S1: Why should we read the Bible every day? Is it
S1: because it's great literature? Well, it's much more than that.
S1: Stay with me and we'll talk about that in just
S1: a moment. Hello, friends. Welcome to Open Line with Michael
S1: Dolnick Moody Radio's Bible Study Across America. I'm Michael Ray Dolnick.
S1: I'm the academic dean and professor of Jewish studies and
S1: Bible at Moody Bible Institute. I'm so grateful that you're
S1: joining me around the radio kitchen table, and we're talking
S1: about your questions about the Bible, God, and the spiritual life.
S1: If you have a question and you'd like to call
S1: the phone number here is (877) 548-3675. That's (877) 548-3675. And it's
S1: always a good time to call right at the beginning
S1: of the program because people say, how do I get on?
S1: And it's always busy. Well, the best way call right now. (877) 548-3675.
S1: With your question about the Bible, God or the spiritual life.
S1: Terry Haines is our producer today. Omar Mendoza is our
S1: tech guy. Lisa is answering the phones again. The phone
S1: number here. (877) 548-3675. It's time to get yourself a cup
S1: of coffee. Open your Bible. We're about to study the
S1: scriptures together. You know, every week I open. Every week
S1: I actually close Open Line our Bible study across America
S1: by saying, keep reading the Bible and we'll talk about
S1: it next week. Why do I play such a value
S1: on reading the Bible regularly? The simple answer is that
S1: the Bible is inspired. It's God's word to us. A
S1: key verse about inspiration is found in second Timothy 316.
S1: All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching,
S1: for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. The phrase
S1: all Scripture is inspired by God highlights three important principles. First,
S1: the scriptures themselves are inspired, not the authors of the Bible.
S1: Although the authors of the Scripture were said to be
S1: moved by God's Spirit. In Second Peter 121 and more
S1: about that in a moment, Paul writes to Timothy that
S1: it's the Bible itself that's inspired, which literally means God
S1: breathed the single word. The word God breathed indicates the
S1: Bible comes from God, that God exhaled the scriptures into being.
S1: When we read the word inspired, we may think it
S1: means breathing into something. Rather, this verse is saying that
S1: God breathed out the scriptures. The very words we read
S1: in the biblical text are breathed out by God. They
S1: don't become inspired when we read them and find something
S1: of value for our lives. The text of Scripture stands
S1: as God's Word even if we don't read it. But
S1: of course we should second the entire Bible. The entire
S1: Bible is inspired. The scriptures are God's Word in their entirety.
S1: Some people say that when Paul wrote Second Timothy 316
S1: about the scriptures being inspired, he was only referring to
S1: the Old Testament as that was what was all that
S1: was written at that point. And he didn't mean the
S1: New Testament. But in his previous letter to Timothy, in
S1: first Timothy, Paul said, For the Scripture says, you shall
S1: not muzzle the ox while he is threshing, and the
S1: laborer is worthy of his wages. That's in first Timothy 518.
S1: What's so significant about that verse? Paul is quoting two
S1: verses of Scripture here, both calling about Scripture, one from
S1: Deuteronomy 25 four. That's in the Old Testament and the
S1: other from Luke ten seven in the New Testament. He
S1: calls them both Scripture. It's likely that the Gospel of
S1: Luke was only written about five years before Paul's quotation
S1: of it as Scripture. At about the same time, Peter,
S1: the acknowledged leader of the apostles, wrote in Second Peter
S1: 316 that Paul wrote about salvation. Here's the quote in
S1: all his letters, in which there are some matters that
S1: are hard to understand. The untaught and unstable twist them
S1: to their own destruction, and they all, as they do
S1: also with the rest of the scriptures. This shows Peter
S1: considered Paul's letters to be Scripture. Here's my point. By
S1: the time Paul wrote Second Timothy 316 and said All
S1: Scripture is inspired, he meant the whole Bible was inspired,
S1: including both Old and New Testaments. Here's the third principle.
S1: God's Holy Spirit moved human beings to produce the Bible.
S1: The Bible verse describing how God used human authors to
S1: write the books of the Bible is second Peter 121.
S1: For no prophecy was ever made by an act of
S1: human will. But men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke
S1: from God. The Holy Spirit empowered people to write Scripture
S1: by moving them, or bearing along human authors to speak
S1: and by inference, to write their words down. The word
S1: translated moved. It's ferro in the Greek is used also
S1: in acts 2715, about a ship being driven by the wind.
S1: In the same way, the wind bears a sailboat along.
S1: So the Holy Spirit moved the human authors to write
S1: the Bible. This explains the various writing styles and different
S1: perspectives of biblical authors. Just as the same wind can
S1: bear differing ships with different kinds of sails along in
S1: different ways, so the Holy Spirit can move writers with
S1: unique personalities and different styles to write down God's words.
