The Narrow Path 11/12

Good afternoon and welcome to the narrow path radio broadcast. My mistake. Regular live for an hour each week afternoon taking your calls. If you have questions about the Bible of the Christian faith.

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If you have a difference of opinion. You may call me about that as well. The number to call is 844-484-5737 that number again is 844-484-5737 our first color today is calling from London, England, and it's Peter appear welcome to the neural pathways for calling are just that opinion on something so the church I have often she paid by the church and I don't know if you have dish in the US but in the UK. The government instituted this listing which means companies because of the hunted pinnacle during the lockdown companies would put some of the stock contemporary mutant Haberman 8% of their wages and posses my chest. I share ourselves with EM.

He announced that he church will attract cold and not used diamond families use dental leaf.

Clear law and armed men should engage stated that because of that Lee's ministerial GG our Marlton when he said that I was actually disappointed. And because the reason being is out just I think she ministry of any kind was a joke, even though you may hold. Even though you may actually be paid by the church to do some spiritual work in way it was just very surprising to hear that others were mutual opinion because we might. My opinion is that if there is a ministry go to school you to do whatever you'll pay by the church will not bring or leave for have holy bases will retire.

I just I just don't understand women ministers say this, Finch okay I be curious. I didn't have a little more clarity on the seas.

The church is still meeting right there, still congregating, but he's knocking to be ministering for a while yes okay so what is the purpose it was given for is going on furlough and the church I machining to church, pain all the stuff that they have had to feel it if you let go if you put some of your stock on furlough. The government been commenting on page 4 based off the church, painful stuff that the album so as to file some awful lot yeah I'm I'm afraid I just have such a different mentality about all that stuff.

It's hard for me to put myself in that position and to evaluate it for as sympathetically from one on the inside. I mean, I can see that a pastor who may have worked and worked and worked and worked and and maybe getting you tired and does not spend enough time with his family and you has other ministers who can step in for him that he might feel asked for some time off just to recuperate and spend time with his family do important things like that to me that's there such a thing is taking a sabbatical warming certainly no college professors do that in him and other people sometimes are that they were several years does take a little time off to relax and become productive in another way. But there but it sounds like that may not be was going on here. I don't. I personally cannot relate with the idea of salary ministry. I've been an issue for 50 years full-time without full time for about 38 years I've been in ministry part-time for first 12 years and then not 38 years full-time and I you know, I've never even dreamed of taking a salary. Why would I do that I'm not working for minimum working for God, but see that such a different mindset. The idea that you're working for. People are working for an organization or an organized church and that to your employees and they pay you is just a very different thing than anything I've ever ever had a concept that I can relate with. I don't think Jesus charge for his ministry. Don't think the apostles charge. They live they lived off the ministry in many cases, but not because they charged for that because people contributed to them and in the Bible does tell people to contribute to the ministers and support them. But it doesn't ever permit the minister to ask people to give the money.

Jesus said to the disciples really something up.

You have freely received, freely give freely gives me as you don't charge if you're charging is not freely giving and and and so I mean I been in full-time is your first 38 of the last 50 years of my ministry and I've never charge for God provides that it provides for people who currently feel led to give most ministers I guess have never really never occurred to them that doing things the way Jesus did in the apostles did is somehow a better way than the way of professional ministry. I certainly if I had to take time off ministry.

I would not be asking the government to pay my bills for me.

The government is not Christian it's not the church admin mean nothing like nothing to criticize someone who does that. I'm just thinking since I'm a person in full-time ministry numbers and you're asking about some policies of some people were in full-time is I just I see ministry very differently. I don't see ministry as a job. I see ministry as slavery and a happy slavery in Christ as my Lord I'm a slave I'm happy to be a slave. I chose that and I'm glad to have chosen have no regrets, but a slave doesn't make demands for money or anything like that. Now I have a feeling that what's going on there is just something that's going on.

It just seems right to them because they've never thought through those issues, but if they did think through those issues they might not see the way I do. I personally think if the church is low on money. The first thing that can go is salaries I don't I don't see anywhere in the New Testament that anyone was paid a salary in the church. As I said being supported by the free will offerings of people is different than a salary.

