1 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:11,119 Speaker 1: From the Christian Research Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina. You 2 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:13,599 are listening to the best of the Bible answer Man 3 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:17,679 Broadcast with Hank Cantagraph. We're on the air because life 4 00:00:17,839 --> 00:00:22,039 and truth matter. The mission of the Christian Research Institute 5 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:26,280 is to equip believers to answer life's essential questions soundly 6 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:29,879 and persuasively, and to give the reason for the hope 7 00:00:29,879 --> 00:00:34,000 that you have with gentleness and respect. For more information, 8 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:38,399 go online to equip dot org. The following program was 9 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:44,280 pre recorded and now here's Bible answer Man host Hank Canagraph. 10 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:46,039 Speaker 2: Thank you so much, Randy, and I want to begin 11 00:00:46,119 --> 00:00:51,039 today's broadcast by simply talking about something that is of 12 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:55,799 great concern to me as we end our fiscal year. 13 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:58,399 Many of you who have been following the ministry of 14 00:00:58,399 --> 00:01:02,280 the Christian Research Institute four years know that we have 15 00:01:03,159 --> 00:01:06,000 the ending of our calendar year, but we also have 16 00:01:06,519 --> 00:01:10,680 the ending of our fiscal year, which comes up June thirty. 17 00:01:10,799 --> 00:01:13,480 So before we take your calls, want to say just 18 00:01:13,519 --> 00:01:16,640 a few words about that. Let me start by saying this. 19 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:21,200 Omar Bradley, who was one of the most famous American 20 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:27,159 generals of World War Two, reflected on the horrendous war 21 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,879 that had concluded only three years earlier. And in his 22 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:37,359 reflection he said, we know that unless free people stand 23 00:01:37,519 --> 00:01:42,480 boldly and united against the forces of aggression, they may 24 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:49,200 fall wretchedly, one by one into the web of oppression. 25 00:01:50,599 --> 00:01:55,439 And although aggression is blatantly physical in the sense that 26 00:01:55,560 --> 00:02:00,439 Bradley was talking about it, the aggression that most concerns 27 00:02:00,519 --> 00:02:05,079 me is of a far more subtle nature. It is 28 00:02:05,159 --> 00:02:11,080 the relentless assault on life and truth, and even the 29 00:02:11,159 --> 00:02:15,800 assault on common decency right here in our own backyards. 30 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:22,719 It's an assault we're called to resist with every fiber 31 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:28,400 of our being. The assault on life through abortion claims 32 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:33,879 millions of unborn babies per year. These are chilling numbers 33 00:02:33,879 --> 00:02:37,120 that should cause us to weep and wail in anguish. 34 00:02:37,159 --> 00:02:42,240 And yet the silent holocaust continues twenty four to seven. 35 00:02:43,479 --> 00:02:48,240 And what about the assault on truth? Well, in some sectors, 36 00:02:48,319 --> 00:02:54,719 the combined ravages of postmodern deconstructionism as well as secularism 37 00:02:55,360 --> 00:03:00,360 have so disemboweled traditional notions of truth that even the 38 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:06,159 concept of objective truth or moral absolutes now sounds well 39 00:03:06,599 --> 00:03:13,479 curiously quaint. Consider, for example, the appalling state of biblical illiteracy. 40 00:03:15,159 --> 00:03:18,599 Fewer than half of all adults today can name all 41 00:03:18,599 --> 00:03:22,199 four of the Gospels. Almost none of them can name 42 00:03:22,319 --> 00:03:27,560 the Twelve Disciples. Bradley was right. We have men as science, 43 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:31,800 but far too few men of God. We have grasped 44 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:36,080 the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on 45 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:42,039 the Mount. The world has achieved brilliance without conscience. Ours 46 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:48,759 is a world of nuclear giants, but ethical infants. And 47 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:52,520 that's my reason to speak to you today. It's not 48 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:55,759 to whine, but on the contrary, it's to blow a 49 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:59,960 clarion trumpet and mobilize serious Christians to join the Christian 50 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,120 Research Institute and the Bible answer Man Broadcast in a 51 00:04:03,159 --> 00:04:06,120 fight for the very future of life and truth as 52 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:10,719 we know it. Throughout history, there have been three stages 53 00:04:10,759 --> 00:04:15,400 in the demise of civilizations. You go from spiritual apostasy 54 00:04:15,479 --> 00:04:20,199 to moral depravity, and from moral depravity to political anarchy. 