WEBVTT - Hour 2: Summer Bible Study 0:00:08.920 --> 0:00:11.920 Hello friends. It's time for the second hour of Open 0:00:11.920 --> 0:00:17.000 Line with Doctor Michael Ray Moody Radio's Bible Study Across America. 0:00:17.200 --> 0:00:20.880 We're talking about your questions about the Bible, God and 0:00:20.880 --> 0:00:24.560 the spiritual life. My name is Michael Ray. I'm academic 0:00:24.560 --> 0:00:27.120 dean and a professor of Jewish studies and Bible at 0:00:27.160 --> 0:00:31.800 Moody Bible Institute. We're live today sitting around the radio 0:00:31.800 --> 0:00:34.760 kitchen table taking your questions. Now is the time to 0:00:34.760 --> 0:00:36.960 give me a call. Always best at the beginning of 0:00:36.960 --> 0:00:41.280 an hour. Lots of open line open phone lines here. 0:00:41.600 --> 0:00:50.160 Free waiting for your call. The phone number. Write this down. (877) 548-3675. 0:00:50.200 --> 0:00:59.320 That's (877) 548-3675. Remember, if you can't call, you can always 0:00:59.320 --> 0:01:02.740 go to our website, Open Line radio.org and click on 0:01:02.900 --> 0:01:05.780 Ask Michael a question. You can leave your question there 0:01:05.780 --> 0:01:07.420 and Trish will put it in the mailbag. I want 0:01:07.459 --> 0:01:14.140 to thank Trish our producer. She our senior producer. She 0:01:14.180 --> 0:01:16.540 was loath to tell me that the other day I said, 0:01:16.540 --> 0:01:21.700 you're not just a producer, you're senior producer. And anyway, 0:01:21.700 --> 0:01:27.860 she posted a link to, uh, information about Avner Boesky, 0:01:27.900 --> 0:01:30.500 who I interviewed in the first segment of the first 0:01:30.540 --> 0:01:33.700 our first and second segments. I encourage you go back 0:01:33.860 --> 0:01:37.780 and check that out. Listen to that interview. Avner has 0:01:38.260 --> 0:01:41.300 been serving in Israel for about 40 years, and a 0:01:41.540 --> 0:01:44.539 great friend of mine, and brilliant insights into what's going 0:01:44.540 --> 0:01:46.660 on and how to read Scripture in a way to 0:01:46.700 --> 0:01:50.820 understand what's going on. So do check out that interview 0:01:50.820 --> 0:01:55.180 and thanks, Trish for posting the links to Avner's information. And. 0:01:57.460 --> 0:02:04.450 Now also, uh. I wanted to, uh, invite. He's not 0:02:04.450 --> 0:02:07.010 a caller. Callers are coming in. We got plenty of callers. 0:02:07.010 --> 0:02:13.649 Keep calling, though. (877) 548-3675. But Omar Mendoza, our engineer, asked 0:02:13.650 --> 0:02:15.130 me a question on the break. I said, that's a 0:02:15.130 --> 0:02:19.490 good question. People are wondering that, too. So, Omar, you 0:02:19.490 --> 0:02:21.250 have a question. Why don't you go ahead and ask it? 0:02:21.730 --> 0:02:25.970 Yeah, I do have a question. Um, so, uh, what 0:02:25.970 --> 0:02:30.970 was the straw that broke the camel's back, which led 0:02:31.410 --> 0:02:33.250 Israel to launch the strike? 0:02:34.250 --> 0:02:39.650 Okay. Why did Israel strike Iran? Now, this has been 0:02:39.650 --> 0:02:43.450 an issue for 20 years, since they began the plans 0:02:43.450 --> 0:02:47.090 in Iran to have a nuclear weapon. And Israel is 0:02:47.410 --> 0:02:51.570 Benjamin Netanyahu's whole career, his second time in office and 0:02:51.570 --> 0:02:54.570 his now his third time. He's had three different times 0:02:54.570 --> 0:02:58.030 he's been in office. He has been railing about the 0:02:58.030 --> 0:03:01.590 danger of Iran getting a nuclear weapon. Why now? Well, 0:03:01.630 --> 0:03:06.669 a couple of things. One, President Trump told the Iranian 0:03:06.669 --> 0:03:12.870 government that they had 60 days to make an agreement 0:03:13.550 --> 0:03:18.150 with the United States. They were negotiating. And amazingly, they 0:03:18.150 --> 0:03:21.630 just the Iranian government just dawdled and dawdled. They were 0:03:21.630 --> 0:03:24.269 trying to protract as much as long as they could 0:03:24.310 --> 0:03:27.989 the negotiations so they could get to the nuclear bomb 0:03:28.190 --> 0:03:32.790 without having been stopped. And so President Trump gave them 0:03:32.790 --> 0:03:35.950 an ultimatum. He said, you have 60 days to negotiate something. 0:03:36.270 --> 0:03:40.950 Day 61 is when this happened. So once again, Iran 0:03:40.950 --> 0:03:46.230 was trying to protract the negotiations. Secondly, Israeli intelligence, which 0:03:46.230 --> 0:03:49.110 is outstanding. I don't know if you realize how much 0:03:49.150 --> 0:03:52.470 in this assault was carried out at the initial level 0:03:52.510 --> 0:03:57.180 by the Mossad. I'm sure you saw the information that they. 0:03:57.220 --> 0:04:03.260 The Mossad set up, uh, drone factory. A drone factory 0:04:03.260 --> 0:04:06.260 right in Iran, so that the opening assault, which was 0:04:06.260 --> 0:04:10.900 by drones, were from drones that they built right there 0:04:11.380 --> 0:04:16.820 in Iran. Amazing. And they knew precisely where the heads 0:04:16.820 --> 0:04:21.420 of all the military agencies were. Uh, the information, the 0:04:21.420 --> 0:04:24.659 intelligence they receive is excellent. And the intelligence that Israel 0:04:24.660 --> 0:04:29.820 had was that they were not months or years away, 0:04:29.820 --> 0:04:35.220 but days or weeks away from producing nuclear warheads. Uh, 0:04:35.820 --> 0:04:39.900 the number varied from 9 to 15. Uh, they thought, 0:04:40.100 --> 0:04:42.180 but they were right on the cusp. They were on 0:04:42.180 --> 0:04:47.020 the verge of creating nuclear warheads. And the government of 0:04:47.020 --> 0:04:51.140 Israel could not risk a nuclear Iran. And that's what 0:04:51.180 --> 0:04:54.799 began this assault. And so it was being so close 0:04:54.800 --> 0:04:58.760 and giving. I think they were very respectful of Donald Trump, 0:04:58.760 --> 0:05:01.440 the president of the United States, and they said he 0:05:01.440 --> 0:05:04.880 wants 60 days. We're going to wait 60 days. And 0:05:04.880 --> 0:05:08.279 that's why that's why it happened precisely on the 61st day. 0:05:08.320 --> 0:05:10.320 Got it. Okay. Yeah. Thank you. 0:05:10.360 --> 0:05:12.640 Great. Hey, thanks for that. That's a great question. I 0:05:12.640 --> 0:05:15.840 thought other people were asking it to Omar. So thank 0:05:15.839 --> 0:05:19.600 you for asking that. Uh, Colin in Georgia listening to 0:05:19.600 --> 0:05:22.800 w w m e. Welcome to Open Line. How can 0:05:22.800 --> 0:05:23.839 I help you today? 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:29.960 Hello. Um, I'm a question about, uh, Joshua 1301. Um, 0:05:29.960 --> 0:05:34.480 Joshua 12 talks about all the kings that Joshua and 0:05:34.480 --> 0:05:39.280 Israel defeated in the land. Joshua, 31, says Joshua became 0:05:39.279 --> 0:05:41.960 very old, and there was still a lot of land 0:05:41.960 --> 0:05:46.000 that wasn't defeated or conquered. So is that saying something 0:05:46.000 --> 0:05:48.320 like Ecclesiastes, that there's a lot of work to be 0:05:48.320 --> 0:05:50.159 done and just have a lot of work to be done? 0:05:50.160 --> 0:05:53.350 Or is that something like Prophet Elisha did a lot 0:05:53.350 --> 0:05:57.029 of good things, but he still didn't cause revival. So 0:05:57.029 --> 0:05:59.070 what sort of thing is it trying to say that 0:05:59.070 --> 0:06:01.430 he got old, but he still didn't conquer a lot 0:06:01.470 --> 0:06:05.350 of land. Joshua 13 one he says. 0:06:05.710 --> 0:06:08.710 You have become become old, getting on in years, but 0:06:08.710 --> 0:06:12.390 a great deal of the land remains to be possessed. 