You've Got Questions, We've Got Answers

It's Friday. That means you've got questions, we've got answers stage for the line of fire with your host activist and author, international speaker and theologian Dr. Michael Brown your voice of moral cultural and spiritual revolution Michael Brown is the director of the coalition of conscience and president of fire school of ministry get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34-TRUTH. That's 866-34-TRUTH here again is Dr. Michael Brown Prince. Thanks so much for turning into today's line of fire broadcast. You got questions. We got answers before I forget, get please pray for me this entire weekend. I am in Italy and that Naples area ministering at key church. According to leaders there and then meetings for all the church in the region. My 26th trip to Italy and India 25 times now, but now Italy. 26 so thrilled to be here and have this opportunity administer the their precious brothers and sisters and I have a spiritual debt to the Italian church because God save me in 1971 in Italian Pentecostal church in these precious folks prayed me into the kingdom.

And since it's been something I didn't plan but the Lord worked it out to have me come here many times my books more my books been translated in Italian any of the language and our messages of going over the nation sold blessed to be back here, but please pray for fruitful ministry in the next week. We've got some tremendous programming coming your way every day next week I'm going to be focusing on her brand-new book the power of music God's call to change the world one song at a time. You can order it preorder it now, but we're going to be putting together special interviews with worship leader songwriters from from Paul Wilber to Becca Shea to Erin Crider to others. Some of you know well. So when you hear that the invoice and any all-white. That's the song you play to be talking about music and how God uses music and the impact it's had on the world and how God wants to use it to have a greater impact for his glory in the church and in the society and then Monday I'm gonna take on a tour of the power of music through history so it's can be a special special week next week. You don't want to miss that at all right. I'm answering your twitter questions today. We do that from time to time Facebook questions Twitter questions I do live stream sometimes on Facebook and to spend the hour to answering your questions that are posted.

So today we solicited 20 questions. Don't post them now. I ready solicited the questions and let's start with the answers and unlimited try to get to everyone that was post at least one for each person. Jacob asked this recent rabbis who say Christians misinterpret as a 53. Christians say this prophecy about the coming Messiah Jesus, but it seems modern Jewish scholars. It's a prophecy about Israel as a whole. First, I would say that Isaiah 53 is the single most important messianic prophecy in the Bible is a 5213 to 5312. I have whole videos just on that subject. You can go to asked Dr. Brown on YouTube and you can just search for Isaiah 53 or put in. Dr. Brown is a 53 to find whole lecture that I've done just on that and in volume 3 of answering Jewish objections to Jesus, I respond to numerous Jewish objections to Jesus being the subject of Isaiah 53 the idea that it refers to Israel as a whole nation as a whole has been the majority Jewish interpretation since at least the 10th, 11th centuries, when the major Jewish commentaries put that view forward. But there's evidence from early on in the centuries after Jesus that there were Jews who held to this interpretation example in the polemical book of origin contra sell some. There's a reference as well to Jews that he spoke with saying that it referred to the sufferings of the nation fundamentally the reason it doesn't work is because if it was speaking of the nation as a whole that the nation as a whole was righteous, and yet suffered was in exile was killed and suffered, and the kings of the earth or confessing Isaiah 53.

According to this interpretation and saying we thought that the nation was suffering for it. Since those actually suffering for our sins that can be because of the nation was righteous, as described in Isaiah 53.

If the nation was not guilty as described in Isaiah 53 if if the nation made others righteous is described as a 53 it would not have been in exile, it would have been ruling and reigning in his own country.

It would've been established according to the blessings and curses of the torso. It cannot refer to Israel's suffering as a whole is a righteous nation because of Israel's righteous with human suffering. Scattered nominations you say.

