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. Welcome to Exploring the Word.
Alex McFarland In Matthew chapter 14, there are some wonderful beloved words of Christ. Jesus says in verse 27, be of good cheer. And it is I. Do not be afraid. Well, welcome to Exploring the word today. Alex McFarland here along with Bert Harper. And we are going to continue on in Matthew chapter 14. Then later on in the show, we'll take calls and Bible questions as we always do. We would love for you to call in with a Bible question if you want to. You know, in the Bible, we often talk about sayings and idioms, in other words, colloquialisms that come into the vocabulary through the word of God, like, you know, going through a deep valley or something like that. And that comes from Psalm 23. But there's one in Matthew 14 that really kind of, is a little bit dark and sad. There's a saying if somebody's in bad trouble, they might say, oh, they would have my head if I did that. Or somebody who's really getting punished, they'd say, his head will be on a platter. Well, sadly that comes really from Matthew 14 about the death of Jon the Baptist. But I share that simply to illustrate the immeasurable influence of the Bible. And we'll continue. There's some miracles that Christ does, some amazing miracles. But we invite you to get a copy of the Word of God. And if you are, at a place where you can do it, turn to Matthew 14. And on we go through our look at this, the first NewSong Testament Gospel. It's rich, isn't it, Bert?
Bert Harper It really is. And as you said, it starts out with the beheading of Jon the Baptist. Jesus hears about this and again, this is what is recorded. Most of a lot of our listeners know the story. Jon the Baptist was a prophet and he proclaimed, repent. sin, repent. That was his message. Repentance. And his, baptism was that of repentance. And when he found, Herod and his family being all in corrupt relationships, immoral relationships, he called it out. And yes, calling it out made him angry. And there were people and he said, I don't want to get a part of this. There's too many people that like him. And I don't Want to get them all stirred up. But he was, And I will say this, he was tricked. But he was tricked because of his immorality, Alex. You know what I mean? And, sensuality was a part of what they were a part of. It was corrupt in every way in leadership. And so, this is the story of Jon the Baptist. And, I. It's found here in the first 12 verses. and, Alex, the thing that said, verse three, this young girl that danced before Herod, and he said, give. What do you want me to do? I'll do anything for you. And here's what she said, as you've referred to, she, having been prompted by her mother, said, give me Jon the Baptist head here on a platter. What a statement. And he wanted to get rid of him, but he's afraid to. But now that he has made this, I would say, this, vow. He. He does it, doesn't he?
Alex McFarland Well, you know what? This is just incredibly, ironic, I suppose, or providential that. We're in Matthew 14, folks. Listen in. And, please listen very carefully from the heart. Because Jon the Baptist preached for righteousness and truth and against sin. And very often the truth makes people angry. In the case of Herod and Herod's wife, Jon the Baptist was calling out their gross immorality. And so they decided that the best way to deal with Jon the Baptist was they. They had to see him dead. They wanted him killed. Now, one year ago today, right this very minute, a similar thing happened. But it wasn't Herod killing Jon the Baptist. It was, Tyler Robinson killing Charlie Kirk. And we were on this show, and many people in America for the first time, heard about the death of Charlie Kirk. He had, two weeks prior, spoken for me in one of my Worldview conferences. And we, Bird and I were coming on, and literally, just as the opening music was playing, the newswire services blew up about Charlie Kirk had been shot in Utah. And the news was saying, critical but stable condition. And we opened up the show, and Bert prayed. that was one year ago, right now. And then I got a text from someone, very much inside Washington, politics, and they said, I have this from President Trump, that Charlie Kirk has died. Now, when we announced it on Exploring the Word, for probably another eight or nine minutes, the major wire services were saying that he was in the hospital in critical condition. And we finally announced that, no, we have it from an unimpeachable source that he has passed. And we prayed. But, you Know, I think, on this one year anniversary, the news is all over the map. I'm simply going to say this, Bert, and I want you to respond, if you would. The church, in every generation, Christians, individuals that are believers, we are called to proclaim the word of God. We don't, twist it, we don't truncate or diminish it, but we live it, we proclaim it. And no, matter the cost, whether it's popularity points or whether it's even one's life, just as Christ laid down his life for us, we are to lay down our life for Jesus and for the sake of the gospel. Charlie Kirk did it. Many martyrs throughout history have done it. Jon the Baptist did it. we are responsible to give our life for the Savior and his Word as well, aren't we?
Bert Harper We really are. And if you need to know more about that, read Fox's Book of Martyr. listen, it will speak to you about how men and women from the time of Christ until now have given their lives to carry Jesus Christ to the world. And, I remember that day. And, it was a difficult day. And Alex, since you had met him and talked with him two weeks before, I know it was real personal. And I understand there where you are in Colorado, there's going to be a meeting tonight, one year later. Tell us a little bit. I know we're delaying just a minute getting into the Word, but I think it'd be worth less, people praying for you tonight. Go ahead.
Alex McFarland God bless you. Well, I know the name E.W. jackson will be familiar to many AFR listeners. And E.W. and I are here. There's a conference called Truth and Liberty. There's a lot of, speakers like Lucas Miles, 5th District Congressman, Jeff Crank. there is a Christian minister named Victor Marks and the Truth and Liberty Conference, which I believe you can watch it online. There are over 1200 people here to attend. And I'll be preaching, E.W. jackson will be preaching, and we'll also be emceeing. But tonight by video is Erica Kirk to speak as well. And so, a lot of significant things. Please keep it in prayer. But you know, Bert, whether we're in front of an audience or you and I are at the radio mic, or I'm on the road. You're on the road. We're in a pulpit somewhere. our message is this, get saved and get going.
Bert Harper Amen.
Alex McFarland In other words, we know Christ and we want to make him known. And I just believe that there is a revival in store For America. I do. Bert, I know things might look bad, and part of it, I'll say this and I'll hush, but, there's an election, a midterm. A lot of things hang in the balance, folks. Religious freedom, the rights of parents, just the future of our Constitution. constitutional America versus Sharia or versus socialism. The socialists want to abolish the presidency, abolish law enforcement. I mean, I know it sounds over the top, and this is not today's issues or Washington Watch. This is exploring the word. But I want to say that we need to pray for this nation. We need to get out and vote, influence others to do the same. And let's keep a constitutional Judeo Christian America that we can, as we've done for more than two centuries, we can be a nation that God can bless and use for the Great Commission.
Bert Harper Let's pray about it. Father, I thank you that today, we're remembering a year ago about Charlie Kirk. And Father, so much has been done. His memorial service, where the gospel was preached around the world, where individual after individual would stand and give testimony of, the difference that Jesus Christ has made in their life and tell others to join them so we could make heaven crowded. And Father, I pray that you would be with Alex tonight and all the other speakers that will be there and you might bless them. And Father, today might be a day when that revival that we've been looking forward to, that it might began. And Father, we don't know where it will begin. when we look back on the revivals in the past, the great awakenings in the past, they didn't know it had begun until they were already in it. And so, Father, it may have already started somewhere here. And with it being America and with a podcast that goes around the world and the, the ability to send messages around the world, it may not just be here in America, it may be in another nation. And we're praying, God, that you would do a work that you can do in Jesus name. Amen.
Alex McFarland Amen. Thanks.
Bert Harper let me give this notice. Verse 9. This is important. Again, he was tricked. He wanted to get rid of him, but he was afraid of it. Verse 9, after the request was made, give me Jon the Baptist's head here on a platter. The king was sorry. Nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him at the table, he commanded it to be given to her. So he sent and he had Jon beheaded in prison. And his head was brought and platter and given to the girl. The Girl brought it to her mother, and the disciples came and took away his body, buried it, and went and told Jesus. Now, Alex again, is hideous. But notice what a mother would ask a daughter to do is just. That is the. I look at that. And yeah, it was his head. Horrible. But a mother manipulating a daughter to. To do this. Now, she probably was ready in doing it, but it was that sad. And notice what happens in verse 13 here. And when Jesus heard it, they went and told Jesus. When Jesus heard it, he departed from there by a boat to a deserted place by himself. Now we know Jesus wept. Later on, we'll know that concerning Lazarus. But Jesus feeling these emotions. Jon the Baptist, his cousin, the one who leaped in his mother's womb when Mary showed up with Jesus in her womb, this is the man. So he departed to be by himself. Alex, that really spoke to me about the grieving process, the whole thing. Jesus needed to do that. And he had himself by himself for a while. Just he. I believe it was he and his father. And, the father said, okay, would it be possible that he was remembering what's going to happen to him, or him thinking about what's going to happen to him in the future? But either way, he departs to be alone by himself, doesn't he?
