Transcript

American Family Radio takes your Bible questions live on American Family Radio

>> Bert Harper: The Bible.

>> Alex McFarland: It's the word of God.

>> Bert Harper: 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.

We are exploring the Word as we go through the parables of Jesus

Welcome to Exploring the Word. Thank you for joining us today on exploring the Word as we go through the parables of Jesus. And we're looking forward to this. This is a little bit different. We usually go through a book, but Alex and I were talking, talking as he said yesterday, and we said let's go through the parables of the Lord Jesus. And so we're starting in Matthew 13 because there's quite a collection there in that one chapter that we can go through. And they all have something in common. Notice the word if you read it about sowing. we know about yesterday. The, you know, the sower goes through sowing good seed. Well, we're going to find about another sower who sows good, bad seed. Alex, I'm really looking forward to this today. And by the way, it's a day of prayer. So Tuesday, we always look forward to Tuesday. Tuesday has become very, very special, hasn't it?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, amen. We love to pray on Tuesday. And if you've got a prayer request, later on, we love to hear it. And you know, the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. But, but you know, I'm glad because Bert, we're always talking about what we're going to teach on exploring the Word later on. I think this summer we'll probably do Malachi, which we haven't done in about 11 or 12 years. And you know, it dawned on me that I didn't think that we had gone through all the parables. Now Jesus taught over 30 parables and in fact in the Bible there are at least 100 parable parables total. But it's an earthly, story to convey a heavenly truth. It's something earthly and relatable that people could relate to and understand. Yesterday we talked about the seed of the gospel sown. But later on in Matthew 13 there is the parable of the wheat and the tares. And Bert, do you want to pick it up there at like verse 24?

>> Bert Harper: That's where we start. And again do this notice who alsos the seed. This is going to be really important. And let's read this. I'll read verse, I'll just read this parable 24, 30. Now, later on starting in, in. In verse, 36, he's going to explain this one. So it's, it's really good. All we have to do is go to Jesus explanation, and we don't have to worry about too much. But listen to this. Another parable he put forth to them. Now again, this is the multitude. Look at chapter 13, verse 1. It talks about the multitudes who were there listening, and he was gathering them together. The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares? He said to them, an enemy has done this. The servant said to him, do you want us then to go and gather them up? But he said, no, lest while you gather up the tares, you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. This is so important. And at the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, first gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them. But gather the wheat into my barn. Alex, again, this is so significant. Again, the first three, parables that Jesus talks about sowing the good seed, and it landed on the four different soils. Then the enemy coming and sowing bad seed in the good seed that had been sown. And then even. And I'm looking ahead a little bit, verses 31 and 32 is talking about so in A. The mustard seed. So Jesus is really concentrate on so in,

>> Caroline: And

>> Bert Harper: let me say this, throw it back to you when you ever. You find out what God is doing, working, bringing people to himself. When God is doing. Satan is always going to give a counterfeit, isn't he?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, he really is. He really is. You know, there's an old, old saying, bad seed, you know, somebody that's just, prone to doing the wrong and trouble. You know, it's an old saying, but they'll say, yeah, it's just bad seed.

Bert says Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death

Hey, Bert, let me. I want to give you some words and tell me what you think of this list of words like, result or consequence or outcome or harvest or wages. What do you think of when you hear words like that?

>> Bert Harper: Well, the first thing that came to my mind was the bottom line, you know what I mean? the results. It's what is going to really happen. Go ahead.

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, yeah. At the bottom of the page, I mean, you work through your math, and the sum, the outcome. Well, in Romans 6:23, it says the wages of sin is death. The payoff. You work, a job at the end of the week, you get a wage or a result or a reward. And if you live a life, and that life is sin without salvation, the wage, the payoff, there's no saying. Somebody will say, well, he's gone on to his reward. And it doesn't say he's gone on to the reward, because the rewards are different. there's for the believer, salvation and crowns in heaven, but for the one who rejects Christ, there's lostness and condemnation, and the Bible calls that hell. And when I think about this, that, And I want to come back to verse 24. The kingdom of heaven is like a man which sowed good seed in his field. The good seed is the gospel of Jesus and hearts that receive it. But while they were sleeping, an enemy came, verse 25. And that enemy is Satan. And, Bert, really, there's this. We've said sometimes the evil triumvirate, the world, the flesh and the devil and. And sewed tares T A r E s. And by the way, let me just say this. and I know I'm really showing my age here, but growing up on a farm, we had a few different scales. And so, if you were doing a scale, you had to figure in the weight of the container, and it was called the tare T a R e. And you could move this slider to. Even with, a bushel basket on a scale, it would balance. Now, here's the thing. In the bushel basket goes the harvest. And I've picked beans and I've picked squash, and I've picked cucumbers and a lot of vegetables. The tare T a R e is something that is not the fruit in the basket. Now, what am I saying? the fruit of the good seed is salvation and righteousness. And the tares are what is not the good seed or the peaceable fruit of righteousness. And so sowing something false in God's field of truth and, his revelation, that's what Satan has done from the beginning. He's the father of lies. And I don't know, maybe I love the parable so much, Bert, because I did come out of an agricultural background, but you can relate. And here's the question. if the harvest day were today, what has the fruit of your life produced? Did you accept Jesus and bear fruit for him. Did you reject Jesus, or you're saying, oh, I'll get around to that eventually. Bert, the day of harvest that we appear before the Lord, that could be any day, couldn't it?

