The Narrow Path 9/17

Welcome to the narrow path radio broadcast.

My name is Steve Greg and were live for our which is the case. Virtually every weekday afternoon for the past 23 years and we take your phone calls during the entire hour and you can call if you have questions about the Bible or the Christian faith.

In order for a different view from the host want to talk about that.

Would you one problem you have. If you try to call in right now is that our lives are full but if you call in a few minutes. You may find that one has opened up the number to call is 844-484-5737 that's 844-484-5737 first color today is Mike from Albany Oregon might good to hear from you. How you doing good thank you that discipline your listeners as you arty know, I recently came on Mormonism and it's very legalistic religion and online I recently found a lot of them other former latter-day Saints who have become an evangelical Christian, and we can talk to them but I wonder if the understanding of grace they now have may be going a bit too far in the opposite direction of legalism is its kind easy to swing totally correct on on things like that you can run on for so long, but in the context of of us who just came out of no fault legalistic imitation. The gospel, how would you explain the relationship between grace and faith and works and how we can correctly judge our standing before God was without without needing a false hope for nothing like that but but accurately okay yeah will first of all, of course, obedience to God and a holy life are not are not legalism.

Legalism is when an organization put you under bondage to follow their rules to be loyal to them as an organization and to to do all the things that they have decided are the measures of spirituality and you know anything that is required by men, which is not required by God or that is not in the Scriptures that is say this not required by Jesus and his teachings. If someone required somebody to go beyond what Jesus teaches, then that person is a legalist and your John wrote in second John to the elect lady.

He talked about the danger of people are going beyond the teachings of Jesus. He says in verse nine, second John whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ to the teaching of Christ does not abide it doesn't remain in it.

Many modern translations say does the they go beyond the teaching of Jesus. That person does not have God he who but who abides in the in the teaching of Jesus has both a father and son so I mean a Christian doesn't have just convert legalist is me.

We have the total unrestricted reign of our will to do what we want to do. The fact that we don't have to do what some man wants us to do is only true because we do have to do what God wants us to, and therefore we are followers of Jesus and anyone can be a follower of Jesus without being under the rules of any organization because Jesus what he taught is is recorded for us and we we can read his teachings.

We can ask him to guide us in the in the correct application of those in our lives and then just walk in. In the spirit which is a freedom.

It's a way of it's the law of liberty, because Christ writes his laws in our hearts and what that means is, he makes our hearts amenable to his laws and what he really wants us to do is what his spirit inclines us inwardly to do, although of course whatever flesh in our flesh is drawn toward carnality.

Of course, so we have to recognize that not every inward impulse we have is from Christ.

But if we love Christ if were born of God for the spirit of God is in us, then what he taught us to do is something we truly desire to do and it makes it easier to do that were not understood. Some of some organization or some man telling us what to do something. By the late Mormonism and cults like that are not the only legalistic religious bodies any any individual church can be legalistic, depending on the dynamics of the group. I mean I don't consider Presbyterians or Methodist or Baptist or Nazarenes to be cultic, but any church of any denomination, including those funds could be if the pastor is very domineering. If there is this just a strong spirit of legalism in the church you do find individual congregations are very legalistic that are part of what we might refer to as cults, cults by nature are legalistic, they have to keep people pretty much in line and standardized and whenever group is trying to do that they are doing so without the Holy Spirit. I know the Mormons believe in the Holy Spirit, believing being filled with the Holy Spirit.

It says in second Corinthians 3, that where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty and if somebody is in a group or is no liberty. If you have the liberty to follow your heart to follow Jesus and without the rules and regulations of the group binding. You will then the Holy Spirit is not there for the spirit is there is liberty and grace does not mean permission to send grace is actually God's character God is gracious. He's full of grace. Member says that if Jesus in John chapter 1 and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth.

Now two verses later says and of his fullness we have received grace upon grace. So we find that Jesus was full of grace and truth, and we by being filled with his spirit are filled with the fullness of him of his fullness we have all received which is grace upon grace so God gives us grace, not just as grace is not permission to sin.

It's not even just forgiveness of sin. It is the impartation of God's own character of grace to us which enables us to live a holy life and enables us to endure hardship and endures us to simply respond to life and to people the way Jesus did, because his nature is in us, we become as Peter setting second Peter chapter 1 verse four that we become part takers of the divine nature. So grace is not in any sense in conflict with being Christ or or being holy. In fact, we know that Paul said in an Titus chapter 2 I believe it's in verse 11 that he said that the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men teaching us of the sort. Grace teaches us grace teaches us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we must live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world social grace teaches us.

