Are God's Promises in the Old Testament for Believers Today?

The Old Testament promises to Israel apply to us today that just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity this is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day.

You can call us right now with your question. At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 and you can email us with your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first stop dog lovers take notice a new law in Germany may soon require dog owners to take their pooches for walks twice a day for an hour at a time. Yes, the countries agriculture minister Julia Coker says she's introducing law based on evidence that people are not providing their dogs with enough exercise or stimuli. Law also bans tethering dogs on a chain or a lead for long periods of time or leaving them home alone all day spokesperson for the agricultural ministry says that local authorities will be responsible for enforcing the law. The law, which is set to be introduced next year has received pushback from dog owners as well as from lazy dogs built a nobody got time for that MSO hours a day you have. I mean, I know Sparky.

He likes to go for walks so do you guys do two hours day. Are you kidding me know.

I mean maybe 25 minutes and maybe twice a day on a good day he's happy just kicking back, man, just like he likes to relax. Yeah, I mean, what about all the people who can't even walk for an hour out there like some sort of torture just sounds like the nannies they didn't really series their Germany man that had it listed to our first question of the day.

Stan emailed us and he says do you have a guide on how to discuss salvation for grandparents to use with grandchildren between the ages of four and 16. I want to present to them on their level so I don't blow my opportunity and I love that question. And good for you, wanting to encourage her grandchildren and ultimately to point them to the most important thing in life who Jesus is and what he's done for us.

The gospel and I think a lot of times we underestimate how much children, our children, our grandchildren can really understand.

I mean, I am blown away by my own kids, you know, there ages 1 to 8 and they hear and follow along with every damage seems like there if we care what you say around them because they're going to listen and I am so encouraged by the fact that even at that young age, the gospel is relatable, understandable that Jesus is for the little children we think about the scenes in the Gospels where Jesus is welcoming the little children to himself.

And your question reminds me of what we see in second Timothy, Paul told Timothy in second Timothy chapter 1 verse five. I am reminded of your sincere faith of faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother, your niece, and now I am sure dwells in you as well. What a beautiful picture of that that faith being handed down from generation to generation, first in your grandmother then in your mother and I know dwells in you and the key there is Timothy was taught the Scriptures a little bit later in that same book. In second Timothy chapter 3, beginning in verse 14, Paul said this. As for you, continue and what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. See the focus there, but this is what Timothy had from his childhood.

What when his grandmother and mother passed down to him. It was an acquaintance with the familiarity with the sacred writings with the Scriptures and so Stan, I would say the first thing is just been consistent in sharing the truth of God's word with your grandchildren. That is there a specific way to do that for younger kids more for teenagers and their asking different questions. I found that if you can just have consistent Bible reading time that can be really helpful, even if they don't understand everything what you find is that you're telling the story questions begin to arise in and have a we see that with our own family devotions with our kids. You will be reading through a section of the Old Testament or something of the New Testament and sometimes it seems that the kids are listening but then all of a sudden the Alaska question and say wait a minute, why did that happen or how can God did this boy that person was evil.

You know what what they need Jesus. And so, being familiar with acquainted with the Scriptures and sharing that with our family with our children and with our grandchildren, and I think the focus in, especially for the younger ones really just has to be Jesus his work for us on the cross. Some of the questions we like to ask early on our who is Jesus, when he do for you what is sin, and giving these sort of answers that that a child can understand your Jesus is God.

He came to save us from our sins. Sin is when we break God's law. We disobey mommy and daddy where is Jesus right now it is another question we ask what he's he raised up. He ascended into heaven, he rose again from the dead and ascended into heaven was having these conversations with our children with our grandchildren introducing them to the truth of Scripture and again. The beautiful thing is it's a work of the Holy Spirit. I remember what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 11 and I hope that this encourages you stand in Matthew chapter 11 Jesus prays to his father and he says something, but I just think it's so amazing he's praying. Matthew 11 verse 25 it says at that time Jesus declared, I thank you father, Lord of heaven and earth that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children. Yes father, for such was your gracious will. God is the one who opens the heart who opens our eyes, even the eyes of little children, Jesus prayed.

