S1: How long should we keep on telling people about the Messiah? Jesus?
S1: Stay with me and we'll talk about that in just
S1: a moment. Hello, friends. Welcome to Open Line, Moody Radio's
S1: Bible study across America. My name is Michael Ray. I'm
S1: I guess I am no longer academic. Dean. I was
S1: about to say I'm the academic dean at Moody Bible Institute,
S1: but now I am a professor emeritus of Jewish studies
S1: and Bible at Moody Bible Institute. So glad to be
S1: with you today. So grateful to join you. Around the
S1: radio kitchen table. We're talking about your questions about the Bible,
S1: God and the spiritual life. If you have a question
S1: and you'd like to call the phone number, here is (877) 548-3675.
S1: Let me give you that again. It's (877) 548-3675. Tricia McMillan
S1: is in the producer's chair. Omar Mendoza is holding, is
S1: handling everything technically, and Rihanna is answering the phones. Again,
S1: let me give you the phone number. Now is the
S1: time to call. Always. At the beginning of the program,
S1: we're going to be talking about all sorts of questions
S1: about the Bible, God, and the spiritual life. And if
S1: you thought, hmm, I don't know if I can get through.
S1: Now is the time. Beginning of the hour is always
S1: the best time to call. There's a whole bunch of
S1: lines open. The number (877) 548-3675. So I was reading Matthew
S1: ten this week and wondering what the point was. And
S1: there's one verse in it, verse 23, that has all
S1: sorts of issues in it. And I've really kind of
S1: worked with it. And I think the answer is clear.
S1: And so here's what we want to talk about is
S1: Matthew ten is the summoning of the 12 disciples by
S1: the Lord Jesus. They are given authority and sent out
S1: to preach by the Lord Jesus. And he tells them
S1: to go, preach, and to serve him this way, to
S1: be obedient and faithfully proclaiming him. And then he tells
S1: them only to go to the lost sheep of the
S1: house of Israel. Verse six. And so this is directly
S1: given to the 12 disciples. They are told at this
S1: point only to go to other Jewish people, the lost
S1: sheep of the house of Israel. And he tells them
S1: how long they should stay, that that they should obediently
S1: keep telling others about the Lord Jesus. He says, we
S1: need to keep telling people about Jesus, even if people
S1: don't listen. He says that in verse 14, if anyone
S1: will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake
S1: the dust off your feet when you leave that house
S1: or town, and he goes on to the next town
S1: and keep speaking. And then he says, we need to, uh,
S1: keep telling people about Jesus, even if our family rejects us.
S1: That's what he said to the disciples in verse 21.
S1: He says, brother will betray brother to death a father,
S1: his child. Children will even rise up against their parents
S1: and have them put to death. You will be hated
S1: because of this. And so even if a family rejects us,
S1: we have to stay faithful and keep telling people about
S1: the Lord Jesus. Verse 22 says that even people from
S1: all over the place persecute us. You'll be hated by
S1: everyone because of my name. And then he tells us
S1: to endure to the end. So keep on proclaiming Jesus
S1: to others, telling others about Jesus. Even if people get
S1: mad at us. And then we come to verse 23,
S1: and this is the problem verse that people struggle with.
S1: He says, when they persecute you in one town, escape
S1: to another. For I assure you, you will not have
S1: covered the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
S1: And people have actually called open line with questions about
S1: this verse. What is it talking about there when it
S1: says you're going to all the towns of Israel, you
S1: won't have reached all the towns of Israel until the
S1: Son of Man occurs. Well, some people say that this
S1: is referring to the ascension of the Lord Jesus, that
S1: the Son of Man comes before the father. I think
S1: that's kind of pulled out of context and not really
S1: what this is about. Some people think it's talking about
S1: the Second coming, that Israel will never be reached. All
S1: the towns of Israel will never be reached before the
S1: Second Coming. That seems, uh, a little difficult because this
S1: is really directed to the the 12 disciples, and it
S1: doesn't seem like this is something Thing that that that
S1: makes sense to think it's the second coming. And then, uh,
S1: other people say, well, this is the Lord saying that
S1: you won't reach the all the towns of Israel until
S1: the Lord Jesus returns in judgment. That's the idea that
S1: he will return in judgment in A.D. 70. That seems
S1: a little far fetched as well. And, uh. I, I
S1: would be reluctant to say that. And then, uh, uh, finally,
S1: I have a different idea. I believe what this is
S1: saying is you will not have covered. He tells the
S1: 12 disciples that they will not have covered the towns
S1: of Israel before the Son of Man comes at the
S1: triumphal entry. That's when he presents himself to Israel as
S1: the Messiah. That's what the purpose of that Palm Sunday was.
