Does Jesus Make Physical Appearances Today?

Does Jesus make physical appearances today. That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity wider.

This is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez. This is a radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day.

Here's our phone number is 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 also post a question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts and you can email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com April 1 up today we have a Facebook question from Phoebe. She says what is it mean that God is not the author of sin I'm studying that but I don't fully understand it. Phoebe thank you for that question. Yeah, I mean this is really important. Right because if God was the author of sin. That is, if God was coercing us to sin or something like that and then we could say that God was was evil that there was something you know really really sinister about this whole thing now we know that everything that happens in the world happens under God's sovereign control if you will is is decree and so what what I mean by that is, there are things that take place at the Lord allows but which we wouldn't say he's the author Ron Ford that he's, you know immediately responsible of for those actions. There are a few passages of Scripture that we could go to to to talk about this one that I oftentimes go to is in the book of acts. It's actually a prayer in acts chapter 4 where the believers are praying for boldness and we read there in verse 27 is truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate along with the Gentiles and the people of Israel to do what ever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

But think about that for a second, you have all these people were involved in the most heinous crime. You know known to man. The murder of the son of God and yet here that the disciples are able to pray Lord, we know that this happened, according to your your sovereign plan. Now, does that mean that that God was sitting in those individuals know they were they were following their own sinful desires, so while God allowed it, we wouldn't say that he was the author of it, and that the. The beautiful thing is the Lord used in one sense, their actions for the redemption of humanity and so we don't know how the storm is above our pay grade you think about what what Paul says in Romans eight that God is able to make all things work together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose as if it were doing some some deep theology here thinking about me and of the world.

Sin in the world. How how God relates to us and and how would understand these things but I think if you stick to to that reality that God is not the author of sin, even though he's he's over all things. I think that your your safe and your your where, essentially, that the church were Christians have landed for the last 2000 years because if we go as far to say that while God was sitting. He was the one who who who coerced these things to take place will then we have a really big problem with who God is and that's not the God of the Bible. So thank you for that question I meant thanks for that Israel.

This is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez received this voicemail from one of our listeners named Mark earlier this week on the girl on the perfectly card are welcome upon them up a little glimmer of social workers to dogs for a walk: I encouraged walking minister. Note that students bring about possible I don't forget about the think about the military war you can see him.

Mark, thank you for that. So that question is this sounds to me like you had this experience. This very vivid experience, you think about every day and that made it where would've been a miraculous exhibit.

I've heard of of stories of individuals. Individuals are sent and I had had a dream or a vision of Jesus and and I've even heard instances you need to get things coming out of the Middle East were either about Muslims having dreams about Jesus and then I hearing the gospel or meeting a missionary who shares the gospel with with them. So there are no these extraordinary circumstances. I think that that we hear about. I it's hard to say. Well, I wouldn't tell you what I didn't. That didn't really happen.

This is this is your experience. I think that the danger one thing we have to be careful with these kinds of experiences we hear these kinds of stories is do they line up with the word of God says his eyeballs are people so God spoke to me or appeared to me and told me to do X, Y, Z and it doesn't line up with what Scripture teaches. God is Artie spoken to us very clearly in his word and ordinarily typically he uses means to communicate to his people like like holy Scripture like like preaching now.

God is free to to work apart from means he could just zap us you know in and immediately reveal himself to us if he wanted, but ordinarily God uses means now in terms of that the content of your your your vision if you will, and eyesight. I was just thinking of how in the been the book of Revelation, Jesus describes himself as the one who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands in the lampstands there early in the early chapters of Revelation are our symbols for the churches that the seven churches that are described there in Revelation chapters 2 and three and Jesus says I am I'm there in your midst walking with you if you will.

Now does that mean that Jesus is with us in church bodily, no bodily he ascended into heaven is at the right hand of the father. He's not making visitations to earth ghetto in secret. One day he is going to come back bodily at the second coming and at the final judgment, but in a real sense we can say that Christ walks with us is walking with his church, by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit through the faithful preaching of the word of God and so IIII rest and that I made up I am a minister right, I'm a pastor and I take comfort in those verses in the book of Revelation that say that the Lord Jesus is with us and that's precisely what he told his disciples was in it when he gave them the great commission you sent them out.

He says in a going all the world and make disciples preach the gospel baptize and I'm going to be with you even to the end of the age and so and so that's a promise that we have from Jesus in his word and then I think that's where we should place our confidence.

God bless you Lexmark your notice that Marco saw Jesus wall. His pastor was walking with his dogs and I know when I'm walking with my dog. I feel very close to God. That's right yet we can learn a lot from them in the veto. He wasn't walking his cat power that if you could read it every Colorado empties got these empties. I'm joking and so yeah this is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez and would love to get your call. You can leave us a voicemail. By the way, 24 hours a day at this number it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 if you got a question for April and by the way, we have a wonderful resource we want to tell you about today.

