S1: My ultimate human role model went to be with the
S1: Lord just a couple of weeks ago, and he finished
S1: his life so well, so faithfully. What does it take
S1: to end this life well? Stay with me and we'll
S1: talk about that in just a moment. Hello, friends. Welcome
S1: to Open Line with Michael Moody Radio's Bible Study Across America.
S1: I'm Michael Redneck, I'm the academic dean and professor of
S1: Jewish studies and Bible at Moody Bible Institute, and I
S1: am back from Greece and Turkey and Italy. I'm so
S1: glad to be here with you, sitting around the radio
S1: kitchen table and I'm taking your questions about the Bible,
S1: God and the spiritual life. If you have a question
S1: and you'd like to call, the phone number is 3675.
S1: That's (877) 548-3675. Here's a little clue. People need to know.
S1: They say I try to call. I can't get through.
S1: The best time to call is right at the beginning
S1: of the program. So you store up your question, get
S1: ready and and then call right now. (877) 548-3675. You're more
S1: likely to get through and to get on the air
S1: with your questions. So I appreciate you calling. Now, Tricia
S1: McMillan is sitting in the producer's chair. Ryan McConaughey is
S1: our tech guy. Today. Tiara is answering the phones. Or
S1: is it Tahira who's answering the phones today? Tiara I
S1: see her I see to here to here is in
S1: the in the booth there waving at me right now.
S1: So she is not answering phones. It's a little too confusing, Trish,
S1: to have a tiara and a tiara working here. I
S1: just want to say. Yeah, and Tricia to boot. That's it.
S1: But anyway, we're glad you're here. Uh, again, phone number 83675.
S1: Now it's time to go get your cup of coffee.
S1: Open your Bible because we're about to study the scriptures together.
S1: Doctor George Sweeting passed away a couple of weeks ago.
S1: Ever since I was a freshman at Moody, he has
S1: been my ultimate role model. I would have thought that
S1: maybe I would grow out of that. But no, he
S1: was always the person I admired most, the one I
S1: wanted to be like. I often say to people, when
S1: I grow up, I want to be Doctor George Sweeting,
S1: and I just. I just loved him. Uh, and still
S1: do love the legacy he has left. He wrote a
S1: book that I read a few years ago, How to
S1: Finish the Christian Life. Uh, and that's kind of an
S1: interesting book, because he had written a book about how
S1: to begin the Christian life. And now he then he
S1: wrote this other book with his son, Don Sweeting, about
S1: how to finish the Christian life. I think it's an
S1: outstanding book. And, you know, I'm of an age I
S1: always wanted to end well, but I'm of an age
S1: now where I'm looking at ending a little bit closer
S1: than it was when I first started to say, I
S1: want to end well. And I, I think about what
S1: does it take to finish well, what does it take
S1: to come to the the close of our lives and say, yeah,
S1: this is this is what I have done to prepare
S1: for this day and to do it well all the
S1: way to the end. Well, I think that the answer
S1: is found in Second Timothy chapter four, verses six through eight.
S1: This is the example of Paul near the time when
S1: he was going to end his life. He was in prison.
S1: It was the second imprisonment in Rome, the one that
S1: is not described in the book of acts. But he
S1: was released. He went off to other ministry. According to tradition,
S1: he came back to Rome, was arrested, and he was
S1: facing the end of his life. He knew he was
S1: going to die soon. And he gives these words, which
S1: contain three aspects of what it takes to end well.
S1: Here's what he says, for I am already being poured
S1: out as a drink offering, and the time of my
S1: departure is close. I have fought the good fight. I
S1: have finished the race. I have kept the faith. There
S1: is reserved for me in the future the crown of
S1: righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me
S1: on that day, and not only to me. But to
S1: all those who have loved his appearing. Well, what does
S1: it take to finish well? First of all, we need
S1: to consider the present right now. Offer ourselves to God.
S1: It says in verse six, I am already present tense,
S1: being poured out as a drink offering. The drink offering
S1: was that part of the sacrifice? It was wine that
S1: was poured on top of the burnt offering before it
S1: was burnt and it was part of the offering. And
S1: what Paul is saying is I am already being poured
S1: out and in the present time I am offering myself
S1: to God right now. And that's kind of interesting because
S1: Paul talks about the same kind of idea in Romans
S1: 12 one and two where he says, present yourselves as
S1: a living sacrifice, always offering yourself to God. Why do
S1: we have to keep offering ourselves to God from the
S1: beginning to the end every day? Well, it's because the
S1: old saying about the problem with living sacrifices we keep
S1: crawling off the altar and that is the problem. So
S1: we have to daily offer ourselves as a drink offering,
S1: as a burnt offering, whatever it is, we have to
S1: present ourselves as living sacrifices to the Lord for him
S1: to use. I went to the retirement of Doctor George
S1: Sweeting at a church. What? He had finished time as president,
S1: Moody and then chancellor and chancellor emeritus. And then what
S1: he did is he became the pastor of seniors at
S1: a church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago when he retired.
