Should Christians Be Performing Exorcisms Today?

Should Christians be performing exorcisms today. That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's edition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer along with pastor Gabriel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day.

We would love to hear from you and our phone lines will be open for the next 25 minutes or so you can call us with your question. At 833, the court make a note about for future reference 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. Now you can also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts. You can watch a drill in the studio right now live on YouTube and you can message us through YouTube course you can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to Ralph in Long Island, New York, Rockport. Your question for pastor atrial aerial hey round no problem. How you doing? Let us have it okay in Matthew chapter 24 okay and sorcery versus NAS Yankees came out of the temple and was going away when excitement came up to going out the temple building to an answer said the middle do not see all these things to a city without one supposedly left upon another will do not be torn down and so I will say okay when loose, be in an email he wanted to hear. We nationwide a good nation, earthquakes in various forms of domination, desolation I pass there, I might skip down to verse 33 and 34 Matthew 24 and he's talking to the disciples right so you two. When you see all these things, recognize that he is near left the door that it truly said you, this generation will not pass away. Do all these things take place now I'm searching the Scriptures about many reform church so they say reformed theology right says this took so little place. When Rome came in distorted temple and Jerusalem in A.D. 70, but this station asserts this not happen yet. So the question is best aerial going to Scripture how do you exegesis, how to expound this type Ralph thank you for that question anything. It's a tricky one. One that a lot of people get tripped up by not. I think the answer is going back to the beginning of the chapter as you say, I'm glad that you started there if you go just to the next few verses in verse three as he sat on the Mount of olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, tell us, when will these things be. Now that they're the referent third these things. He's that that they're getting at, you know what Jesus had just told them in the previous verses related to the destruction of the temple. So, when will these things be and here's it. Here's a second question here. Ralph and when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age so there are two things really that Jesus is unpacking is talking about the destruction of the temple and he is giving them signs indications.

He said you guys needed need to be ready for this, but he's also talking about the things that relate to the second coming to his final coming to the end of the agent so we realize that and then we can we recognize it in Matthew 24 that there is the two things that are being talked about and goes back and forth between talking about these things we can say well yes and of in a very real sense, they that generation experience that that the destruction of of the Temple in 70 A.D., but this also looks forward to a future desolation if you will destruction, one that characterizes Christ's second coming. When he comes to judge the world. Finally, in perfect justice and righteousness and so keeping those things in mind I think it helps to clear up any any any any problem that we might have in terms of you know that the chronology and did they really where they really there to see the single yes for the destruction of the temple which is one of the things that they had asked about and so Ralph, thanks for that question.

I love your digging in the Scriptures, God bless thank you Ralph so cool to hear people who are really interested, digging into the Scriptures, a drill and that's one of the things that we are encouraging here at core Christianity on a regular basis. Get out your Bible, start reading and if you got a tough issue or question, call us and it'll be glad to respond to your question, let's go to Josh in Merrifield Minnesota Josh, what's your question for a drill for the longer ending of Mark. I'm running across quite a few people using that passage can prove that Christians today should be practicing exorcism, speaking in tongues, they should see her pick up serpents believe you're familiar with longer ending, but I know that we can identify that this is this is not in the original or the older manuscripts that we have, but when you're dealing with the Christian who is into this type of stuff how you without saying that the scriptural it's questionable how would you go about dealing with this passage without trying to say is not Scripture yet thinks it for that question really practical because if you're talking to believers who are say well we should become snake handlers, because look at the end of March and you know do the sort of spiritual ghostbusters thing going around casting out demons that it affects how you're going to live the Christian life and frankly that mean you could be putting yourself in some danger.

So I appreciate this question is interesting because you look at that, the longer ending of Mark. And as you said there a lot of textual scholars who say will this. This may not have been in the original the original manuscript of Mark's gospel, but there there really is nothing that contradicts teaching elsewhere in the New Testament. In fact, it seems to prepare us for everything were going to be seeing in the book of acts, you know, the disciples speaking with new tongues and performing miracles and so on and so forth. But when people it will appeal to the book of acts, or even a passage like this is a will. We should be doing this today.

This should characterize the Christian life. My responses will we have to think about the way in which God ordinarily works today and how God was extraordinarily working during the days of the apostles, in particular for the advancement of the gospel getting getting the word of the gospel out and it seems to me like that that the purpose of miracles in the New Testament. These these miraculous signs was always to point to the reality of the gospel. You see this and in various places.

For example, and in the book of Hebrews. In the early chapters of Hebrews. The author, the Hebrews is encouraging that the Christian cities writing to to hold fast to the gospel, not to drift away from the gospel and he talks about how God basically testified to the reality of the gospel with various signs and wonders. Hebrews chapter 2 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. That's Hebrews chapter 2 verse four you think of the scene in the gospel of Mark in Mark chapter 2, where Jesus heals a paralytic to demonstrate that he has the authority to forgive sins on earth it's of the signs, the miracles were never an end in and of themselves, and I think for Christians who are poor really focusing on the quote unquote miraculous Christian life. We need to emphasize that we need to say look the miracles in the New Testament.

