WEBVTT - Bible Humor 0:00:08.180 --> 0:00:12.710 Said Lord Byron. Always laugh when you can. It's cheap medicine. 0:00:12.740 --> 0:00:16.730 But many Christians either miss or minimize humor. And with 0:00:16.730 --> 0:00:19.430 all that's going on in the world, a war in Ukraine, 0:00:19.430 --> 0:00:21.860 a war in the Middle East, is humor even an 0:00:21.860 --> 0:00:24.950 appropriate subject? What does the Bible say? What do you 0:00:24.950 --> 0:00:27.500 say we sit down and talk with a biblical expert 0:00:27.500 --> 0:00:29.480 on this subject of humor? We'll do it and a 0:00:29.480 --> 0:00:32.090 whole lot more on today's edition of The Land and 0:00:32.090 --> 0:00:35.540 the book. Welcome. I'm John Geiger, our host is noted 0:00:35.540 --> 0:00:39.650 Old Testament scholar, Middle East expert, Dr. Charlie Dyer. And Charlie, 0:00:39.650 --> 0:00:41.960 many of us, as we look at the conflict unfolding 0:00:41.960 --> 0:00:45.140 right now, are wondering what the future holds for Israel. 0:00:45.140 --> 0:00:47.750 While some things are certain, the Bible gives us an 0:00:47.750 --> 0:00:50.810 outline of what really will happen in the last days. 0:00:51.140 --> 0:00:53.360 Our friends at Life in Messiah recently posted. 0:00:53.360 --> 0:00:57.350 A prophecy conference focus specifically on this topic Israel and 0:00:57.350 --> 0:01:00.620 the church living in the last days. They're now making 0:01:00.620 --> 0:01:04.370 the video of the conference available for early access exclusively 0:01:04.370 --> 0:01:06.830 to the land. In the book listeners, you'll hear from 0:01:06.830 --> 0:01:10.729 many knowledgeable speakers on this topic, including Moody Radio host 0:01:10.730 --> 0:01:14.630 Michael Rudnick and me, Charlie Dyer. These encouraging and informative 0:01:14.630 --> 0:01:18.620 videos will help you better understand God's future plans and 0:01:18.620 --> 0:01:21.800 how we can be actively waiting to get access to 0:01:21.800 --> 0:01:25.699 this video series. Visit Life in Messiah org and click 0:01:25.700 --> 0:01:28.460 on the Moody Radio button there to sign up. That's 0:01:28.459 --> 0:01:31.220 Life in messiah.org. 0:01:31.250 --> 0:01:33.890 And now a look at current events from the Middle East. 0:01:33.890 --> 0:01:38.089 Last weekend, Israel began its long awaited invasion of Gaza. 0:01:38.090 --> 0:01:40.340 What do we know so far about the battle, and 0:01:40.340 --> 0:01:42.950 has there been any additional information on the hostages that 0:01:42.950 --> 0:01:44.209 are on everybody's minds? 0:01:44.260 --> 0:01:47.450 Well, let me start with those hostages. Hamas has released 0:01:47.450 --> 0:01:52.070 four hostages and Israeli troops rescued a fifth. Negotiations for 0:01:52.070 --> 0:01:55.460 the release of other hostages is ongoing. And Israel is 0:01:55.460 --> 0:01:58.340 also searching for those hostages as they make their way 0:01:58.340 --> 0:02:01.670 through Gaza. As far as the battle itself is going, 0:02:01.670 --> 0:02:04.400 it appears that Israel's initial goal on the ground is 0:02:04.400 --> 0:02:08.120 to slice Gaza in half, sending in tanks and soldiers 0:02:08.120 --> 0:02:11.480 to cut the two main north south links in the area. 0:02:11.480 --> 0:02:15.260 Now they're engaged in heavy urban fighting and experiencing the 0:02:15.260 --> 0:02:20.119 trauma of still more deaths. They've bombed over 11,000 Hamas 0:02:20.120 --> 0:02:23.630 targets since the start of the war. Meanwhile, Hamas and 0:02:23.630 --> 0:02:27.170 Islamic Jihad continue to fire rockets at the towns and 0:02:27.169 --> 0:02:31.609 cities in central and southern Israel. Hamas was hoping Hezbollah, 0:02:31.639 --> 0:02:35.209 the Houthis in Yemen, and even possibly Iran would actively 0:02:35.210 --> 0:02:38.870 engage in the fighting. But so far, that hasn't happened. 0:02:38.960 --> 0:02:42.950 Hezbollah's fired anti-tank rockets across the border, but at least 0:02:42.950 --> 0:02:45.799 up to now, they've held back on using their thousands 0:02:45.800 --> 0:02:49.160 of long range rockets. They've done just enough to claim 0:02:49.160 --> 0:02:52.310 they support Hamas, but are apparently trying to keep the 0:02:52.310 --> 0:02:56.000 conflict from escalating. Whether this will continue, though, well, that 0:02:56.000 --> 0:02:58.660 remains to be seen. But their response, at least up 0:02:58.669 --> 0:03:02.660 till now, has frustrated Hamas. The Houthis have launched several 0:03:02.660 --> 0:03:05.900 drones and rockets at Israel from their bases in Yemen, 0:03:05.900 --> 0:03:09.050 but all have been shot down by US warships or 0:03:09.050 --> 0:03:13.010 by Israeli planes or the Arab missile system. No Houthi 0:03:13.010 --> 0:03:17.510 missiles are drones have penetrated Israel. Iran hasn't joined the fight, 0:03:17.510 --> 0:03:20.570 though its allies in Iraq and Syria have launched missiles 0:03:20.570 --> 0:03:23.870 and drones at US bases in Syria. Now, as you 0:03:23.870 --> 0:03:27.740 might expect, the flow of information from the battle is sparse. 0:03:27.740 --> 0:03:31.579 Israel doesn't want to telegraph its plans to Hamas, but 0:03:31.580 --> 0:03:34.460 they appear to be moving deliberately and methodically to cut 0:03:34.460 --> 0:03:38.000 off all avenues of resupply and escape for Hamas while 0:03:38.000 --> 0:03:41.270 they move house to house in heavy urban fighting. One 0:03:41.270 --> 0:03:44.420 last point the economic impact of this war on Israel 0:03:44.420 --> 0:03:49.490 thus far is staggering. It's costing Israel $250 million a 0:03:49.490 --> 0:03:52.280 day with no end in sight, and the cost to 0:03:52.280 --> 0:03:56.030 those living in Gaza is incalculable. The impact is going 0:03:56.030 --> 0:03:58.130 to be felt long into next year. 0:03:58.190 --> 0:04:01.790 Charlie, your comment about rockets still being fired from Gaza. 0:04:01.910 --> 0:04:05.300 Are Israeli sources able to then pinpoint the sources of 0:04:05.300 --> 0:04:07.310 those and go after them, or is it all mobile 0:04:07.310 --> 0:04:09.140 and therefore unable to be pursued? 0:04:09.140 --> 0:04:11.870 I think a lot of them are underground sources, and 0:04:11.870 --> 0:04:14.120 they open up fire and then try and close it up. 0:04:14.120 --> 0:04:17.150 Israel tries to spot them also. The problem is they're 0:04:17.150 --> 0:04:19.730 in urban areas and when Israel goes after them, they 0:04:19.730 --> 0:04:22.820 have to be very careful that they don't inadvertently attack 0:04:22.820 --> 0:04:25.110 and hit the wrong target and hit civilians. 0:04:25.160 --> 0:04:29.600 The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted for a cease fire, 0:04:29.600 --> 0:04:34.490 but without including any condemnation of Hamas over the initial attack. 0:04:34.490 --> 0:04:37.909 And some world leaders are suggesting Israel's air and ground 0:04:37.910 --> 0:04:43.130 campaign and ensuing civilian casualties have been disproportionate, violate the 0:04:43.130 --> 0:04:46.099 laws of war and could be war crimes. What are 0:04:46.100 --> 0:04:47.180 the issues here, Charlie? 0:04:47.270 --> 0:04:49.550 Well, the issues are that there are so many different 0:04:49.550 --> 0:04:53.630 Muslim countries that supported that resolution. There were groups joining 0:04:53.630 --> 0:04:56.810 Israel in opposing, but of course, they're overwhelmed now. Thankfully, 0:04:56.810 --> 0:05:01.010 it's a non-binding resolution. Now, people using those terms, though, 0:05:01.010 --> 0:05:04.520 you know, disproportionate, violating the law of war, war crimes. 0:05:04.730 --> 0:05:08.560 They're using them in improper and. And misleading ways. The 0:05:08.560 --> 0:05:11.529 laws of armed conflict are governed by the Geneva Conventions 0:05:11.529 --> 0:05:15.640 of 1949 and some other protocols, and Israel subscribes to 0:05:15.640 --> 0:05:18.190 and follows those laws. You know, when you think about 0:05:18.190 --> 0:05:21.429 war crimes, it was Hamas that deliberately targeted civilians on 0:05:21.430 --> 0:05:25.900 October 7th. They raped, tortured, mutilated, burned alive. Many of 0:05:25.900 --> 0:05:29.560 those they killed. They took civilians as hostages. Now those 0:05:29.560 --> 0:05:33.280 are war crimes. Israel is very deliberately seeking to bomb 0:05:33.279 --> 0:05:37.120 only military targets. But under the laws of armed combat, 0:05:37.120 --> 0:05:41.080 those targets may include residential buildings if they're being used 0:05:41.080 --> 0:05:45.280 by Hamas for military purposes. That's why Israel has repeatedly 0:05:45.279 --> 0:05:49.090 urged civilians to leave the area. Israel's trying to avoid 0:05:49.089 --> 0:05:52.990 civilian casualties. It's Hamas that's using the civilians as human 0:05:52.990 --> 0:05:56.799 shields and the principle of proportionality that you'll often hear, 0:05:56.800 --> 0:05:59.169 and it's often thrown about. Well, that doesn't mean you 0:05:59.170 --> 0:06:02.170 compare body counts or the number of damaged buildings to 0:06:02.170 --> 0:06:04.810 see if they're even. What it means is that an 0:06:04.810 --> 0:06:09.520 attack is considered disproportionate and illegal. If the collateral damage 0:06:09.520 --> 0:06:13.240 to civilians and buildings is excessive compared to the military 0:06:13.240 --> 0:06:16.570 advantage of the attack. In other words, bombing an entire 0:06:16.570 --> 0:06:19.570 apartment building to take out a single Hamas fighter who 0:06:19.570 --> 0:06:23.400 ran inside for cover, that would be disproportionate and illegal. 