Comforting Realities About God

CNG radio for today's culture and timeless truths come together is reasoned, relevant content, apologetics, worldview and answers to the questions that you need to know need to know from Alex McFarlane ministries. This is true for a new generation radio and now the man who preached in 50 states and 50 days, writer, and advocate for Christian apologetics Dr. Alex McFarlane and we know that all things together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose Romans 828 I will program Alex McFarlane to hear.

Today I want to talk about some comforting facts that can only be said about the God of the Bible.

So glad you listening and obviously the whole world you know continues to grapple with the dynamics of living in the quarantine lockdown world. The coronavirus world, you know, even though it's been a struggle in our hearts go out so many the people that are not able to work and not getting their hours and were praying for people and we've heard from many of you across this nation that are saying.

Please pray for me.

You know, I will say there even some funny things people are sending out tweets and names about family dynamics.

You know homeschooling and being at home that there are some blessings to their some and I think look were saying that we we can absolutely live without going to the movies. We can definitely live without pro sports we can live without eating out as much in and people talking about how they're rediscovering the joy of have having a family meal time and I hope during all of this, God is cultivating within you some gratitude for things that may be in our previously busy, busy, go, go, go, life we want you know doing or thinking about. We need to value family and spend time at home. A lot of people are grappling with the dynamics of working from home.

Somebody tweeted I saw this morning they said, you know, it's hard to work from home and somebody tweeted and said I didn't work from work, but we are all learning what zoom meetings are and Skype and things like that. I just last week taught a college class and I was on zoom for over 20 hours and I will even I was tired of the sound of my invoice, but know God is good and God is with us and you know what I think we have every reason to be encouraged because people are praying people watching their services online. We do look for the day that are churches can reopen and let me just say this folks. One thing to pray about. In all seriousness that our civil liberties will not be permanently lost.

And that is why it is so important that you number one. Pray number to stay informed and number three vote and and as November comes around were going to be talking about this a lot that we vote for a president and leaders across America that will support our Constitution and our civil liberties which yes include liberties of religious freedom, freedom of religious expression. I was just on a show a week ago called truth in liberty with my friend Andrew Womack and we were talking about civil liberties things that the Constitution guards in the Constitution, as the founders understood it, and certainly people like JFK reiterated this in his 1961 inauguration.

Even Bill Clinton 2003 when President Clinton was dedicating Patrick Henry high school in Northern Virginia. Then President Clinton said that our rights come not from the government but from God. Which is true and the purpose of the Constitution and the government is not to give you rights but to guard the rights you inherently already possess given by God but Bill Clinton said the first most fundamental right is the right of freedom of religion, religious expression, and that's why I understand that the quarantining and all that but we need to pray for our country that our civil liberties are not lost and I will say this, and I want to talk about the comforting facts that can only be said about God of the Bible has it been a little concerning to you on the speed and the rapidity with which everybody just kind of got in line. It will tell you can't work. You can't run your business. You can't go out of the house. Can't do this. Can't do that and I know in good faith. We've believed what the World Health Organization said about the coronavirus and you know all the danger, even though now they're saying it's not nearly as lethal as they thought the models the projections for the deaths have not been what people thought about two months ago, but my point is this folks, the absolute overnight speed at which Americans everywhere. We got in line. We were just willing to subordinate our constitutional rights.

Of course, for the greater good to reign in and flatten the curve on this pandemic. But the thing that does trouble me is how quickly the whole wide world could be brought under the subjection of a one world government that how quickly Americans would give up their civil rights and and here's the thing though to watch out for folks.

I believe the liberal progressives have tried to do pandemic lay what they could not do constitutionally. If you look at at Gov. Cuomo in New York me. Did you see that this past week where it was a Jewish funeral and he forcibly right there in front of the mourners are called and police to disperse a funeral procession of these Jewish people and I would say this. Folks understand Christ is coming back one day and all of the prophetical scenarios depicted in the Bible absolutely could happen one day they will happen. And so we need to. If you've never come to Christ. Turn your life over to Jesus and not only live a blessed happy peaceful life here, but you will be ready when the end of time does come, you'll be prepared so we can unpack. Romans eight a little bit talk about how all things can work together for the good to those who love the Lord and who are the called according to his purpose going to be right back on truth for new generation radio after this from. I am a watchman ministries. Here's today's I am a watchman minute. Amos was not a formally trained prophet.