S1: That's why they're saying save now. It's the presentation of
S1: the Messiah Jesus to Israel. And what is the Lord
S1: Jesus saying to the 12? He's saying you won't have
S1: completed the task even before I present myself to Israel.
S1: You still it just will go on and on. And
S1: the point of this is that, uh uh, he is
S1: saying that they are to keep being faithful even after
S1: they think their task is complete. They they haven't reached
S1: all the cities of Israel. The Lord Jesus now presents
S1: himself at the triumphal entry as the Messiah. Okay. We're done.
S1: We can stop. No. We can't. And I believe that
S1: there's two lessons right here. One, we have to keep
S1: proclaiming Jesus to everyone, even though it seems like, well,
S1: we've done the job. People know about this. Uh, no.
S1: He's going to return. And till then we keep preaching. Uh,
S1: but also, this is saying that they won't have reached
S1: all the the cities of Israel and and the villages
S1: and all the places where Jewish people are that they
S1: were reaching out to even after the triumphal entry, they
S1: won't have completed their task. And that tells me that
S1: we still need to tell Jewish people about Jesus. We
S1: need to keep proclaiming him, uh, until we see the Lord,
S1: until he either we die and go to be with him,
S1: or he returns at the rapture. That is what the
S1: promise here is. The the premise here is keep on
S1: telling people about Jesus. So opening question was how long
S1: should we keep on telling people about Jesus? We have
S1: to be faithful to the very end to keep on
S1: telling everyone everywhere we go about the Messiah, Jesus. Well,
S1: we are going to go to the phones before we
S1: talk to anyone. I did want to tell you about
S1: our new resource. Everyone is a teacher. Whether we are
S1: teaching a Sunday school class or a home group, or
S1: maybe our children, or in our homes, our our family,
S1: or maybe one on one meetings with someone, every one
S1: of us is called to teach God's truth to someone else,
S1: to teach God's Word. And that's where our current resource
S1: comes in. It's called Teaching to Change Lives. It was
S1: written by master teacher Howard Hendricks. Prof. Hendricks was my
S1: teacher at Dallas Seminary, and in this book, Teaching to
S1: Change Lives, he relates seven practical laws that will transform
S1: our approach to teaching. You'll discover how to teach heart
S1: to heart instead of head to head. It describes how
S1: to understand that maximum learning is the result of maximum involvement.
S1: It's so helpful. It's a book that really helped change
S1: my whole teaching approach when I became a teacher, and
S1: I think you're going to love it when you give
S1: a gift of any size. I'd like to send you
S1: a copy of Teaching to Change Lives, just to say
S1: thank you. If you'd like to give, call (888) 644-7122 or
S1: go to Open Line Radio. Org and remember when you
S1: give ask for Teaching to Change Lives by Howard Hendricks.
S1: And we're going to speak right now with Aretha and
S1: David together I guess in Florida listening on R&B. Welcome
S1: to Open Line Aretha. How can I help you today?
S2: Thank you so much, sir. My question is, um. When
S2: we die and go to heaven. Will I get to
S2: see my mom who's dead again? And I'll be able
S2: to just recognize her. Trish. Trish can generalize my question
S2: better than me.
S1: Yeah. Uh, will we recognize our loved ones by sight
S1: when we get to heaven? Is that what you're saying? Yeah.
S1: Your mom. Your mom, uh, knew the Lord and went
S1: to be with the Lord already?
S2: Yes, sir.
S1: Okay. Well, you know, there isn't a, uh, simple verse
S1: saying we'll recognize each other. There's some evidence that we
S1: have in Scripture that we will. For example, now this
S1: is here's the evidence in the story of Lazarus and
S1: the rich man. Right. You know that story, uh, Lazarus
S1: goes to be and is comforted by Father Abraham. And
S1: the rich man recognizes him. So they're both dead now.
S1: They're not in the same place. Lazarus is being comforted
S1: by Father Abraham. He's in his at Abraham's bosom. They're
S1: being comforted, but they recognize each other. They see each other.
S1: And then we have. And I know it's only a parable,
S1: but parables are based on real life settings, so we
S1: don't have to worry about that. Then, uh, the other
S1: evidence is at the rapture. It says that there's going
S1: to be a great reunion in first Thessalonians four, and
S1: it appears that we will recognize each other there. So
S1: I think that pardon me, Aretha.
S2: Oh, about to cry. That brings so much joy to
S2: my heart.
S1: Okay. It says that, uh, in first Thessalonians four, where
S1: it talks about those who have fallen asleep, it says
S1: the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout,
S1: with the archangel's voice, with the trumpet of God, the
S1: dead in the Messiah. The dead in Christ will rise first.
S1: Then we who are still alive will be caught up
S1: together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord
S1: in the air. And so we will always be together.
