S1: She grew up in Iran, a nation hostile to the
S1: name and mission of Christ. But then her family moved
S1: to the United States of all things, and the name
S1: of Jesus was everywhere, and Lily eventually became a Christian.
S1: What was that journey like? And what about the rest
S1: of her family? We have an incredible story for you
S1: coming up. Hey, welcome to the land and the book.
S1: We call it a one hour flyover of the Middle East.
S1: And if you're new, you'll quickly find out why in
S1: the pilot seat. As always, Captain Charlie Dyer. He's been
S1: to Israel more than a hundred times and traveled extensively
S1: throughout the entire Middle East region as well. Welcome, Charlie.
S1: Good to connect with you.
S2: Hey, John. Thanks. It's great being with you again.
S1: Well, did you know that most Jewish people have never
S1: heard the gospel? Every week Charlie and I talk about
S1: Israel and the Jewish people, and it's really critical to
S1: remember that they, like everyone else, need to hear the
S1: good news, right?
S2: That's exactly right. And that's why life in Messiah, a
S2: ministry that's been in existence for over 135 years, is
S2: devoted to sharing the gospel with Jewish people around the world.
S2: And now they're offering a gift to moody listeners. This
S2: free e-book, Reaching Jewish People for Messiah, highlights the need
S2: for the gospel among the Jewish people. It will equip
S2: you with practical ways to share the good News with them. Now,
S2: to receive this free e-book, visit Life in Messiah org
S2: and click on the Moody Radio logo there. Sign up
S2: today to get your copy. That's life in Messiah.
S1: Well, this week we're going to focus on some of
S1: the areas surrounding Israel, beginning with the Palestinians. What's the
S1: latest news coming out of both Gaza and the Palestinian Authority?
S2: The best way to describe it is it's a mixed bag.
S2: Hamas initially said it was willing to exchange all remaining
S2: hostages for a five year truce with Israel. This intended
S2: to pressure Prime Minister Netanyahu to stop the fighting. But
S2: they said they would not relinquish their weapons because they
S2: hoped to retain control once the fighting is over. But
S2: now there are reports that they're discussing the possibility of disarming,
S2: releasing all the hostages and for the leaders to exit
S2: Gaza in exchange for ending the war. But as of
S2: right now, no deal has been made. And so you
S2: really have to hear all of that and listen to
S2: it with a grain of salt. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
S2: called on Hamas to free the hostages, cede control of
S2: Gaza and give up their weapons. He also offered a
S2: possible pathway for Hamas to continue in Gaza by transforming
S2: into a political party. Of course, that's what they were
S2: when they won the parliamentary election back in 2006, and
S2: we see how that turned out now. Speaking of President Abbas,
S2: I found it interesting that he also claimed Israel is
S2: trying to change the historical and legal status of Islamic
S2: and Christian holy places, especially in Jerusalem. And he was
S2: talking about especially the Al-Aqsa mosque, Referring to the First
S2: and Second Jewish temples. Abbas then claimed that the Quran
S2: says the temples were located in Yemen, now back in 1925.
S2: The Supreme Muslim Council published a booklet titled A Brief
S2: Guide to the Haram al-Sharif, which is the Al-Aqsa mosque area.
S2: In it, they stated its identity with the site of
S2: Solomon's Temple is beyond dispute. Apparently since Israel became a nation,
S2: that historical fact changed. Now repeat a lie often enough
S2: and people can often start to believe it. And the
S2: reality is, the Quran doesn't say the Jewish temples were
S2: in Yemen up until the start of the modern state
S2: of Israel. Muslims claimed the temple stood at the site
S2: where the dome of the rock now stands. The Bible
S2: clearly identifies Jerusalem as the site of both temples, and
S2: though the Muslims haven't allowed any excavations on the Temple Mount,
S2: discoveries along the edges of the retaining wall, like the
S2: parapet with the words to the place of trumpeting, written
S2: in Hebrew, and the scores of Jewish ritual baths just
S2: outside the entrances clearly point to that being the site
S2: of the temples. I think statements like those made by
S2: Abbas demonstrate the fear they have, that the Jewish people
S2: will someday push to rebuild a third temple on the
S2: site chosen by God.
S1: Well, Jordan has begun a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood.
S1: What brought about this decision now, and what impact could
S1: it have on the country?
S2: Well, the immediate cause for the crackdown was the discovery
S2: of a secret network of Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood members
S2: operating inside the country. Officials say the 16 who were
S2: arrested were planning attacks on security targets and other sensitive
S2: locations in the kingdom to try to destabilize the government.
S2: Both groups have been accused of fomenting anti-government street protests
S2: in Jordan during the current war in Gaza. Jordan had
S2: previously expelled Hamas in 1999, and a decade ago they
S2: also banned the Muslim Brotherhood. But they allowed Brotherhood affiliated
S2: groups like the Islamic Action Front to continue as a
S2: political party. In fact, in the last election, that party
S2: won 31 of the 138 seats in Jordan's parliament. Jordan
S2: has now outlawed and confiscated the assets of the Muslim Brotherhood,
S2: and said anyone promoting the group's ideology will be arrested
S2: and prosecuted. Hopefully, the crackdowns will lead to a greater
S2: sense of peace and security within the country. You know,
S2: tourism is a major part of Jordan's economy, and removing
S2: the threat of terrorist attacks will definitely make tourists feel
S2: more at ease. Jordan recently announced a $340 million project
S2: to promote tourism by building a tourist park at the
S2: Jordan River baptismal site to commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of
S2: Jesus's baptism. The goal is to have this project completed
S2: by 2029. It will feature hotels, restaurants, bazaars, shops and
S2: amphitheater and parking to accommodate what they anticipate will be
S2: a very large group of visitors coming. Starting then, I
S2: just hope they're able to do this without destroying the
S2: beauty and the religious significance of that site.
