S1: Said Lord Byron. Always laugh when you can. It's cheap medicine.
S1: But many Christians either miss or minimize humor. And with
S1: all that's going on in the world, a war in Ukraine,
S1: a war in the Middle East, is humor even an
S1: appropriate subject? What does the Bible say? What do you
S1: say we sit down and talk with a biblical expert
S1: on this subject of humor? We'll do it and a
S1: whole lot more on today's edition of The Land and
S1: the book. Welcome. I'm John Geiger, our host is noted
S1: Old Testament scholar, Middle East expert, Dr. Charlie Dyer. And Charlie,
S1: many of us, as we look at the conflict unfolding
S1: right now, are wondering what the future holds for Israel.
S1: While some things are certain, the Bible gives us an
S1: outline of what really will happen in the last days.
S1: Our friends at Life in Messiah recently posted.
S2: A prophecy conference focus specifically on this topic Israel and
S2: the church living in the last days. They're now making
S2: the video of the conference available for early access exclusively
S2: to the land. In the book listeners, you'll hear from
S2: many knowledgeable speakers on this topic, including Moody Radio host
S2: Michael Rudnick and me, Charlie Dyer. These encouraging and informative
S2: videos will help you better understand God's future plans and
S2: how we can be actively waiting to get access to
S2: this video series. Visit Life in Messiah org and click
S2: on the Moody Radio button there to sign up. That's
S2: Life in messiah.org.
S1: And now a look at current events from the Middle East.
S1: Last weekend, Israel began its long awaited invasion of Gaza.
S1: What do we know so far about the battle, and
S1: has there been any additional information on the hostages that
S1: are on everybody's minds?
S2: Well, let me start with those hostages. Hamas has released
S2: four hostages and Israeli troops rescued a fifth. Negotiations for
S2: the release of other hostages is ongoing. And Israel is
S2: also searching for those hostages as they make their way
S2: through Gaza. As far as the battle itself is going,
S2: it appears that Israel's initial goal on the ground is
S2: to slice Gaza in half, sending in tanks and soldiers
S2: to cut the two main north south links in the area.
S2: Now they're engaged in heavy urban fighting and experiencing the
S2: trauma of still more deaths. They've bombed over 11,000 Hamas
S2: targets since the start of the war. Meanwhile, Hamas and
S2: Islamic Jihad continue to fire rockets at the towns and
S2: cities in central and southern Israel. Hamas was hoping Hezbollah,
S2: the Houthis in Yemen, and even possibly Iran would actively
S2: engage in the fighting. But so far, that hasn't happened.
S2: Hezbollah's fired anti-tank rockets across the border, but at least
S2: up to now, they've held back on using their thousands
S2: of long range rockets. They've done just enough to claim
S2: they support Hamas, but are apparently trying to keep the
S2: conflict from escalating. Whether this will continue, though, well, that
S2: remains to be seen. But their response, at least up
S2: till now, has frustrated Hamas. The Houthis have launched several
S2: drones and rockets at Israel from their bases in Yemen,
S2: but all have been shot down by US warships or
S2: by Israeli planes or the Arab missile system. No Houthi
S2: missiles are drones have penetrated Israel. Iran hasn't joined the fight,
S2: though its allies in Iraq and Syria have launched missiles
S2: and drones at US bases in Syria. Now, as you
S2: might expect, the flow of information from the battle is sparse.
S2: Israel doesn't want to telegraph its plans to Hamas, but
S2: they appear to be moving deliberately and methodically to cut
S2: off all avenues of resupply and escape for Hamas while
S2: they move house to house in heavy urban fighting. One
S2: last point the economic impact of this war on Israel
S2: thus far is staggering. It's costing Israel $250 million a
S2: day with no end in sight, and the cost to
S2: those living in Gaza is incalculable. The impact is going
S2: to be felt long into next year.
S1: Charlie, your comment about rockets still being fired from Gaza.
S1: Are Israeli sources able to then pinpoint the sources of
S1: those and go after them, or is it all mobile
S1: and therefore unable to be pursued?
S2: I think a lot of them are underground sources, and
S2: they open up fire and then try and close it up.
S2: Israel tries to spot them also. The problem is they're
S2: in urban areas and when Israel goes after them, they
S2: have to be very careful that they don't inadvertently attack
S2: and hit the wrong target and hit civilians.
S1: The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted for a cease fire,
S1: but without including any condemnation of Hamas over the initial attack.
S1: And some world leaders are suggesting Israel's air and ground
S1: campaign and ensuing civilian casualties have been disproportionate, violate the
S1: laws of war and could be war crimes. What are
S1: the issues here, Charlie?
S2: Well, the issues are that there are so many different
S2: Muslim countries that supported that resolution. There were groups joining
S2: Israel in opposing, but of course, they're overwhelmed now. Thankfully,
S2: it's a non-binding resolution. Now, people using those terms, though,
S2: you know, disproportionate, violating the law of war, war crimes.
S2: They're using them in improper and. And misleading ways. The
S2: laws of armed conflict are governed by the Geneva Conventions
S2: of 1949 and some other protocols, and Israel subscribes to
S2: and follows those laws. You know, when you think about
S2: war crimes, it was Hamas that deliberately targeted civilians on
S2: October 7th. They raped, tortured, mutilated, burned alive. Many of
S2: those they killed. They took civilians as hostages. Now those
S2: are war crimes. Israel is very deliberately seeking to bomb
S2: only military targets. But under the laws of armed combat,
S2: those targets may include residential buildings if they're being used
S2: by Hamas for military purposes. That's why Israel has repeatedly
S2: urged civilians to leave the area. Israel's trying to avoid
S2: civilian casualties. It's Hamas that's using the civilians as human
S2: shields and the principle of proportionality that you'll often hear,
S2: and it's often thrown about. Well, that doesn't mean you
S2: compare body counts or the number of damaged buildings to
S2: see if they're even. What it means is that an
S2: attack is considered disproportionate and illegal. If the collateral damage
S2: to civilians and buildings is excessive compared to the military
S2: advantage of the attack. In other words, bombing an entire
S2: apartment building to take out a single Hamas fighter who
S2: ran inside for cover, that would be disproportionate and illegal.
