S1: Imagine leading a tour group to the Holy Land right now,
S1: with the Iran conflict still underway. What would it look
S1: like to travel throughout Israel? Well, you're about to find out.
S1: Today's guest is just back from Israel and shares encouraging
S1: stories and some great ideas to help us connect deeper
S1: with the Holy Land. Even if you never leave home. Hey,
S1: welcome to the land and the book. Our host has
S1: been fascinated with the Middle East most of his life.
S1: Doctor Charlie Dyer, it's great to connect with you today, Charlie.
S2: John, it's good talking to you and I'm looking forward
S2: to our time together.
S1: Well, I sure am too. You know, as believers, there's
S1: a great need for us to share the gospel with
S1: the Jewish people. In fact, many of our listeners faithfully
S1: pray and partner with ministries doing just that. But what
S1: if you could personally take part in bringing the gospel
S1: to Jewish people?
S2: Yeah, and that's why our friends at Life and Messiah
S2: would love the opportunity to get believers involved in Jewish ministry.
S2: They regularly organize outreach teams to Brooklyn, South Florida and
S2: even to Israel outside times of conflict. These ministry trips
S2: will equip you to understand how to share the gospel
S2: with Jewish people. Give you the opportunity to actively share
S2: your faith and provide tools and resources that you can
S2: take home with you. If you would like to get
S2: hands on training and practical experience in Jewish evangelism, you
S2: can learn more by visiting. Life in messiah.org and clicking
S2: on the Moody radio button there. That's life in messiah.org.
S1: The conflict between the U.S. and Iran was at least
S1: temporarily overshadowed this past week by the announcement of a
S1: defense pact between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Is that
S1: pact designed to defend these countries against Iran, or could
S1: it impact Israel?
S2: Well, you know, at first glance, one might see it
S2: as a defense pact against Shiite Iran by three Sunni
S2: Muslim states who are also allies with the U.S. but
S2: the deal does seem to go deeper. In part, it
S2: could be a reaction to concerns over the U. S
S2: s long term commitment to the region, or over our
S2: ability to provide protection. The U.S. has apparently gone through
S2: a large portion of its supply of missiles and other
S2: strategic arms without being able to defeat Iran. Our government
S2: is now pressuring arms firms to speed up output, but
S2: the funding to boost that production is stuck in Congress.
S2: If the U.S. is unable or unwilling to come to
S2: their aid, these three countries are hoping a defense pact
S2: will make each one less vulnerable as a target. And
S2: there are other pieces to this puzzle. All three countries
S2: are opposed to Israel and in favor of a Palestinian state.
S2: Turkey has a strong military capacity and arms industry. Saudi
S2: Arabia has vast oil wealth, and Pakistan has nuclear missiles.
S2: Together they do form a Muslim threat to Israel, but
S2: they also have other adversaries in the region. Pakistan's main
S2: enemy is India, which also has nuclear weapons and a
S2: large army. And Turkey is seen as a threat by
S2: Greece and Cyprus. Saudi Arabia has really proven to be
S2: something of a paper tiger in this conflict, with Iran
S2: being unable or unwilling to respond to drones and missiles
S2: fired at them by Iran and the Houthis. The U.S.
S2: has been trying to normalize relations between Israel and the
S2: surrounding Arab countries through the Abraham Accords. This defense pact
S2: could signal the potential end of that plan, with these
S2: countries relying less on the U.S. and more on one another.
S2: It's possible another alliance could be forming to counterbalance this one.
S2: Over the past several years, India and Israel have been
S2: developing a major defense partnership with India, purchasing Israel's military
S2: technology and hardware, while also supplying Israel with weapons and
S2: ammunition that in the past came from Europe and the U.S.. Israel,
S2: Greece and Cyprus have also been quietly partnering economically and militarily.
S2: If the U.S. is unable or unwilling to assert its
S2: leadership in the region, it's possible there could be three
S2: spheres of influence vying for power Turkey wanting to rebuild
S2: that Sunni Muslim Ottoman Empire, Iran trying to refashion a
S2: Shiite Persian Empire, and Israel, India, Greece and Cyprus trying
S2: to forge a defensive alliance based on technology and common threats.
S1: This is the land in the book from Moody Radio,
S1: a look at current events based in the region right now.
S1: Israel officially rejected the 15 point plan by the Board
S1: of Peace for Gaza's reconstruction. How does this impact the
S1: future of Gaza, and will it impact Israel's relationship with
S1: President Trump and the U.S.?
S2: Yeah, apparently everything isn't as it seems. President Trump doesn't
S2: appear to have been bothered by Prime Minister Netanyahu's public rejection,
S2: and Netanyahu's statement needs to be understood, I think, in
S2: light of Israel's current election campaign. It's something of an
S2: election posturing, if you will. A US official reportedly said
S2: the US wasn't bothered by Netanyahu's public stance against the plan,
S2: focusing instead on what's actually happening in Gaza. Israel has
S2: dialed back some of its strikes in Gaza and has
S2: been gradually returning to the yellow line, which was the
S2: demarcation line when the cease fire was implemented. In addition,
S2: the US and the mediators agreed with Israel's demand that
S2: Hamas needs to begin disarming. The head of the Board
S2: of Peace stressed that the goal is to make sure
S2: Gaza is never again a threat to Israeli security. The
S2: plan is that Israel will remain in place until sector
S2: by sector. The decommissioning of weapons is certified with the
S2: weapons first gathered and then rendered unusable. Only then would
S2: Israel pull back from that sector. Meanwhile, other countries continue
S2: to join the International stabilisation force in Gaza. Uganda became
S2: the most recent nation agreeing to deploy its troops there.