>> Bert Harper: Any day. We do not know what a day may bring. don't. Don't presume. the sin of presumption is a terrible sin. Notice it is a field. A field is one that has been prepared. So what we find out in the first parable, he went on his way and threw the seed at different places. Some of the seeds landed on soil that was not prepared. But in this instance, when you see the word field, it is a, prepared field. And notice it took root, it brought forth. So does the enemy sit down and say, okay, well, I messed that one up? No. What does he do? He goes and sows a counterfeit. there's counterfeit Christians. There's a counterfeit gospel. There's a counterfeit church. Over in Revelation 2. 9. The church at Smyrna is called the synagogue of Satan. and one day, there'll be a counterfeit Satan, the Antichrist.

Alex: You need to learn the difference between Johnson grass and corn

So the enemy comes and sows tares. It's weeds. Okay. weeds among the wheat and went his way. And again, notice, both of them sprouted, but they could tell the difference. Now, when I read this, I can't help. I grew up on a farm as well. Did y' all ever grow corn, Alex, on your own?

>> Alex McFarland: For about 50 years.

>> Bert Harper: Okay, a little while. Well, we grew some corn. Not. Not that much. But this is before they had chemicals that could keep all the weeds and out. And I remember this till this day. I was probably 10 or 11 years old, and we were cleaning out the corn, and we had a skill. And right in the middle of this skip, there was something that I thought was a corn stalk starting to grow. And, man, I got all the grass around it. I. I got it ready. And, man, I said, well, that. That stalk of corn is going to have some space to grow because, you know, is not on either side. And my dad was not far away, and he came along, and he just took his hoe and chopped it down. And I said, dad, what. What in the world? And he said, son, you need to learn the difference between Johnson grass and corn.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Amen.

>> Bert Harper: Guess what? I learned that that day, I always could look and see. So sometimes, Alex, it may be like Judas's carrot. Okay? He was one of the 12. But Jesus said, one of you will betray me. Okay? And according to what the Bible Says they began to look at each other and say, is it I? Is it I? No one specifically said, we've been knowing this a long time. It is Judas. So some of those tears, some of those weeds that's in the field that is producing the fruit, they may be so like the others in similarity where the Johnson grass was to. To the corn, stalk. But the expert knows. Who's the expert of the heart? It's the Lord Jesus, isn't it?

>> Alex McFarland: Exactly. God knows the heart. I mean, he really does. And that's why the Bible says, examine yourselves and see if ye be in the faith. I mean, really. And I don't say this to cause doubt, because if you've trusted Christ according to God's word, you can have assurance. And God wants us to have assurance and confidence. But if you're hearing gospel teaching like this and you say, what if I'm a tare, not wheat? well, then examine yourself and you can know that you know. And so if you've known, not made sure that you have Jesus Christ in your life, then by all means call out to him today and he will receive you.

Something that makes Jesus teaching unique is the teaching of the kingdom of God

Bert, I gotta say in verse 24, before we move on, that one of the wonderful things about the gospel, a very unique thing, another parable put he forth unto them, saying, the kingdom of heaven is likened unto. And very often Jesus would say, the kingdom of heaven is like this. A lot of scholars, and I think about, Josh McDowell and Gary Habermas, have pointed out that something that makes Jesus teaching unique is the teaching of the kingdom of God. And there is not only. Well, let me just say this, the kingdom of God. There are a lot of aspects to Christ's teaching on, the kingdom of God, how to get into the kingdom of God. what is the kingdom of God? the, economics, if you will, of the kingdom of God, of rewards and the, permanence of the kingdom of God. I'm thinking of a show you and I ought to record, maybe. But here's my point. Thousands of religions do this, don't do that, the should and the shouldn'ts. Jesus is inviting you to become part of his coming, eternal kingdom. And every kingdom has a king.

