S1: Prayer. It's a conversation that moves primarily in one direction,
S1: from the believer who prays to the God who hears.
S1: But what about when God appears silent? Is he really unresponsive? Well,
S1: the truth is, we always have God's attention. So how
S1: should we respond when God seems silent? These are essential
S1: questions and you'll be encouraged, I think, as you stick
S1: with us today for our current edition of The Land
S1: and the book. Welcome! Our host is a lifelong student
S1: of the Middle East and respected author, Dr. Charlie Dyer.
S1: I'm John Geiger, and you know, Charlie, we've said it before,
S1: but many of us wonder what the future holds for Israel.
S1: While some things are very much uncertain, the Bible gives
S1: us an outline of what will happen in the last days.
S1: That's right.
S2: John. That's why our friends at Life in Messiah recently
S2: hosted a prophecy conference focused specifically on this topic, Israel
S2: and the church living in the last days. They're now
S2: making the videos of the conference available for early access
S2: exclusively to the land and the book listeners. You'll hear
S2: from many knowledgeable speakers on this topic, including Moody Radio
S2: host Michael Rudnick and me. These encouraging and informative videos
S2: will help you better understand God's future plans and how
S2: we can be actively waiting to access this video series.
S2: Visit Life in Messiah org and click on the Moody
S2: Radio button there to sign up. That's life in Messiah org.
S1: Thank you Charlie. And now let's take a look at
S1: current events from the Middle East. As the war between
S1: Israel and Hamas drags on, what are the major headlines
S1: we need to watch for to understand the larger picture
S1: of what is actually happening here.
S2: Here's some of the big picture items that can help.
S2: You know. First, if places are mentioned in the stories,
S2: get a map or use Google Earth and try to
S2: identify the locations. Where's the fighting taking place? Where are
S2: the missiles landing? Just like a commander, try to get
S2: a sense of the big picture and then second, listen
S2: to hear what Israel is doing to accomplish their larger objectives.
S2: They've said their goal is to eliminate Hamas leadership, to
S2: eliminate Hamas's ability to fire rockets, to eliminate the terror infrastructure,
S2: including the tunnels, and to remove Hamas's ability to govern Gaza.
S2: So what progress is being made? And then listen for
S2: information regarding negotiations for those being held captive. Now, in
S2: this case, some of the private meetings, like Israel's former
S2: head of Mossad traveling to Egypt, might actually be more
S2: significant than the public meetings taking place. And then next
S2: watch to see what's happening in the US and Europe.
S2: A public relations battle is being waged on the streets
S2: and in the corridors of power right here. Don't ignore
S2: this battle because it could ultimately determine the level of
S2: support offered to Israel by our government and others. Now,
S2: here's the big picture. As I see it right now,
S2: Israel has split the Gaza Strip in two. Their goal
S2: is to remove as many civilians from the northern half
S2: of the strip as possible, before going into the densely
S2: packed cities to root out Hamas. They hope to capture
S2: or kill Hamas's leadership there, and they also hope to
S2: rescue the hostages. They believe a main headquarters for Hamas,
S2: under the largest hospital in that area, and going after
S2: the commanders and forces hidden in those bunkers, that's going
S2: to be a major goal. They're also trying to shore
S2: up support for the war among news media and politicians.
S2: They're resisting pressure by the US and the West to
S2: either have a cease fire or at least a pause.
S2: Once that happens, they believe Hamas would likely be able
S2: to survive. Few realize that this is actually the eighth
S2: major conflict between Israel and Hamas since Hamas took control
S2: of Gaza back in 2007. In the previous seven, outside
S2: pressure pushed for a cease fire, but this time Hamas
S2: slaughtered 1400 people women and children, young and old. And
S2: Israel is convinced the only way to stop this cycle
S2: of violence is to eliminate Hamas. That's why they don't
S2: want to stop, and why they're not giving in to
S2: that pressure to have a cease fire.
S1: Charlie, as you mentioned last week, one of the main
S1: casualties in any war seems to be the truth. What
S1: are some recent examples of fake news and distorted coverage
S1: designed to impact public opinion in this conflict? And how
S1: can we avoid being fooled?
S2: You know, the amount of propaganda masquerading as news in
S2: this war is astounding. And it's true both here in
S2: the US and worldwide. So the first step understand where
S2: the propaganda is coming from and knowing where you can
S2: go to get reliable news. Now, here's one key fact
S2: Israel has a free press. You can go online and
S2: find pro Netanyahu and anti Netanyahu reports right wing and
S2: left wing takes on what's happening politically and militarily and
S2: failures and successes. Hamas has consistently provided distorted one sided coverage.
S2: Many of the so-called reporters in Gaza are paid by Hamas,
S2: and the reports are sensationalized and they're downright false. Often,
S2: you know, they reported Israel was using white phosphorus. Well,
S2: it wasn't true. They reported Israel attacked that hospital, killing
S2: 500 to 1000 people. It turned out to. B, a
S2: misfired Islamic Jihad rocket that landed in the parking lot.
S2: They reported Israel attacked a convoy of civilians trying to
S2: flee south. But all the evidence points to Hamas ambushing
S2: those civilians. They reported an ambulance was hit by an
S2: Israeli missile, but they didn't report that the ambulance was
S2: being used by Hamas to transport fighters and weapons, not
S2: injured civilians. I keep going back. It was Winston Churchill
S2: who said, a lie gets halfway around the world before
S2: the truth has a chance to get its pants on.