S1: You're listening to The Land and the book from Moody Radio,
S1: our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gager. We're looking
S1: at current events in this opening segment. Turkey is experiencing
S1: its own struggles both politically and physically, including severe weather
S1: and earthquakes. How have all these challenges impacted President Erdogan's
S1: grip on power?
S2: Well, a few weeks ago, we talked about the political
S2: crisis in Turkey when authorities arrested the mayor of Istanbul
S2: just days before he was to be selected as leader
S2: of the opposition party, who would then face Erdogan in
S2: the next election. Thousands took to the streets in protest
S2: and those protests are still impacting the country. In fact,
S2: reports surfaced that Germany had at least temporarily vetoed the
S2: sale of Euro fighter jets to Turkey because of these
S2: political developments. But in the midst of all the political upheaval,
S2: Turkey was also struck by several days of subfreezing weather
S2: that caused widespread crop damage in 36 provinces. Hundreds of
S2: millions of dollars of fruit crops were destroyed in the
S2: worst frost to hit in recent history. Apricots, grapes, apples, peaches, nectarines, hazelnuts,
S2: walnuts and almonds were affected. As one farmer commented, this
S2: year's crop is now already lost. President Erdogan blamed the
S2: damage on climate change and promised to help farmers recover economically.
S2: I think hoping to maintain their support. And as if
S2: that crisis wasn't enough, Istanbul then experienced a 6.2 magnitude
S2: earthquake which, along with more than 260 aftershocks, rattled the
S2: country's largest city. Thankfully, the quake didn't cause any fatalities,
S2: though it did produce widespread panic. A million and a
S2: half buildings in Turkey. Not just Istanbul, are identified as
S2: high risk, requiring urgent transformation to make them safe from
S2: possible collapse in the future. Erdogan called on the citizens
S2: of Istanbul to pull together and put aside their protests.
S2: He said, we do not approve of issues that shake
S2: us all, like earthquakes being used for daily political polemics.
S2: We do not wish to engage in arguments with anyone
S2: during such sensitive times. This is a disrespect to our country.
S2: Obviously trying to use the earthquake to put down the protests.
S2: We'll see if the physical earthquake can cancel out the
S2: political earthquake that he's accused of causing.
S1: Well, we don't normally think of Russia when we consider
S1: the nations surrounding Israel, but Russia is currently facing its
S1: own internal problems, apart from the war with Ukraine. What
S1: might be keeping the leaders in the Kremlin up at night?
S2: Yeah, when I read this report, John, it really did
S2: shake me in the sense of, wow, I had no
S2: idea that was happening. Well, we might fear Russian intimidation
S2: here in the West, but Russia's facing its own threat
S2: from Islam. Not by way of invasion, but from its
S2: own changing demographics. Today there are 25 million Muslims in Russia.
S2: That's 17% of the population, a far greater percentage than
S2: any other European country. The ethnic Russian population is in
S2: decline due to smaller families, war casualties and emigration. Ethnic
S2: Russians as a group are becoming smaller and older. Over
S2: the past few decades, Russia brought in 11 million migrants
S2: to keep its economy running, and most were Muslim. The
S2: Muslim population of Moscow increased five fold since the late 1990s.
S2: The largest mosque in Europe is now in Moscow. And
S2: in ten years, a third of Moscow's population is expected
S2: to be Muslim. Some believe because of their high birth rate,
S2: by 2050, Muslims will comprise half the population of all Russia. Wow.
S2: This could be influencing Vladimir Putin's policies toward both Turkey
S2: and Iran and Israel. The concern, of course, is that
S2: this change ethnically could be followed by a corresponding growth
S2: in radical Islam within Russia. We once feared a godless
S2: communist Soviet Union with the world's largest arsenal of nuclear weapons.
S2: But in a few years, that fear could be replaced
S2: by the specter of an Islamic Russia possessing the world's
S2: largest arsenal of nuclear weapons. And it's those internal demographic
S2: shifts that could indeed be keeping Russia's leaders and those
S2: in the West awake at night.
S1: Well, that's a look at current events from the Middle
S1: East and beyond. Thank you Charlie. Hey, if you've yet
S1: to check out our podcast, it's available at the website,
S1: The land and the book. With that podcast, you can
S1: hear every program again. Or better yet, share it with
S1: a friend. So many of our listeners do not get
S1: access to this program on a radio station. They got
S1: to listen via podcast, and that's great. And that podcast
S1: is available at The Land and the book dot straight ahead.
S1: A girl who grew up in Iran moved to the
S1: United States and found Jesus as Savior. It's really quite
S1: an odyssey, a remarkable story. You don't want to miss it.
S1: It's on our next segment here on Moody Radio's The
S1: Land and the book. You've grown up in a nation
S1: opposed to Christ. Now, at the age of 18, you
S1: and your family move across the globe from Iran to
S1: the United States. Suddenly, the name of Jesus is everywhere.
S1: How does that impact your own spiritual journey? And how
S1: does all of this affect your attitude toward women back
S1: in Iran? We'll get into these questions and a whole
S1: lot more on today's edition of The Land and the book. Welcome.