S1: It's not the holy. It's not that the Holy Spirit
S1: dictated to human authors. Rather, there was a confluence of
S1: work between the human author and the divine author. The
S1: human author wrote using his own personality, style, message, even
S1: his own understanding, while being moved by the Holy Spirit.
S1: At the same time, the work of the spirit guaranteed
S1: the accuracy and truth of that message. It made the
S1: Bible inerrant. And we'll talk about that next week. Here's
S1: a simple idea. Since God gave us his inspired word,
S1: we should read it. My friend Larry, who leads a
S1: messianic congregation in California, has read the Bible faithfully every
S1: day for 53 years now. Every day. I tease him
S1: about being an obsessive compulsive person, but the truth is
S1: really different. He says when he first became a follower
S1: of Yeshua Jesus the Messiah in January of 1972, someone
S1: told him that the Bible is God's Word. He thought,
S1: how many people are longing to hear from God, to
S1: guide their lives, to understand why the world is the
S1: way it is or what the future holds? And then
S1: he thought, I can hear from God every day by
S1: reading His Word daily. And that's why he committed himself
S1: to reading the scriptures every day. That sounds like a
S1: great example for us to adopt as well. I hope
S1: that gave you some encouragement about the Bible. And you
S1: know what made me think about talking about this today
S1: is that we're, uh, we've got a great, uh, offer
S1: for you. Uh, a great resource. Uh, it's it's just
S1: really outstanding. It's called The Story of the Bible. It's
S1: written by Doctor Jay Carlini, a friend of mine. Have
S1: you ever wondered how he got the Bible that we
S1: read today? How the ancient manuscripts became a book? Well,
S1: the story of the Bible is a journey that we
S1: can go on as we read this book about how
S1: the scriptures develop from divine inspiration that I just talked
S1: about To transmission to modern translations. Doctor Lainey shows how
S1: God worked through human authors and scribes and translators to
S1: give us his written word. I believe this book will
S1: deepen our confidence in the Bible's reliability, while answering a
S1: lot of the questions that we all have about where
S1: the scriptures came from. So the reason we're offering this
S1: is as a way to say thank you for your
S1: gift of any size to open line. And we would
S1: so appreciate that. You know, your gifts that you send
S1: really keep open line on the air. And we really
S1: appreciate it. And we want to say thank you by
S1: sending you a copy of The Story of the Bible.
S1: If you'd like a copy, it's yours. When you give
S1: a gift of any size, just go to our website,
S1: Open Line radio.org or call (888) 644-7122. That's 47122. Okay. We're
S1: going to go to the phones right now and talk
S1: to Robert in Fort Lauderdale, Florida listening on RMM. Welcome
S1: to Open Line Robert. How can I help you today?
S2: Yeah. Hi. How are you? Um, I got a question on, uh.
S2: I'm sorry, not numbers 24 seven. Um, it's an oracle
S2: of Balam. And in mid section it says in his
S2: king shall be higher than Agag. I'm a little confused
S2: because it seems like numbers was written like Samuel. Uh,
S2: Agag is mentioned in first Samuel. And I was surprised
S2: to see it mentioned here. And isn't that these aren't
S2: contemporary books. Didn't isn't this way before Agag was born.
S2: Can you explain that?
S1: Yeah.
S2: It's, uh, Matthew Henry doesn't mention anything about my question.
S1: It's a prophecy. It's an oracle, and it's tough. There
S1: was no king in Israel, and yet this is a
S1: king that will come from Jacob. And clearly, if we
S1: read the Hebrew text as it is, it's his king
S1: will be higher than Agag. Agag being the king that, uh,
S1: Saul was supposed to put to death from the Amalekites.
S1: And when he didn't, he lost the kingship. And then he,
S1: Agag was, uh, removed. And who became king instead of Saul,
S1: who was higher than Agag? This would be a prophecy
S1: of David. Okay, I hate wait. You know, Robert, I'm
S1: not done. Sorry. One minute. Here's the thing. I think
S1: it should say his king shall be higher than Gog.
S1: If you look at the version of the Samaritan Pentateuch
S1: or the Greek Septuagint, It doesn't say Agag. It says Gog.
S1: And Gog is not someone that we know in history.