While many Jewish interpreters states the righteous remnant. It's not the nation as a whole is the righteous remnant because the righteous remnant would suffer like Ezekiel, like Jeremiah, like Daniel, that is, that the the nation's and the righteous would suffer in their midst. That's true. But the suffering of the righteous remnant in the nations did not bring healing to the nations is they cannot save by Israel's wounds or the wounds of the righteous remnant we were healed. Not only so, but if you think of of words that God spoke present when July 30 and 31 and elsewhere. He warned the nation of Jeremiah 46 is another such passage, but he warned the nations and said you mistreat my people Israel, and the judge only destroy so the nations that mistreated Israel be a serious that the Babylon of these empires there gone they mistreated the abuse Israel there gone. Germany suffered dramatically as a result of its of its evil against the Jews and others. It was a divided nation for decades suffered terribly because of the sins that they committed against the Jewish people and others so no Israel suffering the nations is not bring healing to the nations. It's brought judgment on the nations. So, it fundamentally does not work again. I recently had extensive back and forth with Rabbi Israel Blumenthal ultra-Orthodox rabbi counter missionary on aspects surrounding Isaiah 53 we've had a lot of back and forth so you can and there's more detail to get into but looking at some of the larger context and discussion. We've had some back and forth. So if you go to my website Esther to Brown.org and search for Blumenthal or you just just search for trees. Trees will see why it's a name on the article, the rabbi missing the forest for the trees and he was accusing me of of misreading the text we we have some extensive back and forth there all right. I have not to believers who have mental health issues and commit suicide, go to heaven. My father committed suicide on April 1 this year. He recommitted his life to Christ. Two weeks prior when at a restoration ministry session. I believe God showed me that he's with him.

Could this be so, I immediately shot a note to Hannah when I read that single answer more fully on the air, but what a tragic painful loss to discover that your own father is taking his life, especially just a couple weeks after recommitting his life to the Lord. Here is why I say yes there is a real possibility that he is in heaven, and Hannah.

There is no reason why it couldn't be what you believe God showed you number one there are people who have real mental health issues there's a problem with the health of the brain such as the demon it's it's not just human.

Sinful choices there's something is not working right in the brain, just like you. You may have a hand that's riddled with arthritis and you can't move fingers a certain way or you may have a legitimate migraine headache or you may legitimately break a bone in your body.

And because that you can't use the armor use the leg for a while have to have it in a cast. It's the same thing with the brain.

The brain is a physical organ and there are sometimes literal mental diseases that cause someone to be incapacitated, or cause them to make wrong choices look there was that the case of a of a famous wrestler who very popular in professional wrestling and ends up killing his wife and his son, and committing suicide sent shockwaves through the wrestling world quite understandably in the larger sports world knew about them and the father was just so distressed and how could this by signing Kelvin.

He loved his wife you love this child. His son, how could he do this so they actually had his brain examined posthumously has brain examined and found he had so many concussions. He had the brain of an old man and the thought would be that he was not thinking rationally, so that could well be the case with your father that he was not thinking rationally that it happened. Some people come back from war and there there suffering from from post dramatic stress disorder and and is not a member, some calling in and saying me my brother went over Afghanistan. He love the Lord he came back he was confused. He drank all the time, was himself. He was angry that he took his own life this week don't think he was rational position was faculties.

Certainly that happens, here's the other thing yes you could argue that suicide is taking a life which is therefore self murder and no murderer has eternal life, as per John three, and therefore it's a sin for which you cannot repent, hence the idea of someone commit suicide there automatically lost. Some would argue that one sin doesn't damn you, whatever that sin is with Danzer's rejection of the Lordship of Jesus, walking, willful, unrepentant disobedience. But what if someone is emotionally unstable. What if they get in such deep depression and hopelessness that they think this is the only thing to do to ease their suffering or help their family and they're not making rational decisions is God-given.

Damn them to hell that one sin not in my understanding of the nature of God the many other people commit suicide as a final act of rebellion against God is the final act of self will, in defiance wrong. Do I want to do right careless about anybody else, and it's in keeping with their lostness, but certainly we have no mandate in Scripture to say that anyone to commit suicide is automatically lost and Hannah. I would hope are you I would I would hope to see your father again. My friends were not taking calls were just answering your twitter questions today. Let's see here. That's the same page again all day on again. Sorry it reprinted considers five pages here and it reprinted all him. So hang on.

