This is your chance to ask us your Bible question at 888-589-8840
>> Alex McFarland: It's fireaway Friday on Exploring the Word. This is your chance to ask us your Bible question at 888-589-8840. That's 888-589-8840. You can also email your [email protected] or visit facebook.com exploringtheword.
>> Bert Harper: Exploring the word. It's Fire Away Friday on American Family Radio.
>> Alex McFarland: You know, we've been in Ephesians of the scriptures in this chapter that we love so much, but verse 20 and 21, giving thanks always for all things in God the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. Well, we'll resume Ephesians on Monday, but today is Friday. Happy Friday, everybody. And around here, we call it Fire away Friday. We take all questions, all the hour on this edition of Exploring the word. And the number is 888-589-8840. for your Bible questions, we'd love to hear from you any and all Bible questions. Bert Harper and I will do our best to give a good godly answer. And sometimes we say it like this. If you've ever wanted to raise your hand during a sermon, well, here's your chance. It's Fire away Friday. Call us 888-589-8840. How is your day going, Bert?
>> Bert Harper: It is great. And, it's a beautiful day here in our neighborhood, and we hope it. But we are excited about what God's going to do today on Fireway Friday. And you're talking about raising your hand while you're preaching. Well, you can raise your hand in praise, too, Alex. I was just thinking about that, you know, and, so you can raise your hand as a question or a praise, but here on exploring the Word, making that phone call, hey, we would take a question or praise or praise either one, won't we, Alex?
>> Alex McFarland: We surely will. We surely will. And you know what? I think one of the great ways to be a witness for the gospel is to praise God. And, you know, Bert, I'm glad about this. When I was a little kid, we'd go to church, but you didn't hear that many amens, and you surely didn't see many people raise their hands in praise to God. But some days when you just think about how good God is to us and all the blessings, you can't help but raise your hands and say, God, I give you glory. I'm glad, we've gotten a little more open and free about just thanking Jesus. Aren't You.
>> Bert Harper: I am, too. I think one of the things that happened was, you know, people started going to youth camp and they would sing the praise songs. Ned raised their hands, and now, you know, they brought that back into the worship there at their local church. And, you know, I think that's great. And so we want to praise the Lord today, answering your question, giving him praise for who he is, what he's done, where he is, and what he's going to do. So we praise him all the way. Well, Alex, again, that number 888-589-8840.
Andrew from Georgia calls with a question about Moses' son Eleazar
We'll try to get to your question today, if you'll call. And we've got Andrew from Georgia online with a question. Andrew, go right ahead. Thank you for calling, brother.
>> Caroline: Yes, sir. So Eliezer was Eryn's son. and so why did he not die in the wilderness with that gener? Is it because he was a Levite? Did the Levites not die as part of the punishment? Or was he too young?
>> Bert Harper: Okay, Alex, we had a fairly difficult, connection. Did you get enough of that for Mandrew to respond?
>> Alex McFarland: How did Eleazar not die out in the wilderness?
>> Bert Harper: Okay.
>> Alex McFarland: With that generation? Was that the question?
>> Bert Harper: Is that the question, Andrew? I think he said yes, yes.
>> Alex McFarland: Well, Eleazar, you know, he was, ah, a scribe, if I'm thinking about the right Eleazar. And so I have to say, I guess it was in his service to the Lord that God just preserved his life. And apparently he wasn't among those, that grumbled against Moses and the Lord, was he?
>> Bert Harper: Well, when you see this God's, you know, providence, and we don't use that word as much as our aunt, just talking about us raising our hands and praising the Lord and. Amen. More. But one of the things we don't do as much is understand the providence of God. That God is, is doing these things. And in his providence, he knows not only what's taking place now, but what is needed later. And we trust Him. And, again, I don't know either, Andrew, but. But, thank you, brother. And I'm sorry about the bad connection. Go ahead, Alex.
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, you know, all I can think of is, you know, his courageous stand and he wouldn't compromise with all of the people that rebelled and grumbled against the Lord. And, you know, apparently, you know, there was that curse that they would die in the wilderness and they would not see, you know, they would not live to enter the promised land. But, you know, I guess I would say God preserved his life in acknowledgement of his faithfulness to God.
>> Bert Harper: Okay, Andrew, we hope that helps, brother. Thank you.
A caller calls Alex with a question about the Trinity
Let's go to Ohio. And it is Joe. Joe, thank you for calling today. Go right ahead.