S1: We'll always be with the Lord. It appears that there's
S1: going to be this at the resurrection. At the rapture
S1: we will be together. And so there's a reunion there.
S1: It seems to me that even though our our disembodied,
S1: immaterial portion, our spirits, when we go to be with
S1: the Lord until the rapture, it appears that we'll recognize
S1: each other. It's it's a hint. And I know you're
S1: going to see your mom again. I feel confident of that.
S1: Someone once said to me, how will we recognize David?
S1: How will we recognize Abraham? How did how did anyone
S1: recognize anyone there? And the the answer, I said, I
S1: don't know, but maybe we get name tags. I don't know,
S1: but we will recognize. I think for sure we'll recognize
S1: our loved ones, people that we know already. So I
S1: hope that's a comfort to you, Aretha.
S2: It is sir. And my last name is Moody, and
S2: I know that coming from you off of Moody Radio
S2: is the name you can trust. So I'm good. I'm.
S2: I'm really.
S1: Okay. Great. Well, thanks for your question. And and I'm
S1: grateful that that's a comfort to you. It's a comfort
S1: to me, too, that I'll see my mom again. So. Well,
S1: we're going to take a quick break here. And when
S1: we come back, we'll talk more about your questions about
S1: the Bible, God and the spiritual life. There's a few
S1: lines open still here at the beginning of the program.
S1: So give me a call. The phone number (877) 548-3675. We
S1: want to talk with together about what the Scripture says.
S1: Stay with us. This is Michael Dolnick right here on
S1: Moody Radio on Open Line. Welcome back to Open Line.
S1: I wanted to say thank you. There are so many
S1: people who recently decided to become kitchen table partners. What?
S1: The whole thing with this kitchen table, I wonder? Some
S1: people call it. I mean, I've heard so many notes,
S1: people are sending me notes saying their breakfast table partners
S1: and their open table partners. The reason we picked Kitchen
S1: table Partners for this name is that when I became
S1: a leader of a congregation and began to disciple people,
S1: we didn't have a meeting place. We well, we met place.
S1: We rented a place to meet, but we didn't have offices.
S1: And so when I would do Bible studies or discipleship
S1: or things like that, people would come to my house
S1: and even I would sit with people around the, the
S1: regular kitchen table, and we would sit there and have
S1: a cup of coffee and study the Bible together. We
S1: hold Bible studies and groups, and I did elder training
S1: that way. And all this stuff that we did was
S1: around the kitchen table. And as a result of that,
S1: I actually have people that write me and they say, uh,
S1: I remember learning the word if they find me on
S1: Facebook or something like that, remember learning the word around
S1: your kitchen table? So when we started with Open Line,
S1: and I'd say we're sitting around the kitchen table because
S1: it reminded me of doing Bible study back in the
S1: day when I did it for all those years in
S1: our congregation in New York. And then when we began
S1: the program with people becoming partners with the program, we
S1: called them Kitchen Table Partners, people who listen regularly, they're
S1: part of the program. And also then there are people
S1: who give monthly and they're part of the team, and
S1: we appreciate them so much. Uh, they give monthly so
S1: we can be on the air every week teaching God's Word.
S1: And if you're interested in becoming a kitchen table partner.
S1: I so appreciate it. Appreciate all those who decided to
S1: do that. You know, what we do is we send
S1: out a Bible study moment every other week. It's a
S1: Bible study that's prepared exclusively for our kitchen table partners.
S1: It's it's an audio Bible study. You click on your
S1: your email, you get to listen to it. And it's
S1: short about 8 to 10 minutes about that. And we
S1: study the scriptures. We've been going through the book of
S1: Ephesians lately. And as we do that, hopefully it's encouraging
S1: you in the word. Uh, there are other things, you know,
S1: there's people who become kitchen table partners. They get a
S1: Tumblr that says Open Line. I think that's pretty cool.
S1: And then also, if you decide to become a kitchen
S1: table partner for $30 a month or more, you get
S1: this great benefit of 50% off everything in the Moody
S1: Publishers catalog, which is a great deal even including the
S1: Moody Bible Commentary. So anyway, if you'd like to become
S1: a kitchen table partner, boy, would we appreciate it. The
S1: phone number to call is (888) 644-7122. Or you can just
S1: go to open Line radio.org and sign up over there.
S1: Look for the link that talks about becoming a kitchen
S1: table partner. Now we're going to go right to the phones.
S1: Talk to Beth in Homerville Ohio listening on CRF. Welcome
S1: to Open Line Beth. How can I help you today?
S3: Well, we were having Bible study. We were talking about
S3: the sin of pride. And someone said Lucifer fell from
S3: heaven because of the sin of pride. And then we
S3: started saying, some of us, we've never seen the name
S3: Lucifer in the Bible. And so we all started hunting.