Let me let me open up my twitter feed. Here again I intended to print things out so I didn't have to look at my screen but in the minute and change that I have an and all grabbed the least the stream again the feed again. The twitter feed again during the break and go back to your questions. I love to answer your questions. I consider it a great privilege and honor, and I do so in sobriety before the Lord. I don't do this lightly or in a trivial way. And one of our team members whose job it is to to get look at all the emails the command and respond accordingly or give them to the right people to respond to the right department to respond. She has been with us a grant for ministry school. Krista has been with us now all just a couple months and she just taken over from that of our grad suits.

Just a second child and she said what amazes her is the personal nature of many of the questions that come our way.

The words that weighty things, not just a random Bible question wondering about her theology. Thing is, Paul's enjoyment, but deep personal issues so we are not your local church. When you pass a parent, professional counselors do our best to answer questions with with real sobriety. Fear of the Lord, knowing how we decisions are and James Jacob.

The third chapter should be many teachers among you, because those who teach will be held with greater error on the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown. Your voice is more cultural and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

Thanks so much for joining us today and one for you got questions. We got answers I'm looking at a screen here, filled with twitter questions. Don't submit them now on twitter but I'm responding to questions that were already submitted a quick announcement. So today, January 4, one week from today, January 11 over friends of the greater Charlotte, North Carolina area.

I will be debating Dr. Dale Tuckey on the question of the unity of God is the father alone, the God of the Bible. He is anti-Trinitarian used to be Trinitarian now rights against Trinitarian view speaks against Trinitarian views. He is a careful student of these issues and I categorically differ with his viewpoint of his folks reached out to us and asked if I would be willing to finance it was Minnesota. I think and display for night to debate with him. They do the videotaping and pay my airfare, etc. so I love to do the betas. I can't aspire for that one night, one event schedule permitted this it will come to you guys.

I'm happy posted our home church and and this will count you will bring the videographer and all that.

So they are really, really into this the they are really excited about this. I believe this view is terribly terribly wrong, terribly unscriptural and is of fundamental denial of who Jesus really is and of his deity's of course I take these issues very seriously.

But it is free and open to the public will death their room because it's it's a Friday night.

Our students are not back yet from from break, maybe some will be back at others not back from break yet. I don't know that just the average communist one wants to come so I have no idea about 10 people there are 300 but you're welcome.

It's absolutely free, open to the public when I can be receiving an offering or anything like that. So join us if you can Friday night, generally with the fire church. If you know where the Charlotte motor Speedway is were right next to that literally less than 1/2 mile down the road from there.

All the details and asked her to Brown.org click on itinerary you'll find the details there okay Laura S this is what you probably don't get a lot with dating advice would you give to Christians who reach their mid-twenties seek agave spouse were having trouble finding someone who meets biblical standards, the Lord major question, especially depending on where you are living and what kind of congregation is around that you're part of number one. I do want to encourage you to keep believing for the impossible meaning that God knows how to connect you with your spouse.

So here I get saved a little time Pentecostal church, maybe 100 people on a Sunday of everybody showed up at the same time. Okay God saves me there like Mongo church little bit ago Churchill but now nothing says teenagers and young: nothing there and my friend start going out seriously and this was engaged in that one is engaged so I just pray daily basis. I prayed for a couple years.

Lord, send me the one you have for me when you have are for me and give me patience until you do.

Teenagers qualify homeowner Marion Eager to get married. Think about a lot and saw well, God brings Nancy to the church is also Jewish, and the way she ended up there was completely unlikely and she came as an atheist and it's it's utterly bizarre that she walked in the stores at all.

God brought us together. We been married now gone 43 years, so he to Jews getting saved in a little Italian Pentecostal church in Queens, New York. No good reason for interest to be. I went to pull my friends out. She went just to be nice to God and invited her reading those no interest in being there whatsoever and was strongly atheistic, so God can do that and I want to encourage you in that regard.

You said you been doing that and I just feel it. Just need a little help. What I would encourage you not to just go dating you can either mess with someone else's emotions or mess with your own or end up in a compromising situation, I would. I would continue to pray for the right connection and and I would say that there's nothing wrong from working online using some online Christian resource.

There is a gal in our ministry school.

She graduated, she was still single time it gone on, she thought, I'm just like you meet the right person got to one of these sites withers eHarmony or whatever was meant scamming her meows.

