Call-In Classic Christianity Radio – Bob George P423 (3-15-19)
Don from Eugene, OR
Don shared about his experience with his unbelieving wife. He became a believer while married but his wife wanted nothing to do with Christ and rejected the message. That led to friction and eventual divorce. Don tries to reach out to his ex-wife on numerous occasions. She was quite mean-spirited from what he shared. He said her ex-wife called threatening to do things to their son. He hung up because he does not want to be threatened. She left me because he turned his life to Christ. He also said he started praying again for her.
I believe Don called so as to receive affirmation that he was doing the right thing. He now thinks he should just leave her alone since she obstinately refuses to listen. He cited this scripture.
Mark 6:11
And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
Bob shared these thoughts with Don. You got to do what God wants you to do. The Spirit of God is living in you and He will guide you into all truth. If God is not telling you to go back, then don’t. You told her the truth that if you deny the Lord and want to do that then you will go to hell. You did not tell her a lie. You told the truth to her. So you have done the job you believed God wanted you to do, told her what to do, and so you are free to let her go. If they reject the message, and you told her the truth of how to come to Christ, leave the results in the hands of God. To leave her alone now is a reasonable thing to do.
Romans 12:18
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
But you cannot be at peace with someone who is unwilling.
Elkie from Snellville, GA
She called for guidance in financial difficulty but her real issue was that of giving into the sin of worry. She said other things that really was expressing fear in regards to different circumstances in her life, but particularly in the area of finances. God does not want you to worry. You are receiving Satan’s tool and giving into fear. You are not the first and will not be the last person who is in financial difficulty. Does God want you go to another job somewhere? Let God direct you. Be still and know that He is God. You are in the best place to receive God’s sufficiency. He will teach you dependency and you will see the faithfulness of God. Think of God’s faithfulness to the Israelites throughout the Old Testament, how he cared for them and proved himself faithful again and again.
Matthew 6:25-26
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
Philippians 4:12-13
12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
William from Stockton, CA
He became a Christian nine months ago. He married a woman who was really into God and he lived horribly, and was into black magic and tattooed his body with symbols when he was lost.
Bob told him to pay to get them removed. Why have a symbol of black magic staring you in the face every day. It is not the case that Jesus won’t care. All your sins are taken away already at the cross. It is an issue of testimony while here on the earth. You are doing it so as not to be a stumbling block to other believers or for a witness to the lost. As a new babe in Christ you are growing in maturity, and you will be dealing with issues of sin and learning how to overcome sin. It will not happen overnight. It will take time for your mind to be renewed.
It was very evident he was a new believer in Christ by the questions he asked. So he needed much discipleship and instruction. He asked questions like, “Do you think I married into Jerusalem?” No. If she is Christian and you weren’t then you were unequally yoked. Now you are a believer and are in the same body of Christ, members together of the same faith in Christ.
You need to leave the past life behind you. William then said, “But I have not been baptized yet?” Baptism is not what saves you. William then said he was reading Romans and read something about life through Spirit and blessed water. There is nothing about blessed water in Romans. He admitted he is very confused.
Bob then told him to listen as he gave him a crash course on Christianity 101 because that is where he is at. In this brief time, you need to listen to me. Your life before was a life of unbelief in Jesus. The only thing you repented of was your unbelief in Jesus and became believer in Jesus. What did Jesus do for you? He took away sins at the cross. If he took them away, do not bring them back up again. What else did he do? Through the resurrection he gave you life because you were born dead spiritually. You were born dead spiritually. And Christ came to give you life. He is the way, the truth and the life. What do you need life for? You needed life because you were dead. He came to give you his life living in you, which is your only hope of glory. Now with Christ living in you, you have the mind of Christ. You can avail yourself of that mind or you can go back and dig up thoughts you used to have. William then said, “So is that the voice that tells me to be good, right?” There is nothing wrong with doing good, but that is not what God is telling you to do because no one is good. Only God is good. God is telling you to trust him.
