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The Narrow Path 11/5

The Narrow Path / Steve Gregg
The Cross Radio
November 5, 2020 7:00 am

The Narrow Path 11/5

The Narrow Path / Steve Gregg

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November 5, 2020 7:00 am

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Welcome to the narrow pass radio broadcast mistake regular live for enough for our each week afternoon and retake your calls a few questions you'd like to raise for discussion about the Bible of the Christian faith Christian conduct or anything like that. If you have a different viewpoint from the host are always welcome to call them to bring that up for discussion as well a number to reach me here is 844-484-5737 that number again is 844-484-5737 and is a good time to call because there's have a couple of lines open and that's not always the case. So it's a good opportunity for you to call 844-484-5737 just one announcement and that is that this Saturday is present. Tomorrow is Thursday today. So on Saturday we have a meeting into macula California here in Southern California. These meetings happen maybe once a month for grocery two months is kind of irregular but it's a Q&A and fellowship time for people who may want to join us. Beginning at 630 Saturday evening into macula. If you'd like to join us. We encourage you to do so, go to our website.

The narrow path.com and you'll see a map and directions and that can think so. I can tell you week we meet it'll it a little group called the love of Christ Fellowship, which lets us use the facilities that they're not easy to find if you have a mapper or GPS or some like that and I could give you the address, but it's right there at the website@thenarrowpath.com under announcements this Saturday night. All right, let's talk to art some of our callers Al in Mill Valley, California is first welcome to the neuropathology things are going just not sure if you believe this goal when I question point was regarding I personally believe because you guys is going to happen on in the corner to play sometime in the future. What I understand the something that the utility In the pre-cryptology was more symbolic than something that's going to happen in the future but will write what I hear the words prayer.

You will be gone all moot because it is the kind of tells me the Jews because even if Philip is back millennial kingdom way on earth and its Jews believe is well that their Messiah set up the value of millennial reign on earth, so that was a quick point of contention and I don't know you teach the adult, but from the things occurred in the past. But, felt like maybe you didn't hear I love this person and I think the next question. You're right.

I am millennial and that means I'm not pre-millennial.

I don't believe Jesus reign as a thousand years. I believe Jesus reign is eternal. You know it says in Isaiah chapter 9 in verse six and verse seven we know verse six very well. Some don't over seven as well, since for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, the government will be upon his shoulder which means he'll he'll shoulder the weight of governing and his name will be called wonderful Counselor, mighty God, the everlasting father, the Prince of peace and of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward. Even forever, so his rain is not going to really be a thousand years ago reign forever there be no end of it were told and that's actually what is also said in Daniel chapter 2 and Daniel chapter 7 and so forth about the Messiah's reign is eternal so there's no there's no reference in the Old Testament all to the Messiah having a thousand year reign, though I agree with you that he's going to rain on earth. I don't believe it's can be a thousand year reign illusory eternal reign. And so the thousand years. That Revelation mentions in Revelation 20. By the way, that's the only place in the Bible that even mentions a thousand years anything about a thousand years anywhere in the Bible that I believe I believe about that.

The way the church believes through most of history through about at least 1500 years of the last 2000 years the church was almost exclusively on millennial which is the I hold so I am not ashamed to hold the view, the church historically held throughout most of its history, but that's not why hold I actually came to be a novel.

I was a premillennialist like yourself and I and I and became an all millennialist by reading the Bible before I knew that the church history had ever known anyone who held this view, I didn't. I didn't know was called on millennial, but I I reached my conclusions from the Bible itself and from no other source that I didn't know anyone who wasn't premillennial hadn't ever read. Anyone that wasn't so I I came up with this understanding by my own study of Scripture. It wasn't until all year or two after I had come to his understanding that someone clued me in. This is this the doctor the whole church throughout history most of most of history so I was glad at least that I had come into a view that certain got a respectable pedigree, but we only know what you believe Christ way these files as I'm okay with that but Bible itself goes the descendents of those normal exercises. He will act wage war against the beloved city doesn't mention who's in the blood to save others that are reasonably Osaka church.

