Heaven. Um, one other quick passage on it. Revelation chapter 20.  In verse 10, it says, there in the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. So, you know, when someone makes a statement like that, it doesn’t matter if they’re some kind of, you know, ecclesiastical leader. I mean, they’re just making statements that go directly against God’s declared Revelation.

[00:38:21] Pastor Jim: Yeah. And I would say run and run as fast as you can. All right. Thank you so much for calling the program. That was a great question. Thanks, pastor, for a great answer. Let’s go back to the phones. Thank you for waiting. Oh, no questions. All right. Well, I happen to have an email question that we can use. So let’s go to the email box here. This is from a 13 year old boy. I just love it when young people call the program or email us and he asks some questions. Kind of a series of questions here. But he says “if an angel has a bad thought, does God send them to hell? And then he says, are there levels of demon demons? And he says, if you’re not a Christian, can demons go into you? And then finally, can a demon be killed”? So we kind of lumped these all together because they’re all very similar.

[00:39:04] Pastor Andy: Okay. The first one here, if an angel has a bad thought, does he go to hell? Um, no. Um, because those angels that rebelled against God, their, uh, destiny is already sealed.  Um, you’ll see that in Isaiah 14:12 through 15. Ezekiel 28:12 through 17, Revelation 12, verses 3 through 8. So they can’t get more, you know, consigned to hell than they already are. Having an additional bad thought, you know, is not going to make things better or worse for them. And then we think that the good angels that did not rebel with Lucifer are confirmed in goodness, so they can’t have bad thoughts anyway. Second question are there levels of demons? I think there are. From what I said earlier, he gets Matthew 12 verse 45 seven spirits more wicked than himself. So there seems to be levels of, uh, evil amongst the fallen demonic, demonic realm. And then when you look at Ephesians 6, verse 10, it says, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers and rulers of this dark world. So principalities, powers, rulers seem to me to be like army regiments. Yeah. Um, indicating that there’s different levels of authority, different battalions, you know, that kind of thing.

[00:40:32] Pastor Andy: Question number three, if you’re not a Christian, can demons go into you? Yes, because that’s what happened to, um, uh, Judas, who was unsaved.  John 13, verse 27, it says Satan entered him. So, you know, if you’re not saved, your body is not the temple of the Holy Spirit.  So demons, you know, and Satan himself can actually enter you according to what the Bible says. And then the fourth question is, can a demon be killed? I would say the answer is no, because demons, we believe, are basically fallen angels and angels. According to Luke 20 verses 35 through 36, um uh, do not die, right? Okay, so you remember the Gadarene, the man possessed by all those demons that Gadara. Um, Jesus, you know, cast out the demons, and they didn’t disappear. They didn’t die. They wanted to go into the swine. Yeah. So I don’t think a demon can be killed. They’re created for eternity, and they will always exist. Um, fortunately, the day is coming where their existence will be confined. You know, to the lake of fire.

[00:41:50] Pastor Jim: Amen. All right. I see that we have free phone lines. So let me give out our numbers one more time here. If you’re in the local Houston area, you can call (832) 922-4444. Again (832) 922-4444. If you’re outside the local area, you can call toll free at (877) 999-5422. Again (877) 999-5422. And again, you can email your question to questions with an S questions at Questions@KHCB.org. So we appreciate you taking the time to call in or write us. I see we do have someone waiting, so let’s go back to our phones. Thank you for calling the program this evening. What is your Bible question for Doctor Woods?

[00:42:38] Caller: Uh, yeah. Hello, gentlemen. Um. First Peter 5, verse 13. Um. He who is in Babylon. I wondering who this he is and. Is it? I’ve read some people think it’s a his wife or a church or a code word for a church near Rome. And also, I think it’s interesting that he says “chosen together with you”, which kind of leads me to believe it’s a church. So I’ll hang up and listen to what you might have to say about that.

[00:43:22] Pastor Jim: All right. Thank you again for calling the program. We appreciate that question. Pastor, “she who is in Babylon”, what are we talking about here?

[00:43:29] Pastor Andy: Well, the she, um, could be a reference to Peter’s wife, because we know that Peter was married. Uh, 1st Corinthians 9, I think verse 5 says that. And when he traveled to Babylon, he could have traveled with his wife. And so that could be the she probably a more likely explanation is it’s the church in Babylon. It’s the Greek word for church ecclesia, which I believe is a feminine noun. And so that could be who the she is. Now, concerning Babylon itself, you know, there’s the majority opinion out there, basically that says Babylon was some kind of code word for Rome. They were too afraid to say Rome. So they took kind of insulate themselves from persecution. They, you know, masqueraded Rome’s name, you know, with the code word Babylon. That explanation really has never set well with me because Paul mentions Rome. In fact, we have a whole book of the Bible.