55 00:04:21,319 --> 00:04:24,040 And while thankfully we have yet to reach the stage 56 00:04:24,519 --> 00:04:29,120 a political anarchy, no thinking person can doubt that we 57 00:04:29,199 --> 00:04:32,959 are well beyond the initial stage of apostasy, and we're 58 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:39,360 gaining momentum on moral depravity, just as a sheer material 59 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:42,160 might of North America played a pivotal role in crushing 60 00:04:42,199 --> 00:04:47,079 the tyranny that threatened free peoples during World War Two. 61 00:04:47,319 --> 00:04:51,920 So too the Christian research institutes. Financial resources play a 62 00:04:52,079 --> 00:04:55,720 pivotal role in our ability to stand daily for life 63 00:04:55,720 --> 00:05:01,560 and truth. The brutal fact is that without the resources 64 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:05,920 to continue standing for life and truth, we are as 65 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:12,639 inconsequential as soldiers who have run out of AMMO. And again, 66 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:17,120 because our financial year closes June thirty, I'll ask you 67 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:19,680 to please do what you can today. If for some 68 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:24,000 reason that's not possible, please be sure to mark your 69 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:29,720 gift postmarked by June thirty again, all of this month, 70 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:33,399 the ending of our fiscal year, and we ask you 71 00:05:33,439 --> 00:05:37,079 to stand with us prayer fully and financially. You can 72 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:38,959 do that in a say secure fashion on the web 73 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:41,079 equiped dot org, or you can write me at box 74 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:44,480 eighty five hundred, Charlotte, North Carolina, zip code two eight 75 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:48,279 two seven to one. Resource Consultants is always standing by 76 00:05:48,319 --> 00:05:51,480 a triple eight seven thousand and the letters see al right, 77 00:05:51,639 --> 00:05:52,959 a lot of you hanging on. We'll go right to 78 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:56,879 the phone. Calls sell first in Pennsylvania. 79 00:05:56,319 --> 00:06:01,639 Speaker 3: I sal hik, I have two real quick questions children, 80 00:06:01,879 --> 00:06:04,519 of the Old Testament, like David was told to go 81 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:08,319 out and kill the women children, and you know, and 82 00:06:09,439 --> 00:06:13,120 they do, the children go to heaven of non believers. 83 00:06:13,399 --> 00:06:15,879 Speaker 2: Well, first of all, what we have to do is 84 00:06:15,959 --> 00:06:19,360 say that where the Bible is largely silent, we don't 85 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:25,600 want to scream. But the theological deduction from my perspective is, yes, 86 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:31,519 David had a child with Bathsheba. Bethsheba was the former 87 00:06:31,639 --> 00:06:35,160 wife of Uriah the Hittite, and when the child died, 88 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:39,720 David had a certainty that that child would one day 89 00:06:39,759 --> 00:06:44,160 be reunited with him in eternity. And so while we 90 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,639 don't have clear indications of scripture, I think that we 91 00:06:47,759 --> 00:06:53,000 can base a certain answer on the reality that God 92 00:06:53,079 --> 00:06:55,480 is both the God of love as well as a 93 00:06:55,519 --> 00:06:58,879 God of justice. So I leave those children in the 94 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:02,800 hands of an infinitely just and infinitely merciful God. In 95 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:07,720 the prologue to the question, however, you mentioned the genocide 96 00:07:07,759 --> 00:07:10,560 of women and children, and I think you have to 97 00:07:10,639 --> 00:07:14,920 contextualize that statement by what the scriptures are really saying. 98 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:18,519 The command to destroy them totally, and this comes in 99 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:23,160 Deuteronomy chapter seven, is contextualized by the words do not 100 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:26,680 inter marry with them, for they will turn your sons 101 00:07:27,319 --> 00:07:30,639 and your daughters away from following me to serve other gods. 102 00:07:30,959 --> 00:07:34,160 So the aim of God's command was not the obliteration 103 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:39,759 of the wicked, but the obliteration of wickedness. And we 104 00:07:39,839 --> 00:07:45,439 have ample reason to believe that not everyone was killed. 