If somebody has received grace is filled with grace and great grace is inwardly teaching me to deny worldliness and and lusts, and to live soberly and righteously godly in this world. So if somebody says why, I don't have to live like I did before because it in the cult because that was legalism. And I'm under grace.

I can really kind of live it up and do whatever I want to do while not one of your flesh wants to serve because grace will teach you to deny your worldly lusts.

Grace will teach you live soberly and righteously so you know some people.

They move out of legalism into something they considered to be grace and there's this movement in the church called hyper grace that indicates that because it's because there were under grace rooted in. There's really no requirements on us at all. But Jesus said after the sermon on the mount which was full of a lot of our high standard of holiness that he was teaching. He said everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand and winter storms, it washes away, but whoever hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on a rock. In other words, a person who doesn't do what Jesus said is setting himself from for spiritual downfall and so being out from under legalism doesn't mean being out from under Jesus and make it so I don't to dispatch an end of them I might kind of misrepresent what he said some summarizing but he said that the reason there are so many Commandments in the Scriptures is kind of show you that it's impossible to keep them all and we should be striving to, but we shouldn't be concerned if were far from keeping the commandments that and that was being shared on this group that I was and is like an agreement and it let me give you scriptural response that is in first John chapter 2 it says in verse four, first John two forces. He who says I know him.

That means someone who says they know God or Christ and does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. So if a person says I'm a Christian, but they don't keep Christ commandments there a liar and a dozen Christians keep his commitments perfectly and I would agree with that pastor.

If what he saying is don't beat yourself up and and condemn yourself, because you are not perfect. You know the fact that you sometimes stumble factory sometimes slip and fall into a way that you really are trying not to fall into.

In a way that you really don't approve of that which you repented when you done it.

The fact you slip, you must not let that become an occasional condemnation, but if he saying you know these laws are not really very important. The main thing is for us to recognize we can't keep them in, so don't sweat it if you're not if you're not coming very close to.

I think it's mostly pretty close to you know I think is very close to one exactly like he was saying that the county really important. Don't ever forget them. But he saying your salvation happened when you accepted Christ once it's your duty to try to become closer to him and that candidates and then he said to focus on the main three faith, hope and charity and then use the rest the command to kind of check yourself to see if the spirits working in Gillette County when about it, but almost the you know it is impossible to actually keep them off the don't worry too much about that kind well yeah I is he saying don't be legalistic. Don't beat yourself up because you don't keep the law perfectly.

I would agree with him on that. If he's given the impression that the laws are only there to let us know how far we fall short and I've deftly heard people teach that they said you let some of the mounted Jesus never intending to do it. He just wanted us to see how high the standards that would be desperate and cast ourselves on the on the grace of God because he would certainly would expect us to do it. However, at the end of that sermon is a brat. He said whoever hears these words and does them is wise, whoever hears the resume doesn't is a fool. Now I don't think that were supposed to be fools and I do think being wise is exactly what Christians are required to do positive said the Colossians. Do not be unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is so were supposed be wise were supposed to know what God's will is and seek to do it, but recognizing that were not perfect that there's a war within us between the flesh and the spirit and sometimes the flesh could see her handy for careless, but the fact that the flesh gets the upper hand on a given occasion and we fall doesn't mean that you know the flesh is now reclaimed us for itself. It just means that we we felt were we did the wrong thing. We get up and we keep archenemies if you're on the battlefield and your you know, charging the enemy and you happen to trip and fall down. You just figure out well I guess I'll just let the enemy take me now now you just get out and stand continue the charge you know because you have an objective the objective of the Christian is to become just like Christ in every attitude and every thought to have every thought brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ to obey him all things. That's the objective and of course we don't do that perfectly. But when we find that we have failed to we don't just reset the norm. We don't lower the bar wait, we don't just say well I guess I didn't matter it does matter, and we know it matters if you love God you know it matters when you failing it just doesn't matter in the way that some people think some people think will fail God. He hates me if I fail God I don't make sense.

I can't be safe. That's not the Bible does teach that, but it does teach that Christians are those who obey Jesus. That's how Peter described the Christian community when he started of the Sanhedrin.

