American Family Radio takes your Bible questions live on American Family Radio
>> Jeff Chamblee: The Bible. It's the word of God. Sharper than any two edged sword. This sacred book is living and active and contains all that's needed for life and godliness. Stay with American Family Radio for the next hour as we study God's word and take your Bible questions.
Matthew 6:21 is a well-known Biblical saying
Welcome to Exploring the Word.
>> Alex McFarland: You know, there are so many things in the Bible that become part of the common vocabulary, sayings and verses that they become so, you know, beloved and well known. I think people may not even realize that they come from the pages of God's Word. And one of these is from Matthew 6. I know you've heard people say this. Matthew 6:21. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Well, we'll look at the larger context of that and more of Matthew 6, plus your phone calls and Bible questions on today's edition of Exploring the word.
Alex McFarland talks to Bert Harper about where your treasure is
Alex McFarland here along with Bert Harper. And we're deeply honored that you're listening. And we invite you to get a copy of the Bible and turn to Matthew 6, if you would. But Bert, I think I, I've heard that my whole life. I know my, my very godly grandmother used to say it to me. Where your, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Did you hear that sometimes growing up?
>> Bert Harper: I did. And whether I knew it was in the Bible or not, I'm not so sure. But, I knew, it sounded like it should be if it wasn't. And it was. And so listen, your treasure is important. And, what do you treasure? And so where are you laying it up? Where are you keeping it? And so Jesus is really putting the emphasis on eternity. That's what you do. This is temporal. what you have down here, the car you drive, the house you live in, these are temporal. And, now, will relationships be eternal? Well, it's different than it is in heaven, but yes, there's those relationships that will be real in heaven. They knew Moses, M and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration, so there's no doubt. So what are you spending your time on concerning the treasure? Where is your heart, Alex? I think it's a great question myself, brother.
>> Alex McFarland: Well, let's look at this. Go back to verse 19. And by the way, I want to give a big shout out to our friend Dylan Burroughs, who helped out yesterday. I was, participating our final youth camp of the summer up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Well, really, the rural area outside of Harrisburg. We were about 52 miles from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. And I couldn't be on yesterday I sincerely thank Dylan for helping out. I guess he. You and he did a great show yesterday. I know, Bert.
>> Bert Harper: It was a great day. I. I just loved it. When we were studying the Lord's Prayer, it's known as the Lord's Prayer. A better name for it would honestly be the Disciples Prayer. He was teaching disciples how to pray. And so it was the day of prayer. And so, man, it's a joy to work with Dylan. And listen, he's, he. He is in the Lord. He knows the Lord. He knows the Word. So he brings, a lot to exploring the Word, and we thank God for that.
>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Well, he is a blessing, and. And I'm sure we'll be hearing more from him as the days go by. But let's go Back to verse 19 and again. These. These are the words of Christ in my Bible. It's in.
In red.
>> Alex McFarland: It's the words of Jesus. And verse 19, he says, do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, where thieves do not break in and steal. And of course, famously, verse 21, for where your treasure is, your. Your heart will be. Also. Bert, the word store up, and it's really, a, noun that's used as a verb. Storehouse. Now, I've got a great word here. A storehouse is a noun, but here it's used as a verb. Do not storehouse for yourselves. Material things, things that you treasure. Now, we know that it's okay to have things. My dad used to say, it's okay to have things, but don't let things have you.
>> Bert Harper: Amen.
>> Alex McFarland: But, Bert, you know the word store up? How does your translation render it?
>> Bert Harper: It is lay up. Yeah. Have you ever heard lay by? you know, and you can lay by and pay things ahead. I, know some. We did that back in when we were raising three sons, and Christmas come around and, you know, some things we had to pay on it gradually so we could go and get it, but lay up those treasures in heaven.
Alex: Anything you store here upon earth can be destroyed in heaven
now, if we lay treasures up in heaven, Alex, what treasures can you have in heaven? That. That question comes to me. Do you have an answer?
>> Alex McFarland: Well, I think the greatest treasure of all, of course, is everlasting life, redemption, Salvation through faith in Jesus. But also, you know, we have crowns in heaven.
>> Bert Harper: We.
>> Alex McFarland: We talk about that. But I'm going to tell you some of the treasures, things that I know they're either in heaven or bound for heaven that I treasure are some people that I was determined were going to get saved. And I'm thinking of, of a couple right now that after I got Saved at age 21, there were a couple of, people that I was deeply concerned for their soul. And I prayed and I begged God at any cost to get them under the sound of the gospel. And eventually they did. Both of these guys are in heaven now. But to me, when we lay up treasures in heaven, that includes people that we're doing our utmost to see, that they become born again.
>> Bert Harper: Amen. Have you ever heard the phrase treasured relationships?
Okay?
>> Bert Harper: And so these treasured relationships that we may have down here, something that is vital is those treasures, relationship that is eternal. And so the other thing, this just hit me. Notice the things that will destroy that moth. You know, they. They eat away at cloth. And that's the reason they, have cedar chests. You ever. You may have one, or Angie may have had one. My wife had one. That was one of the. I would say when she, we got married or graduation, I forgot which one it was, but she got a quote cedar chest.
And.
>> Bert Harper: And the things that went in the cedar chest was things that were cloth that. Where the moth could not do that. And then rust, it destroys, and then thieves break through and steal. Now, this seems like what it's talking about. Anything you store here upon earth can be destroyed. Okay, the treasures. But in heaven, let me see. We find in revelation that it's going to be no illness, no disease. We could also add to this. There's no moths and no rust and no thieves. none of them are going to be in heaven, are they?
>> Alex McFarland: Well, they're not. And, you know, I mean, those things are, natural, degradation or wearing away or corrupting, a natural corruption, a corruption of weather or the elements, and then moral corruption. So whether it's the moth eating out the fabric or whether it's the rust due to the oxidation, the humidity and the rain, or the moral degradation of somebody breaking the window and coming in and stealing, in other words, your true treasures in heaven, cannot be touched by the things that. That ruin life down here on earth.
Alex: Light overcomes darkness, right? Bert: Light wins every time
But I. I would be remiss if I did not bring out the word treasures, Bert, in the Greek. I've talked about this before. This is so. I'm going to say it's so cool, because it is. Guess what that word is in the original, language.
>> Bert Harper: Tell me.
>> Alex McFarland: Thesaurus.
>> Bert Harper: Oh, yes, I remember that. Yes.
>> Alex McFarland: Now, maybe in high school, you got a thesaurus, which is a storehouse of words. It's an ancient Greek word, and it means a storehouse of words. And I'm, trying to remember there was a pretty famous guy that used that terminology. but. But a storehouse of words. Well, you have a storehouse of things that you treasure, you know, and it could be. And I'm not talking about, like, unhealthy, pride or something like that, or arrogance. No, I'm not talking about that. But the things that you take joy in, the things that you take pleasure in. And, yeah, it's our walk with the Lord. It's what God's been able to do through us. Maybe. Maybe our influence for the Lord or it's, you know, we've experienced answered prayers, and, you know, Angie and, I. We're always looking back, and we. One of the things that we do, Bert, and I'm just telling you, it's kind of a tradition with us. But on January 1, we always take a few hours and we pray, and we talk about where God has brought us, and we pray about what we might be able to do in the year ahead. And that's a storehouse of treasured memories and praises, isn't it, Bert?
>> Bert Harper: it really is. And when we have that and you feel it, think about the storehouses in the temple. on either side, they had these building storehouses where they would come and they would store them, and they were taken out and needed. It was a neat way to construct, instruct it. well, in heaven, listen, I don't know everything it's going to be, but listen, it's waiting on you. This is one thing you send ahead, Alex. Okay? You send that ahead. You can't take it with you, but you do send those treasures, the crowns, so that they'll be there when he can give them to you. The relationships that you've had and built, and they've come to know the cri. know Christ is Lord, so this is one of those things. In heaven, not on earth. You move to verses 22 and 23. I'll read that as well. The lamp of the body is the eye. If, therefore, your eye is good, and your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If, therefore, the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness? Well, what wins, light or darkness? darkness cannot overcome light. But light overcomes darkness, Alex.
It really does.
>> Alex McFarland: The light wins every time.
>> Bert Harper: Follow the light Right. Follow the light.