105 00:07:45,519 --> 00:07:49,600 Those who turn from their evil ways, evil ways like 106 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:54,040 offering their sons and daughters to idols, putting their children 107 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:59,079 in infanticide in the arms of an idol like ball, 108 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:03,600 where they would literally be burnt to death. Those who 109 00:08:03,839 --> 00:08:07,439 refrained and turned from their wicked ways after God had 110 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:11,560 warned them for over four hundred years, were spared on 111 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:15,000 account of their faith rehab, of course, and her family 112 00:08:15,399 --> 00:08:19,000 the quintessential example. On account of her face, she was 113 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:23,319 allowed to live among the Israelites and become true israel herself, 114 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:26,240 such that she is in the lineage of our Lord 115 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:31,000 and Savior, Jesus Christ. So it's always important to qualify 116 00:08:31,439 --> 00:08:34,600 the whole idea that people bring up a nauseum on 117 00:08:34,759 --> 00:08:37,960 infinitum of genocide on the part of the God of 118 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:43,080 the Old Testament. It's important to recognize that blessings for 119 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:47,519 those who follow in cursings for those who rebel is 120 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:51,639 still a maxim that applies in that context as it 121 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:52,320 does today. 122 00:08:52,919 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 3: Okay, I got one other real quick question. When a 123 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:59,679 non believer dies, do they go directly to Hell and 124 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:03,679 then after that they come back in their bodies and 125 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:06,240 they go to the judgment and in their casts into 126 00:09:06,279 --> 00:09:07,600 the lake of fire Again? 127 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:10,639 Speaker 2: Well, No, The way that you have to look at 128 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:15,120 this is to recognize the story of Jesus in Luke 129 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:18,840 chapter sixteen. Now there's a rich man who dies and 130 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:23,279 ends up in torment. That torment is an earnest of 131 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:27,000 that which is to come, because the rich man, just 132 00:09:27,039 --> 00:09:31,440 like anyone who dies today, is absent the body, and 133 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:36,919 either in torment or in the presence of the Lord. Lazarus, 134 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:39,600 the beggar lying at his gait is in the presence 135 00:09:39,639 --> 00:09:42,840 of the Lord. The Biblical text tells us the angels 136 00:09:42,919 --> 00:09:46,159 carried him to Abraham's bosom or paradise, a way of 137 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:48,960 saying that he is being comforted by being in the 138 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:53,360 presence of the Lord. What happens when Jesus appears a 139 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:55,960 second time. Jesus explains himself. He says, do not be 140 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:58,000 amazed at this. The time is coming when all who 141 00:09:58,039 --> 00:10:00,200 in the grace will come out. Someone rise to live, 142 00:10:00,879 --> 00:10:04,559 and some will rise to be eternally condemned. And so 143 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:07,919 when Jesus appears the second time, the soul of the 144 00:10:08,039 --> 00:10:10,720 rich man will return to his body, the soul of 145 00:10:10,799 --> 00:10:15,919 Lazarus will return to his body. Those bodies will be resurrected. 146 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:21,320 They will be judged, and then the rich man will 147 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:25,519 not only experience an earnest or a foretaste of hell, 148 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:29,639 but hell itself, which is separation from the goodness and 149 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:33,720 grace of God for all eternity. The same thing for Lazarus, 150 00:10:33,799 --> 00:10:39,919 except in reverse. Lazarus will be resurrected to eternal life. 151 00:10:40,159 --> 00:10:46,159 He will forever experience the resurrected Christ. He will experience 152 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:51,639 restored universe, and forever explore the gloriate goodness of the 153 00:10:51,639 --> 00:10:52,639 God who saved him. 154 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:56,559 Speaker 3: I thank you for answering my questions, taking the time 155 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:58,440 to do that. I appreciate it. 156 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:03,720 Speaker 2: Absolutely welcome. We'll be right back in just a few moments. 157 00:11:03,759 --> 00:11:04,200 With more. 158 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:10,840 Speaker 1: Every CRII outreach, our broadcast, podcast, website, resources, the Christian 159 00:11:10,879 --> 00:11:14,480 Research Journal, and more is made possible only because of 160 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:19,120 friends like you. Your partnership matters. What kind of impact 161 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:23,759 has your partnership had an impact for time and for eternity. 