S1: He's mentioned in Ezekiel 38. He's the end time enemy
S1: of Israel and the king that will defeat him and
S1: be higher than him is the messianic king. So I
S1: think the based on the variant reading this is a
S1: prophecy of the Messiah. And it says if we read
S1: it that way, his king will be greater than Gog,
S1: and his kingdom will be exalted. And so this is
S1: talking about the messianic king. And it's interesting because in
S1: Ezekiel 3817, when it talks about Gog, here's what it says. Uh,
S1: are you the one I spoke about in former times
S1: through my servants, the prophets? And really, there's no other
S1: place where Gog is mentioned previous to this except in
S1: numbers 24 over seven. So I think Ezekiel is talking
S1: about numbers 24 over seven. So.
S2: Right.
S1: Okay.
S2: Explained it. Thank you.
S1: Okay. Thank. Thanks for your call. We're going to take
S1: a break here. And when we come back, uh, we'll
S1: talk with you. You can always call (877) 548-3675. That's the
S1: phone number to call. And we'll talk about your question
S1: about the Bible, God or the spiritual life. Looking forward
S1: to talking with you in just a moment. This is
S1: Michael Ray Dolnick on Open Line. We'll be right back.
S1: Welcome back to Open Line. So glad to be with
S1: you today. My name is Michael Ray Dolnick. We're talking
S1: about the scriptures together. Your questions about the Bible, God,
S1: or the spiritual life? Phone number here. (877) 548-3675. You know,
S1: it is an amazing thing. I did want to say
S1: thank you to everyone. Uh, a lot of these stations
S1: that are listening, you're listening on right now participated in
S1: Moody Radio Share spring 2025 and the Open Line, uh,
S1: audience was amazingly generous, and we are really, really grateful
S1: for that. And I am grateful. I'm grateful for everyone
S1: that's part of the team. And, uh, I, I wanted
S1: to mention those of you who are part of the team,
S1: our kitchen table partners, who generously give every month so
S1: that we can be on the air every week answering
S1: listener Bible questions. I really appreciate all that you do. Uh,
S1: it's really part of a team work here. And I
S1: know some of you are being part of the team
S1: is just listening. And I appreciate that too many of you. Listen,
S1: some of you have even given occasionally because you think, ah,
S1: you know, that that premium, that that current resource is
S1: just the thing I want, and I appreciate that as well.
S1: That's why you give. But I was wondering if if
S1: Open Line is a program that really ministers to you
S1: and helps answer your questions, and it's something that's significant
S1: for your your walk, would you consider becoming a kitchen
S1: table partner, giving monthly so that we can continue being
S1: on the air every week? Uh, if you do, one
S1: of the things that we do, Tricia and I produce.
S1: Our producer, Tricia, and I produce a Bible study moment
S1: every other week. It comes in your email, you click
S1: on it and you get to hear, uh, a Bible study.
S1: Right now we're going through Ephesians one about the work
S1: of the father, son, and the Holy Spirit in our salvation.
S1: It's it's a lot of fun for us to provide,
S1: and we're really grateful for the responses that that people
S1: give us when they hear it. So we do the
S1: Bible study moment. The other thing that people want to
S1: know about being a kitchen table partner. I certainly don't
S1: want to tell you how much you should commit to,
S1: but people who commit to $30 or more every month
S1: get to go to the Moody Publishers catalog and and
S1: get 50% off on everything on that catalog. That's a
S1: great deal. Uh, and there's some really great works. Uh,
S1: I don't want to mention only the ones there are
S1: great works other than even the ones that I've participated in.
S1: So I think that people can really get some great,
S1: great tools on the Moody Publishers, uh, catalog right there.
S1: So if you if you're interested in becoming a kitchen
S1: table partner, we'd appreciate it. The phone number to call
S1: is 6447122. And the or you can go to open
S1: line radio.org. Of course. And you can become a kitchen
S1: table partner there. We're going to go right back to
S1: the phones now. We're going to talk to Charlene and Laurel,
S1: Mississippi listening on WMU. Welcome to Open Line. Charlene, how
S1: can I help you today?
S3: Well thank you. I was the caregiver of my mother.
S3: And after she passed, I had some extra time. So
S3: I went to a synagogue on Sabbath to pray. Now,
S3: I'm a devout Christian, and I fell in love with
S3: Jewish prayer from the siddur, especially Shema, Shemoneh Esrei and
S3: the Kaddish. I just wanted to know if you ever
S3: pray prayers from the siddur and how you adapt them
S3: as a Christian.
S1: Well, yeah, I have used, uh, the siddur particularly. There's
S1: a messianic, some of our messianic congregations, uh, uh, use
S1: the siddur, a messianic siddur that uses these traditional prayers
S1: but adapts them theologically. I think that's something that's really important.
S1: I have another friend who's a very, very learned PhD,
S1: leader of a messianic synagogue, and he uses a traditional siddur.
S1: But because he's very capable, he's able to do adaptations
S1: of it, uh, to so that it fits his, his
S1: teachings of the Bible fully with Jesus being the Messiah.