It wasn't about like a this is what that the ordinary Christian life should should look like they were always pointing to the greatest miracle miracle of all, which is the forgiveness of sins and just think about what Jesus himself said when he was confronted door will be and when a number of his disciples came to him after a period of casting out demons, how he responded to them. This is Luke chapter 10 beginning in verse 17, the 72 returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name and he said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you. Rejoice that your names are written in heaven. That's where our focus needs to be on the gospel on the fact that God through Christ is written our names in heaven that our sins are forgiven as a Josh is is I'm talking to people and is is you're having conversations with with friends who maybe are focusing on this I would say try to steer the conversation in that direction because again that the whole purpose of the signs and wonders in the New Testament was to testify to the reality of the gospel. If people were talking about this today are doing that if the focus is in the gospel then then their confused and maybe even misleading people, and so appreciate your your question brother and and may God bless you as you have those conversations with your friends. Hey thanks Josh, this is core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life right now is the time to call our phone lines will be open for the next 15 minutes or so and you can ask your question by calling us at 833-843-2673 can spell that on your phone at 833 the core by the way, we should mention that some radio stations air this program on a tape delayed basis. So if you're hearing it later in the afternoon or earlier in the morning just let you know the time to call and talk to pastor a drill live in the studio is 11:30 AM Pacific time. That translates to the 1230 Mountain 130 Central or 230 Eastern. During that time. You can call in the studio with your question. Otherwise just leave a voicemail anytime 24 hours a day.

Well summer is just about over school starting up and when school starts. A lot of kids are going to start getting questions about the Christian faith and we have a wonderful book that parents and grandparents can read with their kids that will help them respond to some of the tough questions they may get about Christianity. Yeah, it's called how do we know Christianity is really true. It's great for ages 9 to 13 as you think about the big questions related to life related to God.

How do we know that Christianity is true. This is a resource you can go through with your kids or with your grandkids that they could go through on their own and so get a hold of this book.

It's called how do we know Christianity is really true.

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How do we know Christianity is really true. We can send that book to you for donation of any amount at our website. Just go to core Christianity.com/offers. Again, that's core Christianity.com/offers and look for that particular book. All right, let's go to a YouTube question that we received from Lentz. Lynn says I've lost the habit of daily reading of Scripture since the last two months and I'm feeling far from God.

I can't seem to focus because of personal circumstances.

How I get back into having daily devotions while you're not alone. Lentz I think that a lot of a lot of Christians struggle with this. You know, there are there periods in our lives, we feel just that that energy that passion to study the Scriptures to pray to continue to press forward in those things to persevere in those things. And then there are mornings were you wake up and you just have no energy at all no desire to to read and I know that some believers really struggle with this.

They wonder well what what happened is the Holy Spirit left me did I lose my salvation as a brand-new believer. I struggled with those thoughts is that you know it early on in my Christian walk. I had this great passion you know people so you're on fire for the Lord, you just are devouring the Scriptures, but then over time that that fire seems to to go away and you know you wake up and you're distracted and boy you read the Bible and it just doesn't seem like you're getting much out of it. So what you do in those situations well I think you know rather than say well I'll do that when the feelings come back. I think we have to cultivate this this persistence if you will. This this commitment. This diligence in doing the doing the things that we know are going to contribute to our encouragement, our growth in grace. I mean, I oftentimes tell people this related to going to church on Sunday morning. I know that there gonna be Sundays were you wake up and it's I just yeah I'm extra tired yesterday was a really busy day or that kind of the thing I don't really feel like going will know were committed to these things were committed to the things because we believe that it's through these things as we hear the gospel preached, as were meditating on the word of God as we draw near to the Lord in prayer that God is continuing to work in our own lives and to strengthen us to help us grow.

II think it's interesting that the apostle Paul when he was writing to Timothy. He says you train yourself and in godliness. Exercise yourself in godliness, bodily exercise profits, little but godliness as this it has is major profit not just for this life, but also for the world to come. You think about it like like going to the gym. For example, right most of us we wake up in the morning and the last thing you want to do is gonna run a go to the gym and we we know that if you do we do it sort of inconsistently there's there's not a lot of payoff.

Maybe we go once a month. That kind of thing. But as you persevere. As you press forward as you continued it to do those things you begin to see the benefit in its it's the same I think with with studying the Scriptures with reading the Bible so I would just encourage you lens to get back into the habit and of course were not to be perfect and you don't need to condemn yourself when when you miss a day or a few days.

Just continue to press forward and draw near to the Lord and know that as you do that the feelings they follow then it might might take some time but as your digging into the Scriptures and if you're reading the Bible is your praying even even when it's difficult your continuing to press forward. I think you really start to see that the fruit the benefit from that, and so on. Encourage you, you know, don't beat yourself up but but continue in the small things to be faithful God bless you your listing to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez Spears number to call if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. It's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 let's go to voicemail.

We received from one of our listeners named Chip have a question about Galatians 4.

Specifically, the part where Paul talks about a car and Sarah in that he gives the example of Hagar being the one his son is a slave. According to the flesh, and Sarah, her son being according to the promise. I wonder why Paul makes this dichotomy between the two because Sarah seems to be the person who treats Hagar very poorly.