S2: But bombing a building that houses a key Hamas commander,
S2: or a command center or weapons facility that would not
S2: be considered disproportionate even if it causes civilian casualties. Israel
S2: is doing everything possible to avoid civilian casualties, but they
S2: are seeking to eliminate Hamas and its leadership. Hamas started
S2: the conflict when they launched their attack on October 7th,
S2: and Israel has the right to respond militarily to defeat them. War,
S2: as we both know, is bloody and brutal. Israel is
S2: trying to fight a vicious enemy while following all the
S2: laws of armed conflict. And those suggesting otherwise, including politicians
S2: and protesters, are either naive, deluded or just plain anti-Semitic.
S1: From Moody Radio. This is the land in the book
S1: with our host, Dr. Charlie Dyer. I'm John Geiger, looking
S1: at current events. Well, Israel announced plans to test its
S1: ion beam laser system on Hamas missiles. How does the
S1: ion beam system work and can it effectively stop those missiles?
S2: Well, the ion beam generates a laser beam to destroy
S2: airborne targets. The laser shoots a beam of energy at
S2: a target, instantly hitting it and hopefully destroying it. And
S2: it can aim and fire at a very rapid rate.
S2: There are some unknowns right now, including the ion beams.
S2: Effective range estimates have ranged from 4 to 10 miles,
S2: depending in large measure on the power level of the laser, which,
S2: as you might expect, is being deliberately kept vague. It's
S2: also unclear how the ion beams performance will be impacted
S2: by weather conditions, like clouds or rain or smoke or dust.
S2: What we do know is that Israel has officially announced
S2: plans to test the system on missiles now being fired
S2: from Gaza. Some reports, including some so-called videos, have appeared
S2: supposedly showing the system in use for the past two weeks.
S2: Those reports are false. They're examples of fake news capturing headlines.
S2: What does seem to be true, though, is that Israel
S2: wants to test the system against missiles currently being fired
S2: by Hamas. It's also likely Israel won't issue any updates
S2: on its use until they know its effectiveness. Now, in
S2: regard to another of Israel's high tech systems, they did
S2: announce Wednesday they use their arrow defense system to intercept
S2: a surface to surface missile launched from Yemen. That was
S2: the first use of the system in actual combat, and
S2: it worked as advertised. They're hoping that they'll be able
S2: to say the same thing before too long when it
S2: comes to the ion beam system, but as of right now,
S2: no news.
S1: Well, Charlie, as you already said, one of the casualties
S1: of the current conflict is truth itself. Fake news, false
S1: claims all seem to abound. How serious is the problem
S1: and what can be done to help sort out the
S1: truth from those things that are false?
S2: Yeah, that Iron Beam story is just one example of
S2: fake news. A far greater concern to Israel right now
S2: are the stories that are designed to turn public opinion
S2: against Israel and to stir up anti-Semitism. When Hamas reported
S2: that Israel bombed a hospital, killing over 500 patients, the
S2: news was uncritically picked up by news outlets. Days later,
S2: it was shown to be an Islamic Jihad rocket, not
S2: an Israeli bomb, which misfired and landed in the parking lot,
S2: not on the hospital itself, and that somewhere around 50
S2: to 100 people were killed, not 500 or more. That
S2: obviously false story ignited worldwide anger and criticism of Israel.
S2: The best way to combat fake news like that is
S2: with the truth. And that's why a group of volunteers
S2: in Israel have begun a new initiative that they've called
S2: the Digital Iron Dome. As the name suggests, their goal
S2: is to shoot down fake news reports by exposing them.
S2: Now the site is in Hebrew, but here's how it works.
S2: If anyone spots a story they believe to. Be fake
S2: or malicious. They can paste a link to that story
S2: on the Digital Iron Dome website. Volunteers then check the
S2: link and if it does appear to be false, they
S2: report it to the appropriate social media network to have
S2: them take it down. Now, that's a great idea because
S2: ultimately the best defense against fake news is the truth.
S2: And John, if I could end this section with just
S2: one other thing. Someone posted online and thought it was great.
S2: They said, if you want to know how you would
S2: have responded during the Holocaust, check your response to Israel
S2: and the Jewish people today. And it's amazing. We're seeing
S2: a rise in antisemitism. We're seeing a large amount of apathy.
S2: But thankfully, though, we're seeing some who are actively trying
S2: to help.
S1: Wow, that is a chilling thought, Charlie, to equate what
S1: we're seeing today with what happened to the Jews back
S1: in World War two. All right, lots to pray about,
S1: and we hope you'll pray for the peace of Jerusalem
S1: throughout the week. Coming up, a conversation about humor, biblical humor,
S1: and how you and I can make sure we're on
S1: the right side of humor. All ahead on.
UU: The land and the book.
S1: Said Lord Byron. Always laugh when you can. It's cheap medicine.
S1: From there to here, from here to there, funny things
S1: are everywhere, said Dr. Seuss. But many Christians either miss
S1: or minimize humor. What does the Bible say? And what
S1: if I told you there's a 488 page book full
S1: of Bible related humor? Get ready to laugh. Next on
S1: the land and the book a welcome to segment two.
S1: I'm John Geiger. Here's a quick idea first, for reaching
S1: out to your Jewish friend with a love of Christ.