S1: And so, uh, there are also some things that people misunderstand, like,
S1: for example, you mentioned the Kaddish, right? A lot of
S1: people think that's a prayer for the dead. If you
S1: read the words, it's just a prayer that people who
S1: are grieving, who have lost a loved one say for
S1: a year. But it's really about glorifying God. It's a
S1: way of daily glorifying God and saying, even though I've
S1: lost this loved one, I glorify you, God, that it's
S1: trusting your sovereignty and and and your greatness. Uh uh,
S1: glorified and sanctified be his great name. You know, that's
S1: how it opens. And so.
S3: Praise.
S1: Yeah. And so it's not really a prayer for the dead.
S1: It's a praise by the living to the sovereignty of God.
S1: That's what it's about. So there's a lot of really
S1: good things in there. Uh, there are some things that
S1: I probably would say have to be careful about. Much
S1: of it is the Psalms. Uh, and so but you
S1: have to do it critically, because every now and then, like,
S1: there'll be a, there's the Anima Amin, the I believe
S1: with perfect faith. And there are many things God can't
S1: take human form in there in that one. Uh, it's
S1: so God can't become a man. It denies the incarnation. Uh,
S1: I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah,
S1: implying that he hasn't come yet. Uh, so you have
S1: to be very careful when you're in some prayers. like
S1: the Anima Amin, because I think about nine out of
S1: the 13 articles of faith that are listed there. Uh,
S1: we would we would struggle with as followers of Jesus. So, uh,
S1: I think it's really important that you do it critically.
S1: Maybe one of the best things to do is find
S1: a really good messianic siddur, uh, that already has done
S1: the critical, uh, contextualization that you're looking for. Okay, Charlene.
S3: I appreciate this. Thank you.
S1: Yeah. Thanks so much for your call. Uh, and, uh,
S1: Maria in Lakeland, Florida, listening on 91.1 FM. Wmnf. Welcome
S1: to Open Line. How can I help you today?
S4: Well, I just have a question about the resuming of
S4: the Passover celebration in Second Chronicles, chapter 30, verse 26.
S4: It attributes it to Hezekiah, but then in Second Kings
S4: chapter 23, verse 22, it attributes it to Josiah. So
S4: I know there are no contradictions in the Bible. So
S4: I'm just wondering why Hezekiah and Josiah were each attributed
S4: to resume this Passover celebration.
S1: Well, think about the chronology. Uh, Hezekiah who became king
S1: after him?
S4: Oh, I'm not sure.
S1: Okay. Well, the it was the longest reigning king in
S1: Judah's history. Uh, King Manasseh, if you read.
S4: Oh.
S1: That's right. You've got Hezekiah. Uh, Hezekiah restores the Passover
S1: in Second Chronicles. But then King Manasseh comes along. He's
S1: 12 years old when he becomes king, and he was
S1: reigned 55 years. Longest reigning king and his mother's name
S1: was Hephzibah, it says, and he did what was evil
S1: in the Lord's sight, imitating the detestable practices of the
S1: nations that the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites. He
S1: built the altars of the Baalim, the the bails, Baal gods,
S1: and the Asuras. Uh, and he he put them in
S1: the temple. He he brought pagan worship, Canaanite pagan worship
S1: into the holy Temple in Jerusalem.
S4: Mhm.
S1: Guess what he didn't do. He didn't keep up his
S1: father's work of keeping Passover.
S4: Okay.
S1: And then Josiah comes along. His son. Now Manasseh does repent.
S1: We know that from second Chronicles. Uh, but dies very
S1: shortly thereafter. And, uh, which gives us great hope for
S1: people who do, who ignore God, who resist him, who
S1: rebel against him. And yet at the end of life,
S1: they can turn to him and they are forgiven. And
S1: Manasseh was forgiven. However, it took his son Josiah to
S1: once again restore the Passover. That's what it's talking about
S1: in Second Chronicles 20. Second Kings 23.
S4: Second restoration. Yep. That's it. Okay. Okay. Well, I appreciate that.
S1: Yes, sir. Okay. Thanks for your call. Sure, I appreciate it. Uh,
S1: we're going to talk to Jody, listening on Wmbi in Chicago.
S1: Welcome to Open Line, Jody. How can I help you?
S5: I have a nephew who is questioning me about. He
S5: keeps telling me the Jewish people because I tell them,
S5: you know, he's not happy what's going on with the
S5: Jewish people? And he thinks they're very corrupt. And I
S5: keep telling him, but the Bible tells us to pray
S5: for them. And he's telling me that the Bible, the
S5: Jewish people today are not the same people from the Bible,
S5: and I don't know how to respond to that.