S3: We couldn't find even those who had seen it when
S3: they were kids. Finally, someone found it in King James.
S1: Where did they find it? In King James?
S3: I think I think as Isaiah 1412, I think.
S1: Exactly that's where it is exactly.
S3: So when did it got who put it in the
S3: King James Bible, and when did it get removed and why?
S1: Well, it's it's a Latin word. And in the King
S1: James Bible they just use the Latin word Lucifer for Morningstar.
S1: And so in in 1412 they translated shining Morningstar. How
S1: you have fallen from the heavens in the King James
S1: they called it Lucifer. How you have fallen from the heavens.
S1: They used they instead of, uh, using the The translation
S1: into English. They used a Latin proper name, which means
S1: morning star.
S3: Which means what?
S1: Morning star.
S3: Morning star.
S1: And so.
S3: Okay.
S1: So it's just a translation. They didn't translate it. They
S1: just used a Latin word for the same word.
S3: Oh, thanks a lot.
S1: Yeah.
S3: Okay, now I can report back. I've been telling.
S1: You.
S3: For a couple of weeks. Several weeks. Report back.
S1: Yeah, but when you read Morning Star, that's what Lucifer means. Uh,
S1: Isaiah 1412. Okay.
S3: Okay. Thank you.
S1: Sure. Okay. Thanks for the call. We're going to talk
S1: to Dewey in Ohio, listening on Wwtn. Welcome to Open Line, Dewey.
S1: How can I help you today?
S4: Good morning. Michael. This is one of these things we
S4: don't really need to know, but it's interesting. I was
S4: interested in your thoughts, uh, at the final or great resurrection. Uh,
S4: will the physical bodies of those who have never accepted
S4: God be resurrected or just cast out?
S1: Uh, it says that everyone will be resurrected, whether we're
S1: believers or not, in revelation at the Great White Throne judgment.
S1: Revelation 20 it says, I saw a great white throne,
S1: and one seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from
S1: his presence, and no place was found for them. And
S1: I saw the dead, the great and the small standing
S1: before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened,
S1: which is the book of life, and the dead were
S1: judged according to their works by what was written in
S1: their books. And the sea gave up its dead, and
S1: death and Hades gave up their dead, and all were
S1: judged according to their works. Death and Hades were thrown
S1: into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
S1: The lake of fire, and anyone not found written in
S1: the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
S1: So it appears that the, uh, even the lost will
S1: be resurrected for the Great White Throne judgment. And, uh,
S1: that's when they face, sadly eternal separation from God. Okay.
S4: That can't be a better answer than God's scripture. Thank you.
S1: Yeah, great. Glad glad that we talked. Uh, hey, let
S1: me just say I want to encourage you. That's not
S1: something just to take passively. When we read that, C.S.
S1: Lewis talked about how we're never talking to a mere mortal.
S1: We're talking to immortal beings, people who will live forever, uh,
S1: whether eternal glory or eternal horror. And that's why we
S1: need to remember that. And it's why I think we
S1: have to be. So, uh, we want to be tactful,
S1: but but also tactfully but bold about letting people know
S1: about the Lord Jesus doing our best to represent him
S1: well and to communicate the great truth that we can
S1: have a forever forgiven relationship with God. Uh, and be
S1: in his presence forever. So let's not lose sight of that. Uh,
S1: that that we're facing people who will live forever, either
S1: in God's presence or separated from him forever. And so
S1: let's keep proclaiming the good news. Uh, we're going to
S1: talk to Randall in Indianapolis right now. Uh, and, uh, uh,
S1: listening on WGN are welcome to open line. Randall, how
S1: can I help you today?
S4: Thank you. Michael.
S5: Thank you for taking my call. Um, my curiosity is,
S5: since God is omniscient, uh, why did he create mankind
S5: and give him free will. If he would know in
S5: advance that he was doomed for failure, and that we
S5: would need Jesus Christ to save us.
S1: Wait. This is a curiosity to you? Or do you
S1: think you know an answer on this?
S5: I don't know the answer.
S1: Okay. What if he. Let me just ask this question.
S1: What if he didn't create us with the ability to
S1: to choose obedience versus disobedience? If that's how he created
S1: Adam and Eve with that ability. What if he didn't?
S5: Yeah, I don't know. It seems like we would almost
S5: be robots.
S1: Exactly. We'd be nothing more than a a programmed computer.
S1: You cannot enter. I may use my computer, but I
S1: don't have a relationship with my computer. Although sometimes I
S1: do want to scream at it. But the the point
S1: of it is that we would be mere robots and
S1: God wanted beings who would enter into relationship with him,
S1: and it's a love relationship that comes with lovingly. Being obedient.