S2: And that leads to the next step in how to
S2: avoid getting fooled. Don't jump to conclusions before hearing the
S2: rest of the story. Even the mainstream media has been
S2: guilty of reporting statements without first checking the facts. Finally,
S2: and this is really important, avoid video reports from social media,
S2: especially those from TikTok. TikTok is a Chinese owned media
S2: platform featuring a great deal of inaccurate, biased information. In
S2: a survey, 51% of young adults justified Hamas's massacre of
S2: Israeli civilians, largely because of TikTok videos, which are designed
S2: to reach millions of 18 to 24 year olds. Since
S2: it's the only content source for many in that generation,
S2: they're being brainwashed by a flood of anti-Semitic propaganda. The
S2: key takeaway here, John, don't get sucked in. Do your research,
S2: use credible resources, and check out opposing viewpoints.
S1: Charlie. It seems to me, though, there's a missing piece
S1: in this media war, and that's the capacity to get
S1: the facts out. The truth out. You know, I head
S1: online to the Jerusalem Post, to the Times of Israel,
S1: to other websites, and even the Israeli government at the
S1: consulate level has offered video footage and photos that clearly
S1: offer evidence contrary to the stuff that's being stated in
S1: the media. But those stories, those images, those videos don't
S1: seem to be shown. What's the answer to that?
S2: Well, sadly, the answer is that don't trust the media
S2: to always want to present both sides. That's why people
S2: should go to places like The Jerusalem Post, The Times
S2: of Israel, Haaretz, Eric Sheva. They can see the videos Israel.
S2: It may appear slow to get it out in our
S2: right now news cycle, but Israel wants to make sure
S2: they have the facts before they release something, and it's
S2: always better to wait a while and go to those
S2: sources and watch original video footage. There you'll get the
S2: true facts of what's happening.
S1: This is the land in the book with our host, Dr.
S1: Charlie Dyer. And amid all the horrors of war, God
S1: is still at work. Charlie, what are some of the
S1: encouraging stories coming out of Israel and Gaza?
S2: Yeah, and we do need this encouragement. John. I need
S2: to guard the names here, but I've received emails from
S2: several friends who live in minister in Israel, and they're
S2: a reminder that God is at work. One was from
S2: a pastor of an assembly in Jerusalem that we both know.
S2: He wrote to say his assembly, along with many others,
S2: have been cooking food and delivering it to families. Forced
S2: to flee their homes, they purchased winter clothing in school supplies.
S2: They provided money to help with utilities and rent and
S2: other needs for families whose spouses were called up to serve.
S2: 40 members of their congregation were called back into the reserves,
S2: including two of his adult children, so they drove to
S2: the border to take winter clothes for the entire unit,
S2: along with snacks for the group. While there, they also
S2: took time to pray with the soldiers. At the opposite
S2: end of the spectrum, I received an email from a
S2: friend who shared what's happening in the life of a
S2: muslim background believer in Gaza. That believer sent a goodbye
S2: text expressing his love for Israel and his disdain for Hamas.
S2: He expects his life to end and he is in
S2: physical danger, but he remains bold in sharing his faith. Finally,
S2: I saw a Facebook post from the wife of a
S2: believing Jewish guide. She described the impact of October 7th
S2: on Israelis. She had a number of friends and acquaintances
S2: who lost loved ones, but she ended by teaching a
S2: Hebrew word that means resilience. Though shocked by the tragedy
S2: and and by those condemning Israel and criticizing Israel for
S2: fighting to protect their citizens, she responded by writing, so
S2: we have no other choice than to show resilience, so
S2: we don't collapse under the weight of it all. Those
S2: are all good reminders for us to remember that God
S2: is at work in the lives of people on both
S2: sides of the battle lines, and we ought to be
S2: praying for the Jewish and Arab believers and asking God
S2: to protect them and to give them opportunities to share
S2: their faith.
S1: One of the uncertainties in this war involves the exact
S1: number of Israelis killed or captured by Hamas, and archaeologists
S1: are now at work to help provide answers. But why
S1: are they needed? And how specifically are they helping?
S2: Yeah, and to answer this, we need to understand what
S2: the soldiers found when they recaptured that region along the
S2: border with Gaza. They didn't just find dead bodies. Those
S2: could be identified without too much difficulty. But Hamas had
S2: also set buildings and cars on fire, incinerating the bodies inside.
S2: In some cases, only fragments of bones remained buried in
S2: the charred rubble. Using techniques developed while excavating destruction layers
S2: at ancient sites, the archaeologists are going through the charred
S2: remains of houses and cars combing. And sifting through the
S2: ash to find bone fragments or other material remains that
S2: can be used to identify those individuals. In the first month,
S2: they were able to identify the remains of ten men,
S2: women and children previously thought missing. They're treating these houses
S2: and cars like archaeological digs, but with one major difference
S2: in a typical dig, they have little emotional attachment to
S2: any remains that are discovered because the person died several
S2: thousand years ago. In these digs, they're uncovering the remains
S2: of those who are alive just over a month ago.
S2: It's a heart rending job, but they also know that
S2: what they're doing is helping families find closure.
S1: Well, so much to follow in this story, and you'll
S1: find updates as you stay with us here at The
S1: Land and the book, our website, the land and the book.
S1: Org coming up when God appears silent. Izzy, it's a
S1: conversation you don't want to miss on the land and
S1: the book. Prayer. It's a conversation that moves primarily in
S1: one direction, from the believer who prays to the God
S1: who hears. But what about when God appears silent? Is
S1: he really unresponsive? The truth is, we always have God's attention.