S1: Well, uh. First of all, you know what's driving his opinion, right?
S5: Um, I'm he's doing he keeps talking about the Talmud
S5: and just how evil the Jewish people are.
S1: That's that's what I'm saying. So do you know what's
S1: driving that? This is called anti-Semitism or hatred of the
S1: Jewish people. You can go all the way back in time.
S1: And one of the things that's most specific is the
S1: Jewish people, for example. Uh, well, you don't have to
S1: go very far. The Nazis said the same thing. The
S1: Jewish people were corrupt. They said it was biologically, uh,
S1: made them corrupt. It was the the actual biology, but
S1: they weren't the Jewish people of the Bible, that they
S1: were somehow different. British Israelism says, well, actually it's the
S1: the white Anglo-Saxon Protestants who are the the Jewish people. Well,
S1: first of all, if you look at history, no other
S1: people has been as persecuted throughout time. Who else would
S1: want to call themselves the Jewish people if, if that
S1: were the case? Uh, really going since the second century,
S1: Jewish people have been persecuted. Secondly, other people say, well, no,
S1: they're actually a Ukrainian people that adopted Judaism in in
S1: the Middle Ages. That's been disproven because genetic studies have
S1: shown that the European Jews, the Jewish people from Central
S1: and Eastern Europe have the same genetic code as the
S1: Jewish people from the Mediterranean world. From the Sephardim. Uh,
S1: the the people who are there. So it's just false,
S1: but it's driven by hatred of the Jewish people. And
S1: it's unfortunate. And I'm glad you don't share his views. So, uh,
S1: I hope that helps. We can talk more about it
S1: another time, if you like. We're going to be right
S1: back with the mailbag. The Febc mailbag. This is open
S1: line with Michael Zelnick. Stay with us. Welcome back to
S1: Open Line with me, Michael Zelnick. And I am so
S1: glad that it's time for the Febc mailbag. Far Eastern
S1: Broadcasting Company is a wonderful ministry that brings the gospel
S1: to people through media around the globe and also through
S1: personal contact as well. A lot of times people think
S1: it's just broadcasting the message, but there are people who
S1: actually follow up and reach out to those who are
S1: responding to the media. It's a terrific organization. Check out
S1: the Febc podcast called Until All I've Heard, featuring Ed Cannon,
S1: the president of Febc. By going to the Febc. Org
S1: website febc.org and Far Eastern Broadcasting Company. It's something you'll
S1: really be interested in if you listen to that podcast.
S1: And now joining me for the Febc mailbag is Teairra
S1: hey Teairra Haines.
S6: Good morning Michael. How are you today?
S1: I'm doing great. It's good to see you. So we've
S1: got a bunch of questions that have come in. I
S1: think it's important for people to know how to send
S1: their question. They think, where did these come from? I
S1: think it's a good idea to go to the Open
S1: Line radio.org website. Our website. Open line radio.org. You can
S1: check out everything that's there. Uh, and one of the
S1: things that you'll see there, it says ask Michael a question.
S1: Click on that and fill out the form. And you
S1: will be able to have your question added to the mailbag.
S1: Just like these that we're going to talk about right now.
S6: So wonderful. Yes, that's exactly what Wayne did. Wayne from
S6: Minnesota listening through CFRB. He says, I am 70 years
S6: old and still work part time. Out of curiosity, are
S6: there any scriptures related to retirement?
S1: I am not aware of any scriptures related to retirement.
S1: I know that many times when we look at the, uh,
S1: the list of the kings, when we look at the, the,
S1: the mysterious numbers of the Hebrew kings as Thiele called it.
S1: I think. Who wrote the book about that? There did
S1: appear to be times when people got to a certain age,
S1: and they established a co-regency to reduce the amount of
S1: work they were doing as they got older, but not
S1: that they quit working. Uh, so I don't think that
S1: the Bible ever talks about retirement, but that doesn't mean that,
S1: for example, we can officially retire. I would say, uh,
S1: the reason I would say that is it's part of
S1: the governmental responsibilities. It will change the work that we
S1: do if we retire. But I don't think anyone of
S1: us ever retires from the Lord's service. We might change
S1: how we do it. Uh, every person, I mean, you
S1: can keep working, you know, whatever you want to do.
S1: There are a lot of different jobs that people do
S1: part time after their official retirement, but I. I think
S1: we're 100% the Lord's. And we while when we retire
S1: we may shift and do something different. We're always serving
S1: the Lord. I love it. I was talking with Joe Stoll,
S1: former president of Moody Bible Institute. He was the president
S1: of another university. And when he finally retired from that position,
S1: he said, I didn't retire from God's kingdom. I just
S1: retired from that position. And I loved it that when
S1: Mark Jobe, our president, approached him about being an ambassador
S1: for Moody and an advisor to him, Joe accepted that
S1: part time position because we love him and he's so
S1: part of Moody, and he didn't retire from the kingdom.