>> Caroline: Hey, thank you guys so much for taking my call. I appreciate you. I have a question today. Yeah, I guess this is a question about the Trinity. but I was talking with a friend yesterday and we were talking about some kids books. And I talked about how one of my kids books is just trying to lay out for my children that God, never sleeps, which is, I think, a very crucial truth. and then he pointed, he said to me that, well, I mean, Jesus slept and Jesus is God. So I don't think it's true that God never sleeps. but, I guess that question kind of perplexed me a little bit because I know all throughout scripture we're told that God has ever, looking after us. And we know that he sleeps. We know that he set forth a precedent for rest on the seventh day after creation. But I know that he never sleeps. I know that at least there's some facet of the Trinity that there's a large mystery at play that we will never understand. But I just wanted to know what you guys had to say about that.
>> Bert Harper: Okay, Joe, thank you for your question. Jesus, the incarnation with Christmas, about that. And then Philippians, chapter 2. And Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us. In Jon, we find out that, yes, Jesus became a man and he was tired and he would sleep. but the Father in heaven never slumbers nor sleeps, does he, Alex?
>> Alex McFarland: that's Psalm 121:47. He who keepeth Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. Now I realize that, yes, as the, caller said, Jesus slept. In fact, he probably had to sleep outdoors under the stars sometimes because he said the Son of man didn't even have a place to lay his head. Every man went to his own house. Jesus probably slept out in the woods. But in the incarnation, eternal God took on perfect humanity. So not only he could die for our sins, but Jesus was tempted in all points, like we, yet without sin. But let me say this about the power of God. Isaiah 59:1, it says that God's arm is not shortened, that he cannot save. So, in God's eternal essence or nature, of course, he doesn't sleep because rest implies, deficiency. and God has no deficiency. And God has all the power, all the strength. He is in the ever present eternal now. But Jesus, in his incarnate Form. Yeah. He got hungry, so he ate food. He got weary, so he slept, didn't he?
>> Bert Harper: He really did. And let me just say, when you understand, I mean, Jesus, what he did by coming to earth in human form. I mean, what a sacrifice, I look at as two sacrifices. Yes, the sacrifice on the cross, but the sacrifice that Jesus is willing to do. Come and be human. And, listen, if you see Jesus now, Alex, here, he is. Now, every time Jesus is mentioned after his birth, he is only in one place at one time, right? That is the reason he'd say it is necessary that I send to the Father so the Spirit will come. Because the Holy Spirit can be where he can be ever present, omnipresent, everywhere. But Jesus in one location at the right hand of the Father. And so what. What it was for Christ to do this, is. Is. It really is overwhelming. Everybody thinks, oh, man. The, sacrifice on the cross. Yes, yes, yes. But don't. Don't leave out what he did for us when he came to us. Thank you, Joe.
Carrie says Acts chapter 2 sounds a lot like socialism to her
Let's go to Georgia and talk to Kari. Kari, thank you for calling today. Go right ahead.
>> Caroline: Hey. Yes, I'm sorry. I'm driving. I don't have my Bible. But I was reading in Acts where, the people sold their belongings and gave their money together to provide for the. For the ones according to their need. All but Nice and his wife. And they fell dead because they withheld some of their money. And my question is that this entire two chapters kind of sounds a lot like socialism to me. And I'm wondering if. Am I missing context somewhere?
>> Bert Harper: Okay, Kari, listen closely on this one. this was completely voluntary, Barnabas. And I'll set this up, Alex, and you take it away. Barnabas had earlier sold his land and brought the money. Ananias and Sapphira, they liked. They. I think they wanted to do something. They saw all the accolades that Barnabas had gotten, and they sold their property. But then they changed their mind about how much they would keep and how much they would give. And they said and lied. We're giving it all. And they did not. But it was not socialism, was it? It was volunteer. Completely different. Go ahead, Alex.
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah. Yeah. and Ananias and Sapphira, they kind of did it for show and glory, didn't they? They gave a little, but they wanted everybody to think they had given it all. Bert M. When I was in college and, I had students. This goes back 35 years. And they said, oh, well, the early church read the Book of Acts. They practiced communism. No. maybe if we could coin a term, common ism. But like you said, it was completely voluntary, it was not compulsory. And, it did not eliminate private property ownership. People could give. And it was benevolent Christian charity, but it wasn't forced by the government, wasn't sanctioned by the government. People could still own private property. And the other thing is too, in socialism, the government, controls the means of production and controls the means of distribution. I want to say this in logic. There's a statement, it's kind of a cautionary statement. Similarity does not equal sameness. You know, a chair has four legs, Esther, the dog has four legs. They're similar, but they're not the same. And so, charity within the church might look socialistic, but it is absolutely not one thing more Marxist. communism and socialism is inherently atheistic. Certainly the church, Christianity and Christian benevolence is not.