S2: So in spite of the headlines, at least for now,
S2: the process in Gaza does seem to be moving forward,
S2: though not as smoothly as some might have wished.
S1: Charlie, where is the logic in assuming that after Hamas
S1: shot thousands of rockets into Israel started a war, Israel
S1: should have to pay anything for Gaza's reconstruction?
S2: Well, and I think Israel's basically saying they're not planning
S2: on paying anything. The coalition's been trying to secure funds
S2: from other countries. The problem is that with Iran hitting
S2: the UAE and Saudi Arabia and other countries, the money
S2: that they were expecting to come in for Gaza's rebuilding
S2: may not be there. So this process may take longer
S2: than expected, but I don't think Israel's planning on spending
S2: the money. They're more concerned about their security. And they're saying,
S2: we're not going to pull out of Gaza until we
S2: know that Hamas isn't going to be there again to
S2: start all over.
S1: We know Israel's election process is complex. Can you simplify
S1: all the current maneuvering to help us understand just a
S1: bit better what's taking place?
S2: Well, I'll try, but as near as I can tell,
S2: there are three keys that we need to understand to
S2: get a handle on their election process. The first is
S2: to realize that people vote for a party, and not
S2: for individual candidates. For a party to make it into
S2: the Knesset, it needs to receive at least 3.25% of
S2: the total votes cast. Reach that goal and your party
S2: has at least four seats in the Knesset. Get just
S2: under that goal, and your party receives no seats in
S2: the Knesset, and all the votes that were given for
S2: your party were wasted. The second key is to realize
S2: that the goal isn't just to get elected, but to
S2: be able to build a coalition government after the election.
S2: That's why smaller parties or parties on the bubble often
S2: merge with other parties to boost the total number of votes.
S2: But that can be a gamble because it's possible the
S2: merger can make your party less attractive to your potential voters.
S2: A brilliant alliance on paper could prove disastrous as the
S2: election campaign unfolds. And then the third key is to
S2: realize that voter preferences swing wildly during the election season.
S2: As new parties and alliances form, they often receive a
S2: strong bounce in the polls. But then, once voters look
S2: more closely, that support declines. Right now, Netanyahu and Likud
S2: are polling at 24 seats, while Gadi Eisenkot Yashar party
S2: is just behind at 23 seats. Naftali Bennett and Yair
S2: Lapid's together party. This is one of those mergers seems
S2: to have dropped and finally stabilized at around 13 seats.
S2: It doesn't appear that Netanyahu's current coalition or the coalition
S2: of parties around Eisenkot, yet have enough votes to form
S2: a governing coalition. The remaining seats appear to be in
S2: the hands of the different Arab parties. Now watch to
S2: see if Mansour Abbas Arab Ra'am party will try to
S2: join the opposition coalition. That happened once before with Naftali
S2: Bennett when he was prime minister, and apparently there are
S2: at least some discussions underway now. Now, with two more
S2: months to go. Anything can happen.
S1: Fighting cancer but without drugs. That sounds like an alternative
S1: treatment offered by fringe medical practices. But this innovative technology
S1: is being developed by researchers at the Technion Israel Institute
S1: of Technology. Tell us more about this latest research coming
S1: out of Amazing Israel. Charlie.
S2: Yeah. This new cancer fighting technology uses advanced nanoparticles that
S2: carry no drugs at all. The initial focus for this
S2: research is aggressive triple negative breast cancer, which has rapid
S2: progression and high resistance to conventional therapies. The cancer hijacks
S2: a person's white blood cells into supporting its growth and
S2: preventing the immune system from attacking it effectively. This new
S2: approach acts by having the nanoparticles compete with the white
S2: blood cells for binding sites in the tumor. They accumulate
S2: in very high concentrations around the tumor and inhibit its growth.
S2: The nanoparticles can be manufactured in quantity, and the materials
S2: are already classified by the FDA as generally recognized as safe,
S2: which could help its transition to clinical trials. The treatment
S2: represents a conceptual shift. It doesn't work through the release
S2: of active substances, but from the biological information encoded on
S2: the surface of the nanoparticle itself, it's the interaction with
S2: the immune system that triggers the therapeutic effect. Now, there's
S2: still a long road ahead until final adoption, but the
S2: researchers hope the treatment will open doors to a new
S2: generation of cancer therapies, and that would deliver another benefit
S2: to the world from these dedicated scientists in Israel.
S1: And that's a look at current events from the Middle East,
S1: where we're going to hear a report from someone who
S1: has just returned from Israel, a guy who led a
S1: tour to the Holy Land said it went great. He's
S1: got some cool stories, some great insights and more for us.
S1: So stick around for more on the land and the book,
S1: our website, The land and the book.org. If you've traveled
S1: to Israel, you know how difficult it is to effectively
S1: share what you've seen and experienced. If only people could
S1: wrap their minds around this. We say they'd be changed forever. Well,
S1: since his first visit to Israel back in 2000, today's
S1: guest has been doing just that. He's back recently from
S1: the Holy Land and shares what it's like to tour
S1: the Holy Land in today's climate. Next. Hey, welcome back
S1: to the land and the book. I'm John Geiger, and
S1: just before we fly off to Israel, let's ponder another
S1: great idea for sharing Jesus with a Jewish friend here
S1: at home. Do you hear these conversations week after week
S1: on the land in the book? And you say, I
S1: don't really live near many Jewish people. How can I
S1: still show practical love and support for the Jewish community?