>> Alex McFarland: I have taken great encouragement and joy in Jon chapter one. It said, the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it. Some translations will say the darkness did not comprehend it. but the darkness cannot eclipse the light.
>> Bert Harper: Amen.
>> Alex McFarland: If you've ever been in a building, in fact, I was in a church just several weeks ago, and in the middle of the service, there was a power outage. And, when a room goes dark, or maybe you've been in a dark basement, even a tiny amount of light helps. Doesn't it makes a difference? It really does. And so, here in 22 and 23, when it's talking about your eye, the eye is the lamp of the body, okay? Your eyes give you vision, and you, can see and what you're looking upon, what you're gazing on, what you're feeling. Because, look, the eye takes in visual stimuli, light, the brain takes those signals and helps you make sense of it. That's how we see. We can find out where we're going. We have depth perception. But I think 22 and 23 is saying to us, Bert, what we gaze upon, and therefore we take in, it influences us. If your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is actually darkness, how great is that darkness? I just want to say to everybody listening, and, Bert, I'll throw it to you, but your eye may be looking on things right now that you need to turn away from, folks. there may be things that you're putting into your heart, your mind, ultimately your soul. you need to be looking somewhere else, looking unto Jesus, because Jesus is
>> Bert Harper: the light, the eyes and the hands. Bible makes a big deal out of both of those. and so you want to let the light shine in, and you want to let the hands that love the Lord praise him and serve him well. This is exploring the Word. And you're listening here on American Family Radio. And we're going to be back and continue in Matthew chapter six. We think we'll finish it today, so hold on. I think you'll enjoy it.
Preborn Network clinics help women choose life through a free ultrasound
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>> Bert Harper: Lies are easy to tell, easy to
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praising for friends and
family,
for the very air we breathe, for having everything we need. Won't somebody come praise the Lord with me? Yeah.
>> Bert Harper: That's what we want to do here on Exploring the Word. We want to praise. Praise the Lord Jesus Christ. We do that praising him. Music. Yes, by opening the word, by, just, prayer requests, praises, questions.
Matthew chapter six has one verse that stands alone
We're here to praise the Lord. We're in Matthew, chapter six, and we got one verse that kind of stands alone, but it introduces verses 25 all the way through the end of the chapter. That's verse 34. And you'll hear this if you read the King James, it'll say, take no thought. I love that. The other one is in my version. You, King James, do not worry. Same thought.
Alex: I'd heard that you can't serve two masters
But before that, Alex, you talk about, you know, phrases that are repeated, and, it came out of the Bible. Let me give you another. You can't serve two masters. Okay, yeah, I heard that as well. That's verse 24. But I'd heard that you can't serve two masters. And it is in the Bible. It's a verse. It stands alone. by that, I mean, it just stands alone. If you had this anywhere, and it was by itself one chapter, one verse, it would stand alone. Here it is. No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Another word for that is riches, money. And so, Alex, I agree with that. But I sure have seen a lot of people try.
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, well, do you know what? in the ancient world, and by the way, talking about treasure, maybe people are thinking about something like greed, right? Or materialism. In the ancient world, not only the ancient Jews, but, the Greeks and the Romans, they made much about the Virtues and the vices. And, you know, throughout human history, really, they talked about what we call seven core vices. Pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, anger and laziness. Or sometimes slothfulness. S L O T H Sloth. and, you know, when it says here, it kind of summarizes whether it's, storing up treasures on earth, greed and materialism, or in 22, 23, your eyes, what you look at and. Or, and what you take in and then think about, even almost to the point of obsession. And that can be envy or that could be lust or that could be anger and just letting something fester or being lazy and, you know, jealousy, things like that. And verse 24 is a perfect summation. No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Some translations say God and wealth. But I'm going to put it this way, Bert. You can't serve heaven and earth. You can't serve the spirit and the flesh. you can't serve God and sin. And, of those, And I really do think it's talking about what we would call some of the vices. Whether it's greed or whether it's, you know, envy or whatever. We, have to, with the help of the Holy Spirit. And let me just say, praise God, the Holy Spirit will absolutely help us. If we're willing, we can purpose where the loyalty of our heart will be. And the priority, the fidelity, the loyalty of our heart should be to God and the things of God. And we'll find that in his word.
>> Bert Harper: Amen. So the question is, what is mastering you? What is mastering you? we walk not by sight, but we walk by faith. in that context, man, we trust God. We do not trust what we don't trust that. That we can see. We don't trust that. No, we trust. Go over in the book of Hebrews. It even talks about, we have faith in someone in something we have not seen. But yet we trust him. We see the evidence. We know of Him. We have his word. So we serve God. Serving and trusting. Those two go together. Whomever I trust, that is whom I will serve. Don't try to serve two masters. It's like being pulled, both ways. No, Christ first and always.
Verses 25 through 34 in the Bible say do not worry
Well, Alex, verses 25 through 34 again, I already introduced that. But you'll find this phrase used again in the new King James. It says, do not worry If I'm not mistaken, in the King James, it says, take no thought. And so what does it say? Let me just start reading this. Verse 25. Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns. Yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more value than they? Which of you, by worrying can add one cubit to his statue? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin. And yet I say to you that even Solomon in all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Here it is again. Here it is. Therefore do not worry saying, what shall we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or what shall we wear? For after all these things the Gentiles or pagans seek. For your Heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. Last two verses. Here it is. With that in mind, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things, sufficient for the day of its own trouble. Alex, I know that's a lengthy reading for radio, but this passage, I just tell you, it is so important. It has added to my life. This has added to my life about as much as any passage I have in the Scriptures that, yes, there's things that I, know, they bother me, yes, but does that mean I don't trust God? Or do I mean, I trust God through them? And while I'm waiting for something to happen, do I trust God no matter what?
>> Alex McFarland: We trust God no matter what. And, you know, there's just good reasoning here. The Lord Jesus, and these are the words of Christ. He's just given us good reason. And like every good preacher, you know, he lays out these. These truths and then gives a relatable illustration. You know, consider the lilies of the field. This is in verse 28. I mean, in other words, look at the flowers. They do not toil or spin. Yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these. And here's the takeaway in verse 30 if God. So, clothes, the grass of the field and the word clothes. C L O T H E S In other words, God looks after the flowers in the field. God looks after the birds and the animals. I mean, Bert, I've heard it said that humans are the currency of heaven. Let me just say this, currency. The, image is on money of the one who minted it, right? US Currency. Well, God's image is on us because He. That's why human life is sacred. Human life is so valuable because we're made in God's image. We're people for whom Christ died, sinners who for whom Christ died. And so if God looks after plants and animals and his physical creation, can't we be completely confident he's going to look after us, the humans? Minted. Made in his image, of course. And therefore he says, don't worry. And Bert, I got to tell you, I'm preaching it myself now. God's brought me a long way. you know, we, we came up kind of hard, and somebody asked me, I'll tell you this, I'll throw it back to you. Somebody asked me in an interview, you know, if you could go back and go back to when you were 18 or 19 or something and tell yourself something, what would you, what would the you of now go tell your younger self? And I said I would tell him, don't worry. God's going to look after you, you know, and, it's all going to work out. And, I don't know, they say that we're in a time of great anxiety. I firmly believe this.
>> Alex McFarland: Of course.
>> Alex McFarland: We're supposed to be responsible and say our prayers, work hard, and live right. That's what responsible, grown up, godly people do. But, Bert, I am convinced, in good times, times of tribulation, look, it's going to work out. Because a loving God does not abandon his, his believers, his disciples, or even his creation at all.
>> Bert Harper: I feel it all the way. Three or four things that you need to look at. The difference in needs and wants, everything that is listed here. What will it eat? Now, again, I may want ice cream, okay. But God provides for me. Cornbread, and peas. Okay. Now that's a Southern delicacy. Okay? And so. But you know what we shall eat, the difference in wants and needs. And then clothing. Well, I understand I might want the most modern clothing, but God provides clothing. These are needs that God says, I will provide. I will take care of you. So take no thought. Do not worry about your life. The other thing, ah, Is adding to your statute. you know, okay, God's made you in his image. he's made us, with the way we are.
Billy Graham talks about God's marks of ownership in his life
Alex, have you ever heard of God's marks of ownership in your life?
>> Alex McFarland: I have heard of that.