>> Bert Harper: And when you understand this and see this, you'll find out Paul would talk to different churches about helping the church back in Jerusalem, and he said, lay by that offering so I can have it when I come by and I'll take it to those saints. again, not just in Jerusalem in the first part of Acts, but all through the Book of Acts. Also, when you read the letter to. To Letters to Corinth, you get that same thought and that same drift again. Voluntary. Getting it. And I would say the Ten Commandments promotes private ownership.
>> Alex McFarland: Amen.
>> Bert Harper: When it says thou shalt not steal,
>> Alex McFarland: it says thou shalt not steal. If it's another man's.
>> Caroline: No.
>> Bert Harper: Yeah. If it's. If it's everybody's.
>> Caroline: What?
>> Bert Harper: Right? You know, so, yes, no, good point, Bert. Thank you for listening here on Exploring the Word. And we're, going to be back. Matter of fact, we're going to get a question from Brent. He's got some questions from Facebook. We'll take one or two of those and then we'll get straight back to your calls that we have lined up here. Ready to talk to Mark and Paula and Jon.
Exploring the word celebrates America's 250th birthday with music
We're looking forward to hearing from you today on Exploring the word.
>> Alex McFarland: America's 250th birthday. 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 Stream to help underscore that America is a Christian nation and help you find God in the Constitution find all of
>> Bert Harper: this and more in one place.
>> Alex McFarland: Afa.net topics250 Then you look at this prisoner and say to me, son, stop fighting a fight. It's already been won. And I am, redeemed. You set me free. So I'll shake out these heavy chains
>> Caroline: and wipe away every stuff.
>> Bert Harper: Amen. Brent Austin knows how to get Bert Harper going. That's one of those songs. Every time I hear it, I just praise God. Hey, Alex, you was talking about raising your hand to ask a question. I. I raised my hands on that one. Say, thank you, God. Thank you.
>> Alex McFarland: Aren't you glad to be redeemed?
>> Bert Harper: Amen. Amen.
>> Caroline: We're just going to do nothing but
>> Bert Harper: a program one day. Not but us talking about music, and we're just going to play song after song. How's that sound? Write that one down and let's do that. We'll have the song and then Alex and I will talk about it. I like that. That's a good one. We'll do that one on prerecord.
Brent asks for prayer for Paul and his daughter following wife's death
Hey, Brent, I understand we got a prayer and a question. Prayer request and a question. I'll give you the prayer request first. it's going to be from Shawn on Facebook. He says his friend Paul just lost his wife this morning and he's asking for prayer for, Paul and his daughter. Paul and daughter. His wife passed away. That's fresh today. Yes. Oh, wow. Well, hey, let's do that right now. Alex, could you pray for Paul and his, daughter?
>> Alex McFarland: Okay. Yes, Father. In the name of Jesus, the Bible says you comfort the brokenhearted. And Lord, we pray for Paul and for the daughter and a wife and a mother has passed on. So, Lord, I pray in the name of Jesus that the comfort of your holy spirit would be very, very real in their lives. Thank you for this listener, making us aware of this. Lord, there are many people bereaved right now. I know. Even as we speak, a young couple, Anthony and Ginger, are burying their stillborn baby from last Saturday. And that funeral is happening right now. Comfort this young couple, Christian couple. And Lord may, prompt people to lift up Anthony and Ginger. And Lord, there's a lot of family members very sad about this child, but we know this child is with you. So, Lord, all the comfort for the brokenhearted. And Lord, may all of us, may we be careful to praise you in the good times and trust you in the hard times. And Lord, walk with you, Jesus, at times. Lord, we love you. Thank you for your Faithfulness to us in Jesus name. Amen.
>> Bert Harper: Amen.
Matthew 6:15 says if you forgive others, your heavenly Father will also forgive
Brent, you also had a question? I do. Marianne on Facebook. she's asking about, Matthew 6:15. It's always been a conundrum to her. She knows that forgiveness is not earned, and she wants you to explain that verse or elaborate on it. Okay, let me read a little bit. It completely comes right after our Lord's Prayer. Okay, so keep that in mind about prayer. And then in 14 and 15, it says, for if you forgive me and their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive me in their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Alex is talking about a person whose heart is so hard that God recognizes that, and they're so bitter and hard. Does it have anything to do with that, you think?