Alex McFarland That's true. A desert place by himself. I've got to say this in verse 12. It's so precious. You know, the disciples of Jon the Baptist, no doubt they were very sad. their. Their mentor had been beheaded, executed. The disciples of Jon the Baptist came, took away the body, buried it, and went and told Jesus, when you have a great tragedy and bereavement, go and talk to Jesus.
Bert Harper Great. You know, thank you, Alex. Good word.
Alex McFarland Amen. But Jesus went out and saw verse 14, by the way. So a great multitude, he was moved with compassion for them and healed their sick. we read this repeatedly in the Gospels. Christ would see the multitudes, and he was moved with compassion. I think he still is to this day. Don't you, Bert?
Bert Harper He is. And this word compassion, it's more than, oh, man, I feel sorry. No, he was moved. It has the idea of an upheaval going on in him, sensing that and knowing that. And so he was moved. And it is repeated several times because he was looking at them, what, as sheep having no shepherd. Listen, we need to be moved by compassion with people that do not know Christ and know that we need to tell them about Jesus. Well, this is exploring the word Bert and Alec with you today. And we're Going to come back and Continue in Matthew 14. Don't go away. This sanctity of life month, we honor the over 66 million babies whose lives have been tragically ended through abortion since Roe. Sadly, with the abortion pill accounting for over 60% of all abortions, babies lives are at even greater risk now. But in the midst of this darkness, there's a light that shines. And that's preborn. PreBorn's network of clinics have rescued over 300,000 babies from abortion and have prayed with over 80,000 women to come to Christ.
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I feel the sound of m a mighty rushing wind. And it's closer now than it's ever been. I can almost hear the trumpet
as
g sounds a go.
And at the midnight will be going home.
Bert Harper Amen. What a song. What a song. man, doesn't Brent Austin make you mad? He plays these awesome songs and we have to cut them off. Alex.
Alex McFarland I mean, I know he. He picks great songs. he does. we have appreciated Brent Austin's musical taste, I'll tell you that.
Bert Harper Yes, we do. We appreciate it, man. What a song. Midnight cry. We're praying you're ready. Jesus Christ could come back at any moment. It's the image return of Christ. Nothing has to happen between now and when he comes back. And, so be ready for his coming. Now, Alex, again, Jesus goes to that departed place, but the multitudes follow him. And he sees them having compassion, and he heals him. And it was evening and There was no McDonald's. There was no Wendy's. There was no KFC or Cracker Barrel. What are they going to do? And they said, let's send them away. We can't do anything about it. And, Jesus said to them in verse 16, they do not need to go away. You give them something to eat. And they said, we only have five loaves and two fish. Now this is Matthew's account in Jon, we find out where those loaves and fishes came from. We also find out who brought that young lad to Jesus to give those loaves and fishes. And it's Andrew and the young boy that his mama had packed his lunch. And, you know, I'm acting like I was there, but he was willing to give it. Jesus blessed it, he broke it, and it supplied all the needs. But Alex, I love that passage when it says in verse 18 about the loaves and the fishes, bring them here to me. it doesn't matter how small it is, how insignificant it is when you bring it to Jesus and put it in his hands. Alex, I want to tell you, some great things can happen, can't they?
Alex McFarland Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. And of course, this is very famous. In Matthew, Mark and Jon, there are the feeding of the multitudes. In this case feeding 5,000 people.
Bert Harper 5,000 men plus.
Alex McFarland Yes, exactly. And, that doesn't count, wives and children. And so Jesus takes the five loaves and two fish. He says, bring them here to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples. He said the blessing, you know, and let me just encourage you, no matter where you sit down to enjoy a meal, especially if you're out in public, say the blessing. You know, Bert, I thank God both my parents are in heaven, but, we pretty much didn't have a stick of chewing gum without saying the blessing. You know what I mean? And hey, even before Christ, officiated a meal, they gave thanks. I just think we need to do that too.
Bert Harper Amen. yeah, Alex, this is significant to me. He blessed and broke it. Okay?
Alex McFarland Yeah.
Bert Harper Usually if you're going to be used of God, there's some brokenness there. Okay? Not just food, but individuals. God, you know, there's. There's some brokenness. I think the reason is the compassion. He had compassion that. That had the idea of brokenness again, of, of emotional. And here he broke and gave the lows notice. He did what he could do, but he let the disciples do what they could do. Okay? Andrew could bring the lad, the lad could give his fish and loaves. Only Jesus could multiply it. He multiplied it and then he didn't give it. He gave it to the disciples, and the disciples gave it to the multitudes. I think about when Jesus raised Lazarus. What did Jesus do? Jesus could have pointed to that stone and rolled it away and then brought Lazarus out. And then he could have looked at all the grave clothes and just wrapped his finger around and those grave clothes fall off. Jesus could have done that. But what did Jesus do? Jesus did what only he could do, raising Lazarus. But he let others participate in his work. I. I just want to share that. That. That ministers to me every time I see it. Jesus does what Jesus does, but he lets us do what we can do. So, Alex, here it is. They feed the multitudes. They ate and were filled, and they took on 12 baskets full of fragments that remained. Now, those who had eaten were about 5,000 men, besides the women and children. I'm just going to guess, you know, children, wives and everything. 15 to 20,000 at least. That's, that's just a guess, but that's just my thoughts, you know,
Alex McFarland in Jon chapter six, there is this miracle too. Now, in verse 20 of Matthew 13. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up 12 baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now, the way Jon 6:12 renders this, Jesus said, gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing may be lost. you know, there's a lot in that. there's not to be waste, and we're to go out and do our best that nothing be lost. Now, those, were 5,000 men. M. Besides women and children. Well, Bert, one of the things I've loved about going through the Gospel of Matthew, there are so, so many miracles. The Lord does, and there's one in 2233. so after this, they all get in the boat and. And the multitudes go away, and Jesus goes up on a mountain to pray. But the disciples are out on a boat, and there's a big storm, the waves. Verse 24 says, the wind was contrary. And let me. I don't mean to spiritualize too much, but in this journey down here of life, there's going to be some contrary things that buffet you and blow on you. The disciples were afraid. they're out there in the storm. Verse 25. In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went to them, walking on the sea or walking on the water. The disciples were troubled, and they said, it's a ghost. They were afraid. But immediately Jesus spoke and said, be of good cheer. It is I. Do not be afraid, Peter. I love the apostle Peter. Don't quite know what was going through his mind right here, but he says, lord, if it is you, in other words, if this is really you, Jesus, command me to come to you on the Water. Jesus says, come. And Peter came down out of the boat and walked on the water to go to Jesus and Bert. When I was a little boy and I heard this in Sunday school, I thought, my goodness, to walk on the water just like Jesus did. Peter is so lucky he got to walk on the water. Now there's more to this story, but, hey, you got to love the Apostle Peter. he, he had big, bold faith, didn't he?
Bert Harper He really did three or four things that just this. I preached on this about two Sundays ago. I just love this passage going back to verse 22. Notice what Jesus said. Go to the other side. There was no doubt that they were going to get to the other side. But he does not always tell us what will happen between where we leave and where we go. Just remember that he did save us. And he said, you'll be with me in heaven. You really will. But between this time and that time, there may be some storms, there may be difficulties. Matter of fact, guess what? There will be. And, some of them are severe. And this had to be severe because we're talking about fishermen who had fished on that they knew what a storm was. But he said, let's go to the other side. He went to pray himself. There's no doubt, that he knew where they were. He was mindful of where they were, just like he is in heaven, mindful of what's going on in our lives. Nothing is hidden from Him. And anyway, that means, listen, it was daytime when they left. They go to the other side. He comes to them in the fourth watch of the night. If I'm not mistaken, that's from three o' clock to six o' clock in the morning. So they had tossed all night. Jesus had let them struggle all that night. Sometimes that's our lives, we struggle, and we say, where are you, God? Well, he's on his throne. He's making intercession for us. He's not unmindful of what's going on in our lives, but he came to where they were. And again, you've covered that so well. But here, I'll, make one more comment and I throw it back to you. Peter got out of the boat. Where were the other 11, Alex?
Alex McFarland they were watching fearfully from the safe confines of the boat, I think, right?
Bert Harper That's where they, that's where they thought they were safer. I just want to tell you, being close to Jesus, and even if he has to pick us up out of the water, that's better than being in the boat where Jesus is not now he's come into the boat. But Peter, this is also Peter. You remember what happened after the resurrection. And Jesus was on the. On the coast there. and Jesus, they said, it's Jesus. What did Peter do? He couldn't walk on water. But he could swim, couldn't he?