>> Bert Harper: Okay, let me just God for it. Yeah. Let me just be very personal on a testimony. you just talking about bringing up. I know if you got a close up, you'd see space between my teeth, on my upper teeth. And, you know, I can remember having pictures made in, in junior high school. I got to noticing at that time and in high school. And, I would smile, but my mouth would always be, closed because I didn't want to show the space in my m. Teeth. I went to a meeting and I heard about that. God's given you your marks of ownership. Is there something in your life that you would like to hear? It was add to your statute that you would like to change, but you could not. I know they put braces on teeth, but not in my family, not at what, our economic level. That wasn't an option. And so I, you know, I had these spaces and I said, okay, God, here, I give that to youo. You made me. You made me with this that I have. I'm to take care of them, I'm to brush them. I'm to go to the dentist to make sure everything is taken care of. But there's nothing that I can do. Apart having braces and preaching and speaking, I didn't need the braces. Okay. So that was a, I was easy to take care of, make that decision. But then I remembered as well as I do God, these are your marks of ownership in my life. And I'm not going to just keep my mouth closed when I'm smiling. I don't mind showing the world God's marks of ownership in my life. He's the one that has made me. And so I don't know if that registers with anyone. It may be someone because they feel like, man, I'm too short, I'm too tall, whatever it may be. But listen, if you've given yourself to the Lord and He's made you, you're ready for Him, Serve him the way you are. Yeah, you can correct some things and make it look better. but those things that you can't correct, receive those, Alex, as it was with me, you know, does that make sense to you? Is that the way you understood that when you heard God's marks of ownership in your life?
>> Alex McFarland: Absolutely, Bert. That is so good. That is so good. You know, we've just had, eight summer youth camps and hundreds of teenagers and going through, you know, the insecurities of adolescents and things like that. And, you know, we do a lot of apologetics. More and more I talk. And Carl Kirby and our staff, we. We say, please believe that God loves you. Please believe that God made you. And, Bert, I know you've heard the very famous story of the missionary Gladys Aylward, and she was a very faithful missionary to the Chinese people. But she grew up in, I think it was the forties when, you know, there were movie stars, and she wanted to grow up and be a beautiful movie star. Well, she was, not tall, and she had, you know, black hair and bangs. And, she. She was just not movie star, material. But she found Christ and she became a missionary, and she was sent to a place where nobody had succeeded. And frankly, she looked like a rather diminutive Asian, but she wasn't. But she went to a missionary, post where nobody wanted to go because nobody had ever succeeded. But she succeeded because her stature, her appearance. Gladys Aylward looked enough like, the other Chinese people that they trusted her, believed in her. And there have been movies made about her. And she, at the end of her life, she said, I thank God for how he made me. And really, it relates to Psalm 16. The lines have fallen unto me in pleasant places. In other words, the boundary lines of our life. And you know what? Billy Graham said it. Bert, I'll sit and throw it back to you. Billy Graham said, God made us. amen. He can fix us if we're broken. And we are fearfully, wonderfully, and dare I say, purposefully made. And so for those earmarks of God's ownership that you mentioned so beautifully, Bert, folks, get alone with God and thank God for the fact that he made you and how he made you. Because he has purposes for it.
>> Bert Harper: He does. Let's finish up. We don't have a lot of time. But it says, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And all these things shall be added. Seek first. Here it is again, Alex. The kingdom of God. The kingdom of heaven. I just want to say Matthew makes a big deal about this. The whole Sermon on the Mount is about kingdom of heaven living. That's the whole idea. And he said, in this kingdom living, you seek God's righteousness. He is holy. Let's please him. Well, we're going to take phone calls. That number is 888-589-8840. We would love your question here on Exploring the Word.
Preborn Network offers free ultrasounds to women facing unplanned pregnancies
>> Bert Harper: It's been four years since the overturn of Roe, but tragically, abortions have continued to rise. Today, the abortion pill accounts for more than 60% of all abortions. And last year alone, over 1.1 million babies lost their lives. That's why the work of PreBorn Network clinics is more urgent than ever. Every day, mothers facing unplanned pregnancies walk through preborn's doors searching for hope. Instead of pressure and fear, they're met with love. Through a free ultrasound, mothers meet their baby for the very first time.
>> Alex McFarland: It was like the beginning of my healing journey. They do an ultrasound and that's, when everything changed. Because when I saw my baby and when I heard her heartbeat, that was it.
>> Bert Harper: Just $28 sponsors one ultrasound. $140 helps rescue five babies. To donate, dial hashtag 250 and say baby. That's hashtag 250 baby. Or visit preborn.com Bert Harper. That's preborn.com/bert Harper.
We'd love to hear your Bible questions and prayer requests on Tuesdays
In your majesty from the colors of far to the fragrance of spring Every creature unique in the song that it sing.
>> Alex McFarland: All of God's creatures are unique and that's Ah, verse 34. Just to reiterate, the Lord said so. So do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. I want to give that number because we're going to get to your calls and your bible questions. It's 888-589-8840. Triple 858-9840. We have a couple of lines open so if you call in, you'll get through. We'd love to hear your Bible question. And I'm sure that Bert, you and Dylan did, prayer request quest yesterday too, didn't you?
>> Bert Harper: We did and it was a great day. We just. Tuesdays have become so special, it's hard to explain. You know, they were always good. These days are always good. But Tuesdays have become just a day of prayer, praise and preaching the word. The three P's of what we do. And we just enjoyed and again we had a great time with Dylan.
Steve in Missouri is the first caller on today's edition of Exploring the Word
>> Alex McFarland: Well, you ready to go to the phone call?
>> Bert Harper: Ready.
>> Bert Harper: Who's first?
>> Alex McFarland: Well, we're going to begin in that great place, Missouri. Steve in Missouri. You are the first caller on today's edition of Exploring the Word.
And thank you very much for taking my call and for all that both of you, do you.
>> Alex McFarland: God bless you.
Huh?
>> Bert Harper: Go ahead, Steve.
Okay. You mentioned just a few minutes ago about God, us not worrying about anything because God takes care of it and he takes care of the animals. And it brought back to my memory a, ah, psalm that I read that talks about when God, brings like, droughts or famines or extreme cold or extreme hot, against us because we've sinned so much, that all the animals have to suffer through that just as well. And it's our fault they are suffering because of the evil that we're doing. It was in a psalm, and I haven't been able to find it back for a while, but, And actually, I wouldn't be surprised if Alex doesn't know it.
>> Bert Harper: Hey, Steve, you mean you don't think I might remember that?
Huh? Huh?
>> Bert Harper: No, I love Alex. I'm glad Alex has his memory. I don't have it. You know what he's talking about, Alex?
>> Alex McFarland: Well, it might be Psalm 105, because in Psalm 105, for one thing, it talks about God remembers his covenant forever. But it says he called down famine on the land and cut off their supplies of food. Now, some says he broke the staff of bread, but, yes, sometimes. And God always acts redemptively. But yes, that, even in famine, when people and animals suffer, God raises up. And God does ultimately provide. But, you know, I was talking about how God cares for the animals, and I believe he does. But yet all of creation does suffer from human sin. Not, not permanently, but. Yeah, I've. I've seen people mistreat animals. I've seen the actions of people. Listen, somebody, living in sin can cause their animals to go hungry. Might cause their children to go hungry.
>> Bert Harper: Yeah. You know, there's a good question about yourself. What will your sin cost others? Okay.
>> Alex McFarland: Wow.
>> Bert Harper: It does not stand alone. We got on this the other day because someone struggling with pornography, and it is not an innocent sin. It is. It is a form of adultery. It is. It's definitely fornication. But when it's done by a married man and his heart is turned, should be toward his wife. And we talked about the eye, Alex, you know, gazing. And you let that come in. It is. It is wrong, it's horrible. And it will cost. And so ask that question, what will my sin cost others? your wife, your children, your grandchildren, your animals, whichever. And so sin it is serious, and we need to take it that way.
>> Alex McFarland: Wow, that. That's a great question. And Bert, a great observation. We're going to go to Ohio William, I want to give that number. Have lines open if you have a Bible question. Triple 858-98-9840. Triple 858-9840. William in Ohio, you're on exploring the Word.
Great to hear Yalls voice. thanks for your ministry as well.