S1: So how should we respond when God seems silent? These
S1: are essential questions and we're about to explore them in depth. Next. Hey,
S1: welcome to segment two of The Land. In the book,
S1: I'm John Geiger, inviting you to pause with me right
S1: now for a quick, refreshing idea on sharing the love
S1: of Christ with a Jewish friend. Obviously, any conversation about
S1: Jesus is a spiritual conversation. And if it's a spiritual
S1: conversation for Jesus, you have to wonder, isn't there opposition,
S1: particularly when you're sharing your faith with Jewish people? Opposition
S1: to that very conversation. Wes Tabor is an ambassador for
S1: life in Messiah. What do you think is their opposition?
S3: Well, of course God sets his love and his name
S3: on Israel. And we know whatever God especially loves, Satan
S3: especially hates. So three things we know about Satan. He
S3: can't annihilate the Jewish people physically though he has tried, right? Pharaoh? Haman? Hitler. Yeah.
S3: Satan also seeks their spiritual destruction through false religion, idolatry,
S3: the occult, good works, atheism. He doesn't care what they
S3: believe as long as they don't believe the truth. And third,
S3: Satan doesn't want us to share the gospel or Jewish
S3: people to believe it.
S1: All right, so our response then is still boldness. Get
S1: out there. Do it because we've been called to.
S3: Amen. Yeah. And we have the scriptures that encourage our
S3: hearts greater as he who is in you than he
S3: who is in the world. First John four four And
S3: Yeshua promised that the gates of hell will not prevail
S3: against his church, which is made up of Jews and Gentiles. Amen.
S1: Wes Tabor with life in Messiah here on the land
S1: and the book. Dr. John Kessler is a writer and
S1: contributing editor for the Moody Bible Institute publication known as
S1: today in the world. For 25 years, he served as
S1: a faculty member at Moody, and before that he was
S1: a pastor in central Illinois for nine years. John has
S1: written many books, including When God is Silent to Me.
S1: His voice just conveys comfort and wisdom, and I have
S1: just enormous respect for Dr. Kessler. Thank you for being
S1: part of our program today, John.
S4: Well, thank you, John. It's wonderful to be here.
S1: You, of course, are not unaware of the vast number
S1: of books that have been written on prayer. And, well,
S1: most of them are probably more in the the how
S1: to category. What made you want to write this one?
S4: Well, you know, that's a funny thing. For years I
S4: always said that I would never write a book about
S4: prayer because I always felt like such an amateur at it,
S4: even though I was a pastor and a professor. And
S4: I've been praying, really praying since before I was a
S4: Christian even. But there's just something about the experience that
S4: felt awkward to me. And then after a while, the
S4: more I thought about it, I realized that most of
S4: the Christians I know pretty much felt the same way
S4: that I did. And I thought, you know what? Maybe
S4: that's what we really need is a book about prayer
S4: written for amateurs by an amateur. So I began to
S4: reflect on it and put my thoughts together. And that's
S4: why I did it, because I think, as you said,
S4: most of the books that I came across that had
S4: to deal with prayer really make, I think, the wrong
S4: assumptions about the readers. You know, they assume that we
S4: either don't want to pray or that we don't know
S4: how to pray. And I think the problem is elsewhere.
S1: Well, how widespread a problem do you think this frustration is?
S1: This frustration of sensing that God appears to be silent?
S4: My observation is that it is almost universal, and that
S4: the only people who don't share it are people who
S4: write books about prayer. You know, most of the Christians
S4: I know don't feel prayer is important to them. They pray,
S4: but they would not say that they're great at it.
S4: They just feel a little bit odd about it. And
S4: so I think it's I would say it's universal to
S4: be honest. And certainly the experience, this sort of one
S4: sided conversation with God that's almost universal. I know that
S4: there are some people who, when they talk about their
S4: prayer life, they will make it sound like, you know, oh,
S4: I talked to God. And then he talks back to me,
S4: and then I talk to him and he talks back
S4: to me. That has never really been my experience. And
S4: it is not the experience of most of the Christians
S4: that I know. And I'm not saying that it never
S4: happens or that it couldn't happen, but I don't think
S4: it's normative.
S1: Hey, how much of our of our complaining about God's
S1: silence arises from basic biblical ignorance? We perhaps believe incorrect
S1: or erroneous things about God's relationship to our prayers. What
S1: about that?
S4: I don't know if it's so much biblical ignorance as that.
S4: We have been sort of misled by the way that
S4: people talk about prayer, because most of the time when
S4: those who teach us about prayer, they sort of describe
S4: it like it's an ordinary conversation. And so, you know,
S4: so we go into it with this set of assumptions
S4: based on all the other conversations that we've had. Now
S4: it is ordinary conversation in one sense. What is prayer? Well,
S4: in its essence, it's just talking to God. But when
S4: I look at all of the other conversations I have
S4: with people, there are elements involved there that are not
S4: present when I talk to God. For example, even when
S4: I'm not talking to you face to face, you know,
S4: there are cues that I'm listening to, the tone of
S4: your voice, the pitch. There's a there's an interaction going on.