The church is the beloved city of God in the New Testament so it doesn't really mention their descendents of anybody in particular on and it just says that that he will come and will besiege and make war against the beloved city and then fire from heaven, will come down consume the devil and all those with see my understanding and ended the millennial understanding is that thousand years is symbolic of the present age, and it will in fact and something like that that the devil will in fact bring massive global persecution against the church, but but he'll be destroyed by the coming of Christ as it says in second Thessalonians chapter 2 it says he'll be destroyed by the brightness of Christ's appearing so little. I will scare you think of the number will be like. I know it's pretty big pretty big army so let's see I believe that Jesus will reign on earth.

After he comes back that I place the second coming of Christ, not before the thousand years, but at the end of the thousand years, but he will come back and then he'll ring over the new heavens and earth forever.

The Reno interest rate all right but question you will be all you know the culture. In other words, the line I reject okay yeah believes a heresy and it certainly does everything in Scripture to support it would seem to me the main support for the idea that the Jews are the are the seed of the servant came out would be that Jesus said to them that they are of their father the devil, and I think I think Jesus saying that to them has been greatly misunderstood.

So the second seed people that I've talked to don't even believe that the Jews are descended from Abraham they believe their descendents from Cain and from the devil, but I think it's totally missing Jesus point because of the biases that we are children of God.

It doesn't mean that God came down and slept with her mother and we were impregnated that having to be a child of God is a spiritual condition and being a child of Satan is a spiritual condition is not. It is not a biological pedigree going back to the devil. And when Jesus said to the Jews in John 844 that you are of your father the devil, he had just said to them about seven versus earlier. He said I know that you are Abraham's descendents so the ones that he called children of the devil were also Abraham's descendents. They were descended from Cain Kane was not Abraham came from Shem not even come to Kane's line, so to say that the Jews are descent from Cain.

I miss the whole point, especially in the very passage in the very passage they quote to prove their point.

Jesus seven versus earlier makes very clear that the wrong okay thank you just hope the tools to upgrade for Rosenthal yeah yeah I mean II haven't heard the results just in the last hour probably. But I yelled itself skilled election. Well, I know that's a controversial thing to say but I don't doubt that you're correct coming. There's been plenty of evidence that you like.

I read that in one state. There were more votes cast our original yeah and a rep about that there were more more votes cast, and there are voters in the state you know honey so obviously there's someone patting the avoiding boxing it. Yeah, I've also heard all the way through this in before before he knew how I knew that was going to come out that all the authority said rather than the mail-in ballots are the ones most likely be Democrat and Republican. Some are more like me, that's just historically the calcium the Democrats to mailing more their bows and the Republicans tend to go into the polling place as well. It's the New York Times and she said that mail-in ballots are the easiest to to commit fraud with so maybe that's why that's why they're so stilted in the mailing bows to that one party because that party has deftly committed a great deal of fraud.

A lot of those people I know what I don't know what the text I know, I know that many came in so I just got all shakes out in Amin in the past.

If this had been George W. Bush are John McCain if if if they were the ones running they would've graciously said, okay, I can see the election to present body, but Trump is a fighter and he I think he's got every reason to fight. There's been times I thought earlier presence gave up too early. So anyway, I don't know. I do know will happen I'm I guess when people build door with a lot he's endured a great deal that was you see what happens.

And thanks for joining us. Or let's talk to John from Jackson, Wyoming John, welcome to the narrow path. Thanks for calling anything of I got in the program, late yesterday but you were talking to a guy about the Holy Spirit.

I got the impression that you believe that there is a second worst of the Holy Spirit. Second step in the in your salvation and I was wondering if you would, if that's true, you would explain your sure. I don't believe is a second step in salvation at all. I think that you take one step out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God and and that's a full transition in your same to that point, but I believe his many steps in the Christian life. I believe his many works of grace. I would hope to thousands of them in a lifetime and so for example II believe in being filled with the spirit as something that's a different thing than being converted, though some people are filled with spirit when they are converted. Certainly Evan receives the spirit. When the converted. The Bible says that very plainly so I would never deny that conversion includes the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, but the indwelling Holy Spirit is not used interchangeably in the Bible is being filled with the spirit necessarily especially in Ephesians, where Paul in Ephesians 1 tells the Ephesians that they were sealed with the Holy Spirit when they believed which is of course true of all believers but for chapters later, he says, but be being filled with the Holy Spirit as he tells them to continually be filled with the Holy Spirit which is the only reason he would have to tell them to us because they might or might not if they were told if if all Christians were automatically filled with the Holy Spirit there be no sense in talking of you being filled with the spirit as something that is an obligation of ours afterward converted.