0:06:12.750 --> 0:06:15.789 I think that's important. So then that takes us right 0:06:15.790 --> 0:06:23.549 to the valedictory address, the final address of Joshua in 0:06:25.350 --> 0:06:29.909 Joshua 24, where he recounts the history of Israel. And 0:06:29.910 --> 0:06:34.909 then he says, as for me and my house, we 0:06:34.910 --> 0:06:40.710 will follow the Lord. That's what he says. Uh, he said, 0:06:40.750 --> 0:06:43.750 choose this day for yourselves, the one you will worship. 0:06:45.589 --> 0:06:48.870 The gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates, the false gods. 0:06:49.110 --> 0:06:52.050 But as for me and my family. We will worship 0:06:52.050 --> 0:06:54.810 the Lord. We will serve the Lord and the. So 0:06:54.810 --> 0:06:56.849 he challenges the people to go on with the Lord, 0:06:57.089 --> 0:07:00.370 and then he dies. And then he goes on, uh, 0:07:00.650 --> 0:07:02.770 the the story goes on. You can pick it up 0:07:02.770 --> 0:07:04.970 in the book of judges, where the people have these 0:07:04.970 --> 0:07:10.610 cycles of sin and then repentance, restoration, uh, and so forth. Um, 0:07:11.690 --> 0:07:14.810 here's what it tells me is until the Lord returns 0:07:14.810 --> 0:07:17.850 were not the end of the story, God has lots 0:07:17.850 --> 0:07:20.610 of work to do. We serve him as best we 0:07:20.610 --> 0:07:24.490 can in our days and then someone else goes on. 0:07:24.490 --> 0:07:29.650 I just made the decision. I mentioned this recently. Uh, 0:07:30.170 --> 0:07:32.410 I became the dean a few years ago, and we 0:07:32.410 --> 0:07:34.770 brought in a new Jewish studies professor. I've been Jewish 0:07:34.770 --> 0:07:38.850 studies professor at Moody now for 32 years, almost. And 0:07:39.050 --> 0:07:41.290 but it was time for a new one. And we 0:07:41.290 --> 0:07:45.370 have a great new Jewish studies professor, uh, Michael Gabizon. 0:07:45.490 --> 0:07:47.930 And then not only that, but I thought my time. 0:07:47.930 --> 0:07:52.120 Really I need to focus on some other areas of ministry, 0:07:52.120 --> 0:07:55.880 and I've retired from education. I'm not going to be 0:07:55.880 --> 0:08:00.040 the dean after June 30th and after June 30th July 1st. 0:08:00.040 --> 0:08:04.440 I will focus more on radio and conference ministry with Moody, 0:08:04.720 --> 0:08:09.320 and that's what I'm going to be doing. The point is, 0:08:10.120 --> 0:08:12.600 I am grateful that I get to serve the Lord 0:08:12.600 --> 0:08:15.520 in another way. But sometimes we have to pass on 0:08:15.520 --> 0:08:19.640 the ministry, uh, to the next person. And then we 0:08:19.680 --> 0:08:21.960 after it's been passed on to us, we pass it 0:08:21.960 --> 0:08:24.600 on to the next person and the next person, right 0:08:24.600 --> 0:08:27.640 until the Lord returns. And that's the message there with 0:08:27.640 --> 0:08:31.480 Joshua in Joshua 13, one that help Colin. 0:08:31.520 --> 0:08:33.920 Well, one reason why it's interesting because people always say 0:08:33.920 --> 0:08:36.440 things like, well, if Moses didn't hit the rock, he 0:08:36.440 --> 0:08:38.320 could have done so much like go to prom or something. 0:08:38.320 --> 0:08:39.840 If David didn't do it, did the right, he could 0:08:39.840 --> 0:08:41.880 have done so much. But if Joshua could only do 0:08:41.880 --> 0:08:43.920 so much, then how much did all these things? Well, 0:08:44.160 --> 0:08:45.920 if David didn't do well, he could have done that. 0:08:45.960 --> 0:08:46.600 And all this. 0:08:47.200 --> 0:08:49.699 It seems to me that Moses probably could have led 0:08:49.700 --> 0:08:52.180 the people into the land and then turned it over 0:08:52.500 --> 0:08:55.300 to Joshua. But God disciplined him. It could have been 0:08:55.300 --> 0:08:59.020 that maybe David could have been more successful in the 0:08:59.020 --> 0:09:02.300 second half of his life, the second half of his reign, 0:09:02.300 --> 0:09:06.900 had he not had that, uh, mess up, uh, with 0:09:06.900 --> 0:09:11.620 Bathsheba and with Uriah? So, uh, that's not saying that 0:09:11.620 --> 0:09:14.740 that just because we have to pass on the ministry 0:09:14.740 --> 0:09:17.660 from time to time, uh, at the near the end 0:09:17.660 --> 0:09:21.100 of our lives, uh, you know, I'm looking right now 0:09:21.300 --> 0:09:23.860 at the last phase of my life. I want to 0:09:23.900 --> 0:09:28.740 end well. But, uh, that doesn't mean that if I 0:09:28.780 --> 0:09:32.220 messed up, I couldn't shorten the ministry that I might have, 0:09:32.260 --> 0:09:35.699 or maybe diminish the ministry that I might have had. 0:09:35.700 --> 0:09:40.260 That's what we see with. With David and with Moses. Okay, Colin. 0:09:40.860 --> 0:09:41.860 Thank you very much. Thank you. 0:09:42.100 --> 0:09:47.170 Yeah. Thanks for your call. Appreciate it. Uh, Jim in Albany, Georgia. 0:09:48.809 --> 0:09:49.329 Hi, doctor. 0:09:49.330 --> 0:09:53.450 Robert listening on Zeke. I don't think I've ever seen 0:09:53.450 --> 0:09:55.570 that station name. So glad you're listening. How can I 0:09:55.570 --> 0:09:56.050 help you? 0:09:57.050 --> 0:10:02.370 Um, I have a question from Isaiah 65 and verse 20. 0:10:02.530 --> 0:10:05.010 And if I can read that out of the NIV, 0:10:05.290 --> 0:10:08.930 it says, never again will there be in it an 0:10:08.929 --> 0:10:13.370 infant who lives but a few days, or an old 0:10:13.370 --> 0:10:17.610 man who lives, who does not live out his years? 0:10:17.809 --> 0:10:22.089 He who dies at a hundred will be thought a 0:10:22.090 --> 0:10:27.850 mere youth. He who fails to reach a hundred will 0:10:27.850 --> 0:10:32.530 be considered accursed. Now this is during the millennial period, 0:10:33.090 --> 0:10:36.809 and at the end of the millennium, there is one 0:10:37.050 --> 0:10:42.890 final resurrection of of of dead people who face the. 0:10:43.050 --> 0:10:45.510 Just go ahead with your question. What? What is it 0:10:45.510 --> 0:10:46.110 that you're wondering? 0:10:46.110 --> 0:10:46.670 I'm wondering. 0:10:46.910 --> 0:10:50.790 I'm wondering if those who died during the millennium are 0:10:50.790 --> 0:10:53.750 considered to be unsaved and will be consigned to the 0:10:53.750 --> 0:10:54.630 lake of fire? 0:10:56.910 --> 0:10:59.630 You know what? I'm going to leave the decision about? 0:10:59.630 --> 0:11:02.230 Who goes to heaven and who goes to hell, who 0:11:02.230 --> 0:11:04.350 goes to the lake of fire and the Lord. Here's 0:11:04.350 --> 0:11:07.510 what I understand about this. All that it's telling us 0:11:08.990 --> 0:11:13.190 is that, uh, generally speaking, people will live long. If 0:11:13.190 --> 0:11:18.990 they sin, they will die earlier, uh, so that a 0:11:18.990 --> 0:11:22.309 hundred will be considered. If a person dies at 100, 0:11:22.350 --> 0:11:26.190 this verse that you're looking at, uh, if a person 0:11:26.190 --> 0:11:30.470 dies at 100, they will be considered like a young person, right? 