Some people see the difference because the pastor salary comes through the offerings of the people give but it's not the same thing.

The people give their offerings, presumably to God. The church become sort of a launderer of the money and they and they give the staff a certain prearranged amount and to my mind, a pastor would do just as well without receiving that salary if the people just gave directly to him because that's what the Bible says those who are taught in the word should share in all good things with him who teaches. That would suggest the person is being taught actually give something to the person is teaching, not to a corporation that then filters it all down to get some of it to the minister and some of it to you know the mortgage on the building or something else you know so I'm afraid I can't answer you without seeming overly critical of the whole system of professional ministry.

I might like my beliefs on this are very strong and they been the same for 50 years of my being in the ministry, but despite the fact that my views are strong on this.

It does not mean I'm judgmental of people who do it differently because I believe there's a lot of blind spots that people have and I'm sure I have mine. We all have blind spots.

I believe that for the average professional clergyman, one of the blind spots as it never occurred to him that he's a contract laborer for a corporation rather than a servant, freely giving his service to the people of God as a servant of God and trusting God to remunerate them, which is again what many many people have done I have done and it's what Jesus did. I mean, unless we want to suggest that Jesus, had a contract with somebody that he do so much healing so much preaching and then they Pam so much. At the end of the week.

I would that be an abomination with a Tim like like Peter who said to Simon, your money perish with you because you thought the ministry, for the gift of God to be purchased with money.

The ministry is not to be purchased with money, although those who are minister to our exhorted to help out financially. Those who minister to them so you know it's it's a different policy but but see what they're doing right now with this guy taken at furloughing the government paying 80% of his salary whenever I'm, I'm not in favor of that.

But I have to go back further and say I'm probably not in favor of the way the whole church is organized so I guess you have to decide what's the hill to die on what is know what is morally repugnant and I'm not going to say that what they're doing is morally repugnant and maybe about so many Christians are doing it in the sense of the other, or selling their services in ministry rather than giving them away freely as Jesus said to do, but I think it's a blind spot and I think it where there are blind spots and think God will probably have some compassion and I think I need to eat at Greek Steve update machines. The last quick questions for me and how from being legalistic all basically said give some context. I want to and I'm finding that I just can't I desire to play no knowledge and will not judicial men need good mental great things in actual time to it from being legalistic or basically not just to discipline muscle will when I was a young man I would read the biographies of Wesley so you know some these great men. Luther even and Jonathan Edwards and and different people who prayed many hours a day EM bounds and meet some of these guys prayed six hours a day EM bounds.

I think prayed six hours a day I I'm pretty sure Wesley said that he prayed for four hours every morning before do nothing else.

I think Luther said he had to pray to ours at the beginning of his day because if he didn't have so much to do, he would be able to get it done that he felt like he says I have so much to do.

I can't. I can't hope to do it without spending two hours a day in prayer. Now I never as a regular habit prayed four hours a day. Reason two hours a day. In fact, I have to say that I've never gone many weeks). In our day. Not that I didn't want to but I found it very difficult. I mean, I have times and predator great blessing and sometimes they feel like they could go on forever and ever. If I can have things to do, but most the time I prayer life is like that and it frustrated me. I'd read about you know Reese Howells or just about Mueller or others who prayed these long times of prayer and I'd I feel guilty because I didn't seem to be able to do that. Maybe I'm not a spiritual sale and probably am not frankly probably I'm not. But the truth is that I came to reevaluate that over time, and I would still very much love to spend four hours a day in prayer. But what I find is in many cases I have a hard time praying for more than 1/2 hour and without running out of things that I know of to pray for you know I'm not saying there are playthings pray for, but they're not all on my mind and that's I think that's the problem, and so when you can't think of. The next thing that you that you should pray for. Then you something about other things, your mind starts to wander and then you realize of some socially praying here and I've been thinking about what I'm doing this afternoon.

I think this is a fairly common thing for most people who who pray now is this sinful.

The Bible does say that Jesus was God a long time before day and pray and yield. The implication may be that he did so for hours. We were not told what would prayed for hours and not that he may have. And as I said, let's agree, Christians have done that but I think most Christians would find it difficult, even if they had all the time in the world and even wanted to do it. I know I wanted to most of my life I've wanted to spend two or four hours a day in prayer.