Likewise, in the book of acts we find Peter is filled with the Spirit on numerous occasions for so he sold the spirit. On the day of Pentecost in acts chapter 2 and verse four. But then there's other times computers is filled with the spirit he speaks up to the Sanhedrin or when they pray after he been threatened in the whole the whole church is filled with the spirit that they were filled in spirit before their no sense mentioning that unless they were now filled. Again, I believe we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit repeatedly and constantly and and and seek to never not be but I don't believe every Christian has been filled with the spirit of think every Christian has the Holy Spirit been filled is a different phenomena in my opinion, while led the way you explained that because the eye with the thought that oh my God you're thinking about. The second step in salvation. You know, he believes that he believes that unless they are like United Pentecostals return our Trinitarian some events it's very fringe group Pentecostals and charismatics do believe that after converted their art. There is more you can experience of God's presence in spirit and in power and so forth. That's part not part of getting saved as part of just living the Christian life for too many people in the think about Christianity all they're interested is is getting saved are not as interested. Apparently, in many cases as living for the glory of God living a holy life being of service to God and in his kingdom and into the church. Those are the things that once you converted those should be your entire concern. Once you converted, you have to worry about how to get converted and workers regarding been converted, but there is a Christian life to be lived and it cannot be lived without the power the Holy Spirit. I think there are many Christians who have frankly shortchange themselves in terms of being filled with the spirit, they have not when were told to do so. So I you know I don't disagree. Frankly with the charismatic position that you know a person who is saved at one point can experience the fullness of the Spirit at a later point. I'm in the Bible describes cases of that and applies it in closer command to the Christians that they should be filled in spirit so but I don't see those as soon as second step in salvation as far as I know, the only group that has ever taught that was to I know the Mormons. Mormons believe that you must be baptized in the spirit as part of a fourfold plan of salve salvation. We believe you need to repent and believe, be baptized in water and be filled in spirit and frankly I think all those things are necessary things for the Christian life. But but they would say that if you have been baptized in spirit and you have been saved, and I would use the term baptism, the spirit slightly differently.

I believe I believe when you're baptized in water and you have faith. You receive the Holy Spirit. But I don't think that receiving the Holy Spirit is the same thing as being filled with her baptized in spirit as the Bible uses the term and the other group that believes that way is the United Pentecostals and others similar extreme Pentecostal groups that think you have to be baptized spirit and speak with tongues to be saved, so both of these groups, cultic and would not neither of them are Trinitarian, for example. So you know I don't know any Christian who believes there's two different stages of salvation, but I would hope to find all Christians are green there's many stages of Christian living and sanctification and empowerment and things like that. I mean the Christian life is not a static thing to relationship relations are dynamic and it your closeness or distance from God and your faith in God, your your fullness of the spirit that those things can wax and wane depending on upon the relationship that you're maintaining are not Bible makes very clear.

We have to maintain that relationship. Keep juices keep yourselves in the love of God obvious that's an obligation. John first on five very last verses keep yourselves from idols. Keeping ourselves is part of the obligation as Christians and I think some people just once they get what they think is a ticket to heaven.

They just don't worry about anything else they don't.

That is, they don't care about that much of anything else about Christianity just be all they want to do is go to heaven. And that's not the main thing in Christianity. Jesus hardly ever spoke of heaven is a place to go to and Paul barely ever spoke of it. So it's simply not an emphasis about what is an emphasis is living in the kingdom of God as a useful empowered obedience follower of Jesus, and having an impact on the world. Because of that life of obedience and impact so that life of obedience impact is not the same thing is getting a ticket to heaven.

I believe that that's that's something that follows from it what you actually become a Christian.

It should follow immediately from that moment on, that you're interested in your Christian life and many people who are interested because I have not been told much about being empowered by the Holy Spirit and that I think is a terrible shame. They appreciate your call.

John and thank you for joining us today.