S1: You ever wonder what Jewish people believe happens when we die?
S1: West Tabor is with life in Messiah. What are the
S1: thoughts there? West?
S3: Well, as with so many questions about Jewish belief, there's
S3: no single answer. The Jewish secular materialists, like their Gentile counterparts,
S3: don't believe we're spiritual beings. There's no soul that lives on,
S3: in their view, somewhere in the Middle Ages, the idea
S3: of Gilgal nefesh, the transmigration of souls, developed. It's a
S3: kind of reincarnation. A religious Jews who study Kabbalah may
S3: hold this view even today, but for most Jewish people,
S3: likely including your neighbor or coworker, the idea of the
S3: afterlife is not very clear. They may assent to a
S3: gun Eden, an unidentified identical Paradise in the future, but
S3: resist the idea of an eternal hell.
S1: Okay, Wes, how does all this help us though, as
S1: we're trying to evangelize?
S3: Well, we can ask if it were possible to know
S3: what God has planned for us in the afterlife. Would
S3: you be interested? And we begin with the idea of
S3: resurrection in the Old Testament. Job 1925, Psalm 16, verses
S3: 8 to 11, Isaiah 1619 and 20, Daniel 12 two
S3: and three. And then, of course, we point to Yeshua,
S3: who is the resurrection in the life.
S1: John 11 boy, those are great scriptures, great points. And
S1: we say thank you to Wes Tabor, who's with life
S1: in Messiah. Proverbs 15 verse 15 declares, he that is
S1: of a merry heart has a continual feast. Well, Stephen
S1: Bramer takes that verse quite literally, I'd say seriously, but
S1: that would be missing the point, to the point that
S1: he's created the Bible readers joke book. Imagine 488 pages
S1: of Bible related humor, all tied to Scripture. As I say, Dr.
S1: Bramer is department chair and professor of Bible exposition at
S1: Dallas Theological Seminary. He serves as an adjunct professor for
S1: Word of Life Bible Institute, Hungary and New York, Briar
S1: Christ Seminary, Canada, as well as at the Jordan Evangelical
S1: Theological Seminary in Jordan. Stephen is a teaching pastor at
S1: Walter Brook Bible Fellowship and travels yearly to Israel and Jordan.
S1: Thanks for linking up with us today on the land
S1: in the book, Stephen.
S4: It's great to be here, John.
S1: Well, let me ask you, why are so many of
S1: us a bit skittish when it comes to humor? It's
S1: as if we're secretly afraid God doesn't approve of laughter.
S4: Yeah. You know, I think that when we come to
S4: the Scripture, of course it's inspired. It's an art. It
S4: contains really serious material life and death material. And therefore
S4: many Christians, when they come to that, just feel somehow
S4: it might be blasphemous or certainly inappropriate to joke about
S4: anything that would be contained in such a book.
S1: Well, how did you go about collecting and collating your jokes?
S1: There were a lot of them. What sources did you
S1: use and how did you go about assembling it?
S4: You know, when I was teaching up at Broadcast Bible
S4: College in Saskatchewan, Canada, first full time teaching job, and
S4: and I began to tell some jokes to some of
S4: the 18 year olds that I had collected as a
S4: youth pastor. And and I started writing them down in
S4: the side of my notes, and I just began to
S4: realize that it often would break down a barrier. You know,
S4: an 18 year old is coming into an academic Bible
S4: class and, and, you know, here's a person with master's
S4: or doctorate degrees, and they're kind of little. And so
S4: by the time I would tell a few jokes, especially
S4: ones that were appropriate or connected with the material, the
S4: barriers often would come down. And so I just began
S4: to collect those. And I've looked at places online. I've
S4: heard people speak, so I've just been collecting them. It's
S4: certainly not that I've written these 2000 plus jokes and
S4: humor stories, but I've just been collecting them over my
S4: years of ministry.
S1: It's the land and the book. Segment two I'm John Jaeger,
S1: joined today by Steven Bremer, department chair and professor of
S1: Bible exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary. Let me ask you
S1: for a couple of favorite jokes of yours from the book.
S1: What would you go to?
S4: You know, there's some wonderful jokes about Moses crossing the
S4: Red sea, and I kind of like one of them,
S4: where Moses is leading the children of Israel as they
S4: flee from the Egyptians. And when they come to the
S4: Red sea, Moses begs God to rescue his people. Suddenly,
S4: her voice from on high, saying, there's some good news
S4: and some bad news. I hear you, Lord, said Moses,
S4: tell your servant everything. The good news, said the voice
S4: from on high, is that I will part the sea,
S4: so that you and your people can escape. And the
S4: bad news? Asked Moses. God says you'll have to fire
S4: the environmental impact statement. And so in our world today,
S4: with that being such a problem in so many places,
S4: I've enjoyed that. I also enjoy the the first Corinthians 15.
S4: I think it is, you know, as a church is
S4: trying to make everything biblical within their new church building.
S4: They one deacon suggested they place the text of First
S4: Corinthians 1551 over their nursery door that reads In the
S4: King James Version, behold, I show you a mystery. We
S4: shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.
S4: And if you've ever been to a nursery, you realize
S4: they're not all sleeping, they're not all changed. But here's
S4: a verse really taken out of context, of course, but
S4: a little bit of a humorous message to it.
S1: Let me ask you, Dr. Bramer, how have you seen
S1: the power of humor at work in others? Any personal
S1: stories or observations? You've mentioned these students, how that began
S1: to take down walls, but any other recollections of reactions
S1: that come to mind as humor is being used?
S4: You know, there have been a number of times when
S4: I've been speaking to someone who is certainly not a
S4: believer or even a believer, but really skeptical about some things.
S4: And once again, I think humor just breaks down that barrier.