S1: I'm John Gager, and before we talk further about Muslims
S1: in Iran, let's talk about reaching Muslims here in the
S1: United States. Here's a thought. Sit down with a muslim
S1: friend for any length of time, and it won't be
S1: long before the subject of the Crusades comes up uncomfortable
S1: for Christians, or is it an impossible wall to scale?
S1: Let's talk about that with Samuel Johnson, who's with Call
S1: of Love Ministries. What do you think, Samuel?
S3: I think at some point we have to find out
S3: how we can answer this question about crusades, even to ourselves,
S3: to our children, what happened there? And when I talk
S3: with my Muslim friend, I don't go with them. They're
S3: going towards religion and politics, combining them together. And I say, no, no,
S3: wait a minute here. This is not true Christianity. True
S3: Christianity is not a religion. It's a person whom I follow.
S3: All right. And let's look at the person. Jesus. Did
S3: he encourage war? Did he expand Christianity using war? Using
S3: the sword? So when I tell them about Jesus and
S3: that he was against war, they will stay silent. Because
S3: Muhammad expanded Islam through war all over the Middle East.
S3: And then I tell them, these people who were part
S3: of the crusade or even, you know, any other country
S3: invading or anything like that in the name of religion.
S3: These are not true Christ followers, or they understood it
S3: in the wrong way.
S1: As my friend Ron Hutchcraft says, Jesus never said, follow
S1: my followers. He said, follow me.
S3: Amen.
S1: Amen. That's Samuel Johnson with Call of Love Ministries. Great resources,
S1: by the way, for reaching out to your Muslim friends.
S1: Available right now at Call of Love. Org. Lily Meshi
S1: enjoyed a successful career in fortune 500 companies, boutique retail
S1: banking and wholesale investing. But today she serves the Ministry
S1: of Iran Alive as the Director of Partner Relations. Drawing
S1: from her personal journey as an Iranian woman, Lily provides
S1: profound insights into the challenges surrounding women's rights in Iran.
S1: We're so honored to talk with her today on the
S1: land and the book. Welcome, Lily.
S4: Thank you so much, John, for having me.
S1: Hey, let's start with your childhood in Tehran. Did you
S1: live in the heart of the capital? Or maybe toward
S1: the outskirts, or even out in the suburbs?
S4: No. I lived in Tehran, which is the heart of
S4: the capital of Iran.
S1: Okay, so describe your family life, your personal goings on
S1: right now, and even your spiritual status at that time.
S4: My family was a nominal Muslim people that really instilled
S4: the connection to the one and only God in me
S4: and my two sisters from early on. And so that
S4: was the dynamic. My dad was a very well-off, successful entrepreneur.
S4: He owned his own clothing factory. We were what you
S4: would consider an elite family living in one of the
S4: better areas in Tehran and just living a very comfortable life.
S1: Glad you're with us for our second segment here on
S1: the land and the book. I'm John Gager, honored to
S1: be joined by Lily meshi, who serves with Iran Alive Ministries.
S1: Let's fast forward to your early teen years still in Tehran.
S1: What awareness, if any, did you have of the biblical
S1: Jesus at this point?
S4: I knew that Jesus was one of the greatest prophets
S4: that performed many miracles. This was taught in the schools,
S4: but there was no difference between Moses, Abraham, and Jesus.
S4: They were all prophets sent from God to bring back
S4: people to God.
S1: Well, at the age of 18, your family moved to
S1: the United States. What precipitated that?
S4: Lily my dad basically lost everything he had worked very
S4: hard for in a split of a second.
S1: What happened?
S4: He went bankrupt. He trusted some of the people that
S4: he shouldn't have trusted. And his company went belly up.
S4: So as a result of that, if you're familiar with
S4: the culture of Iran, the culture of honor and shame
S4: is very prevalent. And so if if someone that was
S4: doing really well and was well off all of a sudden.
S4: Doesn't have anything to cling on. They're ashamed. They're ashamed
S4: to the society and their disgrace. And so my family
S4: decided to move from Iran to Germany and then from
S4: Germany to the United States.
S1: Okay. Somebody listening says, okay, you say he's lost everything,
S1: but how do you even get the money for airfare
S1: to Germany, let alone ultimate travel to the US?
S4: We sold everything, all of our possessions, the Persian rugs
S4: and the homes and everything we owned. All my mom
S4: and dad's and every piece of jewelry that we had.
S4: We sold everything. Um, at age 16, when we were
S4: moving from Iran, I remember as someone who lived a
S4: comfortable life, I remember all of our possessions being sold
S4: one by one, and all the boxes in our hallway
S4: just packing and leaving.
S1: What kind of struggles did you experience interpersonally at that point?
S1: What's going on in your head? Right there. Your heart. Lily.
S4: It was very difficult. I mean, we had many friends
S4: that we formed friendships with in Iran. We had family
S4: in Iran that we had to leave. My grandmother was
S4: very close to us. My dad was not leaving Iran
S4: with us. He was staying. And so he was just
S4: my mom and my two sisters that were leaving at
S4: the time. So I was heartbroken. My dad was always
S4: my hero. I always looked up to him. I didn't
S4: know if I was going to see him again. And
S4: so just moving from Iran to Germany and really living
S4: with my cousin in Germany in a two bedroom apartment,
S4: she had three small children herself. So with us, we
S4: were nine people living in a two bedroom apartment, just, um,
S4: becoming refugees of a different country, feeling very isolated and lonely.