S1: This enabled him as he was seeking God's direction. What's
S1: the next kingdom work I'm going to do? And and
S1: that was it. Because we never retire from the kingdom
S1: of God. I would say I love that.
S6: Thank you so much. Thank you. We also.
S1: By the way, you haven't retired yet, have you, Teairra?
S6: Oh, not not at all. I have quite a few
S6: years before I retire or redirect my purpose.
S1: Yep. That's it.
S6: Yes, yes, we have Deb from Facebook. Is there a
S6: good reference book to learn more about Israel from its
S6: beginning to today in political, geographical, spiritual and cultural ways?
S1: You know, it would be nice if there was just
S1: one book. Uh, I'm not sure there is one book
S1: that does that. I think if you want to understand
S1: biblical Israel, a good history, that kind of takes us
S1: through the Bible. I'm not, you know, I don't know
S1: if she's referring here from its beginning to today. I
S1: there's a lot of books that you could read. There's
S1: a History of Israel by Leon Wood. There's a Kingdom
S1: of Priests by Eugene Merrill. Those are good biblical histories.
S1: A good history of the Jewish people that takes you
S1: to understand where they are today is actually by a
S1: British Anglican, not Jewish. It's called A history of the Jewish.
S1: A history of the Jews by Paul Johnson. I think
S1: that would kind of take you through the whole history
S1: to today. So maybe choosing a biblical history like Leon
S1: Wood's book or Eugene Merrill's and Paul Johnson's book that
S1: would take you through, uh, modern days and bring the geographical,
S1: spiritual and cultural along with it. That's what I would say.
S1: But there's a whole lot of books that will, if
S1: you want the geographical, get a good, uh, geography, like
S1: the moody, uh, Atlas of the Bible. And then, of course,
S1: if you want more geography, there's, uh, there's an atlas
S1: of Jewish history. Uh, I can't remember the name of
S1: the the cartographer who did that, but it's called the
S1: Atlas of Jewish History. That would be helpful.
S6: Okay, excellent. So there are several resources that she can choose. Excellent.
S6: And then we also have Caleb from Alabama listening through
S6: Wmft in numbers 33 four. It talks about the Egyptians
S6: burying their firstborn after the Lord struck them down. But
S6: the second part of the verse says, O their gods,
S6: on their gods. Yeah, sorry. Thank you. On their gods also,
S6: the Lord executed judgment, judgments. Is this saying there are
S6: other gods?
S1: No, it's not saying there are other gods. It's saying
S1: that the Egyptians believed in other gods and God. For example,
S1: they believed in the Nile River as a god. And
S1: so what did the Lord do? He turned the the
S1: waters of the Nile into blood.
S6: To blood.
S1: So that would be one way of looking at it.
S1: He judged the okay. He judged what he thought were gods.
S1: You know, it'd be like saying today, uh, let's say
S1: God judged a website, uh, because it was so wicked. Okay.
S1: And we said, and because people have made it a god,
S1: it doesn't mean it's a real god. It's just people
S1: have treated it as if it was a god. And
S1: then that website crashed and we'd say, oh, God, look,
S1: God judged that website, that other God. It's not really
S1: another god. It's what it is. It's in the minds
S1: of people. They have made it another god. So. Okay. Uh,
S1: do you want to take one more?
S6: Sure. We have, uh, Jerry, Ohio Wsrf based on Deuteronomy
S6: 23 three. No Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord.
S6: Does this pertain to males only? Ruth was a moabite,
S6: but she was redeemed and married to Boaz.
S1: Yeah. I don't think that it's only referring to males.
S1: I do think what this is saying is that, generally speaking,
S1: Moabites are not allowed in. Uh. However, Ruth made a
S1: conscious choice to separate from her family and from the
S1: false gods of the Moabites and instead embraced the Jewish people,
S1: the people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and
S1: embraced the God of Israel. The reason I say that
S1: is remember what she says to Naomi. Uh, she says,
S1: your God will be my God. Your people will be
S1: my people. And that's why she could be accepted and
S1: worship the God of Israel, because she worshiped the true God,
S1: rejected the Moabite gods who weren't really gods anyway, right?
S6: That's right.
S1: And just just to remind us of what we just said.
S1: And then also she embraced the Jewish people and said,
S1: these are my people. And I think that that's why
S1: she was welcomed and actually became the the great grandmother
S1: of King David. So how cool is that? Right? It's really.
S6: It.