0:11:30.910 --> 0:11:34.709 Isn't that what it's saying? Yeah. And they will be. 0:11:35.670 --> 0:11:40.790 And the, uh, when it says that, they would be accursed, um, 0:11:42.390 --> 0:11:46.340 it says indeed, the youth will die at 100 years, 0:11:46.340 --> 0:11:49.660 and the one who misses 100 years will be cursed. 0:11:50.580 --> 0:11:56.380 And the idea there in 6520 is that it appears 0:11:56.380 --> 0:11:58.660 to be. I don't know if it's an eternal, but 0:11:58.700 --> 0:12:00.820 someone has done something wrong, and there's a curse upon 0:12:00.820 --> 0:12:03.260 their lives. And it could happen that the Lord will 0:12:03.260 --> 0:12:05.620 take even a believer earlier if there's some sort of 0:12:05.660 --> 0:12:10.060 serious sin. I would suspect that that's mostly there are 0:12:10.059 --> 0:12:12.300 people who are going to be saved in the millennium 0:12:12.300 --> 0:12:14.460 because they're going to be born in the millennium. They'll 0:12:14.460 --> 0:12:16.220 have to put their trust in Jesus. There will be 0:12:16.220 --> 0:12:19.860 people who don't put their trust in Jesus. And then 0:12:19.900 --> 0:12:23.619 they when the resurrection happens at the Great White Throne, 0:12:23.740 --> 0:12:27.380 they will be among those who are cast into the 0:12:27.380 --> 0:12:32.300 lake of fire. But, you know, I I'm just presuming that. Okay. 0:12:33.220 --> 0:12:36.300 But if they are, if they are believers and they die. 0:12:38.900 --> 0:12:42.800 Then what's the what's the standing at the White Throne judgment. 0:12:43.200 --> 0:12:45.559 There won't be if they're believers when they die. Everyone's 0:12:45.559 --> 0:12:49.839 going to die because they're going to be people born 0:12:50.000 --> 0:12:54.520 in the millennium. Uh, there will be people. There will 0:12:54.520 --> 0:12:57.600 be glorified bodies in the millennium, and there will be 0:12:57.600 --> 0:13:01.720 people who are born, uh, that enter the millennium as 0:13:01.720 --> 0:13:05.760 mortals without being resurrected. They will marry. They will have children. 0:13:06.000 --> 0:13:09.000 And so everyone's going to have to die or be translated. 0:13:09.240 --> 0:13:12.600 That's that's what we know. Translated into an immortal body. 0:13:13.200 --> 0:13:14.280 So are we. 0:13:14.320 --> 0:13:18.280 To are we to understand that those people who enter 0:13:18.280 --> 0:13:21.920 and those people who are born in the millennium, will 0:13:21.920 --> 0:13:24.360 live out the entire millennial reign? 0:13:24.880 --> 0:13:27.800 Bible doesn't tell us. It just says that if they 0:13:27.840 --> 0:13:29.600 die at 100, they'll be considered young. 0:13:33.679 --> 0:13:39.520 So I still don't understand. Well, if been raised at 0:13:39.520 --> 0:13:41.790 the end of. at the end of. 0:13:42.030 --> 0:13:44.870 Let me just. I'm going to start again. Maybe this 0:13:44.870 --> 0:13:48.590 will explain it. Okay. Israel waiting for the Lord to 0:13:48.630 --> 0:13:52.430 return at the end of the tribulation period. The the. 0:13:52.550 --> 0:13:55.430 They will enter those who are saved. They will enter 0:13:55.429 --> 0:13:59.309 the kingdom without being resurrected or translated. Uh, they will 0:13:59.309 --> 0:14:03.469 enter the Millennial Kingdom. The nations that that, uh, the 0:14:03.470 --> 0:14:10.069 sheep will enter the kingdom without having been resurrected or translated. 0:14:10.470 --> 0:14:13.430 So they will be mortal. They will be. Then, uh, 0:14:13.429 --> 0:14:17.990 they will live there. They will marry. They have, uh, children. Everyone, 0:14:18.350 --> 0:14:21.430 all their children will have to trust the Lord, uh, 0:14:21.790 --> 0:14:26.229 sometime in their lifespan. Some will, some won't. But everyone, 0:14:26.790 --> 0:14:29.470 they'll have longer life spans. Some may die. They'll be 0:14:29.470 --> 0:14:34.150 resurrected at the same time as the lost being resurrected. Uh, there. 0:14:34.350 --> 0:14:37.470 Some will be translated, I presume, but the Bible doesn't 0:14:37.470 --> 0:14:40.810 speak to it. Uh, but there will be believers who 0:14:40.810 --> 0:14:44.050 will die in the kingdom, but they will live very, 0:14:44.050 --> 0:14:47.850 very long lives. Okay, I that's the best I can 0:14:47.850 --> 0:14:50.970 tell from what Scripture says. Okay, Jim. 0:14:51.730 --> 0:14:52.770 Okay, thanks. 0:14:53.330 --> 0:14:57.090 Okay. Uh, let me just caution us to say, you know, 0:14:57.130 --> 0:15:01.090 there are some details that the Bible just doesn't specify. Uh, 0:15:01.210 --> 0:15:04.850 and that's the best we can tell from going into 0:15:04.850 --> 0:15:08.770 the kingdom. Uh, you know, but the main thing is 0:15:08.770 --> 0:15:11.050 to be ready to go to the kingdom by trusting 0:15:11.050 --> 0:15:14.210 in Jesus. That's what I would say. Uh, well, we're 0:15:14.210 --> 0:15:16.770 going to be right back with, uh, more of your 0:15:16.770 --> 0:15:19.570 questions in just a moment. This is open line with 0:15:19.570 --> 0:15:34.810 Michael Ray Dolan. Welcome back to Open Line. I, I 0:15:34.850 --> 0:15:37.960 so appreciate people who want to study the Bible and 0:15:37.960 --> 0:15:42.200 understand it more and more. And what I encourage everyone 0:15:42.200 --> 0:15:46.920 to do is to build a Bible study library. Uh, 0:15:47.800 --> 0:15:50.960 and I think one of the essential books we need 0:15:51.040 --> 0:15:55.440 is a good Bible dictionary. And that's because sometimes we 0:15:55.440 --> 0:15:58.520 read a text, we might wonder, who are these people? 0:15:58.800 --> 0:16:04.440 Or where's that place mentioned, or what? What's this event? 0:16:04.440 --> 0:16:08.440 What's this holy day that seems to be mentioned? And 0:16:08.440 --> 0:16:12.880 so our current resource is a really handy Bible dictionary. 0:16:12.880 --> 0:16:16.640 It's called the Ultimate Bible Dictionary. It's published by BNA publishers, 0:16:16.640 --> 0:16:19.760 the very same publisher that produced the Holman CSB, which, 0:16:19.760 --> 0:16:24.440 as you know, is my favorite Bible translation. And when 0:16:24.440 --> 0:16:26.880 you give a gift of any size, we'd like to 0:16:26.880 --> 0:16:30.400 say thanks by sending you the Ultimate Bible Dictionary as 0:16:30.440 --> 0:16:32.480 a just way of saying thank you, thank you, thank you. 0:16:32.520 --> 0:16:35.560 We appreciate you so much. And I do want you 0:16:35.560 --> 0:16:37.740 to know that this is a pretty crucial time for 0:16:37.780 --> 0:16:40.540 Moody Radio. Uh, it'd be a great time to send 0:16:40.540 --> 0:16:42.780 a gift. It's the end of our fiscal year this month. 0:16:43.020 --> 0:16:45.900 And if you can send a gift now, boy, it 0:16:45.900 --> 0:16:48.620 would help us stay solvent and strong, uh, for the 0:16:48.620 --> 0:16:52.860 next year. And so we so appreciate your gifts, but 0:16:52.860 --> 0:16:55.580 I am really excited that I get to send this 0:16:55.580 --> 0:16:58.500 as a thank you. The ultimate Bible dictionary. It's easy 0:16:58.500 --> 0:17:01.780 to carry, easy to use. It's just a great resource. 0:17:02.020 --> 0:17:06.180 And if you've never given to open line boy, we 0:17:06.180 --> 0:17:09.179 appreciate it if you would, but especially because this is 0:17:09.340 --> 0:17:11.780 a resource that you don't want to miss. If you'd 0:17:11.780 --> 0:17:13.980 like a copy, it's yours with a gift of any 0:17:13.980 --> 0:17:18.100 size by going to our website, Open Line Radio. Org 0:17:18.140 --> 0:17:24.980 that's where you can give or you can call (888) 644-7122. 