S1: Let's ask Roy Schwartz. He's with Chosen People Ministries. Roy.
S3: Well, I think regularly praying for Israel and for the
S3: Jewish people, understanding that they have a key part in
S3: the future of our future and the preparations of God's
S3: setting up his soon return. Realizing that there is an
S3: inextricable link for us as believers to the Jewish people,
S3: that that our Messiah is Jewish, that our God is
S3: Jewish in sending His Son, and that his faithfulness to
S3: that covenant is ours as well. And so as you
S3: think on what we're learning here in the land, in
S3: the book and applying that in our own walk in
S3: our life and our conversations, that'll overflow, and that'll prepare
S3: you to share with other believers who need to know
S3: that because today the church is really unaware of the
S3: the fact that Christianity is Jewish.
S1: Yeah. And over time, I think don't you think God
S1: will very likely show you somebody who is Jewish? Bring
S1: that person into your life as well, if you ask him.
S3: Yeah. And if you're praying for them, you'll be ready.
S1: Roy Schwartz is with Chosen People Ministries here on the
S1: land and the book. Wayne Stiles loves connecting the Bible
S1: and its lands to life. His goal is to deliver
S1: practical content to encourage you in your relationship with God.
S1: For two years, he wrote a weekly column for the
S1: online edition of The Jerusalem Post. Wayne has also written
S1: for devotional books which show the practical application of the
S1: Bible lands to life. Wayne lives in North Texas with
S1: his wife, Kathy, and the couple has two adult daughters,
S1: a son in law and two rather precious grandsons. Hey,
S1: welcome back to the land and the book, Wayne.
S4: Hey, John. And I'm surprised you remembered all that. That's great.
S1: Well, a little help from. I think the World Wide
S1: Web might have been in order there. Hey, Wayne, at
S1: your website, you comment that Kathy and I took our
S1: first trip to Israel in 2000, and frankly, I have
S1: never recovered. I have to ask you, can you remember
S1: all that time ago what struck you the most that
S1: first trip?
S4: I definitely can. In fact, that first trip was taken
S4: or led by our good friend Charlie Dyer, and it
S4: was so wonderful. I think our first time to Jerusalem
S4: was probably the thing that sticks out the most. We
S4: got to our hotel and then just walked down the
S4: street to go to the Old City for the first time,
S4: and I was so giddy. And it was because I
S4: just realized here in this very city, the whole universe
S4: was redeemed. I've just I've never recovered.
S1: I love that phrase. The whole universe redeemed. That's a
S1: that's an insight I've not heard. Thank you for that. Hey,
S1: how many trips though, would you guess you've made to
S1: the Holy Land in the last quarter century? Wayne.
S4: Oh good grief. More than 30. My goal is to
S4: beat Charlie Dyer at some point. But if it's any consolation,
S4: I know he's not been to Rome. And I have
S4: been to all the lands of the Bible, including the,
S4: you know, uh, Jordan, Egypt. Greece, Turkey, Italy, the whole shebang.
S4: Turkey like 80 times. So that's getting close to Charlie
S4: territory there.
S1: Well, you're getting there. But you gotta remember now, he's
S1: been twice invited to the nation of Iraq. That's also
S1: a great Bible land. Yep. Hey, uh, you were there
S1: in Israel with a group recently, and some listeners are saying,
S1: what with the Iran conflict, never too far out of view.
S1: I'm assuming some of your friends thought you were nuts
S1: to lead a group there right now.
S4: No kidding. Uh, it was literally two weeks ago we
S4: got back from Jerusalem, and we did have people. In fact,
S4: the folks that were even on our tour were pretty
S4: hesitant about going. But, you know, I mean, I can
S4: tell you when we were there, it was like so
S4: many other times you read the news, it says one
S4: thing and you go and experience it, and it is
S4: a completely different experience. MM.
S1: Connecting deeper with the Holy Land. That's our goal today
S1: as we talk with Wayne Styles here on the land
S1: and the book. Let me ask the obvious was it
S1: difficult to even travel to Israel from the USA? What
S1: about flights and all that?
S4: Yeah, John, I mean, that was probably the most difficult thing.
S4: All of the people on our tour had either flights
S4: changed or cancelled. We had our flights cancelled, and so
S4: we had to rebook. But once we got there and
S4: got through all the hassle of just transitioning, it was fantastic.
S4: We had the country pretty much to ourselves and we
S4: were able to go and enjoy the land as if
S4: everything was just fine because honestly, it was.
S1: I'm sure the number one question that people back home
S1: have asked you is, how safe did you and your
S1: group feel while there?
S4: We felt completely safe. And the reason we did is
S4: because we had a guide. We had a driver who
S4: knew what was going on. They could keep their ear
S4: to the ground. And this is just always the case.
S4: You always want to go with somebody that is aware
S4: of what's going on, and when that's the case, you
S4: can go and have a very safe and a very
S4: meaningful time. In fact, in all the many times that
S4: I've been over the last 26 years, I can only
S4: think of a couple of times that our tour has
S4: been affected. And that was just a change in itinerary.
S4: Not once did we ever feel unsafe.
S1: I understand that the original Isaiah scroll was on display
S1: at the Israel Museum. What was that like? To see
S1: it with your own eyes? Wayne.