It would've been years ago. But anyway, what's on the sites began to interact, met someone that shared same values they got to know each other better and better. They been happily married for some years now so that's the other option to take advantage of that situation that you have in this ring you can interact, interact, interact, interact a lot and you may have to interact for for weeks or months by phone or by Skype or things like that and really get to know each other. The key thing is really really even get to marry get to know that person really get to know that person's the other piece of advice I give okay meta-skipper ass could talk a lot about hillside uncle myself. A lot of my friends do and having her controversy about them.

I like some insight if there good church. Okay, so first my qualifying statements I have never been to Hill song service there been to Hill song church never been to Hill song service ever someone to. I have never listened to a full message preached by Brian Euston the international leader of Hill saw Mr. Australia or Carl Lance: got to know each other talk by phone once and consider each other friends and interact of listening some excerpts of his messages but never heard him preach a message right so everything I'm saying I have to say based on folks I know who have attended Coso churches either in London or in New York City or Australia or elsewhere. Yes, the, the music and worship has a reputation for excellence. It's a well-deserved reputation, but they really major on that they put a lot into it and ends their songs that have been written that are terrific songs and glorify the Lord so that's that's a plus and is that they desire to see people coming to know Jesus as Savior and Brian Euston and Carl as these are Bible believing Christians. They are not false teachers and cult leaders.

They are Bible believing Christians are they strong on the message of repentance as I would like no not from the. The. The bits that I've heard, but they are not me.

In other words, there, and I'm only sends based on parts of messages and what Francis said that have gone there there would be perhaps more of an emphasis on grace and not as much emphasis on repentance. However, so I come to services Ron preaching and say will you don't emphasize grace as much, or emphasize repentance too much, so I can only say this that the church is from everything I know are Bible believing churches where Jesus is preached as Savior. With his desire to see people come to the Lord and be disciples and design have a positive impact on their communities through the gospel and a great emphasis on worship, all those things I believe are deafly true and any of my friends at a been to services would say the same if you are looking for strong emphasis on holiness, repentance, things like that that would not be the church that you would go to but that I think of said enough and I think I've said it fairly and the outlook where I 70 people mad at me from both sides saw him. That's not my concern because all you that have written off Hill song is occult and they're all going to hell. Brian Euston is a false teacher in a false apostles. Whatever. And this is all part of, nor whatever else the latest thing is regularly inhabited by a spirit having with me before those no problem or and others who think that these churches are the greatest thing ever happen on the earth will thank God for what he's doing.

Thank God for house moving these churches you say will.

How should I pray for them. Pray for God's very best. The pastors leaders everyone involved. It's a great way to pray and if if you got a love one that that is an area that is else on church and they started going to pound really enjoying services and find out a lot about the Lord great wonderful led to hear that. All right… Scroll down one more on our screen here can we do that are all refrozen. Maybe need to get to another screen.

All right, let's let's check we keep getting no problems with our fee. There we go there we go. Patrick hiding of the canon of Scripture as close as my current topic to 3 hearing respectable opinion would indeed be helpful.

God bless and thank you white so we look at the testimony of Scripture and we look at the testimony of history based on the testimony of Scripture. When we read the last words of the last book of the New Testament book of Revelation when they are pronouncing a curse on anyone that adds or takes away from the words it that's specifically the book of Revelation. True, but as the last book of the New Testament written. It gets your attention. That's one thing. The second thing is the books of the New Testament were either written by apostles themselves or by the immediate associates of the apostles, without exception of the Gospels. The letters Revelation. Acts they're all written either by apostles themselves or by the immediate associates of apostles and then after that there is a clear division and recognize division. God continues to party spirit and work miracles, and do many things with the writing of Scripture, apostolic authority comes to an end with the apostles. Now we also know is that later church leaders as their writing. Their letters say the disciples of the apostles, the Polycarp said in the Clements in there and they assistant in the Ignatius's and the others that are writing their letters in writing their books there writing them, quoting the. The New Testament now recognizing that as Scripture and recognizing their own writings as secondary to that and even though there's some debate, you know that Shepherd of Hermas or Barnabas or should they be included or not. Ultimately there was universal recognition not to include these and then when you have these other gospels that would come forward. These apocryphal gospels and super graphical, but Gospels that would come forward with their claims. They were all more overwhelmingly rejected by the early church and early church leaders and only accepted in fringe groups so you have been a revelation since to make this statement, New Testament by apostles on the associates of the apostles and the testimony from church leaders. That would indicate the canon is closed has been a long time the right thing, the light a fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34-TRUTH paradigm is Dr. Michael Brown got questions, we've got answers.