Thank you state all right Mesh Colors Jason from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, welcome to the narrow path Jason.

I might my way studio. I got to lie exactly because of John's line did not deactivate so could we get that one to the action.

I'm not sure where promise here got two lines acted like Jason, are you there welcome. Thank you book out there that consolidates all of the parchment that have been found though that I could get a good idea how much of the golf will and maybe some of the other in the Bible we actually have that are really old well the status of the manuscripts out there is a very complicated thing. And there are books certainly by scholars who deal with those things you might look for books by Bruce Metzger, Bruce Metzger was a great textual critic FF Bruce had a book out called the books and the parchments and there's actually you know if you just look up wherever you buy your books online. Just look at the subject textual criticism, and that and you'll find some works probably written on a popular level for people who are not experts.

Those that are written for experts to probably go over your head and mine because there's just so much data there, but that's why that's why it's a lifelong career for many people to actually study these things because there's thousands of manuscripts that not all of them contain the entirety of the Bible. Of course the entirety of the New Testament, but they are great number do and you're the professional textual critics would know the details.

More even, Bart Berman is a textual critic and he would know that information to, but he always skews it because he sent his anti-Christian so he always skews your textual critics in general, who are in touch with information extremely impressed with the integrity of the manuscript.

Her partner and who's a backslider doesn't want to believe Christianity has in his books he skews everything in a negative way. That's not really valid. He gives the impression that the differences between the man's strips are somehow an important problem and no no open-minded and honest texture critic would ever give that impression about a web I do not are you I'm sure you can find when I I've never looked it up online use books. I don't like like websites as much as books I read books is that right now.

The world is one third Christian right.

What the three of the world is with regard to the percentage of people who are Christian, whether or not it is role or decrease in the 2000 years at Christianity and also I get to comment on that is like if God is interested in having the rounds and fellowship being with us, he would have done a better job of believing evident that the Bible is his actual word in my opinion.

He did a remarkable job of that anyone who really studies that data should come away with a very strong conviction that God is given such an abundance of evidence that no skeptic can be regarded as either honest or well-informed in my two thirds of the world's not expecting the evidence left like it hadn't done a very good job two thirds the world has never heard of Christ. I mean, they may have heard of them but there in Buddhist lands in Muslim lands and things they hardly ever having access to information in many of those countries.

They barely have asked the average person barely has access to. Even the Bible, much less any of the scholarly works on textual criticism, or whatever. I don't think the two thirds of the world that are not Christian are sitting there in in possession of the information and rejecting. I think the two thirds are mostly ignorant of what Christianity even claimed to be someone never heard of it so I don't think God's think God has failed to leave us enough information, but I do think the church has failed to very large degree in its commission which Jesus told us to go out and make disciples and teach them, and the fact that two thirds of the world hasn't been taught is is our fault not God's sake. I never did. God never did take responsibility after the creation of Adam and Eve got hasn't taken responsibility for making the history go the way goes that he give the E give us that responsibility. Adam and Eve were given that responsibility and the reason the world's going as bad as it is both Christian and non-Christian sectors of the world is because people are not doing what God wants them to do at least Christians have access to the information in the Bible of what God wants us to do that Christians don't do it very well. Some do and some don't. But let's face it third of the world that claims a Christian is not necessarily 1/3 world very well-informed about the Bible and got so I don't think God is the one who's really made a mistake here on our drop ball. I think you gave the project to someone who has dropped the ball but it's all hasn't hit the ground yet they were still able to turn around and I think is right for us to do that this 90 take a break and appreciate your call listening to the narrow path radio broadcast taken a break that we have another half hour ahead, don't go away.

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Please state small is the gate and narrow is the path that leads to welcome you to have nothing to sell you everything in today's radio show is over, we invite you to visit the narrow.com we'll find time audio teachings blog article verse by verse teachings and the archives.

It shows learn and enjoy the thinking for supporting the listener supported narrow path with Greg and get back to the narrow path radio broadcast, Steve, Greg and or live for another half-hour still taking your calls. If you have questions about the Bible about the Christian faith or to a different view from the holes. Feel free to give me a call number is 844-484-5737 that's 844-484-5737 our next colors Douglas from Sherwood Oregon I Douglas, welcome to the narrow path.