It's a book from a friend of this ministry, author and theologian Nancy Guthrie had us right. Nancy just recently joined us here on core, Christianity, and we were yet it had a wonderful discussion with her. She really is such a blessing to be around. I and a wonderful Bible teacher doing these these conferences throughout the United States. Teaching biblical theology to women and sheet she just recently released a children's book called what every child should know about prayer.

This is many biblical theology of prayer for children and it's phenomenal. It's a wonderful resource it. Nancy explains in child friendly language what prayer is how and why we should pray and things we can pray about others. A Bible verse for each topic and a prayer for children to make their own and so I get a hold of this research your children and grandchildren.

This will really bless your family know prayer is such an important thing to model for our kids to teach them and you can pick up your copy of what every child should know about prayer by heading over to our website. Core, Christianity.com/offers that's core Christianity.com/offers a course you can call us for that resource for anyone of our resources at 833-843-2673, one of the ways you can submit a question is through one of our social media accounts and Chandler posted this on Instagram he says is the Sabbath on Saturday or Sunday.

I've seen so much from Seventh-day Adventist that say I'm doomed if I worship on Sunday.

This weighs heavily on my heart yeah Chandler.

This is why it's so important for for us to to have a biblical understanding of these things because as you say no people come along and say that you worship on Sunday you're doomed your condemned in and if we don't continue to search the Scriptures and come to the right conclusions. I will just be left. You know, distraught, and so know you don't have to be concerned for your soul because you worship the Lord on Sunday. Actually, by worshiping God on Sunday Chandler you're doing what the earliest disciples and apostles of Jesus Christ did and there there's a lot of evidence for this throughout the New Testament, it seems like they began gathering together on the first day of the week. Acts chapter 20 verse seven on the first day of the week Sunday when we were gathered together to break bread. Probably a reference to the Lord's supper.

Paul talked with them intending to depart on the next day and he prolonged his speech until midnight.

Their gathering together to do the stuff of church to hear the word of God taught to participate in that meal that Jesus gave to his church again on the first day of the week. On Sunday, and why were they doing on Sunday will because Jesus Christ rose from the dead on Sunday and in Christ we find true Sabbath rest is what he said to to his disciples and then to all come to me, you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. I'll give you Sabbath. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, that's the end of Matthew chapter 11 and so it's in Christ that we find true Sabbath rest and in the early disciples of our Lord in the early apostles understood that they began gathering together to worship the Lord to to meet and to praise him on the first day of the week. You see evidence for this. Also in first Corinthians verse 20 is chapter 16 verses one to. Also in the book of Revelation. Revelation chapter 1 verse 10 word and a note. John talks about receiving his vision on the Lord's day that is on Sunday the first day of the week and so so I would just say looking if that is what I often say if it was good enough for me apostles for John for Paul if if they were cool with it, then we should be to should be an issue or we think 00 you know I'm doing something I'm condemned because I'm doing this, know that the earliest followers of Jesus.

This is the example that they said were following them. This is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez. If you have a question about the Bible or Christian life.

We always love to hear from you can email us at questions at core, Christianity.com here's a voicemail received from one of our listeners named Laura every day and I always come away with something great and wonder I have a family member who is talking about flat earth and he proposes a lot of very convincing argument that is not often that we think if Ethan I wonder if there's anywhere in Scripture that talked about whether or not the earth is a globe or whether it if you can and cannot appreciate thank you so much for what you do but I will thank you for your encouraging comments look God reveals himself to us in two ways. These are sometimes referred to as the two books of Revelation 1 which I know you're familiar with what you know we talk about it every time on this broadcast. It's got special revelation. It's his word where we we learn about God, about salvation, about what God God wants for us and what it would've the word of God primarily teach what what were to believe concerning God and the duty that God requires of us as his creatures, so you have special revelation.

No right here in the word of God.

You also have this.

This other book we might refer to that as the book of nature or general revelation that spoke the world around us and God is speaking to that as well. Isn't he in fact God's special revelation. The Bible tells us that God is revealing himself through general revelation nature creation. I'm thinking of places like Psalm chapter 19 the heavens declare the glory of God.

The firmament shows his handiwork. Day unto day utters speech night and tonight reveals knowledge. That is the day in the night that the heavens, the stars there speaking to us about the greatness of God, the creator and I bet you've heard their voice before you go outside on a on a really you noted in a dark night, starry night you look up and you're just overwhelmed by the sense of the divine dissents of God. Or maybe you don't. Just the other day I was I was driving home later in in the evening and caught the most gorgeous sunset. I'm just looking at this thing thinking wow beautiful this this sense of the greatness, the glory of the creator.

Paul also talks about this in Romans chapter 1 yeah and so you have these two books if you will of of Revelation whereby you, through which God is revealing himself to us and we can receive both we receive his special revelation in Scripture and we received general revelation you would look at the world around us that you do observation through science, through trial and and so on and so forth and and we can treat that as God's truth. If you will, yeah, and the reason I bring all of this up is because you don't when people go to the Bible and they still look at this verse right here. It seems to suggest that the earth is flat, talks about the sun rising and in the four corners of the earth, and so on and so forth.