S1: If you're just joining us, this is the land and
S1: the book, and we're talking with Lily Meshi of Iran
S1: Alive Ministries. We'll describe your ultimate journey to faith in Jesus.
S4: When I was 18, my dad asked his family to
S4: join him in the United States, where he had moved
S4: directly from Iran in search of a new venture in
S4: search of a new life to where he can bring
S4: his family back together. So he contacted me one time.
S4: He said, Lily, there's this Persian Iranian guy who's very
S4: successful here in the US and is helping me open
S4: up my own restaurant in the US, which will bring
S4: our family together again, and we will have a fresh
S4: new start. He has expressed interest in getting to know
S4: you for marriage. So I'm going to introduce you to
S4: this guy. Just get to know him, see how things go.
S4: At this point I was 18 and this gentleman was 32.
S4: So there was a huge.
S5: Age gap.
S4: Between us. I mean, he was my dad's business partner.
S4: And so, you know, coming from a very patriarchal culture
S4: in Iran where I grew up and the true admiration
S4: that I had for my dad always, and seeing him
S4: so broken after having lost everything in his mid-fifties, all
S4: I wanted to do was please him. I was like, okay, well,
S4: I'll talk to him, no problem. If my dad is
S4: asking me to do something, this has to be something good.
S4: He would never put me up to something that would
S4: harm me. And so we started talking on the phone
S4: for about six months before I moved to the US.
S4: And when I moved to the US, it was as
S4: if we were already married. The promise was already given
S4: to him. He would not leave my side. He would
S4: always be everywhere. I was, you know, taking me to places.
S4: And in the midst of all that, unfortunately, I was
S4: sexually harassed by him, exploited by him, and that was
S4: the thing that he did. As soon as he noticed
S4: that I have no interest in getting to know him
S4: or wanting to marry him. And he thought that by
S4: sexually exploiting me, this would be the ultimate act for
S4: him to earn me or get me. Or there is
S4: no way out of this situation. In a way, he
S4: wanted to force me into this marriage. And that's what happened.
S4: I was forced by circumstances, great amount of shame to
S4: marry him. And the marriage was very toxic. Very abusive
S4: on all fronts. And when I was at the lowest
S4: point of my life, my parents invited me to their
S4: house to visit their friends. And I did not know
S4: that they had come prepared and prayerfully to share the
S4: gospel with us. And so when I entered my parents house,
S4: they were watching Jesus film and I sat there and
S4: watched the film with them at the end. Of course,
S4: there was an invitation for, you know, prayer of salvation and,
S4: you know, giving our hearts to Jesus. I heard all that.
S4: Didn't really think anything of it. I got up to leave.
S4: That's when one of the women there shared the gospel
S4: with me.
S1: You're listening to The land and the book. I'm John Yeager.
S1: Our guest today, Lily meshi, who has come all the
S1: way from Iran via Germany. And then to the United States.
S1: We're hearing her journey not just geographically, but spiritually as well.
S1: So let me clarify here. Are your parents at this
S1: time born again?
S4: No. They were just listening to their friends who were
S4: coming from Oklahoma to share the gospel with us. They
S4: were just open to hear what they had to say.
S4: They were watching the film with me, and I knew
S4: that they had already had some talks with my parents
S4: at that point. But when I got up to leave,
S4: one of the women walked me out to the door
S4: and said, Lily, I know you have been through a
S4: lot since you moved to the US, and I just
S4: want you to know that there is hope. And here
S4: at this point, I was so hopeless. I was so
S4: frustrated at everything that had happened to me. I was
S4: so mad and ashamed of who I was and what
S4: was done to me, some of which was done by
S4: my own immediate family. So there was great amount of
S4: anger towards my own parents at this point that I had.
S1: Is your dad aware of what's transpired? Is he aware
S1: of the injustice of his business partner toward you?
S4: He did not think anything of it. Let me explain
S4: this to you and your audience. It's a very common
S4: practice in Iran to put up girls that are of
S4: young age, to marry men that are established, especially financially,
S4: and are much older. So this is a very prevalent
S4: practice in Iran. In fact, child marriages is very prevalent
S4: in Iran. Temporary marriages are very prevalent. So he didn't
S4: think anything of it because he grew up in that culture.
S4: He patriarchy was part of life. He, you know, up
S4: until so much later in his faith, he didn't realize
S4: how wicked this practice was and what he had done
S4: to me. He was just part of life.
S1: So what's next? I mean, I'm still wondering, how do
S1: you find Jesus in all of this? You've been to
S1: this meeting, you're watching a video, but there's a lot
S1: of hurt and, uh, a lot of other issues going
S1: on in your heart.
S4: In the morning of that day when I went to
S4: visit my parents friends, my younger sister met up with
S4: me at the mall, and she said, Lily, I'm just
S4: giving you a heads up. You're going to Mom and
S4: Dad's house tonight. Um, their friends are Christians and they
S4: say Jesus is God. Just to give you a heads
S4: up on that. I was like, how idiotic is that? Like,
S4: who would believe Jesus? A great prophet is God. And
S4: so this was in my head. So I already went
S4: in there with my guards up and all that. And
S4: so when that woman stopped me at the door and said,
S4: you know, there's hope in Jesus. Do you mind if
S4: I just share just a couple of passages from the
S4: Bible with you? I'm not going to take up much
S4: of your time. I just want to read something from
S4: the Bible to you that may change your life. And
S4: so I was so reluctant, but at the same time,
S4: I wanted to see what she had to say. And
S4: sat down there in the beginning was the word. The
S4: word was with God. The word was God. Then she
S4: skipped over to John 114. The Word became flesh and
S4: dwelt among us. The moment she finished reading these two verses,
S4: tears were rolling down my cheeks. I knew that Jesus
S4: was my Lord and Savior, and that instant, it was
S4: a momentary revelation that the Holy Spirit revealed to me
S4: that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. He is God.