[00:44:31] Pastor Jim: Yes, indeed.

[00:44:32] Pastor Andy: Caller the Book of Romans. And he talks there to the church at Rome. So, um, and that idea that, you know, Babylon is a code word for Rome, you’ll find that in what we call the Pseudepigraphical writings. I believe it’s the, um, Apocalypse of Baruch, if I’m not mistaken. And the Sibylline oracles use Babylon as a code word for Rome. But you see, those are second century documents. And we’re here in AD 64, so you can’t use something that long after the fact to, you know, come up with some kind of theory as to what the apostle Peter was talking about. So my position on it is pretty, uh, simple. I think Babylon means Babylon. Babylon is used 300 times in the Bible, and it always refers to the littoral area, modern day Iraq, between the Euphrates and the Tigris. And it’s a real piece of geography. Um, as you look at 1st Peter 1:1, it mentions there Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia, those are all real places, right? So why can’t Babylon, that’s also well known in Scripture, you know, be a real place? And, um, why would Peter go to Babylon? Well, Peter is the apostle to the Jews, Paul the apostle to the Gentiles. Galatians 2 verses 7 and 8 indicates that, well, this is where most of the Jews were residing. That’s right. A lot of them, um, didn’t really want to go back after the Babylonian captivity. And so there was a conclave of them there. Uh, Josephus makes reference to a group of Jews living in Babylon and something called the Babylonian Talmud, which would be created much later, AD 500 was created from Babylon.

[00:46:25] Pastor Andy: So to me, Babylon is a real logical place, you know, for Peter to go to. And beyond that, you know, if this is really Rome. Um, and Peter was in Rome in the west instead of Babylon in the east. Why did Paul make it his ambition to get to Rome? And why did Paul say things like, I don’t build on another man’s foundation? If Peter was already there.  And by the way, at the end of Romans, I think it’s Romans 16 where Paul greets everybody in Rome, he never mentions Peter. And then when Paul writes books from Rome, you know, the prison letters. Um, Second Timothy, he never mentions Peter being there with him. So, you know, the Rome issue, you know, has a lot of problems. So I think Babylon means Babylon. Actually, this is a big deal because I did my doctoral dissertation on Revelation 17 and 18, and a lot of people think, well, that’s talking about Rome because Babylon is a code word for Rome.  And they base it on 1st Peter 5, verse 13. But their whole theory evaporates when you understand that Babylon means Babylon. So I think it’s just best to take the text at face value and acknowledge it’s reasonable that Peter went to Babylon. So that’s what I believe. Now, that’s not the majority opinion out there. The majority opinion is wrapped up in code theories and things of that nature. But I think I think God means what he says and says what he means. There’s no need to rewrite plain statements of Scripture.

[00:47:57] Pastor Jim: Amen. Amen. All right. Thank you, pastor. That was a great answer. Back to the phones. Thank you for waiting. What is your Bible question for Doctor Woods?

[00:48:05] Caller: I have a question, uh, somewhat along the lines of the young, the young 13 year old that that called in about demons and, uh, their influence over people. And this came up with a friend of mine that was in the midst of a divorce, and she was sort of seeking advice from me. She said she wanted to be strong for her children. And I told her immediately, you know, uh, Ephesians 6:10, yea, strong in the Lord and his mighty power. And I also told her, she told me about her husband, whose behavior had almost resulted in a divorce earlier and had gotten this time much worse, which to me, I told her for sure she is not struggling against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual dark world and the forces of evil. The question that I have is it says in the Bible, therefore, put on the full armor of God and stand firm. And after you have done everything to stand, so does that mean that she is to stand on her marriage? I mean, I told her she’s fighting against, you know, the father of lies herself, himself and that, uh, she needed some. I told her it was like an exorcism. But at any rate, I will hang up and listen, uh, as to your thoughts about how she can, uh, battle that battle.

[00:49:43] Pastor Jim: All right. Thank you so much for that very important question. God bless you. Pastor?