S4: That was actually fantastic. You know, the Isaiah scroll, the
S4: facsimile there in the in the shrine of the book
S4: has been up for decades. We've been able to see
S4: that no problem. But to look at the real thing,
S4: I mean, to look down and see the entire Isaiah
S4: scroll laid out under this glass on a long table.
S4: You know, honestly, it looked pretty much the same as
S4: the facsimile, but knowing that that was the real thing.
S4: I mean, not Isaiah's actual text, but the original Dead
S4: Sea Scroll. It was wonderful. In fact, I even was
S4: able to pull together enough of my Hebrew to find
S4: that wonderful chapter 40, verse one that says comfort, comfort
S4: my people. Uh, it was great. And they only let
S4: you stay in there like five minutes. So you gotta
S4: look quick.
S1: Wayne Stiles loves connecting the Bible and its lands to life.
S1: He's our guest today in the land and the book.
S1: We're so glad he is. What else were you maybe
S1: able to see in the land or at that museum
S1: specifically that you haven't seen before?
S4: Oh, wow. Honestly, there's not a lot that I hadn't
S4: seen before, but the joy that I get is going
S4: with people who've never been right. And it's always them.
S4: Them that, uh, that gives you the great joy of
S4: being in the land again. One of the things that
S4: was kind of interesting though, John, was we went up
S4: on the Temple Mount on the holiday, called Tisha B'Av.
S4: That's the day, I should say, the date in history
S4: where the first temple and the Second Temple were destroyed.
S4: And so it's the date every year that many Israelis
S4: want to go up onto the Temple Mount. So we
S4: and hundreds of our closest friends went up in this
S4: line to the Temple Mount. And while that was pretty special,
S4: I guess because of all Israel wanting to be there,
S4: it was what happened after we left that evening, I
S4: was scrolling my newsfeed and I saw an article with
S4: the headline. In fact, I pulled the headline up so
S4: I could read it to you verbatim. It says, and
S4: I won't tell you what news source this is from,
S4: because that will sort of clue you in onto why
S4: this isn't true. But here's the headline. More than 4200
S4: Israelis storm Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. And I looked at
S4: that and thought, wow, that must have happened after we left.
S4: And so I, I looked down and read the article
S4: and nope, they were just saying that, you know, thousands
S4: of Israeli settlers, quote unquote, went up on the Temple
S4: Mount that day because it was to Shabbat. There was
S4: no storming. There was no violence. It was just media hype.
S4: And the irony is, at the bottom of this website,
S4: it says you rely on this website for truth and transparency. Huh?
S1: Wow. Let's talk further about logistics, hotels, restaurants, sites. Any
S1: observations comments stories there?
S4: You know, the the sites were they were glad to
S4: see us because they have not had any tourists or
S4: many tourists in the in the months prior to our going.
S4: In fact, the baptism site, the baptism site actually opened
S4: for us to baptize one person. And then after we left,
S4: they closed down. So it was. It's sort of the
S4: best of times, worst of times in that for us
S4: it was the best because we had everything to ourselves,
S4: but the worst because Israel is really suffering and struggling.
S4: They need visitors. They need tourists.
S1: You're listening to The land and the book. I'm John Geiger.
S1: We're joined today by Wayne Styles. Based on your experience, Wayne,
S1: would you say you do or do not recommend taking
S1: or hosting a Holy Land tour right now?
S4: Absolutely. I would recommend that you go because first of all,
S4: you're going to have a wonderful time because if you
S4: go with someone who understands the political goings on, you
S4: will be safe. You will be able to look at
S4: all the sites that connect with the Bible. Our tour
S4: went two weeks ago during all the things that are
S4: going on with Iran that we're aware of, but also
S4: a couple of years ago during the Lebanon War, we
S4: went as well, and we had a great time because
S4: we knew where to go, where not to go. And
S4: I really do recommend that you make the journey.
S1: I want to transition now to talk about some tools
S1: that you have created with your ministry to help listeners
S1: better connect with the Bible and the land where it
S1: was written. What's got you most excited these days? Wayne.
S4: I think what most excites me about the tools that
S4: I've created on my website is a Bible reading program
S4: that allows you to read through the entire Bible in
S4: a couple of years, and every week you have a
S4: video that gives you a context of a site or
S4: some geographical or archaeological aspect of what you're reading in
S4: the scriptures. So it gives it gives a great context
S4: to the Word of God and into your walk with God.
S1: At the website, I've noticed you've got devotionals, books, audio DVDs.
S1: Help us sort through what tools might be a good
S1: start for our listeners and why. Maybe different people who
S1: are at different points in their journey or their understanding
S1: of the Holy Land. Give us some tips here. Wayne.
S4: Yeah, the website that introduces you to walking the Bible
S4: lands is what the website is called. It's wonderful because
S4: it gives anybody, at any level an introduction to the
S4: lands of the Bible and how that can actually connect
S4: or help you give a greater understanding to the Word
S4: of God itself. So I can't recommend anything better than that.
S4: Just go to the website and begin watching the videos
S4: and read your Bible right along with it.
S1: Yeah, you've got one series called Reading the Bible Lands,
S1: one called Walking the Bible Lands. What's the difference between them?
S4: The walking the Bible lands is just the videos. You
S4: pretty much look at them a la carte as you
S4: would like to, based on your own personal study or
S4: what you're interested in. The Reading the Bible Program is
S4: a program where you read the Bible, and the videos
S4: are basically given to you right in the reading program.