S4: I say something, you say something, I say something. So
S4: there's a cooperation in the conversation. That's really not the
S4: case when it comes to prayer. When I pray, it's
S4: not that God has not spoken, it's that everything that
S4: he has said is recorded in Scripture. And there's a
S4: sense where I have to bring that with me into prayer,
S4: that it becomes sort of the backdrop that frames the
S4: expectation I have of how God will respond to what
S4: I have to say. It's not immediate, so that if
S4: I'm thinking that's going to be like the typical conversation
S4: I'm having, I will be missing all of the cues
S4: that I generally use to shape the way that I
S4: interact with someone, because I can't see facial expression, I
S4: can't hear tone of voice. And even I think often
S4: when we're praying about things, we are praying with a
S4: specificity about details that I will not find in Scripture. Like,
S4: for example, you know, maybe I'm praying about a particular. Job.
S4: I want this job or that job, you know. Well,
S4: maybe in general I can glean from Scripture I should
S4: not take a job as a hitman for the Mafia,
S4: but it's probably not going to be so specific that
S4: it's going to tell me, oh, yeah, I should work
S4: for General Motors or, you know, I should work for
S4: Chrysler or whoever. You know, I remember when I was young,
S4: great concern. Who should I marry? You know. Well, there
S4: are some general guidelines, but the Bible doesn't have the name.
S4: You know, I'm not going to be able to look
S4: it up in the concordance. So there are differences in this.
S4: When I use the ordinary tools of conversation my voice,
S4: my heart, my mind. But the experience is radically different
S4: than most conversations I have.
S1: Dr. John Kessler is an award winning author and retired
S1: faculty emeritus of pastoral studies at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.
S1: He writes monthly columns for today in the Word and
S1: Mature Living magazine. I want to turn the corner in
S1: a slightly different direction here for just a moment, John.
S1: If we were to take the typical evangelical church service
S1: timeline and convert it into a pie chart, the sermon
S1: invariably gets the way bigger. Slice worship music would come
S1: in second place. It'd be a significant piece, but prayer
S1: would get a really small slice in most cases. Are
S1: we conveying to people with that allotment a message about
S1: the importance of prayer? Sometimes I'm just not comfortable. I
S1: don't I'm not sure that we have arrived at a
S1: truly biblical model. Your thoughts?
S4: Yeah, I think you're probably right. And let's also recognize
S4: that that's probably more the case for some of our
S4: church traditions than others. There are other church traditions that
S4: have perhaps a more intense focus on prayer in their
S4: public worship, and often when that's the case, it's actually
S4: a little more structured. But the tradition I come from
S4: prayer is often more of a private. It's assumed that
S4: we will pray. We'll pray in private, or we have
S4: a whole separate service devoted to it. You know, we
S4: have the prayer meeting, which even in the prayer meeting,
S4: you know, most of the time is spent reviewing a list,
S4: you know. Right. It's like it's like, you know, if
S4: it's 50 minutes, you know, 40 minutes is probably taken
S4: up with talking about our health problems and then then
S4: a few minutes in prayer. Some of that, I think,
S4: is probably because we haven't thought about how to structure
S4: prayer for the congregation. Again, I think this is probably
S4: not true of all traditions. I think there are there
S4: are some traditions that have a far more robust theology
S4: of corporate prayer and more disciplined practice of it, and
S4: that also comes with some of its own issues there
S4: over familiarity and, you know, the problems that come with
S4: rote praying sometimes. But yes, I guess that's a long
S4: that's a long way to say yes. You're right.
S1: We're tackling a tough subject today on the land in
S1: the book When God Is Silent. Our guest, Dr. John Kessler,
S1: has written a book by that title. So let's let's
S1: get right to the sticking point. If you were counseling
S1: a listener right now who feels frustrated in their prayer
S1: life because God does seem silent to them, how would
S1: you interact with them? What would you what would you
S1: say to them?
S4: Well, first of all, I would affirm their experience and say,
S4: I have felt that and it has frustrated me as well.
S4: I would remind that person that silence is not always
S4: an indicator of inattention or detachment. That's one of the
S4: mistakes we make that particularly when it comes to God's silence,
S4: that we assume because he is not giving us this
S4: immediate feedback, that we would desire, that either he is
S4: not there at all, or he's kind of detached. And
S4: so a lot of what we're doing in our praying
S4: is we're trying to sort of get his attention, you know,
S4: which like raise the voice, wave our arms about whatever, whatever,
S4: you know, whatever we have to do. But if you
S4: look at the conversations that are the most meaningful to
S4: you in the people that you really feel are good
S4: people to talk to, they're good listeners. And what they
S4: do is they don't interrupt. They I can remember teaching
S4: a Bible study with somebody who one person who was
S4: more experienced at it than me, and I remember being
S4: struck by how attentive they were in their listening. You know,
S4: they concentrated on what I was saying. They looked at me.
S4: And then when they did respond, I could tell that
S4: while they were listening, they weren't formulating what they really
S4: wanted to say. Instead, you know, they were really concentrating
S4: on what I had to say. So my starting point
S4: would be. To say what seems to be silence to
S4: you is total attention. God hears you. And of course,
S4: what John tells us in his letters is that if
S4: we know that God hears us, we know that God
S4: will respond to our prayer.
S1: That's very affirming, I like that. But what is it
S1: that we could possibly do that might help the situation?
S1: Is there anything we can do?
S4: Yeah, I think there are a number of things we
S4: can do. One is, of course, the more we know
S4: about God in the scriptures, the healthier our view will
S4: be of him, because that's part of what we struggle
S4: with when we're praying is these assumptions we have about God.
S4: And the way God perhaps is responding to us that
S4: are not really shaped by the grace and the truth
S4: of Scripture. Another thing we can do is something that
S4: the psalmist frequently does. When you read through the Psalms,
S4: you can see the psalmist's, those who wrote the Psalms
S4: struggling with the same issue, because they often express sort
S4: of frustration about their prayer experience or the way God's
S4: responding to their prayers. And the thing that the psalmist does.