S4: It makes me as a person. If I tell a joke,
S4: especially if it's somewhat self depreciating or something like that,
S4: it just makes me a little more available to the
S4: people when I'm flying an airplane. So I try and
S4: commit myself to talking to the person beside me if
S4: I can engage in spiritual conversation. And often when they've
S4: asked me and they find out I'm professor, you can
S4: feel them pull back. But if I can use some
S4: humor now, you've got to be careful because you know
S4: you can offend people with humor if you're not careful.
S4: You know, humor is kind. We got a double edged sword.
S4: It can both be used in a very positive way,
S4: and if you happen to use it inappropriately, or perhaps
S4: you don't understand the person's culture or assert them in
S4: the background. So you could be used poorly. And so
S4: you need to be careful.
S1: Well, when it comes to church, much of the evangelical
S1: world seems to be kind of locked into a preaching
S1: model that says, well, a joke in the sermon introduction
S1: is good, but no humor beyond that. Now, why are
S1: we so committed to that model?
S4: Yeah, I think once again, it's when we start talking seriously.
S4: It's like we we can't bring up humor lest we
S4: put down the truth that we're talking about. But it
S4: seems to me that it just allows people actually to
S4: open up themselves to truth. I was reading something a
S4: number of years ago where, you know, people will only
S4: sit quietly for so many minutes. I think it was
S4: seven minutes and then they've got to move or they've
S4: got to do something. And by injecting humorous illustration, just
S4: a throwaway line that's got some humor and it allows
S4: people in the pew to kind of shift and to
S4: laugh a little bit. And I think then they're ready
S4: to engage again. We just can't be serious for 30
S4: minutes in a in a deep conversation. And it's a
S4: one way conversation, usually from the pulpit. So this this
S4: allows there to be those breaks throughout the message. I
S4: think it's helpful. I find people respond to that. And
S4: of course when I'm preaching at a new place, I'm
S4: careful because they don't know me and they don't know
S4: my personality. And therefore I would use less humor when
S4: I'm first starting off with a group of people. Whereas
S4: when I'm preaching at my home church, they know me,
S4: I know them. They're not going to be offended if
S4: I say something that I didn't know was offensive or
S4: anything like that.
S1: Well if you joined us midstream. Steven Bramer has compiled
S1: the book The Bible Readers Joke Book. I'm John Geiger,
S1: glad to have your company here on the land. In
S1: the book, I think we often read scripture with humorless eyes,
S1: and one reason we might be missing some of the
S1: humor in Scripture is our disconnect from the culture of
S1: that time. Take us to a humorous moment in Scripture
S1: that maybe we have overlooked or underestimated.
S4: You know, I think when Jesus is talking to his people,
S4: he sometimes uses hyperbole. You know, he he talks about,
S4: you know, straining out gnats and swallowing camels. And perhaps,
S4: you know, we wouldn't say it that way, but here
S4: are these hypocrites who are concerned about the small things.
S4: And and he talks about, you know, a rich man,
S4: the impossibility of a rich man, that is one trusting
S4: in his riches as the sign that he's right with God.
S4: He said, that's impossible. It's like trying to put a
S4: camel through the eye of a needle. And I always
S4: say to people, and it's that second hump of the
S4: camel that gets stuck in the needle, you know, and,
S4: and here are people and they try and explain it away.
S4: They try and explain that there's a little door through
S4: a gate that's called the eye of the needle, which
S4: was first brought up in the 13th century AD, I believe.
S4: So it was not back then. And so not understanding
S4: the culture, we might not understand it. So hyperbole and
S4: making mention of animals and items back in that time.
S4: We need to understand that to really get the humor.
S1: Proverbs 1513 says, A glad heart makes a cheerful face,
S1: but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. Let
S1: me ask, what one change could we make today that
S1: would give us a more cheerful face, whether we're in
S1: the pulpit or in the pew?
S4: Well, you and I know that in this day and age,
S4: people tend to be angry. People tend to have no
S4: patience with each other. And it seems to me that
S4: we as believers are the ones who need to lead
S4: the way to say, look at life is enjoyable. Life
S4: is fun. Yes, there are difficult times and we don't
S4: make fun of those. But but having some jokes and
S4: sharing them just gives a levity to life and realize,
S4: look at yes, life is serious, but the Lord wants
S4: us to enjoy life. And my father passed away during
S4: Covid here. Whenever I would meet him, he'd have a
S4: little joke for me and it was just always enjoyable.
S4: And and it just put our relationship into that level
S4: where we could talk and it often would lead then
S4: to more serious conversations. But but it let us both
S4: know that we were human. God created humor. He created us.
S4: Part of being human, I believe, is to have that
S4: sense of humor as we talk with each other and
S4: as we see things. I'm sure that Balam, when he
S4: his donkey, turned around and talked to him, he was
S4: probably pretty shocked and everything. But I'm sure later on
S4: when he was telling the story, he must have had
S4: a little chuckle in his voice.
S1: I bet he did. Hey, one thing is always bothered me, Dr. Brammer,
S1: let me ask this of you. We're assured that there's
S1: humor in scripture, but unless I'm missing something, I never
S1: see a reference to God laughing at a harmless joke
S1: or incident. We do see him laughing at the wicked,
S1: laughing at the judgment that comes with evil people. A
S1: part of me wishes I saw other evidences of laughter
S1: in the Bible. Can you please counsel me?