162 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:28,000 Stand with Hank Hanagraph and the Christian Research Institute during 163 00:11:28,039 --> 00:11:30,879 the key month of June to ensure that we end 164 00:11:30,919 --> 00:11:34,159 the financial year in a position of strength. To make 165 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:38,480 a gift to support Crii's life changing outreaches, simply call 166 00:11:38,639 --> 00:11:43,159 eight eight eight seven thousand CROI. That's eight eight eight 167 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:48,360 seven thousand CRII, or visit us at equip dot org. 168 00:11:48,919 --> 00:11:51,919 God bless you. We'll be back in just a moment 169 00:11:52,000 --> 00:12:06,480 with more from Hank Hannagraph. Doctor Evan Alexandra's wildly popular 170 00:12:06,559 --> 00:12:09,879 near death experience book Proof of Heaven assures us that 171 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:13,200 no matter what we do in this life, only unconditional 172 00:12:13,279 --> 00:12:15,519 love and joy await us in the world to come. 173 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:18,799 But our Lord warned that while the gate to Hell 174 00:12:18,919 --> 00:12:21,600 is wide, the road to it broad, and those who 175 00:12:21,799 --> 00:12:24,600 enter through it are many, the gate is narrow and 176 00:12:24,639 --> 00:12:27,240 the way is hard that leads to life, and those 177 00:12:27,279 --> 00:12:30,639 who find it are few. Your generous support, let's Hank 178 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:34,000 Hanograph and see URI speak out against the lies that 179 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:37,759 lead to Hell. In appreciation for your gift, today, we'll 180 00:12:37,879 --> 00:12:41,000 rush you Hank's book After Life. What you need to 181 00:12:41,039 --> 00:12:45,039 know about heaven, the hereafter, and near death experiences filled 182 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:48,600 with answers to your questions about life after death. Call 183 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:52,879 eight eight eight seven thousand CROI or visit equip dot org. 184 00:12:53,039 --> 00:13:02,440 Now again, that's equip dot org. Winston Churchill once declared, 185 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:04,919 you may have to fight when there is no hope 186 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:08,000 of victory, because it is better to perish than to 187 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:11,639 live as slaves. Churchill sought to awaken those who were 188 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:15,720 reluctant to fight against the advancing Nazi war machine. Today, 189 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:20,440 a spiritual battle is taking place. Atheism advances in the West, 190 00:13:20,919 --> 00:13:24,519 and slavery to secularity is imprisoning more and more hearts 191 00:13:24,519 --> 00:13:28,120 and minds in the United States. For this reason, CRI's 192 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:32,120 ministry is critical, but we need people willing to stand 193 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:36,200 for truth along with the financial provisions to accomplish its mission. 194 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:40,440 Stand with Hank Hanigraph and the Christian Research Institute during 195 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:42,600 the month of June to end the fiscal year in 196 00:13:42,639 --> 00:13:46,399 a position of strength. Call eight eight eight seven thousand 197 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:50,320 CreI and make a gift to support CRI's life changing 198 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:55,080 outreaches eight eight eight seven thousand CreI or visit equip 199 00:13:55,159 --> 00:13:57,879 dot org. Equip dot org. 200 00:14:01,399 --> 00:14:04,720 Speaker 4: Hank Hanigraph has dedicated his life to defending truth. Because 201 00:14:04,799 --> 00:14:08,240 Truth Matters. Yet, an encounter with Christians in the underground 202 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:12,559 Church of China left Hanograph contemplating his Christian experience. They 203 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:18,039 were experiencing something beyond truth. They were experiencing life. Truth Matters, 204 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:21,000 Life Matters More. By Hank Hanigraph is two books in one. 205 00:14:21,399 --> 00:14:24,759 Because Truth Matters, Part one equips Christians to defend the 206 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:28,080 essential truths of the historic Christian faith. In Part two, 207 00:14:28,399 --> 00:14:31,200 Hank explains why life matters More and how we can 208 00:14:31,279 --> 00:14:35,519 experience the height of human existence union with God. Prepare 209 00:14:35,559 --> 00:14:39,879 to move past intellectually knowing about God to experientially knowing 210 00:14:39,919 --> 00:14:43,039 God in Christ. To receive your copy of Truth Matters, 211 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:46,399 Life Matters More, the unexpected beauty of an authentic Christian 212 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:49,720 life called eight eight eight seven thousand CRI, and make 213 00:14:49,759 --> 00:14:52,919 a gift to support the Christian Research Institutes Life Changing 214 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:56,480 Outreaches eight eight eight seven thousand CRI or visit us 215 00:14:56,519 --> 00:14:57,600 at equipped dot org. 216 00:15:07,159 --> 00:15:10,120 Speaker 1: Now back to the Bible answer Man Broadcast and your 217 00:15:10,159 --> 00:15:12,240 host and Canagraph. 218 00:15:12,279 --> 00:15:14,759 Speaker 2: Thank you so much, Randy, and back to the phone lines. 219 00:15:14,799 --> 00:15:17,639 We'll talk to John and New Albany, Indiana. 