He said we are witnesses to these things and so is the Holy Spirit who God has given to those who obey him a means to the Christians in Hebrews.

It also refers to the Christians as those who obey him that he became the author of eternal salvation to those who obey him. It says neighbors.

Now those who obey him doesn't mean obeying him is how we get the Holy Spirit obeying him is how we get saved is using the people who are saved, the people are those who we can seek weaker records who those are those with those people over there who are obeying Jesus instead of living their lives like and what else does the Christians are those who obey Christ so that's you know if anyone says I know him and doesn't keep his commandments is a liar and stresses a very blunt statement John makes their first John 24 so knows my thoughts of understanding are are currently stupid Christ that it be good to look at kind of what are feelings are on the on the commandment maybe would be a good way of putting this.

How did David feel about God's commandments.

He said I love your commandments I love your law I meditate on all day long running. If you love God you love. His will in no there's a singer Christian singer back in my day. One is young and Keith Green and his song.

One of the lines was if you love the Lord your God to love his will for you and his will is expressed in commandments and and David so many of his songs are how the commands are sweeter than honey and the honeycomb and greater more to be desired than gold so a man who loves God or woman of God's love righteousness is gonna love God's command signal want to obey them, not because of fear, but because of love. You know you're married and your children. You know what things your children love you know you things make your children happy and you love to do them.

If you can't because you love your wife and your children. It's just a normal thing.

If you love somebody you desire to do as many things as possible as keep them happy. Not because you're afraid of anything will do for not happy because making them happy is what makes you happy if you love them and said same thing with hey I need take another call my linesman fall and we talked for 1/3 of the program already and I really appreciate the ability to this couple times over and over again and notices one of appreciate all think you know it's it's it's profound for many thank you Mike thanks All right test Steve from Lakewood, Washington. Welcome to the narrow path. Thanks for calling out to trip the questionable investor Bill eventually passed regulation close to Michael and his angels fought against the Dragon. The Dragon fought and his angels in heaven, since you can't really communicate with each of the remaining children like that Jacob is limiting dolomite?*Speaking of clinics and consider some damages in a culture that did a good idea.

Especially with two working it matters anyway. Church membership to good idea to to have them take your name off during rules or not. Okay okay thank you well so the person who once belonged to a cultic group and they are no longer in disagreement no longer an agreement with the group. Should their name be taken off the membership of the group. I would say yes. I'm not really sure why don't you have put their name on the membership of any group even or even a denominational church. You don't have to become a member of the man-made organization to be a member of the body of Christ, and so are you. I'm not really in favor of people having their names on membership roles because if you join a church in the sense that that that is speaking of that is I'm a member of this church. What you're basically committing to is going to that church more than any other, your tithing, that church probably is with you and want you to do and there's the other things that basically wed you to the church. In fact, sometimes churches even use the language of wedding I've heard people say no.

People who hop around from church to church is like a woman's hop around from one man's bed to another man's bit as if you're socially married to the congregation you go to now you're married to Christ, and Christ isn't just at any one congregation. Even if you go to one all the time.

That's not the only one you got any other one you're still in the car in body of Christ.

Every congregation is a man-made one. I know this because God didn't come down and created these congregations. They are formed by people now congregation that's formed by people can still be a wonderful fellowship and a wonderful witness in a have it can be a wonderful experience. I'm not against them. I'm not against groups made by man, but were not obligated to join any groups made by man.

We can attend them. We can participate.

We can volunteer we can teach we can give. We can do all kinds of things to such a group tonight. I do when I go to church. I I give to it and I volunteer and I do what I do in a church but I don't join it because I'm already joint to the body of Christ.

Now if I say yeah I'm joined about cousin also to join this church. What does that mean what's the meaning of join this church is named just to go there. Well, I can go there without joining cacti. I go to many churches without joining them.

If I join a church. Doesn't that mean that they kind of only in it and it different sense than all the other churches do. I mean if there's 100 churches in town.

If I join one does not mean that they have some claim on be different than the other.

If not, then what does it mean I really sure what it would mean if not that it means your expect to be loyal to them why why should be loyal to one group when there's Christians in the body of Christ throughout the whole town who aren't in that group. Why can't I just be loyal to Jesus into his body. I mean, I don't. I'm not against going to one church steadily and regularly effects of God leads people to do. I just don't understand the mentality of joining a church certainly doesn't exist in the Bible is no such concept in the Bible joining the church or been a member of the church. The word member is applied to be Christians in the New Testament of like members of a limbs of a body body made up of many limbs and members.