I thank you father that you hidden these things from the wise and the and the understanding that is referring to the religious leaders you know, the theologically educated nieces father you know you chose to reveal your truth. Your goodness your gospel to the little children and so pray that the Lord does that for your grandchildren, Stan, and introduce them day and night to the holy Scriptures and see what God does is you do that we really wonderful miraculous thing God works by his spirit with his word to change our hearts in a federal standard NASA centers question specifically but I'm kind of wondering if what might be behind this question is that his own children, son or daughter are not sharing Jesus with his grandchildren and do you have any advice for grandparents on how to be respectful of their own kids. The adult parents of abused children of the grandchildren at the same time not compromising on their faith yeah yeah well I mean certainly I just mention prayer. I would say begins with prayer, obviously. And if that's the case for Stan, praying for his children. In particular, as well, and I think a lot of times we can look back and say I wish I would've done more, or maybe even I wish you know that that what I want to teach my grandchildren. Now I had taught my children, you bring that before the Lord you you confess and you say God be merciful and God gives grace and I think your you're right on Bill that week. We never want to compromise and so part of it is the way that we live our lives to this. Another thing that I didn't even mention but but it's so important for us as we seek to teach our children the faith that they don't see a contradiction in how we live and what it is that were teaching about course, they're going to have to some degree because were centers but I think being able to lead and things like repentance, to show a level of transparency and say we need Jesus to grandpa needs Jesus dad needs Jesus mom needs Jesus to be honest about our failures about our faults and to be honest about the goodness of God and is his mercy to us in Christ and every circumstance is different Bill, but I would say beginning with prayer and then modeling the charity, the love of Jesus Christ and an offering to be helpful with your grandchildren. You know, spending time with them. I know my wife and I love we get babysitting so we can get out and what an opportunity for you to to just model love charity and have opportunities to be able to share the word of God with your grandchildren and to do so in a way that's respectful, but as you said you don't want to compromise. You want to be able to be a faithful Christian and to pass down that faith that is so important to your grandchildren great counsel. This is core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez and if you have a question for us. You can call us anytime at 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 they drill us go to a call that came in from cheap Rev. program.

Nonaromatic pair gone through a lot of depression and very long, no one never fit in; you have God are now I just need out on to why God… Certain things happen.

The people question last element happened in my life that makes me want to go further weakened, but why does she let that hiking she thank you for calling us your core, Christianity, and I want to begin just by praying for you and I invite all of you listening right now to pray for tea with me.

Father with ship to you God. I asked for your comfort.

I pray Lord, you will raise him up, you would strengthen his faith. Lord, thank you that he's even willing to give us a call and to be open to share the struggles that he's been going to board the isolation, the loneliness I pray Lord you would comfort him that you would be near to him that he would have a sense of your presence, but also that you would provide him with community Lord first and foremost, Lord, in your body, the church brothers and sisters in Christ Lord who could encourage him and walk alongside of him, even what he mentioned depression. What I pray for potential even up the good counselor who can encourage him and help them navigate through some of these things he's feeling and wrestling with Lord, we know that these have been difficult times for so many people, especially with the added isolation that the distance because of coronavirus restrictions artists to spend such a hard time and so we pray for him for an extra measure of grace we ask Lord God that you would open his eyes and his heart to the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. You have a sense of that love for him the grant this. We pray in Jesus name, amen. GME knows there's a lot that you did at the outset mention just of that battle with depression, the isolation, the loneliness I do want to just begin by saying if you don't have Christian community. If you don't have a Council minutes a lot of times, especially with things like depression.

Sadly, doesn't have to be the case and it should be the case but there is this the shame.

This feeling of why do I struggle with this.

Is there something wrong with me even a fear of shame related to going in seeing a counselor what you don't have to have that depression many times just like like any other sort of illness or is this something you can't control, and so there are circumstances, situations where it really is so important for you to sit down with the doctor with the counselor who said to be able to help you give you some extra guidance and so I want to encourage you to do that.

If you haven't been able to do that just to sit down with someone who can encourage you in that way.

And if you're not in a church and I know that things have been really hard right now church is not meeting in and there being less fellowship.

We've experienced that even in our own church, but you do need Christian community. The body of Christ doesn't matter who you are what you battle with we need that.

The author, the Hebrews said in Hebrews chapter 3 that we have to encourage each other, day by day.

While it is called today less were hardened by the deceitfulness of sin doesn't doesn't matter who you are, each and every one of us needs that Christian community that's encouraging us to work where encouraging others because were in this together now I can give you an answer to why God allowed or allows particular things to happen in our lives. I'm not sure what you've been through.

It sounds like there've been some really difficult things I can tell you, on the basis of God's word because what God does reveal he doesn't always reveal this side of heaven. Why certain things happen, but he does reveal in his word that he is good. Somehow, through all and that if you belong to Jesus by faith.

He's able to take even the most difficult things and turn them out for your good cheek. God isn't cruel or evil, and he knows suffering.

That's one of the beautiful things about the God that we worship and serve Jesus that he assumed humanity. He knows the depth of human suffering. The depth of isolation of loneliness.

He's the one who cried out on the cross, alloy, PLE, llama, Suboxone eat, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me. If anyone knows death of darkness of isolation of loneliness of abandonment. It's Jesus Christ, and she I want you to know that Jesus can sympathize with you the pain, the darkness the isolation he was tempted in all ways as we are the author the he process and yet he was without sin. He always had faith. He clung to the father into the promises in Scripture. He was perfectly righteous and holy and pure and brother he ever lives to make intercession for you.

He prays for you so that when you don't feel strong and when your faith is weak.

If you belong to him. If you believe in him.

Jesus, she is praying for you and he calls us to look to him and we don't know why we experience the suffering that we do this side of heaven, but we but we know is Scripture says that God is able to make even those difficult things those hard things work together for the good and the way we know that primarily is by looking to the cross talk about pain. Talk about suffering. Talk about sinful people crucifying the Lord of glory. And yet God was able to take that event which he had foreordained before the foundation of the world and turn it for the good of humanity and for the salvation of our souls. The redemption from sin. God is able to work even in the darkness. And God does work in the darkness she and so instead of turning away from him running from him.