Alex McFarland He swam to shore, didn't he?
He did.
Bert Harper He just wanted to be where Jesus was. That's. I just want to say that Peter love to be where Jesus was.
Alex McFarland Well, years ago, famously, there was a devotional book by Jon Ortberg, and he, as far as I'm aware, coined that phrase, if you want to walk on water, you got to get out of the boat. But Peter, very famously, he saw that the storm, the wind was boisterous, he was afraid, and he began to sink. He cried out three words. And folks, this three word prayer will work to this day. Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, caught him and said, oh, you have little faith. Why do you doubt? And when they got in the boat, the wind ceased. And then those who were with him in the boat came and worshiped him. And they said, truly, you are the Son of God. I love that. Thousands have been fed, sick people have been healed, the dead have been raised. And even though the elements obeyed Jesus and all they could say, truly, you are the Son of God. hallelujah. That's true.
Bert Harper Alex, what a correct assessment. The first time they were in the storm and they awakened him. You remember what they said? Who is this? That the witches. Yeah, that they obey him this time. Truly, this is the Son of God. That is a picture of what Jesus was doing for these men. He was developing them as disciples so that when he is gone, the Holy Spirit of God will. Yes, he. That he will invade their lives in such a way that turns the world upside down. But he was moving them from this area of, well, you know, here's where we are. But he moves them faith to faith. You remember that scripture. From faith to faith. So these men would be ready after the day of Pentecost. And so they went from Truly this man, who is this that winds and the water obey him, but now, truly, this is the Son of God. They've grown, haven't they?
Alex McFarland They really have grown. They really have grown. When they had crossed over, okay, the disciples, the boat and Christ himself, they cross over and came to the land of Gennesaret. and we've covered a little bit about this region before, but when the men of that Place recognized him. They sent out into all that surrounding region and brought him all who were sick and begged him that they might only touch the hem of his garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well. So the reputation of Jesus is growing and growing. And let me just say this, like in Mark 2, when the friends brought their sick, friend and let him down through the roof. When you find out about Jesus, you want to get everybody to Jesus. The people of Gennesaret, they recognized Jesus. They brought to him all who were sick. make it your life's mission to help get people to Jesus and help get the gospel to them. Bert, this goes back to the very earliest beginnings of the church, doesn't it?
Bert Harper It really does. There are several things here that just stick out to me. Now, this chapter is introduced by, you know, Jon the Baptist being beheaded. But notice what the action starts in verse 13 with him, sin. In verse 14, seeing the great multitude. And what did he do? He healed their sick. And all this takes place. And then it ends here in verse 36, where there's great healings going on. Verse 35 and 36. The other thing, the hem of his garment. Alex, have I heard somebody else that touched the hem of his garment and was healed? this.
Alex McFarland Just last week, this woman with an issue of blood. And, Brent found that gospel song. But, yeah, I mean, now that's faith, isn't it? You remember the. The, centurion who said, lord, you, don't even have to come under my roof, but if you just say the word, we know it'll be done. And what a. What a privilege it must have been back in those days to hug Jesus or to touch hand to hand. But they knew, look, the cloth of his garment. If I just touch a, thread of his garment, I would be healed. And indeed, that's how powerful Christ is.
Bert Harper One more thing before we go to 15. We may not have 15. We got about, you know, less than close to a minute left. But anyway, notice this. As many as touched it again, Jesus glory. And I just want to talk about this just for a second. The glory of Jesus. yes, we see that at the Mount of Transfiguration. But even in his veiled humanity, the glory is there. You catch? It was veiled, but it was, you could. They. The guys saw it. Those three men saw it there on the Mount of Transfiguration. But even though it's veiled, the power of his glory is not veiled. It is not, you Know, that really spoke to my heart in a way that was, you know, strong.
Alex McFarland Amen. Well, we don't have time to get into 15 before this break, but we see a pattern. Great things, great blessing, but here come the Pharisees.
Bert Harper Surprise, surprise, surprise.
Alex McFarland Chapter 15 is, is like that, but we'll get to it.
Bert Harper Okay? We'll be back. And that phone call, if you can make that call and ask a question, is 888-589-8840. We'd love to hear from you today, friend. We're living in a defining moment today. A woman facing an unexpected pregnancy can order the abortion pill online, often before anyone has the chance to tell her she is loved, she's not alone, or that there is hope. That's why you are needed right now. You were made for this moment. At preborn Network clinics, mothers are welcomed with compassion, practical support, and a free ultrasound. And when she sees her baby and hears that tiny heartbeat for the very first time, fear often gives way to hope. In fact, more than 80% of abortion vulnerable women choose life after seeing their baby on an ultrasound at a PreBorn Network clinic. That one moment can save a baby's life and open a mother's heart to the hope of Jesus Christ. This is our moment to stand. For those who cannot speak for themselves, just $28 provides one life saving ultrasound. $140 helps rescue five babies. Please don't wait. Dial 250. That's. Dial pound 250 and say the keyword baby. That's pound 250 baby. Or gifts securely. Preborn.comb Harper. That's preborn.com Bert Harper. Together we can save lives one heartbeat at a time. And what if my season of waiting
Alex McFarland was changing and leading to something more?
What if.
Alex McFarland Amen. God's just waiting for us to see how big he is. What a blessing. Hey, here's the telephone number. If you have a Bible question, Bert and I would be so honored to hear from you. The number is 8885-888858-98840. It's a toll free number and any and all questions are welcome. Bert, you know, on the road every weekend, people say, I'd like to call in, but I'm not sure my question is the, you know, good enough question? No, it is. We want to hear from you. And we give God the glory for this chance that we can all gather around the scriptures and find truth for our times. And Bert, where should we begin?
Bert Harper Okay, Brent, we had A question on Facebook yesterday at the very end. And we're going to go with that one first. I liked it. I like these little questions you never really get. And this one was pretty cool to me. will there be oceans or seas in heaven? Okay, Alex, there's going to be a river.
Alex McFarland I was going to say the one body of water that we do definitively know about is a river, flowing from the throne of God. A pure, pure as crystal river of water, of life. And it does say there, there was no more sea.
Bert Harper That's what ah, it says.
Alex McFarland But we know there'll be a river.
Bert Harper Amen. And there's going to be plenty of life on either side of that river by the way, folks. And so Marianne, thank you for doing that. Okay, let's get on the phone line and go to Texas. Randy in Texas. Randy, thank you for calling. Go right ahead.
Thank you for taking my call. Thank you for your ministry. my question deals with God's chastening, that we know God does chasen his, children sometimes. My question is, can a believer know for sure if they are experiencing a season or an event of God's chastening hand or if it's just living in a fallen world?
Bert Harper Okay, great question, Randy. I say that now. I want to answer this, Alex first. Do you remember the missionary Bertha Smith?
Alex McFarland I didn't ever hear her in person, but I, yes, I'm well familiar
Bert Harper with who she was just one of the greatest ladies I ever got to hear and I did get to meet her one time and she was talking about the sieve or the, or the, you know, coming through. Regardless of what happens to a believer. Okay. God has permitted it, Randy. That's the whole idea. Now sometimes you can know it's chastening discipline, as you would say it, pruning. but sometimes it is just living in a fallen world. And Alex, I can't say I know it every time, you know, sometimes I, I want to run it back. This difficulty have me having happened in my life. Do I run it back to something I did? Some attitude. But I know ultimately depending on him, it will ultimately result to my good, won't it?
Alex McFarland Well, it really will. let me just say this. In First Peter, chapter four, the Bible says let us not suffer as an evildoer. yeah, sin has consequences. And even a born again Christian, if they get in a season of backsliddenness, disobedience and sin, they might be in a season of chastening and of course, the Bible says that God chastens those he loves. And that's Hebrews chapter 12. okay, punishment, pruning and preparation. Hopefully you're not in a season of being punished for something, but there could be pruning and God chastens those he loves for greater ministry. And then there's also preparation. Bert, one of the beautiful things about the Christian life is you, know this, and I'm sure most everybody listening knows this, that no pain is wasted. And if you're searching your heart and you're, you think, well, I'm not in known disobedience, why am I going through things, well, Second Corinthians 1:3, you might be being prepared for ministry to comfort somebody with the same comfort wherewith you yourself were comforted of God. So and the other thing that I would say, we're just in a fallen world and even the redeemed, the saved have health issues, car wrecks, diagnosis, unemployment, and but we know God, if we give it to Jesus, he will work good from out of our pain.