Thanks for joining us on this Friday edition of the line of fire. Please pray for me as I am in Italy right now doing extensive ministry in the greater Naples area and just another reminder that Monday kickoff the special musically focused week in the history of 15 or 10 years of daily talk radio. We have never devoted a whole week or Monday through Thursday. Specifically to the subject of music, the power of music. It's gonna be a real eye-opener.

My new book, the power music God's call to change the world. Once on a time will be coming out on the eighth we got a special package we've put together with key entries will be doing next week, together with the book so exciting. We can be sure to join us. We have some great gas and Monday were going to give you kind of a an overview of the power music you can find it fascinating. All right, I'm not taking calls today. I'm answering questions that I previously solicited on twitter right so during the broadcast. We sometimes respond to comments we see on YouTube on Facebook. I often do live streams on Facebook. Just answer questions so we take her calls all the time here there. We just answered 20 questions. That's what were doing today. Benjamin S is a house church. The best way to experience fellowship well. A small group one-on-one living life together is the best way to experience fellowship that means if you go to a church of 5000 and you love the Sunday services and your kids love the children's programs in your edified by the teaching you also need to be in some kind of fellowship. Outside of that, does the church have home meetings does the church have different social programs you can get together have meals together, pray together interact together live life together that is essential for us just going to a large meeting in itself does not satisfy our needs for fellowship for growth interaction and closer settings. Let's say you're going through a financial crisis and you think you you might lose your home and you don't know who to talk to.

Well, you go to service their 5000 people there your anger out bow epic. Other than that nothing against mega churches. Our friends were mega church pastors are friends or house church pastors so II can recognize God working in all these different ways. But having said that, of you go there on a Sunday morning.

Your anger out and must the pastor supernaturally happens to talk about issues that directly relate to your situation through the Scriptures that day who you talk really friends need spiritual family. You may need someone to speak into your life or help you with accountability.

Let's Eastern with porn or something like that but seems the prayer partner but see what you feel certain gifting but need a way to just growing it or you want to help encourage others so small group settings house church settings, various intimate settings are really really important for us to grow and experience fellowship all right from Joshua and Taiwan was the place of arts, music, drawing, dancing, etc. in the Christian life right. First the simple thing is if it's sinful if it is sensual you know if if it is's music praising the devil if it is women dancing in a strip club it if it is our that is profane, while obvious, it has no place in Christian life, but it is God who is the God of the arts God gave us music God who called us to celebrate and worship with the dance. God gave gifts to people to to draw and paint so let these all be done for the glory of God. But music be for the glory of God. Let creative gifts be used for the glory of God and not everything has to be gospel oriented in terms of glorifying God.

In other words, you could be a Christian artist and you paint these gorgeous landscapes and people buy them and hang them on the walls of the use of the screensavers or computers and that they're just inspiring market. Look at that landscape and anger gifted in doing that you may be a photographer that photographs the Grand Canyon in such a way that people are in all of God. Even though you don't have Scripture verses next to it. You you might be used by God to write music that is therapeutic that helps people rest or sleep and it's part of creative gift God is giving you and it's for his glory and touching people's lives in your own testimony is over unashamed of the gospel.

So these things deftly have a place if you've ever been to a big messianic Jewish conference. You know that especially the women, but men join as well.

The different circle dances and things and and and expressions of celebration like Miriam takes a tambourine the other women dances and sings a song in Exodus 15 as the children of Israel triumph over the Egyptians nestle let these things have a place in be used for the glory of God. If they distract us from worship of a they distract us from the word if they take away from the centrality of Jesus than their out of balance, but otherwise let all these things be used for the glory of God. All right. James asked this. Why did Abraham and Isaac both lied about being married and claim that was their sister. They both lied that end up walking away with more stuff.