0:06:23.410 --> 0:06:26.770 But bombing a building that houses a key Hamas commander, 0:06:26.770 --> 0:06:30.400 or a command center or weapons facility that would not 0:06:30.400 --> 0:06:34.710 be considered disproportionate even if it causes civilian casualties. Israel 0:06:34.750 --> 0:06:38.560 is doing everything possible to avoid civilian casualties, but they 0:06:38.560 --> 0:06:42.190 are seeking to eliminate Hamas and its leadership. Hamas started 0:06:42.190 --> 0:06:45.010 the conflict when they launched their attack on October 7th, 0:06:45.010 --> 0:06:49.600 and Israel has the right to respond militarily to defeat them. War, 0:06:49.600 --> 0:06:52.659 as we both know, is bloody and brutal. Israel is 0:06:52.660 --> 0:06:55.750 trying to fight a vicious enemy while following all the 0:06:55.750 --> 0:07:00.790 laws of armed conflict. And those suggesting otherwise, including politicians 0:07:00.790 --> 0:07:06.460 and protesters, are either naive, deluded or just plain anti-Semitic. 0:07:06.460 --> 0:07:08.800 From Moody Radio. This is the land in the book 0:07:08.800 --> 0:07:11.800 with our host, Dr. Charlie Dyer. I'm John Geiger, looking 0:07:11.800 --> 0:07:15.340 at current events. Well, Israel announced plans to test its 0:07:15.340 --> 0:07:19.480 ion beam laser system on Hamas missiles. How does the 0:07:19.480 --> 0:07:23.690 ion beam system work and can it effectively stop those missiles? 0:07:23.710 --> 0:07:26.890 Well, the ion beam generates a laser beam to destroy 0:07:26.890 --> 0:07:29.920 airborne targets. The laser shoots a beam of energy at 0:07:29.920 --> 0:07:33.760 a target, instantly hitting it and hopefully destroying it. And 0:07:33.760 --> 0:07:36.670 it can aim and fire at a very rapid rate. 0:07:36.910 --> 0:07:39.760 There are some unknowns right now, including the ion beams. 0:07:39.760 --> 0:07:43.660 Effective range estimates have ranged from 4 to 10 miles, 0:07:43.660 --> 0:07:47.350 depending in large measure on the power level of the laser, which, 0:07:47.350 --> 0:07:50.770 as you might expect, is being deliberately kept vague. It's 0:07:50.770 --> 0:07:53.560 also unclear how the ion beams performance will be impacted 0:07:53.560 --> 0:07:57.930 by weather conditions, like clouds or rain or smoke or dust. 0:07:57.940 --> 0:08:00.610 What we do know is that Israel has officially announced 0:08:00.610 --> 0:08:04.090 plans to test the system on missiles now being fired 0:08:04.090 --> 0:08:08.350 from Gaza. Some reports, including some so-called videos, have appeared 0:08:08.350 --> 0:08:12.310 supposedly showing the system in use for the past two weeks. 0:08:12.310 --> 0:08:17.140 Those reports are false. They're examples of fake news capturing headlines. 0:08:17.140 --> 0:08:19.570 What does seem to be true, though, is that Israel 0:08:19.570 --> 0:08:22.990 wants to test the system against missiles currently being fired 0:08:22.990 --> 0:08:26.620 by Hamas. It's also likely Israel won't issue any updates 0:08:26.620 --> 0:08:29.830 on its use until they know its effectiveness. Now, in 0:08:29.830 --> 0:08:32.920 regard to another of Israel's high tech systems, they did 0:08:32.920 --> 0:08:36.310 announce Wednesday they use their arrow defense system to intercept 0:08:36.309 --> 0:08:40.330 a surface to surface missile launched from Yemen. That was 0:08:40.330 --> 0:08:43.150 the first use of the system in actual combat, and 0:08:43.150 --> 0:08:46.240 it worked as advertised. They're hoping that they'll be able 0:08:46.240 --> 0:08:48.550 to say the same thing before too long when it 0:08:48.550 --> 0:08:51.610 comes to the ion beam system, but as of right now, 0:08:51.610 --> 0:08:52.650 no news. 0:08:52.660 --> 0:08:55.450 Well, Charlie, as you already said, one of the casualties 0:08:55.450 --> 0:08:59.050 of the current conflict is truth itself. Fake news, false 0:08:59.050 --> 0:09:02.830 claims all seem to abound. How serious is the problem 0:09:02.830 --> 0:09:04.690 and what can be done to help sort out the 0:09:04.690 --> 0:09:06.820 truth from those things that are false? 0:09:06.880 --> 0:09:09.640 Yeah, that Iron Beam story is just one example of 0:09:09.640 --> 0:09:12.579 fake news. A far greater concern to Israel right now 0:09:12.580 --> 0:09:15.400 are the stories that are designed to turn public opinion 0:09:15.400 --> 0:09:19.689 against Israel and to stir up anti-Semitism. When Hamas reported 0:09:19.690 --> 0:09:23.920 that Israel bombed a hospital, killing over 500 patients, the 0:09:23.920 --> 0:09:27.880 news was uncritically picked up by news outlets. Days later, 0:09:27.880 --> 0:09:30.790 it was shown to be an Islamic Jihad rocket, not 0:09:30.790 --> 0:09:34.359 an Israeli bomb, which misfired and landed in the parking lot, 0:09:34.360 --> 0:09:37.850 not on the hospital itself, and that somewhere around 50 0:09:37.850 --> 0:09:41.349 to 100 people were killed, not 500 or more. That 0:09:41.350 --> 0:09:46.270 obviously false story ignited worldwide anger and criticism of Israel. 0:09:46.270 --> 0:09:48.550 The best way to combat fake news like that is 0:09:48.550 --> 0:09:50.890 with the truth. And that's why a group of volunteers 0:09:50.890 --> 0:09:53.679 in Israel have begun a new initiative that they've called 0:09:53.679 --> 0:09:57.550 the Digital Iron Dome. As the name suggests, their goal 0:09:57.550 --> 0:10:00.910 is to shoot down fake news reports by exposing them. 0:10:00.910 --> 0:10:04.180 Now the site is in Hebrew, but here's how it works. 0:10:04.179 --> 0:10:06.849 If anyone spots a story they believe to. Be fake 0:10:06.850 --> 0:10:09.730 or malicious. They can paste a link to that story 0:10:09.730 --> 0:10:13.480 on the Digital Iron Dome website. Volunteers then check the 0:10:13.480 --> 0:10:16.030 link and if it does appear to be false, they 0:10:16.030 --> 0:10:19.150 report it to the appropriate social media network to have 0:10:19.150 --> 0:10:22.390 them take it down. Now, that's a great idea because 0:10:22.390 --> 0:10:26.270 ultimately the best defense against fake news is the truth. 0:10:26.290 --> 0:10:28.089 And John, if I could end this section with just 0:10:28.090 --> 0:10:31.569 one other thing. Someone posted online and thought it was great. 0:10:31.570 --> 0:10:33.400 They said, if you want to know how you would 0:10:33.400 --> 0:10:37.329 have responded during the Holocaust, check your response to Israel 0:10:37.330 --> 0:10:40.450 and the Jewish people today. And it's amazing. We're seeing 0:10:40.450 --> 0:10:43.960 a rise in antisemitism. We're seeing a large amount of apathy. 0:10:44.170 --> 0:10:46.570 But thankfully, though, we're seeing some who are actively trying 0:10:46.570 --> 0:10:47.110 to help. 0:10:47.110 --> 0:10:50.020 Wow, that is a chilling thought, Charlie, to equate what 0:10:50.020 --> 0:10:52.750 we're seeing today with what happened to the Jews back 0:10:52.750 --> 0:10:55.570 in World War two. All right, lots to pray about, 0:10:55.570 --> 0:10:57.579 and we hope you'll pray for the peace of Jerusalem 0:10:57.580 --> 0:11:02.620 throughout the week. Coming up, a conversation about humor, biblical humor, 0:11:02.620 --> 0:11:04.390 and how you and I can make sure we're on 0:11:04.390 --> 0:11:06.640 the right side of humor. All ahead on. 0:11:06.640 --> 0:11:07.809 The land and the book. 0:11:22.360 --> 0:11:26.829 Said Lord Byron. Always laugh when you can. It's cheap medicine. 0:11:27.010 --> 0:11:30.010 From there to here, from here to there, funny things 0:11:30.010 --> 0:11:34.000 are everywhere, said Dr. Seuss. But many Christians either miss 0:11:34.000 --> 0:11:36.939 or minimize humor. What does the Bible say? And what 0:11:36.940 --> 0:11:40.660 if I told you there's a 488 page book full 0:11:40.660 --> 0:11:44.740 of Bible related humor? Get ready to laugh. Next on 0:11:44.740 --> 0:11:47.950 the land and the book a welcome to segment two. 0:11:47.950 --> 0:11:51.580 I'm John Geiger. Here's a quick idea first, for reaching 0:11:51.580 --> 0:11:54.130 out to your Jewish friend with a love of Christ. 