Bert Harper Amen. There are storms, and we studied about that in chapter 14. There's storms where we grow. They grew in there. So God lets this happen. He causes the. He knew the storm was there. He knew it would happen. He sent them into the storm, but knowing they would be safe. So there's those storms. Jonah had storms of correction. He was going in the wrong direction. And God sent a storm or difficulty chasing it. And then I would say the Apostle Paul on that ship, on the road on the way to Rome, the storm came and drove him to an island where he would share good news of Jesus Christ. Storms of direction. So all of these happened. But let me just tell you, God, you can trust him. That's the bottom line. And so thank you, thank you for that. Let's go to Barry in Texas. We're going to stick with Texas again. Barry, go right ahead.
hi. Thank you for taking my call. Once again I have a two part question regarding Judas Iscariot. I think over the last couple of programs, Judas's name has come up and I think it was Bert who mentioned that, Jesus knowing everything, must have known Judas nature from the very beginning. So the first part of our question is if this is so, and I'm sure it is so, what would be the purpose of Jesus having chosen Judas for such, ah, an important position as being one of the twelve key apostles. The second part of the question regards basically, the nature of Judas and the Interpretation put on him. now the thinking is that Judas was, ah, the personification of a traitor. is it not possible that Judas, along with many others, misunderstood the Messiahship of Jesus to such a degree that he didn't want to actually betray him in that sense, but he wanted to force his hand so that Jesus, who he believed to be the, the great imperial Messiah, the one that was going to deliver Israel from the Romans, would, would, would, would be forced to do that? was he not just guilty of great impatience and evil from that point of view?
Bert Harper Thank you, Barry. Two good questions. I want to answer the first one. the last one first. The Bible says he who betrayed Jesus. It was betrayal. 30 pieces of silver. he had the bag. he was stealing from it. There's no doubt in my mind. No, he, he wanted to be something else. you know, they, they wanted to be on the left side and right side of Jesus. That's not what Judas wanted. He wanted to be the Secretary of Treasury. Alex, there's no doubt he sold his soul for money. In my mind, there's no doubt. Alex, you want to go ahead and answer some more of that?
Alex McFarland Well, you know Psalm 76, verse 10 regarding the sovereignty, the providence of God. It says, even the wrath of man shall praise you, O Lord. So here's the thing. Jesus was not deceived. why did he choose Judas? Well, for one thing, it might have been to try one last, you know, attempt to redeem the soul of Judas. Judas was around Christ. Judas did not have to betray the Son of Man. And so Judas could have been saved. He wasn't. But I think Jesus had redemptive, purposes in this, I think providential purposes to show that even the betrayal of Judas worked into God's plan. and then there are reasons that we just simply don't know. But I think it does show that, it shows not only the providence and sovereignty of God, but I think it shows the immeasurable capability for wickedness on the part of the human heart.
Bert Harper I agree with you. Judas heard Jesus sermons. Come unto me all you who are weak and heavy laden. I'll give you rest. He said, no. Jesus said, not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, enter into heaven.
Judas.
Bert Harper Ah, heard that. And I got a feeling it cut to the heart. But he discarded it and went his way. So again, I believe that it was to fulfill all righteousness. Even that, but it gave Judas every opportunity Judas couldn't claim. Well, okay, I'm alright. I fit into the plan of God by betraying Jesus? No, having the plan of God operative in a situation does not justify the actions that are wrong. And, Judas fits into that category. Hey, Brent, did you say we got another one on Facebook? Yes, we have another from, Facebook. This is from Danielle in North Carolina. She has a question about the holiday that the Jews made at the end of the Book of Esther when they won the battle. she says, does it relate to any other holidays in the Bible? Okay. It kind of stands alone in a way, Alex, you know, Purim, isn't that it?
Alex McFarland yeah, it is.
Bert Harper And it is a celebration, kind of one of the feasts, isn't it?
Alex McFarland And it's not the same as Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, really, is it?
Bert Harper No, quite different. Yeah, but it is. So as it fits in, this is, You know, I think it's okay to have commemorative memories like tonight with you meeting there and where you're meeting that. That you're able to remember like you did and we did here on the radio, remembering that, that. That. Charlie Kirk. This is the hour. This is the time that he died and. And went into the very presence of God. And, they did that when God rescued them. I think it was a great, great opportunity. Go ahead.
Alex McFarland You know, just today, I mean, in the present time, you know, when the Jewish people celebrate or commemorate the feast of Purim, they read the
Bert Harper Book of Esther, and it's a great book. You. You see the hand of God in Esther as much as you do any books. Now, if you have a Bible trivia, not trivial, but trivia. And they ask you, what book of the Bible does God's name not appear in the book? The name is Esther. But which book do you see the hand of God. Very obviously it is the book of Esther. So praise, the Lord. Let's go to Alabama. Helen, thank you for calling. Go right ahead.
Yes, in First Peter, Jesus went and preached to the spirits that were in prison. Who are those spirits?
Bert Harper Okay, Alex, when you hear the word prison, you think of incarceration. you know, is that incarceration or is it a place of keeping?
Alex McFarland well, it's a. It's a place of keeping. if I recall, I believe now, these are fallen angels, by the way. And I think this in. In, 1st Peter 3, 19. I think it's the word Tartarus. It's the only time it's used, in the NewSong Testament. But these, I believe these are fallen angels. That are going to be released during the tribulation period and wreak havoc. You know, these are angelic beings that go all the way back to shortly after the fall during, the time of Noah. and they're held kind of in a, a holding cell, if you will. And so understand this. Even in spite of all the bad things going on in the world. Satan and his demons are limited. There are boundaries they cannot go beyond. God is still in control.
Bert Harper Amen. Now, what he did, he preached in prison to these. I agree with Alex. And then he led captivity. Captive. And those are the ones that were kept in like the. You have a fish, sheepfold. And they're kept while the shepherd may go do something else. And so he did. He, he had some busy times between, his death and his resurrection. And he fulfilled them all. Thank you so much. Let's go to Missouri. And it's Dennis, Dennis. Don't have a lot of time. Go right ahead.
Good afternoon, gentlemen. Thank you for your program, my friend. My question is probably, I don't know, kind of crazy way I was reading in Genesis and about the, form and void and darkness upon the deep. And then in the same chapter, goes down, talks about water. What was. Is any idea what the earth must have been like? I mean, there was not water when it was created. So where did all that come to pass?
Bert Harper Okay, Alex, we're talking about area that is okay. We have to look at it and see. But the. It was, you know, you know, void without shape, without anything. And God would speak to it. Go ahead, Alex. Got about a minute and a half, I think if I'm right.
Alex McFarland Yeah, this is in Genesis 1, verse 2. So God creates the world. Genesis 1:1 and verse 2. Second verse of the Bible says the Earth was without form. In other words, formless and empty.
Void.
Alex McFarland we have the word devoid. Like, you know, it was devoid of any sunshine or something. So void. It doesn't mean like this empty abyss, but it really means the Earth at that point. it could be translated the earth was, was empty. Now God begins to call into existence trees and plants and foliage, and it's structured. But first is, you know, the calling into existence our solar system, which would include planet Earth. And so very, very quickly in that six day creation week. And just by the way, I believe the creation days are six literal days. But very quickly. The earth is populated with all the plants, and the seas are populated with aquatic life. And God, God's world, it gets, formed, and beautiful very quickly doesn't it?
Bert Harper It really does. And it shows you the orderliness of God. Before he made the birds, he made the air for them to fly in. Before he made the fish, he made the water for them to swim in. The whole thing is orderly and it is purposefully. God has a purpose for you, not only in creating, but also in redemption. Let God have his way in your life. Well, Alex, tomorrow is Fire Away Friday. We look forward to it questions the whole time, don't we?
Alex McFarland Yes, we do. And folks, we encourage you to tune in tomorrow Fire Away Friday. Hey, call us with your Bible question. In the meantime, tell somebody about exploring the Word, but please tell everybody about Jesus. The views and opinions expressed in this
broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio. Faith, Family, Freedom. American Family Radio. So it says to one, we are the fragrance from death to death. To the other, the fragrance from life to life. And so for those that are ready to accept God's call, you were that smell of life. You were literally bringing life into places of darkness.