S4: He is the one who can pull me out of
S4: the dungeon that I was in. He was going to
S4: be the hope that I could cling on. And so
S4: in that moment, a spark of hope just ignited in me,
S4: and I. I wanted to know more about Jesus. And
S4: I looked at her and I said, how do I
S4: become a Christian?
S1: And that happened for you that evening.
S4: That happened for me that evening. The next day was
S4: a Sunday. She took me to a Bible based church
S4: in Austin, Texas, Hill Country Bible Church. I remember that
S4: this was about 2001, so 24 years ago, and the
S4: rest is history. I ended up going to a Bible
S4: college in Oklahoma. And now, fast forward 24 years later,
S4: I have the privilege to serve in a ministry that
S4: is sharing the good news with Iranians every day through
S4: 24 over seven broadcasts. Iran Alive ministries.
S1: Well, you have been on an amazing journey. That's an
S1: encouraging story. Lily, we thank you for these insights, for
S1: your testimony, for all that God has been doing in
S1: your life. We give him the praise as we know
S1: you do too. Thank you.
S6: Thank you. John.
S1: Hey, we're looking forward to another segment on the land
S1: of the book. It's Bible questions and answers next right here.
S1: They say that the Bible is shallow enough that anybody
S1: can splash in it and benefit from it, but deep
S1: enough that those who are truly experienced can never plumb
S1: its depths to the end. I'm John Gieger. This is
S1: the land and the book, and all of us are somewhere,
S1: probably in the middle of that somewhere. And that's what
S1: this segment is all about, understanding what's in the Word
S1: of God. That might just be puzzling to us. Helping
S1: us understand these issues, as Doctor Gerald Peterman of the
S1: Moody Bible Institute faculty. Good to connect with you again, sir.
S7: Yes, a child can wade and an elephant can swim.
S1: Yeah, that's the thing. You got it better.
S7: Oh. It's good.
S1: Hey, here's a question. Did you know that most Jewish
S1: people have never heard the gospel? Each week we talk
S1: about Israel and the Jewish people. And it's important to
S1: remember that they, like everyone else, need to hear the
S1: good news.
S7: Life in Messiah, a ministry in existence for over 135 years,
S7: is devoted to sharing the gospel with Jewish people around
S7: the world. Now they are offering a gift to moody
S7: listeners a free e-book. Reaching Jewish People for Messiah. And
S7: it highlights the need for the gospel among the Jewish people,
S7: and will equip you with practical ways to share the
S7: Good News with them. To receive this free e-book, visit
S7: Life in Messiah. Org. Click on the Moody Radio logo
S7: and sign up today to get your copy.
S1: Great. All right, let's dig into our pile of questions,
S1: starting with Caitlin's. She says, how do you answer the
S1: question that works? Don't save us. If James 221 to
S1: 24 says, we are considered righteous by what we do.
S1: Is that talking about proof that someone has already been saved?
S1: Because when someone is saved, they'll want to serve God
S1: and do works for him?
S7: Oh, that's a really good question. And it's tough to answer.
S7: And as a matter of fact, some folks have said
S7: this is a contradiction in Scripture and it is not.
S7: So we should take a closer look. It's about a
S7: particular word in the New Testament. Sometimes this word means
S7: to justify or make righteous. Sometimes it means to show
S7: to be righteous. So if we go to Romans five one,
S7: we find this delightful truth. Having been justified by faith,
S7: we have peace with God. This is the justification of forgiveness,
S7: of being saved all but other times in Scripture, in
S7: Romans we find Romans three four. Paul quotes a portion
S7: of Psalm 53 where David says to God, You, God,
S7: are justified by your words, and victorious when you judge.
S7: And God, of course, does not need to be forgiven
S7: or saved, but he will be shown right when he
S7: is judging. So it's this second definition that James is
S7: using when he says, Wasn't Abraham our father justified by
S7: works when he offered up Isaac? By that we mean
S7: he was not forgiven there. He was shown to be
S7: right there. So I think Caitlin is on the right
S7: track when she says, sometimes this word is about showing
S7: that we have been saved.
S1: Yeah. Boy, that's an important distinction. I appreciate you pointing
S1: that out from Betty. This question, how do I explain
S1: that we don't need baptism for our salvation? She points
S1: to acts 238 which says, repent and be baptized for
S1: the forgiveness of your sins, and then you'll receive the
S1: gift of the Holy Spirit. Then there's Mark 1616, which
S1: says whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. Now,
S1: I know we don't need works to be saved. So
S1: how would I explain those verses, though, to somebody who
S1: doesn't know that it's by grace alone when they bring
S1: those verses up in conversation.
S7: Ah wonderful question. I remember grappling with this question as
S7: a new Christian. I'm going to focus on acts two.
S7: Peter's preaching, and near the end of his message he
S7: says to his audience, God made this Jesus whom y'all crucified,
S7: Lord and Christ. And then the audience responds back, what
S7: should we do? And then Peter says, repent and be baptized.