S4: I'm not sure. I've got a great answer. I've read
S4: a number of theology books, and I've never seen God's
S4: laughter listed as one of his immutable characteristics. But it
S4: seems to me that if he created us, and he
S4: created us with the ability both to say humorous things,
S4: to appreciate humorous things, when we get to new heaven
S4: and new earth and we see the Lord godness. And
S4: I just wonder sometimes if we wouldn't see an enjoyment,
S4: maybe not a joke, kind of AA1 line, a zinger,
S4: but enjoying, you know, when when the Lord was making
S4: those elephants or hippopotamus, I wonder if his Heavenly father
S4: just didn't smile a little bit when he saw how
S4: he was designing this animal. So we don't have jokes
S4: in the scripture from God, but I do think, you
S4: know he leads his people. When he said to Elijah,
S4: you know, confront the prophets of Baal and on behalf
S4: of God, Elijah says to them, well, cry out a
S4: little bit louder to Baal, because maybe he's sleeping, or
S4: maybe he's gone on a journey, or maybe he's in
S4: the restroom. You know, surely God inspiring his people shows
S4: us a little bit about the heart of God who
S4: delights to laugh. Yeah.
S1: Plenty of science that says laughter is good for our
S1: physical and emotional health. But as we wrap up, what
S1: does laughter do for us spiritually?
S4: That's a great question. I'm not sure I've ever thought
S4: about it, except that I think it does allow us
S4: to to look for the enjoyment in life. When you
S4: see a group of friends laughing, it doesn't have to
S4: be the joke necessarily, but laughing at the things that
S4: have occurred to them as they tell their stories. It
S4: seems to me that it. Binds us together, and it
S4: just gives us an appreciation of the goodness, the fun
S4: of this life here on earth. Yes, we go through
S4: some difficult times, but I do believe that life is
S4: to be enjoyed. And as we are in a right
S4: relationship with the Lord and right relationship with our friends,
S4: I think laughter can actually cause us to grow and
S4: to want to be together and want to just enjoy
S4: the Lord in this life.
S1: The Bible readers joke book, it's from Dr. Stephen Brammer,
S1: professor of Bible exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary. A link
S1: to him at our website. The land and the book. Org.
S1: Thanks for your smile today.
S5: Thank you John, and.
S1: We'll look forward to having you on the program again.
S1: Charlie's back with a fresh set of Bible questions that
S1: I'm looking forward to, and I think you'll enjoy them
S1: as well. His answers next on the land and the book.
S1: Welcome back to the land in the book. It's a
S1: fascinating segment we're about to embark on. I'm John Geiger
S1: with our host, Dr. Charlie Dyer. Fascinating because it's about you,
S1: your curiosity, your questions about the Bible, which are always
S1: welcome in our inbox. We'll give you that email address
S1: in a couple of minutes. Let's start with Deb's question
S1: in the song Glorify Thy Name. Is it theologically correct
S1: to sing spirit, we love you. We worship and adore you.
S1: Glorify your name in all the earth. Didn't the Lord
S1: Jesus say that the Holy Spirit would glorify him and
S1: also remind the disciples of all he had told them?
S2: Yeah, actually, I need to answer this two ways. The first,
S2: I admit I do have personal struggles with that song
S2: as well. In light of the role of the Holy
S2: Spirit is to play today. In John 15, Jesus described
S2: the Holy Spirit as the helper or the counselor, and
S2: he said the Holy Spirit's role was to testify about me,
S2: and then he became more specific in the next chapter.
S2: He says in chapter 16, when the spirit comes, he'll
S2: guide you into all truth. He will not speak on
S2: his own. He'll speak only what he hears, and he
S2: will tell you what is yet to come. He will
S2: bring glory to me by taking from what is mine
S2: and making it known to you. My concern is that
S2: the song seems to actually elevate the Holy Spirit in
S2: a way that detracts from his role in the Godhead.
S2: Know he proceeded from the father, and his role was
S2: to exalt the person and work of Christ. But now
S2: here's the other side of that coin. Some people react
S2: by going the opposite direction. You know, they almost make
S2: the Holy Spirit a second class member of the Trinity.
S2: So we do need to remember the Holy Spirit is
S2: fully God in Acts chapter five. I love the passage
S2: Peter tells in Aeneas that he had lied to the
S2: Holy Spirit in five three. Then in the very next
S2: verse he says, you've not lied to men, but to God,
S2: and that's what we need to remember. So in the end,
S2: I do want to acknowledge the work each member of
S2: the Godhead plays in my salvation. I want to glorify
S2: each for what they've done and continue to do. But
S2: I do feel uncomfortable, though, addressing each member of the
S2: Godhead individually, like the song suggests us, as if almost
S2: their roles are identical. Now that might be a personal quirk.
S2: I have, but I don't want to go beyond what
S2: God's Word says in describing the role that each member
S2: of the Trinity plays in the world today.
S1: Judy says, I was wondering, when we die and our
S1: souls are in heaven, why does God need our bodies
S1: to rise and go to heaven?
S2: Well, you know, God originally designed us to be body,
S2: soul and spirit or or material and immaterial, and the
S2: fall caused us to die spiritually immediately. You know, God said,
S2: in the day you eat, you shall surely die. But
S2: our bodies are also impacted by the fall, and that's
S2: why we also eventually die physically. I think part of
S2: God's complete redemption for us involves the need for both
S2: our body and our immaterial part to be redeemed. Our
S2: soul and spirit are transformed at death. To be absent
S2: from the body is to be present with the Lord.
S2: Paul said in second Corinthians five, and we know when
S2: Christ will appear that we're going to be like him,
S2: but we're still incomplete without the transformed body. So just
S2: as Jesus received a glorified body in his resurrection, I
S2: think God's plan for us really isn't finished until we
S2: receive our glorified body as well. In second Corinthians five,
S2: Paul talks about how we groan in this, our earthly body,
S2: but how God will clothe us with our new heavenly body.
S2: I keep thinking about it. A body that never grows
S2: old and never wears out, never has physical problems. John.
S2: I'm looking forward for that new body.