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Alex McFarland In Matthew chapter 14, there are some wonderful beloved words of Christ. Jesus says in verse 27, be of good cheer. And it is I. Do not be afraid. Well, welcome to Exploring the word today. Alex McFarland here along with Bert Harper. And we are going to continue on in Matthew chapter 14. Then later on in the show, we'll take calls and Bible questions as we always do. We would love for you to call in with a Bible question if you want to. You know, in the Bible, we often talk about sayings and idioms, in other words, colloquialisms that come into the vocabulary through the word of God, like, you know, going through a deep valley or something like that. And that comes from Psalm 23. But there's one in Matthew 14 that really kind of, is a little bit dark and sad. There's a saying if somebody's in bad trouble, they might say, oh, they would have my head if I did that. Or somebody who's really getting punished, they'd say, his head will be on a platter. Well, sadly that comes really from Matthew 14 about the death of Jon the Baptist. But I share that simply to illustrate the immeasurable influence of the Bible. And we'll continue. There's some miracles that Christ does, some amazing miracles. But we invite you to get a copy of the Word of God. And if you are, at a place where you can do it, turn to Matthew 14. And on we go through our look at this, the first NewSong Testament Gospel. It's rich, isn't it, Bert?
Bert Harper It really is. And as you said, it starts out with the beheading of Jon the Baptist. Jesus hears about this and again, this is what is recorded. Most of a lot of our listeners know the story. Jon the Baptist was a prophet and he proclaimed, repent. sin, repent. That was his message. Repentance. And his, baptism was that of repentance. And when he found, Herod and his family being all in corrupt relationships, immoral relationships, he called it out. And yes, calling it out made him angry. And there were people and he said, I don't want to get a part of this. There's too many people that like him. And I don't Want to get them all stirred up. But he was, And I will say this, he was tricked. But he was tricked because of his immorality, Alex. You know what I mean? And, sensuality was a part of what they were a part of. It was corrupt in every way in leadership. And so, this is the story of Jon the Baptist. And, I. It's found here in the first 12 verses. and, Alex, the thing that said, verse three, this young girl that danced before Herod, and he said, give. What do you want me to do? I'll do anything for you. And here's what she said, as you've referred to, she, having been prompted by her mother, said, give me Jon the Baptist head here on a platter. What a statement. And he wanted to get rid of him, but he's afraid to. But now that he has made this, I would say, this, vow. He. He does it, doesn't he?
Alex McFarland Well, you know what? This is just incredibly, ironic, I suppose, or providential that. We're in Matthew 14, folks. Listen in. And, please listen very carefully from the heart. Because Jon the Baptist preached for righteousness and truth and against sin. And very often the truth makes people angry. In the case of Herod and Herod's wife, Jon the Baptist was calling out their gross immorality. And so they decided that the best way to deal with Jon the Baptist was they. They had to see him dead. They wanted him killed. Now, one year ago today, right this very minute, a similar thing happened. But it wasn't Herod killing Jon the Baptist. It was, Tyler Robinson killing Charlie Kirk. And we were on this show, and many people in America for the first time, heard about the death of Charlie Kirk. He had, two weeks prior, spoken for me in one of my Worldview conferences. And we, Bird and I were coming on, and literally, just as the opening music was playing, the newswire services blew up about Charlie Kirk had been shot in Utah. And the news was saying, critical but stable condition. And we opened up the show, and Bert prayed. that was one year ago, right now. And then I got a text from someone, very much inside Washington, politics, and they said, I have this from President Trump, that Charlie Kirk has died. Now, when we announced it on Exploring the Word, for probably another eight or nine minutes, the major wire services were saying that he was in the hospital in critical condition. And we finally announced that, no, we have it from an unimpeachable source that he has passed. And we prayed. But, you Know, I think, on this one year anniversary, the news is all over the map. I'm simply going to say this, Bert, and I want you to respond, if you would. The church, in every generation, Christians, individuals that are believers, we are called to proclaim the word of God. We don't, twist it, we don't truncate or diminish it, but we live it, we proclaim it. And no, matter the cost, whether it's popularity points or whether it's even one's life, just as Christ laid down his life for us, we are to lay down our life for Jesus and for the sake of the gospel. Charlie Kirk did it. Many martyrs throughout history have done it. Jon the Baptist did it. we are responsible to give our life for the Savior and his Word as well, aren't we?
Bert Harper We really are. And if you need to know more about that, read Fox's Book of Martyr. listen, it will speak to you about how men and women from the time of Christ until now have given their lives to carry Jesus Christ to the world. And, I remember that day. And, it was a difficult day. And Alex, since you had met him and talked with him two weeks before, I know it was real personal. And I understand there where you are in Colorado, there's going to be a meeting tonight, one year later. Tell us a little bit. I know we're delaying just a minute getting into the Word, but I think it'd be worth less, people praying for you tonight. Go ahead.
Alex McFarland God bless you. Well, I know the name E.W. jackson will be familiar to many AFR listeners. And E.W. and I are here. There's a conference called Truth and Liberty. There's a lot of, speakers like Lucas Miles, 5th District Congressman, Jeff Crank. there is a Christian minister named Victor Marks and the Truth and Liberty Conference, which I believe you can watch it online. There are over 1200 people here to attend. And I'll be preaching, E.W. jackson will be preaching, and we'll also be emceeing. But tonight by video is Erica Kirk to speak as well. And so, a lot of significant things. Please keep it in prayer. But you know, Bert, whether we're in front of an audience or you and I are at the radio mic, or I'm on the road. You're on the road. We're in a pulpit somewhere. our message is this, get saved and get going.
Bert Harper Amen.
Alex McFarland In other words, we know Christ and we want to make him known. And I just believe that there is a revival in store For America. I do. Bert, I know things might look bad, and part of it, I'll say this and I'll hush, but, there's an election, a midterm. A lot of things hang in the balance, folks. Religious freedom, the rights of parents, just the future of our Constitution. constitutional America versus Sharia or versus socialism. The socialists want to abolish the presidency, abolish law enforcement. I mean, I know it sounds over the top, and this is not today's issues or Washington Watch. This is exploring the word. But I want to say that we need to pray for this nation. We need to get out and vote, influence others to do the same. And let's keep a constitutional Judeo Christian America that we can, as we've done for more than two centuries, we can be a nation that God can bless and use for the Great Commission.
Bert Harper Let's pray about it. Father, I thank you that today, we're remembering a year ago about Charlie Kirk. And Father, so much has been done. His memorial service, where the gospel was preached around the world, where individual after individual would stand and give testimony of, the difference that Jesus Christ has made in their life and tell others to join them so we could make heaven crowded. And Father, I pray that you would be with Alex tonight and all the other speakers that will be there and you might bless them. And Father, today might be a day when that revival that we've been looking forward to, that it might began. And Father, we don't know where it will begin. when we look back on the revivals in the past, the great awakenings in the past, they didn't know it had begun until they were already in it. And so, Father, it may have already started somewhere here. And with it being America and with a podcast that goes around the world and the, the ability to send messages around the world, it may not just be here in America, it may be in another nation. And we're praying, God, that you would do a work that you can do in Jesus name. Amen.
Alex McFarland Amen. Thanks.
Bert Harper let me give this notice. Verse 9. This is important. Again, he was tricked. He wanted to get rid of him, but he was afraid of it. Verse 9, after the request was made, give me Jon the Baptist's head here on a platter. The king was sorry. Nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him at the table, he commanded it to be given to her. So he sent and he had Jon beheaded in prison. And his head was brought and platter and given to the girl. The Girl brought it to her mother, and the disciples came and took away his body, buried it, and went and told Jesus. Now, Alex again, is hideous. But notice what a mother would ask a daughter to do is just. That is the. I look at that. And yeah, it was his head. Horrible. But a mother manipulating a daughter to. To do this. Now, she probably was ready in doing it, but it was that sad. And notice what happens in verse 13 here. And when Jesus heard it, they went and told Jesus. When Jesus heard it, he departed from there by a boat to a deserted place by himself. Now we know Jesus wept. Later on, we'll know that concerning Lazarus. But Jesus feeling these emotions. Jon the Baptist, his cousin, the one who leaped in his mother's womb when Mary showed up with Jesus in her womb, this is the man. So he departed to be by himself. Alex, that really spoke to me about the grieving process, the whole thing. Jesus needed to do that. And he had himself by himself for a while. Just he. I believe it was he and his father. And, the father said, okay, would it be possible that he was remembering what's going to happen to him, or him thinking about what's going to happen to him in the future? But either way, he departs to be alone by himself, doesn't he?
Alex McFarland That's true. A desert place by himself. I've got to say this in verse 12. It's so precious. You know, the disciples of Jon the Baptist, no doubt they were very sad. their. Their mentor had been beheaded, executed. The disciples of Jon the Baptist came, took away the body, buried it, and went and told Jesus, when you have a great tragedy and bereavement, go and talk to Jesus.