How did they get blessed when they both lied. The only did both. Why is no question that both lied in you have it in.

In Genesis the 12th chapter.

In Genesis the 20th chapter in Genesis 26 chapter 5. If I'm correct so yeah they did lie and they didn't go away with more stuff so what is tell you number one God works through imperfect people that someone God worked through imperfect people at the fact number two. It does create problems in each case, it did create relational difficulties so that that is true, they didn't walk away with more and on the one hand it was part of them being blessed by God and and.

For example, in Genesis 12 it's it's a prefiguring of the Exodus with the children of Israel have special favor the from the Egyptians and spoil the Egyptians and take their good sodas and and God brings plagues on the Egyptians.

In Genesis 12 was kind of a foreshadowing of that with with Abraham and Sarah, but it doesn't mean that God blessed their lives, they were blessed people and and blessing accompanied them where they went, especially in the Gentile world and the different nations. There however it doesn't mean that overall they were blessed forts a look at this. Abraham lies Isaac lies Jacob is a liar. Abraham lies his son Isaac lies Isaacson Jacob lies and is a liar and his lies get him in a mess so since the fathers become the sins of the sons become since the grandsons and they become even more entrenched. At that point so long-term.

There there is an effect. There is an effect that can be clearly negative.

All right, let's see here.

Okay Denver USB a bunch of questions so we agree on the pick one and answer and come back to the moment. Let's answer Alister's question Jacob means holder of the healer supplant her. Then after Jacob wrestled with God. He was called Israel. Striven with God and with men, and then prevailed. It is interesting however that Jacob Israel is used interchangeably in the Bible.

Yes sir. It certainly is absolutely is. Why is that why does God say in Genesis 32 from now on. Your name will not be Jacob, but Israel now the name Jacob Jacob in Hebrew is associated with the word ache have ankle and he comes out of the womb, holding his brother Esau's ankle is hence called Jacob so Jacob play on words with ache have ankle and ankle grabber. However, a column of the verb. Jacob can mean to deceive supplant. Hence, Jacob, his name can mean supplant her deceiver.

Okay, why would parents name their child supplant her deceiver. They wouldn't they wouldn't number some of the Chris their child, which is always not the case with Isaac and Rebekah so we can tell from other ancient and recent evidence, especially Amorite names. So East Semitic Amorite names. It's possible it's possible that there is another route a call for a car boot would have been that it meant to protect and Jacob restart is short for Jacob Bell or Yaakov Ya, which is Yahweh or God will protect so that could have been the original meaning of the name and then these others are place on words that being said, and ended the biblical authors knew they were play some risk as the new language. That being said, how do we explain your name will no longer be called Jacob Israel but then after that he sometimes called Jacob sometimes called Israel and the nation as a whole sometimes called Israel normally called Israel but sometimes also called Jacob how is that the best way to understand it is to interpret the Hebrew as saying your name will no longer only be called Jacob, but Israel. You see is the word only there no stop but there are other texts where in Hebrew and Greek usage that seems to be the meaning. For example in in Romans two. All right Samantha I'm a Jew if he circumcise outwardly right and rather circumcisions of the heart, but many understandings to make translations as a man's majorities only circumcise outwardly.

Sometimes when the Bible is is putting these things in clear contrast that we have to put the word only, and to make sense of it. So that would be the best explanation because as I said, as you observed.

Sometimes he individually is called Jacob, otherwise Israel and in the nation as a whole can be called Jacob, Israel, and Jacob, with great affection just read Isaiah 40 through 48 and notice with what affection Doug refers to Jacob and elsewhere in the prophetic books referred to as Jacob so best way to understand it and you have to insert the word and he refuses not there. It would be applied. Your name will not all only be called Jacob, but Israel might let's just take a look here pickles the monkey question about Abraham and Ishmael and Abraham offered Isaac as an offering to the Lord would have been considered first restart from Ishmael, not Isaac, related to Cain and Abel offered with Cain and Abel. The difference was that yes Abel gave the firstfruits of his flock, and Cain just gave produce of the ground think the big issue is blood versus sacrifice from the earth as much as giving the firstfruits. Given the very best, but the them were the gospel to Abraham is is offer up your son, your only son, the one you love, Isaac saw Isaac was the promised child and it was through Isaac that blessing would come had nothing to do with firstfruits. It had to do with the promisee everything in Abraham's whole existence tied in with his son Isaac, and God promise that through that see the whole world blessed.