>> Alex McFarland: yeah, I think it's, a little bit conditional and a little bit just, actual. Here's the thing. Why should God forgive us if we're not willing to forgive other people? And the other thing is, though, that just absolute, intractable unforgiveness just might be an indication that our heart has not been changed anyway.
>> Bert Harper: And it comes right after this prayer. So if you want God to hear you, you know, pray in this manner, and then he talks about this unforgiveness. If we're going to approach God with bitterness and hardness in our heart, you know, what right have we to go to him? So all of that is connected. Maryanne, I hope you're listening, and thank you for getting in touch with us on Facebook. You can as well. And Facebook. Exploring the word Facebook. Brent does a great job doing that, doesn't he?
>> Alex McFarland: He does. Let me. Let me just say. Psalm 66, verse 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart, God will not hear me. And the word regard is to, like, harbor or give place. And, that's why, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I think we need to often search our heart and make sure there's not, willful, unconfessed sin in our life. Now, I don't want to cause people unnecessary paranoia. If you've come to Christ, rejoice and be free in that. But, that Psalm 66 has always echoed with me. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.
>> Bert Harper: I believe forgiveness and salvation discipleship have a lot in common. One of them, it is an event that is followed by process. By that, I say, forgiveness, yes, in my heart, I forgive this individual, this difficulty, this person but again, you know, there's a tendency for us to bring it back up and certain things happen and it reminds us, and we got to go through the process once again. So work on that. Continue. Don't let it bear down on you. Who does unforgiveness really hurt?
>> Alex McFarland: Alex, the one walking around harboring the grudge.
>> Bert Harper: It is. So don't. Don't let that be a part of your life. Have that attitude, that spirit, and then you have to work at it. Yes, you do. It's just like salvation is free, but discipleship, man, it's work.
>> Alex McFarland: Let me just say this. I know we got a lot of calls, but, hey, you want to be blessed, folks? You want to just feel light and be set free? Let go of something.
>> Bert Harper: Amen. Good word.
>> Alex McFarland: I mean, it's a joy when you just say, lord, for your glory, with your help, no more. I let it go. I'm going to move on. There's a lot of joy in that.
>> Bert Harper: There is, and it's victory and we're victorious in Christ. We're more than conquerors. That means that unforgiveness spirit can be conquered through the power of the Holy Spirit. Let's go to Indiana and talk to Mark. Mark, thank you for calling. Go. Right.
>> Caroline: Hey, Good. Good afternoon.
Mark: How does this relate if Jonah didn't die in the whale
yeah, so Jesus made a comment, don't remember when it was, but that they would only be given the sign of Jonah. And so I was wondering, okay, so how does this relate If Jonah didn't die in the belly of the whale? What's the correlation between what Jesus was saying and he's, his death and his burial and his resurrection?
>> Bert Harper: Okay, the length of time that, you know, Jonah was in that, well, underneath the sea, in, whale or big fish, whichever one you might want to think it is. So that correlation is real, isn't it, Alex?
>> Alex McFarland: It really is. And I mean, Jonah, apart from a miracle of God, he would not have survived that. You know, it's just always amazing to me in, like Jonah 2:5, the engulfing waters surrounded me. The deep surrounded me. Seaweed was wrapped around my head. I mean, can you imagine being in the stomach of that whale with all that that whale had ingested and then the, digestive juices in that stomach? maybe Jonah didn't die in the whale's belly. He was miraculously preserved. And then, Hey, I gotta read this. You know how it says that the whale vomited up Jonah on dry land? Jonah prayed. And in verse 13, verse 10, I'm sorry of Jonah 2. The Lord spoke to the fish, and the fish vomited Jonah upon dry land. It said a backslidden preacher is nauseous even to a whale. Right. But I think the correlation was this. Jonah was, you know, three days and nights in the belly of the whale. Jesus was three days and nights in the heart of the earth, but he arose.
>> Bert Harper: Amen. Thank you so much, Mark. Let's go to Texas and talk to Paula. Paula, thank you for calling. Go right ahead.