S1: Shows God's redemption. Yeah. Well, uh, we're going to take
S1: a break right now. And when we come back, I'll
S1: take more phoned in questions. But to your you'll be
S1: back next hour with more of the mailbag, right?
S6: That is right. I'll be back next hour. Thank you.
S1: Michael, that was Tara Haynes. I'm Michael Radonich. When we
S1: come back, you can. We'll be talking to you with
S1: your phone calls, with your questions about the Bible, God
S1: and the spiritual life. I'm Michael Riedel. Stay with me.
S1: We're coming right back. We're back. So glad to be
S1: with you this Saturday morning talking about your questions about
S1: the Bible, God and the spiritual life. You know, I'm
S1: often asked many people wonder if Jewish people still need
S1: to hear the good news of Jesus the Messiah. Uh,
S1: God has a special plan for Jewish people. He has
S1: covenants he's made with the Jewish people. But do they
S1: still need to know the Messiah? Jesus? Well, Doctor Al
S1: Mohler's answer is yes. Absolutely. Chosen People Ministry is offering
S1: his booklet called To the Jew First in the 21st
S1: century in it. Doctor Al Mohler maintains that bringing the
S1: gospel to the Jewish people shows our faithfulness to the truth.
S1: It's the best example of our faithfulness to the truth
S1: of the gospel. For your free copy, if you'd like one,
S1: all you have to do is go to our website
S1: openline radio.org. Scroll down. You'll see a link that says
S1: A free gift from Chosen People Ministries. When you click
S1: on that, you'll be taken to a page where you
S1: can sign up for your own copy of To the
S1: Jew first in the 21st century. I hope you'll do that. Uh,
S1: we're going to speak with David in Zion, Illinois, listening
S1: on Wmbi. Welcome to Open Line. David. How can I
S1: help you today?
S7: Thank you. Um, I have a friend who was watching
S7: a television preacher, and, uh, he touched this woman's forehead.
S7: She fell backwards, and my friend thought that this was
S7: a miracle. And, uh, this is strange to me. I've
S7: never seen this happen in any of the church services
S7: that I've been at.
S1: Well, you haven't been going to the right church services, then?
S1: It happens at a lot of places. So.
S7: Uh, is this biblical?
S8: Well.
S1: It's I would say that that there's very little that
S1: you could find in Scripture that would support that. And
S1: I've talked to people who have experienced it. Some people
S1: say I just felt consumed, filled up. I got emotionally, uh,
S1: I felt they felt it was the power of the spirit,
S1: but they they just collapsed. Uh, then others said everyone
S1: else was falling down, so I did it, too. Uh,
S1: the only biblical example I could tell you about being
S1: slain in the spirit is Ananias and Sapphira. I don't
S1: think any of us want to be slain that way. Right. Uh, that.
S1: Remember what happened with them? Uh, here's what I think
S1: it is. And I think it's when when a person legitimately,
S1: legitimately experiences this, they get they they they feel like
S1: they just have to go down. Do you remember what
S1: it was like when the Beatles came to America and
S1: young women were going crazy and And they got so
S1: much emotion going, uh, uh, that they, uh, that they,
S1: that they just became, uh, filled with, with emotion and
S1: they fell down. Same thing happened with Elvis Presley the
S1: generation before and with Frank Sinatra the generation before. Uh,
S1: that's that's all that I think it is. Uh, when
S1: they when they have that kind of experience, uh, I
S1: think it's it's just saying, uh, that they got filled
S1: with emotion and, and they felt if they, you know,
S1: sometimes people just go, uh, uh, uh, they, they just
S1: go and they, uh, uh, that they, they, uh, they
S1: following along sometimes they get so filled with emotion, they
S1: fall down. I forget the name of it. Once I was, uh,
S1: I had an allergic reaction to a medicine when I
S1: was in college, and the doctor gave me an injection, and, uh, I,
S1: I thought, oh, uh, I'll be fine now. Uh, and, uh,
S1: the the, uh, the interesting thing was I just went
S1: right down, uh, because I got just filled up with.
S1: It's just like a I was, I was just so
S1: filled there with this injection. Boom. Gone. And I think
S1: that's that's all that happens. That's what I think it is.
S1: I don't mean to be, uh, unkind or disrespect someone's experience.
S1: I just don't think it's the Holy Spirit. I think
S1: it's emotion. So. Okay. Does that help?
S7: Thank you.
S8: Yeah. Okay. Yeah.
S7: I've enjoyed, uh, Torrey Auditorium and Moody's church. Uh, and
S7: I've never seen that happen. Any any services?
S8: No, it doesn't happen at Moody, I'll tell you that.
S7: So that's that was the reason for my question. Thank
S7: you so much.