S1: Me too. Charlie. Well, you're listening to The Land in
S1: the book from Moody Radio. Glad to have your company. Dr.
S1: Charlie Dyer, our host. I'm John Geiger, and you know, Charlie,
S1: many of us wonder what the future holds for Israel.
S1: While some things are uncertain, the Bible gives us an
S1: outline of what really will happen in the last days. Yeah.
S2: Our friends at Life in Messiah recently hosted a prophecy
S2: conference that focus specifically on this topic Israel and the
S2: church living in the last days. They're now making those
S2: videos of the conference available for early access exclusively to
S2: the land. In the book listeners, you'll hear from many
S2: knowledgeable speakers on this topic, including Moody Radio host Michael
S2: Redlich and me. These encouraging and informative videos will help
S2: you better understand God's future plans, and how we can
S2: be actively waiting to get access to this video series.
S2: Visit Life in Messiah org and click on the Moody
S2: Radio button to sign up. That's life in Messiah org.
S1: Edward listens to us on and he says, I've got
S1: a question about the Tabernacle. Where did the Hebrews get
S1: the material to build the tabernacle when they were in
S1: the wilderness?
S2: I think we can answer it two ways. And the
S2: first is the silver, the gold, all the exotic items
S2: like the fabrics and even the essential ingredients for the incense.
S2: They were likely brought with them out of Egypt at
S2: the time of the Exodus, you know, following the death
S2: of the firstborn in Exodus chapter 12, it says the
S2: Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country.
S2: And God placed on the Egyptians the fear of the Israelites.
S2: And the Lord made them favorably disposed toward the people,
S2: gave them what they asked for. In fact, it says
S2: they plundered the Egyptians. So as a result, I. Many
S2: of the materials later used to build the tabernacle were
S2: actually given to the Israelites by the Egyptians at the
S2: time of the Exodus. But second, I think the people
S2: were also able to find some of the items in
S2: the wilderness know. Certainly they could find acacia wood there
S2: for the bars and the boards and and the carts
S2: that they needed. And they were also able to find
S2: wild olive trees, as well as other desert trees that
S2: produce the aromatic spices in the same area.
S1: Todd wants to know, are there two types of Christians?
S1: It seems I've always heard in Christian teaching a distinction
S1: made between faithful and obedient Christians and unfaithful ones. It's
S1: expressed in other ways, such as sold out, surrendered, or
S1: as living without unconfessed sin. I use this language as well.
S1: Is it biblically accurate or are believers in Christ just
S1: more or less faithful to him?
S2: Yeah, I think the best answer might be what Paul
S2: wrote in first Corinthians three. You know, Paul described two
S2: classes of believers in Corinth. One group he says, were
S2: fleshly or worldly. That's verse one. They're in chapter three,
S2: and the word he uses there has the idea of
S2: being under the control of the flesh and having a worldly,
S2: self focused view of life. Paul calls the group infants
S2: in Christ. If you've ever watched the self-centered behavior of
S2: a very young child, you get the idea. You know
S2: they want what they want, and they pout if their
S2: demands aren't met immediately. Well, you have that same idea
S2: that Paul's picturing there in verse three. Then Paul provides
S2: two of the characteristics being demonstrated by such believers. In fact,
S2: he says in Corinth they were exhibiting jealousy and strife.
S2: Paul then describes the second group of believers as spiritual,
S2: and he pictures individuals who are under the control of
S2: the Holy Spirit. We might also refer to them as
S2: mature believers. They exhibit a wisdom in how they live
S2: that comes from God and comes through His Word and
S2: through the work of the Holy Spirit. You know, the
S2: writer of Hebrews also makes a similar distinction between infants
S2: who need milk, the elementary truths of God's Word, he
S2: calls it, and the mature who know how to ingest
S2: the solid food of God's Word and enable them to
S2: distinguish good from evil, and are able to share that
S2: truth with others. He mentions all that in Hebrews chapter five.
S2: So rather than language like sold out, surrendered, or living
S2: without with unconfessed sin, which by themselves aren't incorrect, I
S2: need to add, I just personally prefer categories of immature
S2: versus mature, or those controlled by the world versus those
S2: controlled by God's Spirit. And one major difference between the
S2: groups is the ability to learn and discern and respond
S2: properly to God's Word.
S1: A follow up question by Todd here. Would you equate
S1: being a spiritual Christian with being filled with the spirit,
S1: or are those two different ideas?
S2: Yeah, I do see being a spiritual Christian, as Paul
S2: talks about it there in First Corinthians, as being slightly
S2: different than being filled with the spirit which he describes
S2: in Ephesians chapter five. In Ephesians, Paul equates being filled
S2: with the spirit, with being controlled by the spirit, as
S2: opposed to being drunk or controlled by wine. I see
S2: something similar in Galatians five, where Paul contrasts the acts
S2: produced by our sinful nature in verses 19 to 21
S2: with the acts and attitudes produced by the Spirit's work
S2: in our lives in verses 22 and 23. I believe
S2: even the newest Christian can choose to be filled with
S2: the spirit, in the sense of allowing the Holy Spirit
S2: to control his or her life and and submit to
S2: that control. But spiritual maturity is a process. It develops
S2: over time. Using another analogy, a young child can be obedient, polite,
S2: and mature for their age, but that same child still
S2: has much to learn and master right before he and
S2: she can become a full fledged adult. So every Christian
S2: should strive to be led by the spirit as they
S2: seek to know and follow God. But the process of
S2: becoming spiritually mature, that takes time as God leads us
S2: through all those life experiences that produce obedience and trust
S2: and wisdom in our lives.
S1: Charlie, your comment about immaturity takes me to granddaughter Ava.