0:11:54.760 --> 0:11:58.900 You ever wonder what Jewish people believe happens when we die? 0:11:59.020 --> 0:12:01.750 West Tabor is with life in Messiah. What are the 0:12:01.750 --> 0:12:02.680 thoughts there? West? 0:12:02.980 --> 0:12:05.890 Well, as with so many questions about Jewish belief, there's 0:12:05.890 --> 0:12:11.080 no single answer. The Jewish secular materialists, like their Gentile counterparts, 0:12:11.080 --> 0:12:14.410 don't believe we're spiritual beings. There's no soul that lives on, 0:12:14.410 --> 0:12:17.140 in their view, somewhere in the Middle Ages, the idea 0:12:17.140 --> 0:12:21.640 of Gilgal nefesh, the transmigration of souls, developed. It's a 0:12:21.640 --> 0:12:25.600 kind of reincarnation. A religious Jews who study Kabbalah may 0:12:25.600 --> 0:12:28.630 hold this view even today, but for most Jewish people, 0:12:28.630 --> 0:12:32.199 likely including your neighbor or coworker, the idea of the 0:12:32.200 --> 0:12:35.620 afterlife is not very clear. They may assent to a 0:12:35.620 --> 0:12:39.550 gun Eden, an unidentified identical Paradise in the future, but 0:12:39.550 --> 0:12:41.559 resist the idea of an eternal hell. 0:12:41.559 --> 0:12:44.170 Okay, Wes, how does all this help us though, as 0:12:44.170 --> 0:12:45.609 we're trying to evangelize? 0:12:45.730 --> 0:12:48.160 Well, we can ask if it were possible to know 0:12:48.160 --> 0:12:50.620 what God has planned for us in the afterlife. Would 0:12:50.620 --> 0:12:52.990 you be interested? And we begin with the idea of 0:12:52.990 --> 0:12:57.520 resurrection in the Old Testament. Job 1925, Psalm 16, verses 0:12:57.520 --> 0:13:01.900 8 to 11, Isaiah 1619 and 20, Daniel 12 two 0:13:01.900 --> 0:13:04.720 and three. And then, of course, we point to Yeshua, 0:13:04.720 --> 0:13:06.929 who is the resurrection in the life. 0:13:06.950 --> 0:13:10.300 John 11 boy, those are great scriptures, great points. And 0:13:10.300 --> 0:13:12.820 we say thank you to Wes Tabor, who's with life 0:13:12.820 --> 0:13:17.859 in Messiah. Proverbs 15 verse 15 declares, he that is 0:13:17.860 --> 0:13:21.520 of a merry heart has a continual feast. Well, Stephen 0:13:21.520 --> 0:13:25.030 Bramer takes that verse quite literally, I'd say seriously, but 0:13:25.030 --> 0:13:27.250 that would be missing the point, to the point that 0:13:27.250 --> 0:13:32.050 he's created the Bible readers joke book. Imagine 488 pages 0:13:32.050 --> 0:13:36.280 of Bible related humor, all tied to Scripture. As I say, Dr. 0:13:36.280 --> 0:13:39.429 Bramer is department chair and professor of Bible exposition at 0:13:39.429 --> 0:13:43.270 Dallas Theological Seminary. He serves as an adjunct professor for 0:13:43.270 --> 0:13:47.260 Word of Life Bible Institute, Hungary and New York, Briar 0:13:47.260 --> 0:13:50.650 Christ Seminary, Canada, as well as at the Jordan Evangelical 0:13:50.650 --> 0:13:54.640 Theological Seminary in Jordan. Stephen is a teaching pastor at 0:13:54.640 --> 0:13:58.840 Walter Brook Bible Fellowship and travels yearly to Israel and Jordan. 0:13:58.900 --> 0:14:01.090 Thanks for linking up with us today on the land 0:14:01.090 --> 0:14:02.020 in the book, Stephen. 0:14:02.320 --> 0:14:03.579 It's great to be here, John. 0:14:03.820 --> 0:14:05.830 Well, let me ask you, why are so many of 0:14:05.830 --> 0:14:08.620 us a bit skittish when it comes to humor? It's 0:14:08.620 --> 0:14:12.730 as if we're secretly afraid God doesn't approve of laughter. 0:14:13.420 --> 0:14:15.520 Yeah. You know, I think that when we come to 0:14:15.520 --> 0:14:18.850 the Scripture, of course it's inspired. It's an art. It 0:14:18.850 --> 0:14:24.700 contains really serious material life and death material. And therefore 0:14:24.700 --> 0:14:27.190 many Christians, when they come to that, just feel somehow 0:14:27.190 --> 0:14:32.320 it might be blasphemous or certainly inappropriate to joke about 0:14:32.320 --> 0:14:35.080 anything that would be contained in such a book. 0:14:35.440 --> 0:14:39.250 Well, how did you go about collecting and collating your jokes? 0:14:39.250 --> 0:14:42.160 There were a lot of them. What sources did you 0:14:42.160 --> 0:14:44.320 use and how did you go about assembling it? 0:14:44.830 --> 0:14:47.650 You know, when I was teaching up at Broadcast Bible 0:14:47.650 --> 0:14:52.630 College in Saskatchewan, Canada, first full time teaching job, and 0:14:52.630 --> 0:14:55.120 and I began to tell some jokes to some of 0:14:55.120 --> 0:14:57.310 the 18 year olds that I had collected as a 0:14:57.310 --> 0:15:00.070 youth pastor. And and I started writing them down in 0:15:00.070 --> 0:15:02.290 the side of my notes, and I just began to 0:15:02.290 --> 0:15:06.100 realize that it often would break down a barrier. You know, 0:15:06.100 --> 0:15:09.850 an 18 year old is coming into an academic Bible 0:15:09.850 --> 0:15:13.540 class and, and, you know, here's a person with master's 0:15:13.540 --> 0:15:16.480 or doctorate degrees, and they're kind of little. And so 0:15:16.480 --> 0:15:19.390 by the time I would tell a few jokes, especially 0:15:19.390 --> 0:15:22.780 ones that were appropriate or connected with the material, the 0:15:22.780 --> 0:15:26.290 barriers often would come down. And so I just began 0:15:26.290 --> 0:15:30.280 to collect those. And I've looked at places online. I've 0:15:30.280 --> 0:15:32.620 heard people speak, so I've just been collecting them. It's 0:15:32.620 --> 0:15:36.460 certainly not that I've written these 2000 plus jokes and 0:15:36.460 --> 0:15:39.400 humor stories, but I've just been collecting them over my 0:15:39.400 --> 0:15:40.560 years of ministry. 0:15:40.570 --> 0:15:43.960 It's the land and the book. Segment two I'm John Jaeger, 0:15:43.960 --> 0:15:47.530 joined today by Steven Bremer, department chair and professor of 0:15:47.530 --> 0:15:51.550 Bible exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary. Let me ask you 0:15:51.550 --> 0:15:54.250 for a couple of favorite jokes of yours from the book. 0:15:54.250 --> 0:15:55.360 What would you go to? 0:15:55.690 --> 0:15:59.350 You know, there's some wonderful jokes about Moses crossing the 0:15:59.350 --> 0:16:01.420 Red sea, and I kind of like one of them, 0:16:01.420 --> 0:16:04.600 where Moses is leading the children of Israel as they 0:16:04.600 --> 0:16:06.760 flee from the Egyptians. And when they come to the 0:16:06.760 --> 0:16:11.440 Red sea, Moses begs God to rescue his people. Suddenly, 0:16:11.440 --> 0:16:14.170 her voice from on high, saying, there's some good news 0:16:14.170 --> 0:16:17.380 and some bad news. I hear you, Lord, said Moses, 0:16:17.380 --> 0:16:20.560 tell your servant everything. The good news, said the voice 0:16:20.560 --> 0:16:22.780 from on high, is that I will part the sea, 0:16:22.780 --> 0:16:25.510 so that you and your people can escape. And the 0:16:25.510 --> 0:16:28.810 bad news? Asked Moses. God says you'll have to fire 0:16:28.810 --> 0:16:33.400 the environmental impact statement. And so in our world today, 0:16:33.400 --> 0:16:36.820 with that being such a problem in so many places, 0:16:36.820 --> 0:16:41.650 I've enjoyed that. I also enjoy the the first Corinthians 15. 0:16:41.650 --> 0:16:44.080 I think it is, you know, as a church is 0:16:44.080 --> 0:16:47.380 trying to make everything biblical within their new church building. 0:16:47.380 --> 0:16:50.650 They one deacon suggested they place the text of First 0:16:50.650 --> 0:16:55.270 Corinthians 1551 over their nursery door that reads In the 0:16:55.270 --> 0:16:58.810 King James Version, behold, I show you a mystery. We 0:16:58.810 --> 0:17:02.170 shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. 0:17:02.260 --> 0:17:04.770 And if you've ever been to a nursery, you realize 0:17:04.780 --> 0:17:07.480 they're not all sleeping, they're not all changed. But here's 0:17:07.480 --> 0:17:10.390 a verse really taken out of context, of course, but 0:17:10.390 --> 0:17:13.690 a little bit of a humorous message to it. 0:17:14.020 --> 0:17:15.970 Let me ask you, Dr. Bramer, how have you seen 0:17:15.970 --> 0:17:19.390 the power of humor at work in others? Any personal 0:17:19.390 --> 0:17:22.690 stories or observations? You've mentioned these students, how that began 0:17:22.690 --> 0:17:26.020 to take down walls, but any other recollections of reactions 0:17:26.020 --> 0:17:28.929 that come to mind as humor is being used? 0:17:29.050 --> 0:17:31.420 You know, there have been a number of times when 0:17:31.420 --> 0:17:35.020 I've been speaking to someone who is certainly not a 0:17:35.020 --> 0:17:38.619 believer or even a believer, but really skeptical about some things. 0:17:38.619 --> 0:17:42.850 And once again, I think humor just breaks down that barrier. 0:17:42.850 --> 0:17:46.209 It makes me as a person. If I tell a joke, 0:17:46.210 --> 0:17:49.540 especially if it's somewhat self depreciating or something like that, 0:17:49.540 --> 0:17:52.720 it just makes me a little more available to the 0:17:52.720 --> 0:17:55.359 people when I'm flying an airplane. So I try and 0:17:55.359 --> 0:17:58.720 commit myself to talking to the person beside me if 0:17:58.720 --> 0:18:02.170 I can engage in spiritual conversation. And often when they've 0:18:02.170 --> 0:18:04.450 asked me and they find out I'm professor, you can 0:18:04.450 --> 0:18:07.000 feel them pull back. But if I can use some 0:18:07.000 --> 0:18:09.640 humor now, you've got to be careful because you know 0:18:09.640 --> 0:18:13.659 you can offend people with humor if you're not careful. 