No single sacrifice and Abraham must believe that God raises something that is 11 says and never Abraham says in Genesis 22 says eight were really the worship and really come back he was confident he was coming back with us on America the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown voice of moral cultural and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown today were answering your Twitter questions here on five thanks so much for joining us this will not giving out the number we try to reach out to all of our friends in different aspects of social media and of course over radio listeners and YouTube, Facebook, viewers opening our phone lines as much as possible today for taking time to answer 20 questions and again these prayer got a really full ministry weekend in Italy and then we got a special broadcast for you on Monday beginning our music emphasis week. If you love music.

If you love worship music if you're a songwriter if you're worship leader if you're a musician you don't want to miss next week's broadcast and my new book coming out January 8. So just a few days from now the power of music God's call to change the world. Once on top.

I think you can find it an amazing page turner.

I really felt uniquely inspired to write this moved on stirred to write it carried with the power music and how God wants to use it revolutionary ways to impact society through the gospel and music together. And of course to touch the church.

Okay, back to the 20 questions to Deborah you you posted a bunch all pick this one question regarding Judges chapter 1 it starts with the death of Joshua verse one with them. If you read the chapter close to the seems to be describing the fanning out of the tribes free to go into their inheritance that was detailed in Joshua 15 and 19, and then in very detailed fashion you got. Compare one 1250 and judges with Joshua 1516 through 19, etc. it's interesting. I was just in my car the other day listening to the book of Judges and listening to judges one refreshes as the book was starting and thinking that very same thing so yeah there there is recapitulation the death of Joshua is recounted at the end of Joshua the 24th chapter and both Joshua and Judges tell us the end of Joshua in the first couple chapters of Judges, but the Israelites serve the Lord as long as Joshua was alive or one of the elders alive who saw the wonders of Gog saw God bring them through the wilderness. Those that were dumb enough to to her old enough to been there as children see that happen 20 years and younger. Those that saw God bring them through the Jordan River. Miraculously those that saw Jericho. The walls fall down God, fighting for his people as they took the land the people serve the Lord during the days of Joshua. The elders would seem God's hand and the bait fell away in a pasta sauce in the book of Judges is filled with stories of apostasy, yes, there's a recapitulation there is talk about Joshua conquering my and then there's a recapitulation going back to a lot of water ready is recounted in the book of Joshua absolutely so.

And by the way, even when you read for second Samuel for sinkings for second Chronicles 01 Bible scholars. It's kind of like you go 3 feet forward. Then you the other one goes forth catches up goes ahead one then the next up in some social talk about this King.

That's a little bit ahead. There you not reach. It recapitulates on the happen back here so these things do happen on different levels in the biblical text right John Pierce of the details of the book of Easter.

I think you meant Esther and the rabbis that connect this to the Hebrew year of our calendar 1946.

No Ida, I'm assuming the book of Esther. No, I I I don't know that the thing that comes to mind in terms of the book of Esther is the Nuremberg war trials and as a result of the Nuremberg war trials. There were Nazi officials, Nazi leaders who were sentenced to death and were to be hung for their crimes and when the sentence came down one of the Nazi leaders famously said perm fest. In other words, this is just like what happened in the book of Esther is in the immediate aftermath of World War II.

This is what happened in the book of Esther that the the the people of Persia inspired by Haman were going to wipe out the Jews. Instead, the Jews killed Haman and his sons, and all those who try to attack them ended up being put to death. So there is the irony of that that was not lost on these Jew hating Nazis who suffered the righteous penalty for their deeds. If they did repent suffered the penalty as well the world to come. Okay a taffy.

Thank you for your program.