220 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:21,559 Speaker 5: Hi, John, Hey, good afternoon, Hank. Thank you so much 221 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:24,120 for your considered answers to our questions. I hope God 222 00:15:24,159 --> 00:15:25,480 continues to strengthen you. 223 00:15:25,519 --> 00:15:25,799 Speaker 1: Brother. 224 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:26,480 Speaker 2: Thank you. 225 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:31,919 Speaker 5: I have a oh this is not a very weighting question, 226 00:15:32,039 --> 00:15:35,240 but it's found in Acts eleven. That's the prophet Agbs 227 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:39,720 when he prophesies about a worldwide famine to the saints. 228 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:45,159 The considered decision among the apostles was to take up 229 00:15:45,159 --> 00:15:48,639 a collection from the outskirts of Judea and send money 230 00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:53,679 to I guess to Jerusalem. And it just seems a 231 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:58,600 strange request. One, what would giving money do in restraining 232 00:15:59,399 --> 00:16:04,559 worldwife famine or severe famine? And two it just seems 233 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:12,759 that in some sense that either they if there was 234 00:16:12,799 --> 00:16:15,200 going to be a worldwide famine, it would affect the 235 00:16:15,279 --> 00:16:18,279 people to whom Agabus was speaking just as much as 236 00:16:18,279 --> 00:16:19,759 the people in Jerusalem. 237 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:23,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's an interesting passage. And one of the things 238 00:16:23,679 --> 00:16:26,279 I would say as a prologue to answering that question 239 00:16:26,679 --> 00:16:31,759 is we know for a certainty that Luke was a 240 00:16:32,039 --> 00:16:38,840 meticulous historian. That's pretty much universally acknowledged even today by 241 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:44,000 people who oftentimes doubt the credibility of the Bible. But 242 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:48,879 in context, what we have is during this time, a 243 00:16:48,919 --> 00:16:52,840 particular time, a particular epic in the first century, some 244 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:58,200 prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch, and some of 245 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:02,559 them were making a prophecy in the vein that you 246 00:17:02,879 --> 00:17:07,079 are talking about, including Agabus, who stood up and through 247 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:11,559 the spirit of God, predicted that a severe famine would 248 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:16,559 spread over the entire Roman world. And we are told 249 00:17:16,599 --> 00:17:21,359 that this happened during the reign of Claudius. And if 250 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:25,720 you go to outside sources there is cooperation for this. 251 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:30,279 For example, Josephus, I think in Antiquities twenty refers to 252 00:17:30,319 --> 00:17:35,079 a famine that corresponds to this time period. So the 253 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:38,680 import of this being communicated in the Acts is that 254 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:41,839 the disciples and you alluded to this, each, according to 255 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:45,440 his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living 256 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:50,240 in Judea. And this they did, sending their gifts to 257 00:17:50,319 --> 00:17:55,519 the elders by Barnabas and Saul. So this great famine, 258 00:17:55,599 --> 00:17:59,640 it took place somewhere around I think forty four through 259 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:04,119 fifty if I recall, it begins in Judea and then 260 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:07,920 it spreads to Greece and to Italy. And the point 261 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:11,039 of the passage is that the principle of giving each 262 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:16,599 according to his ability is a principle that was applied 263 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:20,119 in the Church there, and it continues to be a 264 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:23,880 principle that we ought to apply in the Church in 265 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:26,279 this epic of time as well. 266 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:31,519 Speaker 5: I agree. It just seems strange to me that money 267 00:18:31,559 --> 00:18:35,039 would be the remedy for a famine, and too that 268 00:18:35,079 --> 00:18:39,400 if it were going to eventually work its way through 269 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:43,079 the whole of the Roman world, that the money would 270 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:45,680 be just as useful there where it was being collected. 271 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:46,359 And Antioch. 