Bert Harper Great. You know, thank you, Alex. Good word.
Alex McFarland Amen. But Jesus went out and saw verse 14, by the way. So a great multitude, he was moved with compassion for them and healed their sick. we read this repeatedly in the Gospels. Christ would see the multitudes, and he was moved with compassion. I think he still is to this day. Don't you, Bert?
Bert Harper He is. And this word compassion, it's more than, oh, man, I feel sorry. No, he was moved. It has the idea of an upheaval going on in him, sensing that and knowing that. And so he was moved. And it is repeated several times because he was looking at them, what, as sheep having no shepherd. Listen, we need to be moved by compassion with people that do not know Christ and know that we need to tell them about Jesus. Well, this is exploring the word Bert and Alec with you today. And we're Going to come back and Continue in Matthew 14. Don't go away. This sanctity of life month, we honor the over 66 million babies whose lives have been tragically ended through abortion since Roe. Sadly, with the abortion pill accounting for over 60% of all abortions, babies lives are at even greater risk now. But in the midst of this darkness, there's a light that shines. And that's preborn. PreBorn's network of clinics have rescued over 300,000 babies from abortion and have prayed with over 80,000 women to come to Christ.
Alex McFarland When I heard her heartbeat, I decided to keep her. And now my daughter is about to be three. I don't know where my life would be without her.
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I feel the sound of m a mighty rushing wind. And it's closer now than it's ever been. I can almost hear the trumpet
as
g sounds a go.
And at the midnight will be going home.
Bert Harper Amen. What a song. What a song. man, doesn't Brent Austin make you mad? He plays these awesome songs and we have to cut them off. Alex.
Alex McFarland I mean, I know he. He picks great songs. he does. we have appreciated Brent Austin's musical taste, I'll tell you that.
Bert Harper Yes, we do. We appreciate it, man. What a song. Midnight cry. We're praying you're ready. Jesus Christ could come back at any moment. It's the image return of Christ. Nothing has to happen between now and when he comes back. And, so be ready for his coming. Now, Alex, again, Jesus goes to that departed place, but the multitudes follow him. And he sees them having compassion, and he heals him. And it was evening and There was no McDonald's. There was no Wendy's. There was no KFC or Cracker Barrel. What are they going to do? And they said, let's send them away. We can't do anything about it. And, Jesus said to them in verse 16, they do not need to go away. You give them something to eat. And they said, we only have five loaves and two fish. Now this is Matthew's account in Jon, we find out where those loaves and fishes came from. We also find out who brought that young lad to Jesus to give those loaves and fishes. And it's Andrew and the young boy that his mama had packed his lunch. And, you know, I'm acting like I was there, but he was willing to give it. Jesus blessed it, he broke it, and it supplied all the needs. But Alex, I love that passage when it says in verse 18 about the loaves and the fishes, bring them here to me. it doesn't matter how small it is, how insignificant it is when you bring it to Jesus and put it in his hands. Alex, I want to tell you, some great things can happen, can't they?
Alex McFarland Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. And of course, this is very famous. In Matthew, Mark and Jon, there are the feeding of the multitudes. In this case feeding 5,000 people.
Bert Harper 5,000 men plus.
Alex McFarland Yes, exactly. And, that doesn't count, wives and children. And so Jesus takes the five loaves and two fish. He says, bring them here to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples. He said the blessing, you know, and let me just encourage you, no matter where you sit down to enjoy a meal, especially if you're out in public, say the blessing. You know, Bert, I thank God both my parents are in heaven, but, we pretty much didn't have a stick of chewing gum without saying the blessing. You know what I mean? And hey, even before Christ, officiated a meal, they gave thanks. I just think we need to do that too.
Bert Harper Amen. yeah, Alex, this is significant to me. He blessed and broke it. Okay?
Alex McFarland Yeah.
Bert Harper Usually if you're going to be used of God, there's some brokenness there. Okay? Not just food, but individuals. God, you know, there's. There's some brokenness. I think the reason is the compassion. He had compassion that. That had the idea of brokenness again, of, of emotional. And here he broke and gave the lows notice. He did what he could do, but he let the disciples do what they could do. Okay? Andrew could bring the lad, the lad could give his fish and loaves. Only Jesus could multiply it. He multiplied it and then he didn't give it. He gave it to the disciples, and the disciples gave it to the multitudes. I think about when Jesus raised Lazarus. What did Jesus do? Jesus could have pointed to that stone and rolled it away and then brought Lazarus out. And then he could have looked at all the grave clothes and just wrapped his finger around and those grave clothes fall off. Jesus could have done that. But what did Jesus do? Jesus did what only he could do, raising Lazarus. But he let others participate in his work. I. I just want to share that. That. That ministers to me every time I see it. Jesus does what Jesus does, but he lets us do what we can do. So, Alex, here it is. They feed the multitudes. They ate and were filled, and they took on 12 baskets full of fragments that remained. Now, those who had eaten were about 5,000 men, besides the women and children. I'm just going to guess, you know, children, wives and everything. 15 to 20,000 at least. That's, that's just a guess, but that's just my thoughts, you know,
Alex McFarland in Jon chapter six, there is this miracle too. Now, in verse 20 of Matthew 13. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up 12 baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now, the way Jon 6:12 renders this, Jesus said, gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing may be lost. you know, there's a lot in that. there's not to be waste, and we're to go out and do our best that nothing be lost. Now, those, were 5,000 men. M. Besides women and children. Well, Bert, one of the things I've loved about going through the Gospel of Matthew, there are so, so many miracles. The Lord does, and there's one in 2233. so after this, they all get in the boat and. And the multitudes go away, and Jesus goes up on a mountain to pray. But the disciples are out on a boat, and there's a big storm, the waves. Verse 24 says, the wind was contrary. And let me. I don't mean to spiritualize too much, but in this journey down here of life, there's going to be some contrary things that buffet you and blow on you. The disciples were afraid. they're out there in the storm. Verse 25. In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went to them, walking on the sea or walking on the water. The disciples were troubled, and they said, it's a ghost. They were afraid. But immediately Jesus spoke and said, be of good cheer. It is I. Do not be afraid, Peter. I love the apostle Peter. Don't quite know what was going through his mind right here, but he says, lord, if it is you, in other words, if this is really you, Jesus, command me to come to you on the Water. Jesus says, come. And Peter came down out of the boat and walked on the water to go to Jesus and Bert. When I was a little boy and I heard this in Sunday school, I thought, my goodness, to walk on the water just like Jesus did. Peter is so lucky he got to walk on the water. Now there's more to this story, but, hey, you got to love the Apostle Peter. he, he had big, bold faith, didn't he?
Bert Harper He really did three or four things that just this. I preached on this about two Sundays ago. I just love this passage going back to verse 22. Notice what Jesus said. Go to the other side. There was no doubt that they were going to get to the other side. But he does not always tell us what will happen between where we leave and where we go. Just remember that he did save us. And he said, you'll be with me in heaven. You really will. But between this time and that time, there may be some storms, there may be difficulties. Matter of fact, guess what? There will be. And, some of them are severe. And this had to be severe because we're talking about fishermen who had fished on that they knew what a storm was. But he said, let's go to the other side. He went to pray himself. There's no doubt, that he knew where they were. He was mindful of where they were, just like he is in heaven, mindful of what's going on in our lives. Nothing is hidden from Him. And anyway, that means, listen, it was daytime when they left. They go to the other side. He comes to them in the fourth watch of the night. If I'm not mistaken, that's from three o' clock to six o' clock in the morning. So they had tossed all night. Jesus had let them struggle all that night. Sometimes that's our lives, we struggle, and we say, where are you, God? Well, he's on his throne. He's making intercession for us. He's not unmindful of what's going on in our lives, but he came to where they were. And again, you've covered that so well. But here, I'll, make one more comment and I throw it back to you. Peter got out of the boat. Where were the other 11, Alex?
Alex McFarland they were watching fearfully from the safe confines of the boat, I think, right?
Bert Harper That's where they, that's where they thought they were safer. I just want to tell you, being close to Jesus, and even if he has to pick us up out of the water, that's better than being in the boat where Jesus is not now he's come into the boat. But Peter, this is also Peter. You remember what happened after the resurrection. And Jesus was on the. On the coast there. and Jesus, they said, it's Jesus. What did Peter do? He couldn't walk on water. But he could swim, couldn't he?