S1: I had the privilege of being there that day, and
S1: they had a special service for it. And I asked him,
S1: he was in his early 90s, I think he was
S1: about 93 at the time. Uh, and I asked doc,
S1: I said, what are you going to do now that
S1: you're retired? He said, oh, I'm not retiring. I'm just
S1: not going to do this anymore. I've got about five
S1: books left in me, and I want to write them
S1: before I go, because, you know, I'm much closer to
S1: to the end and I want to finish that. So
S1: there he was, 93, 94 years old, and he said,
S1: I want to write five books. I believe he wrote
S1: four of them, uh, because of that commitment that he had.
S1: And he was able to finish that. And he was
S1: just shy of his hundredth birthday. But what he was
S1: doing was, to the very end, presenting himself as a
S1: living sacrifice, offering himself as a drink, offering to the Lord.
S1: He always offered himself for service from the beginning to
S1: the end. That's the example. Consider the present. Present? Am
S1: I offering myself as a sacrifice to God? Secondly, review
S1: the past and what we will do is hopefully be
S1: encouraged by past faithfulness. Look at verse seven of second
S1: Timothy 47I have fought the good fight. Past tense. I
S1: have finished the race. I have kept the faith. That's
S1: all past tense. Paul is looking back and he's seeing
S1: that he has stuck to the faith. He hasn't given
S1: up anything. Now, I think if we look back at
S1: our lives, we're all going to see failures. We're all
S1: going to see mistakes. We're going to see errors that
S1: we've made. But what he's doing is he's saying, I'm
S1: looking back at my calling, and I have kept what
S1: God has called me to do. I have kept the faith.
S1: I still believe in Jesus. I have not abandoned the faith.
S1: I am sticking to him as close as I can.
S1: It's almost as if he's saying, I've looked back. I'm.
S1: I've not, uh, abandoned what I began. I know whom
S1: I've believed in. And then he said, in essence, he's
S1: taking encouragement from that. And I think we should, too,
S1: as we look back at our faith. Not that we
S1: were perfect, but that as we approach the end years,
S1: we look at it and we say, I've kept what
S1: God has wanted me to do, and he has forgiven
S1: me for the failures, but I have stuck close to him.
S1: And don't blow it now. Don't give up on it now.
S1: I'm reminded of John Knox, the great reformer who said
S1: of Scotland, Give me Scotland or I die. Near the
S1: end of his life he came to a period of
S1: spiritual dryness, and in doing that he he looked at
S1: his life and he began to wonder, what would it do?
S1: What would it take for him at this point, near
S1: the end of his life, uh, to be recharged? And
S1: this is what he said, I will keep the ground
S1: that God has given me and perhaps in his grace
S1: he will ignite me again. But listen to this. But
S1: ignite me or not. In his grace, in his power
S1: I will hold the ground. That's what we do. As
S1: we look back in our lives. We say, I will
S1: hold the ground he's given me. So we consider the present.
S1: We review the past. And then thirdly, anticipate the future.
S1: Verse eight talks about a crown of righteousness being reserved
S1: with the Lord, and not just for the Apostle Paul.
S1: Of course he has a crown of righteousness. He's the
S1: Apostle Paul. But look what it says. It is not
S1: only for him. He says not only to me, but
S1: to all those who have loved his appearing. If we
S1: are people who have loved the appearing of the Lord,
S1: and we look at our lives, we offer ourselves as
S1: a sacrifice. We reviewed our faithfulness, that we've kept, the
S1: faith we've stuck to the Lord, and now we look
S1: forward to a reward. I honestly don't know that we
S1: really should get a reward. I mean, in the parables
S1: we learn that we are only unworthy servants. Only doing
S1: that which is required. And I'm not sure I want
S1: a crown of righteousness, because I think if I get one,
S1: it's only because of what the Lord Jesus did for me.
S1: And like in the 24 elders in the book of revelation,
S1: we'll just toss those crowns at the feet of the
S1: Lord Jesus. But I know what I really want. It's, uh,
S1: those words. Well done, good and faithful servant. That's what
S1: I'm looking forward to and want to experience the most.
S1: And I long for that. That's what I want. It's.
S1: I feel a little bit like my my boxer or
S1: my sheltie when I look at them and I say,
S1: good dog and they wag their tails, and that's what
S1: I want. That's just what I want. Just good and
S1: faithful servant. Doctor Sweeting went to be with the Lord
S1: and that was his experience, I'm sure. Well done. Good
S1: and faithful servant. Shouldn't that be our desire for each
S1: and every one of us that we would receive his affirmation,
S1: his commendation. You are a good servant. Thank you. And
S1: that's what I would look forward to. Well, how to end? Well,
S1: here's what we should know. If we're going to end well,
S1: we should plan when we're young to offer ourselves constantly,
S1: stay faithful, persistently, and look forward expectantly. It's a great
S1: reminder that when we start at a young age, we
S1: have to. We do have to start at a young
S1: age so that we can end well when we get
S1: advanced in years. Uh, we're going to talk to, uh.
S1: Thomas in Warrior, Alabama, listening on Wmft. Uh, welcome to
S1: Open Line. Thomas. How can I help you today?
S2: Yes, I'm a pastor in Birmingham and I listen to
S2: you every Saturday morning when I'm out making some visits,
S2: I'm in and out of my car. I love your show.
S1: Thank you.