Paula: In the New Testament, it's about when the devil tempted Jesus
>> Caroline: Okay. Well, I also am driving like someone else was, so I didn't look up my verses. But, in the NewSong Testament, it's about when the devil tempted Jesus. I know his first temptation was, you know, Jesus was hungry. And, you know, he says, well, then turn the. The devil says, turn these stones into bread. And. And Jesus answered with scripture that we don't live by bread alone. And then the devil led him to the mountain top, or however it calls it. But my question is, I guess maybe it has to do with the word lead. I'm quite sure Jesus knew this is the devil tempting me. And I'm wondering, why did he follow him up there? It says the devil led him to. I think it says mountain top or the hilltop or whatever. It's curious to me. But then I've been thinking about it, and I thought, well, maybe it was just to teach us. He knew that he could counteract that with scripture, and it was a lesson for us to counter the devil's temptations, for us with scripture. So.
>> Caroline: Hey, Bert, question.
>> Caroline: It led to the well surrounding the word lead.
>> Bert Harper: Okay, go ahead, Alex, I've got.
>> Alex McFarland: It might be a bit of a bombshell, but if you read Matthew 4, 1:11, Jesus was led up into the wilderness by the spirit to be tempted by the devil. And it's capital S. So the Holy Spirit led Jesus out to the wilderness. And now verse two. He fasted 40 days and 40 nights. And afterwards was hungry. And then the tempter came. That's Satan. Here's the thing. The spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, led Jesus into the wilderness. And it says, for what purpose? To be tempted by the devil. I want you to know, God was always in control of the 40 days in the wilderness. Okay. Christ, was led by the Spirit out there. He prayed 40 days, he fasted 40 days. And so Satan thought he was going to take an opportunity here. in this whole scenario, Satan had the lower hand, God had the upper hand, didn't he?
>> Bert Harper: He really did. Now, let me set this up then. In verse 12 after the three temptations. Now listen to this, and I'll skip part of it because I want to get to verse. But notice now, when Jesus heard that Jon had been put in prison, he departed to Galilee, leaving Nazareth, came to Capernaum he might fulfill, which was spoken of the prophet Isaiah. And it talks about that. That he came into this land. Listen to verse 17. From that time Jesus, here's an important word, began and to say, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. This marked the ministry Jesus would have. In other words, these temptations that he had. the bread business, the popularity business, and how, you know, the miracle work and how you. How you going to do this ministry you're starting Jesus. And Jesus won the battle. He knew how did he do it? Notice what he said. Not by turning the he, although he did feed some, but he did this ministry by preaching the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And so, Alex, I love that when you put it in the context of where it began and what Jesus did. what kind of ministry is Jesus going to have? It's a good time. Let me just. I know I'm taking too much time here, but it's the. What kind of ministry is a church going to have? Are they going to be the showboat ministry? Look what we do. Are they just going to feed everybody that comes along without sharing the gospel? You know, the gospel of the kingdom. It's the gospel. It really is. And that's where the power is. Paula, thank you for that. Good question.
Marilyn lost her husband in January of 25 after 46 years
Well, let's stay in Texas and talk to Maryland. Marilyn, thank you for calling. Go right ahead.
>> Caroline: Hi there. I. I'll start. I know your time is short. all our time is short, in fact.
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, that's true.
>> Caroline: I lost. I lost my husband in January of 25. He, We were married 46 years, and it was sudden and a shock. And, we were in the process of moving to another community at a different home. And, I had to get the survivor benefit document, and they took four months to get it to me. And, the mortgage company said I had to pay off every debt and my car to qualify. And anyway, things kept happening and, I paid off all those debts and we were moving out of our previous home, my daughter and I. And, we were having movers put everything in that house into storage. And it's because we were in a hurry to sell it to a cash buyer so we could use the equity. We don't want to talk about finances now. I'm sure it. I've had one attack, after another by Satan. He we had our car stolen as the about the third day we were here, stolen out of the driveway. And I thought, well at least the insurance will pay. But I had canceled mine thinking she had some and I was unaware or had forgotten that I did that. So we had no coverage for it. We had to replace was taken by adolescents under 17 so nothing can be done about it. And they are shielded. We had to get another car and pay had nothing to put down on it and, and it's for five years. So we were going to truck along with God's help. And my daughter got word that her income had been cut by 1400amonth. M and that's half of the house payment and there's no savings.
>> Bert Harper: Marilyn, if you hear the music, you know we are coming up on a hard break. we're going to pray for you people. I don't know everything. Marilyn has struggled with her daughter and we want to pray for her. God help Marilyn and I know she's hurting and still wondering and we trust you to help her to guide her. In Jesus name name Amen. We'll be bright right after the break.