>> Bert Harper: Amen.

>> Alex McFarland: In the kingdom of heaven, it's King

>> Bert Harper: Jesus, no one but Jesus, he is the one and only. So we're going to come back and look at the rest of this and maybe jump into the one about the mustard seed. We'll see how far we get.

Bert Harper: Abortion pill accounts for 60% of all abortions

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>> Caroline: M 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.

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>> Alex McFarland: For the child of God is far from home. The one who thinks they're too far gone. I'm throwing out another prayer in babe. Worn out all to still I won't give up on you. I believe that anything can change when somebody pray. Amen. Things change when somebody prays. And we're going to pray later on today, and we invite you to share your prayer request and the number. We'll get to it in the next segment, but I'm going to go ahead and give it. Maybe you want to write it down. It's 888-589-8840. Bert, we have gotten so much response. I know over a year since Brent Austin had the idea that we devote one day to praying and we take Bible questions, too, every day. But, you know, we largely on Tuesdays we pray and overwhelmingly we've gotten emails and feedback from people who say, thank you so much. you're praying for my prayer requests. And that's a great encouragement to me. So we do love to share and we've got quite a number of matters, of prayer, not the least of which is to pray for our country as we approach our 250th birthday. We are so, so blessed in the United States of America. And I do hope you're praying for revival in America.

Matthew 13:24-30 teaches that there is a kingdom of heaven

but Bert, before the break, we were talking about in Matthew 13, 24, 30, and this particular parable closes out where Jesus says, the wheat and the tares, let them both grow together until the harvest. And in the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers Gather ye together. First the tares. Bind them in bundles to burn them. But gather the wheat into my barn, the kingdom of heaven, which in verse 30, Jesus calls my barn. This is a unique teaching that there's not just some amorphous, vague afterlife or, you know, cosmic. You know, the sea of nothingness. That's what the NewSong Agers used to talk about. No, there is a kingdom, and it's going to be very ordered, wonderfully joyful forever. you know, Bert, you and I have taught through the book of Genesis, and there's the Garden of Eden, and Eden really means paradise or enjoyment. And the kingdom of God is really going to be like Eden restored, isn't it?

>> Bert Harper: It really is. And it's going to be a grand day. I was talking to someone earlier today, texting back and forth, and they were talking about their wife already in heaven and talking about today's their anniversary. Would have been. But there's going to be a reunion one day when he makes his way and will be there with the Lord Jesus. It's going to be a great day.

Bert: Jesus says he who sows good seed is the son of man

Well, this, this. Before we go to the mustard, seed, real quick, I want to read verses, 37 through, through 43 real quick because it explains, every once in a while, God Jesus would explain one of the parables. And it helped his apostles that were close there to carry it on in knowing how to preach the word and notice what it says. The people said, explain us the parable. And Jesus said to them, he who sows the good seed is the son of man. Another name for Jesus. The field is the world. The good seeds are the sons of the kingdom. This is a little bit different, but in alluded to that when he was talking about, yes, the gospel, the seed of the gospel. But when the seed of the gospel goes into man, that man is planted in his kingdom for purpose. And, and it says, but the tares are the sons of who? The wicked one? The enemy who sowed them is the devil. Now listen to this. This is so important. And the harvest is at the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore, as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, there it is. So it, will be at the end of this age, the Son of man will send out his angels, and they will gather out his kingdom, all things that offend. And those who practice, lawlessness and will cast them into the furnace of fire, where there's wailing and gnashing of teeth, then the righteous will shine forth as the son of the Kingdomnomics of their father who has ears. Let them hear. One more thing before we get into the other one. I read that. You may. They want to say more about it, but notice it was Talking about it while they were sleeping. Is when the enemy came in and sowed the tares. Alex, what does that say about those of us who were the true seed of God? I, think the book of Jude talks about we need to beware of those in Satan who Satan uses to, talk about a false gospel, a false righteousness. And so don't be slack. Sleeping. Spiritually sleeping. Be alert. Be on guard to see what, what, you know, you don't let the enemy slip in on you and your territory, do you?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, you've heard the old phrase, such and such was asleep at the switch, you know, meaning somebody wasn't paying attention, and they let somebody get through and not, a good thing. you know, I think about this, Bert, that, the good seed. Do you know, we just did Ephesians, and then I believe it was Ephesians 2, verse 3, it says that, prior to salvation, we were by nature children of wrath, you know. Now, in verse 38 of Matthew 13, well, Jesus 37, 38, he who soweth the good seed is the son of man. That's Christ. The field is the world. The good seed are the children of the kingdom. But the tares, T a R E s are the children of the wicked one. Children of the wicked one. I mean, you think about that. If you, If God is not your father, well, the devil is. If you're not of the spirit, you're of the flesh. And if you're not of salvation, Ephesians 2, 3, says you're children of wrath. Bert, everybody is part of a family, and we're all human beings, but I mean, in a spiritual sense. And that's the everlasting sense. And that's why in Jon 3, Jesus told Nicodemus, you must be born again. And being good, trying to be moral, giving donations, being charitable, that won't do it. Good works won't do it. To be part of God's family, the church, the redeemed of the Lord, you have to turn to Christ and put your faith in him. And you will instantly be born again if you'll turn to Christ. And you just ask him. And Romans 10:13 says, whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, but you have to ask. And, Bert, I know you've probably heard sermon illustrations about maybe somebody, a baseball game, somebody ran the Bases. And, came all the way to home plate, but it wasn't a run because they missed first base. Step one, the foundation. First base, if you will. It's being born again. And there's nothing, nothing that can substitute for that.

