The Difference Between American Presidents and Israel’s Kings

Are there any parallels between Israel's kings in the Old Testament and modern-day politicians.

That is one of the questions will be answering on today's edition of core Christianity hi 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 if you're on social media. You can post your question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts and you can also email us with your question at questions at core, Christianity.com will a new study has revealed a surprising statistic a shocking number of American kids say they have never seen a cow in person RV travel site parked in paradise recently asked 3500 American young people between the ages of 11 and 24 about their travel experiences according to the report. 15% said they'd never been outside of the state where they were born in a full 33% one in three say they've never seen a cow in person atrial.

Do your kids know where hamburgers come from McDonald's. Yeah, we have seen cows I mean. I feel like you know driving around here in Southern California you you can depending on where you are. Find some cows on the side of the road and me such beautiful creatures to people that she surprises me, Bill.

So few people have seen it now. Yeah, we live in Minneapolis and right across the border is Wisconsin very close to us. There are lots of cows there. In fact, one day we were driving across the border in my daughter she was younger at the time she was dad. There's the ones that make the cheese from Wisconsin. He was right and I am thankful for cheese Bill yes me to look at our first question of the day.

This one came in at 833.

The core yes my name is Khan and I'm calling from Minnesota. They wanted to present who have been between what if someone can lose their salvation. Someone cannot lose your salvation so I want to give some clarity on diets of scriptural references � whatever point that you will be providing.

Thank you brother thank you so much for that question and first let me just say I know how scary that thought can be for a believer. I remember when I first came to the Lord being so grateful for the forgiveness of sins for the grace of the Holy Spirit in my life. It was also new to me and I remember the thought hit me one day what if I lose this, and especially if you know yourself and you know that you're a sinner you know that then it becomes all the more terrifying because you think yourself. I know that it's hard to trust myself at times we think about what Jeremiah says about the heart of man in Jeremiah 17. The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately sick. Who can know it.

This is one of the questions I think brother that causes a lot of concern for believers. Can I lose my salvation. And there are passages of Scripture that many people will point you to say yes absolutely you can see this text here in Hebrews chapter 6 or what Peter said to the false prophets in second Peter you know that the go to different places of the New Testament and the Old Testament to say that a genuine believer can lose their salvation but I don't think that that's what the Scriptures teach for me.

Comfort came when I began to realize that salvation was God's work, not mine and that ultimately it was God.

It was Jesus Christ, who is going to preserve me. There are a few passages of Scripture that I would point to someone John chapter 10 verses 26 and following.

This is Jesus speaking to religious people. False teachers essentially that the Jews who were rejecting him didn't believe in him and he says this to them.

You do not believe because you are not among my sheep my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My father, who has given them to me, is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of the father's hand.

And what a comfort that is in Jesus is saying look my sheep. They come to me.

They believe in me, they know me and no one is ever going to be able to take them out of my hand.

Satan himself cannot snatch my sheep out of the father's hand. It really is a wonderful promise that we have there in God's word and there are a lot of passages in John's writings and preaching to first John right now.

I think that make this exact same point me throughout first John-John schism I'm writing these things to you who believe in the name of the son of God, that you might know that you have eternal life. If you're born again. If you along to Jesus Christ by faith you've trusted in him, you can't lose your born-again status. You get the unborn again your child of God and Jesus keeps you think also what the apostle Paul said in Romans chapter 8 we know verse 28 for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and those whom he predestined he also called and those whom he called he also justified and those whom he justified he also glorified.

You see, right there help all of salvation.

The whole thing is the work of God. God is the one who calls who justifies and adopts us into his family who sanctifies us and glorifies us and so our hope is not in our own ability to be wholly enough in order to be saved or to keep ourselves saved our hope is in Jesus, the good Shepherd. If you've wrestled with this question. If you've wondered cut in my can lose my salvation. I don't want to I want to follow you.

I want to love you, but I'm afraid because I know that I still sin will remember what John said if anyone sins, and first John if anyone since we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Our hope, our comfort is in the Lord. He keeps us he preserves us and so I don't think that a true believer someone who's been born again can lose their salvation. Those are some of the passages that I would go to brother, thank you for your question. This is core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez. Here's a question that came in for a Facebook account from Joshua.

He says in first Corinthians 8 it talks about the strong and the week as groups within the church in Corinth. These groups had differences of opinion over various issues. But Paul specifically encourage the strong group to put the needs of the week above their own.

My question is why is it so difficult for us to do that. Why can we in the church be so preoccupied with our group's views on various issues that we forget to love those around us. I know there are examples of churches doing what Paul commands them to do.

But those good examples seem to be drowned out by controversy and strife.

What you think.

Yeah, just out with had to think about this a lot in these days haven't we with coronavirus and some of the restrictions that have been placed on us as citizens and also on on churches as well. In first Corinthians chapter 8. The issue there was food sacrificed to idols. There were some believers people who would come to Jesus out of a life of paganism would once maybe worship some of these false idols and it was really difficult for them to eat the food meat that had once been offered to an idle because it just it struck their conscience in a way that made them feel like they were sinning when they would eat that food.