0:18:13.660 --> 0:18:16.090 You know, humor is kind. We got a double edged sword. 0:18:16.119 --> 0:18:19.119 It can both be used in a very positive way, 0:18:19.119 --> 0:18:22.720 and if you happen to use it inappropriately, or perhaps 0:18:22.930 --> 0:18:26.169 you don't understand the person's culture or assert them in 0:18:26.170 --> 0:18:28.719 the background. So you could be used poorly. And so 0:18:28.720 --> 0:18:29.800 you need to be careful. 0:18:30.140 --> 0:18:32.650 Well, when it comes to church, much of the evangelical 0:18:32.650 --> 0:18:34.959 world seems to be kind of locked into a preaching 0:18:34.960 --> 0:18:39.040 model that says, well, a joke in the sermon introduction 0:18:39.040 --> 0:18:42.280 is good, but no humor beyond that. Now, why are 0:18:42.280 --> 0:18:44.110 we so committed to that model? 0:18:44.680 --> 0:18:48.820 Yeah, I think once again, it's when we start talking seriously. 0:18:48.820 --> 0:18:52.420 It's like we we can't bring up humor lest we 0:18:52.420 --> 0:18:55.810 put down the truth that we're talking about. But it 0:18:55.810 --> 0:18:59.560 seems to me that it just allows people actually to 0:18:59.560 --> 0:19:03.010 open up themselves to truth. I was reading something a 0:19:03.010 --> 0:19:04.960 number of years ago where, you know, people will only 0:19:04.960 --> 0:19:07.600 sit quietly for so many minutes. I think it was 0:19:07.600 --> 0:19:10.300 seven minutes and then they've got to move or they've 0:19:10.300 --> 0:19:15.010 got to do something. And by injecting humorous illustration, just 0:19:15.010 --> 0:19:18.189 a throwaway line that's got some humor and it allows 0:19:18.190 --> 0:19:20.680 people in the pew to kind of shift and to 0:19:20.680 --> 0:19:23.290 laugh a little bit. And I think then they're ready 0:19:23.290 --> 0:19:26.720 to engage again. We just can't be serious for 30 0:19:26.720 --> 0:19:29.439 minutes in a in a deep conversation. And it's a 0:19:29.440 --> 0:19:33.400 one way conversation, usually from the pulpit. So this this 0:19:33.400 --> 0:19:37.359 allows there to be those breaks throughout the message. I 0:19:37.359 --> 0:19:41.380 think it's helpful. I find people respond to that. And 0:19:41.530 --> 0:19:44.619 of course when I'm preaching at a new place, I'm 0:19:44.619 --> 0:19:46.930 careful because they don't know me and they don't know 0:19:46.930 --> 0:19:51.550 my personality. And therefore I would use less humor when 0:19:51.550 --> 0:19:53.980 I'm first starting off with a group of people. Whereas 0:19:53.980 --> 0:19:56.260 when I'm preaching at my home church, they know me, 0:19:56.260 --> 0:19:58.210 I know them. They're not going to be offended if 0:19:58.210 --> 0:20:01.690 I say something that I didn't know was offensive or 0:20:01.690 --> 0:20:02.650 anything like that. 0:20:03.869 --> 0:20:06.930 Well if you joined us midstream. Steven Bramer has compiled 0:20:06.930 --> 0:20:10.619 the book The Bible Readers Joke Book. I'm John Geiger, 0:20:10.619 --> 0:20:12.389 glad to have your company here on the land. In 0:20:12.390 --> 0:20:16.290 the book, I think we often read scripture with humorless eyes, 0:20:16.290 --> 0:20:18.480 and one reason we might be missing some of the 0:20:18.480 --> 0:20:21.600 humor in Scripture is our disconnect from the culture of 0:20:21.630 --> 0:20:24.780 that time. Take us to a humorous moment in Scripture 0:20:24.780 --> 0:20:28.229 that maybe we have overlooked or underestimated. 0:20:29.070 --> 0:20:32.280 You know, I think when Jesus is talking to his people, 0:20:32.280 --> 0:20:36.630 he sometimes uses hyperbole. You know, he he talks about, 0:20:36.630 --> 0:20:41.850 you know, straining out gnats and swallowing camels. And perhaps, 0:20:41.850 --> 0:20:44.100 you know, we wouldn't say it that way, but here 0:20:44.100 --> 0:20:47.730 are these hypocrites who are concerned about the small things. 0:20:47.730 --> 0:20:50.280 And and he talks about, you know, a rich man, 0:20:50.280 --> 0:20:53.760 the impossibility of a rich man, that is one trusting 0:20:53.760 --> 0:20:56.730 in his riches as the sign that he's right with God. 0:20:56.730 --> 0:20:59.470 He said, that's impossible. It's like trying to put a 0:20:59.490 --> 0:21:02.310 camel through the eye of a needle. And I always 0:21:02.310 --> 0:21:04.619 say to people, and it's that second hump of the 0:21:04.619 --> 0:21:07.149 camel that gets stuck in the needle, you know, and, 0:21:07.150 --> 0:21:09.929 and here are people and they try and explain it away. 0:21:09.930 --> 0:21:12.629 They try and explain that there's a little door through 0:21:12.630 --> 0:21:14.520 a gate that's called the eye of the needle, which 0:21:14.520 --> 0:21:17.580 was first brought up in the 13th century AD, I believe. 0:21:17.580 --> 0:21:20.760 So it was not back then. And so not understanding 0:21:20.760 --> 0:21:24.959 the culture, we might not understand it. So hyperbole and 0:21:24.960 --> 0:21:29.280 making mention of animals and items back in that time. 0:21:29.280 --> 0:21:31.679 We need to understand that to really get the humor. 0:21:31.980 --> 0:21:36.119 Proverbs 1513 says, A glad heart makes a cheerful face, 0:21:36.119 --> 0:21:39.570 but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. Let 0:21:39.570 --> 0:21:42.090 me ask, what one change could we make today that 0:21:42.090 --> 0:21:45.510 would give us a more cheerful face, whether we're in 0:21:45.510 --> 0:21:46.919 the pulpit or in the pew? 0:21:47.580 --> 0:21:49.889 Well, you and I know that in this day and age, 0:21:49.890 --> 0:21:53.609 people tend to be angry. People tend to have no 0:21:53.609 --> 0:21:56.550 patience with each other. And it seems to me that 0:21:56.550 --> 0:21:58.859 we as believers are the ones who need to lead 0:21:58.859 --> 0:22:02.520 the way to say, look at life is enjoyable. Life 0:22:02.520 --> 0:22:05.220 is fun. Yes, there are difficult times and we don't 0:22:05.220 --> 0:22:07.980 make fun of those. But but having some jokes and 0:22:07.980 --> 0:22:11.699 sharing them just gives a levity to life and realize, 0:22:11.700 --> 0:22:14.820 look at yes, life is serious, but the Lord wants 0:22:14.820 --> 0:22:18.000 us to enjoy life. And my father passed away during 0:22:18.000 --> 0:22:20.760 Covid here. Whenever I would meet him, he'd have a 0:22:20.760 --> 0:22:23.490 little joke for me and it was just always enjoyable. 0:22:23.490 --> 0:22:26.909 And and it just put our relationship into that level 0:22:26.910 --> 0:22:29.520 where we could talk and it often would lead then 0:22:29.520 --> 0:22:32.970 to more serious conversations. But but it let us both 0:22:32.970 --> 0:22:37.770 know that we were human. God created humor. He created us. 0:22:37.830 --> 0:22:41.160 Part of being human, I believe, is to have that 0:22:41.160 --> 0:22:44.550 sense of humor as we talk with each other and 0:22:44.550 --> 0:22:47.730 as we see things. I'm sure that Balam, when he 0:22:47.730 --> 0:22:51.030 his donkey, turned around and talked to him, he was 0:22:51.030 --> 0:22:53.640 probably pretty shocked and everything. But I'm sure later on 0:22:53.640 --> 0:22:55.770 when he was telling the story, he must have had 0:22:55.770 --> 0:22:57.810 a little chuckle in his voice. 0:22:57.810 --> 0:23:01.690 I bet he did. Hey, one thing is always bothered me, Dr. Brammer, 0:23:01.710 --> 0:23:04.020 let me ask this of you. We're assured that there's 0:23:04.020 --> 0:23:07.109 humor in scripture, but unless I'm missing something, I never 0:23:07.109 --> 0:23:10.470 see a reference to God laughing at a harmless joke 0:23:10.470 --> 0:23:13.409 or incident. We do see him laughing at the wicked, 0:23:13.410 --> 0:23:17.220 laughing at the judgment that comes with evil people. A 0:23:17.220 --> 0:23:19.770 part of me wishes I saw other evidences of laughter 0:23:19.770 --> 0:23:22.170 in the Bible. Can you please counsel me? 0:23:23.400 --> 0:23:25.590 I'm not sure. I've got a great answer. I've read 0:23:25.590 --> 0:23:28.170 a number of theology books, and I've never seen God's 0:23:28.170 --> 0:23:33.060 laughter listed as one of his immutable characteristics. But it 0:23:33.060 --> 0:23:36.360 seems to me that if he created us, and he 0:23:36.359 --> 0:23:40.290 created us with the ability both to say humorous things, 0:23:40.290 --> 0:23:44.040 to appreciate humorous things, when we get to new heaven 0:23:44.040 --> 0:23:46.300 and new earth and we see the Lord godness. And 0:23:46.320 --> 0:23:49.320 I just wonder sometimes if we wouldn't see an enjoyment, 0:23:49.320 --> 0:23:53.520 maybe not a joke, kind of AA1 line, a zinger, 0:23:53.790 --> 0:23:58.080 but enjoying, you know, when when the Lord was making 0:23:58.080 --> 0:24:01.740 those elephants or hippopotamus, I wonder if his Heavenly father 0:24:01.740 --> 0:24:04.560 just didn't smile a little bit when he saw how 0:24:04.560 --> 0:24:07.770 he was designing this animal. So we don't have jokes 0:24:07.770 --> 0:24:10.889 in the scripture from God, but I do think, you 0:24:10.890 --> 0:24:13.560 know he leads his people. When he said to Elijah, 0:24:13.560 --> 0:24:16.950 you know, confront the prophets of Baal and on behalf 0:24:16.950 --> 0:24:19.710 of God, Elijah says to them, well, cry out a 0:24:19.710 --> 0:24:22.949 little bit louder to Baal, because maybe he's sleeping, or 0:24:22.950 --> 0:24:25.800 maybe he's gone on a journey, or maybe he's in 0:24:26.000 --> 0:24:29.850 the restroom. You know, surely God inspiring his people shows 0:24:29.850 --> 0:24:32.850 us a little bit about the heart of God who 0:24:32.850 --> 0:24:34.409 delights to laugh. Yeah. 0:24:34.680 --> 0:24:37.260 Plenty of science that says laughter is good for our 0:24:37.260 --> 0:24:39.900 physical and emotional health. But as we wrap up, what 0:24:39.900 --> 0:24:42.240 does laughter do for us spiritually? 