S2: Absolutely love it. And, uh, I would like for you. Oh,
S2: maybe not all today, over the weeks, trying to explain
S2: some of the, uh, the Jewish feasts that are coming
S2: up in October and their prophetic fulfillment, if you could. Okay.
S2: I know that's a lot.
S1: Yeah. Well, I'll just give you a real quick answer.
S1: We'll be talking about that in coming weeks. But to
S1: begin with, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is coming up.
S1: That's the Feast of Trumpets in the Bible. Uh, it's
S1: a time when Israel is called to repentance. And so
S1: likely that refers prophetically. If it does prefer to have
S1: a prophetic significance, it's likely the rapture where the Trump
S1: is blown and it calls Israel to repentance. It's the beginning.
S1: Then what follows is the tribulation, when Israel is going
S1: to be brought to the Lord by the end. And
S1: then afterwards you have the Day of Atonement. That's when
S1: Israel experienced national redemption in the Old Testament with the
S1: offering of sacrifice. It says in Zechariah 13 one on
S1: the day when the Lord Jesus returns, when Israel looks
S1: to him in belief that they experience a fount opened
S1: for for forgiveness the whole nation, Paul says all Israel
S1: will be saved at that time. Those who believe at
S1: the return of Jesus will be saved. And then the
S1: next one is Sukkot, or the Feast of Booths. And
S1: that one is the Tabernacle. And it's in Zechariah 14
S1: that is linked to the day of the kingdom, the
S1: messianic kingdom, when Jesus is reigning because he is tabernacling
S1: with us on earth. And that's what that is about,
S1: that even the nations will have to come, the Gentile
S1: nations and celebrate the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem during
S1: the Messianic Kingdom. I hope that helps and we'll be
S1: talking about those holidays in upcoming weeks. Uh, this is
S1: a open line. We're going to come back in just
S1: a moment with more of your questions. My name is
S1: Michael Riedel. Glad to be back from overseas. A little
S1: jet lagged, but still happy to be here. We'll be
S1: back in a moment with more of your questions right
S1: here on Open Line with Michael Zelnick. Welcome back to
S1: Open Line. I should have mentioned with our last caller
S1: before the break, Thomas, he was asking about the Jewish
S1: holy days. And when autumn rolls around, people are always
S1: interested in the Jewish fall holy days. And that's why
S1: Chosen People Ministries, one of our partners, is offering a
S1: free booklet. It's called Celebrate Israel's High Holidays, and it
S1: explores the fall Jewish High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah, or
S1: the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement,
S1: or and Sukkot, which is the Feast of Booths. So
S1: don't miss out. Uh, Thomas and others, if you're interested
S1: in these, get this little booklet free. All you have
S1: to do is go to the Open line website. That's
S1: open line radio.org open line radio.org. Scroll down, click on
S1: the link that says there's a free gift from Chosen
S1: People Ministries. Click on that. It will take you to
S1: a page where you can sign up for your own
S1: copy of Celebrate Israel's High Holy Days. We're going to
S1: speak with Lois now in Georgia listening on WB, WB.
S1: Welcome to Open Line. Lois. How can I help you today?
S3: Well welcome back.
S1: Oh.
S3: Thank you. Hey, I have a question. Excuse me. I'm 86. Oh,
S3: and I've been.
S1: Congratulations. That's wonderful. Thank you for listening.
S3: Well, you know, I've been a child of God for 50,
S3: some 60, some years. Wow. 60 some years. But that
S3: doesn't matter. That's that's immaterial. But I came across a
S3: verse in Scripture in Romans 11, verse 22. I mean,
S3: verse 32, and I'm the, the translations that I have
S3: it they're confusing me because it makes it seem that
S3: God is caused a sin and caused everybody to be
S3: in sin. But God didn't cause a sin. No happened.
S1: No human beings are responsible for sin.
S3: Yes.
S1: It's. It's talking more about God's plan in how he
S1: did things, because, you know, you'd expect when you read
S1: the book of Romans. Obviously Gentiles are, uh, imprisoned in
S1: their sin because they were pagan. They didn't believe in God.
S1: That's what Paul was dealing with in the early chapters
S1: of Romans, that the Gentiles were imprisoned in their sin.
S1: And then, yeah, uh, what he does is he talks
S1: about the blindness of Israel. And people would say, well,
S1: why would God allow Israel to remain blind? Why didn't
S1: he open their eyes? Because they were his chosen people.
S1: But what it does, what he says is that he
S1: has allowed, uh, he's hardened all, I guess when you
S1: say he shuts up all in disobedience, that's similar to
S1: he's hardened everyone after they've sinned, he's hardened them all, uh,
S1: so that he may show mercy to all. In other words,
S1: he didn't want Gentiles to say, oh, we're much more
S1: open to believing in Jesus. He allowed them, he hardened them,
S1: they became pagans. And then he opened their hearts and
S1: they believed. And also at the same time, Jewish people
S1: couldn't claim we're the chosen people. We were always in. No,
S1: he allowed them to be hardened. He hardened them, in fact,
S1: because of their disobedience, and imprisoned them in their disobedience,
S1: so that when they did believe he could show mercy
S1: to them. In essence, what he was saying is everyone
S1: rebelled against God. God hardened everyone who didn't believe, so
S1: that when they did believe, he could show mercy to all.