S7: The repentance is there, changing their heart and mind about Jesus,
S7: but to be baptized. Of course, you have to come
S7: forward and ask someone to baptize you. So what will
S7: the church then do? The church will ask about your faith.
S7: They will ask about your repentance. And then when the
S7: church baptizes you, it confirms to them and to you
S7: that you're believing in the real Jesus. So it's not
S7: that baptism grants you forgiveness. Baptism confirms to you that
S7: you've really believed in Jesus.
S1: That's Doctor Gerald Peterman. He's on the Moody Bible Institute faculty,
S1: and he's here to answer your questions every week. How
S1: do you get yours to him? Easy. With a quick
S1: email to the land and the book at Moody's. That's
S1: the land and the book at Moody's. Dot Brian's question
S1: regarding the Greek word translated as church in Matthew 1817.
S1: Does it mean the assembly, the body, or could it
S1: possibly mean those in charge, the leadership, the overseers, the elders?
S7: Well, that's a great question. Again, first, let's talk about
S7: this word translated church in our Bibles. The word is ecclesia.
S7: What might this word apply to? Generally speaking, it's just
S7: a gathering of people. So we can go to acts 19.
S7: And as a matter of fact, in acts 19, there's
S7: a hostile crowd who doesn't like Paul. All and they
S7: they gathered together and they talk about how terrible Paul
S7: is preaching the gospel. And that gathering of hostile non-believers
S7: is called ecclesia. So the church is a gathering. When
S7: we come to Matthew 18, I think we're talking about
S7: the assembly of believers. That's where the final authority lies.
S7: It's very similar to what's happening in first Corinthians five.
S7: There's a man there in Corinth who's immoral. Paul tells
S7: the church, when you're gathered together, you should hand this
S7: man over to Satan for the discipline of his body
S7: that he might repent. It is not the hands of
S7: the elders. Maybe the elders will call the meeting right?
S7: But it's in the hands of the whole church to
S7: decide how to punish this man, or how to deal
S7: with this man. So, Ecclesia, that's the church as a whole.
S1: Okay. Mark's question. He says, I wonder if Jesus would
S1: have been the butt of attacks from all the people
S1: around him. There's Mary's kid. Who does he think he is?
S1: Thinks he's God and he's perfect kids his age. Maybe
S1: we're we're being compared to him. And I wonder if
S1: his earthly connection had to leave him lonely.
S7: Ah, you know what? I have wondered? This same thing myself.
S7: And so I was really pleased to be able to
S7: ponder it again and think about it. We don't have
S7: anything specific in Scripture about this question, but let's go
S7: to Luke two. You remember Luke two. Mary and Joseph
S7: take Jesus to Jerusalem. He's 12 years old, and they
S7: accidentally leave him there. And then two days later they're
S7: searching for him. And his mom says, son, you treated
S7: us so badly. Look, your father and I have been
S7: searching for you in great distress. He says to them,
S7: why were you looking for me? Did you not know
S7: I must be in my father's house? So I think
S7: from this experience it must have happened many other times
S7: with him that he was misunderstood, and it had to
S7: hurt him and other people. But of course he was
S7: simply being God in the flesh.
S1: You know, I think about this as well. And I wonder,
S1: you know, we are appropriately awed and consumed with the
S1: suffering of Jesus on the cross and that whole thing.
S1: But we forget about the rest of the suffering of Jesus.
S7: Oh, the rest of the suffering of Jesus. Of course,
S7: the cross is extremely important, but I do not want
S7: us to lose the rest. Let me mention a couple
S7: of examples, if you don't mind. Sure. Luke 19 Jesus
S7: is coming into Jerusalem. It's going to be the last
S7: week of his life. And as he comes up over
S7: the Mount of Olives, you've been there. You know what
S7: this looks like. He sees the city and he weeps
S7: over it. Really? Why? He says, because your judgment is coming.
S7: Armies will surround you and crush you to the ground,
S7: because you do not know the day of your visitation.
S7: That is the day when God, me, I come to
S7: visit you. So Jerusalem is going to face righteous punishment
S7: from God, but Jesus finds it sad. Oh, wow. Just
S7: think of the loneliness.
S1: You think of the late nights. You think of healing
S1: till the middle of the night. Practically is recorded in fatigue. Yeah.
S7: Oh, speaking of fatigue, we come to John four, right?
S7: And Jesus is at the well, sitting by the well,
S7: and he's thirsty and tired from the journey. Right? This is,
S7: by the way, folks, just in case you're wondering, fatigue
S7: is not a sin. Fatigue means you're human. Jesus is human.
S7: There are times when he was just dead tired.
S1: Foxes have holes, birds have nests. But the Son of
S1: Man has nowhere to lay his head.
S7: Yep. Absolutely.
S1: Sleeping out in the in nature. Wow. All right, let's
S1: squeeze one more question in here, if we can. From Janice,
S1: what is the significance of the red heifer for cleansing
S1: of any future temple? I've heard of a requirement for
S1: continuity of ashes and a search for old ashes to
S1: be mixed with new ashes of qualifying the present day
S1: red heifer. Your thoughts?
S7: Well, I'm not familiar, I have to admit, with modern
S7: Jewish practice to help answer this question, but I do
S7: know there are a few red cattle imported from Texas,
S7: and Israel is keeping them in the archaeological park near
S7: Shiloh for the very purpose of making the cleansing water
S7: that's mentioned in numbers 19. But if we actually go
S7: to numbers 19, it doesn't talk about these cleansing waters
S7: being used for the temple or for a new temple.