0:24:43.619 --> 0:24:45.689 That's a great question. I'm not sure I've ever thought 0:24:45.690 --> 0:24:48.990 about it, except that I think it does allow us 0:24:48.990 --> 0:24:53.940 to to look for the enjoyment in life. When you 0:24:53.940 --> 0:24:56.399 see a group of friends laughing, it doesn't have to 0:24:56.400 --> 0:25:00.060 be the joke necessarily, but laughing at the things that 0:25:00.060 --> 0:25:02.460 have occurred to them as they tell their stories. It 0:25:02.460 --> 0:25:05.270 seems to me that it. Binds us together, and it 0:25:05.270 --> 0:25:09.620 just gives us an appreciation of the goodness, the fun 0:25:09.619 --> 0:25:11.930 of this life here on earth. Yes, we go through 0:25:11.930 --> 0:25:15.890 some difficult times, but I do believe that life is 0:25:15.890 --> 0:25:18.200 to be enjoyed. And as we are in a right 0:25:18.200 --> 0:25:20.990 relationship with the Lord and right relationship with our friends, 0:25:20.990 --> 0:25:25.310 I think laughter can actually cause us to grow and 0:25:25.310 --> 0:25:29.270 to want to be together and want to just enjoy 0:25:29.270 --> 0:25:30.800 the Lord in this life. 0:25:30.890 --> 0:25:34.490 The Bible readers joke book, it's from Dr. Stephen Brammer, 0:25:34.490 --> 0:25:38.240 professor of Bible exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary. A link 0:25:38.240 --> 0:25:42.409 to him at our website. The land and the book. Org. 0:25:42.440 --> 0:25:43.869 Thanks for your smile today. 0:25:43.880 --> 0:25:45.020 Thank you John, and. 0:25:45.020 --> 0:25:46.790 We'll look forward to having you on the program again. 0:25:47.250 --> 0:25:50.210 Charlie's back with a fresh set of Bible questions that 0:25:50.210 --> 0:25:52.280 I'm looking forward to, and I think you'll enjoy them 0:25:52.280 --> 0:25:55.700 as well. His answers next on the land and the book. 0:26:06.869 --> 0:26:09.600 Welcome back to the land in the book. It's a 0:26:09.600 --> 0:26:12.659 fascinating segment we're about to embark on. I'm John Geiger 0:26:12.660 --> 0:26:16.320 with our host, Dr. Charlie Dyer. Fascinating because it's about you, 0:26:16.320 --> 0:26:19.500 your curiosity, your questions about the Bible, which are always 0:26:19.500 --> 0:26:22.860 welcome in our inbox. We'll give you that email address 0:26:23.160 --> 0:26:25.500 in a couple of minutes. Let's start with Deb's question 0:26:25.500 --> 0:26:29.399 in the song Glorify Thy Name. Is it theologically correct 0:26:29.400 --> 0:26:32.820 to sing spirit, we love you. We worship and adore you. 0:26:32.820 --> 0:26:35.640 Glorify your name in all the earth. Didn't the Lord 0:26:35.640 --> 0:26:38.699 Jesus say that the Holy Spirit would glorify him and 0:26:38.700 --> 0:26:41.040 also remind the disciples of all he had told them? 0:26:41.040 --> 0:26:44.100 Yeah, actually, I need to answer this two ways. The first, 0:26:44.100 --> 0:26:46.590 I admit I do have personal struggles with that song 0:26:46.590 --> 0:26:48.690 as well. In light of the role of the Holy 0:26:48.690 --> 0:26:52.410 Spirit is to play today. In John 15, Jesus described 0:26:52.410 --> 0:26:54.419 the Holy Spirit as the helper or the counselor, and 0:26:54.420 --> 0:26:57.960 he said the Holy Spirit's role was to testify about me, 0:26:57.960 --> 0:27:00.480 and then he became more specific in the next chapter. 0:27:00.480 --> 0:27:03.570 He says in chapter 16, when the spirit comes, he'll 0:27:03.570 --> 0:27:05.669 guide you into all truth. He will not speak on 0:27:05.670 --> 0:27:08.129 his own. He'll speak only what he hears, and he 0:27:08.130 --> 0:27:09.930 will tell you what is yet to come. He will 0:27:09.930 --> 0:27:12.810 bring glory to me by taking from what is mine 0:27:12.810 --> 0:27:15.239 and making it known to you. My concern is that 0:27:15.240 --> 0:27:17.699 the song seems to actually elevate the Holy Spirit in 0:27:17.700 --> 0:27:20.490 a way that detracts from his role in the Godhead. 0:27:20.640 --> 0:27:22.860 Know he proceeded from the father, and his role was 0:27:22.859 --> 0:27:26.129 to exalt the person and work of Christ. But now 0:27:26.130 --> 0:27:29.010 here's the other side of that coin. Some people react 0:27:29.010 --> 0:27:31.380 by going the opposite direction. You know, they almost make 0:27:31.380 --> 0:27:34.350 the Holy Spirit a second class member of the Trinity. 0:27:34.350 --> 0:27:36.420 So we do need to remember the Holy Spirit is 0:27:36.420 --> 0:27:39.780 fully God in Acts chapter five. I love the passage 0:27:39.780 --> 0:27:41.879 Peter tells in Aeneas that he had lied to the 0:27:41.880 --> 0:27:44.700 Holy Spirit in five three. Then in the very next 0:27:44.700 --> 0:27:47.430 verse he says, you've not lied to men, but to God, 0:27:47.430 --> 0:27:49.710 and that's what we need to remember. So in the end, 0:27:49.710 --> 0:27:51.990 I do want to acknowledge the work each member of 0:27:51.990 --> 0:27:54.870 the Godhead plays in my salvation. I want to glorify 0:27:54.869 --> 0:27:57.150 each for what they've done and continue to do. But 0:27:57.150 --> 0:27:59.939 I do feel uncomfortable, though, addressing each member of the 0:27:59.940 --> 0:28:03.660 Godhead individually, like the song suggests us, as if almost 0:28:03.660 --> 0:28:06.570 their roles are identical. Now that might be a personal quirk. 0:28:06.570 --> 0:28:09.000 I have, but I don't want to go beyond what 0:28:09.000 --> 0:28:11.400 God's Word says in describing the role that each member 0:28:11.400 --> 0:28:13.560 of the Trinity plays in the world today. 0:28:14.010 --> 0:28:16.830 Judy says, I was wondering, when we die and our 0:28:16.830 --> 0:28:19.740 souls are in heaven, why does God need our bodies 0:28:19.740 --> 0:28:21.780 to rise and go to heaven? 0:28:21.810 --> 0:28:24.420 Well, you know, God originally designed us to be body, 0:28:24.420 --> 0:28:27.780 soul and spirit or or material and immaterial, and the 0:28:27.780 --> 0:28:31.409 fall caused us to die spiritually immediately. You know, God said, 0:28:31.410 --> 0:28:34.770 in the day you eat, you shall surely die. But 0:28:34.770 --> 0:28:37.110 our bodies are also impacted by the fall, and that's 0:28:37.109 --> 0:28:40.380 why we also eventually die physically. I think part of 0:28:40.380 --> 0:28:43.710 God's complete redemption for us involves the need for both 0:28:43.710 --> 0:28:47.280 our body and our immaterial part to be redeemed. Our 0:28:47.280 --> 0:28:50.130 soul and spirit are transformed at death. To be absent 0:28:50.130 --> 0:28:52.380 from the body is to be present with the Lord. 0:28:52.380 --> 0:28:55.440 Paul said in second Corinthians five, and we know when 0:28:55.440 --> 0:28:57.750 Christ will appear that we're going to be like him, 0:28:57.750 --> 0:29:01.530 but we're still incomplete without the transformed body. So just 0:29:01.530 --> 0:29:04.770 as Jesus received a glorified body in his resurrection, I 0:29:04.770 --> 0:29:07.350 think God's plan for us really isn't finished until we 0:29:07.350 --> 0:29:11.190 receive our glorified body as well. In second Corinthians five, 0:29:11.190 --> 0:29:14.730 Paul talks about how we groan in this, our earthly body, 0:29:14.730 --> 0:29:17.430 but how God will clothe us with our new heavenly body. 0:29:17.670 --> 0:29:20.100 I keep thinking about it. A body that never grows 0:29:20.100 --> 0:29:23.520 old and never wears out, never has physical problems. John. 0:29:23.520 --> 0:29:25.410 I'm looking forward for that new body. 0:29:25.410 --> 0:29:28.260 Me too. Charlie. Well, you're listening to The Land in 0:29:28.260 --> 0:29:31.110 the book from Moody Radio. Glad to have your company. Dr. 0:29:31.110 --> 0:29:34.470 Charlie Dyer, our host. I'm John Geiger, and you know, Charlie, 0:29:34.470 --> 0:29:37.800 many of us wonder what the future holds for Israel. 