0:17:24.980 --> 0:17:27.780 And we thank you so much. Uh, we're going to 0:17:27.780 --> 0:17:32.540 talk to Savannah in South Carolina. Uh, thank you for calling. Uh, 0:17:32.660 --> 0:17:33.820 how can I help you today? 0:17:35.930 --> 0:17:38.650 Um. So my husband and I would like to know 0:17:39.170 --> 0:17:41.890 how we know that God has answered our prayers and 0:17:41.890 --> 0:17:44.970 how we've heard from him. Our faith has been rocked 0:17:44.970 --> 0:17:48.570 because we think there is an answer and we think 0:17:48.570 --> 0:17:52.050 we're following him. But we're left questioning and doubting because 0:17:52.050 --> 0:17:55.650 everything falls through. We don't know what to do. 0:17:58.010 --> 0:18:02.810 Uh, you know, are you dealing with health or. Well, 0:18:02.810 --> 0:18:06.370 I'm not sure what what you're what you're talking about. Just. 0:18:06.730 --> 0:18:10.889 Um. We followed. We thought, God, um, 16 months ago 0:18:10.890 --> 0:18:13.930 to leave our house in Florida and moved to South Carolina. 0:18:14.570 --> 0:18:21.129 And that house hasn't sold in Florida. And so we're struggling, um, financially, obviously, 0:18:21.130 --> 0:18:24.330 but also, like, why are we here? Are we supposed 0:18:24.330 --> 0:18:29.250 to go back? We pray. We read, we ask for wisdom. 0:18:29.730 --> 0:18:31.490 We just don't know what to do. So I was 0:18:31.490 --> 0:18:32.609 hoping you could help me. 0:18:34.070 --> 0:18:40.790 Well, uh. Okay. Uh, I understand how you feel. Uh, 0:18:42.150 --> 0:18:44.550 you know, I think everyone knows that there are times 0:18:44.550 --> 0:18:46.390 in our lives that are like this that we think 0:18:46.390 --> 0:18:50.790 we're following the Lord in one direction, and something may happen. I. 0:18:50.990 --> 0:18:53.629 I don't know whether you should go back to Florida. You, 0:18:53.670 --> 0:18:59.629 you know, or. That's not what I would say. Here's, uh, 0:19:00.710 --> 0:19:07.550 here's what I feel. Last week, I mentioned this in 0:19:08.550 --> 0:19:11.790 the opening word that I do at the first hour 0:19:12.990 --> 0:19:18.669 that in the book of Exodus, it says that God 0:19:18.670 --> 0:19:21.310 didn't want to send the people of Israel on the 0:19:21.310 --> 0:19:31.750 fast route, uh, through, uh, Gaza up into the promised land, uh, 0:19:32.020 --> 0:19:34.939 because they weren't ready and they'd be intimidated and they 0:19:34.940 --> 0:19:38.300 would be scared. And so what he did is he 0:19:38.340 --> 0:19:41.979 sent the people instead via the long way through the 0:19:41.980 --> 0:19:45.940 Sinai desert. Um, now what? What's the point in math? 0:19:45.940 --> 0:19:48.540 We say the closest distance between two points is a 0:19:48.540 --> 0:19:51.580 straight line. But I really believe with the Lord that 0:19:51.580 --> 0:19:54.660 the closest distance with two points is usually a zig zag. 0:19:54.900 --> 0:19:58.340 What what God is doing is he's building our faith, 0:19:58.340 --> 0:20:03.020 building our our endurance, our spiritual, uh, dependence on him. 0:20:03.180 --> 0:20:09.460 And so when when we go these through these tough 0:20:09.460 --> 0:20:17.580 times where things aren't, uh, uh, things aren't going exactly the, 0:20:17.700 --> 0:20:21.220 the way that we feel that they should we have 0:20:21.220 --> 0:20:24.900 to remember that, first of all, the Lord Jesus promised, 0:20:24.900 --> 0:20:27.300 in this world you will have tribulation. Why would he 0:20:27.300 --> 0:20:31.520 promise that? Uh, in John 16? Well, the reason is 0:20:31.520 --> 0:20:36.200 because it is through tribulation difficulties, challenges, that we learn 0:20:36.200 --> 0:20:40.760 dependence on God and it stretches our faith. And without 0:20:40.760 --> 0:20:46.720 faith it's impossible to please him. So, Savannah, all I'm 0:20:46.760 --> 0:20:49.080 trying to say to you is God has a purpose 0:20:49.480 --> 0:20:52.880 for what's going on. There's also a promise in Scripture 0:20:53.200 --> 0:20:55.440 that God will work all things together for good, for 0:20:55.440 --> 0:20:58.439 those who love him and are called according to his purpose. 0:20:58.440 --> 0:21:02.520 That's Romans 828. It may seem like that's not true, 0:21:02.680 --> 0:21:05.680 but it is. And what he's doing is he's teaching 0:21:05.680 --> 0:21:11.320 you greater and greater dependence on him. Uh, and I 0:21:11.359 --> 0:21:16.760 would say take your solace, your comfort. Receive it by, uh, 0:21:16.920 --> 0:21:23.320 studying the Psalms, seeing how God has encouraged people, uh, historically, uh, 0:21:23.320 --> 0:21:26.320 in the word of God through their laments that they 0:21:26.680 --> 0:21:30.230 many of the Psalms are psalms of lament and you 0:21:30.230 --> 0:21:33.869 can pray those prayers of lament as well and seek 0:21:33.869 --> 0:21:38.470 God's direction. Also pray that God would give you confidence 0:21:38.470 --> 0:21:42.790 in him despite the challenges. And as I said in 0:21:42.790 --> 0:21:45.709 last week's opening word, the way you get to the 0:21:45.750 --> 0:21:49.389 goal is by fixing our eyes on Jesus. Hebrews 12 0:21:49.390 --> 0:21:52.990 one and two. Keep your eyes focused on Jesus, trusting 0:21:52.990 --> 0:21:55.590 him through a really, really tough time. And I know 0:21:55.590 --> 0:21:57.950 it's a tough time. I hear it in your voice, 0:21:58.190 --> 0:22:01.750 but know that God still has a good plan. Even 0:22:01.750 --> 0:22:05.230 with the challenge you're facing. He's building your your trust 0:22:05.230 --> 0:22:10.070 and faith in him. I hope that helps a little bit. Savannah. Okay. 0:22:10.950 --> 0:22:12.030 Yes. Thank you. 0:22:12.510 --> 0:22:16.790 Okay. Uh. Call back. Let me know how God delivers you. Okay. 0:22:17.950 --> 0:22:18.710 I will. 0:22:19.270 --> 0:22:26.149 Okay, thanks. Okay. Uh, we'll, uh, we'll talk to Susie now, 0:22:26.470 --> 0:22:30.290 listening on the Good News Network. Welcome to Open Line, Suzy. 0:22:30.330 --> 0:22:31.250 How can I help you? 0:22:32.090 --> 0:22:35.570 Oh, thank you, doctor, for taking my call. I try 0:22:35.609 --> 0:22:38.290 to listen to you almost every Saturday and we are 0:22:38.290 --> 0:22:44.129 kitchen table partners. Thank you. We we do listen to, uh, 0:22:44.210 --> 0:22:48.050 a Bible teacher we have for years, and he seems 0:22:48.050 --> 0:22:51.650 to be pretty accurate, but he tells been telling us 0:22:51.650 --> 0:22:55.050 over and over that there are two gospels he teaches. 0:22:55.210 --> 0:22:58.530 There's the gospel of the kingdom for the Jewish people, 0:22:59.130 --> 0:23:02.650 and there's the gospel of grace for the Gentiles, which 0:23:02.650 --> 0:23:06.369 the gospel of grace he gives us. First Corinthians 15 0:23:06.410 --> 0:23:11.570 one through four. And so we're not sure he's accurate 0:23:11.570 --> 0:23:13.490 in that. I was wondering what you think. 0:23:14.210 --> 0:23:17.090 Well, first of all, the word gospel just means good news. 0:23:17.970 --> 0:23:24.610 And so, uh, the when the Gospels, the the four 0:23:25.170 --> 0:23:32.600 memoirs that the evangelists had about their walk with Jesus, right? Matthew, Mark, 0:23:32.600 --> 0:23:38.000 Luke and John. They talk about the gospel of the kingdom. 