[00:49:49] Pastor Andy: Well, you know that battle just like any other battle. Um, it relates really not just to Satan, but there the Christian has three enemies that they inherit the moment they trust Christ as Savior, one of which is Satan and the realm of the demonic. And there’s a mechanism for handling that adversary which is, uh, put on the full armor of God. Ephesians 6:10 through 20. 1st Peter 5:8 and 9 resists, and James 4:7 resist the devil, meaning, not cater to the flesh, and he will flee from you. The second enemy is the sin nature. So there’s a formula for dealing with that. Romans 6. We have to acknowledge our resources in Christ and reckon or consider the sin nature dead in spite of its temptations. And the third enemy is in 1st John 2, verses 15 through 17. It’s the cosmos or the world system, through its philosophies, that seeks to alienate our affections from God, and we become spiritual adulterers. James 4, verse 4. You know, when we fall in love with the world system around us, it’s characterized by lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, the pride of life, and the mechanism for dealing with that is the renewal of the mind. You know, Romans 12 verse two helps us to not be conformed to the image and the pattern of this world. So regardless of what battle a person is in a marital situation, um, a battle with substance abuse, um, materialism, um, what you’ll discover it’s one of those three enemies or sometimes a tag team operation. And it’s just a matter of figuring out, uh, what, where the attack is coming from and to appropriate God’s resources accordingly, because he’s given us everything we need to stand firm against those three enemies.

[00:51:52] Pastor Jim: Yes. Amen. All right. We hope that’s helpful to you. Thank you so much for calling the program. Really appreciate it. Back to the phones. Thank you for your patience. What is your Bible question this evening?

[00:52:03] Caller: Uh, yes. Good evening. I, I don’t know, maybe you could talk a little bit about election and reprobation. Um, I’m kind of teeter tottering and on these things and, um, you know, does God especially, you know, in light of the Romans and Romans 9 verse where it talks about vessels of wrath and destruction and um, um, and, you know, what are your thoughts on that? I mean, has God, um, you know, created some people, um, uh, for, uh, you know, uh, hell and to be eternally separated from him or, and, you know, or are human beings, uh, themselves doing this through their unbelief. I mean, uh, I was wondering if you could elaborate on, on, on maybe how some of this works or, you know, biblically, um. What does the Bible have to say? You know, in in your judgment.

[00:53:01] Pastor Jim: All right. Thank you. Appreciate that question. That’s an excellent question, pastor. This is something a lot of people have to deal with isn’t it.

[00:53:08] Pastor Andy: Yeah. Well you know I think what he’s asking about is double predestination uh, where some are elected to Heaven and some are actually created and elected to go to hell.  Unfortunately John Calvin talked about those doom from the womb. In other words, no hope of salvation, you know, whatsoever. Um, that’s not a doctrine I, I believe in. I don’t think it’s true because second Peter 3:9 and 1st Timothy 2, uh, verses 1 through 4 talks about how God desires all to be saved. And to come to a knowledge of the truth.  So I don’t think God, you know, creates people and programs people, you know, to predestine them to hell because that would violate the passages, you know, that I just quoted. Um, he mentions as potential support for that doctrine. Um, vessels of wrath.  And that’s talking about Pharaoh, a lot of it there. And yes, God did harden Pharaoh’s heart.  But study the Exodus account very carefully and what you’ll discover is, before God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, Pharaoh hardened his own heart. I can ended up once, uh, six times he hardened his heart. So what God did is he gave Pharaoh over to what you know Pharaoh wanted. And be careful about drawing a lot from Romans 9 related to personal election, because Romans 9, 10 and 11 is the Israel section.  And that’s really talking about the election of a nation.  You know, not so much the election or lack thereof, of an individual. And ultimately, you know, Jesus related to people’s unbelief. He didn’t portray it as somehow it’s the fault of something beyond themselves. Um, you know, because after all, they’re elected under damnation, doomed from the womb as Calvin said, he blamed unbelief on guess what, Brother Jim, the unbeliever?

[00:55:18] Pastor Jim: Yes, exactly.

[00:55:19] Pastor Andy: He said in John 5 verse 40, and you are unwilling to come to me that you may have life. So the problem isn’t me. The problem isn’t the Father. The problem is you. John 3 verse 18, uh, talks about. Uh. Let’s see. Is that the verse I’m looking for? He who believes in him is not judged. And he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. So if you want to blame someone, don’t blame the elective decrees of God. Blame yourself, sinners, unsaved, in other words, for failing to trust in Christ for salvation. So I guess when all is said and done, Brother Jim, I’m really not on board with this double predestination concept that you find so prominently displayed in the writings of John Calvin and his followers.

[00:56:20] Pastor Jim: Yes, I totally agree with that. And thank you again for calling. We hope that was helpful to you. Back to the phones and thank you so much for being patient. What is your Bible question for Doctor Wood this evening?