Bert: How do we access God's power as believers
And, have a question about God's power and our access to that. there's verses in Ephesians where Paul talks about praying that, people will understand the power that is available to believers. Even, you know, comparing it to the power that God raised Jesus from the dead. How do we access that power as believers? and their scriptural scriptures you can encourage us with.
>> Bert Harper: Okay, Alex, without faith, it is impossible to please God. I mean, that's the whole idea. There is what God operates on us trusting him.
>> Bert Harper: Faith.
>> Bert Harper: And then if you have the faith of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain be removed or tree. there's access. But let me just share this with you and I'll throw it to you. Alex. I don't know how. It's in the confines of the sovereignty and will of God, isn't it?
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, it is. Let, me say, Christ, before he ascended back to heaven in Matthew 28, he said, all power on heaven and earth belongs to me. And so Jesus, at least to a degree, I'm gonna say, deputizes his church with his authority and power. But we, don't have. Obviously we don't have all the power of God. but I think the Christian's power is in a number of areas, and it is all power from God. a portion of it is entrusted to us, but I think there's obviously prayer. And as long as we're praying in accord with God's word and in accord with things that are his will, Jon 15:16 says he will do it. So we have power by virtue of prayer. We have power in the gospel, let me say, you know, we don't have any message of our own. We don't have any power of our own. But when we are proclaiming forth what God's word says, Bert, there's power in that.
>> Bert Harper: Amen.
>> Alex McFarland: It says, the word of God is powerful. And then, we have the things God's entrusted to us in terms of really the spoken word. You know, the Bible talks about how, the right word spoken at the right time is like apples of gold, you know, and so as the Holy Spirit gives us good words. All right, Bert. I've seen Christians have the power to reconcile enemies back to Each other. I've seen Christians have the power to turn somebody's life around. Now it's Christ in us, the hope of glory, and it's by his power and for his glory. But let me say we have our influence as well, don't we?
>> Bert Harper: We really do, Alex.
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah.
>> Bert Harper: Let me ask you this. How did Jesus use his power? That's the question. I'm full of question today, aren't I? Will you? Sin cost others, and now how did Jesus use his power? He said, this power that we have, through the power of the Holy Spirit, he's come to glorify me. So the whole idea of anything that we, in our words, in our prayers, in our living, it should glorify God. even when Jesus was. We've just gone over that. The temptations of Christ, he defeated Satan in the power of his own humanity. It doesn't show that he, oh, I'm God. Who do you think you're tempting? No, he didn't do that. He uses the word of God. And so, the power that God has given to us through everything that he's given us, is to glorify him. And if we're not using it that way, my personal opinion, you don't have it. You know you don't have it.
Amen.
Brent: I do believe in miraculous, instantaneous deliverance from things
>> Bert Harper: well, Brent, do you say we have a question that's come in on Facebook?
>> Brent Austin: Yes, I've got one from Facebook Messenger. It's from jj. He says, is it scriptural to be delivered from pornography and alcohol, not strengthened to withstand temptation, not having to work on it every day and have a sponsor, but delivered taken away like it never was? He said he has experienced this, but he can't find a biblical reference.
>> Bert Harper: Okay, Alex, if it's a demonic power that's in a person's life, we have some people that Jesus healed and even Paul, other, apostles. It was immediate. I'm not so sure. If you give back to it, it can come in, but you can be delivered immediately. And the evidence is through Jesus delivering demoniac and different ones, isn't it?
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, absolutely. Well, you know, James 4, verse 7 says, resist the devil and he will flee from you. And I know the caller is asking or the. The person that emailed us online said, not just resisting, but being delivered. Yeah, I mean, I've met many people who said that. They, they either, you know, took some substance and they were delivered in an instant. Now, I want to say this. Some people, you could pray in the name of Jesus and Lord in Jesus name set me free from this. And it might happen in an instant, it might happen over time. Bert, I do believe in miraculous, instantaneous deliverance from things. I really do. I've known people that were drunkards. They accepted Christ, never touched it again. But I also know if it's a process, and even if you have to go to, you know, therapy or something like that. But here's the thing. And Jon Piper said this many years ago, the radio preacher Jon Piper. He said, too many are involved in the business of sin management rather than repentance. And for one thing, I'll say this. The deliverance of Jesus will be all the more rapid and all the more thorough when you want to be delivered. You know, it is. I mean, when you understand, whether it be porn or drugs or alcohol or tobacco or anger or whatever, and that that thing becomes abhorrent to you because it's a wedge between you and the Lord, you just turn from it, and you turn from sin to Christ. the state of your heart is very key to how that restoration, and rescue plays out, I believe.
>> Bert Harper: Amen. Good word. Let me add one thing to it. We got another caller on. Deliverance does not mean the absence of accountability. Okay? And we're talking about those people that go through steps of them, yes. This far. You walk in the life that's been given you. But I do know both. I know those that's been delivered immediately, but it doesn't take away the accountability that, I've had them come to me as their pastor and say, pastor, this is where I was. But I need accountability. I've been their accountability partner, and I've assigned someone to be their accountability partner. So just because you're delivered does not mean. Oh, man, it doesn't matter what I look at now. It doesn't mean I don't need to work in a liquor store if it's. You catch what I'm saying? There's still boundaries to that. But we also know those that went through the process step by step because they needed that, and God was giving them faith. The just shall live by faith. He each step of the way. And so pray that God would just do his work and you become more like Christ.
Alex, we got another caller. Who is it? Trey in Mississippi
Alex, we got another caller. Who is it?
>> Alex McFarland: I think we've got Trey in Mississippi. Trey, are you there?
I am.
Can y' all hear me?
>> Alex McFarland: We can. Thanks for calling. What you got?
well, I tried to call last week, but I didn't get through. But y' all were talking about Jesus's temptation. And where he, he speaks Deuteronomy to Satan, he says, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Well, I was reading in Exodus 34, and the enduring Word app that you recommended that I love so much. But, you know, Moses sat at the feet of God on that mountain for 40 days and 40 nights, and he didn't eat bread or drink water. So he literally sat there and survived solely off the word of God. And I just thought that was awesome, and it blew my mind. So I just wanted to share that with y'.
All.
And I wanted to say thank you for Bert, about your testimony about your teeth, because I grew up in a similar situation, so that really touched my heart, too.
So.
>> Bert Harper: Amen.
Thank y'. All. I love y'.
All.
>> Bert Harper: Amen. Thank you, Trey. Amen. Listen, follow God. The bottom line, Alex, you can try to figure everything out and. Oh, man, I've got theological training. Oh, I don't have very much. You don't have to have theological training to trust God. You know, as a. I've seen it. But the more you walk with him, being delivered him, giving you each step of the way, what you shall eat, what you should wear. Trust God, Alex. if I had a message to those who are listening today. Trust the Lord in all your life, in all your ways, acknowledge Him. He'll give you what you need. He really will, won't He?
>> Alex McFarland: He really. He really will. I don't know that we have time for another question, but, you know, in Jon 4:34, and the caller was talking about how Jesus was, you know, in the wilderness, fasting. But man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. And so, the meat, the physical sustenance, was the word of God. And So in Jon 4:34, it talks about that. And, the meat is to do the will of him that sent me meat. Or the sustenance is God's word, which not only is food for the soul, but it will sustain your body as well.
Amen.
>> Bert Harper: It will. Hey, tomorrow we'll be in Matthew 7, still on the Sermon on the Mount. And can I dare say Jesus doesn't let up.
Amen.
>> Bert Harper: He continues pouring it on. And tomorrow we're going to look at that. I believe it would be a blessing to you. Read ahead as we continue studying the Word of God in Matthew. Thank you for listening to Exploring the Word. Tell someone about this program and afr. But more than anything else, let people know about Jesus.
>> Alex McFarland: The views and opinions expressed in this
>> Bert Harper: broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.
American Family Radio takes your Bible questions live on American Family Radio
>> Jeff Chamblee: The Bible. It's the word of God. Sharper than any two edged sword. This sacred book is living and active and contains all that's needed for life and godliness. Stay with American Family Radio for the next hour as we study God's word and take your Bible questions.
Matthew 6:21 is a well-known Biblical saying
Welcome to Exploring the Word.
>> Alex McFarland: You know, there are so many things in the Bible that become part of the common vocabulary, sayings and verses that they become so, you know, beloved and well known. I think people may not even realize that they come from the pages of God's Word. And one of these is from Matthew 6. I know you've heard people say this. Matthew 6:21. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Well, we'll look at the larger context of that and more of Matthew 6, plus your phone calls and Bible questions on today's edition of Exploring the word.