S1: We say someday she's six and someday she's 16. You
S1: never know. All right, let's go to Jim's question. He
S1: takes us to Matthew three verses 11 through 15, where
S1: John the Baptist baptizes Jesus. And it seems John knew
S1: who he was. And then in chapter 11, verses two
S1: and three, John's in prison and sends his disciples to
S1: ask Jesus, are you the expected one? I thought John
S1: knew who he was earlier, and now he's questioning, what's
S1: your take?
S2: Yeah, actually, I see a real life illustration in this.
S2: You know, John had in his own mind an idea
S2: of what should happen once the Messiah showed up. He
S2: was going to announce the Messiah's coming, that people would
S2: turn to the Messiah and the kingdom would start. And
S2: yet that didn't happen. John's thrown in prison. So I
S2: think what happened then, in answer to your question, I
S2: think John was, after being thrown in prison, started having
S2: doubts about his own ministry and about the one he
S2: had told people was God's Son and the Messiah. And
S2: so he finally sent his disciples to ask Jesus if
S2: he really was the Messiah, or perhaps if there was
S2: something else or someone else coming. John didn't see Jesus
S2: fulfilling the role of conquering King. And so what does
S2: Jesus do? Well, he tells John's disciples to report to
S2: John what you hear and see the. A blind receive sight.
S2: The lame walk. Those who have leprosy are cured, the
S2: deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news
S2: is preached to the poor, which he actually. That's all
S2: in Matthew chapter 11. So Jesus is telling them to
S2: report specific miracles they had seen him perform and the
S2: message they'd heard him preach. And that goes all the
S2: way back to Isaiah chapter 35, where Isaiah said, when
S2: your God comes, those are exactly the things you're going
S2: to see. In other words, Jesus tells him to report
S2: to John that he's doing exactly what God said the
S2: Messiah would do when he arrived.
S1: And your question is welcome anytime at the land and
S1: the book at Moody. Edu, I'm looking forward to Charlie
S1: Dyer's devotional. It's coming up next here on the land
S1: and the book. Welcome back to our fourth and final
S1: segment here on the land of the book, I'm John
S1: Geiger with our host, Dr. Charlie Dyer. If you're new,
S1: this fourth segment is a devotional. Charlie, I love the
S1: way you tie us to not just passages in Scripture,
S1: but places in Israel as you're about to do. Today's
S1: devotional is titled Fake News. We're going to look at
S1: the danger that happened in some fake news biblically, after
S1: we first hear this testimony from a traveler to Israel
S1: who wants to share this with you and me.
S6: Hey, Charlie, this is Dave Khan from Tampa, Florida. Going
S6: to Israel was one of the highlights of my life.
S6: And I guess probably Capernaum would have been the highlight,
S6: although Jerusalem was pretty cool. But Capernaum, just thinking that
S6: this is actually.
S7: Jesus really walked there. And you know, we went to
S7: the synagogue there and they said it was excavated down
S7: to the floor. That would have been the floor when
S7: Jesus was there. And to think, I mean, this is
S7: not close. You know, a lot of the areas that
S7: you go to, they say, well, you know, like Jesus
S7: was in this area, the Mount of Olives and, you know,
S7: where he was baptized in the Jordan. But they don't
S7: know exactly where he was. And it is places but
S7: the kind of thing.
S6: That in the synagogue, this was actually the floor. I mean,
S6: this is like where he walked. But anyway, somebody said
S6: that going to Israel is like watching television in black
S6: and white and then watching it in high def color.
S6: There's that just brings the Bible really alive. So God bless.
S1: Well, fake news is not just a nuisance and nor
S1: is it new. It goes back all the way to
S1: Bible times and with extraordinary consequences. But I'll leave the
S1: talking to Dr. Charlie Dyer, our host. Charlie.
S2: Thanks, John. You know, language is always changing. Unfortunately, many
S2: of the expressions that find their way into our vocabulary
S2: don't necessarily improve it. One of the phrases I could
S2: personally live without is fake news. You know, sadly, with
S2: another national election soon on the way, I suspect we'll
S2: have more than our share of fake news over the
S2: next 12 months. But politicians today have nothing on Jeroboam,
S2: the first king of the divided kingdom of Israel, at
S2: least when it comes to fake news. Now follow me
S2: to Bethel, about ten miles north of Jerusalem, and I'll
S2: explain what I mean. Bethel is the spot where Jacob
S2: had his dream of a stairway between earth and heaven,
S2: with angels ascending and descending. Because of that dream, Jacob
S2: named the place Bethel House of God, and the site
S2: took on great religious significance from that point on. Following
S2: Solomon's death, when the kingdom divided into Israel and Judah,
S2: Jeroboam headed up the breakaway nation of Israel, and Bethel
S2: became one of the strategic religious sites that helped him
S2: maintain control over his new empire. One fact we learn
S2: about Jeroboam at the start of his reign is that
S2: he was the master of fake news. In first Kings 1228,
S2: he set up two golden calves, one in the north
S2: and Dan the other in the south of his kingdom
S2: at Bethel. He then said to the people, here are
S2: your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt,
S2: fake gods. Then in verse 31, the compiler of Kings
S2: notes that Jeroboam appointed priests from all sorts of people,
S2: even though they were not Levites. He had fake priests.
S2: And then in verses 32 to 33, the writer reports
S2: that Jeroboam instituted a festival on the 15th day of
S2: the eighth month, a month of his own choosing. He
S2: instituted fake festivals. Let me pause there for a second
S2: to explain that last point. God instituted a festival for
S2: Israel on the 15th day of the seventh month. It's
S2: the festival we know as the Feast of Tabernacles or
S2: Festival of Sukkot. Jeroboam set up his fake festival exactly
S2: one month after the one established by God. In fact,
S2: the 15th day of heaven, the 15th day of the
S2: eighth month on the Jewish calendar, was this past Sunday
S2: to give his new fake festival legitimacy in the eyes
S2: of the people. King Jeroboam himself went up to the
S2: altar to make offerings, claiming the dual roles of both
S2: king and priest in doing so, fake authority. Sadly, the
S2: fake news coming out of Bethel isn't over. In First
S2: Kings 13, God sent a prophet to denounce Jeroboam his actions.