He was a simple shepherd and tender of Sycamore trees. He was an ordinary man whom God called to do extraordinary things. Formal training has its place, but you don't need great training to do great things for God more important than great training is great faith and that's what Amos had Amos lived during a time of relative peace and prosperity.

Most of Israel had grown complacent. They failed to put God first and fell into apostasy. Amos is world of 2700 years ago. Sounds a lot like our world today. Watchman like Amos. We are called to tell a hardened world. What God expects and what God is going to do will you embrace the calling to do extraordinary things for God's people will be faithful, be a watchman, I am a watchman.com to do something like why we don't follow traditions merely for the traditional world and search for the reasons behind answers for the Christian engage magazine development is from the reviews and like in the believer spiritual share.

Truth engage magazine Christians don't necessarily agree with one another when it comes to questions of religious pluralism, homosexuality, the role of government abortion and war. Too often, we manage these disagreements by ignoring them, yet were called to engage the world for the sake of Christ.

How can we be effective if we avoid society's most pressing questions 10 issues that divide Christians Alex McFarlane challenges us to drill down to the biblical core of 10 current issues such as social justice evil and suffering, photography, and environmentalism as he echoes the biblical invitation come let us reason together only by engaging the Scriptures deeply thinking clearly and speaking truthfully can we, in God's family address our differences and discover the peace that comes with unity of purpose. 10 issues that divide Christians buying this book and many others@alexmcfarlane.com at liberty University.

You'll earn more than a degree in the satisfaction of seeing what you can accomplish and what God can accomplish more than 600° options from associate 100% online more discover God's truth through every degree at liberty University where we train champions for Christ good at liberty\exploit: liberty\exploit. To learn more timeless truths in a soundbite culture for a new generation radio will connect to the program Alex McFarlane here were talking about for comforting facts that can only be said of the God of the Bible very famously, the book of Romans says that we know that all things work together for the good to those who love the Lord and are the called according to his purpose. Now it it doesn't say that all things are good, but not all things are good to me.

Some things are or tragic. Some things are terrible, but what we know about our sovereign, all-powerful God is that he is able to work things into an ultimate good, and I want to throw a couple of words into this conversation want his word ultimate and the other is the word proximate ultimate. We know what that means. That means down the road.

Ultimately you know what's going to have a well. Ultimately, this is going to happen or ultimately the outcome will be that we don't often use the word proximate. But what we know the phrase something is in close proximity well that the couches in close proximity to the table. Okay, what is a proximate evil for the Christian, trusting in God, following God's plan can become an ultimate good, the great preacher Vance Hafner said that in heaven. All of our question marks will become! I was in the cemetery looking at epitaphs and gravestones and ice on epitaph from hundred and 50 years ago there was a little tombstone and the date it was a child that had died only having lived a few days, very sadly and I was thinking about wow here's a baby from a century and 1/2 ago that was born, the birth of the baby is a joyful thing, but died and I thought wow, a mom and a dad and a family probably stood here hundred and 50 years ago. Sadly, tearfully burying a baby that had passed, but that the tombstone barely legible on this old gravestone is said birth has no sorrows that heaven can't erase that was epitaph so there's not sure that here in the context of this pandemic and just where we are in the journey of life is very often.

Fear can cause us to do some very pathological things in times of fear. People do things that are often irrational and it's very important at any step of life's journey and certainly during times like these that we keep a good perspective on not only our circumstance but the God who is above our circumstances. You remember Yogi Berra famous New York Yankees player number eight he lived 1925 to 2015. I'm told it was a Christian. In fact, now Yogi Berra almost wrote a book for Focus on the Family I Dr. Dobson's ministry when when I was out there.

And Yogi Berra was famous for his you know statements that Yogi isms that he would say like you know if you come to a fork in the road, take it, but Yogi Berra once said this, that if you don't know where you're going, you will be lost when you get there. Think about that wealth in in regard to life circumstances and struggles and trials is if you don't know the eternal unchanging God who is able to make all things work together for the good. Ultimately, you can become fearful. You can become paranoid. You can become bitter.

You can become prideful and that there's a lot of very negative character traits that can develop in us. If we don't keep a God ordained perspective about life, a biblically informed perspective. We often talk about worldview and worldview is looking at life in reality through a biblical lens and we got to remember that that God is omnipotent.

That means he has all the power.

God is nigh, benevolent, that means God is all good God is omniscient God has all knowledge alumni science God.