S1: How do you think it impacts somebody who travels to
S1: Israel if they have invested the time before to do
S1: some of this. Reading the Bible and walking the Bible
S1: ends content at your website.
S4: Sure. Well, you and I both know, John, that when
S4: we go to Israel for the first time, or even
S4: for the fifth time, there's no way to take in everything.
S4: There's so much so fast that it's a bit overwhelming,
S4: even if you've been multiple times. The great thing about
S4: the website is that it allows you to go at
S4: your own speed, your own pace, and it reminds you
S4: of things you've seen when you went. And it also
S4: shows you many things that your tour never had time
S4: to see. Plus, even if you just went to Israel,
S4: there's all those other countries, all those other Bible lands
S4: that most people in their life are not going to
S4: be able to see.
S1: Yeah, you're so right. You know, when you go to
S1: the Holy Land on a tour, it all makes sense
S1: when you're there. Then you come back and you're looking
S1: at your pictures and you're trying to figure out, now,
S1: what was that? There's just so much stacked on top
S1: of each other all day long. It's almost more than
S1: you can take in. So I think there's value in
S1: processing it more slowly in a way that you allow
S1: us to do with the website there. Got to ask
S1: you one last question. How should we be praying for Israel?
S1: You're just back. What insights come to your mind as
S1: you think about praying for Israel and by transference? How
S1: can our listeners be praying for Israel? Wayne.
S4: Boy, that's such a good question. You know, when when
S4: we were there, we saw just the great need for
S4: Israel not only to have tourists for their economic help,
S4: but also just the spiritual need that they have as
S4: they pray before the Western Wall, as they are looking
S4: forward to a Messiah that's going to come and basically
S4: just be a political deliverer. You and I know and
S4: our listeners know that there is so much more that
S4: they need. They need a spiritual insight. They need the
S4: Lord God to open their heart, to believe in their
S4: Messiah Jesus, and to, to usher in this wonderful kingdom
S4: that the Messiah promises to give Israel.
S1: Your website again. Wayne is.
S4: The website is walking the Bible lands.com.
S1: And we'll link you there as you visit us at
S1: the land and thebook.org. Appreciate the visit. Thanks for sharing, Wayne.
S4: Oh, thanks, John. It's always great to talk with you.
S1: I'm looking forward to a great conversation with Gerald Peterman next.
S1: He's got a fresh set of Bible questions, always stimulating.
S1: So stay with us here on the land and the book.
S1: Thanks for staying with us here at the land and
S1: the book. I'm John Geiger with me, Gerald Peterman of
S1: the Moody Bible Institute faculty. We think you're going to
S1: love what's ahead. First, though, as believers, there's a great
S1: need for us to share the gospel with the Jewish people.
S1: In fact, many of our listeners faithfully pray and partner
S1: with ministries that are doing just that. But what if
S1: you could personally take part in bringing the gospel to
S1: Jewish people? Well, our friends at Life in Messiah would
S1: love the opportunity to get believers like you involved in
S1: Jewish ministry, and they regularly organize outreach teams to Brooklyn,
S1: to South Florida, even to Israel, outside times of conflict.
S1: And these ministry trips will equip you to understand how
S1: to share the gospel with Jewish people. They'll give you
S1: the opportunity to actively share your faith and provide tools
S1: and resources you'll take home with you and keep on
S1: using if you want to get hands on training. Practical
S1: experience in Jewish evangelism. You can learn more by visiting
S1: Life in messiah.org and clicking on the Moody radio button.
S1: That's life in messiah.org. All right, doctor Peterman, welcome to
S1: this segment here on the program you all set with
S1: a fresh set of questions. I can see my goodness.
S1: A whole lot of oh yeah.
S5: Oh yeah. Good to be here.
S1: By the way if you are struggling with something and
S1: wish you had an answer to that question. Why not
S1: funnel it our way? Our is really Doctor Peterman's way
S1: because he's the guy that does the homework. You can
S1: email him at the land and the book@moody.edu. Let me
S1: slow it down. The land and the book@moody.edu. Let's dig
S1: right in with Robert's question. Was Jesus baptized twice? He says,
S1: I think probably not, but I ask because in Matthew,
S1: the voice from heaven says, this is my beloved son,
S1: with whom I am well pleased. But in Mark and
S1: Luke's account, it's. You are my beloved son. With you
S1: I am well pleased. Can you help us through this?
S5: This is great. We have so many listeners who think
S5: and they ponder this. This is wonderful stuff. In these
S5: days in English, quotation marks are very important for us.
S5: But in many cultures and in the ancient world, quotation
S5: marks were not important. So I conclude the voice from
S5: heaven speaks from father to son. You are my beloved son.
S5: But Matthew says, this is my beloved son. Because then
S5: Matthew kind of turns it into a message for us
S5: to apply it to ourselves. And he hasn't distorted the message,
S5: but he's made it kind of more applicable for the situation.
S5: So two baptisms? No, one, they just get presented slightly differently.
S1: Linda says, will non-believers see the Christians leave for the rapture,
S1: or will they see people rise from the dead? I
S1: know it's all going to happen very quickly.
S5: She's right because Paul says in first Corinthians 15, this
S5: is going to be in the twinkling of an eye.
S5: It's going to happen at the last trumpet. Suddenly. Well,
S5: there's no particular verse that directly addresses this question, but
S5: I think the answer to the question is yes, rapture happens.