0:23:38.000 --> 0:23:40.880 The gospel of the kingdom was that when the King appeared, 0:23:41.040 --> 0:23:44.320 if they would follow him, the kingdom of God would arrive. 0:23:45.400 --> 0:23:47.520 And that's what the gospel of the kingdom was. 0:23:48.280 --> 0:23:51.040 If they would recognize Jesus as the Messiah. 0:23:51.480 --> 0:23:53.800 Yeah, that was the gospel of the kingdom. The good 0:23:53.800 --> 0:23:56.200 news of the kingdom. The Kingdom of God is at hand. 0:23:56.200 --> 0:23:59.640 If they had accepted the king, the kingdom would have begun. Correct. 0:24:00.160 --> 0:24:03.760 And but for those who did, everyone didn't reject it. 0:24:04.760 --> 0:24:07.520 The kingdom that is not of this world did begin. 0:24:07.560 --> 0:24:10.480 We are followers of the King living in a spiritual 0:24:10.480 --> 0:24:13.280 kingdom right now. But there will be a spiritual and 0:24:13.280 --> 0:24:18.920 physical kingdom when? When the Lord returns. But, uh, the 0:24:18.960 --> 0:24:22.439 the the message of grace has always been true in 0:24:22.440 --> 0:24:25.420 the Bible. Uh, there's grace in the Old Testament. We've 0:24:25.420 --> 0:24:29.340 always been saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus. Well, 0:24:29.380 --> 0:24:31.540 by grace through faith in the revealed will of God. 0:24:31.580 --> 0:24:34.060 Now the Messiah has come. We have to believe that 0:24:34.060 --> 0:24:39.619 Jesus died for us and rose again. Now, uh, this 0:24:39.619 --> 0:24:42.660 idea that the gospel of grace is for the Gentiles. 0:24:43.300 --> 0:24:46.940 How would that fit with Romans 116 where Paul says, 0:24:46.940 --> 0:24:49.940 I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is 0:24:49.940 --> 0:24:54.220 the power of God for salvation, first for the Jew 0:24:54.900 --> 0:24:58.860 and also for the Greek. That's the gospel, that Jesus 0:24:58.859 --> 0:25:02.260 died for us and rose again. Paul doesn't distinguish that. 0:25:02.260 --> 0:25:04.820 He doesn't say, that's the one for the Gentiles. He 0:25:04.820 --> 0:25:08.659 says it's pre-eminently a Jewish message. That's what first means 0:25:08.700 --> 0:25:12.340 preeminently a Jewish message, but one also for the for 0:25:12.380 --> 0:25:16.500 the Greeks, it's for everyone. Uh, so I would say 0:25:16.540 --> 0:25:19.900 be careful about this teacher. I think he's, uh, dividing. 0:25:20.020 --> 0:25:23.020 I think it sounds to me like he is what 0:25:23.130 --> 0:25:27.650 is called an ultra or a hyper dispensationalist. And so 0:25:27.690 --> 0:25:32.330 be cautious about that, okay? Uh, we're going to take 0:25:32.330 --> 0:25:34.609 a break here. Thanks for your call, Susie. When we 0:25:34.650 --> 0:25:38.290 come back, we've got the mailbag coming up, the Febc mailbag. 0:25:38.290 --> 0:25:41.970 So stay with us. This is open line with Michael Zelnick. 0:25:42.290 --> 0:26:08.129 We'll be right back. Welcome back to Open Line. I'm 0:26:08.130 --> 0:26:10.490 Michael Radonich. So glad to be with you. It's time 0:26:10.490 --> 0:26:15.450 for the Febc mailbag. Right now, the Far Eastern Broadcasting 0:26:15.450 --> 0:26:19.570 Company partners with Open Line to bring you the mailbag 0:26:19.570 --> 0:26:22.270 every week. We so appreciate them. It's a wonderful ministry 0:26:22.270 --> 0:26:27.510 that brings the gospel to people through radio and and 0:26:27.510 --> 0:26:32.790 other digital means, as well as through personal engagement. If 0:26:32.790 --> 0:26:34.949 you want to check out what they're doing, it's a 0:26:34.950 --> 0:26:41.430 wonderful ministry to know about, go to Phoebe. That's Phoebe. Org. 0:26:41.470 --> 0:26:46.470 Check out their podcast Until All I've Heard featuring Ed Cannon. 0:26:46.710 --> 0:26:50.550 And joining me right now with the Febc mailbag, dragging 0:26:50.550 --> 0:26:54.710 it in is producer of Openline, Tricia McMillan. That bag 0:26:54.710 --> 0:26:56.109 is getting bigger all the time. 0:26:56.150 --> 0:26:58.270 It is, it is. I think we're due for a 0:26:58.270 --> 0:27:01.390 mailbag program this summer. Yeah, that'd be good to do. 0:27:01.950 --> 0:27:06.510 Got to do that. That'd be great. So, uh, well, let's, uh, 0:27:06.710 --> 0:27:08.790 I do want to say this before we do anything 0:27:08.790 --> 0:27:12.630 else that I love working with you. And I thought 0:27:12.630 --> 0:27:14.510 it was so great when I heard Mike Weber's a 0:27:14.510 --> 0:27:16.830 few weeks ago, he was talking about how great it 0:27:16.830 --> 0:27:20.740 is to work with you. That's really a great team program. 0:27:20.780 --> 0:27:23.260 Omar's terrific to work with. We have a great time 0:27:23.260 --> 0:27:26.380 with him and I get him to laugh sometimes, which 0:27:26.380 --> 0:27:29.820 is always fun. Uh, when he's. I see him on 0:27:29.820 --> 0:27:32.460 the screen laughing at something I'm saying, which I'm glad 0:27:32.460 --> 0:27:36.100 to know that someone gets it when I. It's it's 0:27:36.340 --> 0:27:39.780 it's part of the team effort. And I really appreciate 0:27:39.780 --> 0:27:43.220 our whole team. The people who listen, people who give occasionally. 0:27:43.220 --> 0:27:45.699 And also there are kitchen table partners. They're part of 0:27:45.700 --> 0:27:49.420 the team they give. I think it's very sacrificial and 0:27:49.420 --> 0:27:52.020 I'm really grateful for it because they give monthly so 0:27:52.020 --> 0:27:54.860 we can be on the air weekly. And what we 0:27:54.859 --> 0:27:58.580 do is we send a Bible study moment. It's a 0:27:58.619 --> 0:28:01.780 it's an audio Bible study prepared exclusively for our kitchen 0:28:01.780 --> 0:28:05.500 table partners. They get it in the email, click on it. 0:28:05.500 --> 0:28:07.500 And if you become a kitchen table partner, you'll be 0:28:07.540 --> 0:28:10.060 able to listen to these ten minutes or so Bible 0:28:10.060 --> 0:28:13.700 study moments on every other week basis. And I hope 0:28:13.700 --> 0:28:16.700 you'll consider that if you'd like to become a kitchen 0:28:16.700 --> 0:28:25.400 table partner, call (888) 644-7122. Or go to Open Line Radio. Org. Okay. Tricia, 0:28:25.400 --> 0:28:26.720 what have you got for me now? 0:28:26.760 --> 0:28:29.280 All right. Our first question is from Daniel on Facebook. 0:28:29.320 --> 0:28:31.760 Who listens to the Moody Radio app, which you can 0:28:31.760 --> 0:28:34.120 find in your app store. It is free. You can 0:28:34.119 --> 0:28:38.560 listen to it. It's great. It is? Yeah. Um, he 0:28:38.560 --> 0:28:40.560 wants to know if you can clarify what the term 0:28:40.560 --> 0:28:45.160 ordination means. Um, as part of this, he's trying to 0:28:45.200 --> 0:28:49.479 understand the qualifications to hold the title of pastor. And 0:28:49.520 --> 0:28:52.120 is that different than the qualifications for an elder, or 0:28:52.120 --> 0:28:53.240 is it the same? 0:28:54.160 --> 0:28:57.120 Okay. Well, first of all, the word ordination does not 0:28:57.120 --> 0:29:00.560 appear in the Bible any more than the word Trinity. 