S2: Jeroboam stretched out his hand and shouted to the guards
S2: to seize him. But as he did, his arm shriveled up.
S2: The king pled with the man of God to intercede
S2: on his behalf, and in response to that man's prayers,
S2: the real God of Israel restored Jeroboam arm. Jeroboam wanted
S2: this prophet of God to stay for a meal, but
S2: he refused, saying God had commanded him not to stop
S2: in Bethel, or eat or drink, or even go home
S2: the same way he had arrived. As he was leaving Bethel,
S2: this man of God paused to rest under a tree.
S2: At this point in the story, we're introduced to a
S2: second prophet who evidently also worshiped the true God. This
S2: older man found the first prophet and said to him,
S2: I too am a prophet as you are. And an
S2: angel said to me by the word of God, bring
S2: him back with you to your house, so that he
S2: may eat bread and drink water. But this was fake news,
S2: because the writer goes on to add, but he was
S2: lying to him. Fake gods, fake priests, fake festivals, fake
S2: authority and fake news. What else can go wrong? Well,
S2: you don't have to wait too long to find out.
S2: God delivered a stern message to the First Prophet through
S2: the mouth of this less than honorable second prophet. Here's
S2: what God told him to say. You have defiled the
S2: word of the Lord and have not kept the command
S2: the Lord your God gave you. You came back and
S2: ate bread and drank water in the place where you
S2: were told not to eat and drink. Therefore your body
S2: will not be buried in the tomb of your fathers.
S2: But wait, that doesn't seem quite fair, does it? The
S2: original man of God was duped by this older prophet,
S2: who apparently had been a legitimate prophet in the past.
S2: So why is God judging the first prophet for getting
S2: taken in by the lying word spoken to him by
S2: the second prophet? Isn't that rather harsh on God's part? Well,
S2: it might seem harsh until you remember it was God
S2: himself who originally sent the first prophet to Bethel to
S2: announce his judgment. When the King invited the prophet to stay,
S2: the prophet's response was, I have been commanded by the
S2: word of the Lord. You must not eat bread, or
S2: drink water, or return by the way you came. God
S2: had given very specific instructions to the prophet, and it's
S2: clear the man knew exactly what God had said. So
S2: had God reappeared to him to change his original instructions.
S2: He did not. The older man might have sounded very persuasive,
S2: but God had already spoken clearly and directly, and his
S2: numbers 2319 makes clear God is not a man, that
S2: he should lie, nor a son of man, that he
S2: should change his mind. Having delivered God's word of judgment
S2: to the original prophet, the second prophet apparently tried to
S2: make amends. He found the man of God resting under
S2: a tree, very possibly exhausted from his journey, his interaction
S2: with the king and his lack of food and water.
S2: The second prophet with the fake message, gave his own
S2: donkey to the original prophet, perhaps hoping to make his
S2: journey home easier. But if that was his hope, the
S2: message of judgment God had spoken was going to be fulfilled.
S2: As he went on his way, a lion met him
S2: on the road and killed him, and his body was
S2: thrown down on the road with both the donkey and
S2: the lion standing beside it. So what's the moral to
S2: this sad story from Bethel in first Kings 12 and 13? Well,
S2: without being flippant, it might be that listening to fake
S2: news can prove to be deadly. God had already spoken clearly,
S2: and if a message comes that seems to contradict what
S2: God has said, always, always stick with God. How serious
S2: is it to ignore God's Word and to be taken
S2: in by fake news? I'm reminded of two responses to
S2: such deception given by the Apostle Paul in Galatians one nine.
S2: Paul responded to fake news that was circulating regarding the
S2: gospel message there. He wrote, as we've already said. So
S2: now I say again, if anybody is preaching to you
S2: a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be
S2: eternally condemned. God's good news. The gospel is a matter
S2: of literally eternal life and death. And Paul warned against
S2: being taken in by so deadly a fake. The second
S2: message is from Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians. Evidently,
S2: fake news was circulating there regarding the coming day of
S2: the Lord. Again, Paul doesn't mince words. He begins by
S2: writing concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and
S2: our being gathered to him. We ask you, brothers, not
S2: to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy or
S2: reporter letter supposed to have come from us, saying that
S2: the day of the Lord has already come. And then
S2: Paul ends his teaching on future events by writing. So
S2: them brothers stand firm and hold to the teachings we
S2: passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or
S2: by letter. The best defense against fake news is the truth,
S2: and that starts with the truth of God's Word. The
S2: more you know God's Word, the more prepared you will
S2: be to not fall victim to fake news and to
S2: know God's Word. You need to start by reading God's Word.
S2: So how much time do you spend in the Bible
S2: each day? Here's my challenge to you this next week.
S2: Spend less time reading or listening to all the fake
S2: news online or on television, and spend more time studying
S2: what God has said in his word. Replace fake news
S2: with heavenly truth. Trust me, you will never regret it.
S1: Powerful insights there. Thank you Charlie. What a lesson, a
S1: tragic story, but insights for us today. You can hear
S1: it all again when you visit our website. The land
S1: and the book org, that's the land and the book.org.
S1: Want to say thanks to our host, Dr. Charlie Dyer,
S1: I'm John Geiger. Appreciate your company here. As you listen
S1: to the land in the book. We're back next week.
S1: The land of the book is a production of Moody Radio,
S1: a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.