That's not like joining a club.

That's like the Holy Spirit joins you to the body of Christ and that's a mystical spiritual thing that happens in your now part of the whole body with all Christian, so I don't see a reason to put your name on a lid on a roll. But if you have it on a roll of a group and if it's a cultic group. I'd say I don't my name on there anymore by the caller was our friend Steve Peterson who he does a lot to to make the services at Matthew 713, available if you haven't been to Matthew 713.com. You'll find a lot of resources there and so anyway your other is other question was, what does war in heaven look like, and in Revelation chapter 12 seven.

I don't know why I believe that Revelation is giving symbolic language so is depicting her, a spiritual conflict in terms of armies and soldiers and things like that but these are angels do angels die.

I don't think so.

We know that the the war in heaven that Daniel learned about in Daniel chapter 10 involve the Prince of Persia, who was fighting against two messengers. One was Michael as in Revelation 12 and the other was this unnamed messenger came to Daniel. They were both fighting with the Prince of Persia, but there's no indication that the intended killing. He resisted the nursing to overpower him, and sold the warfare motif of angels you know locked in battle. It it may be using all of motif that were familiar with where people get killed and inhuman battles, but I think it simply represented the idea that there is a power struggle between the forces of God and the forces of Satan and in that particular story we see the power of God wins against Satan. Okay, we've still got a lot of colors and not a lot of time. Let's talk next to Vito from Lynnwood, Washington Vito, welcome to the neuropathic suede HD hi okay yes go ahead yesterday had a closer call a Internet didn't seem like it would year goal and a lot of stories in the Bible does not compel me to call you today and tell you something that happened to me, and I considered it was a miracle or a blessing and how you want to look at it but about seven years ago I was involved in a situation where I was charged with crime, and even though I didn't feel that I should been charged with a crime. They had they had said they were going to charge me but then they didn't charge me for three years and the day that I actually was charged three years later I actually had a dream the night I heard a voice say you know the thing that happened or you can be charged with that and I thought it was my dad would go to my wife about it anyway though it once I knew I didn't charge. She looked it up and found out that I was in charge of this crime and it was a pretty heinous crime and speed in a series, and I've never been to prison or anything like that.

Though I was very terrified and become a Christian. Years before that and I started hanging on Mark 1122 and wanted to tell this guy that called yesterday and have faith in God. One thing I felt like he mean that Mimi not have true faith in God because I believe there is a miracle that I believed David miracle and and what happened with me was I create prayer so many times that I literally memorized it inside and out. I studied it, and night.

I did whatever you believe you believe that you receive it, I just kept saying over and over and over I create day and night being night I was. I was terrified he's run out of time here because I got a break, give us the bottom line how to turn the bottom line is that miraculously, even though my lawyers that there was no way I wouldn't be going prison for the dropped all the charges. Praise the Lord neatly dropped the resort. I heard many testimonies like that.

By the way yeah I've heard test was I got from people who actually were guilty.

They had before they were curtains not Christians and they committed crimes and and they fled. In some cases, they fled from Canada to the US or somewhere when I met him here and and I counseled him to go back and turn themselves in and they were guilty of crimes they were facing jail time and they said trust God and go turn yourself in, and I know the number of cases of people who did that and that and charges were dropped against the natives also mean I'm not saying it always happen that way but I do believe in those kinds of things happening because of answers to prayer. Now see the man who called yesterday was not a believer in God he didn't believe in the resurrection of Christ and believe in miracles and all but he would probably just say that's not a miracle lexicon six and by the way a skeptic could argue that way because it doesn't involve in that case the violation of any laws of nature, one could argue that could've happened believe it was unlikely and knows a quick 60 but there's every reason for you to believe and genuinely and rationally. That your prayers had an impact on and answered prayer is something almost every Christian knows to expect and not always are the miracles providences of God through prayer is what confirms us that we do have a miracle working on other candy.

Take a break, but I'll be back with another half hour coming up were not done the narrow path is listener supported. You can write to us at the narrow path, PO Box 1732 macula CA 92593 or website. The narrow path.com. I'll be back in 30 seconds. Small is the gate and narrow is the path that leads to welcome you to nothing to sell you everything in today's radio show is over, we invite you to visit the narrow path.com we'll find time to blog article verse by verse teachings in the archives of learn and enjoy the thinking for supporting the listener supported narrow path. Greg narrow path radio broadcast.