Preborn network clinics offer free ultrasounds to women facing unplanned pregnancies
Right now, the voices in our culture, are loud. But truth is often silent. And today preborn needs you to help speak that truth. Women facing unplanned pregnancies are often pressured to act quickly before they have time to pause, breathe, or hear the truth about life, dignity and hope. But I refuse to be silent, and I'm asking you to join me. At preborn network clinics, a woman is welcomed with compassion and given a free ultrasound. She sees the life growing inside her, often for the first time. And in that sacred moment, fear gives way to clarity. And she's offered something the abortion industry will never provide. The hope of Jesus Christ. This April, our goal is to have 11,000 gospel conversations in preborn network clinics, trusting God to bring the increase as we remain faithful to speak. You can help make that possible by sponsoring ultrasounds. Just $28 provides one ultrasound. $140 sponsors five ultrasounds for mothers in crisis. Every dollar helps save babies and share the good news of Jesus Christ. To donate, dial pound 250 and say the keyword baby. That's pound 250 baby. Or visit preborn.com host that's preborn.com host
>> Alex McFarland: and m even when I ran, he didn't run away. He came and put that back in its place. Friday on a cross broken from my shame Sunday morning Rose up from that grave Take a look at those scars on his hands and feet he said our, songs for eternity Worthy is the name Glory to the king welcome back to Exploring the Word, Alex and Bert.
Alex: I'll be with Pastor Danny Dodds preaching about revival this weekend
As we get back to the calls, I want to invite everybody. If you happen to be around western North Carolina this weekend, I'll be with Pastor Danny Dodds at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, Sunday morning through Wednesday night. And we're doing part of our Revive Us tour, preaching about revival. Now, Bert, I don't know if you know Pastor Danny Dodds. He's just celebrating 20 years at Pleasant Hill Baptist in Elk, and just one of the great churches in North Carolina. But he is originally from Kosciusko.
>> Caroline: Oh, man.
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, yeah.
>> Bert Harper: Just down the road from Tupelo.
>> Alex McFarland: I love to preach around Kosciusko. Been in many, many churches down there. And, let me tell you, Kosciusko people, North Carolina is very grateful for Pastor Danny Dodds. But I'll be there at Pleasant Hill Sunday morning through Sunday night. And, come out and see us. We'd love to meet you.
>> Bert Harper: You'll enjoy hearing Alex, man. He gets into the Word and it's a blessing. And I'll be at Ozark Baptist Church here in Northeast Mississippi. Starts at 11 o'. Clock. Looking forward to it. I'll be preaching from the Book of Romans, chapter one. And, I'd love for folks to come be a part of that.
John from Texas calls with question about seeing God in his complete glory
Well, let's go to Texas, man. We getting three calls in a row from Texas. And this is Jon. Jon, go right ahead with your question. Jon, are you there? Let's try a, third time. Jon from Texas, are you there?
>> Caroline: God bless you, godly man. I don't know if you can hear
>> Bert Harper: me, but, yeah, go ahead.
>> Caroline: Responsible for my spiritual revival. Jon 1:18. No man has seen God at any time. And, I was just wondering. We know the story about, Moses. He, didn't see God. But my fervent prayer is, blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. I think Joe, early in the program lead us to the incarnation of God. The disciples certainly saw Jesus, but what about Adam and Eve? God walked with them in the cool of the day. You got any comments, advice, suggestions? I'll take my answer off of the air thing.
>> Bert Harper: Okay. We know at least it was a voice coming. Now, how that worked out, Alex, you know, and he would spend time with them again. Is this a. The whole thing? Could it be, Alex? In other words, Moses had to Be hidden in the cleft of the rock, hiding his house and, hiding his face. See and see him as he passed by. The back part, of the glory of God when God is not seen, haven't seen him in his full glory. Because even Jesus at the incarnation, you know those three guys, they had to bury their face into the ground as they bowed before him. Is it has to do with God in his complete glory?
>> Alex McFarland: I think it does. And I think two key words here in Jon 1:18 are the word seen and declared. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten son who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him. I, looked up the word seen about someone seeing God. And it means to clearly completely perceive. And so Adam and Eve heard the voice of God. They at least saw a manifestation of God when the Lord was walking in the garden in the cool of the day. but in God's eternal, all powerful, fully righteous essence, fallen humans just can't stand in the presence of that. But the Word declared, Jesus has to us, declared or manifested or made known the Father. If you want to know who God is, look at Jesus. If you want to see God, look at Jesus. So part of the incarnation, Bert, a lot we can say, but Jesus enfleshed himself, came and did what he did, is who he is. So we can see, experience and literally know God.