Alex McFarland talks to Bert Harper about where your treasure is
Alex McFarland here along with Bert Harper. And we're deeply honored that you're listening. And we invite you to get a copy of the Bible and turn to Matthew 6, if you would. But Bert, I think I, I've heard that my whole life. I know my, my very godly grandmother used to say it to me. Where your, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Did you hear that sometimes growing up?
>> Bert Harper: I did. And whether I knew it was in the Bible or not, I'm not so sure. But, I knew, it sounded like it should be if it wasn't. And it was. And so listen, your treasure is important. And, what do you treasure? And so where are you laying it up? Where are you keeping it? And so Jesus is really putting the emphasis on eternity. That's what you do. This is temporal. what you have down here, the car you drive, the house you live in, these are temporal. And, now, will relationships be eternal? Well, it's different than it is in heaven, but yes, there's those relationships that will be real in heaven. They knew Moses, M and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration, so there's no doubt. So what are you spending your time on concerning the treasure? Where is your heart, Alex? I think it's a great question myself, brother.
>> Alex McFarland: Well, let's look at this. Go back to verse 19. And by the way, I want to give a big shout out to our friend Dylan Burroughs, who helped out yesterday. I was, participating our final youth camp of the summer up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Well, really, the rural area outside of Harrisburg. We were about 52 miles from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. And I couldn't be on yesterday I sincerely thank Dylan for helping out. I guess he. You and he did a great show yesterday. I know, Bert.
>> Bert Harper: It was a great day. I. I just loved it. When we were studying the Lord's Prayer, it's known as the Lord's Prayer. A better name for it would honestly be the Disciples Prayer. He was teaching disciples how to pray. And so it was the day of prayer. And so, man, it's a joy to work with Dylan. And listen, he's, he. He is in the Lord. He knows the Lord. He knows the Word. So he brings, a lot to exploring the Word, and we thank God for that.
>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Well, he is a blessing, and. And I'm sure we'll be hearing more from him as the days go by. But let's go Back to verse 19 and again. These. These are the words of Christ in my Bible. It's in.
In red.
>> Alex McFarland: It's the words of Jesus. And verse 19, he says, do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, where thieves do not break in and steal. And of course, famously, verse 21, for where your treasure is, your. Your heart will be. Also. Bert, the word store up, and it's really, a, noun that's used as a verb. Storehouse. Now, I've got a great word here. A storehouse is a noun, but here it's used as a verb. Do not storehouse for yourselves. Material things, things that you treasure. Now, we know that it's okay to have things. My dad used to say, it's okay to have things, but don't let things have you.
>> Bert Harper: Amen.
>> Alex McFarland: But, Bert, you know the word store up? How does your translation render it?
>> Bert Harper: It is lay up. Yeah. Have you ever heard lay by? you know, and you can lay by and pay things ahead. I, know some. We did that back in when we were raising three sons, and Christmas come around and, you know, some things we had to pay on it gradually so we could go and get it, but lay up those treasures in heaven.
Alex: Anything you store here upon earth can be destroyed in heaven
now, if we lay treasures up in heaven, Alex, what treasures can you have in heaven? That. That question comes to me. Do you have an answer?
>> Alex McFarland: Well, I think the greatest treasure of all, of course, is everlasting life, redemption, Salvation through faith in Jesus. But also, you know, we have crowns in heaven.
>> Bert Harper: We.
>> Alex McFarland: We talk about that. But I'm going to tell you some of the treasures, things that I know they're either in heaven or bound for heaven that I treasure are some people that I was determined were going to get saved. And I'm thinking of, of a couple right now that after I got Saved at age 21, there were a couple of, people that I was deeply concerned for their soul. And I prayed and I begged God at any cost to get them under the sound of the gospel. And eventually they did. Both of these guys are in heaven now. But to me, when we lay up treasures in heaven, that includes people that we're doing our utmost to see, that they become born again.
>> Bert Harper: Amen. Have you ever heard the phrase treasured relationships?
Okay?
>> Bert Harper: And so these treasured relationships that we may have down here, something that is vital is those treasures, relationship that is eternal. And so the other thing, this just hit me. Notice the things that will destroy that moth. You know, they. They eat away at cloth. And that's the reason they, have cedar chests. You ever. You may have one, or Angie may have had one. My wife had one. That was one of the. I would say when she, we got married or graduation, I forgot which one it was, but she got a quote cedar chest.
And.
>> Bert Harper: And the things that went in the cedar chest was things that were cloth that. Where the moth could not do that. And then rust, it destroys, and then thieves break through and steal. Now, this seems like what it's talking about. Anything you store here upon earth can be destroyed. Okay, the treasures. But in heaven, let me see. We find in revelation that it's going to be no illness, no disease. We could also add to this. There's no moths and no rust and no thieves. none of them are going to be in heaven, are they?
>> Alex McFarland: Well, they're not. And, you know, I mean, those things are, natural, degradation or wearing away or corrupting, a natural corruption, a corruption of weather or the elements, and then moral corruption. So whether it's the moth eating out the fabric or whether it's the rust due to the oxidation, the humidity and the rain, or the moral degradation of somebody breaking the window and coming in and stealing, in other words, your true treasures in heaven, cannot be touched by the things that. That ruin life down here on earth.
Alex: Light overcomes darkness, right? Bert: Light wins every time
But I. I would be remiss if I did not bring out the word treasures, Bert, in the Greek. I've talked about this before. This is so. I'm going to say it's so cool, because it is. Guess what that word is in the original, language.
>> Bert Harper: Tell me.
>> Alex McFarland: Thesaurus.
>> Bert Harper: Oh, yes, I remember that. Yes.
>> Alex McFarland: Now, maybe in high school, you got a thesaurus, which is a storehouse of words. It's an ancient Greek word, and it means a storehouse of words. And I'm, trying to remember there was a pretty famous guy that used that terminology. but. But a storehouse of words. Well, you have a storehouse of things that you treasure, you know, and it could be. And I'm not talking about, like, unhealthy, pride or something like that, or arrogance. No, I'm not talking about that. But the things that you take joy in, the things that you take pleasure in. And, yeah, it's our walk with the Lord. It's what God's been able to do through us. Maybe. Maybe our influence for the Lord or it's, you know, we've experienced answered prayers, and, you know, Angie and, I. We're always looking back, and we. One of the things that we do, Bert, and I'm just telling you, it's kind of a tradition with us. But on January 1, we always take a few hours and we pray, and we talk about where God has brought us, and we pray about what we might be able to do in the year ahead. And that's a storehouse of treasured memories and praises, isn't it, Bert?
>> Bert Harper: it really is. And when we have that and you feel it, think about the storehouses in the temple. on either side, they had these building storehouses where they would come and they would store them, and they were taken out and needed. It was a neat way to construct, instruct it. well, in heaven, listen, I don't know everything it's going to be, but listen, it's waiting on you. This is one thing you send ahead, Alex. Okay? You send that ahead. You can't take it with you, but you do send those treasures, the crowns, so that they'll be there when he can give them to you. The relationships that you've had and built, and they've come to know the cri. know Christ is Lord, so this is one of those things. In heaven, not on earth. You move to verses 22 and 23. I'll read that as well. The lamp of the body is the eye. If, therefore, your eye is good, and your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If, therefore, the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness? Well, what wins, light or darkness? darkness cannot overcome light. But light overcomes darkness, Alex.
It really does.
>> Alex McFarland: The light wins every time.
>> Bert Harper: Follow the light Right. Follow the light.
>> Alex McFarland: I have taken great encouragement and joy in Jon chapter one. It said, the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it. Some translations will say the darkness did not comprehend it. but the darkness cannot eclipse the light.
>> Bert Harper: Amen.