0:29:37.800 --> 0:29:41.190 While some things are uncertain, the Bible gives us an 0:29:41.190 --> 0:29:45.120 outline of what really will happen in the last days. Yeah. 0:29:45.120 --> 0:29:47.730 Our friends at Life in Messiah recently hosted a prophecy 0:29:47.730 --> 0:29:51.840 conference that focus specifically on this topic Israel and the 0:29:51.840 --> 0:29:55.260 church living in the last days. They're now making those 0:29:55.260 --> 0:29:59.310 videos of the conference available for early access exclusively to 0:29:59.310 --> 0:30:01.950 the land. In the book listeners, you'll hear from many 0:30:01.950 --> 0:30:05.550 knowledgeable speakers on this topic, including Moody Radio host Michael 0:30:05.550 --> 0:30:09.900 Redlich and me. These encouraging and informative videos will help 0:30:09.900 --> 0:30:13.440 you better understand God's future plans, and how we can 0:30:13.440 --> 0:30:17.070 be actively waiting to get access to this video series. 0:30:17.070 --> 0:30:20.370 Visit Life in Messiah org and click on the Moody 0:30:20.370 --> 0:30:24.660 Radio button to sign up. That's life in Messiah org. 0:30:24.690 --> 0:30:28.170 Edward listens to us on and he says, I've got 0:30:28.170 --> 0:30:31.530 a question about the Tabernacle. Where did the Hebrews get 0:30:31.530 --> 0:30:34.170 the material to build the tabernacle when they were in 0:30:34.170 --> 0:30:35.130 the wilderness? 0:30:35.640 --> 0:30:37.260 I think we can answer it two ways. And the 0:30:37.260 --> 0:30:40.260 first is the silver, the gold, all the exotic items 0:30:40.260 --> 0:30:43.830 like the fabrics and even the essential ingredients for the incense. 0:30:43.950 --> 0:30:46.560 They were likely brought with them out of Egypt at 0:30:46.560 --> 0:30:49.230 the time of the Exodus, you know, following the death 0:30:49.230 --> 0:30:52.050 of the firstborn in Exodus chapter 12, it says the 0:30:52.050 --> 0:30:55.200 Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. 0:30:55.460 --> 0:30:58.350 And God placed on the Egyptians the fear of the Israelites. 0:30:58.350 --> 0:31:01.650 And the Lord made them favorably disposed toward the people, 0:31:01.650 --> 0:31:03.630 gave them what they asked for. In fact, it says 0:31:03.630 --> 0:31:06.830 they plundered the Egyptians. So as a result, I. Many 0:31:06.830 --> 0:31:09.470 of the materials later used to build the tabernacle were 0:31:09.470 --> 0:31:12.320 actually given to the Israelites by the Egyptians at the 0:31:12.320 --> 0:31:14.870 time of the Exodus. But second, I think the people 0:31:14.870 --> 0:31:16.850 were also able to find some of the items in 0:31:16.850 --> 0:31:20.060 the wilderness know. Certainly they could find acacia wood there 0:31:20.060 --> 0:31:22.730 for the bars and the boards and and the carts 0:31:22.730 --> 0:31:25.310 that they needed. And they were also able to find 0:31:25.310 --> 0:31:28.310 wild olive trees, as well as other desert trees that 0:31:28.310 --> 0:31:31.010 produce the aromatic spices in the same area. 0:31:31.400 --> 0:31:34.120 Todd wants to know, are there two types of Christians? 0:31:34.130 --> 0:31:37.340 It seems I've always heard in Christian teaching a distinction 0:31:37.340 --> 0:31:42.320 made between faithful and obedient Christians and unfaithful ones. It's 0:31:42.320 --> 0:31:45.410 expressed in other ways, such as sold out, surrendered, or 0:31:45.410 --> 0:31:49.480 as living without unconfessed sin. I use this language as well. 0:31:49.490 --> 0:31:52.670 Is it biblically accurate or are believers in Christ just 0:31:52.670 --> 0:31:54.530 more or less faithful to him? 0:31:55.020 --> 0:31:57.110 Yeah, I think the best answer might be what Paul 0:31:57.110 --> 0:32:00.080 wrote in first Corinthians three. You know, Paul described two 0:32:00.080 --> 0:32:03.080 classes of believers in Corinth. One group he says, were 0:32:03.080 --> 0:32:06.260 fleshly or worldly. That's verse one. They're in chapter three, 0:32:06.260 --> 0:32:08.090 and the word he uses there has the idea of 0:32:08.090 --> 0:32:11.240 being under the control of the flesh and having a worldly, 0:32:11.240 --> 0:32:14.720 self focused view of life. Paul calls the group infants 0:32:14.720 --> 0:32:18.050 in Christ. If you've ever watched the self-centered behavior of 0:32:18.050 --> 0:32:20.360 a very young child, you get the idea. You know 0:32:20.390 --> 0:32:22.580 they want what they want, and they pout if their 0:32:22.580 --> 0:32:25.400 demands aren't met immediately. Well, you have that same idea 0:32:25.400 --> 0:32:28.670 that Paul's picturing there in verse three. Then Paul provides 0:32:28.670 --> 0:32:31.850 two of the characteristics being demonstrated by such believers. In fact, 0:32:31.850 --> 0:32:35.450 he says in Corinth they were exhibiting jealousy and strife. 0:32:35.480 --> 0:32:38.930 Paul then describes the second group of believers as spiritual, 0:32:38.930 --> 0:32:41.240 and he pictures individuals who are under the control of 0:32:41.240 --> 0:32:43.670 the Holy Spirit. We might also refer to them as 0:32:43.670 --> 0:32:46.970 mature believers. They exhibit a wisdom in how they live 0:32:46.970 --> 0:32:49.670 that comes from God and comes through His Word and 0:32:49.670 --> 0:32:51.680 through the work of the Holy Spirit. You know, the 0:32:51.680 --> 0:32:55.070 writer of Hebrews also makes a similar distinction between infants 0:32:55.070 --> 0:32:58.220 who need milk, the elementary truths of God's Word, he 0:32:58.220 --> 0:33:00.830 calls it, and the mature who know how to ingest 0:33:00.830 --> 0:33:03.410 the solid food of God's Word and enable them to 0:33:03.410 --> 0:33:06.050 distinguish good from evil, and are able to share that 0:33:06.050 --> 0:33:08.900 truth with others. He mentions all that in Hebrews chapter five. 0:33:09.020 --> 0:33:12.170 So rather than language like sold out, surrendered, or living 0:33:12.170 --> 0:33:15.980 without with unconfessed sin, which by themselves aren't incorrect, I 0:33:15.980 --> 0:33:19.520 need to add, I just personally prefer categories of immature 0:33:19.550 --> 0:33:22.940 versus mature, or those controlled by the world versus those 0:33:22.940 --> 0:33:25.940 controlled by God's Spirit. And one major difference between the 0:33:25.940 --> 0:33:29.600 groups is the ability to learn and discern and respond 0:33:29.600 --> 0:33:31.430 properly to God's Word. 0:33:31.700 --> 0:33:34.610 A follow up question by Todd here. Would you equate 0:33:34.610 --> 0:33:38.060 being a spiritual Christian with being filled with the spirit, 0:33:38.060 --> 0:33:40.100 or are those two different ideas? 0:33:40.340 --> 0:33:43.280 Yeah, I do see being a spiritual Christian, as Paul 0:33:43.280 --> 0:33:45.710 talks about it there in First Corinthians, as being slightly 0:33:45.710 --> 0:33:48.800 different than being filled with the spirit which he describes 0:33:48.800 --> 0:33:52.820 in Ephesians chapter five. In Ephesians, Paul equates being filled 0:33:52.820 --> 0:33:55.550 with the spirit, with being controlled by the spirit, as 0:33:55.550 --> 0:33:58.910 opposed to being drunk or controlled by wine. I see 0:33:58.910 --> 0:34:02.270 something similar in Galatians five, where Paul contrasts the acts 0:34:02.270 --> 0:34:05.540 produced by our sinful nature in verses 19 to 21 0:34:05.540 --> 0:34:08.330 with the acts and attitudes produced by the Spirit's work 0:34:08.330 --> 0:34:12.049 in our lives in verses 22 and 23. I believe 0:34:12.050 --> 0:34:14.390 even the newest Christian can choose to be filled with 0:34:14.390 --> 0:34:17.029 the spirit, in the sense of allowing the Holy Spirit 0:34:17.030 --> 0:34:19.790 to control his or her life and and submit to 0:34:19.790 --> 0:34:23.720 that control. But spiritual maturity is a process. It develops 0:34:23.719 --> 0:34:28.880 over time. Using another analogy, a young child can be obedient, polite, 0:34:28.880 --> 0:34:32.029 and mature for their age, but that same child still 0:34:32.030 --> 0:34:34.700 has much to learn and master right before he and 0:34:34.700 --> 0:34:37.940 she can become a full fledged adult. So every Christian 0:34:37.940 --> 0:34:40.430 should strive to be led by the spirit as they 0:34:40.430 --> 0:34:42.650 seek to know and follow God. But the process of 0:34:42.650 --> 0:34:46.250 becoming spiritually mature, that takes time as God leads us 0:34:46.250 --> 0:34:49.580 through all those life experiences that produce obedience and trust 0:34:49.580 --> 0:34:50.930 and wisdom in our lives. 