S5: Non-Believers are going to see it. They're going to be
S5: shocked to see us Christians leave talking about the rapture.
S5: Paul says the Lord himself will descend from heaven, and
S5: the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who
S5: are alive will be caught up together with them in
S5: the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Now
S5: parts of this sound to me like what happens in
S5: acts one. You know Jesus is saying goodbye to the
S5: 11 and he ascends and it says, When Jesus had
S5: said these things, as they were looking on, he was
S5: lifted up and the cloud took him out of sight.
S5: This is going to be happening to us. So the
S5: disciples saw this with Jesus. I think that some non-believers
S5: can see it with us when we get taken to
S5: our home.
S1: That's. Doctor Gerald Peterman of the Moody Bible Institute, teaches
S1: faithfully there on campus, looking forward, by the way, to
S1: a brand new semester just ahead. You all prepped and
S1: ready to go?
S5: Well, I'm getting there. It's it's it's a lot of work.
S5: I mean, it's fun, but it's a lot of work.
S5: I'm I'm about two thirds of the way there.
S1: Okay.
S5: Yeah.
S1: The land and the book@moody.edu is the address to use
S1: if you want to email your question to him. The
S1: land and the book@moody.edu. Alan takes us to Ezekiel 37,
S1: The Valley of Dry Bones. He says, I've always thought
S1: that this described the regathering of Israel when they accept
S1: the Messiah. But I recently heard that at the time
S1: of Jesus, this chapter was interpreted by the Jews, primarily Pharisees,
S1: as a proof of the bodily resurrection. Paul referred to
S1: this Jewish belief in acts 23, verse six. Are there
S1: other biblical references about a belief in a Jewish resurrection?
S1: I couldn't find anything that tied Ezekiel 37 to this belief.
S1: Is this valid?
S5: Yeah, that's a great question. We should read Ezekiel 37
S5: as about national restoration for Israel. Now, I know it's
S5: a long chapter and all of it's really good stuff,
S5: but I'm going to focus in on Ezekiel 3711 to
S5: 14 the Lord said, Son of man, these bones are
S5: the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, our bones
S5: are dried up. Our hope is lost. We're cut off.
S5: Therefore say to them, thus says the Lord God, behold,
S5: I will open your graves. I will raise you, O
S5: my people. I will bring you into the land of Israel.
S5: That's restoration. And you shall know that I'm the Lord.
S5: That's an internal change. That's a relational change. And I
S5: will put my spirit within you, and you shall live.
S5: And I will place you in your own land. I
S5: will put my spirit within you. This is new covenant
S5: way of talking. Now, Ezekiel never mentions a new covenant,
S5: but he does talk a couple of times about taking
S5: out Israel's hard heart and giving them a heart of
S5: flesh that is transformation. So I'm reading Ezekiel 37 is
S5: about the transformation of Israel. Now, to get back to
S5: other parts of the question? No, there's no indication anywhere
S5: in the New Testament that Pharisees went to Ezekiel 37
S5: as about resurrection. They always viewed it as the restoration
S5: of national Israel. When we come to this discussion in
S5: the first century, as we all know, Sadducees don't believe
S5: in resurrection. That's because they only believe in the Pentateuch. Well,
S5: Pentateuch is great, but there's more in the Old Testament, right?
S5: And one last thing to leave us with is Daniel
S5: 12 really important passage about resurrection. What does Daniel say?
S5: And in those days, many who sleep in the dust
S5: will awake, some to everlasting life, some to everlasting shame
S5: and contempt. This is a primary text that Pharisees would
S5: go to about resurrection.
S1: So if I'm over in Israel today and I bump
S1: into an Orthodox Jew as he's making his way to
S1: the Western Wall, perhaps what is going to be his
S1: answer if I ask him about resurrection? What is a
S1: typical response to their idea of resurrection?
S5: Resurrection is for the Jewish people. Resurrection is a promise
S5: for Jews.
S1: That's what they think.
S5: Yeah, some might apply it to the rest of humanity,
S5: but it's primarily a promise for Jews. And if Gentiles
S5: get it, they get it by way of kind of
S5: like a secondary blessing or stepchildren get blessings.
S1: All right, let's go to Jonah's question. He's studying Philippians,
S1: and he says, I started comparing versions of the Bible
S1: and noticed a problem, as he calls it in Philippians
S1: two six, the King James says, who, being in the
S1: form of God, were describing Jesus here, who, being in
S1: the form of God, thought it not robbery to be
S1: equal with God. The ESV says, who, though he was
S1: in the form of God, did not count equality with
S1: God a thing to be grasped. And the CSB says,
S1: who existing in the form of God, did not consider
S1: equality with God as something to be used for his
S1: own advantage. All right, so what is it with the
S1: word robbery? Doesn't sound good. Doesn't seem good. Help us
S1: out here.
S5: Yeah, that's a great question. Paul here uses a really
S5: rare Greek idiom. It's found sometimes outside the New Testament,
S5: but this is the only time this idiom is used
S5: in the New Testament. I think the CSB is getting
S5: much closer to what's going on here. Here's the way
S5: I would paraphrase it something like this our Lord Jesus
S5: has always existed as equal with his Heavenly Father. Unlike
S5: selfish humans, he didn't decide, oh, this is a great
S5: place for me to exploit use for my own advantage. No.
