My Spouse Loves Jesus but Is Also into Conspiracy Theories. What Should I Do?

My spouse loves Jesus, but is also into conspiracy theories. What should I do. That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity will hi this is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez.

This is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day.

Our phone lines are open right now and will be taking calls for the next 25 minutes or so, here's the number to call. It's 833-843-2673 if you want to spell it out. It's 833, the court, 833. The core also post your question on one of our social media sites course you can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com and first federal here's an email we received from one of our listeners.

This is from Alyssa. She says do our spirits go to heaven when we die, or did they stay with our bodies. How does this work. It's always confused me. Alyssa, thank you for your question and this is a question that we received on the broadcast many times and and I think I think it's it's something that concerns people you know what's gonna happen to me when I die, I know. I believe in Jesus I've received him for the forgiveness of my sins, but when I die, do I enter into his presence. Do I go into some sort of soul sleep waiting for the final judgment. There are some people who think that by the way, I think the New Testament is absolutely clear here.

There's this wonderful passage in the book of Hebrews in Hebrews chapter 12 where the author the Hebrews is talking about approaching God in worship and he paints this picture of heaven, if you will of the church gathering together here on earth and joining, you know, the people of God.

The Angels there in heaven around the throne of God.

He says in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 22. You have come to mount Zion into the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven into God, the judge of all into the spirits of the righteous made perfect. The spirits of the righteous made perfect. I think that those are our loved ones who've died in Christ were waiting for the resurrection looking for the resurrection of the dead in the life of the world to come.

But, but between now and the final judgment of the final resurrection of the souls of believers are it immediately when they die immediately made perfect in holiness and enter into the presence of God is as we see there in Hebrews chapter 12 and there are number of other passages that make this clear by think of what the apostle Paul said in second Corinthians chapter 5 to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord in Philippians chapter 1, when Paul was writing the Philippians about his ministry in his life and looking forward to going and being with Jesus. He says that that's can be far better.

He said, than anything I've ever experienced that my desire is to depart and be with Christ. He says what he envisioned it. When he died he would be with his Savior. He would be with Jesus. And if you believed in Jesus Christ. You have that hope to we have the hope that immediately. Our souls are to be ushered into the presence of the Lord perfected in holiness, waiting for the resurrection of the dead. God bless some great comforting words.

Thank you for that. Israel you're listening to core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez and you know a lot of people made a New Year's resolution to start reading the Bible this year and if you've never done that before. You might find that the Bible can be a little bit intimidating so we have a wonderful Bible study to help get you started right at really want to encourage you to get a hold of this resource. If you're someone who studies the Bible and wants to go deeper in your understanding of the Scriptures we have a 10 week Bible study called how to read the Bible and it will really encourage you and equip you to read the Bible for all it's worth supporting her to understand that the genres the context the relationship between the old and the New Testament. The centrality of Christ and the gospel in Scripture.

I know that this is something that that a lot of people struggle with and so we've made this resource just for you and it's yours for a donation of $20 or more, how to read the Bible get a hold go to our website@corechristianity.com/Bible. That's core Christianity.com/Bible and look for the new study how to read the Bible. It's great and it will really help you dig into God's word on a regular basis and understand it more clearly, and then apply it to your life once again. Core, Christianity.com/Bible was go to a voicemail we received from one of our listeners earlier this week I will rock the boat. I really be concerned about every day for about a year now all you want to know better, and I don't know our programming errors, but I should be doing right here, you know, a dear brother, thank you so much for giving us a call and it sounds like you're here, you know, in a in a tough situation. This is something that's affecting your your marriage and you want to encourage your life and I commend you in that and certainly prayer is so important, so continuing to pray for her for the two of you together but I think that there are passages of Scripture that you can go to and it I think it's important that you know what we think about what it is that we devote our time to this is clear in Scripture all over the place. The apostle Paul talks about this in the book of Ephesians. No redeeming the time that the Lord has given to us and I think for for many people. Social media and some of these these theories that are out there that people just dig deeper and deeper into the get all consumed and and it can be very unhealthy and unhelpful.