I just not really found that to be possible and and the promises made.

Pray in the spirit and I think that means that the Holy Spirit's most believing our prayers.

And I do pray to be led by the spirit. But if he doesn't leave me to pray. Let's just say spent some time in prayer for more than 20 minutes or half hour at a given occasion instead of afflicting my soul over it because I'm not measuring up to what some men have done.

I just want to live in liberty and say okay I will pray all day long at this me.

I'm literally prayed every moment, but it means that many times during the day as things come to my mind. I pray for them.

The Bible doesn't anywhere say you have to spend a prolonged protracted. On your knees in prayer. It's a wonderful thing to do.

I'm sure, but let's face it. Lotta people. Apparently the Holy Spirit just leave them to pray in that way, but you can spread your prayers out through the whole day and remember Jesus taught his disciples. Teresa don't don't be like the heathen who think that the bigger because they give long prayers are heard may use many words he said when you pray, pray like this and then he recites a prayer that you could print 15 seconds or faster funeral if you're Roman Catholic and the priest tells you to do 20 times and you can do a lot faster, but that the thing is, it the prayer that Jesus taught us, and when you pray, pray like this it's of utmost brevity and it covers pretty much all the bases. I think the danger of that of the Lord's prayer is not that it's too short, but that it can go by quickly enough that we and that we don't think much about the lines and I think that when we say, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is a lot of a lot of things and hang under that category and I think we we should pray for as many of them as we feel the Lord's will in our hearts, but I don't. I do think it would be legalistic to put it a requirement on yourself to do something that many great men of God have done, but the Bible doesn't command to be done. Let's face it, many men of God have sold everything they had a ground initiative but not every Christians commanded to do that the Bible does so. I mean there are different callings are different ways that God uses people and their some people just have a very very powerful prayer life, one that I envy but that I have to admit I've not had so my prayer life. I pray you know for whatever time I feel the Holy Spirit allows me to in the mornings and then during the day as things come to my pray for them to so you know I think I think if you can't pray for two hours or four hours just yield yourself up to God all day long and and offer prayers as they come to mind that there is nothing about that is an and that is as impressive as being able say I prayed for hours this morning and every morning but it may very well. It's is every bit as scriptural and it's you know I don't. And I think the thing that maybe bothered by the fact I couldn't do this for our prayer thing that Wesley did was I thought all that means I'm not as good as Wesley well it's not my obligation to be as good as Wesley.

I love Wesley admire Wesley is a much better man than I am, but my goal is not to be like Leslie.

My goal is to be obedient to God and follow Jesus Christ and be like him and that being so, it may be that God led Wesley in an Luther and you know these other great prayers to do what they did and I know that I tried to do it but apparently I wasn't being led by the spirit because it didn't work out for me and honestly may be coming up. I would not complain if somebody wanted to say to me was Steve. Your problem is you just not spiritual.

While I market disagree with that. I don't think I am spiritual enough, but I'm not really sure that that's why can't pray for four hours for I think it may be that that's that's something some people are called to do and others are called of something more of a prayer life that fits into the into the regular lives in a different way so don't judge yourself by the greatest examples of prayer out there dude let them let their example challenge you, let their example. You will set high goals for yourself but don't apply them legalistic because the Bible doesn't tell you, pray for hours at a time ever love the yellow out step taken no pain, but it is shaky optimal questions.

Thank you, God bless you to our next colors. Al from Berkeley, California. Closer to home than England LOL welcome you doing good to show say I wonder sometimes some really Christian. When I first got to the converted of you really forget experience. Lay down all my all my drug. Most of my bad habits literally in one day but as time is going on.