S5: Rather than doing that, he gave up himself. What does
S5: Paul say in Philippians two? He took on the form
S5: of a servant, emptied himself by taking on service. So
S5: I think the CSB gets the idiom best here.
S1: This idea of of emptying himself is just such a,
S1: to me, a vast ocean of thought worth pondering and
S1: so instructive and such a high and holy model for us.
S1: I often go to Philippians two and I'm just sort
S1: of lost in it.
S5: Philippians two is one of the high points in terms
S5: of Christology and the Christological hymn. A lot of people call,
S5: a lot of scholars will call Philippians 2AA Christological hymn.
S5: I was primarily going to chapter two, verse six. Let
S5: me go back there just one more time. Please do. Um,
S5: even though he exists as God, he empties himself. Now,
S5: the question some people will ask is empty himself. Of what?
S5: That's not the question to ask. Okay. When he empties himself,
S5: he doesn't give up anything. The rest of verse six
S5: explains what emptying means. He emptied himself by taking on.
S5: In other words, he empties by adding. He. And he
S5: adds the form of a servant, whereas he is in
S5: this godly position of master and Lord. What he adds
S5: is service. So that. That is astounding, like totally shocked,
S5: shocking In response to the position that he has of
S5: power and authority and might.
S1: I think Philippians two is a really, really worthy chapter. Well,
S1: every book of the Bible is every chapter, but but
S1: worth memorizing some of those verses to hang on to them.
S1: Let nothing be done. I memorize it in the King James.
S1: Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in
S1: lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves.
S1: To me, that's the great argument, buster. You know. Right.
S1: Right away. So much there. Philippians chapter two. Well, we've
S1: run out of time. But the good news is, Lord willing,
S1: we'll be back next week with another conversation about, you
S1: guessed it, your Bible questions. So get yours to us,
S1: will you? In an email to the land and the book@moody.edu.
S1: The land and the book@moody.edu. One more segment to go
S1: on the broadcast. It's Charlie Dyer's devotional right here on
S1: the land and the book. Power. We're obsessed with it.
S1: Everybody is. Whether it's a government, whether it's a corporation
S1: or you and me, we like power. I remember when
S1: our kids were small, there was a TV program called
S1: Power Rangers. Okay, now I'm dating myself, but you get
S1: the idea. Welcome back to the land and the book
S1: from Moody Radio. I'm John Geiger, joined by our host,
S1: Charlie Dyer, who's devotional I understand has something to do
S1: with power. Charlie, is that true?
S2: It does. John. We're going to talk about the mighty
S2: power of God, but we're going to do it on
S2: a bus trip.
S1: All right. We'll look forward to that after we pause
S1: for this testimony from somebody who's also been to the
S1: Holy Land and wants to share this reflection with you
S1: and me.
S6: One of the ways I don't think I'll ever be
S6: the same after being on this trip with Charlie and
S6: John is when I preach, when I speak about the word,
S6: I will be able to make the connection now between
S6: the geography and the Word of God. One thing that
S6: just stands out to me is that such an unassuming, simple,
S6: out of the way place that God chose to send
S6: his Son, the Messiah, to share with the world salvation.
S6: And I guess when you see the land, you see
S6: that it's just so ordinary and even subordinary sometimes. So
S6: wherever Jesus comes in, it's not the geography, it's the
S6: person of Christ that makes a difference. So I think
S6: that's what's going to stick with me.
S1: All right, Charlie, looking forward to your devotional. Have at it.
S2: Well thanks, John. Yeah. This is week two of our
S2: three week drive down the Jordan Valley. And I hope
S2: you're enjoying the drive so far. You know, by bus,
S2: this trip takes two hours. But what an amazing transformation
S2: in that short period of time around the Sea of
S2: Galilee and just to the south. Last week we passed
S2: fields of vegetables and groves of fruit trees. But once
S2: we passed Beit She'an, last week's crossing point in the
S2: Jordan Valley, the farms have given way to fields of grass.
S2: Right now, those fields are golden brown, almost the color
S2: of straw. But in about two months the winter rains
S2: will begin and tender green blades of grass will push
S2: their way past that brown stubble. A few months later,
S2: flowers will appear, sprinkling the green carpet with swaths of
S2: color red, blue, yellow and white. We're now past the
S2: region of farmers and into the place of shepherds. We're
S2: almost halfway down the Jordan Valley, between the Sea of
S2: Galilee and the Dead Sea, and we're approaching the next
S2: crossing point on the Jordan River. Just ahead, on the
S2: other side of the river, you can see a break
S2: in the hills. That valley is the Jabbok River, which
S2: carves its way through the hills of Jordan on its
S2: way to the Jordan River. For thousands of years, the
S2: Jabbok River provided a convenient route for travelers. Now, after
S2: heading south from Damascus on the King's Highway, they could
S2: turn west along the Jabbok River into the Jordan. And then,
S2: just a few miles further south, the Jordan River could
S2: be forded. That crossing point was at a place called Adam.
S2: The minute we hear the word Adam, we think of
S2: the first man in the Bible. But this crossing point
S2: on the Jordan has nothing to do with that. Adam.
S2: The Adam here is a place, not a person. After
S2: crossing the Jordan at Adam, a traveler could head into
S2: the Promised Land through a natural valley that eventually wound
S2: its way up to the city of Shechem. Abraham almost
S2: certainly used this route on his journey into the land,
S2: because Shechem is the first city mentioned on his arrival.