>> Bert Harper: Nothing. Absolutely. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Now listen to this. No one comes unto the Father except through him. There's not an alternate route. There's not a plan B. There's only Jesus. And, it's not rules to keep. It's a relationship that brings forth change in a person's life.

Alex: The Bible talks about not knowing the facts about Jesus

Alex, again, one more thing that I really, You know, different things stood out on this, but I couldn't help but think about the eternal. When it says at the end of this age in verse 40, okay, at the end of this age, it's appointed unto man once to die, and after that, guess what? Judgment, God knows there's nothing hidden. Darkness, is not hidden from God. He sees in the darkness just like we would see in the light, only he sees even better. And I don't want to make it, you know, too, too, easy, but it's like he has X ray vision to our thoughts. Okay, as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Several times in the Gospels, Jesus would be speaking and it interrupts and it says. And he knew what everybody was thinking. That has always amazed me. the reason he could answer, I'm putting it in my language. The reason he could answer their questions before they ask them is because he knew the question before they asked him. You know what I mean?

>> Alex McFarland: Yes.

>> Caroline: Amen.

>> Bert Harper: And so here is the Lord Jesus at the end of age. He said, now listen, it may look this way for a while. It may look this way even at death. But the real, the real judgment is going to come at the end of the age when he judges the living and the dead. So what you are saying, we're not trying to make this hard. Trust Jesus Christ and have life, but don't, don't just be like the demons did. In the book, James, it says they believed and they trembled. In other words, they had head knowledge. They knew Jesus was the son of God. They knew all the facts. Knowing the facts is not knowing him. It's like I could read a book about Winston Churchill and I could know something about when he was born, who, who he married, when he died, where he's buried. I could know all a lot of facts. But regardless of how many facts I knew about him, guess what? I didn't Know him. The Bible talks about not knowing the facts about Jesus. It talks about knowing him in a real personal way. Isn't.

>> Alex McFarland: Absolutely, absolutely.

Bert says mustard seed is the greatest among herbs when grown

And, I think this is so fascinating. And I know we've, got a lot of ground to cover. I don't mean to put the card in reverse, but can we go back a little bit?

>> Bert Harper: Let's go back. We don't have to get to the mustard seed. We can say that. Go ahead, man.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, you know, 31 through 33. In many Bibles, there'll be perhaps a paragraph break. 31 and 32 and 33 is different. But I've been doing a lot of studying, getting ready for this. A parable. Jesus put forth. The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed which man took and sowed in his field. And I've said this in a number of shows in years past, that we actually grew mustard greens on the farm. We really did. We were predominantly, raising chickens, selling eggs. For 68 years we had this farm. And we grew a lot of corn. We did. But we began to grow collard. I'm showing my Southern ness here. Collard greens, turnip greens, spinach, and yes, mustard greens. They're really good in cold weather, by the way. And I know firsthand, because we, Mustard seeds are tiny, like a tiny grain of sand, but they can grow very, very large. And they're really good. And you gotta put a. Put a big old piece of bacon or a ham hock in there and make it nice and greasy.