272 00:18:47,759 --> 00:18:52,039 Speaker 2: Well, yes, but here is a text in which we 273 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:56,240 don't know all of the situations in the church. I mean, 274 00:18:56,279 --> 00:18:59,839 we simply don't have the details in terms of exactly 275 00:18:59,839 --> 00:19:03,720 what's going on. So there are people who have resources 276 00:19:03,799 --> 00:19:06,599 that can be used to help other Christians, and within 277 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:09,440 that mill you, they would have known about it in 278 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:11,960 a way that I couldn't, off the tip of my 279 00:19:12,039 --> 00:19:15,599 tongue tell you about. I simply wouldn't know. I mean, 280 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:18,119 I'm not saying it couldn't be known, I simply don't know. 281 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:22,799 Speaker 5: I think it's interesting the emotional component to our giving, 282 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:29,319 and not to denigrate emotional appeals necessarily, but sometimes that's 283 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:32,240 all we have to go by. I think one of 284 00:19:32,319 --> 00:19:35,279 the broader points there in the scripture is that there 285 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:39,160 was such compassion that was exercise throughout the church, that 286 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:44,480 everybody was willing to consider their brother's burden and give 287 00:19:44,519 --> 00:19:50,680 a hand where they could. And yet in this particular instance, 288 00:19:51,599 --> 00:19:54,599 you know, there was nothing but the word of a 289 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:58,480 prophecy that directed the saints to give in such a manner. 290 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:02,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, but remember that the text itself says that the disciples, 291 00:20:02,759 --> 00:20:07,799 each according to his ability, decided to provide help for 292 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:10,759 the brothers. So as they were able, as the Lord 293 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:16,920 enabled them, they decided purposed in their hearts to provide help. 294 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:21,519 And this was for those living in Judea, and they 295 00:20:21,519 --> 00:20:24,799 did that. And so this is a historical narrative talking 296 00:20:24,799 --> 00:20:29,240 about something that actually happened, and there is an application 297 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:32,119 for us in the present day world as well. 298 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:33,200 Speaker 3: Great. 299 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:36,359 Speaker 5: Yeah, well, not to give an improper plug, but giving 300 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:40,599 the CRI is a very tangible means of disseminating truth 301 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:44,839 to our country and people overseas, and it's something that 302 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:46,880 my wife and I are going to consider doing as 303 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:48,319 soon as I get off this phone. 304 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:53,039 Speaker 2: Thank you so much, John, I appreciate your call. I 305 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:56,759 wanted to mention an answer to a question that I 306 00:20:56,799 --> 00:20:59,799 think is important, and that is a question I got 307 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:04,319 on Facebook, which is about whether or not the Bible 308 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:07,240 states that a Christian must go to church in order 309 00:21:07,279 --> 00:21:10,480 to go to Heaven. And this is a question that 310 00:21:10,599 --> 00:21:14,880 I desire very much to answer on today's edition of 311 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:19,160 the Bible answer Man Broadcast, because when someone becomes a 312 00:21:19,279 --> 00:21:24,039 follower of Jesus Christ, they're baptized into Christ and they 313 00:21:24,079 --> 00:21:29,200 become members of His body. Now, it is within the 314 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:35,519 body of Christ that we receive the graces by which 315 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:40,640 we become by grace what God is by nature. We 316 00:21:40,759 --> 00:21:47,200 become Gods by grace. We become God's by participation. This 317 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:49,759 is not to say that we become God's in the 318 00:21:49,799 --> 00:21:55,039 sense of the Word of Faith movement, where God looks 319 00:21:55,240 --> 00:21:58,960 like us and we look like God. We are again 320 00:21:59,079 --> 00:22:04,359 not God's by no nature. We are God's by participation, 321 00:22:04,759 --> 00:22:10,599 participating in the divine nature. As Peter puts it, it 322 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:13,920 is within the body of Christ again that we receive 323 00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:17,480 the graces by which we become by grace what God 324 00:22:17,559 --> 00:22:22,440 is by nature. We emulate the early Christians who devoted 325 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:27,640 themselves to the apostles, teaching to fellowship to the breaking 326 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:33,039 of bread, to prayer within the community, the fellowship of 327 00:22:33,079 --> 00:22:37,960 the saints, and far from being born again. Therefore, as 328 00:22:38,279 --> 00:22:44,240 rugged individualists, we are born into a body of believers, 329 00:22:44,319 --> 00:22:50,599 of which Christ is the head. And