[00:56:32] Caller: Hello?

[00:56:33] Pastor Jim: Yes. Go right ahead. Okay.

[00:56:35] Caller: Okay. My question is really I was concerned about the fact that Paul was. It seemed like he did everything right. He was in God’s will. And I just can’t seem to understand why he died. Why God allowed him to die such a horrible death.

[00:56:56] Pastor Jim: All right. Well, that’s a great question. So let’s see if we can answer that for you from the Bible. God bless you. Thanks for calling.

[00:57:03] Pastor Andy: Was that about Paul?

[00:57:04] Pastor Jim: I believe we’re talking about the apostle Paul and the issues that she was saying, that he did everything right. So why did God let him die such a terrible death?

[00:57:13] Pastor Andy: Well, it’s because of what Paul said in 2nd Timothy 3, verse 12. All who seek to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. So, I mean, I can’t think of anybody that lived a better life than Jesus, right? Perfect. And look at look at how that ended for him. I mean, a good point. He died a horrible death. And then he then he said to us, his disciples, you know, a servant is not greater than his master. So sometimes it’s living the righteous life that gets us into trouble with the world system. Um, not the other way around.

[00:57:44] Pastor Jim: Yeah. And Paul was very good to explain to us that he didn’t even he didn’t consider himself to have attained to the righteousness that that Christ had purchased for him, that he recognized he still had a sin nature. So I think that’s important to remember. All right. I think we might be able to squeeze one more call in here. Let’s give it a try. Thanks for waiting. What is your Bible question for Dr. Woods?

[00:58:08] Speaker3: Yeah, Romans 4:16. Romans 4:16 regarding anti Jews, anti-Semitism, whatever that word is, where people are against the Jews. Based upon Romans 4:16. When they’re against the Jews, does that mean they’re against the Christians also? Because that says Abraham is the father of us all? That’s my question. Thank you.

[00:58:31] Pastor Jim: All right. Thank you for calling the program. God bless.

[00:58:34] Pastor Andy: Um, it doesn’t necessarily mean that because Israel in the Bible has a technical meaning. It’s the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Uh, just because you’re a seed of Abraham or, uh, or a child of Abraham, son of Abraham, in the sense that we’re saved by faith alone as Abraham was, does not make us Israel. Uh, remember Ishmael’s descendants were, you know, the seed of Abraham as well. And don’t go over to them today and call him Israel, or you’ll get a sharp reaction from them. So don’t. I would not confuse Seed of Abraham with Israel. Those are two different concepts Romans 4 is talking about. We’re saved, justified the same way Abraham was. That’s the sense in which he’s the father of us all. It’s not because we suddenly become Israel. To be Israel, you had to be a physical descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It’s a technical word that always means the same thing everywhere it’s used.

[00:59:36] Pastor Jim: Amen and amen. Well, it looks like we’ve come to the end of the program. Uh, I’m. I’m being told we can take one more question. So you drew the lucky straw tonight. So thank you for waiting. What is your Bible question for Dr. Woods?

[00:59:49] Caller: Hi. Yes, I just wanted to say I’m thankful that, uh, Doctor Woods is feeling better after his surgery.

[00:59:55] Pastor Andy: Oh, thanks.

[00:59:56] Caller: Um, so it’s good to hear his voice. And, uh, my question is, why does the church call Easter, Easter instead of First Fruits?

[01:00:07] Pastor Jim: All right. That’s a great question. Thanks for calling the program pastor.

[01:00:11] Pastor Andy: Well, you’re not going to find the word Easter in the Bible. There’s a I think there’s an English translation, though.

[01:00:17] Pastor Jim: The King James has it.

[01:00:18] Pastor Andy: It doesn’t say Easter. And what is it over in Acts 21 or 20 somewhere in there. But that’s just an English translation. I mean, uh, the Bible basically uses the expression Resurrection Sunday, First Fruits, and that’s the proper understanding of it. You know, Easter comes from Ishtar, which was a pagan deity, and people have a tendency to associate eggs and bunnies and things, baskets and that kind of thing with this pagan deity. And they want to read that back into the Bible. But, you know, the Bible basically would refer to what the world calls Easter Sunday as First Fruits. I love what she said there or Resurrection Sunday.

[01:01:00] Pastor Jim: Amen. All right. Great question. Great answer, as always. And I guess we better shut this thing down. Thank you all for calling this evening. We sure appreciate it. And, uh, stay tuned next time for a KHCB’s Question and Answer program. God bless and good evening.