God has all the knowledge. And so we we know that God has power. God has goodness. God has knowledge God is righteous God is just, even more than just God is compassionate and loving. We call this grace what is grace grace is unmerited favor. It's good favor that we didn't deserve. We couldn't earn it. We don't have it, we we don't really deserve it, but grace is God's favor that he gives to us. He extends his grace to us why because he loves us and at this time, we need to remember this now these comforting facts only give you some things to think about number one God's power is unlimited that these facts that I want to talk about the biblical God that cannot be said of the false gods of other religions. The nonexistent gods or deities of other belief systems. Even I think of Islam.

They can't say that Allah is altogether good. They can't say that Allah is altogether loving or merciful. You know they really can't even say that all is altogether unlimited in his power what they say of Allah is that Allah is pure will. Whatever happens is because God wills it now in the Christian conception of God look, murder, terrorism, disease, cancer, God did not. Will that now God permitted it and it happened and we know ultimately God will weave it together for our good and his glory. Listen in the Christian conception of God, the true and the living God.

The only God. God is good.

Now this world is a fallen, broken world of sin and we often look around the world and we lament and we so will this world needs to be fixed. This world needs to be changed in the good news is, God agrees. God says yes, you're right. That's why sent my son to pay for sin and he's going to restore all things. When he comes back, and in fact God is in the process of restoring the world now by bringing souls to Christ and the church is going and being salt and light and love and righteousness, and the Bible says that through the gospel through what he did on the cross, God is reconciling the world to himself. So think of salvation and God's fixing of the world if you will think of it into segments.

He came and paid for sin and rose from the dead and made salvation possible and throughout the last 2000 years.

The church is been spreading souls been saved and everything not only from spiritual salvation to the betterment of the human condition. Show me where the church of Jesus Christ is gone and we can see where the betterment of the human condition has been the result but ultimately it will all coalesce into the restoration of all things, when Christ returns and he is coming back and we know not only that all things can work together for good in Jesus. He is working things together for good. So have you allowed his redemptive hand into your own life stage to come back without a brief break.

Talk about the comforting realities that we know about the God of the Bible stated were back after this. Alex is written many books to help you defend your faith. One of them answers questions from skeptics it's cleverly titled 10 answers for skeptics today. Skeptics are looking for authenticity, integrity, and straightforward truth and in the book Alex McFarland identifies the 10 most common types of skepticism that plagued doubters minds. It offers believers proven strategies for connecting intellectually and spiritually with those who are skeptical about the claims of Christianity. Learn how to answer intimidating questions. Identify the root issue behind those questions and dismantle the spiritual bombshells dropped by atheist plus find encouragement to face hostility by persevering in love. The ultimate apologetic Christians could offer as a witness to our loving God, check out 10 answers for skeptics. When you visit Alex McFarland.com. If you're a Christian parent. You of course want to instill a biblical view of life in the hearts of your children, your pastor, you want to offer ministry that draws young families to your church.

This is Alex McFarland encouraging you to check out my new book and video curriculum. The 21 toughest questions your kids will ask about Christianity.

I interviewed hundreds of children ages 5 to 12 and we address actual questions from actual children.

The spiritual issues that are on the minds of your kids everything the book and video lessons are great for groups of any size and was produced with the goal of equipping kids to stand strong for Christ in any situation. The 21 toughest questions your kids will ask the book study guide and video series. You'll find it@afastore.net that AFA store.net in the midst of a culture obsessed with relativism. Alex McFarland is a voice you can trust to speak the timeless truths of Christianity in a timely way.

You're listening to the truth or a new generation radio well-connected program Alex McFarland here listening to TNG radio truth for a new generation want to continue talking about the comforting facts that can only be said about the God of the Bible, but I do want to remind everybody that I'm going to be at the Cove, the Billy Graham training center at the Cove. July 27 through August 1 will be doing Daniel and Revelation Bible prophecy how God rights history in advance. I talked to that the dear folks at the Cove. They are going forward with this. We have a good number of people signed up and I want to say thank you.

Their people signed up from across America and that you were just believing God that yes this will happen. I know it several months away, but if you want to come.

The website is the Cove.org, the CO VE. The Cove.org and we are getting so many questions people are asking are we in the end times and are we near the return of Christ will we will talk about that and I hope you'll you'll join us there and people are asking about you know Alex your travel schedule is not what it was because this lockdown in the quarantine here for 22 years. It's been my privilege to travel the country and preach two and three in four places a week into decades.