My name is Steve Greg and were alive for another half hour taking your calls. We have our lines fall by the way, that if you want to call in a few minutes you might find a line opens up the number to call is 844-484-5737 that's 844-484-5737 enter next caller is Paul from Bonavista Colorado. Paul look into the neuropathic while you're waiting a long time yet about to lose it. Sorry.

When you call. Stay on the phone. I know he was waiting for 25 minutes but if you don't stay on the phone.

Then when I call your name you're not there. And the reason is because usually when someone leaves the phone there listening on the radio but it's too late and they won't hear me call their name on the radio for about 40 seconds later we can't burn up 40 seconds of your time so if you're not at the phone. I can't talk to you. Stay on the phone if you call a Daniel from Everett, Washington. Welcome to the neuropathic for calling all the good things in the question about the devotional boat.

Satan know who took the book will be DQ 28 and Isaiah 14 in my question again, Steve is his king of Tyre and who is the king of Babylon in those and I'll have a problem?

We have to okay well the king of Babylon. When Isaiah was writing probably didn't really exist yet. Only Nebuchadnezzar was the founder of the neo-Babylonian Empire, though there was a Babylonian kingdom before that but Isaiah is writing about the fall of Babylon now.

Isaiah lived and died before the rise of Babylon, so he's probably just being of the king of Babylon is a personification of all the kings of that would come about their their boldness. There pride there fall.

No doubt the king of Babylon is generic for any king of Babel and because none of them had really risen yet in Isaiah's time. In fact, they wouldn't for another hundred years after Isaiah's time. So he's talking about. I king of Babylon, who isn't there yet and we don't know which one he might be thinking of.

Although he does talk about the fall of Babel in the fall of the king that could well be his target, Bill Shatzer, who is the King and Bev and when Babylon fell, but he might also be referred to any king or ballot is just his time of the fall of the individual man and I'm sure the death of any Babylonian king would be his fall, but the kingdom itself represented by its Kings fell in 539 BC BC so that me that was in Bill Shatzer was king. So that's maybe who it was. Now I don't know the names of all the kings of Tyre attire and all the other countries and Israel had lots of kings, and most of her very on on unfamiliar to some they were famous enough to I'm sure that there are Middle Eastern scholars who focus on the history of Tyre and can tell us at any given time who is King, but I I've never even heard the names of any of kings of Tyre my whole 50 years of studying the Bible, nor do I know that the kings of the Moab's are the king and Moabites of the kings of the ammonites, except maybe a few of them that may be appear in the stories in first Kings second Kings, but yet these there was a king in Tyre to be sure, and yet I think also what is said about the king of Tyre, in a sense, extends to the nation of Tyre. The king is always a representative of the nation, so I can't give you the names of the kings of Babel and entire, to whom these apply, but we know their workings and Babylon and Tyre later him and they did fall. Both cities fell and that's with these proxies are predicting DQ talks about the amendment clicking okay so please help me with that right.

Thank you for your call. I appreciate your talk next to Andrew from Monroe Washington and are looking to the neuropathic for calling some hint about Muriel Hydro all appear in Monroe a.k.a. church yeah I love you, like down there right now yeah I guess not.

And I wouldn't I just don't enjoy traveling by air.

At this point either because of masks and stuff like that. That sounds very uncomfortable today will book years ago my upbringing, upbringing, I will and really didn't have that work here really delving into a lot more instruction from dollars lecture and Louis, thank you.

Recently a friend of mine, a wonderful Christian man I love dearly recommended a book that I hadn't heard about published 70 called celebration of the III hadn't heard of it. I jumped on it right away on a major retail online retailer that will meaningless and I read some reviews recently. I just have some questions about teaching and their specter and love your books I purchased your new one coming out and I just was looking for your opinion on a netbook. The celebration of discipline by Richard Foster is a very famous book. I read it when it first came out there some things I don't agree with unit. There's courses much in it I wouldn't have any objection to Richard Foster. His so either through that book. I I've never heard of him before that book but he's he's written another book since entities is a pretty famous guy and that you almost never hear anything like criticism of him from anyone. Most most biblical writers. Most Christian writers seem to like to quote him and things like that. I remember that I didn't care for an idea, and I really truly didn't care for this book is book is about Christian disciplines and one of them is meditation. Meditation in the Bible is meditation on the Bible, met him on Scripture.