>> Bert Harper: Alex, you're making some folks lick their lips that I'm looking at here in the studio. Go ahead, though.

>> Alex McFarland: Let me tell you, folks, I grew up among great Southern cooks. My mother, my grandparents, and now Angie. But anyway, it says the least of all seeds, a tiny, tiny little mustard seed. But when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs and becometh a tree, a big, huge bush. And they can really do that so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Now, the big mustard plant with many limbs and many places, is really the church. Many have said. And look, there's lots of branches of Christendom. But we all have it in common that we accept that the Son of God paid our sin debt on the cross and rose from the dead. But right, there you go, from 32 to 33, another parable. He spoke unto them. The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till the whole was leavened. And this might be like three measures of meal. some have wondered if this was, like, you know, enough flour to make bread, maybe a gallon and a half of flour or meal. Leaven virtually always means sin. And a little leaven goes throughout the entire lump of dough. Okay, here's my point. Birds generally represent something evil. in the case of Joseph, in the book of Genesis, the baker that had a vision and the birds took bread out of a basket, and Joseph said, you know, you're going to lose your life. All right? Birds lodging in the big mustard tree. If the mustard tree is like the kingdom of God and the church and birds lodging in it potentially. And Bert, if I'm pushing this too far, you push back. false doctrine. There are tares among the wheat, but there's also falsehood among the truth. You know, there are people that make a false profession of faith. There are people. Just because somebody's in church doesn't mean they've been born again yet. And there are some people in church that are seeking and hopefully finding Jesus. There's some people in the church that are there to infiltrate. Well, there is sound doctrine, but there's also heresy. And there's the clear, accurate, exposition of God's word. And there's also false teaching. But, Bert, is there any connection between the birds in the mustard tree and the leaven in the otherwise pure quantity, of dough?

>> Bert Harper: I believe you're right. And I'd even go further back. The tares, the birds, and the yeast, M. They're all there again, God doing a great work. Anytime you see God do a great work, regardless when, where, or how. Like in the book of Nehemiah, they were building that wall. But guess what? There were some people on the inside, not just the people on the outside pushing, Satan was raising up his people. The naysayers, they are. They're there. And so here, these. The. The tears or the weeds, the. The birds, and now the leaven, the yeast. They're there to what, try to counteract, to draw their attention away. It's just like the sin of Lucifer in heaven. I will raise up my life, I'll raise up myself. So anytime you hear about the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God, guess what Satan is going to try to do have his kingdom now? It's a kingdom of darkness. Because the Bible talks about these spiritual wickedness in where high places. And so what you have here is what you have in this chapter 13, all the way through at least verse 43. Is this the. The gospel Going out, changing lives, praise God. But Satan coming along, even after those that did, receive Christ, he wants to sow discord among the brethren. So, Alex, I think all three of those have something in common. Brother, I think you're exactly right.

>> Caroline: Amen.

>> Alex McFarland: verse 34 and 35. All these things spoke Jesus unto the multitude in parables, and without a parable spake he not unto them. In other words, in front of this group, he's just teaching these spiritual truths through earthly illustration. And this was a fulfillment of prophecies about him that he would speak in parables.

AFA takes your prayer requests for America's 250th birthday

Well, we're going to come back and we're going to take your prayer requests. Bible questions, too. If you've got 1-888-589-8840, call us and we'll pray for each other and pray together. We'll be back after this.

>> Bert Harper: America's 250th birthday.

>> Alex McFarland: It's a great excuse to have some extra cake and ice cream, but we can help your celebration go well beyond that.

>> Bert Harper: Show your patriotism with America.

>> Alex McFarland: 250 apparel that will become a memento

>> Bert Harper: of this special year.

>> Alex McFarland: We also have special episodes on AFA

>> Bert Harper: Stream to help underscore that America is

>> Alex McFarland: a Christian nation and help you find

>> Bert Harper: God in the Constitution. Find all of this and more in one place.

>> Alex McFarland: Afa.net topics250 we now have this light shining in our hearts, but we

>> Bert Harper: ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.

>> Alex McFarland: This makes it clear that our great

>> Caroline: power is from God, not from ourselves.

>> Alex McFarland: 2 Corinthians 4, 7.