S4: The psalmist talks to himself, and it doesn't in a
S4: number of ways. Sometimes when the psalmist is talking to himself,
S4: he's sort of a self coach. He tells himself not
S4: to lose heart, not to lose faith that God will
S4: act on his behalf. Sometimes the psalmist will sort of
S4: take the position of God and sort of speak what
S4: he expects God to do or to say to him.
S4: Paul sometimes does this in his. When you see Paul's
S4: prayers in the New Testament where he prays for the person,
S4: he's very specific when he prays, and he also voices
S4: what he expects God to do as a result of
S4: that prayer. And then I think, you know, really to
S4: be brutally honest, you know, just to be frank, to
S4: disclose your heart when you pray, open your heart to
S4: God as it truly is, rather than coming to God
S4: and basically trying to tell God what you think he
S4: wants to hear from you because the only one you're
S4: fooling there is yourself. He can see right through you.
S1: Well, as I promised at the outset, this conversation to
S1: me has felt like a just a nice dialogue with
S1: a trusted friend, a wise counselor, and Dr. John Kessler
S1: is certainly that. And you can dig deeper into this
S1: subject as you check out his book, When God Is Silent.
S1: A link to that book and to John's website is
S1: at our website. The land and the book. Morgue, the
S1: land and the book.org. John, we want to have you back.
S1: Hope you'll carve out some time to spend with us.
S4: Oh, I'd love to do that, John. Thanks for having me.
S4: All right.
S1: Charlie Dyer is back, and I'm looking forward to a
S1: fresh set of your Bible questions coming up next here
S1: on the land and the book. Questions and answers. That's
S1: our focus next here on the land and the book.
S1: Welcome to segment three. I'm John Geiger, our host. The
S1: guy offering the answers is Dr. Charlie Dyer. He's a
S1: former pastor, a lover of the Bible, a student of Scripture,
S1: a student of Israel. And he welcomes your questions any time. Right, Charlie.
S2: I do, John, I love it.
S1: What is the process, by the way? Somebody emails us
S1: at the land in the book at Moody Edu. It
S1: goes right to you, right?
S2: It does. And I try and answer as quickly as
S2: I can, usually the same day or sometimes within a
S2: day or two. It depends on how busy I am
S2: with other things, but they'll get an answer by email.
S2: And then we put it into the hopper and pull
S2: it out and answer it on air as well.
S1: Okay, well, many of us wonder what the future holds
S1: for Israel, and while some things are uncertain, the Bible
S1: gives us an outline of what really will happen in
S1: the last days. Yeah, and our.
S2: Friends at Life in Messiah recently hosted a prophecy conference.
S2: Focus specifically on the topic Israel and the church living
S2: in the last days. There now making the videos of
S2: the conference available for early access exclusively to the land
S2: and the book listeners. You'll hear from many knowledgeable speakers
S2: on this topic, including Moody Radio host Michael Rudnick and me.
S2: These encouraging and informative videos will help you better understand
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S2: sign up. That's Life in messiah.org. All right.
S1: We're heading straight to the book of Revelation today, where
S1: John is instructed to write to the seven churches in Asia.
S1: George says, it seems that there is no mention of
S1: any churches back in Israel at that time. Is there
S1: any indication as to what happened to the early churches
S1: that were started in Israel? Did the apostles spread out
S1: beyond Israel to spread the good news, and therefore they
S1: became more prominent?
S2: Well, the book of acts does help us trace the
S2: growth and development of the early church. When the church
S2: began on the day of Pentecost in Acts two, it
S2: was a church made up of Jewish believers. But as
S2: the Book of Acts develops, we see the Jewish people
S2: begin to reject the message of the apostles, and as
S2: a result, the early church leadership in Judea experienced persecution.
S2: Stephen was stoned, and it says that persecution rose against
S2: the church at that time, and all except the apostles
S2: were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. So as the church
S2: in Jerusalem grew smaller and weaker, those forced to scatter
S2: began sharing the gospel wherever they went. And acts begins
S2: to focus on the ministry of the Apostle Paul. Wherever
S2: he went, he preached to the Jews first, but also
S2: to the Greeks to the Gentiles. And the Gentile church
S2: began growing. Now there were still believers and churches in
S2: Israel during this time, but they were small and poor
S2: and persecuted. We're told in acts 11 there was a
S2: famine in the larger region which must have added to
S2: their struggles. In fact, a collection was taken among the
S2: churches in Antioch to provide for the brothers living in Judea.
S2: It says. So apparently the church in Jerusalem and in
S2: that region just kept growing smaller and struggling, while the
S2: churches in the other areas grew and and prospered. By
S2: the time the Book of Revelation was written around 1895,
S2: the churches throughout the Roman Empire well, they were largely
S2: composed of Gentiles with some Jews, and Jesus chose the
S2: seven churches in Asia minor to represent seven different types
S2: of churches found in any given age. These seven, and
S2: not the struggling church in Judea, best mirrored the state
S2: of the church throughout history.
S1: Mark says, I have recently heard a couple of times
S1: that the Apostle Paul had been in prison three different times.
S1: By my count, Paul was imprisoned four separate times for
S1: durations of about two years each in Philippi, Caesarea in Rome,
S1: under house arrest, then in Rome in the dungeon before
S1: he was executed. Is the Caesarian imprisonment under Felix generally overlooked?
S1: Or are the Roman governments generally counted as one imprisonment? Yeah.