therefore, therefore, as 330 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:56,440 Hebrews commends us, let us not give up meeting together 331 00:22:57,160 --> 00:23:02,559 as some are in the habit of I took the 332 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:06,799 time a number of years ago to memorize Romans Chapter twelve, 333 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:12,720 and the reason I did is this whole chapter is 334 00:23:12,839 --> 00:23:17,240 focused on how we are to use our gifts within 335 00:23:17,759 --> 00:23:23,039 the community of faith. Christ is building his church, He 336 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:27,880 is perfecting his bride. He is perfecting the full complement 337 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:34,160 of God's people expressed within a community of faith. Again, 338 00:23:34,279 --> 00:23:39,079 the church is the spiritual gymnasium. It is the place 339 00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:44,519 where we have the great privilege every single week to 340 00:23:44,599 --> 00:23:48,240 partake of the body and blood of our Lord and Savior, 341 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:55,079 Jesus Christ, his broken body, his shed blood, his pure body, 342 00:23:55,359 --> 00:24:02,480 his precious blood, and that gives us an energy to 343 00:24:02,599 --> 00:24:06,240 live our lives, not by might nor by power, but 344 00:24:06,359 --> 00:24:12,519 by His spirit. When we partake of Christ, we partake 345 00:24:13,039 --> 00:24:19,160 of uncreated energy, for only God is uncreated, and in 346 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:26,279 that circumstance we experience something that's far beyond the biological 347 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:32,079 not by us, but we experience zoetic energy. This is 348 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:36,880 the kind of energy that rewired the circuits of the apostles. 349 00:24:39,279 --> 00:24:45,920 Peter James John on the Mount of Transfiguration saw the 350 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:55,359 resurrected Christ transformed, and when they saw the transformation of Christ, 351 00:24:56,359 --> 00:25:03,359 they themselves were transformed. Suddenly they recognized that there was 352 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:07,720 a realm and a reality far beyond the biological sphere, 353 00:25:08,799 --> 00:25:14,839 and that they could partake in that reality. And ultimately, 354 00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:19,640 this is the power, the power alone that allows us 355 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:26,640 to be reproducing disciple makers, because on our own energy 356 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:32,319 we are going to eventually simply well just run out. 357 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:38,759 But his energy, it's like plugging your laptop into a 358 00:25:38,839 --> 00:25:46,400 source that is inexhaustible. When we tap in to the 359 00:25:46,519 --> 00:25:50,319 spiritual graces available within the Church. Now we live not 360 00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:54,559 by might nor by power, but by His spirit. Out 361 00:25:54,599 --> 00:25:56,920 of time for this edition of the Bible ins Man Broadcast, 362 00:25:57,720 --> 00:25:59,359 look forward to seeing it next time with more of 363 00:25:59,400 --> 00:25:59,759 the show. 364 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:03,160 Speaker 1: Thank you for joining us today. June is one of 365 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:06,480 the most important months for the Bible answer Man Broadcast. 366 00:26:06,839 --> 00:26:09,920 That's because we close out another financial year, and we 367 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:13,359 can do so successfully only If listening friends like you 368 00:26:13,519 --> 00:26:17,240 stand with us prayerfully and financially with your gift, you'll 369 00:26:17,279 --> 00:26:20,440 help see our I impact even more lives with God's 370 00:26:20,519 --> 00:26:25,519 truth and equip Christians as authentic Disciples of Christ. Please 371 00:26:25,559 --> 00:26:28,880 call eight eight eight seven thousand CRI and make a 372 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:33,000 gift to support CRI's life changing outreaches eight eight eight 373 00:26:33,279 --> 00:26:37,680 seven thousand CRII. 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But our Lord warned that 382 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:20,319 while the gate to Hell is wide, the road to 383 00:27:20,359 --> 00:27:22,799 it broad, and those who enter through it are many, 384 00:27:23,319 --> 00:27:25,720 the gate is narrow and the way is hard that 385 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:28,359 leads to life, and those who find it are few. 386 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:32,559 Your generous support, let's hank hanograph and see URI speak 387 00:27:32,599 --> 00:27:36,079 out against the lies that lead to hell. In appreciation 388 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:39,480 for your gift, today, we'll rush you Hank's book After 389 00:27:39,559 --> 00:27:42,680 Life What you need to Know about Heaven, the Hereafter, 390 00:27:42,839 --> 00:27:46,519 and Near death Experiences, filled with answers to your questions 391 00:27:46,559 --> 00:27:50,119 about life after death. Call eight eight eight seven thousand 392 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:55,240 CROI or visit equip dot org. 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