S1: No person could say I was better than that other person.
S1: My ethnic group is better than that ethnic group. We
S1: are all hardened and we all, when we believe, receive mercy.
S1: It's to show that God didn't have any favorites, that
S1: he didn't show favoritism when it came to forgiveness. That's
S1: what it's talking about. Okay, okay, okay. By the way,
S1: aren't you glad that we we who were hardened, I
S1: was hardened, you were hardened. And when we trusted Jesus,
S1: he showed mercy to you and to me. And just
S1: the same way that he does that he's describing here
S1: in Romans 1132. Hey, Lois, do you have a moody
S1: Bible commentary?
S3: Pardon?
S1: Do you have a moody Bible commentary?
S3: No, no I don't.
S1: Well, you know, my friend Mike Vanlandingham co-edited that with me,
S1: but he wrote the commentary in Romans. He did a
S1: really nice job of it. And if you hang on,
S1: Trisha will get your your address and we'll send you
S1: a copy of the Moody Bible Commentary. Okay. And then
S1: you could look it up and see what it says
S1: about it. Okay.
S3: Uh, thank you so much. Yeah.
S1: And if you're listening, and you think I have verses
S1: that kind of confuse me, and I wonder what they're
S1: talking about. I think the Moody Bible commentary remains just
S1: a really helpful tool, and you can get a copy
S1: of it at your local Christian bookstore or your favorite
S1: online book distributor. Distributor. It's a really. It was one
S1: of my great privileges. I use it all the time.
S1: I used it this morning in prep for the program today.
S1: It's just such a helpful tool. 30 faculty of Moody
S1: Bible Institute wrote the commentaries, and, uh, Mike and I
S1: had the great privilege of being the co-editors and contributors
S1: to the book, and I think you'll find it helpful. Uh, and, Lois,
S1: you hang on. Trish will get your name and address,
S1: and we'll send you one. Uh, we're going to talk
S1: with Diane in Indiana. Welcome to Open Line. Diane, how
S1: can I help you today?
S4: Okay. I'm wondering about revelation 19. Jesus is coming back
S4: with his sight.
S1: Yes.
S4: Okay. Does that include the souls who have died and
S4: the people who are raptured? Thank you.
S1: Okay. Well, revelation 19, what you have is I think
S1: it's one of the great arguments for a pre-tribulational rapture.
S1: And the reason is, uh, the events taking place in
S1: heaven in revelation 19 take place during the tribulation period.
S1: And what do we see happening in revelation 19? Well,
S1: the rapture for people who think, I don't know what
S1: that's about, let me just explain that what the Bible
S1: teaches that when we die, this is in first Thessalonians four.
S1: When we die, our immaterial bodies go to be with
S1: the Lord. And then what will happen one day that
S1: Trump will blow? The Lord Jesus will descend with those
S1: who's immaterial bodies are with him and the dead. Those
S1: people who have who are descending with him, their bodies
S1: will be resurrected and they will be reunited with them.
S1: And so the immaterial portion will meet the material, and
S1: they will return to Earth, and those of us who
S1: are alive and remain will be translated immediately into glorified
S1: bodies without having experienced death, much like Elijah or Enoch
S1: had happened to them. So we will be translated into
S1: glorified bodies. That's what happens at the rapture. And then
S1: in revelation 19 it talks about the marriage supper of
S1: the lamb, and there are guests invited. The guests, I think,
S1: are the Old Testament saints who have not yet been resurrected.
S1: And the marriage supper of the lamb is the bride,
S1: the body of the Lord Jesus, the the church. They
S1: will be there with him. Uh, and that's when the
S1: marriage supper of the lamb. And they are dressed in
S1: fine linen. Uh, that's what it says. They're dressed in
S1: fine linen. And then the Lord Jesus descends from heaven
S1: after the marriage supper of the lamb in heaven. He descends.
S1: And those who come with him are those dressed in
S1: pure white linen. That's the church that has been glorified.
S1: And now the marriage supper of the lamb has taken place,
S1: and they descend with him. So that's what happens. All
S1: the church, whether they have died and been resurrected or
S1: raptured and been translated into his presence in their glorified bodies,
S1: then they descend with him at the end of the
S1: seven year tribulation. And that's when they deliver. Uh, so
S1: it's those who are raptured and those who are resurrected
S1: together to ascend with him after the marriage supper of
S1: the lamb, uh, at the end of the tribulation. Okay.
S1: Does that explain it for you?
S4: Yes.
S1: Thank you. Okay, good. I'm glad we got that all clarified. Uh,
S1: thanks for your call, Diane. Uh, we're going to talk
S1: with Linda in Lakeland, Florida right now listening on Wcqs.
S1: Welcome to Open Line. Linda. How can I help you today?
S3: I. First of all, I want to tell you I
S3: really look forward to your program.
S5: Oh. Thank you. Saturday. I really enjoy it.
S1: I look forward to it. Also, can you believe that
S1: I love coming on Saturdays and and talking with you
S1: about the Bible, so thank you.
S3: That's cool.