>> Bert Harper: Amen. That's our song that introduces this day of prayer each Tuesday, when we take time out and pray for those that need our prayers, that would call in and request them. And we had one just recently sent. Brent was reading it to us at the break, and I wanted to share that. First off, Gerald called. He's a good friend. He and his wife Doris, they're prayer partners. They pray each day, that we have prayers. They pray with us. But their prayer request is for Dr. Gail Alexander. And, Brother Gail is a former board member at afr. He pastored First Baptist Church in Tupelo, Mississippi. He's done interim work. He's a dear friend of mine, and he and his wife are dear friends of mine in Jan's. So we want to pray for Dr. Gail Alexander. He's had a pacemaker put in. Understand it was today. So, Alex, I want to add that to this. We'll add others to that. But, he's Godly, godly man. Just love him and the Lord.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Yesterday I mentioned, ah, Jenny Clapp, who is the wife of my pastor, Dr. Lawrence Clapp, south, Elm Street Baptist in Greensboro, North Carolina. We've been members there for 20 years. And, you know, Jenny just found out that she has a very severe brain tumor. and I don't quite know what they're going to do. I mean, they just found out a few days ago. But if you think of Jenny Clapp. And also we have a neighbor, a dear elderly Christian lady named Ruth, Ruth Huff is her name. She was in a pretty bad car wreck. She has recovered well, except that, somehow another. The nerves to her feet and one of her hands, they're just not working. Her arms and hands are becoming more and more mobile. But we're just praying for her to be able to walk again. And it's not like she's paralyzed like a spinal cord injury, but for some reason she hasn't really completely recovered. And if you think of praying for Ruth Huff, I'd be very grateful.

>> Bert Harper: Well, we got three right here and I'm adding Dwayne Guin, who we prayed for yesterday as well. So let me lead us in prayer for these and then we'll go to the phone lines. Father, I thank you for friends that love their friends that love them enough to pray for them, ask others to pray for them. And Father, I'm praying right now that you would be with Gayle. what a godly man, just a great preacher of your word. And just we thank God for him. And I pray you'd be with he and Kalia right now, strengthen them, Father, and may he be restored and have more years of preaching your word. I pray for Miss Jenny Clapp, Father. A pastor's wife. what a job that is. And we know that. And we pray, Father, for that to be taken care of, that humor. and Father, that, you would see what people would do and they would know how to treat it. But more than anything, we ask you to put her in your hands, heal her, bring her through, Father, and may you get the glory. And we're also praying for Ruth Huff, Father, we just found this out and I'm praying God, her, her healing and for Dwayne, Father, that we prayed for yesterday. We're the whole church. As they gathered around the altar last Sunday at Ozark, where I'm interim pastor. I wasn't there that day, but they gathered around the altar, just so many praying and seeking you, a well loved man I pray you'd be with his wife Jennifer. Father, strengthen them, and we're trusting you. In Jesus name, Amen.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Bert, thank you very, very much. We're going to, begin in Arkansas, Jim. In Arkansas. Thank you for holding.

Dennis in Missouri says he is opposed to abortion because it's unconstitutional

And welcome to Exploring the Word.

>> Caroline: yes, I've got a question, and maybe y' all can answer this. Abortion, to me, is a damnation. It's the devil's work. even if it's a, I don't want to say the word retarded, but even if they're the babies messed up, it's. It's wrong. And I have friends on, Facebook. Should I keep my mouth shut or should I say it's wrong? It's. It's the killing of a lie. What, Am I wrong or just keep my mouth shut?

>> Bert Harper: Hey, I think you better open your mouth for truth, Alex. Try to do it, in a way, speak the truth in love. But we're to speak truth, aren't we?

>> Alex McFarland: We really are. I mean, as a Christian, I am vehemently opposed to abortion, because it is the unjust taking of a human life. But as an American, I've often asked people this. When they'll say, you know, don't force your Christianity on me. I'm like, okay, Christianity, aside, what other constitutional rights do you enjoy? withholding unjustly from other American citizens? And they'll say, what. What do you mean? Abortion is unconstitutional because our Constitution guarantees legal protection for the right to life. And, I mean, science has shown, personhood, life begins at the moment of conception. So, you know, when Kamala Harris was campaigning last year, she repeatedly would refer to liberty and the pursuit of happiness. She was leaving off 30% of our constitution, the right to life. So when somebody even misinformed Christians say, well, I. You know, I'm for abortion. Really? What other constitutional rights do you plan on unjustly withholding from other citizens?