S1: And that's how we express our love. If you love me,
S1: you'll keep my commandments. Jesus taught. So, uh, it seems
S1: to me that that's a simple answer. That God knew
S1: everything but that he's going to redeem the earth. He's
S1: going to create a world in which evil has been overcome,
S1: and it will be a world in which people have
S1: been redeemed and have entered into that love relationship with
S1: him forever. So I believe that's why God did that. Uh, now,
S1: you know, why did that's that's his best. I can
S1: answer it because he wanted to have an actual relationship
S1: with humanity and not just program computers. Does that help?
S5: I completely agree with that. I guess my only question
S5: is being omniscient. He knew that we were going to
S5: continue to fail over and over again.
S1: Well, yeah, but that's why he sent the Messiah to
S1: redeem us. That's why the Messiah, Jesus, I mean, it
S1: talks about in Scripture that Jesus is the lamb slain
S1: before the foundation of the world. It's not like when
S1: Adam and Eve sinned that God said, oh no, what
S1: am I going to do now? Part of the eternal
S1: plan was to redeem humanity through the Messiah Jesus. Uh,
S1: God didn't say, oh, wow, I made a big mistake.
S1: I got to figure out some plan B to make
S1: it work. No, no, he knew all along how he
S1: was going to do that. And so he's that. That
S1: to me is part of the great plan of God,
S1: eternal redemption. So I think that makes better sense to,
S1: you know, I think what a greater evidence of God's
S1: love not to only love us if we are perfectly obedient,
S1: but to love us so much that even though we
S1: fail and fail and fail and fail. He still redeems us, uh,
S1: through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah. If
S1: you're feeling kind of like Randall, boy, we fail a lot.
S1: Now's the time to put your trust in Jesus and say,
S1: I can be forgiven from all those failures because Jesus
S1: died for me and rose again. We're going to be
S1: right back with the mailbag in just a moment. Trish
S1: is dragging it in right now. Stay with us. The
S1: Febc mailbag coming up straight ahead. Welcome back to Open Line.
S1: I'm Michael Renick and joining me right now for the
S1: Far Eastern Broadcasting Company mailbag. The Febc mailbag is Tricia McMillan.
S1: Far Eastern Broadcasting Company partners with Open Line to bring
S1: you the weekly Febc BBC mailbag. Febc is a wonderful organisation.
S1: They bring the good news to people via media and
S1: personal engagement. You should check out their podcast. It's called
S1: Until All Have Heard. You can find it on your
S1: podcast finder that you use on your smartphone or just
S1: go to. Org that's febc. And here is Tricia McMillan
S1: with the Febc mailbag. Right now she's running around. It's
S1: so heavy. She's having a hard time getting into the studio.
S1: There we go. Sorry. It's really been piling up. The
S1: summer is carrying a lot of a lot of these.
S1: We're going to have to do a mailbag program pretty soon.
S6: Yes we will.
S1: Yeah, I see that. We have a new team member
S1: here with us here on the open line team. And, uh,
S1: let's see. Who is that with you there? Tricia?
S6: This is my daughter, Maisy. She is eight, and, uh. Yeah. So, Maisie,
S6: can you say hi? Hi.
S1: Now she's your middle child.
S6: She's my youngest.
S1: She's the youngest. Oh, this is the one I. I
S1: actually remember when you were on maternity leave. Yes, for
S1: a while from the program.
S6: Yes. This is the one that I was pregnant with
S6: when I was producing. Yes.
S1: Yeah. Ah, there we go. Well. Hey, Maisie, how are you?
S6: Good.
S1: Good. So you came to work with your mom today,
S1: or did you come because you had a question?
S7: Um, I wanted to come with my mom because it's
S7: really fun when I come with her to Moody.
S1: Yeah. That's fun. But you also have a question, too, right?
S7: Yeah.
S1: What's your question, sweetie?
S7: Um, I read I read my Bible every day, and
S7: I memorized a lot of verses. But how do I
S7: study the Bible when I'm eight?
S1: When you're an eight year old, how do you study
S1: the Bible? Well, first of all, I just want to say,
S1: sounds to me like you really like to read. Do you?
S7: Yeah.
S1: Is that your favorite subject at school?
S7: Um, no. I like art and gym.
S8: You like art?
S1: Wow. What? What kind of art do you like the best?
S7: Um, maybe coloring or painting.
S1: That's great. Wow. Well, your mom is kind of arty.
S1: She's artsy, so it makes sense that you like art
S1: as well. Um, but how do you. First of all,
S1: I just want to commend you for reading. Reading the Bible,
S1: memorizing verses. Really important. Uh, I'd say that for you,
S1: as you read, you're going to get better at understanding
S1: as you read. But as an eight year old, the
S1: first thing you want to say is, as you read
S1: it is. Do I understand what this story is saying.