Now there were other people who didn't have that same problem: in first Corinthians 8 talks about how the idol is nothing he doesn't have any real existence and some people who grasp that point for them. It wasn't a big deal for pulses that you can't be sensitive to those who are still struggling with this were still wrestling with this, but you're right it is often times so difficult for people and for us to put the needs of others. The concerns of others above our own to the thing is and and here's the answer to your question, I think this is why it's so hard we don't want anyone to tell us how to live. We'd rather do our own thing than inconvenience ourselves for the sake of someone else and there is a great concern that many people have that others are trying to snatch away our liberty.

So I think that there is one. The lack of willingness to inconvenience ourselves.

But I think there's another piece to the puzzle here and that's fear. People are afraid that others are going to try to rule over them to radically and so they don't want to let go of. Maybe some of their rights in order to serve the quote" weaker brother that there's a really important distinction. I think here that needs to be discussed when were talking about Christian liberty and is the distinction between giving offense and taking offense a lot of time sitting we don't make this distinction, you can get into some some serious trouble giving offense happens when, like Paul is talking about there and in first Corinthians chapter 8 we as Christians actually give offense. We do something that causes a brother or sister to stumble and that's a terrible thing in impulses. Look what we need to do swing to humble ourselves to be like Jesus and serve each other out of love, rather than giving offense not taking offense is different than giving offense taking offense is when someone just wants to impose their rules on you and so you haven't really done anything to give offense but they're taking offense you think of Jesus's interaction with the Pharisees, for example, director how they accused him of being a glutton and a wine paper. Oh he drinks with with sinners. They took offense at him. But Jesus didn't listen to what they were saying because they were taking offense. He knew that there were legalists that they just wanted to impose their own rules and regulations on him.

I think is important for us to understand these distinctions because there are times in the church where we really give offense and we have to humble ourselves in repentance the United do a better job. Loving the people around me.

But then there are other times where people are just taking offense and they want to impose their rules and restrictions on you personally and is not a matter of being caused to stumble or their faith being hurt is just a matter of them wanting to control and so immediate it really takes wisdom and and some pastoral sensitivity to be able to distinguish between these two and every situation is a little bit different, but at the end of the day, Joshua. I think I think it is important for us once again to read these passages like first Corinthians chapter 8 what Paul says in the book of Romans on the same subject as they look MMI doing this in my being sensitive to the needs of my brothers and sisters around me and serving them in love for the glory of God and for the advancement ultimately of the gospel through our Christian unity.

So thank you for your question.

Hope that encourages you. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez and one of the best ways to understand our sin nature and God's marvelous grace is by reading the book of Romans and today we want to tell you about our core Bible study on Romans build the book of Romans is one of those books that has been life-changing for so many believers I mean it was the book that transformed Martin Luther in me think about the entire Protestant Reformation. It was as Luther was studying and reading in the book of Romans that he had this this great epiphany that God opened his eyes to the grace of the gospel. The free grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It's one of those books that I think Christians need to study and need to know and that's what we created this 10 week study on the book of Romans.

It's available as a physical study or you can even get it a PDF download.

There's a leaders guide available for all of our studies as well and so head over to core Christianity.com/offers to get your copy of our new Bible study on Romans by the way, this could make a great resource to send to your pastor or your small group leaders. They are planning the next Bible study you can call us for this or any one of our resources at 833-843-2673 later will.

Here's an email that came in from one of our listeners named Elliott he says I have a friend who doesn't believe in the universal church. She says because the word ecclesia means the gathered ones.

It means the church is only a local body.

What we call the universal church.

She calls the family of God, work, and I turned to show her that the family of God, can also be called the universal church. The Bible uses the word Iglesia or church in several different ways me. Sometimes it is referring to a local body you think of all the times.

The apostle Paul wrote letters to the various churches or Jesus addressing the various churches at the beginning of the book of Revelation local congregations.

Bodies of believers sometimes though the word is used in reference to the whole universal church what your friend is referring to is the family of God. And sometimes it's the church, defined by its representatives. I think of places like acts, chapter 15, for example, the Jerusalem Council were told that the church came together and and it's probably there referring to the officers of the church elders of the various churches coming together to talk about important matters facing the whole church that the body of Christ. Now where can you go to show your friend that this word church can also refer to the whole church. The universal church.

Well I think Jesus's words in Matthew chapter 16 verse 18 we speaking to Peter.

Peter had just confessed Jesus is the Christ. And Jesus said to Peter, and I tell you you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Just think it was two or three days ago my daughter asked us this question. We are outside walking around, and she said dad does Jesus have a lot of wives because there are so many churches and by that my wife and I looked at each other and we just laughed.