Some passages of Scripture in there there's this text in Isaiah chapter 8 where God was speaking to his people in verse 11 says the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying, do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear nor be in dread with the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy, let him be your fear, let him be your dread. I think it's important for each of us as believers in Jesus Christ, that we ask ourselves the question what is my fear. What is might my greatest fear and confirm for, I think a lot of people today, especially with with the pandemic and political controversies and all all these things, you know we get wrapped up in in these discussions and debates and we begin to fear and often times that's exactly what conspiracy theories will do so just lead us down the, the, the rabbit hole into more fear and concern about what's going on out there and and trying to figure all these things out and it can really take our eyes off of the Lord off of the one who we really should fear that godly fear that holy fear and so I think if there is an unhealthy pattern of just being consumed with social media and that's leading to anxiety and fear and concern, but were not consumed with the word of God sitting at the feet of Jesus fearing him growing in understanding who he is but there is a piece.

I think that comes from being in the presence of Jesus sitting at his feet. That helps us to face that the fears that are all around us and and if your wife isn't sitting at the feet of Jesus.

She's in focusing on the word of God drawing near to to him within these things would be really, really concerning. So maybe one encouragement would just be to sit down to pray together and to search the Scriptures to to set your eyes on Jesus on God's word to do. It's a study if you will, even on the fear of God and a and think through what it is that we as followers of Jesus should be focused on in and spending our time thinking about another passage of Scripture that I think of is what Paul said to Timothy in second Timothy chapter 2 verse 14. Remind them of these things and charge them before God not to quarrel about words which does no good but only ruins the hearers hearers.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth, but avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness and a lot of times what you find on social media is just that irreverent babble that leads people away from the fear of the Lord and trusting in him and so may God bless you as you continue to pray for your wife and pray for peace in your home and is the two of you together, seek to set your eyes on the Lord. Thanks from: some great advice. Thank you for that. Andrew want to avoid those foolish controversies at all of us. Don't wait for him was a lot of bad stuff out there and we can.

I silently said about anxiety to the fact that you know we really need to turn our anxiety over to God and if we are focusing on him first. He can helps take care of that. Yeah, absolutely. I also wanted to say there's a book coming out very soon middle of February. It's called recovering our sanity written by my friend Dr. Michael Horton how the fear of God conquers the fears that divide us pretty sure he could probably not preorder that on Amazon right now this is just an excellent resource for people who are struggling with fear and that's so many of us today. And so again the book is called recovering our sanity by Michael Horton to get that from one of my family members which will for you will to show extended family who is getting into a lot of those controversies. So yes, definitely. It's good book. This is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez. Our phone lines are open right now.

If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life doctrine or theology or even what's going on in our culture and how your Christian faith intersects with that give us a call 833. The core 833 the core which is 1-833-843-2673 let's go to Rachelle from Derby Kansas Rochelle what your question for atrial about 90 how to honor the parent and Linda under the seven what day it actually is. And then I hear somebody say that we honor the ballot because of the new law. I am down for a little here and I need to know the truth as to if we are to honor it still and what data actually is at and I also have a prayer request that I have family that have just found out they had coded. We will definitely pray for your family.

Pray first for your family members. Father, we lift up Rachelle's family is safe. Some of them with non-sick with covert, would you please raise them up with to heal their bodies and be with them in this time. Pray that the symptoms of the sickness would not be severe, Lord, but that they would be healed by the grace of your Holy Spirit. You'd be with them. In Jesus name amen Michelle a very important question.

Were talking about the fourth commandment here, the commandment to obey the start to observe the Sabbath day and to keep it holy. So that there is a couple things right under the old covenant right. This was this was something that took place on Saturday on the last day of the week. From the very beginning of the birth of the church if you will. Under the new covenant seems like the disciples were meeting on the first day of the week. That is Sunday and so there's this big shift that you had worked with the Christian church was gathering together on Sunday.