S1: Do I understand the details of the story? Do I?
S1: Or if it's not a story, then try. And the
S1: first thing I would do is try. And maybe if
S1: you're reading a paragraph, let's say in the book of Ephesians,
S1: one of the epistles or something like that, or even
S1: if you're reading a story, take the paragraph and see
S1: if you can write a paraphrase of it, or a
S1: simple explanation of what it is saying. Uh, just one sentence.
S1: This is what it's about. And then say, after you
S1: do that, this is what it's about. Then what you
S1: can do is say, what does God want me to
S1: learn from this? Is this teaching about avoiding sin? Is
S1: this teaching that God has a promise that I can claim? Uh,
S1: is this teaching me an example? Like when you read
S1: about Daniel refusing to to worship a false god. Uh,
S1: that instead he he risks everything. Uh, well, uh, is
S1: that a good example for me to follow? God at
S1: all costs? Uh, and then so is there a sin
S1: I should avoid? Is there a promise I should claim?
S1: Is there an example here I should follow? Is there
S1: a command that God is giving me here? Is there
S1: something that I should believe about, about the truth of
S1: God's Word? So there's five things you're asking yourself after
S1: you write that little synopsis, a little one sentence, what
S1: is this paragraph about? And then say, is there something
S1: I should avoid? A sin to avoid a promise, I
S1: can claim an example to follow, a command to obey,
S1: or something to believe that that's, uh, what you should
S1: do when you read it. Then That's so number one,
S1: write a summary. Number two, find how it fits in
S1: your life. And number three, talk to your mom. It's
S1: always helpful when you're learning how to read the Bible,
S1: to talk to your mom and say, this is what
S1: I think it's saying. This is what I think I
S1: should do about it. And then, mom, what do you think?
S1: And see if she'll help you with that. Okay.
S7: Okay. Thank you.
S1: Yeah, I think you're doing that already. I'm pretty. Pretty
S1: proud of you for doing all that reading. And keep memorizing, okay?
S1: It's going to be a. It's like. That's like putting
S1: money in the bank. You'll, as you memorize those verses,
S1: will be there for you for your whole life. That's great. So. Okay. Okay.
S1: Do we have any other questions here?
S6: Oh, we got lots. Lots. Always lots of questions. So
S6: our next question is from Jill in Ohio, listens to CRF.
S6: She works for two different Jewish families whom she loves,
S6: and they love her. She care takes for the mothers
S6: of those families who are in their 90s. She wants
S6: to know how to be the most effective witness to them.
S1: Well, Romans 1111 gives us the most basic truth about
S1: how to be a good testimony in to Jewish people.
S1: It says there that salvation has come to the Gentiles
S1: to make Jewish people jealous. That's what it actually says.
S1: To make them jealous. And so what we need to
S1: do is practice up. See the reason the gospel has
S1: come to the Gentiles to make Jewish people jealous is
S1: God took what was originally designed for the Jewish people,
S1: the good news of the Jewish Messiah. And when it
S1: was rejected, it was spread to the Gentiles. So Jewish
S1: people would want it back. And so what we have
S1: to do is represent the Lord really well. We have
S1: to be loving of Jewish people. Uh, I think expressing
S1: our love and concern for Jewish People is a is essential.
S1: That's where it starts. Obviously you're doing that already. Show
S1: an interest in what Jewish people have to say. Ask
S1: them about their holidays. Ask them. Ask Jewish people about
S1: what they're doing. Uh, right now, uh, in terms of, of, uh,
S1: their faith and how what they believe now. So be
S1: not just expressing your love, but express interest and then also, uh,
S1: live a life that they say, wow, this person has
S1: a real vital relationship with God. I always believe that
S1: the best way to talk to anyone, Jew or Gentile,
S1: is to love people until they ask you why. And
S1: so what I would say is be so loving, but
S1: raise a flag from time to time what I mean
S1: by raising a flag. You might say if you love someone,
S1: you're friends with them. You might say something about how
S1: God answered a prayer in your life or, uh, something
S1: that God provided for you, or some sort of way
S1: that God has worked in a great way in your
S1: personal walk with him. And as a result of that,
S1: when you raise that flag and you tell them, they're
S1: going to say so, you really believe God answers your prayers.
S1: You believe that God has a vital relationship with you
S1: as you raise that flag. Jewish people will respond, and
S1: then you should be prepared to be able to explain
S1: why you believe Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. You might
S1: even want to say, I'm believing in in what God
S1: promised you. Uh, the Jewish Messiah. And so that's what
S1: I would do in terms of dealing with your Jewish
S1: friends there, these people that you work with. Okay.