My belief systems to change the little bit more and believe about the change. I believe Jesus Christ is the only way to God is the son of God because of my life experiences in the past and what I what I mostly I grew up doing a lot of martial arts and grew up around a lot of Eastern traditions in and police systems and I still tend to gone to some of those police systems because I find them to be very practical and someone say I don't know some of the Christians because Gary we a lot of the cookie-cutter things that believe in the churches and so often times people will say will you know tell me what you're not going to say you believe this sure you know you know you have a demon of sin because you believe this in your being the hair just so we can save some time on asking give me an example of some of the things the cookie-cutter church beliefs that you don't hold to and and and a few examples of things you consider to be from Eastern philosophy that you do hold to what are some of the what are some of the church is that you have trouble with well. For example, reincarnation. I don't believe it, but I don't fully disbelieve that I live the world.

It was someone known the I just say well I don't know is a lot of blood so I don't know to the church. The police came about through reincarnation. The other things may be my views about hell in the know everyone that is lucky enough to hear out of my words about going to hell because the lot know people need Jesus in there I'm fine because I was looking up your book your going to hell. Not so much.

I believe in universal salvation. Again, I can't discount because 7.2 billion people in this world and give or take in a lot different terms from timber from the whipping. First of all you do believe in Christ, and it sounds like you consider yourself a follower of Christ and that's what makes a person a Christian having one view or another about hell does not determine whether ones are Christian or not.

There certainly are wrong ways to think about Helen right ways to think about no doubt, but what you think about hell doesn't determine whether Christian or not it comes to reincarnation. I'm curious, is it that you say there's so much out there that we don't know maybe you know could be true. Are you of the opinion that the Bible doesn't address the subject at all and doesn't give us any guidance on the matter for the rigors reincarnation are not moral example like the story of Nicodemus.

I know when I read the board seems like parts of the conversation was cut off. So Nicodemus says one thing and the Jesus seems to skip over that seems to be something that I agree with you that many conversations are not given in their entirety in the Bible, but the question is do you believe that the Bible actually has no guidance for us on the subject of whether there's reincarnation that's airmail yes or no define. I don't think you quite frequently also been reported to live once and dies in its judgment, so go through something that takes about the sea even more than that, even more than that.

The Bible teaches the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, which is different than the doctrine of reincarnation affected, they can't both be true because Jesus said the hours coming when all who are in the gray since all the dead bodies will come forth and some will go to resurrection of life, and some to resurrection condemnation now if if reincarnation is true, then you and I have not only lived in the body were now we've lived in thousands of bodies previously. Throughout history, maybe thousands more before it's all over. So the one person named Al and one person name Steve will have actually inhabited thousands of bodies that when all the bodies come out of the graves. Which one will I get livid.

You know, I mean she's had all the all the graves are to be open all the body to come out and in some of the license holder division sold carbonated soft.

The body does not know how.

But if it is let me jump in your if the soul is reincarnated is in a new body. That's what incarnate reincarnate incarnate comes of the word flesh so your year in one fleshly body now.

If you're reincarnate giving another fleshly body in the next arriving another fleshly sort of a whole bunch of bodies that you were in, and your soul goes from body body, but your bodies will be multiple and when the bodies come out of the grave and the resurrection. That's the question of which one will your soul live it now. You really quality than what happens the other. Okay so when all of let's say the thousand dollars to return the dog went okay so you're saying you believe that all the bodies will rise, but you'll only be returning to the last one in all the previous measuring argument.

After the rosary return to dust. Why reason if they're just if the knock of you live what you raise up a bodies not rely. I honestly feel that the Bible teaches an entirely different worldview than that of reincarnation. Now the fact that you are having struggles that particular view doesn't tell me that you are or not a Christian, although if you knew what Jesus taught contrary and you still rejected what he said that would suggest you Christian but it sounds to me like you're not real clear on what the Bible teaches on it and a person could be unclear about something and be wrong about it and not be a reject of Christ just goes through their ignorance of the matter is, but but I mean that it is a separate subject that I would say that I think the Bible teaches very clearly against reincarnation and yet if you don't know that if you don't think that and you still think Jesus might've taught reincarnation. You could be mistaken but you still be a follower of Jesus, but a follower of Jesus wants to change his mind to agree with God.

So if your true follower of Jesus, you want to be transformed by the renewing of your mind that involves adopting Christ's viewpoint on things so I would say the real question of whether Christian is not whether all the beliefs you have measure up with the best of Christian beliefs, but what are your following Jesus Christ and seeking to have him teach you and correct you were necessary amount of time for this call. I'm sorry to say but I'm glad you called. Taking a break will be back in 1/2 have a minute for another half hour you listen to the narrow path.