I love the fact that it's current with the Bible base walk with the Lord, my heart but I'm not God and can judge someone's heart. So my friend seems to be a lot of the fringe folks and there are those that tell me I'm not being Christian and my okay so taffy out. I'm not God either. Thank God I'm not God. Thank God you're not God, and I'm only hearing this from a distance so I'm going to answer as best as I understand you are saying that you're not going to judge someone's heart. So here's someone that does not appear to have a solid walk with the Lord, or may be engaging in worldly behavior or habits or whatever but you don't know that person's heart. Maybe they have some spiritual expression so you hang out with them and your friends say you're not being Christian. So here is that the simple answer if I'm rightly understanding your question are you participating in the works of darkness, or are you bringing the light into the darkness without defiling yourself. Let's say for example your hanging out with people who drink a lot and sleep around for around and things like that but you know they sometimes go to church on Sunday, December 20 my life together and you befriend with these people. If you hang out in the bars with them and get drunk with them, or engage in other sinful behavior with them, then you're not acting in? Directing a worldly way and in that sense James Jake of the fourth chapter tells you that friendship with the world is enmity with God, you're not helping anyone your participating in their sin. Second Corinthians 6 beginning in verse 14 of the second Corinthians 71 times to come out to be separate and not participate in the sins of the world most things that defile the flesh got this come out from among them and and and I'll be your God will be your father you be my children will dwell in your midst and end segment is 71 starts with having these promises therefore do the will of let us cleanse ourselves from everything that the files, body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Okay, so that's one side.

What if you hang out with people and others don't hang out with because they seem more worldly maybe dressing boys are sensual when similar habits are ungodly, but you're their friend in your shining light in their midst.

You generally there for them in hard times. Your praying with them in difficult times.

Your sharing the gospel with them and their their open even though there they are not clearly saved yet or its ambiguous as to relate taking steps towards the Lord. If you can shine a light in dark places without yourself being defiled. That's wonderful. That's very Christian. Jesus was criticized for hanging out with sinners, but in sin with them. He shine light into their hearts, they came to repentance and salvation. I hope that helps. Okay, last question from Caruso. Many on the left are using some version of Jesus and the rightness were not securing the BART board of what he believes the creek biblically sound approach to the sport crisis okay. I wrote an article be considered a website for my missing about immigration.

I just asked some honest questions because I'm not an expert on immigration, God is not called me to focus on immigration, so I normally pointed to articles to discussions by Samuel Rodriguez and other leaders. My respect who weigh in on this. There are some who say that Jesus is tells us help the poor help the needy of the refugee help the suffering person open borders take them in. I do not believe that we as America is a country that is not a totally Christian country or even in terms of active faith are predominantly Christian country can just say okay Jesus said taken the poor, the stranger help people suffering their free time any born, secure, and ugly. That's an application.

I believe that was the case whatsoever and at anymore then because you're supposed to love your neighbor as yourself honorably. That means that you leave all your doors and windows unlocked in case your neighbor's monster coming in anytime of day or night. Think privacy is fine and security is fine so what I believe is that we need to do our best to mix together security and preservation of our needs as a nation with compassion on hurting people in genuine refugees so we do our best through legal means to open our borders to whatever number of refugees we can rightly take in, so we take them in and incorporate them into our culture without this hurting our nation as a whole or dragging us down or bring in people who are dead set and undermining our nation. So I I understand.

Romans 13 that's New Testament that God has established governmental authorities and if there is authority given to punish evildoers and to uphold good so to the extent that we need secure borders in every nation does. We do our best to enforce that and then through legal means we do our best to open our doors to help as many refugees as possible, and in the church has the specific mandate to carry out the teachings of Jesus, and to work actively to help the needy, the poor in their communities. Answer open their doors to sponsor refugees to hasten the process of them being able to come into America with the government.

Do what it does and major on security and the overall well-being of the nation and let the millions and millions of believers in America get more active in sponsoring refugees is something that Nancy and I did late 70s into the early 80s, opening our doors to Vietnamese refugees as so many in our church community. Did and it is to a lasting blessing that we had the privilege of helping his people limits of such suffering and trauma by sponsoring them, they were able to come to the country. I'm sure that remains the case today.

There Christian relief agencies with whom we can work and fulfill the mandate of Jesus help the poor. The suffering, the needy.

They friends.

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