There are some people that will say Rachelle will that with that shift came later, hundreds of years later I but the reality is, as you see this in places like first Corinthians 16.

In the book of acts in acts chapter 20. A number of places that indicate that the disciples were gathering together on the first day of the week, in commemoration of Jesus's resurrection from the dead, that is on Sunday and in Christ we believers enter into that true Sabbath rest two passages of Scripture make this absolutely clear in Matthew chapter 11 Jesus speaking towards the end of the chapter says come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. That is the Sabbath rest, that the people of God always longed for that. Will that was set out really in the beginning of creation. This this Sabbath. This endless day, the day on which God rested, was a picture of heavenly rest.

Even back there in in Genesis. Is this what were called enter into and we enter into it. Through Jesus Christ to is the ones that come to me and I will give you rest. You also feet see this in the book of Hebrews in Hebrews chapter 4 verse eight, the author, the Hebrew said if Joshua had given them rest, God would not of spoken of another day. Later on, so then there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God for whoever is entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall after the same sort of disobedience in the way we enter that rest, what we says earlier, there is by faith in Jesus Christ and in terms of worship. I think what this looks like it is believers in Jesus worshiping the setting apart the day the Lord's day for drawing near to God, especially when it comes to corporate worship.

I think I think Rachelle being in a church and gathering together with Christians on Sunday to worship God is central to how we observe. I think under the new covenant. This idea of of Sabbath rest of gathering with the people of God of entering into the. The presence of God by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and so we do that on Sunday we do that in Christ we do that with other believers and I think that's what it looks like today. So God bless Rochelle and pray Lord is his with your family. Rochelle, thanks so much for your call. We will continue to pray for your family members with the covered let's go to Mike in Lindale, Texas, Mike, what's your question for Pastor Israel girl you could question him. Matthew 2819 Jesus and therefore baptizing in the name of the father son and Holy Spirit.

I don't follow some older titles go later on in the Bible and X2 38, where Peter was girl floor Holy Spirit on it that the first first preaching he did. He said repent. Everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sentence and then you shall receive the capital adult or the apostles wrong and baptizing in the name of Jesus because also don't rebaptize name up all your know your baptizing one crucified for you so seems like the apostles interpreted what Jesus said in is that the right interpretation. Thank you, Mike for that question, yes. When Jesus instituted holy baptism. He said go make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit.

That is, the triune baptisms with what's it. That's what the church is Dunford for 2000 years as we practice it. Our church within the question comes up.

What about what we see in the book of acts were the disciples of our Lord were baptizing in the name of Jesus.

And I don't think it necessarily means. So I think specifically there's a couple ways of looking at this.

I don't think it necessarily means that they weren't baptizing in the tri-you name. I think what what was being emphasized. There is the baptism of Jesus in distinction to the baptism of John and it sounds like you were even alluding to that seen in the book of acts were even the disciples go to a group of people and they asked him you know have you receive the Holy Spirit. And if we didn't even know there was a Holy Spirit want into what name rebaptize aware baptizing in John's baptism so that they had to be baptized for the remission of sins. If you will, according to what Christ instituted and so you have this you have this distinction that's being made there in in the book of acts, specifically calling people to follow Jesus to be disciples of Jesus. And I think that's one of the reasons why why Luke uses the language that he does throughout the book of acts. I don't think there would there's a contradiction I don't think that that the disciples you know misunderstood Jesus or or reinterpreted what he said there in Matthew chapter 28. I think Luke is picking up on something, especially that was taking place in the book of acts, and helping to bring some some clarifications in the baptism of John.

This is the baptism of Jesus Christ and the baptism of Jesus. I would say this done in the name of the father and of the son of the Holy Spirit. Douglas thanks Mike appreciate you listening to core Christianity and digging into God's word by the way, we have that wonderful Bible study available to you. It's called how to read the Bible.

If you just started reading the Bible for yourself. Maybe this year you made a New Year's resolution to start tackling God's word on a regular basis. This will be a big help to you. It's a 10 week Bible study you can get yours for a donation of $20 or more by going to core Christianity.com/Bible.