>> Alex McFarland: If you've ever been in a building, in fact, I was in a church just several weeks ago, and in the middle of the service, there was a power outage. And, when a room goes dark, or maybe you've been in a dark basement, even a tiny amount of light helps. Doesn't it makes a difference? It really does. And so, here in 22 and 23, when it's talking about your eye, the eye is the lamp of the body, okay? Your eyes give you vision, and you, can see and what you're looking upon, what you're gazing on, what you're feeling. Because, look, the eye takes in visual stimuli, light, the brain takes those signals and helps you make sense of it. That's how we see. We can find out where we're going. We have depth perception. But I think 22 and 23 is saying to us, Bert, what we gaze upon, and therefore we take in, it influences us. If your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is actually darkness, how great is that darkness? I just want to say to everybody listening, and, Bert, I'll throw it to you, but your eye may be looking on things right now that you need to turn away from, folks. there may be things that you're putting into your heart, your mind, ultimately your soul. you need to be looking somewhere else, looking unto Jesus, because Jesus is
>> Bert Harper: the light, the eyes and the hands. Bible makes a big deal out of both of those. and so you want to let the light shine in, and you want to let the hands that love the Lord praise him and serve him well. This is exploring the Word. And you're listening here on American Family Radio. And we're going to be back and continue in Matthew chapter six. We think we'll finish it today, so hold on. I think you'll enjoy it.
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praising for friends and
family,
for the very air we breathe, for having everything we need. Won't somebody come praise the Lord with me? Yeah.
>> Bert Harper: That's what we want to do here on Exploring the Word. We want to praise. Praise the Lord Jesus Christ. We do that praising him. Music. Yes, by opening the word, by, just, prayer requests, praises, questions.
Matthew chapter six has one verse that stands alone
We're here to praise the Lord. We're in Matthew, chapter six, and we got one verse that kind of stands alone, but it introduces verses 25 all the way through the end of the chapter. That's verse 34. And you'll hear this if you read the King James, it'll say, take no thought. I love that. The other one is in my version. You, King James, do not worry. Same thought.
Alex: I'd heard that you can't serve two masters
But before that, Alex, you talk about, you know, phrases that are repeated, and, it came out of the Bible. Let me give you another. You can't serve two masters. Okay, yeah, I heard that as well. That's verse 24. But I'd heard that you can't serve two masters. And it is in the Bible. It's a verse. It stands alone. by that, I mean, it just stands alone. If you had this anywhere, and it was by itself one chapter, one verse, it would stand alone. Here it is. No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Another word for that is riches, money. And so, Alex, I agree with that. But I sure have seen a lot of people try.
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, well, do you know what? in the ancient world, and by the way, talking about treasure, maybe people are thinking about something like greed, right? Or materialism. In the ancient world, not only the ancient Jews, but, the Greeks and the Romans, they made much about the Virtues and the vices. And, you know, throughout human history, really, they talked about what we call seven core vices. Pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, anger and laziness. Or sometimes slothfulness. S L O T H Sloth. and, you know, when it says here, it kind of summarizes whether it's, storing up treasures on earth, greed and materialism, or in 22, 23, your eyes, what you look at and. Or, and what you take in and then think about, even almost to the point of obsession. And that can be envy or that could be lust or that could be anger and just letting something fester or being lazy and, you know, jealousy, things like that. And verse 24 is a perfect summation. No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Some translations say God and wealth. But I'm going to put it this way, Bert. You can't serve heaven and earth. You can't serve the spirit and the flesh. you can't serve God and sin. And, of those, And I really do think it's talking about what we would call some of the vices. Whether it's greed or whether it's, you know, envy or whatever. We, have to, with the help of the Holy Spirit. And let me just say, praise God, the Holy Spirit will absolutely help us. If we're willing, we can purpose where the loyalty of our heart will be. And the priority, the fidelity, the loyalty of our heart should be to God and the things of God. And we'll find that in his word.
>> Bert Harper: Amen. So the question is, what is mastering you? What is mastering you? we walk not by sight, but we walk by faith. in that context, man, we trust God. We do not trust what we don't trust that. That we can see. We don't trust that. No, we trust. Go over in the book of Hebrews. It even talks about, we have faith in someone in something we have not seen. But yet we trust him. We see the evidence. We know of Him. We have his word. So we serve God. Serving and trusting. Those two go together. Whomever I trust, that is whom I will serve. Don't try to serve two masters. It's like being pulled, both ways. No, Christ first and always.
Verses 25 through 34 in the Bible say do not worry
Well, Alex, verses 25 through 34 again, I already introduced that. But you'll find this phrase used again in the new King James. It says, do not worry If I'm not mistaken, in the King James, it says, take no thought. And so what does it say? Let me just start reading this. Verse 25. Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns. Yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more value than they? Which of you, by worrying can add one cubit to his statue? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin. And yet I say to you that even Solomon in all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Here it is again. Here it is. Therefore do not worry saying, what shall we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or what shall we wear? For after all these things the Gentiles or pagans seek. For your Heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. Last two verses. Here it is. With that in mind, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things, sufficient for the day of its own trouble. Alex, I know that's a lengthy reading for radio, but this passage, I just tell you, it is so important. It has added to my life. This has added to my life about as much as any passage I have in the Scriptures that, yes, there's things that I, know, they bother me, yes, but does that mean I don't trust God? Or do I mean, I trust God through them? And while I'm waiting for something to happen, do I trust God no matter what?
>> Alex McFarland: We trust God no matter what. And, you know, there's just good reasoning here. The Lord Jesus, and these are the words of Christ. He's just given us good reason. And like every good preacher, you know, he lays out these. These truths and then gives a relatable illustration. You know, consider the lilies of the field. This is in verse 28. I mean, in other words, look at the flowers. They do not toil or spin. Yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these. And here's the takeaway in verse 30 if God. So, clothes, the grass of the field and the word clothes. C L O T H E S In other words, God looks after the flowers in the field. God looks after the birds and the animals. I mean, Bert, I've heard it said that humans are the currency of heaven. Let me just say this, currency. The, image is on money of the one who minted it, right? US Currency. Well, God's image is on us because He. That's why human life is sacred. Human life is so valuable because we're made in God's image. We're people for whom Christ died, sinners who for whom Christ died. And so if God looks after plants and animals and his physical creation, can't we be completely confident he's going to look after us, the humans? Minted. Made in his image, of course. And therefore he says, don't worry. And Bert, I got to tell you, I'm preaching it myself now. God's brought me a long way. you know, we, we came up kind of hard, and somebody asked me, I'll tell you this, I'll throw it back to you. Somebody asked me in an interview, you know, if you could go back and go back to when you were 18 or 19 or something and tell yourself something, what would you, what would the you of now go tell your younger self? And I said I would tell him, don't worry. God's going to look after you, you know, and, it's all going to work out. And, I don't know, they say that we're in a time of great anxiety. I firmly believe this.
>> Alex McFarland: Of course.
>> Alex McFarland: We're supposed to be responsible and say our prayers, work hard, and live right. That's what responsible, grown up, godly people do. But, Bert, I am convinced, in good times, times of tribulation, look, it's going to work out. Because a loving God does not abandon his, his believers, his disciples, or even his creation at all.
>> Bert Harper: I feel it all the way. Three or four things that you need to look at. The difference in needs and wants, everything that is listed here. What will it eat? Now, again, I may want ice cream, okay. But God provides for me. Cornbread, and peas. Okay. Now that's a Southern delicacy. Okay? And so. But you know what we shall eat, the difference in wants and needs. And then clothing. Well, I understand I might want the most modern clothing, but God provides clothing. These are needs that God says, I will provide. I will take care of you. So take no thought. Do not worry about your life. The other thing, ah, Is adding to your statute. you know, okay, God's made you in his image. he's made us, with the way we are.
Billy Graham talks about God's marks of ownership in his life
Alex, have you ever heard of God's marks of ownership in your life?
>> Alex McFarland: I have heard of that.
>> Bert Harper: Okay, let me just God for it. Yeah. Let me just be very personal on a testimony. you just talking about bringing up. I know if you got a close up, you'd see space between my teeth, on my upper teeth. And, you know, I can remember having pictures made in, in junior high school. I got to noticing at that time and in high school. And, I would smile, but my mouth would always be, closed because I didn't want to show the space in my m. Teeth. I went to a meeting and I heard about that. God's given you your marks of ownership. Is there something in your life that you would like to hear? It was add to your statute that you would like to change, but you could not. I know they put braces on teeth, but not in my family, not at what, our economic level. That wasn't an option. And so I, you know, I had these spaces and I said, okay, God, here, I give that to youo. You made me. You made me with this that I have. I'm to take care of them, I'm to brush them. I'm to go to the dentist to make sure everything is taken care of. But there's nothing that I can do. Apart having braces and preaching and speaking, I didn't need the braces. Okay. So that was a, I was easy to take care of, make that decision. But then I remembered as well as I do God, these are your marks of ownership in my life. And I'm not going to just keep my mouth closed when I'm smiling. I don't mind showing the world God's marks of ownership in my life. He's the one that has made me. And so I don't know if that registers with anyone. It may be someone because they feel like, man, I'm too short, I'm too tall, whatever it may be. But listen, if you've given yourself to the Lord and He's made you, you're ready for Him, Serve him the way you are. Yeah, you can correct some things and make it look better. but those things that you can't correct, receive those, Alex, as it was with me, you know, does that make sense to you? Is that the way you understood that when you heard God's marks of ownership in your life?