Our website is the narrow path.com. Stay with us for 30 seconds. I'll be right back. The book of Hebrews tells that do not forget to do good and to share with others and share the narrow hat with family and friends. When the show is over today and wanted to go to the narrow path.com they can learn and enjoy the three topical audio teachings blog articles very diverse teachings and archives of all the narrow path, radiation, and be sure to tell them to tune into the show here on the radio chairlift noted the narrow path and do good that Steve Greg and will live for another half-hour taking calls as usual.

If you have questions about the Bible about Christianity or a different view from the house. Feel free to give me a call.

The number is 844-484-5737 that's 844-484-5737 our next caller is Timothy Coley from Ontario, California Timothy, welcome my call.

I read your book, Empire and I love it.

My question is on chapter 20 were on page 378 you say though the Bible nowhere said that believers are called to go to heaven and does state that we are called to go to the kingdom and glory and I have a problem with that statement in all my I guess what I'm trying to have you help me out process is you know for years I've been taught that when we die we go to heaven, and even Paul said that to be absent from the body is present with the Lord. If I died tonight where do I go I'm in the presence of the Lord made heaven and another spot where where Emily had. I believe that we go to heaven when we die.

That's not what were called to. That's where we will be remaining until Jesus comes to earth and brings us back with him and sets up. You know the new order of the new heavens and new earth arc are eternal. Calling our eternal home is not heaven. No place in the Bible ever suggests that it is, but it actually teaches that we will be with the Lord. If we die, and when the Lord comes to bring with him those who have died in Christ. The Bible says so what that's in first Thessalonians 414 I believe it is that he'll bring with him those who've died. And of course erase the bodies will live with him on the new earth that Jesus get a rain on the earth. The Bible says in the Bible says working rain on the earth multiple times.

So our calling is not to heaven we won't go there. That's like me saying you know if I'm on a trip to visit my parents in orange county and by passing through your town through Corona are no you're in Ontario see if I'm passing through Ontario on the waste to Las Vegas or something like that. I can say I'm not really going to Ontario I'm going to Las Vegas but I might pass through voluntarily there that's not that's might not my destination that's not when called to go correct and so I'm called to reign with Christ. Eventually in the new earth. That does mean I won't pass through heaven on my way there. If I die.

There's nowhere for me to go except heaven when Jesus comes back I'll be coming with my neck stay up.

Stay away from him know he's in a bright heaven and final state is completed between the final state. Right is not even the final home of Jesus. He's only there until he returns. When Windows your second book about the December 9 so it's less than a month away from what I really enjoyed it took me a week to read in a minute. Keep reading and I love it and I thank you and appreciate what's good history Timothy.

I'm glad you got the book.

I'm glad you enjoyed by the way, I know you had been impressed with this series. The lecture series on the kingdom of God. Do you feel like the book measure up to lecture series or not.

I don't really know IMC don't know Steve, I listen to your series that eight part series continuously for almost 2 years now because I want to know it like the back of my hand.