Thanks for calling. Thank you for your radio program and all the great resources on light, we are all blessed by that I asked about John chapter 5: what my remake night got a college textbook called encountering the manuscript like comfort and we found that this computer word had to be looked up in the dictionary to follow along pretty well. Not a lot of lot of what but we still got to work amazingly blessed by how richly God has left all of the manuscript the manuscript to show us that in fact the New Testament is very legitimate starting in the second century. Got lots of pieces of mops and manuscript to drop so I hope you don't mind me going it out. That's helpful. And then and then in a question for a while but take a call. Talk about what Paul had written that you know that that he showed how the Messiah had been crucified and raised from the dead from the Scriptures and you know we cannot know that we had a disagreement will be certainly didn't have any agreement about what Scriptures Paul might be going to and I was looking at the recently John chapter 5 with if you believed Moses, you believe he wrote about me and I got this contemplating that as well as just looking at the other Scriptures and I don't have time to go to all, but it seems to me that if God on your heart. For example, Isaiah 53 God's Spirit reveals to you how very detailed. That was about Jesus that there's no reason for you not to use that to show someone that the Messiah had to die and rise from the dead to redeem us and then converted by the chapter.

Everything will like what I'm saying is that it is probably not any prophecy or song or even knows a wonderful metaphor, like when the prophet Moses stood between now the spirit of God in the camp of Israel and asked to wipe them out the spirit of God today listen much. Aaron your brother get you live your kids and all your bodies and the way to wipe them out. And Moses stood before them, and that such a beautiful metaphor of the Messiah itself. You said that we that you and I have a disagreement with this. I don't disagree with anything you said what did you think we disagreed about well.

I wanted to get more specific and you seem to shy away but here's what I met today I'm asking you.

Can you find any law in a Christians seeing Christ in any of the metaphors in the Old Testament and sharing it with another person. Well, I'm in no nothing wrong with sharing what you know what I would say is there are things that Christians recognize. In hindsight, that a non-Christian might not tend to see the way you see it coming. Think of the times in the Bible when it says that the disciples didn't understand what Jesus did.

Afterwards, they recognize that he fulfilled the Scripture in our midst like once they became once the spirit was in them. They were able to see the meaning of passages in the Old Testament that even the rabbis who study the Scriptures couldn't see so you can share the same as the people I would think that if if I ever said you shouldn't, or if you think I said you shouldn't, then you probably misunderstood whatever was I was saying III would probably say some arguments are stronger than others. There's gonna be some passages that we Christians recognize as being on Christ which a non-Christian probably wouldn't especially non-Christian Jew because the Bible says that the veil is over the heart and they can't understand it, but the veils of the heart of non-Christians who are Jews to Saul my my position is not that you shouldn't share those things.

I'm just saying you should be aware that some of the things that are convincing to us because we have a Christian worldview and Christian perspective would not necessarily be persuasive to someone who doesn't already share that will be because some of the things are rather concealed and that's what Paul said. Paul said that the veil over some of the things in the veils taken away when they turn to the Lord. So we you and I have turned to the Lord and we are we don't have that veil hindering our scene,but if you're talking some who still has a hard veil.

They might not see it that way. That doesn't that that that's not a condemnation of sharing those things and see if you ever took it that way. Is that what I said before what I said before, I don't know when we talk before agreement is so I think that the what I'm saying I think you're saying it to you with a lot of caution and I appreciate that your your teaching position but I think especially the same thing that that as we grow in Christ that will see more and more how he always Pointed to this wonderful Messiah who is risen from the dead, so the same thing a website that that I've been caution against called renewing our ECA in EW and I got its name is Greg last name actually has an article to the entire world is about you concerned about him. Well I like some wonderful things that I do disagree with some of his things. I think he's very I think is very poor on the Old Testament when it comes to the judgment passages you know the Bible teaches that God wiped out Sodom and Gomorrah. You want a room of the flood in and there were very strict penalties for certain sins and the law and I'm pretty sure the great boy Greg Boyd wrote a huge two-volume work where which I did. I have to admit I did not read, but I've been and I'm cautious about critiquing anyone's work. I have read, but I do know someone who who read read it all and who is quite favorable to Greg Boyd in general as I am, and from his description of what I understand Greg Boyd's position to be.