S2: When Jacob returned to the land, he wrestled with God
S2: along the banks of the Jabbok River. He then crossed
S2: the Jordan and Genesis 33 says the first city where
S2: he camped was Shechem. Look at the road sign just
S2: in front of the bus. It shows that the road
S2: to our left, the one heading toward the Jordan River,
S2: leads to the Adam Bridge. Several bridges have existed here
S2: over the years, and the one here today is not
S2: in use. The original fording point and all those subsequent
S2: bridges were named after the town of Adam that was nearby.
S2: Now look to the right. Here's that valley I was
S2: talking about that leads up into the hill country of Israel.
S2: Drive up this valley. Take a left at the end,
S2: and you'll soon find yourself at the location of ancient Shechem.
S2: It's easy to miss, but we just drove over the
S2: footprints of Abraham and Jacob. As amazing as that thought
S2: might be, I actually want us to focus on another
S2: event from this area that demonstrates God's mighty power. And
S2: that event is found in Joshua three. Joshua three describes
S2: the children of Israel crossing the Jordan River. The Jordan
S2: River today doesn't look that spectacular. That's due in part
S2: to the dam controlling the release of water from the
S2: Sea of Galilee and in part to all the water
S2: being pumped from the Jordan for irrigation. But in the past,
S2: the Jordan River could swell from the winter rains until
S2: it became a torrent nearly a mile wide. God's miracle
S2: for the new generation entering the land mirrored the miracle
S2: he performed for the first generation that left Egypt. God
S2: provided a roadway through the impassable chaos of the sea.
S2: Each generation saw God's power displayed in pushing back the
S2: water to let them pass. But why focus on that
S2: event here? Didn't Israel cross the Jordan further south, down
S2: by Jericho? Well, they did indeed cross further south, but
S2: the very spot we just passed plays a role in
S2: that event. Joshua 316 describes that event this way. The
S2: waters which were flowing down from above stood and rose
S2: up in one heap a great distance away at Adam,
S2: the city that is beside Zaratan, and those which were
S2: flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah. The salt
S2: sea were completely cut off, so the people crossed opposite Jericho.
S2: The people crossed the Jordan River by Jericho, but God
S2: had the waters stop in place at Adam, which he
S2: says is a great distance away. So how far away
S2: is it? It's 16 miles away. I wonder what it
S2: would look like as Israel crossed the dry riverbed. The
S2: relative flatness of the Jordan Valley allowed them to look
S2: both upstream and downstream. And there, in the distance, 16
S2: miles away, they could see a wall of water rising up.
S2: It was as if the invisible hand of God was
S2: holding back the water. Once the nation reached the other side,
S2: God withdrew his hand and the flood waters again came
S2: crashing down the river. If you've ever seen the video
S2: of flood waters sweeping down a previously dry riverbed during
S2: a flash flood, then you have some small image of
S2: what this amazing event might have been like. But before
S2: we continue our journey down the Jordan Valley. Pause and
S2: think about the incredible events that took place here near Adam.
S2: This is where Abraham took his first steps into the
S2: land promised to him by God. And this is where
S2: Jacob wrestled with God just before he returned to the land.
S2: He left the land as Jacob the heel grabber, Jacob
S2: the deceiver. But he crossed back into the land at
S2: Adam with a new name, Israel, the man who struggled
S2: with God, but who would not let go until God
S2: had blessed. Finally, Adam became the place where God demonstrated
S2: his power to the generation about to enter the land.
S2: This spot where the Jordan River could normally be crossed
S2: became temporarily inaccessible as God held back the waters to
S2: let his people walk through on dry ground further south.
S2: So what can we carry along with us as we
S2: drive past this second crossing point on the Jordan River?
S2: How about this? Adam is a reminder of all that
S2: God can do for those who follow him. It was
S2: the entry point to the land of promise for the patriarchs.
S2: And it was an object lesson to the children of Israel.
S2: Sometimes God leads us through the waters, as he did
S2: Abraham and Jacob, and other times God pushes back the
S2: water to lead us through on dry ground. But no
S2: matter what the individual circumstances might be, God still cares
S2: for and walks beside those who trust him.
S1: Boy, that's a word of encouragement, Charlie, and one maybe
S1: that struck you today. As you're listening to the land
S1: in the book. Good news. You can hear it all
S1: again if you visit our website at The Land and
S1: the book.org, the land and the book.org. Well, our website
S1: is the land and the book.org, where you can visit
S1: us to learn about past programs, today's program, future programs,
S1: and more. A link to books that Charlie and I
S1: have written and much more. The land and the book.org. Charlie.
S1: Our podcast is available as well, and some people are
S1: still not taking advantage. It's a big deal for lots
S1: of reasons. A couple of those reasons might be what?
S2: Well, being able to listen at any time. Being able
S2: to share it with someone else, a friend, a family member.
S2: It provides that portability, that it makes it so easy
S2: to use.
S1: And you'll find the podcast at our website, The Land
S1: and thebook.org. The land and thebook.org. Also, if you've got
S1: a question for Gerald Peterman, you can email that to
S1: us any old time. That email address to use is
S1: the land and the book@moody.edu, the land and the book@moody.edu.
S1: Want to say thanks to this station for providing air
S1: time for our broadcast? The land and. The book is
S1: produced by a team led by Dan Anderson. I'm John
S1: Gager for our host, Charlie Dyer. The land and the
S1: book is a production of Moody Radio, a Ministry of
S1: Moody Bible Institute.