That and more, and I could say one more thing, if you could put in book writing your teaching on beholding the glory that is so amazing and so important this topic on the kingdom of God and beholding the glory I feel are the most important topics in Christianity Mike's class. I do cover that somewhat in chapter 20 that book you you briefly do, and I was like yeah I love it, but I really feel the need to see it there tolerated it. No good deed. I loved that teaching in it and it frustrates me because they get cut off at the end of the hour and something in your like you're going to go somewhere and that all the penny cut top at all on the lecture so I didn't realize I yeah guzzled lecture senses it on cassette tape in the tape and estate. Steve and think you know how much your ministry has greatly impacted my life and others that have been able to teach including the church on that now about your your kingdom series. It is so amazing. Well, it's a lesser Timothy appreciate your call very much. I think the double-header I like. By the way, the second book is another 20 chapters continuing on the subject of the kingdom of God. Both books are under the same title Empire of the risen son SON and that the first book is called. There is another king. The second book is called all the kings men. The first book is about the kingdom of God per se describing what the Bible teaches about the kingdom of God. In the second book about discipleship for living in the kingdom of God and actually I I'm not sure which book I like better, but I'm pretty pretty pleased with both books have to say and it's not always nestling the case with everything I do I don't nestling like everything I do after it's been done, but I feel I feel pretty good about the suit. So they're both available at Amazon. If you look at my name Steve Greg on Amazon you'll see all my books there, including the one that hasn't come out yet. You can preorder it. I did receive a shipment of a few copies of it from the publisher pre-prepublication copy so I know it's out there and I've written it again just to make sure I can find all the typos there's a lot of typos in my work, but we try to get them all up. If you only if you're reading one or both of my books and you find typos. Please let me know because I can change those I can put up new additions that don't have them. They slid by me many times, I'm I'm very poor at proofreading, so if you find typos, feel free to eat some already did email me a couple you do me a great favor if you do that, so please do. Let's talk to Todd from Post Falls, Idaho taught welcome to the neuropathic's recalling all who profit with the Elijah. Elijah promised us in Matthew 1711. Well, John the Baptist.

There, I mean I think the pastor actually tells us so well you And I John the Baptist in Matthew 1712 and 11 different subject matter clams came to subject but I say unto you, that on the Elijah, really talking about John the Baptist but 11 is a totally different gives Jesus gives the whole pronouncement about Elijah when the disciples say why do the scribes site Elijah must come first.

So Jesus answers them in verse 13 says, and then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the Baptist. So the whole saying of Jesus. According to verse 13 is about John the Baptist. So what will it says is what they said.

The disciples asked in verse 10 say why, oh why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first.

Now of course we know the answer that because Malachi chapter 470 Elijah would come first when Jesus says he answered Elijah truly is coming first and will restore all things. Now, in my opinion and I think were seeing the stiffly from each other, probably your scene that is Jesus is predicted.

I think Jesus is paraphrasing Malachi 4 that I think he's stating the reason the reason that the scribes expect Mount Elijah is because it was it was predicted in Malachi and I believe that he's paraphrasing. Malachi's words, so I may be.

One doesn't have to see it that way but that's the way I think it flows then says now after his basically paraphrased what Malachi said he gives his explanation but I say do. Elijah has come already and they did not know him but they did to him whatever they wish to. Likewise, the Son of Man is about to suffer at his hands. Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the Baptist. Now this is not the first time Jesus answered spoke about this because he said this in mall and Matthew 11 verse 12 and following it says from the Jesus said from the days of John the Baptist till now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force.

For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John meets John the Baptist is and if you're willing to receive it. He is Elijah who is to come. Okay, so if Jesus said that Elijah is to come. He said if you receive it.

John is Elijah that is to come out when he said if you'll receive it. I think he wanted them to. I don't think he saying he isn't, but you might want to receive it that way.

I think he wants them to recognize the same. John is Elijah who was to come. So I think that these references to Elijah are references to John the Baptist, but I see the problem you're having.

Verse 11 of chapter 17, because he says Elijah surely is coming first as if Jesus is predicting it, and yet John was dead. At that time so that happy another one besides John but I don't think that's what's happening.

I think he's I think he's referring to Elijah who is to come or is coming as is really the wording if the wording of Amalekite that is quoting is pointing out to them that Malachi said it and that's why the scribes believe it will the Bible tell Malachi is a Elijah's spirit. Prophets, behold, I will send Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day. The great dental day with when you came that the tribulation and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children. The fathers of the fathers of the Jewish church, the Pharisees and all that to the children of the new church, Paul and all the apostle in the heart of the children to their fathers.