S5: Yeah. I don't have to be in class to do this. Anyway, um,
S5: the author of the Old Testament, you know, they sacrificed, um,
S5: you know, like, your day of atonement and all your
S5: times where you're trying to the Jewish people sacrificed for
S5: their sins, and they don't believe in Jesus. So are
S5: they still sacrificing? No.
S1: Absolutely not. Jewish people do not offer sacrifices because they
S1: can only sacrifice on the Temple Mount. Uh, and where
S1: a temple would be rebuilt someday. But they don't offer
S1: sacrifices because there is no temple today, and they can't
S1: build a temple. And they would not build a temple
S1: as long as there's the the dome of the Rock
S1: and the the Al-Aqsa mosque up there. So even though
S1: Israel was able to retake the Temple Mount, they didn't
S1: rebuild the temple because they want to they want to
S1: respect the rights of the Muslims. Who who built those? Uh,
S1: the monument there, the dome of the Rock and the
S1: mosque up there. So they're being respectful of that. And so, no,
S1: they do not offer sacrifices. What Judaism teaches that God
S1: has given alternatives to sacrifice, which are, uh, prayer, repentance
S1: and good deeds. And unfortunately, we know from Scripture that prayer,
S1: repentance and good deeds are not going to cut it.
S1: We need an atoning sacrifice, uh, because none of us
S1: we're all unrighteous, and none of us can do enough
S1: good to outweigh the unrighteousness. There's only one perfect one
S1: who was our sacrifice. That's the Messiah, Jesus. And that's
S1: why I tell Jewish people about their Messiah so they
S1: can experience a true knowledge, at true forgiveness and not
S1: just longing for it. Did I do enough? Good. Did
S1: I do pray enough? Did I repent enough? Did I
S1: do enough good deeds? So the point. Keep pointing Jewish
S1: people and all people to Jesus. That's the the lesson
S1: of the holidays and the sacrifices. Well, we're going to
S1: come right back with the mailbag. Trish is dragging it
S1: in right now, so stay with us. This is open
S1: line with Michael Radonich. And we're back. I am so
S1: glad to be with you. I had a great time,
S1: by the way. Just returned from Rome. We were in
S1: Turkey and Greece. We saw we were on a Journeys
S1: of Paul tour with Moody. Uh, Eve and I went
S1: and the only thing I missed really, while we were away. Uh, well,
S1: that's not true. Not the only thing I missed my family.
S1: I missed seeing my grandkids. I missed, uh, you know,
S1: my dogs. Uh, believe it or not, they're so annoying
S1: sometimes that you can miss them when they're not there
S1: to annoy you. Oh, come on, take me out. Give
S1: me food, whatever it is that they're saying. But I
S1: missed having Tricia on the trip with us. Thank you, Tricia,
S1: for for coming in now. But do you know why?
S1: The very first night when we did orientation, when everyone arrived,
S1: I said, how many of you are Openline listeners? And
S1: virtually everyone raised their hand? That's fantastic. And I thought, oh,
S1: Tricia should be here. This is the open line family
S1: here traveling with me, and you're part of it. So
S1: we really missed you.
S6: Then one of the cool things is, um, uh, someone
S6: on the trip was posting pictures on our Facebook page
S6: for Open Line and several of the comments were people saying,
S6: I was here, you know, I'm here with you. I'm
S6: loving seeing these pictures and, you know, comments on that.
S6: When I said you were going to be back on
S6: the air on Saturday, people several people said that they
S6: enjoyed being on the trip with you and were looking
S6: forward to listening again.
S1: Yeah, yeah, we had a great time. And I'll tell you,
S1: the funny part is there were a lot of people
S1: who were Open Line listeners who came on this trip.
S1: We had 164 people on the trip, and a lot
S1: of them were regular open line. 90% at least, were
S1: regular open line listeners. And they a lot of people
S1: came up and said, I'm a kitchen table partner or
S1: I'm a kitchen. And I so appreciated. And whenever William
S1: Washington was on the trip, too, he was one of
S1: the bus hosts, uh, our dean of students here. And
S1: whenever someone said that they were an open line listener,
S1: he just looked them right in the eye and says,
S1: are you a kitchen table partner? Are you a kitchen
S1: table partner? And they said, well, not yet. He says, well,
S1: why not? And I said, shh, stop it, you know,
S1: no guilt trips, but. No, but I thought it was
S1: really cute because people said, I don't know why I'm not,
S1: and I'm a regular listener. And so it made me
S1: really appreciative, as most many of them, of those people
S1: who said that were kitchen table partners, I was so
S1: appreciative of meeting them because they are such an intrinsic
S1: part of this program, because they help keep open line
S1: on the air, because they give monthly. And then there
S1: were a lot of people who said they were going
S1: to become kitchen table partners again. So grateful for that.
S1: And if you're listening and didn't go to Italy and
S1: Rome and Athens and Turkey and all that, but you
S1: listen regularly and and you would like to become a
S1: kitchen table partner. We would so appreciate it. It means
S1: so much to us to have your support and to
S1: know that we can count on you and, uh, what
S1: what I try to do and we've been doing every
S1: other week, Tricia helps me produce a Bible study moment.