God is allowed me to be in more than 2000 different American churches more than 200 Mayor American universities. I don't know how many jails and prisons in high schools and conferences and you name it, and for an itinerant apologetics evangelist. This lockdown has been a real change.

But you know what were doing. We are on the radio seven days a week, thanks to the American family radio network thanks to the Truth Network thanks to dozens of our affiliates around the country that run the radio we create and I thank God for you all and they were on the radio on the weekends and then were on the web. Now listen very carefully. This program is brought to you in part by good Shepherd Church of Greensboro.

Their website is good Shepherd Church of Greensboro.com and I'm on their speaking every Wednesday night at 6:45 PM Eastern every Sunday morning at 10:15 AM Eastern. And then we do on the Alex McFarland YouTube channel and the Facebook page and I'm giving you a lot of information that wasn't carefully on Facebook rev. Alex McFarland are EV rev. Alex McFarland Monday Wednesday Friday at 11 AM Eastern were doing apologetics biblical worldview and you you know God is amazing. Talking about how a proximate challenge can be an ultimate good on the last two weeks of March 1 three weeks of April. We were averaging around 91 people a day that were contacting our ministry I were getting hundreds of contacts about all sorts of things, but around 91 of those a day were people saying I need to know that I'm saved, how can I be certain that I'm born again and so amazingly you know though I've yielded more than two dozen major speaking events aren't happening because of the, the lockdown, including Dr. Dobson and I James Dobson and I were to be in Florida the first week of June together, but you know what the amazing thing is, the ministry is going on and there were on on air and online more people are coming to Christ and more people are being touched and reached than ever before. And so it reminds me of Genesis 50 were Joseph said to his brothers what you meant for evil God meant for good. In other words, what you meant Reva God literally turned into something good and suffering that brings us down to where you and I are in our life today. The crucible of life's experiences. Whether it's unemployment or whether it's under employment as so many are experiencing now. We can experience the grace of God we can learn to trust God and very often troubles and circumstances that stretch us and squeeze us. They very often purchase of bad things that we needed to be delivered from and they drive us to God. God's power is unlimited. Believe it folks. God's character is good.

Trust that God's plan is perfect.

It really is. It really is, and finally God's invitation to you is real. Philippians 1 verse six.

One of my favorite verses being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work and you will be faithful to complete it under the day of Jesus Christ. I think about the Philippians, which was so much based about joy was written from a prison cell and and Paul and of verse 12 of Philippians chapter 1 Paul said I want you to know brothers, the things which happen to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel is not amazing. The Paul said my chains are of Christ because, listen the trial that God permits creates an opportunity for testimony that will glorify God and we can be confident of this very thing, confident means an un-shake trust or assurance so the good work that Christ begins and you will first of all, it begins at the moment of salvation and you may be wondering you know where is God's plan for me. How can I experience God's direction and God's provision in my life. First of all you need to ask yourself. Have you turned your life over to Jesus Christ.

Was there a time in a place when you admitted your sin confessed your sin and turn from it.

That's repentance and put your faith in Jesus and said, Lord, I do believe you're the son of God, Lord, I believe you died for the world and that includes me. Have you understood that Jesus went to Calvary's cross because he loves you. He does love you believe it. Jesus loves you and so the God of the Bible. Listen he's unlimited in his power. He's unlimited in his goodness he is immeasurable in his perfect wise plan and he has a plan for you and then his invitation to you is real. God legitimately can offer you everlasting life, and a blessed journey down here and so would you turn to him today, would you turn to Christ and would you let the Lord begin to work at his great plan for you turn to him now and if we can help you in any way reach out to us.

My email alex@alexmcfarland.com you can go online.

The website Alex McFarland.com. We got some materials will help you come to Christ.

Come back to Christ, and we would love to hear from you today. May God bless you and let's visit again soon. TMG radio is made possible by the friends of Alex McFarland ministry, PO Box 10231 is Borough, NC 27404. That's PO Box 10231, Greensboro, NC 27404 call us at 877 yes God one that's 877 yes, God in the number one or give online@alexmcfarland.com while you're there, listen the program archives. Read Alex's blog invite Alex to speak at your event or contact Alex with a question or comment, Alex McFarland.com. Thanks for listening today and join us again next time. As we bring you more true for a new generation TMG radio