Alex McFarland He swam to shore, didn't he?
He did.
Bert Harper He just wanted to be where Jesus was. That's. I just want to say that Peter love to be where Jesus was.
Alex McFarland Well, years ago, famously, there was a devotional book by Jon Ortberg, and he, as far as I'm aware, coined that phrase, if you want to walk on water, you got to get out of the boat. But Peter, very famously, he saw that the storm, the wind was boisterous, he was afraid, and he began to sink. He cried out three words. And folks, this three word prayer will work to this day. Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, caught him and said, oh, you have little faith. Why do you doubt? And when they got in the boat, the wind ceased. And then those who were with him in the boat came and worshiped him. And they said, truly, you are the Son of God. I love that. Thousands have been fed, sick people have been healed, the dead have been raised. And even though the elements obeyed Jesus and all they could say, truly, you are the Son of God. hallelujah. That's true.
Bert Harper Alex, what a correct assessment. The first time they were in the storm and they awakened him. You remember what they said? Who is this? That the witches. Yeah, that they obey him this time. Truly, this is the Son of God. That is a picture of what Jesus was doing for these men. He was developing them as disciples so that when he is gone, the Holy Spirit of God will. Yes, he. That he will invade their lives in such a way that turns the world upside down. But he was moving them from this area of, well, you know, here's where we are. But he moves them faith to faith. You remember that scripture. From faith to faith. So these men would be ready after the day of Pentecost. And so they went from Truly this man, who is this that winds and the water obey him, but now, truly, this is the Son of God. They've grown, haven't they?
Alex McFarland They really have grown. They really have grown. When they had crossed over, okay, the disciples, the boat and Christ himself, they cross over and came to the land of Gennesaret. and we've covered a little bit about this region before, but when the men of that Place recognized him. They sent out into all that surrounding region and brought him all who were sick and begged him that they might only touch the hem of his garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well. So the reputation of Jesus is growing and growing. And let me just say this, like in Mark 2, when the friends brought their sick, friend and let him down through the roof. When you find out about Jesus, you want to get everybody to Jesus. The people of Gennesaret, they recognized Jesus. They brought to him all who were sick. make it your life's mission to help get people to Jesus and help get the gospel to them. Bert, this goes back to the very earliest beginnings of the church, doesn't it?
Bert Harper It really does. There are several things here that just stick out to me. Now, this chapter is introduced by, you know, Jon the Baptist being beheaded. But notice what the action starts in verse 13 with him, sin. In verse 14, seeing the great multitude. And what did he do? He healed their sick. And all this takes place. And then it ends here in verse 36, where there's great healings going on. Verse 35 and 36. The other thing, the hem of his garment. Alex, have I heard somebody else that touched the hem of his garment and was healed? this.
Alex McFarland Just last week, this woman with an issue of blood. And, Brent found that gospel song. But, yeah, I mean, now that's faith, isn't it? You remember the. The, centurion who said, lord, you, don't even have to come under my roof, but if you just say the word, we know it'll be done. And what a. What a privilege it must have been back in those days to hug Jesus or to touch hand to hand. But they knew, look, the cloth of his garment. If I just touch a, thread of his garment, I would be healed. And indeed, that's how powerful Christ is.
Bert Harper One more thing before we go to 15. We may not have 15. We got about, you know, less than close to a minute left. But anyway, notice this. As many as touched it again, Jesus glory. And I just want to talk about this just for a second. The glory of Jesus. yes, we see that at the Mount of Transfiguration. But even in his veiled humanity, the glory is there. You catch? It was veiled, but it was, you could. They. The guys saw it. Those three men saw it there on the Mount of Transfiguration. But even though it's veiled, the power of his glory is not veiled. It is not, you Know, that really spoke to my heart in a way that was, you know, strong.
Alex McFarland Amen. Well, we don't have time to get into 15 before this break, but we see a pattern. Great things, great blessing, but here come the Pharisees.
Bert Harper Surprise, surprise, surprise.
Alex McFarland Chapter 15 is, is like that, but we'll get to it.
Bert Harper Okay? We'll be back. And that phone call, if you can make that call and ask a question, is 888-589-8840. We'd love to hear from you today, friend. We're living in a defining moment today. A woman facing an unexpected pregnancy can order the abortion pill online, often before anyone has the chance to tell her she is loved, she's not alone, or that there is hope. That's why you are needed right now. You were made for this moment. At preborn Network clinics, mothers are welcomed with compassion, practical support, and a free ultrasound. And when she sees her baby and hears that tiny heartbeat for the very first time, fear often gives way to hope. In fact, more than 80% of abortion vulnerable women choose life after seeing their baby on an ultrasound at a PreBorn Network clinic. That one moment can save a baby's life and open a mother's heart to the hope of Jesus Christ. This is our moment to stand. For those who cannot speak for themselves, just $28 provides one life saving ultrasound. $140 helps rescue five babies. Please don't wait. Dial 250. That's. Dial pound 250 and say the keyword baby. That's pound 250 baby. Or gifts securely. Preborn.comb Harper. That's preborn.com Bert Harper. Together we can save lives one heartbeat at a time. And what if my season of waiting
Alex McFarland was changing and leading to something more?
What if.
Alex McFarland Amen. God's just waiting for us to see how big he is. What a blessing. Hey, here's the telephone number. If you have a Bible question, Bert and I would be so honored to hear from you. The number is 8885-888858-98840. It's a toll free number and any and all questions are welcome. Bert, you know, on the road every weekend, people say, I'd like to call in, but I'm not sure my question is the, you know, good enough question? No, it is. We want to hear from you. And we give God the glory for this chance that we can all gather around the scriptures and find truth for our times. And Bert, where should we begin?
Bert Harper Okay, Brent, we had A question on Facebook yesterday at the very end. And we're going to go with that one first. I liked it. I like these little questions you never really get. And this one was pretty cool to me. will there be oceans or seas in heaven? Okay, Alex, there's going to be a river.
Alex McFarland I was going to say the one body of water that we do definitively know about is a river, flowing from the throne of God. A pure, pure as crystal river of water, of life. And it does say there, there was no more sea.
Bert Harper That's what ah, it says.
Alex McFarland But we know there'll be a river.
Bert Harper Amen. And there's going to be plenty of life on either side of that river by the way, folks. And so Marianne, thank you for doing that. Okay, let's get on the phone line and go to Texas. Randy in Texas. Randy, thank you for calling. Go right ahead.
Thank you for taking my call. Thank you for your ministry. my question deals with God's chastening, that we know God does chasen his, children sometimes. My question is, can a believer know for sure if they are experiencing a season or an event of God's chastening hand or if it's just living in a fallen world?
Bert Harper Okay, great question, Randy. I say that now. I want to answer this, Alex first. Do you remember the missionary Bertha Smith?
Alex McFarland I didn't ever hear her in person, but I, yes, I'm well familiar
Bert Harper with who she was just one of the greatest ladies I ever got to hear and I did get to meet her one time and she was talking about the sieve or the, or the, you know, coming through. Regardless of what happens to a believer. Okay. God has permitted it, Randy. That's the whole idea. Now sometimes you can know it's chastening discipline, as you would say it, pruning. but sometimes it is just living in a fallen world. And Alex, I can't say I know it every time, you know, sometimes I, I want to run it back. This difficulty have me having happened in my life. Do I run it back to something I did? Some attitude. But I know ultimately depending on him, it will ultimately result to my good, won't it?
Alex McFarland Well, it really will. let me just say this. In First Peter, chapter four, the Bible says let us not suffer as an evildoer. yeah, sin has consequences. And even a born again Christian, if they get in a season of backsliddenness, disobedience and sin, they might be in a season of chastening and of course, the Bible says that God chastens those he loves. And that's Hebrews chapter 12. okay, punishment, pruning and preparation. Hopefully you're not in a season of being punished for something, but there could be pruning and God chastens those he loves for greater ministry. And then there's also preparation. Bert, one of the beautiful things about the Christian life is you, know this, and I'm sure most everybody listening knows this, that no pain is wasted. And if you're searching your heart and you're, you think, well, I'm not in known disobedience, why am I going through things, well, Second Corinthians 1:3, you might be being prepared for ministry to comfort somebody with the same comfort wherewith you yourself were comforted of God. So and the other thing that I would say, we're just in a fallen world and even the redeemed, the saved have health issues, car wrecks, diagnosis, unemployment, and but we know God, if we give it to Jesus, he will work good from out of our pain.