That's core Christianity.com/Bible to learn more about that and one other thing we want to mention is we would love to tell you about our great group of folks called the inner core. These are folks that support our program on a regular basis and you can learn more about becoming an inner core member and all the benefits that entails. By going to core Christianity.com/inner core back to the phones and we have a go pin on the line from Davis, California groping what your question, Jill and built on the first time I called, but I agree almost every evening is over. Yeah, but my question today is to do with Matthew 513 where it says you are the salt of the artist and the saluted consultant is how can it be that you thought again it will no longer good when it will be thrown out and trampled by men and we are the believers and that we salt yet all on the other places in the Bible said I will never lose our salvation. Does that mean you don't you know something happened to Natalie and somehow lose the Sultan's the stand were not making, not legal when it's all the things I guy will be one of his salvation know what what is on me. That's my struggle and I reconcile those two statement brother.

Thank you for your encouragement. Glad that you listen every evening, and the wonderful passage of Scripture for us to look at here and it sounds to me like your you're wondering, does this indicate that the believer can lose their salvation that they can be justified may be. At one point they were salty, as it were, in the sense of being a good witness for Jesus Christ and then later on they lose their saltiness. That is, they lose their salvation there just cast out, that kind of thing. Well, no, I don't think that this calls into question the security of the believer. I think that what Jesus is emphasizing here is his people, in particular his church is a light to the world. He goes on to say in verse 14, you are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house in the same way, let your light shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. So I don't know why I don't believe that this calls into question the. The security of the believer individually but I do think immediately look at the book of Revelation. For example, in Revelation chapter 2 in particular, I think, is the church it at Ephesus.

One of the problems that they had was they had essentially lost their saltiness as a congregation and Jesus threatened to remove their lampstand. You think again about this language of being a light on a hill being the light of the world if you will. Jesus is calling them to repentance anything look if if this church doesn't repent. It's not can it exist anymore. It's not can it be here in 10 years 20 years and so saw the other. A couple of ways of looking at this, the emphasis is on our call to be a light to the world to be salt in the world. In Christ, but the reality is, even as individual believers brother that in this is not your your saltiness, your your light if you will, is not what saves you never could be art. We never have enough. We couldn't have enough and so that's why I don't think that this calls into question our salvation, our justification were justified.

You are saved purely by what Jesus Christ did.

That's that's what gives you confidence on the day of judgment, because if it was based on how good of an evangelist.

I was on how many good works. I had how bright my light was shining well then I would be in trouble and I think we all would because we all know that we fall short, and that doesn't that doesn't contradict Jesus's words here he just say look this is what my people are called to be that if the church isn't that then it's not fulfilling its its purpose, its function. What, what, what's the what's the worth you know it is like salt without any flavor is going to cast it out. That kind of thing but it's not Jesus you're saying that if you're not salty enough. I'm in a cast you out know he's welcomed us by faith, received us received. You justified us and he is working in us to help us to be salt and light in the world today. May God fill you with his grace and with the spirit. To that end, brother, thank you so much for for your question and may God bless you as you continue to study his word.

Nowhere drill that brings up the question what about churches in today's culture that have departed from God's word and their preaching a different gospel or not preaching the gospel all or they are adding things to the gospel that were never meant. What should we say about that and what's our response as believers. I those are churches where the lights are going to go out soon. I think in and I just I don't mean you know, literally speaking, I mean if the gospel is not being preached. If they're not a light will will that there is no light there and again I mentioned I to our brother there. Jesus's words in Revelation 2 verses one through seven, where he talks about removing the lampstand of the church at Ephesus and a lot of commentators say what what what it is, as they lost their zeal for evangelism that the proclamation of the gospel and so the gospel has to be central disc of the church calls itself the church doesn't mean it is the church is where the word of God is faithfully taught in Christ is proclaimed. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers and the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 when you contact us.

Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time.

As we explore the truth of God's word together