I believe that Greg has indicated that God would really never do those kinds of things and so he has other ways of explaining those passages, which I think is a dangerous dangerous way to approach the Old Testament agreed all right got bless you to buy now. All right.

Our next caller is Bruce from Congo, California. Welcome to the narrow path. Bruce yeah I have two quick questions. One is the Daniel 12 verse nine.

You agree implies that he felt Daniel and she would up to the end time. It almost implies it's something you know about the entire might be revealed is that going to file an Olympics. Well, no, I think it does indicate that this is book would be more understandable at the time of the end but that we have say the time of the end of what it doesn't say the end times is the time of the end it sealed up until the time of the end. The question then is, what with the end be that the time of NSE. I believe in the context going back a few chapters that is probably time at the time of the end of the 70 weeks because back in chapter 9 he introduced the 70 weeks and I don't know that he ever got totally off that subject between chapter 9 and chapter 12 so the time of the end. I would think with the end of the 70 weeks rather than the end of the world. Now there are people who think that the end of the 70 weeks is essentially the end of the world as we know it's it's the time when Jesus comes back and they would say sets up his millennial kingdom at the end of the 70th week. I think the better way to read Daniel would be that the 70 weeks ended in the time of Christ and the apostles, and that was the time of the end of Jerusalem, which in the 70 week prophecy said Drews would be destroyed and the temple would be burned down, which it was so I'm I'm inclined to think that the new revelation into these things out is very possibly found in the book of Revelation itself, which was written at the time of the end I think so. I believe there are many mysteries in the Old Testament, which were made clear in the new Anna specifically some of the things in Daniel.

I believe have their RR brought to light through the book of Revelation, and I think that was the giving of the revelation that was withheld from Daniel's time of possibility. Revelation when seal is opened to Whitehorse conquering someone 20 years ago it would've thought conquering military conflict nuclear the US or China. I'm wondering if it possible that Kovic could be the manifestation of what conquering force conquering with all the government. Caroline is that Kovic, not Mike. I would say I think for those who believe that Revelation is talking at the end times than that theory would be as good as most theories that come out of that camp. I don't believe I don't believe that's talking about the end times I believe. I believe that stalking things that are within the range of the book of revelations concerning which of course the book of Revelation says things that would shortly come to pass, so it would gotta be looking for the fulfillment of it.

Shortly after the writing of the book and again I take that to be related to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish war altered okay here come. It's always great to hear different theories.

Patrick from Bellingham, Washington. Welcome to the neuropathic for calling.

Romans 820 strong challengers. I don't feel good I been there last I went to the crisis about 20 years ago and that was after the course being in the ministry for 30 years as well advanced in my ministry career in Christian life, went through a family crisis.

It was so devastating. I remember telling people I mean, I believe the Scriptures true, but I couldn't see any way that this could work together for good and I mean I wasn't saying it couldn't I just I couldn't see any way could I think what you're saying now about usage your present situation, but I will tell you we can't always see what God's looking at and and in my case, things have worked out for my good. Very much and very largely because of that crisis. So I would.

I just encourage you to know that you're going through a crisis. You can almost never see how it would work out for good. You have to take the longer view things, which is what God takes and and Ike. I do think that there are some things that don't work out for good for everybody, but they do for those who love God and who are called according to his purpose as assessment Romans 828 all things work together for good to those who are who love God and who are the called according to his purpose of the crisis. I went through 20 years ago. There are still people who are horribly and negatively affected from it is a big thing and it's it it seemed to, but they were not people who love.if you love God.

God brings you through thinks there's a different set different way of experiencing the world when you're walking through with the love of God.

If a person doesn't love God and are trying to wrestle with the things of the world on their own of many things that could've worked for good actually had it been to their destruction because they're not responding to it in faith and in submission to God.

So what you really need to do.

I don't know what your crisis is and I'm very sorry to hear about it, but I would say that if you keep your trust in God and you love God, which means you embrace his will for you without resentment because obviously if you do love God you want his will. If you don't want his will, then there's something it can be argued that you love God and the width of the Bible says we should, but if you if you make God your only hope you trust in God and you love God you remain loyal to God.