S1: And what we do is we send it out every
S1: other week via email. You click on it and it's
S1: a Bible study designed exclusively a brief one designed exclusively
S1: for our kitchen table partners.
S6: And that's an audio Bible study that you go through.
S6: And the current one we're going through is actually you
S6: and your wife, Eva, who is one of our favorites,
S6: talking about the covenants. Yes. Um, and if you so
S6: if you signed up today, the next one goes out
S6: next Thursday. Um, so in just a few days. So
S6: if you sign up anytime between now and then, you
S6: would get this next one that goes out on Thursday.
S6: And there's a place on that email where you can
S6: click on the archives. So you could go back and
S6: listen to the full series. I think it goes back
S6: two years. So you could actually go back and listen
S6: to a lot of the past ones that we.
S1: That's a lot of fun.
S6: Yeah. Isn't that.
S1: Great? I better go back and see what I talked about. Okay, well,
S1: if you'd like to become a kitchen table partner, just
S1: go to Openline radio.org or and you'll see the link
S1: there for it. Or you can call (888) 644-7122. And thanks
S1: so much for considering this. And got some Bible questions
S1: that people have mailed in.
S6: Okay. Our first question is from Amy in Indiana. Listens
S6: to Wagner. I'm reading about Satan bringing angels with him
S6: when he fell. So do angels have free will? And
S6: was this a one time fall? And then what scripture
S6: do you have to either support or support that?
S1: Well, I don't have a ton of scripture. We have
S1: Isaiah 14 where the the fall of Lucifer. Right? And
S1: and it's actually talking about the king of Babylon. And
S1: then it shifts to the power behind the king of Babylon,
S1: and that is Satan. And what he says, this is
S1: what Isaiah says of him, shining morning star, you how
S1: you have fallen from the heavens. Then he says in
S1: verse 13, you said to yourself, I will ascend to
S1: the heavens. I will set up my throne. I will
S1: sit on the mount of the gods of the assembly.
S1: I will ascend to the highest clouds. I will make
S1: myself like the most High. So that sounds like an
S1: affirmation of his willfulness. And then Ezekiel 28 also describes
S1: first talking about the King of tyre, but then it
S1: talks about the power behind the king of tyre. It
S1: says you were in Eden and then that was you
S1: until wickedness was found in you. So obviously angels had
S1: free will. So those are the passages I would point
S1: to when they when Satan fell, and he took a
S1: third of the angels with him. Revelation 12 talks about
S1: a third of the angels falling with him that said,
S1: the angels that did not fall cannot fall anymore. The
S1: best thing I can describe is that they are confirmed
S1: in their decision. They either were confirmed as obedient servants
S1: to God and they cannot fall anymore. Much like after
S1: we die, we can't, uh, sin anymore. When we see him,
S1: we'll be like him. So apparently that was the time
S1: after the fall of Satan. The enemy and those who
S1: fell with him were confirmed in their disobedience. The good angels,
S1: those who did not fall, remained good servants, and they
S1: were confirmed in their obedience. And that's how it will stay. Okay.
S6: All right. Thank you for that question, Amy, and thank
S6: you for that answer, Bonnie wrote on Instagram. Yay! Um,
S6: what is the fruit of John 15 one through eight? Um,
S6: which is familiar more, I think, as the vine and
S6: the vine keeper or vine dresser. I'm the true vine
S6: and my father is the vineyard keeper. Every branch in
S6: me that does not produce fruit, he removes and he
S6: prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will
S6: produce more fruit. And it goes on. And fruit is
S6: mentioned several times within these eight verses. Um, and Bonnie
S6: wants to know if this is the fruit of the
S6: spirit from Galatians 522 and 23.
S1: Well, they both use a figure of speech, a metaphor
S1: for product.
S6: The fruit being the product. Okay. Yeah.
S1: That's why we call it fruit produce. Right. Mhm. So
S1: it's the product. And so the fruit of the spirit
S1: is the product of what the spirit produces in our lives.
S1: When the Holy Spirit has control of us, when we're
S1: walking in the spirit, as the book of Galatians teaches,
S1: when we're under the rule of the spirit. Uh, that's
S1: what Galatians five is about. Walk in the spirit. It
S1: says in Galatians five two through four. Uh, and you
S1: will not. So that's what it's talking about. Uh, that
S1: we're to walk in the spirit and I'm sorry. Galatians
S1: 516 I say, then walk by the spirit, and you
S1: will not carry out the desire of the flesh. So
S1: what is the the product? That's love, joy, peace, and
S1: all of those. It's it's what the Holy Spirit produces
S1: in John 15. It's talking about fruit in the same way.
S1: And there it says, uh, that the Lord Jesus, when
S1: we're attached to him, he is, uh, when we're attached
S1: to the vine and we're we will produce good deeds
S1: and he will produce good deeds in our life. It's
S1: not just talking about the fruit of the spirit there.
S1: It's talking about good deeds. That much like in Ephesians
S1: two eight, without the metaphor, what it talks about is
S1: by grace are you saved through faith? Not of works,
S1: lest any man should boast. It's the gift of God.