Now you get into this Elijah that you talked about in 1711 children to their fathers that you everybody and 9000 different denominations back to the original gospel when the sound about right now so you said he Malachi tells you that I read the passage in Malachi, and he doesn't tell me that so that's I mean I guess you and I just getting different things from the same passage and by the way, I will say this I thought there was a time when I was taught that the great and dreadful day the Lord was in fact the future tribulation and that the Elijah that Malachi speaks of is going to come during the tribulation be one of the two witnesses. I suppose that might be your position to if it's not, it's closer to your position than that which I hold now, I believe the great and dreadful day the Lord was that great and terrible judgment that came on Jerusalem in A.D. 70, and Malachi says before God comes and strikes the land with the curse that is the land of Israel with the curse is to send Elijah to try to turn them back around the right way and she said John is that one who came to turn the baccarat the right way and of course then Jesus came and then came the great and dreadful day of the Lord, which was also spoken of in Joel chapter 2 word Joel said you got some private Spirit on all flesh in your sons doesn't prophesy. Then he said there'll be no blood in a fire, and pillars of smoke and the sun shall be turned to blunt darkness and the moon to blood before the great and dreadful day of the Lord will Peter said that that particular prophecy was in the process of fulfillment at the day of Pentecost.

The spirit was being poured out, and no doubt this was so preparatory as it says in Joel to the great and dreadful day the Lord which happened in A.D. 70. In that same generation.

So I mean that's how I see you see it differently and that's of course inevitable people to see things differently can't all be right, but you can see things differently next your call.

Okay, let's see Paul from Calvary Oaks, California. Welcome to the neuropathic circle hello is gone but had a bad connection to shame.

He waited a mother cannot call back and will be glad to talk to Jerry from Sacramento California. How many calls from California to Jerry. Welcome to the narrow path.

Thanks for calling and I know the correct what I believe. I believe that since Christ rose from the dead. When we die we go to heaven.

I marked I just want to know that I know he puts okay you got a perk for research then they took care of itself. There was a talking to other people know nobody except Jesus as his resurrected body here on earth before heaven were to resurrect on earth also that has happened yet. But when we die we leave our body. That's why Paul says pulses were absent from the body. That means were not with it, it's there right now. I never thought about that that I know the Lord. Yes, we know we know that on our dead loved ones.

They don't have their bodies up in heaven because you could you could open the grievance on the body still there. Their bodies not having the bodies of you think of it that way.

Maybe I just have been listening to the program. It comes after the shock that I have any picture ending up there okay and that's the way I grew up thinking that way, you say, make Marfan. It seems strange when the pastors asked that question from say will I picture this way rather than quit with the Scripture says that anything that I thought in my head and they're talking talking about talking to. I know that those who died in the Lord are with the Lord Jesus said Jesus said in John chapter 5 in verse 24 whoever hears my words and believes in him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation because he is passed from death unto life.

So if you're a believer in Christ you have passed from death into life and you have everlasting life.

It doesn't even say you will later say you will win the resurrection you have it now, and that it just leaves your body and goes to be with God until the resurrection now and when Jesus comes back about his boxers. He can bring with him those who died in Christ, and he's gonna raise their bodies over live on the new earth with Christ well is going to raise it from that norm. You think about this white what if it's not cremated.

What if somebody is died 500 years ago and they were not cremated what conditions are body and better than cremated right know better than cremated. I want to give you one thing what God had in the head and I talked when he when he was dying or anything.

You couldn't walk back to me on the phone from that hospice play for 15 in the morning okay and when I picked up the phone. He hadn't been able to pick up the phone or dial or anything for me that I'm ready to go if it's okay with you not it's okay. He said that don't know you and the red and that you're coming back and he said that know you and ask for goodness understand and accept you the rapture coming soon.

That's a very remarkable story I tell you what I got some calls, letting only about. Thank you program. Thank you, thank okay our next colors lay from Santa Ana highly welcome and thank you. I'm having a discussion with an non-Christian with that is living and that it would be married to question. Well, the Bible doesn't say that the embryo is specifically living at any given point. Although we do know that when John the Baptist had been in the room for less than six months.

He leapt his mother's womb for joy. So he had to be alive.

You know it it says is predictable.

John the Baptist, he will be filled with the spirit from his mother's womb, and when Mary greeted Elizabeth John leapt for joy in the womb. So that he was not know in the first trimester, necessarily, but he offered child in the first trimester is big enough to do a leaping or not but but he certainly had to be alive. If these leaping for joy.

He was alive, so there's no question there.