0:34:50.960 --> 0:34:54.350 Charlie, your comment about immaturity takes me to granddaughter Ava. 0:34:54.350 --> 0:34:59.239 We say someday she's six and someday she's 16. You 0:34:59.239 --> 0:35:01.580 never know. All right, let's go to Jim's question. He 0:35:01.580 --> 0:35:04.640 takes us to Matthew three verses 11 through 15, where 0:35:04.640 --> 0:35:09.110 John the Baptist baptizes Jesus. And it seems John knew 0:35:09.110 --> 0:35:12.140 who he was. And then in chapter 11, verses two 0:35:12.140 --> 0:35:14.810 and three, John's in prison and sends his disciples to 0:35:14.810 --> 0:35:18.860 ask Jesus, are you the expected one? I thought John 0:35:18.860 --> 0:35:21.770 knew who he was earlier, and now he's questioning, what's 0:35:21.770 --> 0:35:22.430 your take? 0:35:22.550 --> 0:35:25.219 Yeah, actually, I see a real life illustration in this. 0:35:25.219 --> 0:35:27.799 You know, John had in his own mind an idea 0:35:27.800 --> 0:35:31.130 of what should happen once the Messiah showed up. He 0:35:31.130 --> 0:35:33.049 was going to announce the Messiah's coming, that people would 0:35:33.050 --> 0:35:35.450 turn to the Messiah and the kingdom would start. And 0:35:35.450 --> 0:35:38.960 yet that didn't happen. John's thrown in prison. So I 0:35:38.960 --> 0:35:41.000 think what happened then, in answer to your question, I 0:35:41.000 --> 0:35:44.149 think John was, after being thrown in prison, started having 0:35:44.150 --> 0:35:46.190 doubts about his own ministry and about the one he 0:35:46.190 --> 0:35:48.860 had told people was God's Son and the Messiah. And 0:35:48.860 --> 0:35:51.110 so he finally sent his disciples to ask Jesus if 0:35:51.110 --> 0:35:53.570 he really was the Messiah, or perhaps if there was 0:35:53.570 --> 0:35:57.290 something else or someone else coming. John didn't see Jesus 0:35:57.290 --> 0:36:00.200 fulfilling the role of conquering King. And so what does 0:36:00.200 --> 0:36:03.170 Jesus do? Well, he tells John's disciples to report to 0:36:03.170 --> 0:36:06.600 John what you hear and see the. A blind receive sight. 0:36:06.600 --> 0:36:09.120 The lame walk. Those who have leprosy are cured, the 0:36:09.120 --> 0:36:11.700 deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news 0:36:11.700 --> 0:36:14.160 is preached to the poor, which he actually. That's all 0:36:14.160 --> 0:36:16.890 in Matthew chapter 11. So Jesus is telling them to 0:36:16.890 --> 0:36:20.310 report specific miracles they had seen him perform and the 0:36:20.310 --> 0:36:22.680 message they'd heard him preach. And that goes all the 0:36:22.680 --> 0:36:26.549 way back to Isaiah chapter 35, where Isaiah said, when 0:36:26.550 --> 0:36:29.070 your God comes, those are exactly the things you're going 0:36:29.070 --> 0:36:31.380 to see. In other words, Jesus tells him to report 0:36:31.380 --> 0:36:34.410 to John that he's doing exactly what God said the 0:36:34.410 --> 0:36:36.000 Messiah would do when he arrived. 0:36:36.000 --> 0:36:39.330 And your question is welcome anytime at the land and 0:36:39.330 --> 0:36:43.259 the book at Moody. Edu, I'm looking forward to Charlie 0:36:43.260 --> 0:36:45.840 Dyer's devotional. It's coming up next here on the land 0:36:45.840 --> 0:37:00.969 and the book. Welcome back to our fourth and final 0:37:00.969 --> 0:37:03.130 segment here on the land of the book, I'm John 0:37:03.130 --> 0:37:06.100 Geiger with our host, Dr. Charlie Dyer. If you're new, 0:37:06.100 --> 0:37:09.610 this fourth segment is a devotional. Charlie, I love the 0:37:09.610 --> 0:37:12.730 way you tie us to not just passages in Scripture, 0:37:12.730 --> 0:37:16.270 but places in Israel as you're about to do. Today's 0:37:16.270 --> 0:37:19.690 devotional is titled Fake News. We're going to look at 0:37:19.690 --> 0:37:23.200 the danger that happened in some fake news biblically, after 0:37:23.200 --> 0:37:26.500 we first hear this testimony from a traveler to Israel 0:37:26.500 --> 0:37:28.420 who wants to share this with you and me. 0:37:32.680 --> 0:37:37.300 Hey, Charlie, this is Dave Khan from Tampa, Florida. Going 0:37:37.300 --> 0:37:40.210 to Israel was one of the highlights of my life. 0:37:40.210 --> 0:37:44.560 And I guess probably Capernaum would have been the highlight, 0:37:44.560 --> 0:37:48.100 although Jerusalem was pretty cool. But Capernaum, just thinking that 0:37:48.100 --> 0:37:49.060 this is actually. 0:37:49.060 --> 0:37:51.880 Jesus really walked there. And you know, we went to 0:37:51.880 --> 0:37:54.969 the synagogue there and they said it was excavated down 0:37:54.969 --> 0:37:57.160 to the floor. That would have been the floor when 0:37:57.160 --> 0:37:58.870 Jesus was there. And to think, I mean, this is 0:37:58.870 --> 0:38:01.690 not close. You know, a lot of the areas that 0:38:01.690 --> 0:38:04.450 you go to, they say, well, you know, like Jesus 0:38:04.450 --> 0:38:07.690 was in this area, the Mount of Olives and, you know, 0:38:07.690 --> 0:38:10.270 where he was baptized in the Jordan. But they don't 0:38:10.270 --> 0:38:13.150 know exactly where he was. And it is places but 0:38:13.150 --> 0:38:13.840 the kind of thing. 0:38:13.840 --> 0:38:17.140 That in the synagogue, this was actually the floor. I mean, 0:38:17.140 --> 0:38:19.840 this is like where he walked. But anyway, somebody said 0:38:19.840 --> 0:38:25.030 that going to Israel is like watching television in black 0:38:25.030 --> 0:38:28.420 and white and then watching it in high def color. 0:38:28.930 --> 0:38:33.040 There's that just brings the Bible really alive. So God bless. 0:38:34.890 --> 0:38:37.710 Well, fake news is not just a nuisance and nor 0:38:37.710 --> 0:38:39.569 is it new. It goes back all the way to 0:38:39.570 --> 0:38:44.310 Bible times and with extraordinary consequences. But I'll leave the 0:38:44.310 --> 0:38:46.830 talking to Dr. Charlie Dyer, our host. Charlie. 0:38:47.400 --> 0:38:51.180 Thanks, John. You know, language is always changing. Unfortunately, many 0:38:51.180 --> 0:38:53.850 of the expressions that find their way into our vocabulary 0:38:53.850 --> 0:38:56.759 don't necessarily improve it. One of the phrases I could 0:38:56.760 --> 0:39:00.240 personally live without is fake news. You know, sadly, with 0:39:00.239 --> 0:39:03.570 another national election soon on the way, I suspect we'll 0:39:03.570 --> 0:39:05.520 have more than our share of fake news over the 0:39:05.520 --> 0:39:09.930 next 12 months. But politicians today have nothing on Jeroboam, 0:39:09.930 --> 0:39:12.840 the first king of the divided kingdom of Israel, at 0:39:12.840 --> 0:39:15.210 least when it comes to fake news. Now follow me 0:39:15.210 --> 0:39:18.420 to Bethel, about ten miles north of Jerusalem, and I'll 0:39:18.420 --> 0:39:21.989 explain what I mean. Bethel is the spot where Jacob 0:39:21.989 --> 0:39:24.419 had his dream of a stairway between earth and heaven, 0:39:24.420 --> 0:39:28.440 with angels ascending and descending. Because of that dream, Jacob 0:39:28.440 --> 0:39:31.890 named the place Bethel House of God, and the site 0:39:31.890 --> 0:39:35.669 took on great religious significance from that point on. Following 0:39:35.670 --> 0:39:39.060 Solomon's death, when the kingdom divided into Israel and Judah, 0:39:39.060 --> 0:39:43.110 Jeroboam headed up the breakaway nation of Israel, and Bethel 0:39:43.110 --> 0:39:46.320 became one of the strategic religious sites that helped him 0:39:46.320 --> 0:39:50.220 maintain control over his new empire. One fact we learn 0:39:50.219 --> 0:39:52.710 about Jeroboam at the start of his reign is that 0:39:52.710 --> 0:39:56.870 he was the master of fake news. In first Kings 1228, 0:39:56.880 --> 0:39:59.729 he set up two golden calves, one in the north 0:39:59.730 --> 0:40:01.740 and Dan the other in the south of his kingdom 0:40:01.739 --> 0:40:04.500 at Bethel. He then said to the people, here are 0:40:04.500 --> 0:40:07.650 your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt, 0:40:07.770 --> 0:40:11.910 fake gods. Then in verse 31, the compiler of Kings 0:40:11.910 --> 0:40:15.600 notes that Jeroboam appointed priests from all sorts of people, 0:40:15.600 --> 0:40:19.310 even though they were not Levites. He had fake priests. 0:40:19.320 --> 0:40:22.200 And then in verses 32 to 33, the writer reports 0:40:22.200 --> 0:40:26.279 that Jeroboam instituted a festival on the 15th day of 0:40:26.280 --> 0:40:29.820 the eighth month, a month of his own choosing. He 0:40:29.820 --> 0:40:33.420 instituted fake festivals. Let me pause there for a second 0:40:33.420 --> 0:40:36.990 to explain that last point. God instituted a festival for 0:40:36.989 --> 0:40:39.930 Israel on the 15th day of the seventh month. It's 0:40:39.930 --> 0:40:42.840 the festival we know as the Feast of Tabernacles or 0:40:42.840 --> 0:40:47.430 Festival of Sukkot. Jeroboam set up his fake festival exactly 0:40:47.430 --> 0:40:51.390 one month after the one established by God. In fact, 0:40:51.390 --> 0:40:54.089 the 15th day of heaven, the 15th day of the 0:40:54.090 --> 0:40:57.390 eighth month on the Jewish calendar, was this past Sunday 0:40:57.510 --> 0:41:00.930 to give his new fake festival legitimacy in the eyes 0:41:00.930 --> 0:41:04.319 of the people. King Jeroboam himself went up to the 0:41:04.320 --> 0:41:07.500 altar to make offerings, claiming the dual roles of both 0:41:07.500 --> 0:41:12.810 king and priest in doing so, fake authority. Sadly, the 0:41:12.810 --> 0:41:15.569 fake news coming out of Bethel isn't over. In First 0:41:15.570 --> 0:41:19.680 Kings 13, God sent a prophet to denounce Jeroboam his actions. 