>> Bert Harper: Jesus, if you seen me, you've seen the Father at, what a glorious thing when we read concerning Jesus and in the word of God, we hearing from God.
John in Oklahoma says Ryrie study Bible is excellent for Bible study
So yes, let's go to Jon in Oklahoma. Jon, thank you for calling.
>> Caroline: Well, thank you for taking my call. My wife and I are doing our daily Bible study, with a Ryrie study Bible study. just wanted your comments on, the accuracy or reliability of those notes.
>> Bert Harper: Okay. Hey, I've got mine. I got the Ryrie study Bible in my library and I refer to hit to it quite often. And Alex, I found him very helpful and very accurate from what I can tell.
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, Charles Ryrie, actually years and years ago, got his biography, I read his biography. And Charles Ryrie, was as far as everything I've ever known, one of the great biblical scholars of the 20th century. And the Ryrie study Bible, my sister got one, years before I ever did, and then I got one too. But, a lot of notes, a lot of outlines, a lot of charts, and I think it's an excellent study Bible. You know, I love study Bibles. In fact, I kind of collect them a lot Little bit. And m. They've all got some unique things to commend them. But I don't think you'd go wrong with the ryrie study Bible, Jon.
>> Bert Harper: Keep on studying and keep on doing it together. What a blessing it is to hear from you brother. Well, let's go to Tennessee and talk to Robert. Robert, thank you for calling today.
>> Caroline: Thank you Hobart and Alex.
First Timothy 3:2 says a pastor should have only one wife
my question, it's a Bible question and it's first Timothy where Paul talks about a pastor should only have one wife. And I wondered about this over the years I'm coming up 30 years of being a Christian and I've seen a couple of times where churches were almost. Well one was tore apart and one was almost tore apart concerning this question because one of the pastors, he's an 80 year old man now but back in, he had gotten married early and his wife was unfaithful. He married another woman. And when he got called to preach, he had been a member of a church, this particular church and they, they wouldn't let him preach because he had been married twice. And then on another occasion a man's wife died and they needed a pastor and he had been a member for years and years and he tried to answer the call. They eventually did let him take the position as pastor. But it tore the one church apart and almost tore that one apart. And I've often wondered, is Paul talking about polygamy?
>> Bert Harper: Okay, yeah, Robert, we got that. Alex. We use this, we get this question, Robert, so often and it is. And again I'll say this and I'll throw it to you, Alex. A lot of, I would say Greek, scholars, Greek, people that know the Greek language. I know a little Greek, not a lot, I'm not as linguistic. That's not my strength and I know that. But it talks about being a one woman man, but I would say it was polygamy in that day. But also divorce has something. And let me just say this and I'll throw it to you. A man, if he has a heart of God and he is married, to his second wife after divorce and he got saved afterwards and everything else. Don't force a church to have to go through that struggle unless the church is agreed. Alex, you catch my thought on that because what happens, I've seen it happen several times where churches did. They just could not come to that agreement without a lot of fallout. Go ahead, Alex.
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, and listen, if you've followed exploring the word much at all. I think you probably know Bert and I are just about as conservative as it gets. I mean, really. But, no less, authorities than even Jon MacArthur, Norm Geisler, they would say that it really meant, above reproach, a one woman man, not a polygamist. It did not necessarily mean never having had been divorced. And I know, First Timothy 3:2 talks about being above reproach, but there in the First Timothy 3:2, where it says above reproach, the husband of one wife. That's what it says in the English. And many people have taken that to mean, could never have been divorced. there are even some churches that would not even accept, like, a widower, a man that, was unmarried, but maybe his wife had died. Really, though, the. I think what it means is, not a polygamist, not an adulterer. and I think even if a church is considering calling either a pastor or a deacon that had been divorced, I mean, was it before or after they were saved? what were the conditions of that? And so the larger first Timothy 3:2 issue is the character of the person. Bert.
>> Bert Harper: I agree. And, again, just, those of you that are preachers, God's called you to preach, and you're in your second marriage, let God lead you, but don't have such a heart. Well, I'll show them, you know, God can do that and lead you to a church. I believe God really matches up pastors and churches a lot of times, Alex. And, you know, and if you get that wrong, it can really cause difficulty and hardship. Robert. Hope that helps, brother. Let's go to Mississippi and talk to Eryn. Eryn, thank you for calling. Go right ahead.