S2: I'm not sure who you heard from, but by my
S2: last count I actually can find five times, I think
S2: when Paul was imprisoned, the second one in the Roman
S2: barracks in Jerusalem usually isn't counted. So if you take
S2: that one out because it was only a few days,
S2: then I see the same for that. I think you do.
S2: He was imprisoned in Philippi for one night. In acts 16.
S2: He was imprisoned in Jerusalem in the Roman barracks. That's
S2: that one I just mentioned in acts 22. He was
S2: imprisoned in Caesarea then, where he was taken for two
S2: years x 23 and then his first imprisonment, which was
S2: a house arrest in Rome. That's how the book of
S2: acts ends. And then his final imprisonment in Rome, which
S2: is not mentioned in the book of acts, but I
S2: think is referenced in Second Timothy chapter four. And that's
S2: where Paul was finally put to death.
S1: That question, by the way, from Mark, who listens to
S1: us on 103.3 in Cleveland, WKF good to connect with
S1: a moody radio listener there George takes us to first
S1: Timothy five eight. We're told that those who do not
S1: care or provide for their own household are worse than unbelievers.
S1: Yet in Luke nine verses 59 and 16, Jesus told
S1: the man, let the dead bury the dead. Apparently the
S1: man's father was still living, and he. Wanted to care
S1: for his father until he died. Would this have been
S1: wrong for this man to want to care for his father?
S1: Or was he just making an excuse for not wanting
S1: to follow Jesus? Yeah, and I.
S2: Think the answer is found by looking carefully at both
S2: verses in context. And in first Timothy five eight, Paul's
S2: talking about the practical outworking of faith in demonstrating support
S2: for one's family. An individual who would deliberately allow his
S2: family to suffer material need isn't demonstrating genuine godliness. That's
S2: what Paul is saying there now in Luke nine. Though,
S2: the issue isn't providing for one's family. Jesus called on
S2: the man to follow him. Jesus was on his way
S2: by the way, to Jerusalem for ultimately to be put
S2: to death. But he's calling on this man to follow him.
S2: The man asked to be excused so he can go
S2: bury his father, but if his father had already died,
S2: he would already be taking care of those arrangements, since
S2: burial took place the same day you died. So as
S2: we look at that passage, what he's really saying is
S2: my dad is still around. If I can just stay
S2: with him until he dies, which may be next week,
S2: next month, next year, who knows? He doesn't give an impression.
S2: We don't know if his father was even sick, but
S2: Jesus stresses the cost of true discipleship. He said if
S2: anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take
S2: up his cross daily and follow me. So the encounter
S2: with this man happens as Jesus is heading to Jerusalem,
S2: and the man is really looking for an excuse and
S2: a rather flimsy excuse why he should be excused from
S2: following Jesus.
S1: Here's a question from Fredrik. He says in a recent
S1: Q&A on revelation seven. You refer to the 144,000 as Jews.
S1: Shouldn't it be 144,000 Israelites? Judah and Benjamin were called Jews.
S1: Revelation seven, verse four refers to all the tribes of
S1: the children of Israel, not Jews. Plus, I can't find
S1: anywhere in the King James where it's the God of
S1: the Jews or the God of the Christians, but everywhere
S1: it's the God of Israel, or the God of the
S1: children of Israel, the people of Israel, his people Israel.
S1: So if we believe in Christ Jesus as God on earth,
S1: aren't we all Israel, which means a Prince of God? Well, okay.
S2: There's two parts to that question, and I agree with
S2: the first part, but not the second. You're correct in
S2: noting the 144,000 are from all the tribes of Israel,
S2: which is what seven four actually says. I was using
S2: Jew in a less technical sense to refer to all Israelites.
S2: That's similar to what John did in John chapter five
S2: and John chapter six, where he talks about a feast
S2: of the Jews, referring to one of the feasts where
S2: all Israelites were to travel to Jerusalem. Paul does the
S2: same thing elsewhere. He says he was giving the gospel
S2: to the Jew first and also to the Greek. So yeah,
S2: I was using it wrong. And they are 144,000 from
S2: the 12 tribes of Israel. But I do disagree with
S2: your second part of the statement which says all believers
S2: today are Israel. The key passage in this regard is
S2: Romans 11, which is the one place where Paul specifically
S2: talks about the relationship between Israel and the church. And
S2: in verses 25 to 26, he says, don't, don't be
S2: ignorant of the mystery that Israel has experienced a hardening
S2: in part until the full number of Gentiles come in,
S2: and then all Israel will be saved. So in that passage,
S2: Israel refers to the ethnic national Israel, and Paul makes
S2: that distinction between them and the church. He doesn't equate
S2: the church as being Israel.
S1: Lenny wants to know what happened to the Amalekites. What
S1: nation were they absorbed into? What nation are they today?
S2: Well, this one gets a little complex. It's kind of
S2: a fascinating question, actually. One detail is in Saul's campaign. Remember,
S2: Saul was sent against the Amalekites in first Samuel 15
S2: and they were a nomadic tribe. It says they were
S2: living south of Israel and into the Sinai region. And
S2: apparently another part of the tribe lived in what's today
S2: southern Jordan and northern Saudi Arabia. So two parts to
S2: this tribe had separated. And I say that because Saul
S2: takes care of the Amalekites south of Israel, and then
S2: David also has a campaign against them later. But the
S2: ones who are on the eastern side of the Jordan
S2: River and east of the Dead Sea, well, they're mentioned
S2: in the book of Judges and Judges, chapter six. They're
S2: the ones who came into Israel in the time of Gideon,
S2: and they were part of the Amalekites, the Midianites and
S2: the sons of the East, it says, who attacked Israel.