0:29:01.240 --> 0:29:05.440 But it's true. There is ordination, but it's described just 0:29:05.440 --> 0:29:09.640 as the Trinity is described. And that's how the word 0:29:09.680 --> 0:29:15.880 Trinity came to be known. Uh, ordination, for example, in 0:29:15.880 --> 0:29:20.190 acts 13 it says set apart Barnabas and Paul Saul 0:29:20.350 --> 0:29:25.390 for the work that I have for them. Uh, you've got, uh, 0:29:25.390 --> 0:29:31.670 for example, in, uh, in the Timothy's there's several examples 0:29:31.670 --> 0:29:42.430 about this in first Timothy 414, for example, uh, it says, uh, Paul, uh, 0:29:42.550 --> 0:29:45.070 I'm looking in the wrong book. There we go. This 0:29:45.070 --> 0:29:50.790 is the problem. First Timothy 414 says, do not neglect 0:29:50.790 --> 0:29:52.590 the gift that is in you. It was given to 0:29:52.590 --> 0:29:56.350 you through prophecy, with the laying on of hands by 0:29:56.350 --> 0:30:00.910 the Council of elders. So the gift may be referring 0:30:00.950 --> 0:30:06.390 to a spiritual gift that became evident when Timothy was 0:30:06.390 --> 0:30:10.470 set apart for ministry, ordained for ministry, and then first 0:30:10.470 --> 0:30:17.090 Timothy five uh 22. Don't be too quick to appoint 0:30:17.570 --> 0:30:20.930 or to lay hands on. That's what the phrase is 0:30:20.930 --> 0:30:24.250 to lay hands on literally, or to ordain anyone as 0:30:24.250 --> 0:30:26.490 an elder and don't share in the sins of others. 0:30:26.730 --> 0:30:28.890 Keep yourself pure, so don't be too quick to name 0:30:28.890 --> 0:30:31.530 anyone an elder that to lay hands on someone is 0:30:31.530 --> 0:30:39.890 to ordain them. And there are various places like that, um, that, uh, 0:30:39.930 --> 0:30:43.330 that we can be aware of. Uh, first, second Timothy 0:30:43.370 --> 0:30:47.450 one six is also, uh, a place where you could 0:30:47.450 --> 0:30:51.770 see that it says, uh, Paul reminds Timothy to keep 0:30:51.810 --> 0:30:54.570 ablaze the gift of God that is in you through 0:30:54.570 --> 0:30:57.090 the laying on of my hands. So I think the 0:30:57.130 --> 0:31:02.610 phrase that that we're talking about is actually to lay 0:31:02.610 --> 0:31:06.770 on hands. And, uh, now the question was asked, what 0:31:06.770 --> 0:31:11.250 about the qualifications for elder? Are they different than a pastor? No. 0:31:11.250 --> 0:31:16.320 The qualifications for a pastor found or an elder are 0:31:16.320 --> 0:31:24.600 found in first Timothy three, um, uh, and then also 0:31:24.720 --> 0:31:28.520 in Titus one. And there are these different characters. It's 0:31:28.560 --> 0:31:34.280 they really deal with character, competence and conviction, the character 0:31:34.320 --> 0:31:38.760 or things like someone who's not pugnacious, not a fighter. Uh, 0:31:38.760 --> 0:31:43.960 so their character issues like that. Then there's also, uh, competence. 0:31:43.960 --> 0:31:48.920 He has to be apt to teach, uh, and he 0:31:48.920 --> 0:31:52.760 has to hold true to the faith. And so there's, 0:31:53.400 --> 0:31:57.880 there are these qualifications that's true for elder or pastor. 0:31:58.000 --> 0:32:00.280 I think the word pastor is only found in first 0:32:00.280 --> 0:32:03.280 Peter five, where it says, Shepherd the flock of God 0:32:03.280 --> 0:32:06.280 among you. That's addressed to elders. So all elders are, 0:32:06.320 --> 0:32:11.800 in a sense, shepherding or pastoring people. So that's, that's 0:32:11.840 --> 0:32:14.580 it's the same qualifications. Now, you know, when we look 0:32:14.620 --> 0:32:17.820 at those qualifications in first Timothy three, for example, a 0:32:17.860 --> 0:32:21.460 lot of people think that that is, well, a person 0:32:21.460 --> 0:32:24.660 has to be perfect. No one can live up to these. 0:32:24.940 --> 0:32:31.780 An overseer must be above reproach. The husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible, respectable, hospitable, 0:32:32.460 --> 0:32:35.740 apt to teach or able to teach. Not addicted to wine. 0:32:35.740 --> 0:32:40.420 Not a bully, but gentle. Not quarrelsome. Not greedy. You know, 0:32:40.460 --> 0:32:45.100 it just goes on managing his household well. Well, I 0:32:45.100 --> 0:32:49.100 think that I. I would consider those to be relative 0:32:49.100 --> 0:32:55.900 qualities relative to other believers, not absolute qualities. Meaning a 0:32:55.900 --> 0:32:59.620 person has to be perfectly above reproach and never have sinned. 0:32:59.660 --> 0:33:03.540 That's not possible for anyone to be like that. So, uh, 0:33:03.580 --> 0:33:07.380 it's it's more along those lines of a more mature believer. 0:33:07.380 --> 0:33:10.500 Those are qualities of maturity. 0:33:11.010 --> 0:33:14.370 Okay. And so one of the things that Daniel included, 0:33:14.370 --> 0:33:17.570 which I did not in my question to you, is 0:33:17.890 --> 0:33:22.530 must um, he has seen this in his church of 0:33:22.530 --> 0:33:28.330 this title of pastor being taken by women. Is that is. 0:33:28.370 --> 0:33:31.690 That that's a horse of another color. You know, that's 0:33:31.690 --> 0:33:34.090 as they say in The Wizard of Oz. Yeah. 0:33:34.450 --> 0:33:37.410 So, so as the I mean, I think that the 0:33:37.410 --> 0:33:40.930 qualifications are things that all of us as believers, men 0:33:40.930 --> 0:33:45.210 and women should be trying to live as to to 0:33:45.250 --> 0:33:49.290 live Christ like ways with that character, competence and conviction 0:33:49.290 --> 0:33:54.330 that you talked about. Yeah. Is there a differentiation and 0:33:54.330 --> 0:33:56.810 how much is just a title of. 0:33:57.010 --> 0:33:59.530 Yeah. Well, here's the thing that I would say about 0:33:59.530 --> 0:34:03.729 a pastor. If a I don't think the office of elder, uh, 0:34:04.930 --> 0:34:08.810 is really and there's disagreement about this many good believers, 0:34:08.850 --> 0:34:12.190 godly believers think that women should be elders. I don't 0:34:12.190 --> 0:34:15.150 believe the Bible teaches that. You know, based on first 0:34:15.150 --> 0:34:20.149 Timothy 211 through 15 and and so forth. But I 0:34:20.190 --> 0:34:24.190 do think that women can have the gift of pastor, pastor, 0:34:24.190 --> 0:34:30.310 teacher found in Ephesians four and not necessarily be an elder. 0:34:30.510 --> 0:34:33.710 When when I led a congregation, I was a young man. 0:34:33.710 --> 0:34:39.230 When I planted a congregation, I was 26 years old. 0:34:39.230 --> 0:34:42.509 When I planted my first, not my. I was 25 0:34:42.510 --> 0:34:45.190 when I was pastoring the first for, to begin with, 0:34:45.630 --> 0:34:49.670 planted a congregation when I was 26. And we had 0:34:50.190 --> 0:34:54.149 a really I felt that it was not I was 0:34:54.150 --> 0:34:58.870 not really good at shepherding women. And my wife, we 0:34:58.870 --> 0:35:01.589 had little kids. It wasn't like I could say, here, Eva, 0:35:01.630 --> 0:35:05.110 you do it. But there was a woman. She was 0:35:05.150 --> 0:35:07.670 to me. She seemed old. She was around 60. Isn't 0:35:07.670 --> 0:35:10.379 that funny? at the time. When I was 25 and 0:35:10.380 --> 0:35:14.060 26 and 27, she was around 60 and she definitely 0:35:14.060 --> 0:35:17.219 had the gift of pastor teacher. She's the one that 0:35:17.219 --> 0:35:20.460 would do the discipleship groups with women. She's the one 0:35:20.700 --> 0:35:23.980 that if someone had an issue that they needed some 0:35:24.219 --> 0:35:27.780 biblical guidance with, I would always refer them to her. 0:35:28.739 --> 0:35:31.460 And you know what? She didn't have enough office as 0:35:31.460 --> 0:35:34.980 an elder, but she was like one of those verses 0:35:34.980 --> 0:35:38.100 in Titus three. I believe it is where it says, 0:35:38.100 --> 0:35:40.380 let the older women teach the younger women. 