I daresay that you will but before I was to say. Before long, it may be longer or shorter.

I have no idea the time will come when in fact, you'll see that your actually up in a better place and very largely partly because of this problem.

Sure, I don't know your situation is.

So what can I pray for you about 1K are you out of work okay prefer our brother Patrick in his situation, which apparently is very just distressing and I know that this cold thing is because love will be out of work.

I do know what his circumstances are exactly but a lot of people probably are finding themselves out of work without a very promising thing in sight.

As far as being employed. Father, I know from my experience that you provide everything that is needed for those who are resigned to you or content with your will desire your will and keep the faith. I pray father that he will not falter in any of these areas of his life is especially is a very bad time to be faltering. We need to be strong at this time or else the world itself. Insurance circumstances could crush it so I know that this is a test for him to to see if he will trust you and your promises. You certainly made many promises in including that promise that you know if we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, that all things necessary will be added to us will we will not lack any good thing about us is he fears the Lord shall not lack any relaxed things that nothing that you want to have God and I pray for him in Jesus name.

And for all others who may be in his circumstances. In Jesus name, amen. All right. Joseph from Albany, Oregon. Welcome to the neuropathic for calling out to go into the world and make disciples of the church will day you go about like steering a body church, like how they're going to the world. Well, I mean, it is still going on. Of course, but to very large degree. It has been happening for 2000 years, the apostles in the early church went out to all the nations out of Jerusalem and even to this day there are missionaries going into all all the nations, and working among them, and so there is that discipling going on, and therefore the great commission. At some in some degree is being is going on. It's always hard to know exactly how much more could be done in all lot of people who are concerned about. This will will go to people and say listen, we need to get out there make more disciples and the people are talking to, perhaps, are not called to be missionaries or pastors are eventually surpassing out there. They're not the ones ready to go out there and convert people to make and teach them but but no matter what our gifts are, even if we don't have the ability to speak to people very much a recap put two sentences together very clearly.

We can still support the advancement of discipling the nations by supporting those who are doing it in various ways may be impractical, service-oriented and financial support are other ways and of course discipling the nations isn't only done by those who have a gift of speaking evangelizing her teaching those are very important parts of making new converts and and also discipling them because Jesus said you disciples and by teaching them to observe all things that he's commanded so to teach people is a role of teachers but not everyone is called to be a teacher in the same sense but we should all be young people who are called to be teachers, primarily really ought to be teaching very much all the time if they can because that's what they contribute, but some is not cultivated teacher will still probably teach once father to totally their own children will teach younger younger converts that they meet at work, you know, help him understand what it what it means to be Christian so forth and me. There is those who are not teachers can still teach sometimes but they won't spend all their nonteaching and I think the majority of Christians in the book of acts, as well as now an adult at all times. They are called to work at jobs make a living, support their families and and support the work of the kingdom of I believe that that is a ministry that is a gift and as they do so they are playing their part in making disciples of the nations. If you if you look at that commission and assume that it saying that everyone every Christian should be out there preaching the gospel in teaching disciples well I don't think I worked out very well. A lot of Christians I know don't even articulate the gospel and if they did teach others there very poorly equipped to do so. And frankly I don't think there'll called to do so. I think that I think that we should understand that whatever call to do should be devoted to the advance of the kingdom of God. If you try to stir people up to go be missionaries or to preach things like that. If there gifting and calling is not to be missionaries or preach, then I think you be frustrated but you can.

I don't I don't know what you're what you perceive your gift. Are you an evangelist or you do anything like that or you have some other thing that God has the vandalism.

Yeah you know what I find is that when you have received a gift what that means is that God is laid it on your heart to do something and made it easy for you to do and III had to find out the hard way about that because Mike my gifting is in teaching to me. I love to teach.

I want to teach. I see a need for teaching and I find it easy to do. It's not work. It's just since we are naturally and because of that when I was younger I thought everyone should be able to teach like that. I when I started school in Oregon. I was 30 years old, I thought all I need to do is get a few bright guys in here in nine months. I just download every thing I know into their heads and then they can do everything I do, but it turned out that although there are some very excellent learners that came to my school. Many of them weren't able to do what I do because it wasn't there gift and I could seems like it should be able to do that so easy and I'm I know friends and a lot of friends who are evangelist and it just comes so natural and they see the need for that second. That's part of recognizing your gift is that you see a need for it.