S7: It talks about these cleansing waters being used to cleanse
S7: a person who is ritually unclean, so that he can
S7: come before God, and that's all Scripture has to say
S7: about it. So I'm going to stop there.
S8: All right.
S1: Probably a wise course of action where Scripture is silent.
S1: So should we be, right? You know, if you've got
S1: a question for Doctor Peterman, it's welcome anytime. As I say,
S1: our email address is the land and the book at Moody's,
S1: the land and the book at Moody's. How long does
S1: it take to get an answer out of you?
S8: Uh, Ah.
S7: If I've had a good cup of coffee before your
S7: question arrives. Maybe 1 or 2 days. If I've been
S7: terribly fatigued, like Jesus by the. Well, maybe it's a week. Uh,
S7: but listeners sure love your questions. Please keep sending them.
S7: It's a joy to answer your questions.
S1: So up to a week. That's it. Which is, I think,
S1: pretty good service given your other responsibilities. Thank you for
S1: handling these questions and those to come at the land
S1: and the book at. Charlie Dyer's back with his devotional.
S1: It's a favorite segment for many here on the land
S1: and the book. Hope you've been enjoying today's program. This
S1: is the land and the book. I'm John Gager, and
S1: if you're new to the broadcast, this fourth segment brings
S1: us Charlie's devotional. Charlie, what's your goal for this slot?
S2: My goal is always to bring people to a spot
S2: in Israel, or to see something that's been uncovered there,
S2: and to tie it into the Bible, so that in
S2: the end, we understand the Bible better and know how
S2: to apply it to our lives.
S1: We're going to enjoy Charlie's devotional together after we first
S1: pause for a firsthand account from a listener who has
S1: spent time in the Holy Land.
S9: Hi, my name is Chris from Tampa, and I just
S9: wanted to say thanks. First, uh, to Charlie for your wisdom, patience,
S9: and humor also. And, um, I really enjoyed this trip.
S9: Every day seemed to get better, and, uh, it finally
S9: culminated at the end when we arrived in Jerusalem at
S9: the Mount of Olives and thinking where Jesus once walked.
S9: But it sent chills up my spine to think that
S9: that's where he's returning. And that was probably the most
S9: enjoyable part of the trip for me. Thanks.
S10: Hi, I'm Gerry from Tennessee. I found a few things
S10: to be rather emotional about this trip. First of all,
S10: when we figured out that we could actually make the trip,
S10: that was very emotional for me. When we actually arrived
S10: in Israel, that was the second emotional experience. Being on
S10: Mount Carmel was a great one because I've taught some
S10: of the Old Testament stuff, and that was a great
S10: thing to be there. The Sea of Galilee was a
S10: wonderful experience, but when we got Munir's song Jerusalem on
S10: the bus coming up the mountain, that topped it all.
S10: So good to be here.
S1: Now let's turn things over to our host, Charlie Dyer,
S1: for today's devotional.
S2: Thanks, John. You know, we're almost at the end of
S2: our series on 11 inscriptions to the Bible, and I've
S2: saved two inscriptions, the first in Greek and then the
S2: second in Latin for these final two weeks. To view
S2: today's inscription, though, we need to board the Orient Express
S2: because we're heading to Istanbul. Actually, the original Orient Express
S2: no longer runs, so we'll have to fly. So pack
S2: your bag, grab your passport. Let's zoom off into the
S2: exotic city of Constantinople. Our destination is the Istanbul Archaeological Museum. Now,
S2: this complex of museums actually house a collection of amazing
S2: archaeological finds discovered during the final century of the Ottoman Empire.
S2: And since the Ottomans ruled the Middle East, many of
S2: the early discoveries from what's now Israel are housed there.
S2: We need to climb several flights of stairs to reach
S2: our destination, but trust me, it's going to be worth it. And.
S2: And here we are. This floor houses everything from the
S2: geezer calendar, one of the earliest Hebrew writings ever discovered
S2: to the inscription found in Hezekiah's tunnel. But our destination
S2: is just beyond them. Now gather round. This limestone inscription
S2: is what I want to show you. As you look
S2: at it, I think you can tell it's written in Greek.
S2: And even if you've never studied Greek, you can still
S2: read some of the letters. In fact, look at the
S2: very end of the inscription. See what looks like the
S2: letters a, t, o. Those are actually the final letters
S2: of the Greek word thanaton. Now I see from the
S2: puzzled looks on your face, as you're not familiar with
S2: that word. Well, it's the Greek word for death. For example,
S2: euthanasia comes from the Greek words meaning good and death. Yikes.
S2: Here's a Greek inscription found in Jerusalem. And the very
S2: last word on it is death. Now, this plaque dates
S2: to the first century A.D., before the destruction of the
S2: city by the Romans. It was found in Jerusalem and
S2: brought to Istanbul. Which is why we came here to
S2: see it. But why would someone in Jerusalem set up
S2: a plaque written in Greek? One more word in the
S2: inscription might help. Look at the third line from the
S2: top toward the left. It looks like the letters t,
S2: o p. Now there are no spaces between words on
S2: this sign, so you need to know where to put
S2: the brakes. And in this case, it comes just after
S2: the first O or Omicron. The letter looks like a
S2: capital P, but it's actually the Greek letter rho, which
S2: is the r sound. In Greek we would spell the
S2: word I e r o n, but in Greek it's
S2: pronounced with an h sound in front. It's the Greek
S2: word Huron, and it means temple. The toe in front
S2: is the definite article. The plaque is talking about the temple.