Richard Foster and he is in his chapter on meditation born off a lot of resemblance to have to say all cultic meditation emptying the mind and so forth and visualizing things in it just unites is what he had to say about meditation really isn't biblical.

I can't remember what he said about other things because frankly read so many books back that this is 40 years ago or 30 years ago and I don't member all the things I guess I didn't disagree with him on much else than that because I probably want what I disagreed with what stood out.

So I would say that most Christians would find him a very helpful they find is been very helpful. I have to say that even though I didn't find a great deal.

I disagreed with tenant. I don't remember learning anything life-changing for me but some people I think have sorry just say you say ordered it. If you have then I just say read it but read it with your discernment turned on because you'll find that some things are to be biblical something or not. That's the most I can say about that or most books, frankly, and you should you should, yeah, absolutely. I mean if if I say something in my books and it doesn't resonate with Scripture. I don't back it up with a good exegesis of the passage or passages of Scripture. Then you can just ignore it because it's not you know it. Maybe true but you can't be sure if is not supported by Scripture. That's why I really try in my books to develop exegetical cases for what I'm saying is one of the most big frustrations I have with a lot of people who even people who agree with me on stuff but especially in life you by disagree with it. They just don't really seem to exegete description arsenic assertions and they might allude to Scripture to that they don't spend any time executing so you don't know if you're using a crack or not. I really I'm not saying that my excuses is the best there is. But it's the best I can do and am committed to it.

I'm committed to exegete the Scripture to back up whatever essay I may get it wrong. But if I do it will not be without having done some serious attempts to understand the Bible is really saying about everything, every Scripture quote anyway yeah Richard Foster, you will probably get some good things from like I can't remember any any positive thing I got from but that's not a criticism, I read lots of books. I don't hate you know how donors are getting special from a lot of books out there but many people have gotten good things for Richard Foster's writings and I would be cautious about what he said about meditation, and you might find some other things in the book that I forgotten that are quite fully scriptural.

Okay, everything is your call.

God bless you and see were going to speak to Matt from Atlanta, Georgia our Nate skinny Nate from Atlanta Georgia made welcome to the neuropathic for calling high in Atlanta. Yes, I yes go ahead miracles. You think you had that in believing that I never said I was.

It miracles gradually moving. – Palos.

Put a recovery that will come down here and keep a miracle going to jail only incident is that a rhetorical question present when you want an answer to rights on okay I'm asking you is not rhetorical. In other words, is it just trying to make a point.

Are you interested in knowing the answer to the question that's want to ask you okay okay I'll give you an answer.

I don't know why God chooses to do miracles. In some cases, not others, but the Bible does say that he responds to faith on the part of his people is a prayer of faith by a righteous man will avail much the Bible says and so the Bible also says even about Christians who says you do not have because you do not ask so I think there's a lot of things that God would do interventions that God would do that he doesn't do because he's not asked a dozen. There are no prayers of faith. The Bible indicates that God is moved by the prayers of faith from his people now he doesn't just act unilaterally and he doesn't always answer the prayers of faith with miracles, but he can and you know what if there's 1 millions of children dying. Well, this is not God's fault, and God is not obligated to jump in.

Every time somebody is dying because everybody is going to die and you know they don't all die as children, but many people do many die in their teens are in their early adult life or mid midlife or at the end of the lifetime in the old long life. What I'm saying is that people die and I don't know why they die when they do, and even people who call out on God.

At the time of death might still die if it's God's will for him to die at that time instead of another. All I can say is that all people will die, but the Bible says that not even a sparrow falls to the ground apart from the will of your father and your worth more than many sparrows. I have to say if that is true then people do not die if God wants them to survive. Now summonses within God. One of my childhood. I will what if he did. Are you okay with that. How did you want your child to die. When did you want them to die. What we all hope you live a little longer.

Why, how do you know that you best thing. Maybe her child live to be criminal.

You never know. Maybe her here childlike of the Adolf Hitler God for bid, but the guy did have a mother and father, and he was an innocent baby at one time. You just don't know. You don't know what God knows God knows everything and if he says okay this child be better off in heaven right now because if they grow up they will be corrupted by the family are being raised in or by the culture raised in or they will be do something bad or they won't be saved.