>> Alex McFarland: Absolutely, Bert. That is so good. That is so good. You know, we've just had, eight summer youth camps and hundreds of teenagers and going through, you know, the insecurities of adolescents and things like that. And, you know, we do a lot of apologetics. More and more I talk. And Carl Kirby and our staff, we. We say, please believe that God loves you. Please believe that God made you. And, Bert, I know you've heard the very famous story of the missionary Gladys Aylward, and she was a very faithful missionary to the Chinese people. But she grew up in, I think it was the forties when, you know, there were movie stars, and she wanted to grow up and be a beautiful movie star. Well, she was, not tall, and she had, you know, black hair and bangs. And, she. She was just not movie star, material. But she found Christ and she became a missionary, and she was sent to a place where nobody had succeeded. And frankly, she looked like a rather diminutive Asian, but she wasn't. But she went to a missionary, post where nobody wanted to go because nobody had ever succeeded. But she succeeded because her stature, her appearance. Gladys Aylward looked enough like, the other Chinese people that they trusted her, believed in her. And there have been movies made about her. And she, at the end of her life, she said, I thank God for how he made me. And really, it relates to Psalm 16. The lines have fallen unto me in pleasant places. In other words, the boundary lines of our life. And you know what? Billy Graham said it. Bert, I'll sit and throw it back to you. Billy Graham said, God made us. amen. He can fix us if we're broken. And we are fearfully, wonderfully, and dare I say, purposefully made. And so for those earmarks of God's ownership that you mentioned so beautifully, Bert, folks, get alone with God and thank God for the fact that he made you and how he made you. Because he has purposes for it.
>> Bert Harper: He does. Let's finish up. We don't have a lot of time. But it says, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And all these things shall be added. Seek first. Here it is again, Alex. The kingdom of God. The kingdom of heaven. I just want to say Matthew makes a big deal about this. The whole Sermon on the Mount is about kingdom of heaven living. That's the whole idea. And he said, in this kingdom living, you seek God's righteousness. He is holy. Let's please him. Well, we're going to take phone calls. That number is 888-589-8840. We would love your question here on Exploring the Word.
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We'd love to hear your Bible questions and prayer requests on Tuesdays
In your majesty from the colors of far to the fragrance of spring Every creature unique in the song that it sing.
>> Alex McFarland: All of God's creatures are unique and that's Ah, verse 34. Just to reiterate, the Lord said so. So do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. I want to give that number because we're going to get to your calls and your bible questions. It's 888-589-8840. Triple 858-9840. We have a couple of lines open so if you call in, you'll get through. We'd love to hear your Bible question. And I'm sure that Bert, you and Dylan did, prayer request quest yesterday too, didn't you?
>> Bert Harper: We did and it was a great day. We just. Tuesdays have become so special, it's hard to explain. You know, they were always good. These days are always good. But Tuesdays have become just a day of prayer, praise and preaching the word. The three P's of what we do. And we just enjoyed and again we had a great time with Dylan.
Steve in Missouri is the first caller on today's edition of Exploring the Word
>> Alex McFarland: Well, you ready to go to the phone call?
>> Bert Harper: Ready.
>> Bert Harper: Who's first?
>> Alex McFarland: Well, we're going to begin in that great place, Missouri. Steve in Missouri. You are the first caller on today's edition of Exploring the Word.
And thank you very much for taking my call and for all that both of you, do you.
>> Alex McFarland: God bless you.
Huh?
>> Bert Harper: Go ahead, Steve.
Okay. You mentioned just a few minutes ago about God, us not worrying about anything because God takes care of it and he takes care of the animals. And it brought back to my memory a, ah, psalm that I read that talks about when God, brings like, droughts or famines or extreme cold or extreme hot, against us because we've sinned so much, that all the animals have to suffer through that just as well. And it's our fault they are suffering because of the evil that we're doing. It was in a psalm, and I haven't been able to find it back for a while, but, And actually, I wouldn't be surprised if Alex doesn't know it.
>> Bert Harper: Hey, Steve, you mean you don't think I might remember that?
Huh? Huh?
>> Bert Harper: No, I love Alex. I'm glad Alex has his memory. I don't have it. You know what he's talking about, Alex?
>> Alex McFarland: Well, it might be Psalm 105, because in Psalm 105, for one thing, it talks about God remembers his covenant forever. But it says he called down famine on the land and cut off their supplies of food. Now, some says he broke the staff of bread, but, yes, sometimes. And God always acts redemptively. But yes, that, even in famine, when people and animals suffer, God raises up. And God does ultimately provide. But, you know, I was talking about how God cares for the animals, and I believe he does. But yet all of creation does suffer from human sin. Not, not permanently, but. Yeah, I've. I've seen people mistreat animals. I've seen the actions of people. Listen, somebody, living in sin can cause their animals to go hungry. Might cause their children to go hungry.
>> Bert Harper: Yeah. You know, there's a good question about yourself. What will your sin cost others? Okay.
>> Alex McFarland: Wow.
>> Bert Harper: It does not stand alone. We got on this the other day because someone struggling with pornography, and it is not an innocent sin. It is. It is a form of adultery. It is. It's definitely fornication. But when it's done by a married man and his heart is turned, should be toward his wife. And we talked about the eye, Alex, you know, gazing. And you let that come in. It is. It is wrong, it's horrible. And it will cost. And so ask that question, what will my sin cost others? your wife, your children, your grandchildren, your animals, whichever. And so sin it is serious, and we need to take it that way.
>> Alex McFarland: Wow, that. That's a great question. And Bert, a great observation. We're going to go to Ohio William, I want to give that number. Have lines open if you have a Bible question. Triple 858-98-9840. Triple 858-9840. William in Ohio, you're on exploring the Word.
Great to hear Yalls voice. thanks for your ministry as well.
Bert: How do we access God's power as believers
And, have a question about God's power and our access to that. there's verses in Ephesians where Paul talks about praying that, people will understand the power that is available to believers. Even, you know, comparing it to the power that God raised Jesus from the dead. How do we access that power as believers? and their scriptural scriptures you can encourage us with.
>> Bert Harper: Okay, Alex, without faith, it is impossible to please God. I mean, that's the whole idea. There is what God operates on us trusting him.
>> Bert Harper: Faith.
>> Bert Harper: And then if you have the faith of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain be removed or tree. there's access. But let me just share this with you and I'll throw it to you. Alex. I don't know how. It's in the confines of the sovereignty and will of God, isn't it?
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, it is. Let, me say, Christ, before he ascended back to heaven in Matthew 28, he said, all power on heaven and earth belongs to me. And so Jesus, at least to a degree, I'm gonna say, deputizes his church with his authority and power. But we, don't have. Obviously we don't have all the power of God. but I think the Christian's power is in a number of areas, and it is all power from God. a portion of it is entrusted to us, but I think there's obviously prayer. And as long as we're praying in accord with God's word and in accord with things that are his will, Jon 15:16 says he will do it. So we have power by virtue of prayer. We have power in the gospel, let me say, you know, we don't have any message of our own. We don't have any power of our own. But when we are proclaiming forth what God's word says, Bert, there's power in that.
>> Bert Harper: Amen.
>> Alex McFarland: It says, the word of God is powerful. And then, we have the things God's entrusted to us in terms of really the spoken word. You know, the Bible talks about how, the right word spoken at the right time is like apples of gold, you know, and so as the Holy Spirit gives us good words. All right, Bert. I've seen Christians have the power to reconcile enemies back to Each other. I've seen Christians have the power to turn somebody's life around. Now it's Christ in us, the hope of glory, and it's by his power and for his glory. But let me say we have our influence as well, don't we?