S6: All right. Thank you. Uh, next question is from nada,
S6: who wrote us on Facebook and wants to know if
S6: Messianic Jews should still observe and practice Jewish traditions and celebrations,
S6: which were looking forward to Jesus and became obsolete after
S6: his coming?
S1: Well, You know, it's, uh. It's, I think a mistake
S1: to say should. I think maybe the word should be could.
S6: Okay.
S1: You know, obviously, there's a lot of freedom in, uh,
S1: in the faith that, you know, I don't want to
S1: tell anyone what they should do other than they should
S1: believe in Jesus and obey his words. But when I
S1: read the the book of acts, and I look at
S1: the example of Paul, who is a Jewish believer and
S1: the apostle to the Gentiles, one of the things that
S1: I see is he always identifies as a Jew. And
S1: another thing that I see is that on his, uh,
S1: remember the the situation when they return to Jerusalem and, uh,
S1: they're told Paul goes to the temple with people to, uh,
S1: to offer a sacrifice for their vows. So he's still
S1: keeping a Jewish practice there? Uh, he says also, uh, in, uh,
S1: acts 18, uh, 18. It says he had taken a vow.
S1: He shaved his head at Cenchrea because he had taken
S1: a vow. Apparently, Paul was still using the Nazarite vow,
S1: even though he was a follower of Jesus. Uh, other
S1: places it talks about that. He observed Passover. It says
S1: that we sailed in acts 20. Says we sailed from
S1: Philippi after the days of the unleavened bread. So it
S1: seems that Paul observed Passover and waited till the end
S1: of Passover to continue on. Uh, he said he was
S1: hurrying in Jerusalem in Acts 20, hurrying to be in Jerusalem,
S1: if possible, for the day of Pentecost. He wanted to
S1: celebrate Pentecost, one of the celebrations. Shavuot. It's called in
S1: Hebrew for when Jewish people keep these holidays. Uh. Uh,
S1: it's the feast of weeks. That's what Shavuot is. And
S1: that's what Pentecost refers to. Uh, it even says in
S1: acts 28, uh, or 27, uh, that, uh, Paul, it
S1: says in acts 27, uh, verse nine, since the fast
S1: was already over, Paul gave this advice. And what this
S1: means is that Paul obviously celebrated the fast, which is
S1: another word for Yom Kippur. Now, all this it says
S1: in acts 2817, I believe it is that Paul says
S1: that he calls the leaders of the Jewish community together
S1: in Rome, and he says that he has done nothing
S1: against the, the, the customs of our fathers. So Paul says,
S1: I kept all the Jewish customs, uh, And and I
S1: think that's that's important to remember. Uh, and so here's
S1: the point. Could Jewish believers, like Paul keep Jewish holidays
S1: and Jewish feasts and things like that? Absolutely, yes. Uh,
S1: the other question is, do they keep them exactly the
S1: same way as before? No, I think we have to
S1: do something else. I think we have to have them mechanized.
S1: They have to focus on the Messiah who is the
S1: fulfillment of all these holidays. So, for example, when Paul
S1: kept the fast, uh, Yom Kippur, I'm sure he was
S1: fasting for his Jewish brothers to come to know Jesus,
S1: not for forgiveness of sins. And I would say the
S1: same thing when I keep Yom Kippur, I fast, and
S1: I use my time that day to pray for Jewish
S1: people to come to know the Messiah. Uh, when I
S1: celebrate Passover, I don't just celebrate redemption from Egypt, which
S1: is a great thing to celebrate, but also redemption from
S1: slavery to sin through the Passover Lamb, the Lord Jesus.
S1: So can we celebrate these holidays? Absolutely, yes. Uh, but
S1: they have to be mechanized, I believe, to reflect the
S1: truth that the Messiah has come.
S6: Okay. And it would not be wrong to celebrate these things.
S1: Oh, no.
S6: Okay.
S1: It enhances my faith to do so.
S6: Okay. Okay. Thank you for that question, Narda.
S1: Yeah. Well, we're going to take a break here. And
S1: when we come back, we'll take more of your calls
S1: right here on Open Line. That was Tricia McMillan. I'm
S1: Michael Ray. Stay with us. We'll be right back. And
S1: we're back. I am so glad to be with you today.
S1: Having a great time studying the scriptures. I did want
S1: to tell you about the CPM. Chosen People Ministries is
S1: offering something the CPM offer. Uh, so many of you
S1: call or write with questions like someone just did about
S1: how to talk about the good news with their Jewish friends,
S1: how to talk about the Messiah, Jesus. That was one
S1: of the questions during the Febc mailbag. How do they
S1: how do we share our faith with our Jewish friends?