S1: Do you know that passage? Right. Mhm. Uh, but then
S1: it talks about uh, verse ten where it says, for
S1: we are his creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
S1: which God prepared ahead of time so that we should
S1: walk in them. So when in John 15, when it's
S1: talking about the fruit there, those are the good works
S1: that God created for us, because we are attached to the,
S1: the vine. And, uh, and it's not anything that saves us.
S1: It's the product of being attached to Jesus, to being
S1: linked to him forever. Okay.
S6: So it's it's not specifically the fruit of the spirit,
S6: but it is good in that sense. It's it's the
S6: things that God is producing in us that are the
S6: outflow of us being connected to him and following the spirit. Exactly. Okay.
S6: So in that sense, it is the fruit.
S1: Of the spirit is more specific. This is just general
S1: good good works that follow.
S6: Okay. Wonderful. Thank you.
S1: Let's do one.
S6: More. All right. Uh, Patricia in Illinois listens to WNBA.
S6: Matthew two three states when Herod the king heard this,
S6: he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. This is
S6: about Jesus being born and the Magi coming. I understand
S6: why Herod would be troubled because a new king would
S6: prove a threat, a political threat to him. But why
S6: was all Jerusalem troubled with him? Weren't the Jewish people
S6: long awaiting the king from the Old Testament writings?
S1: Well, they were assured that this was really the king.
S1: But they knew who the king was at the time
S1: appointed by Rome, known as Herod. Herod the Great. And
S1: Herod was callous and wicked. And when he was so
S1: paranoid that Caesar Augustus said he would rather be, and
S1: he used a play on words in the Greek that
S1: he would rather be Herod's swine than Herod's son. And
S1: it sounds there are two words that sound similar. Why?
S1: Because he killed several of his sons and his wife
S1: that he loved because he thought they were a threat
S1: to his his crown, to his kingship. And he was
S1: so wicked and so paranoid about people trying to take
S1: his crown, that when these wise men appeared saying that
S1: there's a born king, all of Jerusalem starts saying, wait
S1: a minute, this delegation has come. There's another threat to
S1: the throne. Who knows what he'll do? He'll start killing
S1: people left and right. Right.
S6: Which is what he did.
S1: It's exactly what he did. And so that's why all Jerusalem,
S1: they didn't know what he was going to do, but
S1: they knew he would do something bad, right?
S6: So okay. Thank you for that question, Patricia. And thank
S6: you for that answer. Yeah.
S1: Hey, thanks for bringing in the questions. And thanks for
S1: sending them in. You just go to Open Line radio.org,
S1: click on ask Michael a question and Trish will put
S1: it in the mailbag. And Trish will be back next
S1: hour with more of the mailbag questions. And the bottom
S1: of the hour, I'm going to be right back with
S1: more of your calls and questions in just a moment.
S1: This was Tricia McMillan and Michael. Right click on Open Line.
S1: Welcome back I'm Michael Wright Zelnick. We just finished the
S1: last segment was the ABC mailbag. I forgot to mention
S1: that you can check out Febc, which is a terrific organization,
S1: Far Eastern Broadcasting Company. Uh, they partner with us to
S1: bring you the weekly Febc mailbag. And it's a terrific group.
S1: They bring the good news to people via media and
S1: personal engagement. They they're just I just love this organization.
S1: They do so much. So good. So, so much good,
S1: so often and so well, uh, check out their podcasts
S1: until all have heard by going to Febc. Org that's
S1: Febc dawg. And also our our current resource is a
S1: wonderful book by a colleague of mine, a friend of mine,
S1: Jim Coakley, while I was away. Jim taught my classes
S1: in Daniel here at Moody, and Jim Coakley has written
S1: a wonderful book. It's about the Bible being more than
S1: just a collection of ancient texts. It's it's a masterpiece.
S1: And if you want to read it for all it's worth,
S1: claim all it's worth. The resource that he has written
S1: is called 14 Fresh Ways to Enjoy the Bible. It's
S1: an award winning book. It's enlightening. It reveals how the
S1: same techniques used by modern authors were employed by biblical
S1: writers long ago. Shows you how to see them through
S1: the lens of interpretation, and it really will encourage you.
S1: You'll get practical strategies to engage in God's Word with
S1: in a very, very fresh way. And if this is yours,
S1: if you just give a gift of any size, we'd
S1: like to send you a copy to say thank you.
S1: So to give your gift, go to Openline radio.org or
S1: call (888) 644-7122. And remember. Ask for 14 Fresh Ways to
S1: Enjoy the Bible by Jim Coakley when you give your gift.
S1: And one last thing I need to mention, which is
S1: that on November 9th, we're having a very special summit
S1: opposing anti-Semitism right here at Moody Bible Institute, Tori Gray Auditorium.
S1: People are coming from all over the country. I want
S1: you to check that out. Go to our website. Uh openline. radio.org,
S1: and you'll see the link there about the upcoming summit
S1: opposing anti-Semitism. We're gonna have some great speakers doctor Don Sweeting,
S1: doctor Mitch Glazer, doctor Mark Jobe. I will be speaking
S1: as well. Others, uh, there'll be workshops and it will
S1: help mobilize Christians to stand against this growing anti-Semitism across
S1: the United States. And now we're going to talk to
S1: David in Idaho, listening on KMBC. Welcome to Open Line. David.