S2: Of course, we know what temple was standing in Jerusalem
S2: just before the Romans destroyed the city. It was the
S2: Jewish temple we read so much about in the gospel accounts.
S2: But why was there a sign written in Greek, talking
S2: about the temple and mentioning death? Here's a translation of
S2: the whole plaque. No intruder is allowed in the courtyard
S2: and within the walls surrounding the temple. Whoever enters will
S2: be responsible for his own death. Ah, now it makes sense.
S2: This is one of the signs that was on the
S2: small barrier separating the court of the Gentiles from the
S2: inner part of the temple complex. It was written in
S2: Greek because Gentile visitors might not be able to read Hebrew.
S2: It served as a no trespassing for Gentiles sign. This
S2: was as close to the presence of God that Gentiles
S2: were allowed to get. Another partial copy of the sign
S2: was also found in Jerusalem. It's on display in the
S2: Israel Museum and it matches up with this one in
S2: terms of its message. No Gentiles allowed on threat of death.
S2: And here's where the story in acts 21 takes on
S2: new meaning. The apostle Paul took a group of four
S2: Jewish followers of Jesus to the temple to help complete
S2: their Nazarite vow. After going through ritual purification in a mikvah,
S2: Paul and the four entered the temple area. But at
S2: this point a case of mistaken identity arose. As Luke
S2: so kindly puts it, some of those in the temple
S2: had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him.
S2: They recognized Paul, but not his companions, and they assumed
S2: Paul had brought a group of Gentiles into the temple.
S2: They began crying out, Men of Israel, come to our aid.
S2: This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere
S2: against our people and the law and this place. And besides,
S2: he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has
S2: defiled this holy place. And you'll never guess what word
S2: is used there for temple in Acts 21. That's right.
S2: It's here on the same word that's on the Don't
S2: Trespass sign. The mob grabbed Paul, dragged him out of
S2: the temple proper into the court of the Gentiles, shut
S2: the door to the temple area, and Luke says they
S2: were seeking to kill him. Had the Roman soldiers not
S2: intervened when they did, Paul would have been put to death,
S2: just like the sign warned. Now, I do find it
S2: interesting that Paul's four companions weren't seized, just Paul. It
S2: almost seems as if Paul's opponents saw this as a
S2: good excuse to get rid of this person they saw
S2: as a troublemaker. It's time to leave. But what lessons
S2: can we take with us from this plaque? Threatening death
S2: to trespassing Gentiles? Perhaps the greatest lesson is realizing all
S2: that Jesus did in opening the way for us to God.
S2: In the first century, Gentiles could only get as close
S2: to the Holy of Holies as the barrier on which
S2: this plaque was affixed. Jewish women could get a little closer,
S2: but not much. Jewish men could go up to the
S2: altar of sacrifice, but no further priests could go up
S2: to the doors of the temple building itself. But then
S2: their way was blocked, except for a few who were
S2: allowed inside the Holy Place to perform the sacred rituals.
S2: And then, just one day a year, the high priest
S2: alone was allowed to briefly step behind the curtain into
S2: the Holy of Holies to sprinkle the sacrificial blood on
S2: the mercy seat. The closer one got to God, the
S2: more restricted the access. But then Jesus came along and
S2: opened the way to God through his own sacrificial death
S2: on the cross. The final complete sacrifice by the Lamb
S2: of God who took away the sin of the world.
S2: And that's why Matthew records that at the moment of
S2: Jesus's death on the cross, the curtain of the temple
S2: was torn in two from top to bottom. He opened
S2: the way into the very presence of God. But that
S2: access wasn't just for the Jews. Paul described the impact
S2: of Christ's death for both Jews and Gentiles when he
S2: wrote to the Gentile believers in Ephesus. But now in
S2: Christ Jesus, you who formerly were far off have been
S2: brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself
S2: is our peace, who made both groups into one and
S2: broke down the barrier of the dividing wall. The barrier
S2: that kept Gentiles out was torn down. If you put
S2: your trust in Jesus as your Savior, your access to
S2: God is no longer limited. Jesus's death on the cross
S2: guarantees that you can approach God without fear of death.
S2: The separation barrier represented by this sign no longer exists,
S2: and the curtain that blocked the entrance into God's presence
S2: was torn away. Now, as the book of Hebrews reminds us,
S2: we can draw near with confidence to the throne of grace,
S2: that we may receive mercy and find grace to help
S2: in times of need. And that's good news. I posted
S2: a photo of the Jerusalem Temple inscription that's on display
S2: in the Istanbul Museum on our Facebook page. If you'd
S2: like to see it, just head to Facebook and search
S2: for the land and the book.
S1: And I've been following those photos, Charlie. Lots of fun
S1: to look at them. Really drives this all home, but
S1: maybe you're still hanging on Charlie's idea of Jesus opening
S1: up for us the way to God. And you'd like
S1: some help? You'd like a friend to pray with you,
S1: maybe answer some questions that can happen for you right
S1: now with a phone call to 888 888. And with that,
S1: we're going to say thank you so much for joining
S1: us today. On behalf of our host, Charlie Dyer, our producer,
S1: Dan Anderson, I'm John Geiger. The land and the book
S1: is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody
S1: Bible Institute.