I would say press into him pursue him receive the comfort that comes from from the spirit of God and from Jesus, ultimately, who, as I said can sympathize with you.

The temptation for all of us in those difficult times in our suffering is to run is to isolate is to flee, and I know it's so hard and I know that's kind of our natural reaction, but I want to encourage you as difficult as it is reach out. Get help to counselor reach out to brothers and sisters in Christ. You've already done that even just by calling this program you've already reached out will continue to get that fellowship that community that you need and ultimately reach out to Jesus by faith extend your heart your hands to him and lay hold of him, the one who loves you one who can sympathize with you and the one who is near to you by faith.

S churchy. This is core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez I Bill Meyer and today we want to tell you about our 100 page softcover workbook for the gospel of John.

This is a great offer in April.

Can you explain why this is a study that really everybody should have what I mean. The gospel of John is such a spectacular book of the Bible in this study does a lot of the difficult work for you made takes the deep truths that we find in John's Gospel, and it drops them right in your lap so that you can start living in light of those truths right now. Today.

A lot of us want only read the Bible we don't always know how to make that happen, though, each weekly lesson here is get a look at a specific Bible passage highlight key themes probe your heart with reflection questions and I think you'll come away with a better understanding of not just the gospel of John.

The whole drama of Scripture. This gospel is this spectacular is one of my favorite books and all the Bible in this study is a fantastic guide that will engage you from start to finish.

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Again, it's core, Christianity.com/gospel of John also call us for that offer any one of our offers at 833-843-2673. That's 833, the court later. Let's go to another question. This one was posted on her Instagram account from James and he says is holiness something that is imputed to us in the same way as righteousness is imputed or is there any difference between the two need to use a word there that might be new for some of our listeners imputation.

Imputed is the idea that God credits to us the righteousness of Jesus Christ. So Paul teaches throughout the book of Romans, it we receive the righteousness of Jesus is a gift credited to us imputed to us now is that we about holiness but positionally as believers in Jesus Christ.

We are the holy ones sanctified by Jesus in the sense that we belong to him.

We been set apart for example in the Old Testament, the holy vessels of the temple. They were set apart for the use the service of the temple.

They belonged to God, while it in in a very similar way, we are the temple of the true and the living God, we belong to him.

We've been set apart. We are holy.

Even if we fail and struggle with sentiment. Think about the Corinthians. For example, like the apostle Paul refers to them is as holy ones as sanctified in Jesus Christ. And yet we know by reading the book of first Corinthians that the Corinthian church had all sorts of problems and yet in Jesus positionally they can be referred to as holy. The various creeds of the church the of the apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed that we talk about the church being one holy, Catholic, or tablet that is means universal and apostolic church you think about this right now. How is the church holy me think about the church today with all the struggles that they call it holy. And it just doesn't seem right.

Well were holy. The church is holy because it's united to Jesus because the head of the church is Jesus Christ, the holy one, and his holiness is ours and so far as were united to him. Now that doesn't mean that were perfectly holy. This side of heaven were called James to pursue holiness to live in light of our new identity in Jesus Christ. We are the sanctified, the holy ones.

And yet, over and over in the New Testament were called to holiness, and so in one sense, we are holy in another sense were called to pursue holiness. James you are holy through your union with Jesus because Jesus is the holy one now pursue holiness with everything you have pursue God in Christ as a holy follower of Christ. James thanks so much for your question. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez we have time for one last question, this one from James.

You emailed us and said can we take Isaiah 43 one personally or is that just for the nation of Israel when he read Isaiah chapter 43 verse one but now, thus says the Lord. He who created you owe Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel, fear not for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine you talk with the intimacy their God reveals this this intimate love for his people. How he chooses and pursues his people that his agenda, no those promises of God we find in Scripture, we can apply them to ourselves, but only through Jesus Christ pulse and second with the instructor one verse 24 all the promises of God, find their yes in him.

That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

We are Paul says in Galatians the children of Abraham by faith. The promises that were made to him through Jesus Christ belong to us.

What are those promises you can give us the land. Now the land there is a type of something greater is not his. Not that we stand to inherit. You know a piece of land in the Middle East. It's that we stand to inherit the new creation. That's what we have to do we have to understand these promises.

In light of how they unfolded in the story of the Bible in the history of redemption and ultimately the promises first and foremost belong to Jesus, but also to us insofar as we are united to Jesus and so I think that we can say. Yeah these promises belong to us and there's even a wonderful text that I think speaks to this very specific promise in the gospel of John in John chapter 10, read verses one through three. Listen to what our Lord Jesus said, truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in by another way that man is a thief and the robber, but he wonders why the door is the shepherd of the sheep to him.

The gatekeeper opens the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

Jean Jesus is the good Shepherd who calls my name is us by his word and spirit. Thanks for listening to core Christianity to request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us@corechristianity.com and click on offers in the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833, the court when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this podcast and be sure to join us next time.

As we explore the truth of God's word together