>> Caroline: Oh, well, I want to thank y' all for having this, this hour every Friday to ask these questions. I googled it. But, the human interaction means a whole lot more than just doing that. but I'm wondering. I've got. I might have an opportunity coming up. And I'm wondering what the Bible says about retirement, if it says anything at all. There's very few subjects that don't talk about in life, so, but I hadn't been able to find anything about the subject at all.
>> Bert Harper: Okay. You. You will not. Far as what I can see, I do see. And Alex, I'll set this up. I do see God changing formats. Okay. See how God, he will use you where you are and with what you have. forcing a, person to keep on doing the work that they once did. I'm, I've I've. My background is farming. Okay. And I saw my dad come to the place in his life where he could not keep on doing and work in the fields and doing what he did in his earlier life. And he had to change some things, and it was less than. He didn't step out and do nothing, but he did less than. And so that occurs. That can occur in preaching, that can occur in teaching. Now, let's take it ahead.
>> Alex McFarland: The only biblical verse that even possibly alludes to retirement is in Numbers 8, 24. And following that, the Levites at age 50, verse 25. At age 50, the Levites must cease performing this work and shall work no more that they may minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of meeting to attend to needs, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall do to the Levites regarding their duties. So The Levites from 25 to 50 were to serve and serve diligently. But at age 50, they didn't just sit down and do nothing. They changed. It was a different season. Now, Billy Graham, one of my heroes, he was pretty vehemently against retirement. And let me just say this. we are stewards, and we're to be diligent for the Lord. There might a different change of season. After decades of hard work, you change to a different work, but it's still productive stewardship of time. Bert, I do think the American concept where you one day you're working, the next day you're free to sit, sleep in. Very counterproductive. In fact, I've done more than a few funerals of recently retired men that, you know, suddenly they just changed from high gear to reverse. And it was very counterproductive, for whatever time opportunity and resources you have, I think it's an opportunity to serve the Lord.
>> Bert Harper: Amen. I do. I've seen it.
Pastoring as long as I did. I saw some people that taught Sunday school, but again,
Pastoring as long as I did. I saw some people that taught Sunday school, but again, because of some mental, not anything that was, you know, dementia, but just not as quick, couldn't follow their notes. the. Their vision was poor. They had to change. So. But that's not retirement. That's not setting up. It's kind of like retreading and doing it in a different manner.
Alex: I'm a diabetic, and fasting sometimes can cause problems
Let's go to Missouri, Dennis. We don't have a lot of time. Go ahead, brother.
>> Caroline: Well, thank you very much for taking my call. I try to listen to you all as often as I can. I got two questions. First one is kind of a neighbor who's been saved and born again, has the spirit of the Lord living in him, can he also have a demon living in him?
>> Bert Harper: The answer to that is quick. No. No. Yeah, they can influence, but not possess. What's your other question, Dennis?
>> Caroline: I'm a diabetic, and one of the big problems I have is fasting, because with my blood sugar and all, fasting sometimes can cause problems. What is the proper way to look at that, Alex?
>> Bert Harper: there. If you fast, you better know what you're doing, hadn't you? If you've got some physical limitations.
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah. I'm a big proponent of fasting, and a book I love to recommend is by Elmer Towns, Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough. and Mark 9, 29, talks about some things are only accomplished through prayer and fasting. That being said, though, make sure you've checked with your doctor if you have any concerns or considerations, ah, relative to your health. You know, make sure that it's, not something that would be risky or detrimental. Bert, I think God understands where our heart is. And, if you can't physically fast and pray, you can still pray, but make sure you're being medically responsible.
>> Bert Harper: That goes along with the other question about retirement. There's times when you can't do what you used to do, but you can still serve, and that's what you want to do. Robert, sorry we couldn't get your phone, call, but we appreciate it, but we'll be back on Monday. Alex, we'll be in Ephesians again, won't we?
>> Alex McFarland: Yes, we shall. Folks, thanks for listening. Hey, I hope you'll be in church on Sunday, be in the house of the Lord, and if you can, invite somebody, get them under the sound of the gospel. We thank you for listening to Exploring the Word. If you would tell somebody about the great ministries of American Family Radio. Exploring the Word. Most of all, tell everybody about Jesus. The views and opinions expressed in this
>> Bert Harper: broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.