S8: Yeah, sure. Uh, we're going to.
S1: Talk.
S8: To Lee.
S1: In Cleveland, Ohio. Uh, I guess listen, on wtxf. Welcome
S1: to Open Line, Lee. How can I help you?
S9: Thank you. Uh. Thank you, doctor. Uh, yes. I've heard
S9: of people that are present themselves as being very learned
S9: or scholarly that, uh, it's required that when a person
S9: is baptized, they have to be baptized in the specific
S9: name of the father, specific name of the son, and
S9: specific name of the Holy Spirit, as I understand it. Otherwise,
S9: they haven't been baptized. And I get the impression they're
S9: saying that, uh, they're not saved.
S8: Mhm.
S1: Well, I don't think baptism makes a person saved. Uh,
S1: whether they are baptized or not, or baptized appropriately or in,
S1: you know, inappropriately with the right formula. I just don't
S1: think we're saved by grace through faith. It's not of works,
S1: including the work of baptism. So wouldn't you agree with
S1: me that we're saved by grace through faith?
S9: Yes, sir. But I wanted to.
S1: Yeah, yeah. I just, I just I think that that's
S1: important to recognize at first. Uh, and, uh, the, the
S1: the second is, uh. This is important, uh, uh, that
S1: the Bible commands that we be baptized. Uh, it tells
S1: those of us who make disciples to when they win
S1: or want the Lord to baptize them. And then it says,
S1: how in the name of the father and the son
S1: and the Holy Spirit. And I think it's it's a
S1: significant verse there in Matthew 28, because that command reflects
S1: the triune nature of God, because it uses the singular word,
S1: baptizing them in the name, not plural names, but in
S1: the name of the father, son, and Holy Spirit. And
S1: since the Bible does indeed give that, uh, then, uh,
S1: then the uh, then the idea is that that we
S1: reflect the triune nature of God when we baptize and
S1: when we are baptized. And so I think I wouldn't
S1: mess around and I and use other terms for God,
S1: I think we've got the clear formula it's written out
S1: in Scripture. Why change it? What do you think?
S9: Yeah, I agree, I agree with that. I just wanted
S9: to be sure.
S1: Yeah, that's what I would say. Okay. Appreciate it. Lee.
S1: Thanks for your call. Yeah. Uh, we're going to talk
S1: to Caroline in Geneva, Illinois, listening on wmbi. Welcome to
S1: Open Line. Caroline. Caroline.
S10: Well, good morning and thank you. And I am a
S10: cable partner with you, so.
S1: Oh, great. Thank you for being a kitchen table partner.
S10: Yes. Thank you. I'm not at the kitchen table. I'm
S10: at my desk right now.
S1: Okay, there we go. Okay.
S10: Uh, anyway, um, I am teaching a Bible study, and
S10: we finished our Bible study early this year. And so
S10: we went to your 50 most important Bible questions. And
S10: I let them choose each choose some of the important
S10: questions they liked from that book. Well, the one we're
S10: going to do Monday is question number three. Can the
S10: believer lose their salvation? And in the third reason or
S10: the third way that you talk there. It's about Romans
S10: 838 and 39.
S1: Mhm.
S10: Um, just remember we who would you say are created
S10: beings and even we don't have the power to separate
S10: ourselves from the love of God and the and the Messiah, Jesus. Um,
S10: three of the people in the Bible study have members
S10: of their family who are adults now, who grew up
S10: in the word, went to all of the camps, uh,
S10: confessed Jesus as their Lord, got baptized and now have said, no,
S10: I no longer believe in it. I'm an atheist.
S1: Mhm. So how have they separated themselves from the love
S1: of God and lost their salvation? Is that what you're asking?
S10: That's it.
S1: Yeah. Uh, well, I think it's interesting that in the
S1: last days. Oh, my. Running out of time. Uh, you
S1: know what, Carolyn? When we come back, uh, in the
S1: next hour, I'm going to address this question. So you
S1: stick around with us. I'll start off by talking with you. Okay.
S10: Uh, okay.
S1: Because that's it for the first hour. Uh, thanks for listening, everyone.
S1: Keep listening. There's a second hour of Open Line coming
S1: up from on most of these stations, and you can
S1: hear the answer to Carolyn's question. I think that would
S1: be really great. Uh, during the break, check out our
S1: web page, Open Line radio.org. It's got all the links
S1: you're looking for, including a link to my personal web page.
S1: You can see about going on a biblical cruise with me.
S1: Our Bible study across America will continue in the second hour,
S1: so stay with us. Open line with Doctor Michael Ray
S1: Dolnick is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of
S1: Moody Bible Institute. We'll be right back.