S2: So we're never told what happened to the remnant of
S2: all these Amalekites? My best guess they were probably absorbed
S2: through intermarriage into some of the other large nomadic tribes
S2: that also remain south and east of Israel. Apparently they
S2: still remember their ethnic background, because later in Esther chapter three,
S2: we were told about Haman, the son of Hamida, the
S2: aggregate Agag being the king of the Amalekites in the
S2: time of Saul, so he could trace his lineage back
S2: to Agag. But likely they were simply swallowed up into
S2: these other Bedouin groups and lost their distinction as a
S2: unique tribe.
S1: John says, when you go to Israel, can you visit
S1: the dome of the Rock? And if so, can you
S1: share what this place means to you as a Christian?
S2: Well, I've been to Israel. I've been to the dome
S2: of the Rock a number of years ago, though I
S2: decided not to go there and take groups there because
S2: you actually have to pay to go in and you
S2: were supporting the work they're doing, and right now you're
S2: not even allowed inside. I can say, though, based on
S2: my experience, that Muslims wouldn't look with favor on Christians
S2: explaining what. A site means to us because we would
S2: say it's where the Jewish temple once stood and where
S2: Jesus walked. They would say there was never a temple there.
S2: There are other, better ways to share our faith with
S2: Muslims there in the land.
S1: And that's a look at our questions from the week.
S1: And yours. Welcome. Of course, any time you want to
S1: email it to us, here's how you connect the land
S1: and the book at Moody. Edu. That's the land and
S1: the book at Moody. Edu. We've saved the best for last.
S1: It's Charlie Dyer's devotional, and it's next right here. The
S1: Bible says there is wisdom in the counsel of many.
S1: What about the notion, though, of biblical counseling? Where do
S1: you land on that? It's a conversation we'll brush up
S1: against in Charlie Dyer's devotional coming up, Biblical Counseling 101
S1: Where we go on today, Charlie.
S2: We're heading to the book of Jeremiah and one of
S2: my favorite passages.
S1: All right. We'll get to that devotional. First, though, this
S1: thought from somebody who has traveled to the Holy Land
S1: and brings back this memory for us.
S5: Hi, I'm calling from Spokane, Washington, and I just wanted
S5: to comment that I did go to Israel and took
S5: a Holy Land tour about four years ago, and it
S5: was life changing for me to put everything in perspective
S5: as far as the Bible went. It just made the
S5: Bible become more real. And as I read the Bible,
S5: I can relate. I can remember what I saw over there.
S5: It just made it more real. Actually, I'm kind of
S5: a visual person, so it really made an impact on me.
S5: And I would suggest that anyone that could by any
S5: means get over there and go through that, it would
S5: change your life forever.
S6: I went to Israel in 1983. I've taught Sunday school
S6: now for probably close to 30 years or more, but
S6: going to the Holy Land made such an impact on
S6: my life. Now, when I'm teaching or when I'm reading
S6: the Word of God, I can see the areas that
S6: I saw back that long ago and just made it
S6: more dear to my heart.
S1: I'm intrigued with your title today for the devotional segment
S1: Biblical Counseling 101. Charlie, take it away. Yeah.
S2: John. Thanks. Early in my seminary career, I took a
S2: class on biblical counseling taught by two well known Christian psychiatrists.
S2: I learned to appreciate both of them, but I did
S2: have some concerns. As the class began, I'd heard reports
S2: of other psychiatrists undermining God's Word. So I went into
S2: the class with some questions. But during the very first
S2: class session, two events happened that dispelled my anxiety. The
S2: first was a humorous but true comment made by one
S2: of the professors who said, most counselors go into counseling
S2: to try to solve their own problems. It was a
S2: reminder that counseling psychology and psychiatry are all soft sciences,
S2: populated by imperfect people who do struggle with their own issues.
S2: The second event was when we went through the course syllabus.
S2: One requirement was memorizing scripture, and the first scripture we
S2: were to memorize was Jeremiah 17, verses nine and ten,
S2: which the one professor called the foundation for all biblical counseling.
S2: So what is this foundational passage? The heart is more
S2: deceitful than all else and is desperately sick. Who can
S2: understand it? I, the Lord, searched the heart. I test
S2: the mind even to give each man according to his ways,
S2: according to the results of his deeds. The first of
S2: these two verses speaks to the reality of human depravity.
S2: Because of humanity's fall in the Garden of Eden, sin
S2: permeates the core of our being. It's not that we're
S2: as wicked as we could be, but the reality is
S2: that sin permeates us. And one result is that we've
S2: developed ways to justify our sinful actions by deceiving and
S2: deluding even ourselves. In Hebrew, the heart represents the totality
S2: of our inner or immaterial nature. It includes our consciousness
S2: of who we are and why we do what we do.