S1: One of the best ways to do that is to
S1: help our friends understand that marvelous prophecy in the book
S1: of Isaiah, Isaiah 5213 through 5312 and. What that is
S1: talking about, some people call it just Isaiah 53. Uh,
S1: and so Chosen People Ministries is offering a book called
S1: Isaiah 53 explained. And as you read that booklet, you'll
S1: be able to get a better grasp of what that
S1: prophecy foretold about the Messiah Jesus. And you could use
S1: that as you talk to your Jewish friends, or you
S1: can just pass it on to your Jewish friends. Uh,
S1: just give them that booklet. If you'd like a free
S1: copy of this book called Isaiah 53 explained. Go to
S1: our website. That's Open Line radio.org. Scroll down till you
S1: see the link that says A free gift from Chosen
S1: People Ministries. Click on that. You'll be taken to a
S1: page where you can sign up for your very own
S1: copy of Isaiah 53 explained. And we're going to talk
S1: with Catherine in Grand Rapids, Michigan, listening on NRB. Welcome
S1: to Open Line, Catherine. How can I help you?
S9: Thank you. I need wisdom. Um, I live in a home,
S9: and I talk and I share Christ whenever I can.
S9: And I was talking with one of the employees who is.
S9: I don't know for sure if she is a believer
S9: or not, but she was questioning. I don't know for
S9: sure if she even studies if they even study very thoroughly,
S9: like in revelation. And I have your commentary. You sent
S9: it to me a long time ago and I love it.
S9: And thank you very much. And and she questioned, um, unbelievers,
S9: the degree of punishment. And I see, like in chapter 20,
S9: The Great White Throne. And I didn't have my Bible
S9: with me and I needed it. And so I'm going
S9: to go back with her and talk with her and depth. But, um,
S9: it tells me not to get confused with the Great
S9: White Throne and the Judgment Seat of Christ, where believers
S9: are judged for our service. And it tells, um tells me.
S8: Catherine, do you have a question?
S9: Um, yes. I, I need wisdom to be able to
S9: explain this all to her easily. And I don't know exactly, um,
S9: how you know, to do that if she does not,
S9: you know, even know anything about revelation.
S8: Well, you know what? Here's the thing.
S1: I would start with. If she doesn't know about the
S1: book of revelation and she doesn't know anything about the judgment,
S1: I would start with this. I would start by talking
S1: to her about how to avoid judgment before God one day,
S1: that God doesn't want to, uh, separate from her or
S1: have her separated from him for all eternity, that he
S1: wants her to be forgiven forever. And I would start
S1: by explaining the good news, uh, which is found Right
S1: at the beginning of First Corinthians 15, where it talks
S1: about that Jesus died for our sins and rose again.
S1: That's where I would start with her. And then after
S1: she says, okay, I understand that. Invite her to believe.
S1: And if she believes after that, you can talk to
S1: her about those other judgments. Okay. But I would start
S1: with how to be forgiven. That just sounds to me
S1: more like that would be her level. Okay, Catherine, you
S1: go to the gospel first. Okay.
S9: Okay. Okay. Yeah. And also, um, real quick, I can
S9: throw this in. Um, I have another, um, person that
S9: I that has shared with me that she is, um,
S9: taught that there is no hell, that God is only
S9: of love.
S1: Mhm. Well, she's mistaken. Does she. Does she know the Lord?
S9: I don't know for sure. Or not.
S1: Well, here's the thing. Uh, the Bible is God's word.
S1: And I would just say, well, you may think that,
S1: but the Bible says something differently. The Bible says that
S1: we're all going to stand before God one day and that, uh,
S1: we will either be there forgiven because of what Jesus
S1: did for us taking the punishment we deserved, or we
S1: can stand on our own merit, which doesn't leave us
S1: with any hope at all. So I would just again,
S1: when these people say these things to you, go back
S1: to the gospel. Explain what the Bible says and it's
S1: up to them whether they want to keep, you know,
S1: respond to it, obey it, believe it. But all our
S1: job is to point them back to the gospel. That's
S1: what I would do. Catherine, uh, keep it simple. Talk
S1: to them about the good news. The good news isn't
S1: that there's judgment coming. The good news is that Jesus
S1: died taking the punishment we deserved and rose again. And
S1: by believing in him, we can be exempt from eternal judgment. Instead,
S1: be forgiven forever. So I hope that helps, Catherine. Uh.
S1: And I can't believe it. The first hour is over.
S1: Right here on Open Line. But a second hour is
S1: coming up on most of these stations. So I hope
S1: you'll check that out. If your station doesn't carry it,
S1: you can always listen online. Or you can check out
S1: the podcast. Or you can also get the Moody Radio App.
S1: Bible Study across America will continue in just a moment,
S1: so stay with us. Open line with Doctor Michael Ray
S1: is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody
S1: Bible Institute. We'll be back soon, so stay with us.