Bert Harper Amen. There are storms, and we studied about that in chapter 14. There's storms where we grow. They grew in there. So God lets this happen. He causes the. He knew the storm was there. He knew it would happen. He sent them into the storm, but knowing they would be safe. So there's those storms. Jonah had storms of correction. He was going in the wrong direction. And God sent a storm or difficulty chasing it. And then I would say the Apostle Paul on that ship, on the road on the way to Rome, the storm came and drove him to an island where he would share good news of Jesus Christ. Storms of direction. So all of these happened. But let me just tell you, God, you can trust him. That's the bottom line. And so thank you, thank you for that. Let's go to Barry in Texas. We're going to stick with Texas again. Barry, go right ahead.
hi. Thank you for taking my call. Once again I have a two part question regarding Judas Iscariot. I think over the last couple of programs, Judas's name has come up and I think it was Bert who mentioned that, Jesus knowing everything, must have known Judas nature from the very beginning. So the first part of our question is if this is so, and I'm sure it is so, what would be the purpose of Jesus having chosen Judas for such, ah, an important position as being one of the twelve key apostles. The second part of the question regards basically, the nature of Judas and the Interpretation put on him. now the thinking is that Judas was, ah, the personification of a traitor. is it not possible that Judas, along with many others, misunderstood the Messiahship of Jesus to such a degree that he didn't want to actually betray him in that sense, but he wanted to force his hand so that Jesus, who he believed to be the, the great imperial Messiah, the one that was going to deliver Israel from the Romans, would, would, would, would be forced to do that? was he not just guilty of great impatience and evil from that point of view?
Bert Harper Thank you, Barry. Two good questions. I want to answer the first one. the last one first. The Bible says he who betrayed Jesus. It was betrayal. 30 pieces of silver. he had the bag. he was stealing from it. There's no doubt in my mind. No, he, he wanted to be something else. you know, they, they wanted to be on the left side and right side of Jesus. That's not what Judas wanted. He wanted to be the Secretary of Treasury. Alex, there's no doubt he sold his soul for money. In my mind, there's no doubt. Alex, you want to go ahead and answer some more of that?
Alex McFarland Well, you know Psalm 76, verse 10 regarding the sovereignty, the providence of God. It says, even the wrath of man shall praise you, O Lord. So here's the thing. Jesus was not deceived. why did he choose Judas? Well, for one thing, it might have been to try one last, you know, attempt to redeem the soul of Judas. Judas was around Christ. Judas did not have to betray the Son of Man. And so Judas could have been saved. He wasn't. But I think Jesus had redemptive, purposes in this, I think providential purposes to show that even the betrayal of Judas worked into God's plan. and then there are reasons that we just simply don't know. But I think it does show that, it shows not only the providence and sovereignty of God, but I think it shows the immeasurable capability for wickedness on the part of the human heart.
Bert Harper I agree with you. Judas heard Jesus sermons. Come unto me all you who are weak and heavy laden. I'll give you rest. He said, no. Jesus said, not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, enter into heaven.
Judas.
Bert Harper Ah, heard that. And I got a feeling it cut to the heart. But he discarded it and went his way. So again, I believe that it was to fulfill all righteousness. Even that, but it gave Judas every opportunity Judas couldn't claim. Well, okay, I'm alright. I fit into the plan of God by betraying Jesus? No, having the plan of God operative in a situation does not justify the actions that are wrong. And, Judas fits into that category. Hey, Brent, did you say we got another one on Facebook? Yes, we have another from, Facebook. This is from Danielle in North Carolina. She has a question about the holiday that the Jews made at the end of the Book of Esther when they won the battle. she says, does it relate to any other holidays in the Bible? Okay. It kind of stands alone in a way, Alex, you know, Purim, isn't that it?
Alex McFarland yeah, it is.
Bert Harper And it is a celebration, kind of one of the feasts, isn't it?
Alex McFarland And it's not the same as Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, really, is it?
Bert Harper No, quite different. Yeah, but it is. So as it fits in, this is, You know, I think it's okay to have commemorative memories like tonight with you meeting there and where you're meeting that. That you're able to remember like you did and we did here on the radio, remembering that, that. That. Charlie Kirk. This is the hour. This is the time that he died and. And went into the very presence of God. And, they did that when God rescued them. I think it was a great, great opportunity. Go ahead.
Alex McFarland You know, just today, I mean, in the present time, you know, when the Jewish people celebrate or commemorate the feast of Purim, they read the
Bert Harper Book of Esther, and it's a great book. You. You see the hand of God in Esther as much as you do any books. Now, if you have a Bible trivia, not trivial, but trivia. And they ask you, what book of the Bible does God's name not appear in the book? The name is Esther. But which book do you see the hand of God. Very obviously it is the book of Esther. So praise, the Lord. Let's go to Alabama. Helen, thank you for calling. Go right ahead.
Yes, in First Peter, Jesus went and preached to the spirits that were in prison. Who are those spirits?
Bert Harper Okay, Alex, when you hear the word prison, you think of incarceration. you know, is that incarceration or is it a place of keeping?
Alex McFarland well, it's a. It's a place of keeping. if I recall, I believe now, these are fallen angels, by the way. And I think this in. In, 1st Peter 3, 19. I think it's the word Tartarus. It's the only time it's used, in the NewSong Testament. But these, I believe these are fallen angels. That are going to be released during the tribulation period and wreak havoc. You know, these are angelic beings that go all the way back to shortly after the fall during, the time of Noah. and they're held kind of in a, a holding cell, if you will. And so understand this. Even in spite of all the bad things going on in the world. Satan and his demons are limited. There are boundaries they cannot go beyond. God is still in control.
Bert Harper Amen. Now, what he did, he preached in prison to these. I agree with Alex. And then he led captivity. Captive. And those are the ones that were kept in like the. You have a fish, sheepfold. And they're kept while the shepherd may go do something else. And so he did. He, he had some busy times between, his death and his resurrection. And he fulfilled them all. Thank you so much. Let's go to Missouri. And it's Dennis, Dennis. Don't have a lot of time. Go right ahead.
Good afternoon, gentlemen. Thank you for your program, my friend. My question is probably, I don't know, kind of crazy way I was reading in Genesis and about the, form and void and darkness upon the deep. And then in the same chapter, goes down, talks about water. What was. Is any idea what the earth must have been like? I mean, there was not water when it was created. So where did all that come to pass?
Bert Harper Okay, Alex, we're talking about area that is okay. We have to look at it and see. But the. It was, you know, you know, void without shape, without anything. And God would speak to it. Go ahead, Alex. Got about a minute and a half, I think if I'm right.
Alex McFarland Yeah, this is in Genesis 1, verse 2. So God creates the world. Genesis 1:1 and verse 2. Second verse of the Bible says the Earth was without form. In other words, formless and empty.
Void.
Alex McFarland we have the word devoid. Like, you know, it was devoid of any sunshine or something. So void. It doesn't mean like this empty abyss, but it really means the Earth at that point. it could be translated the earth was, was empty. Now God begins to call into existence trees and plants and foliage, and it's structured. But first is, you know, the calling into existence our solar system, which would include planet Earth. And so very, very quickly in that six day creation week. And just by the way, I believe the creation days are six literal days. But very quickly. The earth is populated with all the plants, and the seas are populated with aquatic life. And God, God's world, it gets, formed, and beautiful very quickly doesn't it?
Bert Harper It really does. And it shows you the orderliness of God. Before he made the birds, he made the air for them to fly in. Before he made the fish, he made the water for them to swim in. The whole thing is orderly and it is purposefully. God has a purpose for you, not only in creating, but also in redemption. Let God have his way in your life. Well, Alex, tomorrow is Fire Away Friday. We look forward to it questions the whole time, don't we?
Alex McFarland Yes, we do. And folks, we encourage you to tune in tomorrow Fire Away Friday. Hey, call us with your Bible question. In the meantime, tell somebody about exploring the Word, but please tell everybody about Jesus. The views and opinions expressed in this
broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio. Faith, Family, Freedom. American Family Radio. So it says to one, we are the fragrance from death to death. To the other, the fragrance from life to life. And so for those that are ready to accept God's call, you were that smell of life. You were literally bringing life into places of darkness.
In this episode, we delve into the profound teachings found in Matthew chapter 14, exploring the powerful messages of Jesus, including the beheading of Jon the Baptist and the miraculous feeding of the 5,000. Join hosts Alex McFarland and Bert Harper as they unpack the significance of these events, the call to proclaim the word of God, and the importance of living a life of faith and obedience. Don't miss this enlightening discussion filled with biblical insights and practical applications!
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