S2: Like a master counselor, God points out the key problem
S2: our heart, our innermost consciousness of our own selves, is
S2: more deceitful than all else. God's diagnosis is that we're
S2: all deceitful tricksters at heart. But Jeremiah then asks a
S2: disturbing question who can understand it? That is, who can
S2: truly know what's happening within his or her own depraved
S2: heart and mind? And the word Jeremiah uses for know
S2: or understand. It's the same word that's used in Genesis
S2: to euphemistically describe sexual relations. And Adam knew his wife
S2: and she conceived him, bore him a son. The implication
S2: is that our hearts are so deceitful that we can
S2: fool even ourselves regarding our thoughts and motives. But even
S2: if we might not fully understand our thoughts and motives,
S2: they're not hidden from God. The very next verse says, I,
S2: the Lord searched the heart. I test the mind. We
S2: might be able to rationalize our actions and even at
S2: times fool ourselves. But God not only sees what we do,
S2: he also sees why we're doing it. And now you
S2: can see the wisdom of these professors in class. Having
S2: us begin by focusing on the Word of God and
S2: what it has to say about human nature and our
S2: own thought process. Well, so far this sounds like a
S2: rather unusual devotional because we've not visited any location in Israel.
S2: So follow me out of the classroom and into the
S2: Judean wilderness to the wadi killed between Jerusalem and Jericho.
S2: As we explore the practicality of Jeremiah's words earlier in
S2: chapter 17, Jeremiah took the words of Psalm one and
S2: turned them on their head, describing the person who's blessed
S2: and the person who's cursed in reverse order. Jeremiah started
S2: by writing, cursed is the one who trusts in man,
S2: who depends on flesh for his strength, and whose heart
S2: turns away from the Lord. Such a person, he says,
S2: will be like a bush in the wastelands who will
S2: not see prosperity when it comes. He uses the word tov,
S2: or good for prosperity, picturing the good reign God promised
S2: to send from the sky. Those who choose to trust
S2: in what they can see, touch, grasp rather than the Lord.
S2: They're truly self deluded. They don't realize they're now outside
S2: the place where God can bless the good rain. An
S2: image of blessing falls in the hill country, not out
S2: here in the wilderness. In contrast, the one who is
S2: truly blessed is the one who trust in the Lord
S2: and whose trust is the Lord. The word for trust
S2: expresses the idea of well-being and security that comes from
S2: having something in which we're able to place our confidence.
S2: It's looking out the window of your house at a blizzard,
S2: while seated on your couch in front of a roaring fire,
S2: holding a cup of hot chocolate. You know you're safe
S2: in spite of what's happening outside. That's the kind of
S2: confident trust Jeremiah says characterizes the person who's blessed. Jeremiah
S2: compares such individuals to a tree planted by one of
S2: the flowing streams that can be found out here in
S2: the wilderness. Because such a tree has roots that extend
S2: to the water, it will not fear we. When the
S2: heat comes. Nor will it be anxious in a year
S2: of drought, nor cease to yield fruit. While the external
S2: situation might change, the source of nourishment and sustenance never does.
S2: And it's that dependable supply that removes fear and anxiety.
S2: So what do these two plants in the wilderness have
S2: to do with Jeremiah's description of the human heart? The
S2: two thoughts are placed side by side in Jeremiah 17.
S2: But why? What's the connection? The two types of plants
S2: represent two types of people. One group tries to handle
S2: life's problems by trusting in their own wisdom or in
S2: promises made by others. The other group faces life's problems
S2: by reaching out to the Lord for his wisdom and strength,
S2: and trusting in his promises of help and protection. In
S2: both instances, the two plants face difficulties represented by a
S2: time of drought in the wilderness. But there's one key
S2: difference the cursed plant never experiences the refreshing rain, the
S2: tov or good because it's located outside the place of blessing.
S2: In contrast, the blessed plant is always connected to a
S2: stream of living or running water, the source of blessing.
S2: It will experience times of trouble, the heat and the drought.
S2: Experiences of life will come, but the nourishment it receives
S2: from the living water sustains it in those times of difficulty.
S2: And that's when Jeremiah applies this reality to the truth
S2: of verses nine and ten. The human heart is deceitful
S2: and sick, and it will try to trick us into
S2: believing we can handle whatever comes our way. I'll just
S2: look within myself to find the strength I need, or
S2: if necessary, I'll turn to others for help. Such an
S2: individual struggles through life, never understanding why he or she
S2: can't seem to stay ahead, to reach the place of
S2: comfort and peace and rest that's always so elusive. Meanwhile,
S2: the blessed individual finds peace and satisfaction by turning his
S2: or her problems over to the Lord and allowing him
S2: to handle them. They don't fully understand all that's happening
S2: around them, but they've discovered God is present and that
S2: he can be trusted. And when the difficult times do come,
S2: those times of struggle that are common to everyone, the
S2: blessed individual is the one who has already extended his
S2: or her roots to the ever present, ever flowing source
S2: of nourishment and comfort. So what kind of plant are you?
S2: Take some time today to read Jeremiah 17, verses 5
S2: to 10. Focus on the two kinds of individuals and
S2: then focus on God's insight into human nature. You might
S2: not be able to even trust your own heart, but
S2: you can trust the God who understands the human heart
S2: and who can give you the strength and wisdom to
S2: thrive in spite of all life's heat waves and droughts.
S1: Thank you Charlie, always insightful. Appreciate that devotional. You can
S1: hear it again at our website, the land and the book.
S1: Org I think that's cool. The podcast they're waiting for
S1: you to share with a friend or just enjoy yourself.
S1: And again, you'll find it at the website, the land
S1: and the book. Org. I'd love to hear from you
S1: and know how this program is connecting with you. Our
S1: email address is the land and the book@moody.edu. Time goes
S1: by too quickly, but Lord willing, we'll get together again
S1: next week at the same time. And we'll encourage you
S1: to be praying for Israel as we wait for them.
S1: I'm John Geiger on behalf of our host, Dr. Charlie Dyer,
S1: our producer, Dan Anderson. The land in the book is
S1: a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.