You know God can do whatever he wants to write you know you just don't have faith in God know you said you believe in God, but you don't have faith in God. What I mean by that is, you don't trust God I have faith in my wife and I don't think that means that this is me. I believe she exists. I think if you say you believe there's a God, you just leave exists why Sam I faith my wife or my or my father. My mother, or in any friend of mine. My faith in them doesn't mean I believe exist, it means I trust them.

That's what God is looking for people who will trust him. And if you say well I'll trust him. If he gives a good explanation of why he did this or why he did that well then you trusted you know it you're saying, I will trust myself once I evaluate his explanations if they satisfy me. I'll trust my own intellect amount rationality amount goodness to decide what I think about the situation but you see faith in God is when a person has decided already that God is right, I'm I've been wrong many times about many things God has never been wrong about anything yet. I have been selfish and sinful and cruel. On occasion, God is never in any of those things. God loves God is love. God loves even his enemies. God loves everyone. Now the fact that he knows everything he's all wise a love that remains his decisions are going to be based on the best thing that he can see for all people concerned and if you say well a child dying. That's not the best thing how do you know that I don't know that I had a wife who died when she was 25 years old. That's pretty young.

It's almost died as a child she was hit by a truck and killed like you I wouldn't thought that be the best thing but God apparently did and I can't say it wasn't. I don't know what would've happened if she had lived as a wonderful marriage at the time, but you know don't know what would've happened and by the way she wanted to be with God, so she liked out she really was someone who love God was eager to see him as I am actually envied her when she got to be taken earlier than me but the truth is we trust God we trust that God knows what's best and we do know, for example in the Bible is a king Hezekiah but the prophet told him that God is good. Take his life.

He was already sick and dying in the prophecy to die while the men prayed to God and ask for more time and God sent the Prospect Hill case can give you 15 more years will that sounds like a good thing.

The only thing is, so if he had died before that 15 years he would've died childless when he survived the next 15 years. Three years later he had a child and when the king died, his child than 12 years old, became king was the worst thing that ever happened to the nation, is the worst thing that ever was. Now, when God said to Hezekiah you going to die.

God apparently knew that that would be the best thing better than him living three more years and having it a child's gonna ruin the whole nation better to die now. I sometime let God decide when that's going to be so I don't I don't call got into question when I hear people die during one smart one.

My wife died like I didn't call God in Christ.

I just I didn't think that that's not what I wanted to happen, but that's God knows what's best. I always believe that God knows more than I do about things I've always wondered how anyone could doubt that that God knows better.

So if you say why does God answer this prayer because there's Ripper. I think it's because God does what is best, but in some cases even though he knows what is best. He wanted because he's not asked you ask not. And therefore you do not have the boxes so this man who called and said he was praying and trusting Christ to get them to keep them from going to prison wrongfully while God is interested in justice. Why should meet. Why shouldn't he prevent the man from going to prison wrongfully. It's not just fermentative prison wrongfully so the man was praying according to the will of God, and God answered but why did this person represented some vague number of people that we don't know who they are, what their sickness or why did God let them die. How can I know that you can know that I can't know that either.

Why can't you just trust God. If you believe there is a God like a distrust in the manner you saying it is speculation that God wanted all the children the day of the year. That was his plan. Listen why were they born of the defendant.

Well that again we have to say will. God knows but you see I'm to speculate but you're not what you basing your ideas on location and okay I'm basing them on on basing them on the inspired word of God on the things that this inspired prophets said on God's behalf. Those prophets were able to tell the future and it came true and they did so because God wanted us to know that they can be trusted.

They were the ones who are speaking for him. I'm repeating the truth that they said I'm also repeating the truth that Jesus said I happen to believe in Jesus. I happen to believe in God and I believe it is prophets that that's what I based on how much a speculator not making this stuff up. This is what they said. Now what are you what you have to base your views on what is right never liable as stated above is liable well and have found it to not be reliable but I've studied. I'm really curious how many years you study Howdy hi I'm let me finish.

How many years have you studied the Bible study with really bad that it may be. Did you study did you study it in the Greek or the Hebrew.

How did you study it can gain okay that's not studying the pilots reading the Bible. Have you ever studied the Bible unit steadily and also started it outside of the Bible okay will so have I not studied the Bible for 50 years I have studied it. I've just read it. I studied it for 50 years. I've also studied other religions. So you say you found the bottle unreliable.