>> Bert Harper: So, Jim, that means you keep it up, brother. And, speak. They need to hear truth whether they want to hear it or not. And, sure, I think it's not only your right. I think it's, the right thing to do. Alex, where to?

>> Alex McFarland: Missouri. Dennis in Missouri. Welcome to Exploring the Word.

Dennis says he gets troubled about whether he's saved or not

>> Caroline: Good afternoon, gentlemen. I like to listen to you as often as I can. My concern is, I asked the Lord to be my Lord and savior years ago, and I still. I get troubled about my salvation because I get all these bad thoughts about whether I'm saved or not. And it's just like the Enemy pounds in my head with this stuff. And after a while, I just kind of like, you know, I just. I get frustrated dealing with it.

>> Bert Harper: Well, Dennis, let me tell you an experience I had and hope this will help. And, when I was about 15 or 16 years old, and I know you're older than that, but when I was that way, I came home on a Sunday night, and I'm telling you what I started thinking. man, am I going to hell? Am I going to hell? Have I done everything that I needed to do in order to know Jesus and to be saved? And without me knowing it, I think, now I look back on it, it was the Holy Spirit of God leading me. And I started saying, and I said this, Lord, if I go to hell, I'm going to go to hell. Trusting in Jesus. Now, what a statement. I said that out loud in my bed, and all of a sudden I heard myself say it. And I said, man, person who trusts in Jesus Christ with all his heart, soul and mind. Hell is not his home. And, Dennis, it took care of it. If you've trusted Jesus as your savior, let it be settled and let God get the glory, brother. I hope that helps.

>> Alex McFarland: brother, I went through that, I really did as a young believer, but I would just encourage you. I believe if you've sincerely asked the Lord to save you and you put your faith in Jesus, you're saved. and take God at his word. Let me read you Jon 5:24. Jesus said, very truly, I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged, but is passed from death unto life. And another verse, I really love that. Jon 6, verse 40. It says, whoever sees the Son and believes in him will have everlasting life. And I will raise you up at the last day. And so God doesn't lie, Take God at his word. But, for those maybe, like Dennis, that have a little bit of uncertainty. Bert, what is that number? Is it, Triple eight.

>> Bert Harper: Need him. Triple eight. Need him. And they can help you.

>> Alex McFarland: Exactly. So, thank you, Dennis, for calling, and God be with you.

Let's go to Linda in South Carolina with a prayer request

Let's go to Linda in South Carolina. Linda, welcome to Exploring the Word.

>> Caroline: Thank you, and thank you for this opportunity to share a prayer request. And thousands are praying with us. I have a dear friend named Kennetha who had cancer four years ago and it was in remission, but she now has two new cancer spots, and she is. Has upcoming tests and things to determine exactly what kind and if, if anything, the Doctors can do for. So just keep Knessa in prayer, please.

>> Bert Harper: We'll do that, Linda.

>> Alex McFarland: Thank you.

>> Bert Harper: We want to add Jeff Chambly's daughter to that. Jeff has helped us here. She's in the hospital and it, looks very serious with a tumor, close to her heart. So much going on. Elder. So we want to remember Kennetha and her and Jeff's daughters. Devin, where to next?

>> Alex McFarland: And pray for going to get as many as we can. Mary in Tennessee. Mary, welcome.

>> Caroline: Yeah, I was calling about aquarium request. My dad, I had calling him last week that my granddaughter had a seizure at school. I still haven't heard anything since that happened. she's seven years old. She had a couple when she was the premium nicu. she's about seven years old right now. Coming up in her eighth birthday. Her name is Davina. I also want to choose, excuse me. I also wanted to share Operation Christmas Child, which has been a huge impact on my life and it's amazing what they're doing, what God has done with their ministry as well.

>> Bert Harper: Amen. Hey, it's worth praying for the Samaritan's purse. Operation Christmas Child. Alex. they're similar to afr in this. When these disasters happen, when Operation Christmas Child, those shoeboxes, they go at places that sometimes we regular folks do it just sharing the gospel. Can't get in, but they go in there. They're, they're agents of God, aren't they?

>> Alex McFarland: They really are. I'm taking notes. We, we are going to pray for all of these.

Diane in Ohio is experiencing an estrangement from her daughter

Let's hear from Dianne in Ohio, please. Dianne, welcome.