It was so cute but I mean it was an honest question because we talk about the church as the bride of Christ, and she knows you know her dad is a pastor and we have our church, but there are a lot of other churches and so I think it just it just struck her one day we said no you know there there really is one universal church as well. And isn't that exactly what the apostle Paul says in Ephesians chapter 5 and this is another passage of Scripture that you can go to gets there that the apostle Paul draws an analogy between wives and husbands in Christ and the church. In verse 23 assess for the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish in the same way, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, and again Paul is using that word Iglesia here is because we are members of his body. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. And so Paul makes it very clear there Elliott that that the church can refer to the universal body of Christ. Call that the family of God as well, but it's straining the word Eckley's yet to say that it can only referred to a local gathered assembly that's not the only way that the New Testament uses the word so thanks for your question. Your listing to core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez and federal here's a call that came in from Rosemary in Kansas City hi what's going on and the political, reliable, and when Adonijah took on the April dated with Diane in first clue chapter 1 and is on the exit question because a lot of things that Canada similarity to what's going on. This answered at 11 get out. They said it think you and I enjoy you shall have a great day bye-bye hi Rosemary, thank you for the encouragement and for listening for that question. I can see why you might feel like there are similarities. David was the rightful king. Then when it was time for him to be replaced.

One of his sons, Adonijah basically tried to unlawfully take the throne, and David's wife Bathsheba in a sheet helps to intervene, so that the rightful heir. Solomon is eventually placed on the throne, but it's a question of who is the true ruler right now. And there have been a lot of people asking that very question. In our day today that one big difference is that the stakes were much higher in David's day because this wasn't just an earthly kingdom. It was God's kingdom was the political body that God worked in and through under the old covenant and the United States isn't God's kingdom on earth. The churches were just talking about that the Eckley seer that universal body of Christ. The church is a manifestation of God's kingdom. I like to think of of local churches is kingdom outposts embassies were people get to hear the message of the grace of God in Jesus's victory over sin and death.

I would be very cautious of trying to draw a parallel from first Kings chapter 1 to our current situation for that very reason. Because were not talking about God's kingdom on earth.

Today we talk about the United States that there are some similarities raining.

Obviously, when you think about leadership succession.

Sometimes there is controversy associated with new people want to remain in power. We want to be in power so that can lead to conflict. And that's why it's so important that we have good rulers and ultimately that God would send his son Jesus, the ultimate king into the world to establish his kingdom and to be the forever king of God's people.

I love the way the psalmist but in Psalms chapter 2 we talk about political conflict all around us, and that has existed since the very beginning Psalms chapter 2 why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us. He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord holds them in derision, then he will speak to them in his wrath and terrify them in his fury, saying as for me, I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill. I will tell of the decree. The Lord said to me you are my son, today I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will make the nations your heritage and the ends of the earth your possession, you shall break them with a rod of iron � them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Now, therefore, oh kings, be wise, be warned over rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the son, lest he be angry and you perish in the way for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him, Rosemary.

I think Psalm two is a wonderful Psalm for us to meditate upon in this season.

The kings of the earth set themselves, we want to take power. We want to be in positions of authority.

God has established his forever king on Mount Zion. Jesus, the eternal son of the father, he's the king of the whole world, and we trust in him that it doesn't mean we are citizens also of the kingdoms of this earth and we don't participate in these kingdoms for their good pray for them. We don't participate in in voting in some of those things that we all did.

Not too long ago, but the real thing that's highlighted by these stories. And even that story in first Kings one is like I said the need for this king.

The king of Psalm chapter 2 terrain over the whole world and to reign in our hearts by faith but through the focus of the Scriptures and and I think that's were we at the focus as well.

So well said it really my wife and I been discussing this a lot lately with all the controversy, postelection, and it is so easy I think for those of us were followers of Christ to get anxious about where our country is where it might be headed. And yet we need to place our full faith and trust in the fact that Jesus is the king who rules over all and for eternity. That's right and there's a there's a balance right so I mean our our confidence, our trust is in the Lord has to be the case. The psalmist said, and in some 118 verse eight is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in men coming. God knows right like it if you put your trust or confidence in people. They're going to let you down. And yet, like I said, we do want to participate in the world around us and were not were not trying to flee to the mountains just I'm just going to trust Jesus and build my bunker. That kind of a thing.

No were engaging with the affairs of this world. We were wanting to be good citizens of the countries that God has a sin to serve the people around us to to pursue laws that are going to be good for ourselves and also for our neighbors for those who are in need and so so there's a balance, but ultimately, like you say, Bill.

Our hope has to be in the Lord Jesus Christ and then maybe for you.

Listening right now that it's important that your reminded of that because this is a time where so many people are filled with anxiety and fear. It's going to happen tomorrow. Well remember what Psalm two says God has established his king on Mount Zion you know when we gather together for worship as Christians were going to that mountain, the other the recesses and in Hebrews chapter 12 were gathering before the heavenly Jerusalem to hear the word of our king, and he speaks to us his peace is comfort his love for our sins are forgiven, and he sends us out into the world as ambassadors of his kingdom. Ultimately, be comforted by the fact that our hope is not in this world, but in Jesus Christ, thanks for listening to core Christianity to request your copy of today's special offer.

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