0:35:40.420 --> 0:35:41.220 Titus two. 0:35:41.739 --> 0:35:45.140 Yeah, let the older women teach the younger women. And 0:35:45.140 --> 0:35:48.140 that's what I was living by when when I asked 0:35:48.140 --> 0:35:51.420 her her name was Lita, and Lita would do that. 0:35:51.420 --> 0:35:55.259 And she was just a great help and a godly 0:35:55.500 --> 0:35:58.660 role model for our women. And so she, in a sense, 0:35:58.700 --> 0:36:00.100 pastored women. 0:36:00.140 --> 0:36:03.380 Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Well, thank you. Thank you for that. 0:36:03.380 --> 0:36:07.320 I know that there are lots of different opinions on that, 0:36:07.719 --> 0:36:11.960 and you'll find churches with women in that position and 0:36:11.960 --> 0:36:15.799 role and office and others where the women are just 0:36:15.800 --> 0:36:19.400 exercising that gift. And so I'm glad that with the gifts, 0:36:19.440 --> 0:36:23.800 God does not differentiate that he gives. 0:36:23.880 --> 0:36:25.520 Men and women serve regardless. 0:36:25.560 --> 0:36:28.000 Yeah. Yes. Yes. Yeah. 0:36:28.040 --> 0:36:30.880 So I think let's, let's let's do that quick. I 0:36:30.880 --> 0:36:31.960 can do that pretty quickly. 0:36:32.160 --> 0:36:34.920 We'll do a quick one Brian. Oh the gifts okay. 0:36:35.960 --> 0:36:39.799 Our our quick gift is Lori in Indiana. Quick question 0:36:39.840 --> 0:36:43.600 about gifts. Lori in Indiana listens to WGN. Are are 0:36:43.600 --> 0:36:46.640 the gifts of the spirit that are listed in first 0:36:46.640 --> 0:36:52.879 Corinthians 1214, Ephesians four, which you referenced briefly, and Romans 12. 0:36:53.320 --> 0:36:56.000 There's three different lists. Are they different from each other? 0:36:56.920 --> 0:37:03.120 They are different. Uh, some people think that that means that, uh, 0:37:03.640 --> 0:37:06.350 that there could be even more gifts that are mentioned 0:37:06.350 --> 0:37:09.350 in the Bible than what are mentioned in the Bible. 0:37:09.550 --> 0:37:11.790 So a person might have the gift of youth ministry 0:37:11.790 --> 0:37:13.589 or something like that? I don't think so. I think 0:37:13.590 --> 0:37:16.109 the best way to look at these passages is to 0:37:16.150 --> 0:37:18.670 take them all three together, show that there's some overlap, 0:37:18.670 --> 0:37:24.510 some that are different, and that there are about 20. 0:37:24.870 --> 0:37:27.589 Some people say 19, some people say 21. Gifts of 0:37:27.590 --> 0:37:32.109 the Holy Spirit. Those are our options for gifts, uh, 0:37:32.110 --> 0:37:35.149 as we go through them. And that's the amount of 0:37:35.469 --> 0:37:37.469 the number of spiritual gifts that there are. If you 0:37:37.469 --> 0:37:40.230 take all three of those passages, the most important thing 0:37:40.230 --> 0:37:44.230 I would say is first Peter 410, where it says, 0:37:45.630 --> 0:37:49.230 based on the gift each one has received, use it 0:37:49.230 --> 0:37:52.950 to serve others as good managers of the varied grace 0:37:52.950 --> 0:37:56.149 of God. If anyone speaks, it should be as one 0:37:56.150 --> 0:37:59.430 who speaks God's words. If anyone serves, it should be 0:37:59.430 --> 0:38:01.950 from the strength God provides. Here's a couple of quick 0:38:01.989 --> 0:38:05.730 observations one. We all have at least one spiritual gift. 0:38:06.530 --> 0:38:11.370 That's from first, uh, first Peter 410. Uh, and we 0:38:11.370 --> 0:38:14.410 have to steward them well and use them to serve God. 0:38:14.610 --> 0:38:18.810 And then it categorizes the two areas or two categories 0:38:19.090 --> 0:38:24.609 of spiritual gifts speaking and serving. Speaking are the public gifts. Uh, 0:38:25.050 --> 0:38:27.610 and whether you have the gift of teaching or exhortation 0:38:27.610 --> 0:38:32.210 or something like that, use that. Knowing that God is 0:38:32.570 --> 0:38:35.210 giving you His Word through the Word of God when 0:38:35.210 --> 0:38:39.570 you speak and serving as we serve using God's strength, 0:38:39.570 --> 0:38:42.730 that may be the more behind the scenes kinds of work, 0:38:42.730 --> 0:38:45.649 but it's just as important. And it it builds up 0:38:45.650 --> 0:38:47.170 the body, and we have to use it in the 0:38:47.170 --> 0:38:49.410 strength that God provides. And so that's what I would 0:38:49.410 --> 0:38:52.850 encourage everyone understand. We have at least one gift and 0:38:52.850 --> 0:38:54.850 then use them to the glory of God. 0:38:55.090 --> 0:38:57.290 All right. Thank you. Thanks for that question, Lori. 0:38:57.850 --> 0:39:00.250 Well, we're going to break here. And when we come back, 0:39:00.250 --> 0:39:03.520 we'll have time for more of your phoned in questions, 0:39:03.520 --> 0:39:06.759 but I appreciate you guys sending these questions in. You 0:39:06.760 --> 0:39:09.600 can always go to Open Line radio.org. Click on the 0:39:09.600 --> 0:39:13.080 link that says Ask Michael a question and post your 0:39:13.080 --> 0:39:16.279 question there. And that will go into Trisha's mailbox. She'll 0:39:16.280 --> 0:39:20.400 put them in the mailbag, for which I'm very grateful, 0:39:20.400 --> 0:39:23.480 and we'll go over them again. That was Tricia McMillan. 0:39:23.480 --> 0:39:25.799 I'm Michael Ray Zelnick. We'll be right back with more 0:39:25.800 --> 0:39:37.239 of your questions. Straight ahead on Open Line. Welcome back 0:39:37.239 --> 0:39:41.000 to Open Line. I'm Michael Ray Zelnick. As you know, 0:39:41.040 --> 0:39:44.000 Israel is in a war, a war that the nation 0:39:44.000 --> 0:39:48.160 really didn't choose. Iran launched it on October 7th with 0:39:48.160 --> 0:39:52.200 the Hamas attack. Hezbollah got involved, the Houthis got involved. 0:39:52.360 --> 0:40:02.140 Even Syria was involved. Most of those. Fronts have been Transformed. Now. 0:40:02.140 --> 0:40:05.940 Even Gaza really can't attack Israel at this point, although 0:40:05.980 --> 0:40:10.700 Hamas is still holding out. Nevertheless, there's a war with Iran. 0:40:12.260 --> 0:40:16.060 It's it's so terrifying when we think when we see 0:40:16.060 --> 0:40:19.500 war like this. But what's the future hold? Is there 0:40:19.500 --> 0:40:22.739 a good future for Israel? Well Chosen People Ministries, one 0:40:22.739 --> 0:40:26.219 of our underwriters, is offering a free book based on scripture. 