>> Caroline: Thank you. Thank you. Yes, I am experiencing an estrangement from my daughter for reasons that are somewhat unclear. And she has placed some boundaries, some. She said she just needs space. And she has my three grandsons and you know, I'm very, very restricted on, the time I get to spend with them. and the other set of grandparents live very close to them and you know, see them all the time and it's, you know, she won't even talk about it and I can't even, you know, ask her to make plans and you know, there's just,

>> Bert Harper: Ah, man.

>> Caroline: So, you know, that it's just so painful, just so sad.

>> Bert Harper: M I, I can imagine grandparents. There are a lot of grandparents I know that have been hurt that way. Alex.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen.

>> Bert Harper: Just. And so, Dianne, we're praying for you. before we go to the next one, Brent's got one that came in. Alex is alright to go. Brent?

>> Alex: Yes.

>> Brent Austin: This One's going to be from Joe in Louisiana. He's asking for prayer for his sister Hilda. She just turned 80 years old. She has pneumonia. Okay. Hilda in Louisiana.

>> Caroline: Yes.

>> Bert Harper: Okay, got that.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Ruth in Kansas. Ruth, welcome to the program.

>> Caroline: Thank you so much. I really appreciate you guys in your program.

Ruth was having trouble with sciatica so she prayed for help

I'd like to have to tell you a prayer answered. I was having trouble with sciatica, and it was so bad I. My pain pills couldn't stop it. I was thinking going to the hospital, but I called my granddaughter on a Friday and she talked to me and she was thinking about me and she thought about me through the evening and was praying in her mind. But she didn't, you know, she didn't, not outwardly. And in the middle of that night, about 2:00am, in the morning, my knee popped once and I could feel pain releasing. In about another hour or two it popped again and more pain released and I was doing so much better the next day. I called her, let her know. And then later on it just seems like it keeps going away and quite away. And now I can even work back in my garden again. I was using a cane just to walk up and down the hall. Amen.

>> Bert Harper: Praise God. Amen. Those of you that are hurting, hear Ruth. We had that yesterday with Jacqueline calling in, talking about cancer and she had it 32 years ago and she was delivered. And Amen. Alex praises help. They really do help us to hear that, doesn't it?

>> Alex McFarland: We rejoice with you, Ruth. We really do.

Father of young woman recently passed away suddenly, so she needs prayers

Let's go to Texas. Ellen, last prayer request, then we're going to pray. Ellen, what you got?

>> Caroline: Hello?

>> Alex McFarland: Ellen?

>> Caroline: Oh, yes. Can you hear me?

>> Alex McFarland: Yes. Can you hear us?

>> Caroline: Yes. I have my niece call me about a young woman that has a two year old daughter and a, ah, baby on the way, due in July. Her husband recently passed. Well, it's not her husband, but anyway, the father of the child, children, recently, passed away suddenly. Overnight. No, no, a hint of it. And then he, was the only provider for the family. And so I just, You just need, to navigate all this problem with, dealing with her income. She is living, I think, with some family members in a close town, but it was so sudden. Uh-huh.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, thank you very much. Thank you.

>> Bert Harper: Hey, before we pray, Brant's got one real quickly and we'll add this one. This one came while I was out. It's from Tammy. She's asking. She had called a few months ago about her son, had accepted the Lord while In the army, in boot camp and reading his Bible and all that. Well, he stated he wasn't getting much from the church on the base, and he had decided to attend the Mormon Church, and he's planning on being baptized there. And she's just asking for prayers, for him to see clearly. Alex, we haven't got a lot of time. You made a list. Would you pray for these?

>> Alex McFarland: Let me start and you close.

>> Bert Harper: That would be good.

>> Alex McFarland: Father, in the name of Jesus, you've heard these prayer requests and you know everybody's heart. I pray for Kennetha, who's battling cancer. I pray for Jeff Chamblee's daughter and her health issues. I pray for Mary, whose granddaughter had been battling seizures. And Dianne, estranged from her daughter and grandsons. We rejoice. Ruth is feeling better. Lord, we pray for the person whose, friend passed away and especially Tammy's son, that he would not go Mormon. Draw him back to Jesus. And, Lord, all these requests and more

>> Bert Harper: we bring to you, Reverend Father, we thank you for the privilege of being intercessor for individuals. And, Father, thank you that Jesus is there at your right hand interceding for us. So we're asking God to make yourself known. And may you get the praise and the glory from us as you work in our lives. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for who you are, what you're doing, and what you're going to do. In your name we pray. Amen. Alex will be back tomorrow and we'll continue in the parables. And so look ahead, see what God would do in your life.

>> Alex McFarland: The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.