1 Peter 2:2
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation
2 Corinthians 6:3
We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.
1 Corinthiasn 8:9
Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
Estabon from Salenace, CA
Estabon was so much into thinking about demons and casting out of demons but he lacked rational thinking. Bob was very patient with him but he was a very irrational man and had to cut him off for there was no fruitfulness in discussing things with him.
The issue of demonic possession is to get the wrong man out and get the right man in. When someone is born again, the Spirit comes in and the demons must come out. Do not be preoccupied with demons and casting out demons. What people need is the truth of the gospel. Bob has never encountered someone demon possessed. He might have thought someone might have had a demon. But Bob never went about casting out a demon but led a lot of people to Christ by simply speaking truth they need to hear. If they are born again, and if they had a demon then it left.
Due to his irrational behavior, Bob said, “You are so preoccupied with demons because you are in the camp with them.” Bob used an illustration to explain the irrationality of people who are too preoccupied with demons. How many of you have been within 10 feet of a lion? What are you doing here? They are in a cage. What if you got in the cage with the lion, how many people will be here? You get in the cage with a lion, sitting around talking in a group, talking about how you got mauled by a lion. He does not want us to be in the cage with a lion. You have power to stay away from that through reliance on Christ Jesus.
Estabon goes into a silly discussion with Bob, saying, “Apostles writes in letters, say grace and peace to you, then why do you not do that?” You have got a nit-picking critical Spirit. What do you think you are doing when you are speaking truth? Listen, Paul did not write letters for us to literally parrot what he said. What camp are you in? The way you approach people is to tell people about Jesus. Bob got him off the air because he was not even thinking in any reasonable manner. He kept wanted to badger Bob or put Bob in a corner because he literally did not say those exact same words on the air.
Titus 3:9-10
9 But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. 10 Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.
Steve from Lacrucus, Mexico
Is it an offense for boy to have long hair? My ex-wife says it is not. Determine if what your wife said is in scripture. Scripture states it is a disgrace for a man to have long hair just as it is a disgrace for a woman to have short hair. The long hair for a woman is for her glory. It is not about putting handkerchief on your head. I think as a Christian, I certainly would not be walking around with long hair. Not legalistic, just makes sense. Then he said his wife mentioned that Paul cut his long hair. She added to what is written in word of God, and no such passage stated he had long hair. How could the apostle Paul have long hair when he wrote about long hair? He did not have long hair, he just shaved it off.
1 Corinthians 11:13-16
13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. 16 If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.
T.J. from Nashville, TN
She essentially called because she is struggling with quitting smoking. Bob spoke from experience, relating to her as a lost person, how he had the will to make up his mind to stop smoking and he did. So, T.J. needs to make her mind up on whether she really wants to quit smoking. If a lost person can do it, certainly a born again person can. Bob said to her, “The reason you have not quit is because you do not want to. For some perverted reason, you want to get cancer in your body or some other reason. You need to ask the Lord to give you a desire to want to. If you resist a habit long enough, the cravings will go away. Satan will tell you that you will face this the rest of your life. Join a health club and in three days you will not want to smoke. If you do not want to quit, then say to God, ‘Make me want to quit’.
Philippians 2:13
for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Anthony from Portaville, CA
He experienced a sexual abuse as a child by an adult and is wrestling with thoughts of shame or guilt or just confusion over it. The issue is you have to realize that it is not a fault of yours that an older person, with responsibility in the church, did things to lure you into that kind of situation. We have all had situations, not all the same, of course, where a sin was committed against you. You cannot sit around thinking about it. I have to realize that Jesus Christ died for the person who did it. I have to rest in the fact that he lives in me and I am His child. If there is something I can do to ensure other little boys do not have to experience the same thing, and God leads you to do so, then do so. You have to forget what lies behind and press onward to what Christ wants you to focus on in living today. Bob then got him in touch with a counselor for more help.
Philippians 3:13-15
Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.