0:40:26.540 --> 0:40:31.340 It's called Israel's Glorious Future, and it details God's faithfulness 0:40:31.340 --> 0:40:33.500 to his people and how he will bring about a 0:40:33.500 --> 0:40:36.900 great and glorious future for Israel. If you'd like a 0:40:36.900 --> 0:40:40.700 copy of this book, just go to our website openlibrary.org. 0:40:40.900 --> 0:40:43.299 Scroll down till you see the link that says A 0:40:43.340 --> 0:40:46.419 Free gift from Chosen People Ministries. Click on that. You'll 0:40:46.420 --> 0:40:48.380 be taken to a page where you can sign up 0:40:48.420 --> 0:40:53.620 for your own copy of Israel's Glorious Future. Well, let's 0:40:53.620 --> 0:40:58.540 talk to Richard. Listening in Iowa on 89.3. Welcome to 0:40:58.580 --> 0:41:00.250 Open Line. Richard. How can I help you? 0:41:01.850 --> 0:41:05.290 I'm trying to figure out my son's kind of lost 0:41:05.290 --> 0:41:08.650 his way. Trying to figure out a verse or something 0:41:08.690 --> 0:41:14.930 to send him. Um, he's out homeless at this point, 0:41:14.969 --> 0:41:17.330 and they kind of tell him to leave, and, uh, 0:41:19.090 --> 0:41:22.210 he's just having a rough time, but he's trying. He 0:41:22.210 --> 0:41:24.089 keeps falling in and out of God, and I'm just 0:41:24.090 --> 0:41:26.489 trying to figure out what to tell him. Like on 0:41:26.489 --> 0:41:27.410 Father's Day or. 0:41:30.330 --> 0:41:35.610 You know, they're they're verses that you might want to 0:41:35.650 --> 0:41:40.529 use about seeking God's blessing. Uh, you know, I think 0:41:40.530 --> 0:41:43.010 that's what you want. You want God to, uh, bring 0:41:43.010 --> 0:41:46.410 blessing to him. So maybe this time you could, uh, 0:41:47.730 --> 0:41:53.129 give him something like number six, verse 24. I'll read 0:41:53.130 --> 0:41:56.250 it to you. It's the it's the famous benediction that 0:41:56.250 --> 0:42:00.630 Aaron used to bless the children of Israel. Uh, that 0:42:00.630 --> 0:42:02.709 might be a good verse that you're praying for this, 0:42:02.710 --> 0:42:07.350 for him, that this would become his reality. It says, uh, 0:42:07.350 --> 0:42:10.950 verses 24 through 26 of numbers six, number six, 24 0:42:10.989 --> 0:42:14.870 through 26. May the Lord bless you and keep you. 0:42:15.030 --> 0:42:17.270 May the Lord make his face shine on you and 0:42:17.270 --> 0:42:20.350 be gracious to you. And may the Lord look with 0:42:20.350 --> 0:42:24.549 favor on you and give you peace. That's what your 0:42:24.550 --> 0:42:26.910 hope is, your longing for your son. That's a good 0:42:26.910 --> 0:42:28.549 verse to use. Okay. 0:42:29.750 --> 0:42:30.750 All right. Thanks. 0:42:31.310 --> 0:42:34.790 Yeah. Thanks for your call. Appreciate it. Uh, we're going 0:42:34.830 --> 0:42:39.549 to talk to Mary listening on. That's in Grand Rapids, 0:42:39.550 --> 0:42:40.310 is it not? 0:42:42.430 --> 0:42:44.549 Mary is in Indiana. 0:42:44.870 --> 0:42:48.750 Indiana. Okay. I'm sorry. Indiana. I get them confused. Uh, 0:42:49.190 --> 0:42:51.549 there are a lot of different stations. Hey, thank you 0:42:51.550 --> 0:42:53.390 for your call, Mary. How can I help you? 0:42:54.230 --> 0:42:58.380 Uh, Jesus. Cast out evil spirits. Where did they go? 0:42:58.620 --> 0:42:59.860 And where are they now? 0:43:01.140 --> 0:43:07.060 Where did they go? Apparently, now they're in the UN. But, uh. 0:43:07.780 --> 0:43:16.899 The UN. I'm joking. Mary. Uh, the the the Bible 0:43:16.900 --> 0:43:19.980 doesn't really say we know that. For example, the demons 0:43:19.980 --> 0:43:23.940 that were cast out asked for permission to go into 0:43:23.940 --> 0:43:27.420 the swine. Do you remember that? Because they want to 0:43:27.420 --> 0:43:28.540 be in a body. 0:43:28.700 --> 0:43:31.900 Apparently so. Yeah. Keep going. 0:43:32.380 --> 0:43:37.660 Then they. Then they killed those swine. So. Well, where'd 0:43:37.660 --> 0:43:41.020 they go then? Not sure. Yeah. The only thing I 0:43:41.020 --> 0:43:46.339 can think of is, um, Matthew 1243, it says when 0:43:46.380 --> 0:43:50.140 an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it roams 0:43:50.140 --> 0:43:54.900 through waterless places looking for rest, but doesn't find any. 0:43:54.940 --> 0:43:56.920 Then it says, I'll go back to my house that 0:43:56.920 --> 0:44:00.040 I came from. And returning it finds the house vacant. Swept. 0:44:00.040 --> 0:44:02.120 That means the body of the person that was cast 0:44:02.120 --> 0:44:04.719 out of and put in order, and it goes off 0:44:04.719 --> 0:44:07.920 and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself. 0:44:08.040 --> 0:44:11.479 And they enter and settle down there. Uh, now that's 0:44:11.480 --> 0:44:14.160 in a parable, but it's based on, I think, what 0:44:14.160 --> 0:44:17.160 demons actually do. I think they're when they're cast out, 0:44:17.160 --> 0:44:21.200 they look for a physical body to inhabit. 0:44:22.400 --> 0:44:26.040 Oh, so they keep looking for new, vulnerable people? 0:44:26.560 --> 0:44:30.440 Yep. Or or swine? Apparently so. Okay. 0:44:30.640 --> 0:44:33.799 Yeah. All right. Right. Yes. Okay. That gives a little 0:44:33.840 --> 0:44:34.320 bit more. 0:44:34.320 --> 0:44:37.200 Uh, by the way, I think the lesson, the lesson 0:44:37.239 --> 0:44:43.880 of that parable is we just don't we don't become vacuous, uh, 0:44:43.880 --> 0:44:48.480 to protect our what is the most important protection against demonic, uh, 0:44:49.320 --> 0:44:53.640 affliction is to fill the house, fill the body with 0:44:53.640 --> 0:44:55.750 that which is good. Well, first of all, I would 0:44:55.750 --> 0:44:57.670 say a person needs to trust the Lord Jesus. The 0:44:57.670 --> 0:45:00.270 Holy Spirit will come and indwell us. That's a great 0:45:00.270 --> 0:45:04.590 protection against a demonic entrance. And then the second, uh, 0:45:04.750 --> 0:45:07.590 those of us who, uh, would we need to fill 0:45:07.590 --> 0:45:10.509 it with the word of God, uh, meditate on it, 0:45:10.510 --> 0:45:14.549 understand it, read it. Uh, that will be a protection against, uh, 0:45:14.550 --> 0:45:17.310 demonic affliction from the outside. So. 0:45:17.590 --> 0:45:18.030 Great. 0:45:18.110 --> 0:45:20.630 Uh, yeah. Okay. Thank you. Mary. 0:45:20.790 --> 0:45:21.390 Appreciate it. 0:45:22.630 --> 0:45:28.549 Uh. Uh. Janice in Bloomington, Indiana. Can you ask your 0:45:28.550 --> 0:45:31.190 question really fast? Because we're up against a break. 0:45:32.790 --> 0:45:36.990 Um, okay. I found out that my church believes in 0:45:36.989 --> 0:45:42.750 replacement theology. Um, I'm not sure what where to go 0:45:42.790 --> 0:45:46.390 with that. Um, and I don't live in a large 0:45:46.390 --> 0:45:49.230 city where I can go elsewhere, and. 0:45:50.750 --> 0:45:54.529 Well, let me just say, Janice, that that's not the 0:45:54.530 --> 0:45:58.930 biggest issue. If your church believes in Jesus and your 0:45:58.930 --> 0:46:03.890 church believes that Jesus died and rose again and he's returning. 0:46:04.290 --> 0:46:06.890 Focus on that. If you don't have an alternative church 0:46:06.890 --> 0:46:09.649 to go to, uh, try and focus on the things 0:46:09.650 --> 0:46:12.250 that you agree on that are most essential. That's what 0:46:12.250 --> 0:46:14.689 I would say. Thanks for your call, Janice. I really 0:46:14.690 --> 0:46:18.130 appreciate it. And that's the program for the week. Thanks 0:46:18.130 --> 0:46:21.370 for listening, everyone, especially those of you who called or 0:46:21.370 --> 0:46:24.970 wrote in, really appreciate that. Thanks to the Open Line team. 0:46:25.010 --> 0:46:28.810 Omar Mendoza for handling all things technical and to Hira 0:46:28.810 --> 0:46:33.490 Haines and Lisa and Trish. Uh, thanks for always taking 0:46:33.489 --> 0:46:35.690 care of stuff. Keep in touch with us by checking 0:46:35.690 --> 0:46:39.090 out our website, Open Line radio.org. Keep reading the Bible. 0:46:39.090 --> 0:46:41.850 We'll talk about it next week. Open line with Doctor 0:46:41.850 --> 0:46:46.009 Michael Wright is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry 0:46:46.010 --> 0:46:48.730 of Moody Bible Institute. See you next week.