But I don't really believe you ever studied it at all. Okay, please do tell me how you studied them a minute about God only mistake right. The ballasted society of anemia right. I know the will. Have you studied the you can make sense and that if you study the Bible you you're just taking it as you read while he saw he was going okay. I will I will the Bible. If you study, you'll find out that in the stories the Bible uses anthropomorphic expressions speak about God which means he reveals himself and speaks as if he was a man when you're expected. No he's not. He comes down he speaks to Abraham. He comes on speaks to Adam he comes on speaks to Noah and he speaks in human language. He talks like he is a human, and he talks like he is human emotions and he does have some emotions like that, but the point is we find a lot of this anthropomorphic language, the Bible, it doesn't mean that it didn't really happen if we say okay God acted like he was regretful about making man because he was sorry he was sorry how things turned out and but it doesn't mean he made a mistake.

Now it's not a mistake.

It's like it's like if my children turn out badly.

Was it a mistake free to have children know there might be a in the long run something really good that comes from heaven, but if if you have a child who turns out to be bad that does me. I should never have children you might think I shouldn't have but it's it's not it's not a logical conclusion got to make a mistake.

But how can you you know you know you don't know everything, like true I don't. You're right. So would you. Therefore, I am not therefore therefore I am prone to make mistakes. God is not because he knows everything.

Seek your if you believe God knows everything, then you must know you and making mistakes because people who know everything don't make any mistakes. I do make mistakes because I don't know everything and so do you. But if God knows everything that's up that's a promise you said just now. Then you have to assume he didn't make any mistakes and that's what I say to say God and making mistakes. Listen, you know, you take up a lot of my time and I don't blame you if I were you I would to fight if the host let me lines for the people who want to talk to me and and yesterday you occupied a lot of my time and you didn't answer my questions very well and the questions you asked me you don't want answers to your just raising them as rhetorical arguments so I'm he didn't call any day you want but I can't give you as much time as you like to take appreciate your call call me again and we'll talk a little more in the future, but I've got a lot of people very little time left. In fact I probably only take one more: I regret to say this.

Talk to Joe from Newport Beach, California Joe, welcome to the now Recalling my call.

Everyone there receiving the second at 11. One of attic. If you ever seen this happen to catch this PBS program last Sunday, on call frontline and data title is from Jesus to Christ frontline production. I guess it was originally produced in 1998.

Ever why I don't watch PBS shows usually they don't dare do not object to okay well maybe I'll call back. But what did they say what did they say that Jesus. Jesus was not really that the Jesus of history was one thing, but the Christ of faith is what the church made him out to be in later generations that therefore little bit.

Now it seemed to me that they were active full title is from Jesus to Christ, the early Christian so take on how the early church formed and you know you seem very knowledgeable. Well I do know something about how the early church formed but you see the time the title from Jesus to Christ suggest that he was at one point Jesus and not Christ and later he was Christ and not Jesus so that there's a difference when Jesus the Christ. This is not the case. You know, when Jesus was born.

The angel said to the shepherds unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord Jesus is born Christ. He was born Christ and that he is also born Jesus so Jesus and Christ are simply two different titles for the same person, of which there are many other titles to but you see liberal unbelief about the Gospels. A lot of a lot of New Testament scholars. I don't know why they entered the field of New Testament scholarship because they don't believe a word of it, but they would suggest it is a pop.

It's a popular thing among liberals to suggest that Jesus never claimed to be the Christ Jesus never claimed to be divine. Jesus never all the stories that we read about Jesus that make it out to be a Godlike person. Those are fabrications that later church to develop these myths about him and then wrote them in the Gospels that's that's that's the standard liberal line. It's it's absolutely unverifiable and it's it doesn't go along with the evidence that exists these Gospels were written within within the same generation that Jesus lived by his disciples so they know what he said and did as a scholar living 2000 years later doesn't know all he can do is speculate they will. I think it happened this way not believe the people who actually repair my preference.

I actually prefer better sources who actually know something. Hey, you can call back. By this time I'm targeting Emily on Job, God bless you minister to the narrow path radio broadcast where listener supported. If you want to write to us the address is the narrow path, PO Box 1732 macula CA 92593 website. The narrow path.com thanks for joining us