We have to understand that oftentimes the Scriptures use what is known as phenomenological language that's a big word but it simply means that essentially what's taking place is these these writers inspired by the Lord. Inspired by the Holy Spirit are giving us their their perspective from from the human point of view, if you will, but not making scientific claims that were supposed to take and sell well, like I guess the earth is literally founded on these pillars and and that kind of a thing know it's all I would say we ought to do is receive the best of what general revelation says we have through common grace through science to all these these wonderful things.

These gifts really and we can we can embrace that at right at and we can say this is good.

This is a blessing for for us for the world around us and it's one of the ways that God reveals himself to us and so II think just on the basis of God's general revelation that it's it's not the case. Right me that this is very clear that the earth is flat and so one of the issues today.

This is just as a separate thing is there is so much distrust in authority in anyone who who beat of the institution. If you will, and I think we can get caught up in this sort of sense of it.

Everybody's lying to us. We we just have to figure it out for ourselves a rejection even of common grace which is which is a big problem. The believing that God is revealing himself to the created world around us and a and that that's an issue I was, I think taking a step back and realizing that God reveals himself to common grace and that he also is revealing himself through his word special revelation and and basically embracing that reality and and being thankful for that reality. Be thankful for that. The scientific advancements that we've seen over the last several centuries, being thankful for the medicinal advancements that we've seen these are all things that we could, we could say man this is a part of God's goodness to us is just common goodness to the world that we should be grateful for so thank you for that question and may God bless you. You have conversations with this family member. So glad you pointed that out Israel. There's this kind of false dichotomy between faith and science in today's world, and among some Christians and yet if you look historically, many of the early scientists were devout Christians in one of the reasons that they explored God's creation was to learn more about them right yeah and in it should lead us to to worship him to praise him. Now I know that it doesn't for you know many people. Sadly, in fact that's what the apostle Paul says in Romans chapter 1 is we have this great creation around us. And then instead of worshiping the creator we worship the creation we worship ourselves and so we see that as well. But that that doesn't mean that God isn't actually revealing himself through the book of nature. If you will, through the world around us and when we should be in awe at that. It really is a wonderful thing.

I meant this is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Here's the phone number if you like to call us or leave us a voicemail anytime it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 believer's voicemail. Let us know your name and where you're calling from. Let's go to Bethany in Baltimore, Maryland Bethany what your question for Israel had a question. When you have younger kids. There's some things in the Bible that are tricky to talk about with your kids and dissents of the book of Solomon, for example, is is hard to try to go through a junket so my question is something like that is okay to let your kid to read or should should we avoid talking about that until they're older anything so that question Bethany.

I love that question because I have little kids as well.

Now I would say I think that there's a way that we can go through those books with our children. One of the things about that. The, the song of Solomon is. It is in its erotic poetry, but it's very poetic and it's very tactful when you compared to some of the other similar genres. If you will, in the ancient near East, which were a lot more crude, which were were not tactful. It it it's it's it's it's tasteful and know a better way of putting in and as I said, it's very poetic so it's not like them. You can read this, the song of Solomon in the poetry.

The language there and your mind is and immediately going to these. These images are in your children. I think that that would be the case either and what you can do is you can talk about the kind of special love that God has for his people through what what you read there in the song of Solomon them is this is this is picture of marital love of marital intimacy.

Many throughout the history of the church have also taken it as this this parable of the relationship between Christ and his church. As I think if we go in that direction. I think that that's that's fine that we can sort of draw things out of the song of Solomon of the song of songs four for our children.

As were talking to them about God's special love for us. This is his church as his bride.

The intimacy that the Lord has for his people. Ultimately, in laying down his life for us and so I really appreciate the fact that one your wanting to talk to your kids about the word of God.

I think just just that is awesome and so and so keep doing that sister and and you know there are there are a lot of other books you could also go to I guess it just depends on what it is that you want to focus on.

So if you if you want to highlight emphasize that kind of intimate love, that the Lord has for his people or how special the love is that husband and a wife have between each other.

I think you could use the song of Solomon and talk about in a way that's that's that's perfectly fine for four children.

Now, you could also be over the top and I've heard pastors do this with the song of songs as well and and sort of take all of this wonderful poetry that's that's done tactfully and in a God honoring way and just just handle it in in a manner that's not faithful actually to the text, and so but I don't think that you're going to do that. It sounds like you're very sensitive to, you know, wanting to make sure you're helping your children. One positive thing that all say about the song of songs that we really do need to recover.

I think in Christian families is too often we hear about intimacy. We talk about it in this very negative way. Don't we in the church it's it's very much taboo, it's don't do this don't do that you're gonna get you know yourself into a lot of trouble and so it we can have this are very negative view of sex of intimacy in in marriage and sometimes a church can can sort of put off that vibe, whereas the song of songs gives us a beautiful picture of marital intimacy, and so recovering that that positive view of Scripture of the goodness of marriage of the goodness of this relationship of that intimacy I think is something that would benefit our families and maybe if that unit in particular our children as they get older and so may cut bless you as you as you seek to disciple your kids in the Lord and talk to them about the things of the faith that really matter. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers in the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673.

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