0:41:19.950 --> 0:41:22.710 Jeroboam stretched out his hand and shouted to the guards 0:41:22.710 --> 0:41:26.009 to seize him. But as he did, his arm shriveled up. 0:41:26.010 --> 0:41:28.380 The king pled with the man of God to intercede 0:41:28.380 --> 0:41:31.350 on his behalf, and in response to that man's prayers, 0:41:31.350 --> 0:41:36.000 the real God of Israel restored Jeroboam arm. Jeroboam wanted 0:41:36.000 --> 0:41:37.920 this prophet of God to stay for a meal, but 0:41:37.920 --> 0:41:41.549 he refused, saying God had commanded him not to stop 0:41:41.550 --> 0:41:44.820 in Bethel, or eat or drink, or even go home 0:41:44.820 --> 0:41:48.090 the same way he had arrived. As he was leaving Bethel, 0:41:48.090 --> 0:41:50.700 this man of God paused to rest under a tree. 0:41:51.060 --> 0:41:53.010 At this point in the story, we're introduced to a 0:41:53.010 --> 0:41:57.090 second prophet who evidently also worshiped the true God. This 0:41:57.090 --> 0:41:59.550 older man found the first prophet and said to him, 0:41:59.550 --> 0:42:01.919 I too am a prophet as you are. And an 0:42:01.920 --> 0:42:04.319 angel said to me by the word of God, bring 0:42:04.320 --> 0:42:06.239 him back with you to your house, so that he 0:42:06.239 --> 0:42:10.080 may eat bread and drink water. But this was fake news, 0:42:10.080 --> 0:42:12.510 because the writer goes on to add, but he was 0:42:12.510 --> 0:42:16.950 lying to him. Fake gods, fake priests, fake festivals, fake 0:42:16.950 --> 0:42:20.960 authority and fake news. What else can go wrong? Well, 0:42:21.000 --> 0:42:22.890 you don't have to wait too long to find out. 0:42:22.890 --> 0:42:26.010 God delivered a stern message to the First Prophet through 0:42:26.010 --> 0:42:29.399 the mouth of this less than honorable second prophet. Here's 0:42:29.400 --> 0:42:31.890 what God told him to say. You have defiled the 0:42:31.890 --> 0:42:33.899 word of the Lord and have not kept the command 0:42:33.900 --> 0:42:36.690 the Lord your God gave you. You came back and 0:42:36.690 --> 0:42:38.850 ate bread and drank water in the place where you 0:42:38.850 --> 0:42:41.970 were told not to eat and drink. Therefore your body 0:42:41.969 --> 0:42:44.760 will not be buried in the tomb of your fathers. 0:42:45.300 --> 0:42:48.060 But wait, that doesn't seem quite fair, does it? The 0:42:48.060 --> 0:42:50.790 original man of God was duped by this older prophet, 0:42:50.790 --> 0:42:53.880 who apparently had been a legitimate prophet in the past. 0:42:54.060 --> 0:42:57.570 So why is God judging the first prophet for getting 0:42:57.570 --> 0:42:59.850 taken in by the lying word spoken to him by 0:42:59.850 --> 0:43:04.230 the second prophet? Isn't that rather harsh on God's part? Well, 0:43:04.230 --> 0:43:07.170 it might seem harsh until you remember it was God 0:43:07.170 --> 0:43:10.709 himself who originally sent the first prophet to Bethel to 0:43:10.710 --> 0:43:14.070 announce his judgment. When the King invited the prophet to stay, 0:43:14.070 --> 0:43:17.339 the prophet's response was, I have been commanded by the 0:43:17.340 --> 0:43:19.890 word of the Lord. You must not eat bread, or 0:43:19.890 --> 0:43:23.550 drink water, or return by the way you came. God 0:43:23.550 --> 0:43:26.970 had given very specific instructions to the prophet, and it's 0:43:26.969 --> 0:43:30.090 clear the man knew exactly what God had said. So 0:43:30.090 --> 0:43:33.239 had God reappeared to him to change his original instructions. 0:43:33.980 --> 0:43:37.340 He did not. The older man might have sounded very persuasive, 0:43:37.340 --> 0:43:41.120 but God had already spoken clearly and directly, and his 0:43:41.120 --> 0:43:44.660 numbers 2319 makes clear God is not a man, that 0:43:44.660 --> 0:43:46.910 he should lie, nor a son of man, that he 0:43:46.910 --> 0:43:50.540 should change his mind. Having delivered God's word of judgment 0:43:50.540 --> 0:43:53.780 to the original prophet, the second prophet apparently tried to 0:43:53.780 --> 0:43:56.359 make amends. He found the man of God resting under 0:43:56.360 --> 0:44:00.169 a tree, very possibly exhausted from his journey, his interaction 0:44:00.170 --> 0:44:02.359 with the king and his lack of food and water. 0:44:02.450 --> 0:44:05.210 The second prophet with the fake message, gave his own 0:44:05.210 --> 0:44:08.330 donkey to the original prophet, perhaps hoping to make his 0:44:08.330 --> 0:44:11.330 journey home easier. But if that was his hope, the 0:44:11.330 --> 0:44:14.689 message of judgment God had spoken was going to be fulfilled. 0:44:15.110 --> 0:44:16.880 As he went on his way, a lion met him 0:44:16.880 --> 0:44:18.980 on the road and killed him, and his body was 0:44:18.980 --> 0:44:21.380 thrown down on the road with both the donkey and 0:44:21.380 --> 0:44:24.739 the lion standing beside it. So what's the moral to 0:44:24.739 --> 0:44:29.050 this sad story from Bethel in first Kings 12 and 13? Well, 0:44:29.060 --> 0:44:32.030 without being flippant, it might be that listening to fake 0:44:32.030 --> 0:44:36.140 news can prove to be deadly. God had already spoken clearly, 0:44:36.140 --> 0:44:39.020 and if a message comes that seems to contradict what 0:44:39.020 --> 0:44:44.780 God has said, always, always stick with God. How serious 0:44:44.780 --> 0:44:47.060 is it to ignore God's Word and to be taken 0:44:47.060 --> 0:44:50.480 in by fake news? I'm reminded of two responses to 0:44:50.480 --> 0:44:54.710 such deception given by the Apostle Paul in Galatians one nine. 0:44:54.710 --> 0:44:57.650 Paul responded to fake news that was circulating regarding the 0:44:57.650 --> 0:45:01.219 gospel message there. He wrote, as we've already said. So 0:45:01.219 --> 0:45:03.770 now I say again, if anybody is preaching to you 0:45:03.770 --> 0:45:06.919 a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be 0:45:06.920 --> 0:45:11.570 eternally condemned. God's good news. The gospel is a matter 0:45:11.570 --> 0:45:14.900 of literally eternal life and death. And Paul warned against 0:45:14.900 --> 0:45:18.380 being taken in by so deadly a fake. The second 0:45:18.380 --> 0:45:21.919 message is from Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians. Evidently, 0:45:21.920 --> 0:45:24.920 fake news was circulating there regarding the coming day of 0:45:24.920 --> 0:45:28.609 the Lord. Again, Paul doesn't mince words. He begins by 0:45:28.610 --> 0:45:31.609 writing concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and 0:45:31.610 --> 0:45:34.370 our being gathered to him. We ask you, brothers, not 0:45:34.370 --> 0:45:37.969 to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy or 0:45:37.969 --> 0:45:41.540 reporter letter supposed to have come from us, saying that 0:45:41.540 --> 0:45:43.969 the day of the Lord has already come. And then 0:45:43.969 --> 0:45:46.850 Paul ends his teaching on future events by writing. So 0:45:46.850 --> 0:45:50.089 them brothers stand firm and hold to the teachings we 0:45:50.090 --> 0:45:52.549 passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or 0:45:52.550 --> 0:45:56.719 by letter. The best defense against fake news is the truth, 0:45:56.719 --> 0:45:59.509 and that starts with the truth of God's Word. The 0:45:59.510 --> 0:46:01.730 more you know God's Word, the more prepared you will 0:46:01.730 --> 0:46:05.000 be to not fall victim to fake news and to 0:46:05.000 --> 0:46:08.299 know God's Word. You need to start by reading God's Word. 0:46:08.300 --> 0:46:10.310 So how much time do you spend in the Bible 0:46:10.310 --> 0:46:13.729 each day? Here's my challenge to you this next week. 0:46:13.730 --> 0:46:16.310 Spend less time reading or listening to all the fake 0:46:16.310 --> 0:46:20.240 news online or on television, and spend more time studying 0:46:20.239 --> 0:46:23.810 what God has said in his word. Replace fake news 0:46:23.810 --> 0:46:27.830 with heavenly truth. Trust me, you will never regret it. 0:46:28.340 --> 0:46:31.070 Powerful insights there. Thank you Charlie. What a lesson, a 0:46:31.070 --> 0:46:34.370 tragic story, but insights for us today. You can hear 0:46:34.370 --> 0:46:36.830 it all again when you visit our website. The land 0:46:36.830 --> 0:46:42.020 and the book org, that's the land and the book.org. 0:46:42.100 --> 0:46:44.419 Want to say thanks to our host, Dr. Charlie Dyer, 0:46:44.420 --> 0:46:47.390 I'm John Geiger. Appreciate your company here. As you listen 0:46:47.390 --> 0:46:50.000 to the land in the book. We're back next week. 0:46:50.000 --> 0:46:52.460 The land of the book is a production of Moody Radio, 0:46:52.489 --> 0:46:54.800 a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.