You want to do it and you have the ability to and when you have going on. Then you think will ever one should do this is so easy going people have a gift in healing.

For example, they think will should be able to heal.

You know it's it's just a temptation we have two see our gift which comes so naturally to us as ever.

It should come naturally to everybody but it's not necessarily so because there's so many different functions in the making of sinus that have to be done by people different gifts. The gifts of service the gifts of showing mercy and the gift of leadership in the gift of encouragement the gift of giving all those things that others are not really preaching yes but they are but they're all necessary to the building up of the kingdom of God and making disciples of the new converts and one more other question your new believer.

Your tears didn't hear Lockyer pursuing your relationship with Jesus and you like, all in form and then you get cancer and then God allows you to walk.

Two years fighting cancer and say years passed after cancer is gonna remission. Why do you think God allows us to go through hard times like that like just a couple things. What you think he allows us to go through the trials and tribulations of things like that because that's what we're here for over here for is to be tested and to be and to qualify for what God has in mind for us and what he has in mind for all of the what is not.

All of this is to reign with Christ. But you know that's what he had in mind for Adam and Eve to but they were tested and they fail the test. The reason there was a serpent in the tree of knowledge of good and evil and and Adam and Eve in the garden there explicit because he wanted and retested. Why because he had big plans for them, but he had to vet them.

First, you don't put someone in a position of responsibility and power.

Unless you vet them for the character what God is looking for. He wants. He wants all his people to reign with him. But in you when he comes back to reign with him. If we endure the process but he has to make sure that he's not put people in charge who are who simply don't have the loyalty and the faith to bring rusted and so he puts us through these things to test our loyalty, our faith and if we come through it. Faithful and were trusting him like Job single God gives and God takes away, shall we not receive the hard things Lors was the good things he passed the test and if we pass the test, we will reign with him to so I mean I've been through some very grueling for very grueling trials myself, not cancer, and I got the profound impression that you not speaking of a hypothetical situation here.

I figured, and so congratulations by the way on I guess you cancer free. Now that you are here mission. Because yes, and of course there's lots of good Christians in the ministry who get cancer, they don't come through. And that's how you take some that's how God takes up your site so you got a tremendous testimony and I'm assuming you were trusting God through it and so you pass that test data. That doesn't mean there will be other task is the whole life is the opportunity to prove ourselves able to persevere and remain loyal but that's what is career for you and appreciate your time. Now my brother, thanks for your call?

I don't much time left with Joe from Michigan.

If you can do it in the second hello program. When you die, you go straight okay well the Bible is reasonably clear on the first question Paul indicated that he when he died, would be departing from this body and going to be with the Lord.

He made comments to that effect. At least twice, if not three times one was in Philippians 11 was in second Corinthians 5 and I wouldn't be surprised if Paul was talking about that in second Timothy when he said that you know henceforth as later, I've run the good race henceforth is a different kind of life. But he, although that could be related to the. The resurrection. The other two passages talk about where he would be while he's absent from the body and therefore not.after the resurrection. After the resurrection we will not be absent from the body will be in the body. So the only time a Christian is absent for bodies after they die before the resurrection which is what we call coarsely intermediary state. The intermediate state and so I believe that when we die as believers we do go be with the Lord in our spirits due until the resurrection. Now the unbeliever, we don't have as much information on the story of Lazarus and the rich man addresses the subject that I'm not sure if it addresses it in a way that's literal and so I'm not sure what I can say about that without much we don't have any other places in the Bible to talk about where an unbeliever is immediate after death and the one place we do have has apparently symbolic elements are not really sure if we could be very dogmatic about the we do know that after the resurrection. The unbeliever is thrown into the lake of fire, and so it's not as if there is uncertainty about that I'm some other time you been listening to the narrow path radio broadcast. My name is Steve Greg. We are listener supported. If you go to our website. The narrow.com under announcement. You could see how to donate under Nancy's irregular speaking. You can also find a donation.

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