S1: How can I help you today?
S2: Well, thank you so much. I'm glad you're back and
S2: had a good, safe visit. And educating other people is
S2: always nice. We're going to talk about revelation 17 Babylon
S2: and verse 16. It actually talks about the they'll bring
S2: her to ruin and leave her naked. So it says
S2: there's a lot of discussion on that, whether they will
S2: rebuild it or if it's just a figurative speech about the, um,
S2: all the wickedness all combined. It just it kind of
S2: misleading either way. But I know that I'll just make
S2: one more quick comment and then let you talk here. Um,
S2: Saddam Hussein tried to rebuild, um, Babylon also. So there
S2: must be something going on. Obviously he was wrong, but,
S2: you know, I don't know that all the details. So
S2: maybe you can talk about that a little bit more, please. Well.
S1: Uh, I can't talk about Saddam Hussein because I never
S1: saw what he was trying to rebuild. Although Charlie Dyer
S1: wrote a book called The Rise of Babylon, which talks
S1: about that Babylon will be rebuilt. Two views on revelation
S1: 17 and 18. Some take Babylon to be symbolic of Rome,
S1: and it refers to the revised Roman Empire and religious
S1: system that will take place in the tribulation. I think
S1: that sometimes we get a little too, because the Book
S1: of Revelation has all these symbols and figures. They we
S1: think that. But I personally think when it talks about Babylon, this, uh,
S1: woman of Babylon. Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes,
S1: and all the vile things of the earth. I believe
S1: it's when it says Babylon. You're going to find the shocking.
S1: It means Babylon. Uh, and it. I think the city
S1: will be rebuilt. Or maybe it's referring to one of
S1: the cities in the Babylonian Empire. Uh, which would have
S1: been like something like Baghdad. I don't know, but there's
S1: going to be a revival of of of that area.
S1: Iraq now sits on the, the, the second most, uh, oil, uh,
S1: that's not been developed yet, but the reserves. Second most
S1: oil reserves next to Saudi Arabia in the world. They
S1: can become very wealthy. I think it's really talking about Babylon.
S1: And it will be rebuilt, I think. And uh, in
S1: the tribulation period, they will become the model of materialism
S1: and corruption, and they will ultimately be destroyed. That's what
S1: it's talking about. That's what I understand it to be. Uh,
S1: you know, the temple has not been rebuilt. It will be, uh,
S1: in Jerusalem. Babylon will be rebuilt and will be destroyed. Uh,
S1: I hope that helps, David. Okay. Thanks for your call. Uh, and, uh,
S1: we're going to talk to Cheryl in Birmingham, Alabama, listening
S1: on Wmft. Welcome to Open Line, Cheryl. How can I
S1: help you today?
S7: Hi. I'm so glad that you're back. I want to
S7: go to Israel next time you go.
S1: Oh, good. I want to go to Israel, too. Boy,
S1: it's a it's a rough time to be going to
S1: Israel these days. Taking groups.
S7: I know, yeah, I know. Yeah. Um, well, I have
S7: a friend who is a newer Christian. She's my age,
S7: but she's not been a Christian very long. And she
S7: had a question in her Bible study, which I did
S7: not attend. She asked that if Adam and Eve had
S7: never sinned, would the earth still have been populated? Um,
S7: which is getting in the weeds to me. But to
S7: her it was important to know. And somebody googled it,
S7: which Google is spurious to begin with for Bible.
S1: You mean you don't? You don't trust the internet to
S1: give you answers? Oh, how could you not trust the internet? Well.
S8: They'll give you answers.
S7: But they might not be right.
S8: Exactly, exactly.
S7: Yes. So somebody found something in Psalms, and she didn't
S7: remember exactly the verse in chapter, but it said that
S7: there were two creations and I just never heard that.
S1: Okay. Well, I don't know the verse in Psalms either.
S1: I don't believe there were two creations or that they
S1: were going to be two creations. There's the original creation.
S1: There will be the creation of the new heavens and
S1: the new earth at the after the Millennial Kingdom. Here's
S1: what the question is. What if Adam and Eve had
S1: never sinned? I don't like what if questions because we
S1: can't really know. But here's what I do know when
S1: I look at Genesis 128, after the creation, God blessed
S1: them and God said to them, be fruitful, multiply, fill
S1: the earth, and subdue it. That is pre-fall. So yes,
S1: God still commanded them to fill the earth even if
S1: they had not fallen. So yes, the earth would have
S1: been populated, but they did fall and they still filled
S1: the earth. And one day the earth will be redeemed completely.
S1: I hope that helps. Cheryl. Thanks for listening everyone. That's
S1: the first hour and we're going to come back with
S1: a second hour of open line on most of these stations. Remember,
S1: if your station doesn't carry an open line, you can
S1: always check it out on the Moody Radio app. You
S1: can listen online. Uh, you can get the podcast during
S1: the break. Check out our web page, open Line radio.org
S1: has all the links you're looking for right there. The
S1: Bible study across America will continue in the second hour,
S1: so stay with us. Open line with Doctor Michael Melnick
S1: is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody
S1: Bible Institute. See you in a bit.