>> Bert Harper: We really do, Alex.
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah.
>> Bert Harper: Let me ask you this. How did Jesus use his power? That's the question. I'm full of question today, aren't I? Will you? Sin cost others, and now how did Jesus use his power? He said, this power that we have, through the power of the Holy Spirit, he's come to glorify me. So the whole idea of anything that we, in our words, in our prayers, in our living, it should glorify God. even when Jesus was. We've just gone over that. The temptations of Christ, he defeated Satan in the power of his own humanity. It doesn't show that he, oh, I'm God. Who do you think you're tempting? No, he didn't do that. He uses the word of God. And so, the power that God has given to us through everything that he's given us, is to glorify him. And if we're not using it that way, my personal opinion, you don't have it. You know you don't have it.
Amen.
Brent: I do believe in miraculous, instantaneous deliverance from things
>> Bert Harper: well, Brent, do you say we have a question that's come in on Facebook?
>> Brent Austin: Yes, I've got one from Facebook Messenger. It's from jj. He says, is it scriptural to be delivered from pornography and alcohol, not strengthened to withstand temptation, not having to work on it every day and have a sponsor, but delivered taken away like it never was? He said he has experienced this, but he can't find a biblical reference.
>> Bert Harper: Okay, Alex, if it's a demonic power that's in a person's life, we have some people that Jesus healed and even Paul, other, apostles. It was immediate. I'm not so sure. If you give back to it, it can come in, but you can be delivered immediately. And the evidence is through Jesus delivering demoniac and different ones, isn't it?
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, absolutely. Well, you know, James 4, verse 7 says, resist the devil and he will flee from you. And I know the caller is asking or the. The person that emailed us online said, not just resisting, but being delivered. Yeah, I mean, I've met many people who said that. They, they either, you know, took some substance and they were delivered in an instant. Now, I want to say this. Some people, you could pray in the name of Jesus and Lord in Jesus name set me free from this. And it might happen in an instant, it might happen over time. Bert, I do believe in miraculous, instantaneous deliverance from things. I really do. I've known people that were drunkards. They accepted Christ, never touched it again. But I also know if it's a process, and even if you have to go to, you know, therapy or something like that. But here's the thing. And Jon Piper said this many years ago, the radio preacher Jon Piper. He said, too many are involved in the business of sin management rather than repentance. And for one thing, I'll say this. The deliverance of Jesus will be all the more rapid and all the more thorough when you want to be delivered. You know, it is. I mean, when you understand, whether it be porn or drugs or alcohol or tobacco or anger or whatever, and that that thing becomes abhorrent to you because it's a wedge between you and the Lord, you just turn from it, and you turn from sin to Christ. the state of your heart is very key to how that restoration, and rescue plays out, I believe.
>> Bert Harper: Amen. Good word. Let me add one thing to it. We got another caller on. Deliverance does not mean the absence of accountability. Okay? And we're talking about those people that go through steps of them, yes. This far. You walk in the life that's been given you. But I do know both. I know those that's been delivered immediately, but it doesn't take away the accountability that, I've had them come to me as their pastor and say, pastor, this is where I was. But I need accountability. I've been their accountability partner, and I've assigned someone to be their accountability partner. So just because you're delivered does not mean. Oh, man, it doesn't matter what I look at now. It doesn't mean I don't need to work in a liquor store if it's. You catch what I'm saying? There's still boundaries to that. But we also know those that went through the process step by step because they needed that, and God was giving them faith. The just shall live by faith. He each step of the way. And so pray that God would just do his work and you become more like Christ.
Alex, we got another caller. Who is it? Trey in Mississippi
Alex, we got another caller. Who is it?
>> Alex McFarland: I think we've got Trey in Mississippi. Trey, are you there?
I am.
Can y' all hear me?
>> Alex McFarland: We can. Thanks for calling. What you got?
well, I tried to call last week, but I didn't get through. But y' all were talking about Jesus's temptation. And where he, he speaks Deuteronomy to Satan, he says, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Well, I was reading in Exodus 34, and the enduring Word app that you recommended that I love so much. But, you know, Moses sat at the feet of God on that mountain for 40 days and 40 nights, and he didn't eat bread or drink water. So he literally sat there and survived solely off the word of God. And I just thought that was awesome, and it blew my mind. So I just wanted to share that with y'.
All.
And I wanted to say thank you for Bert, about your testimony about your teeth, because I grew up in a similar situation, so that really touched my heart, too.
So.
>> Bert Harper: Amen.
Thank y'. All. I love y'.
All.
>> Bert Harper: Amen. Thank you, Trey. Amen. Listen, follow God. The bottom line, Alex, you can try to figure everything out and. Oh, man, I've got theological training. Oh, I don't have very much. You don't have to have theological training to trust God. You know, as a. I've seen it. But the more you walk with him, being delivered him, giving you each step of the way, what you shall eat, what you should wear. Trust God, Alex. if I had a message to those who are listening today. Trust the Lord in all your life, in all your ways, acknowledge Him. He'll give you what you need. He really will, won't He?
>> Alex McFarland: He really. He really will. I don't know that we have time for another question, but, you know, in Jon 4:34, and the caller was talking about how Jesus was, you know, in the wilderness, fasting. But man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. And so, the meat, the physical sustenance, was the word of God. And So in Jon 4:34, it talks about that. And, the meat is to do the will of him that sent me meat. Or the sustenance is God's word, which not only is food for the soul, but it will sustain your body as well.
Amen.
>> Bert Harper: It will. Hey, tomorrow we'll be in Matthew 7, still on the Sermon on the Mount. And can I dare say Jesus doesn't let up.
Amen.
>> Bert Harper: He continues pouring it on. And tomorrow we're going to look at that. I believe it would be a blessing to you. Read ahead as we continue studying the Word of God in Matthew. Thank you for listening to Exploring the Word. Tell someone about this program and afr. But more than anything else, let people know about Jesus.
>> Alex McFarland: The views and opinions expressed in this
>> Bert Harper: broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.
Chapters:
(00:00) American Family Radio takes your Bible questions live on American Family Radio
(00:17) Matthew 6:21 is a well-known Biblical saying
(00:55) Alex McFarland talks to Bert Harper about where your treasure is
(05:05) Alex: Anything you store here upon earth can be destroyed in heaven
(08:20) Alex: Light overcomes darkness, right? Bert: Light wins every time
(14:02) Preborn Network clinics help women choose life through a free ultrasound
(16:00) Matthew chapter six has one verse that stands alone
(16:26) Alex: I'd heard that you can't serve two masters
(20:33) Verses 25 through 34 in the Bible say do not worry
(26:42) Billy Graham talks about God's marks of ownership in his life
(32:10) Preborn Network offers free ultrasounds to women facing unplanned pregnancies
(33:43) We'd love to hear your Bible questions and prayer requests on Tuesdays
(35:04) Steve in Missouri is the first caller on today's edition of Exploring the Word
(39:03) Bert: How do we access God's power as believers
(43:22) Brent: I do believe in miraculous, instantaneous deliverance from things
(47:27) Alex, we got another caller. Who is it? Trey in Mississippi
Chapters:
(00:00) American Family Radio takes your Bible questions live on American Family Radio
(00:17) Matthew 6:21 is a well-known Biblical saying
(00:55) Alex McFarland talks to Bert Harper about where your treasure is
(05:05) Alex: Anything you store here upon earth can be destroyed in heaven
(08:20) Alex: Light overcomes darkness, right? Bert: Light wins every time
(14:02) Preborn Network clinics help women choose life through a free ultrasound
(16:00) Matthew chapter six has one verse that stands alone
(16:26) Alex: I'd heard that you can't serve two masters
(20:33) Verses 25 through 34 in the Bible say do not worry
(26:42) Billy Graham talks about God's marks of ownership in his life
(32:10) Preborn Network offers free ultrasounds to women facing unplanned pregnancies
(33:43) We'd love to hear your Bible questions and prayer requests on Tuesdays
(35:04) Steve in Missouri is the first caller on today's edition of Exploring the Word
(39:03) Bert: How do we access God's power as believers
(43:22) Brent: I do believe in miraculous, instantaneous deliverance from things
(47:27) Alex, we got another caller. Who is it? Trey in Mississippi
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