But even if we had no Scripture that mentioned that the that the fetus was a human being. We know that is alive that hits growing things don't grow if they're not alive and we know it's human. How do we know that because what other species it's not a dog or cat or a it's got human DNA which only humans have. So it's obvious the human it's a human, a growing human being and if if something is human and growing. It's a living person that some people have said no, it's not a living person tell takes its first breath while the Bible doesn't necessarily say that what the Bible does say is the life of the flesh is in the blood and certainly an embryo.

Very human embryo very early stage has blood beating heart and circulatory system with blood in it long before is born, long before to fully develop shaped baby but you know, just because it looks different doesn't mean it's not a person. I mean when a baby is born. We know that's a person and it looks a lot different than a liquid is 95 years old, but the way that it doesn't look the same. Doesn't change what it is by nature a baby that's made up of a thousand cells at an early stage after conception is still the same being that it will be what billions of cells as a as an adult human being is it's the same person. It's very different shape and size and so forth. But we don't determine whether something is human bite shape or size. I mean think about elephant manicure so that story about him and his hidden look human at all, but he was a human soul.

Human mind. You know he was a human being. He looked like a monstrosity like an animal or something, but we don't judge humanity by what someone looks like, but by whether they have human life in them.

Now if the fetus doesn't have human life. It stops growing. Sometimes a fetus will die in the womb.

And that's what they say they can't they say it died in the wool died that it wasn't alive because nothing can tireless its first alive. Fetus grows but if it dies, it stops growing. Why, because only living things grow and therefore if you've got a fetus growing in the womb.

You got a human being in their transit will go into another baby and being able to leverage that going on here once to die, texting, well, you know that's that's delving into mysteries that we have no knowledge of. In my opinion the baby dies and goes to heaven if it has never really had a chance to be alive on earth… A living in the land of the living out here. I don't know what got me do not. I think it goes to heaven and that's all that's all we can really say about. Thank you very much out arguments to tell people that I appreciate your calling.

Thank you for calling Alan from San Diego really got a few minutes left, left, 38, 39, the battle there related as possible.

Possibly, but I ran into a little bit with that explanation in person chapter throughout chapter 38 dwelling okay all right there's two very good explanations for this passage. One is that it's Haman in the time of Esther, the other is that it's Antiochus epiphanies in the second century BC. Both would fit the general timeframe. The general timeframe is after the exile of the Jews from babbling and then come back to their land course. The problem with this identify Haman as the problem is that Haman was in Persia and it would seem that only the Jews that were still in Persia, who had not gone back to Israel were possibly in danger, but I think that the decree of Haman apply to the whole Persian Empire that would include Israel because Israel was under the Persian rule and therefore the Jews in Persia and in Israel and in every other place would be under attack.

Although it's clear that Ezekiel 38 seems to focus on Jerusalem itself. It's, you know Jerusalem's citizenship are not all in Jerusalem. And the way the Bible uses the word Jerusalem or Israel. You can speak of a geographical place. It can also speak of the people or the populace of of of that nation, and if some of them are in Jerusalem and some of them are in Persia and other places.

Then I think it could still speak of them all. In terms of being the juicy of the Jews, the one who have Jerusalem is the capital and so forth. I don't know. I mean, I have certainly considered Haman as a possibility. There I might lean a little more toward Antiochus epiphanies as think Adam Clark doesn't some others. Obviously, some people think it's a future battle, but I don't see any reason to believe that in the passage so you know the passage. The previous chapters talk about the Jews coming back to their land, which they did when the Persians came to power in and allow the Jews to return from babbling to their land and rebuilt the temple.

That's all predicted there in the previous chapters and then chapter 38 talks about aggressive enemy pagan enemy that seeks to destroy them after they return. And again, Haman did and so did Antiochus and sale and that's what the proxy talks is a lot of symbolism in the description courses written in prophetic and you can't take everything literally nobody does anything that's yeah I think I would rule out Haman just because it talks about the people who were back in the land because many of the Jews were and they were endangered. Also by Haman's rule, but it may not be referred by Buford Antioch is about a time you listen to the narrow path, we are listener supported you and go to our website. If you wish to find out how to donate to help us out to stay on the website is the narrow path.com and let's talk again tomorrow