Hagar seems to be the one being unjustly treated.

Yet here, Paul seems to exemplify Sarah's is the good example for the good person of that story so just wondering what your thoughts are on the passage yeah well it is very clear from Genesis Genesis 1610, Hagar is mistreated. In fact, I just I just preached on this text. Not too long ago, the reality is Abram and psoriasis prior to the their names being changed in Genesis 17 there acting very faithless lady in Genesis chapter 16, even after all of the promises that God given to them. Now they're trying to bring about the promise of God through human strength through the arm of the flesh and as a result, Hagar is mistreated work were told in Genesis 16 that she was treated harshly in the word.

There is a is a very strong word, so she flees and the angel of the Lord pursues her and so I think we see God's guys care God's compassion God's goodness even to Hagar despite the fact that the promise of God was not going to come through her and to the child that was born of her and and Abram's relationship and so what what Paul picks up on in Galatians 4 is just this idea of the promise that ultimately the promise of God was always supposed to come through Isaac through the natural son that Abraham would have with Sarah and he's distinguishing therebetween.

The that the child of the promise in the child of the flesh, and later in the story of Genesis. Of course there is this tension between that the child of the promise, and that the child that was born to Abram and in an Hagar and so it's really important. I think that we we see that it's all of the things that always picking up on but I don't think he's intending to depict Hagar as evil or wrong, even in Genesis chapter 60 because the text of Genesis 16 makes it very clear that that actually was a Roman and Soraya who were who were sending the focus is on the promise of God and how ultimately God's goodness was going to come through Isaac and and that's a post picking up on in Galatians 4 appreciate that question. Have a blessed day. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. We love getting your calls and if you call it a time when you can't get through. You can always leave us a voicemail 24 hours a day, and that number again 833 the core so give us a call. Let us know your question when you call, make sure to tell us where you are calling from, and what radio station you're listening to. Let's go to Diana in Springfield, Missouri Diana what your question for pastor. Israel okay. I was reading about unit in the Bible and okay what happened okay Christian couple arrived I married man I married woman in a church day six months do not fornicate before they marry. Then they marry and the woman finds out that the man is a sexual unit or era has homosexual tendencies that he's not acting upon those that same thing is the sexual sin that is permissible for divorce in the Bible and very complex question in and situation now. Typically, you know it when we talk about divorce from Scripture I my view is that there are two legitimate grounds. According to the Bible, according to the New Testament, in particular one is infidelity. The other would be cases of abandonment and I think we we take that from first Corinthians chapter 7 but one of the things were really careful to do on this broadcast is not just to tell people hey this is this is in a clear case where you can and should get a divorce. That kind of thing because the reality is, these these kinds of complex issues require a lot more help.

They require the help of the local church and the hope would be that did this couple would sit down with their pastor, probably with the counselor, therapist even and and think through some of these issues and and and how to best approach them. That's not something that that I can do from this seat from where I'm at right now there there needs to be a lot more a lot more done in terms of your thinking through this situation, but but I would say probably the the important steps now would be as I just mentioned sitting down with with the pastor that we would you, but are these people on the youth and they got married they met in the church they got married. Are they are they in a church still mean is this something that has come before the I am sure that he has left me alone on a blown out grandchildren, blown off God and he also has financial craziness. But anyway I talked to pastor and the pastor agrees. I really have no choice because of all the financial craziness that he could make your bed, but my my eye.

I didn't even know until I read a passage that some people are born unit will Diana I am I am so sorry to hear about this.

This situation and and again it's it's complex that this sounds to me like this could be a case of abandonment. If he's just totally left the marriage abandoned you abandoned the church, even in this is where it's really important for the church to to step in where Jesus gives us a process in Matthew chapter 18 in the process of church discipline, and so I think that that's also good to be really important here that your your pastor the elders there need to be calling this person this man to repentance to faith to walk as we've we've confessed in Jesus and so that that's got to be a part of it as well. But as you think through those these these things together with your pastor you because you bring into consideration text like first Corinthians 7 were talks about abandonment and Paul writing to Timothy says that if a man does not provide for his his family.

He is denied the faith and is even worse than a nonbeliever.

And so you know that this is a real serious serious thing and I'm sorry to hear that your your having to go through this. I want to just take a moment right now to pray for you to pray for your pastor and just to ask that God gives you wisdom and much grace in this times. Let's pray dear father we lift Diana up to got our hearts break. We know that you love marriage that marriages is a good gift that you give to your people and yet because of sin. So often we don't we don't treat your gifts as we should.

And it sounds like our sisters in a really difficult situation right now. We pray for wisdom for her. We pray for wisdom for her pastor for the leadership of the church. We pray for this. This this man, Lord, who seems to be running from the marriage from the church, even Lord Jesus, would you bring them to repentance to to turn probably at work in the situation.

Grant, wisdom, grant, healing grant peace to our sister as she looks to you. We pray in Jesus name Amen amen Diana, thank you for giving us a call in Christ continue to hold you in his in his arms, and I know that he does.

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