Call-In Classic Christianity Radio – Bob George P430 (4-11-19)
Bob George received calls from several people asking for help in understanding scriptures or for help in a situation in life they are facing. From time to time, people call who do not know the Lord but their heart is ready to receive the message of the good news of God’s grace. That is the case when George called. Bob had the privilege to share the message of God’s salvation to him. He accepted that gift of eternal life and became a new member of the family of God. Barney had a question concerning the topic of what happened to Jesus when he died, Did he ever cease to exist. So Bob explained that death is simply a change in location. Either a person will spend eternity in a place called hell or in heaven with God. You can only go to heaven with Jesus. Believers have a longing in their heart to be absent from the body to be present with the Lord. But they know they will remain as long as the Lord desires so that they will be of fruitful labor for others joy and benefit. Michael had a question concerning church. His was puzzled on what church to be involved with. Bob saw that his real need was not a church problem. Bob explained what church is, that people who are born again are the church, and so we are not at odds with the people of God. Get involved with those people who are truly born again, as God wants us to assemble with one another for mutual edification and encouragement, and to hear truth taught so we can grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Barney from Dundy, MI
When Jesus died on the cross, and since he is God, did he cease to exist for a short time?
No. The real you is your soul and spirit. You never cease to exist. You just change locations. Bob saw his dad in a coffin. Dad is not there. He is gone.
Deity did not die. When he left his body he went into the lower regions of the earth and announced those in prison, the Old Testament saints waiting for the fulfillment of the cross. He led them into paradise. Then he went back into his body. His body was then raised from the dead.
Ephesians 4:8-10
8 This is why God says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”[Psalm 68:18] 9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)
His body was dead but Jesus was not. He was always there. Your body is just a house. It is like walking out of your house. No one ceases to exist. Everyone is eternal. You will either move to hell or you will move to heaven.
2 Corinthians 5:1-3
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.
2 Corinthians 5:8
8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
Steve from Riverside , CA
He fears he is stealing God’s glory. How do we deal with this attitude, “Oh, they were really looking at you and you got there attention.”
Many of us, as young believers, have witnessed in the flesh, hoping people are watching us. Many of us have done that. It is very natural for the flesh to draw attention to itself. When you grow in maturity you realize you are but a branch. You are not the vine. You are not the producer of anything. You are the bearer of the producer.
John 15:1-5
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
You witness in the power of God and leave the results to God. You present the message but the results of the presentation are totally in the hands of God. Some people have said to Bob, ” I cannot present the gospel as good as you can”. Bob’s says that is not the issue because the presentation of the gospel does not save anyone. God has to save you.
1 Corinthians 3:5-7
5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.
We have no responsibility of the results.
Steve then asked, “What can I do to avoid the problem of this matter?”
You are thinking too much of yourself on that. If God has to wait on pure motives of anyone then nobody will get saved. What do you do after you share? Do you brag about it? Some people can’t wait to tell people about how they shared Christ with somebody. Bob finds that the least he says about that the better unless there is a purpose for it. The less said the better. The attitude is this, “If God uses me, praise God for that. I did not deserve it or earn it. I just praise God and move on.”
George from Detroit, MI
What chapter is there in scripture to get rid of Satan. He says he is being attacked and wants to get rid of it. George then admitted he did not read much of the scriptures.
Bob replied, “You cannot get rid of it until you know the scriptures.”
James 4:7
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
First, recognize that if you are a child of God you have no business listening to Satan. We are not strong enough for the devil. That is why we need the armor of God. God would not instruct us to put on the armor of God if we did not need it. Ephesians 6 provides further details about the armor of God.
Then Bob asked George, “Are you a child of God?”
George replied, “Maybe but I am not sure”
Bob then said, “If you are not sure then you probably are not. So, are you sure you a child of God?”
George replied, “No, but I would like to be.”
“If you are not born again George, do you want to be?” George said yes.
God’s will is that none should perish and all should come to the saving knowledge of Christ Jesus.
2 Peter 3:9
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
That is God’s will. What Jesus had to do for you you could not do for yourself, and that was to solve the problem of sin. Jesus went to the cross to die for the sins of the entire world. All sins of the entire world was placed on Jesus on the cross.
@ Corinthians 5:21
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
All of us are born into this world under the consequences of sin, which is death. There is a difference between consequences and sin. The consequences of sin is death (Romans 3:23). All of us are born in the condition of spiritual death at the time we were born into this world.
1 Corinthians 15:22
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
Our sins were not taken away until Jesus came. In order to be able to get eternal life again, sins had to be taken away. When Jesus died on the cross 2000 years ago, in essence, God transferred our sins onto Jesus. Jesus died on the cross to take sins away to never be seen again in the eyes of God. Now we are left with the consequence of sin which is death. The cause of death, which is sin, was already dealt with. He died to take away the sins of the world. God entered our death with us so we can enter into his resurrection with him. When we are born again, then we by faith put our trust in that truth. Our condition is we are a sinner by nature an by birth. The solution provided in Christ was that he took away my sins never to seen again. My other problem is spiritual death. The only solution to death is Christ’s resurrected life. Therefore, I receive the resurrected Jesus into my heart as my Lord and Savior. When that occurs you have eternal life. The reason you have life is because of the eternal consequences of the cross. When you do this you can rest assured of this.
1 John 5:12
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Th whole issue of salvation is coming alive in Christ. If that is your heart, let Christ be your life. The only solution of demonic oppression is the life of Christ. You put the right man in and the other man must leave.
Bob then led George into pray. Prayer in itself does not save. Prayer is an expression of an individual’s heart’s desire, what he truly believes and wants to express in his belief to God.
“Lord Jesus, I need you. Thank you for taking away my sins at the cross never to see them again. I know ask you to come into my heart as Lord and Savior and very best friend, in Christ’s name.”
Bob closing with encouraging words and contact information and resources to help George in his new life in Christ. If this person is you, who read along with George, accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior, then contact Bob George Ministries. We would love to serve and encourage you along in your new life journey with God.
“Now, according to the word of God as many who received him you have been given the right to become children of God. So what have you become? A child of God. What does that make us? A child of God. So you have a whole new family now that loves you and are here to help you grow in Christ. You have everybody rejoicing with you. Only God knows and you know how sincere you are. I believe your heart is in the right place.”
Bob sent George bible study materials explaining from the scriptures what he just explained to him. Bob offered support and encouraged him to call if he has any questions. Some resources I recommend are “Born Free“ and “Be Reconciled to God“. There also other resources available to continue to help you grow.
Sandra from San Diego, CA
She is struggling with bitterness. She said she has walked with the Lord for over 20 years. “It seems recently that an arrow comes in the middle of the day over an issue.” She seems like bitter root is there. “I am not thinking bitter thoughts but when it comes it is very strong. What do I do scripturally?” She says she is in a battlefield.
When something comes upon you. If bitterness wasn’t in you it wouldn’t come out of you. Circumstances do not cause your nature. They reveal your nature. You cannot store beans in a pot unless beans are in there. Unless you can have the spirit of bitterness in you, you cannot let it out of you. Circumstances just reveal that.
Mark 7:15
Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.
You can have a spirit of bitterness because you are bitter over something. And when you are bitter over something you are hanging onto it too long. If someone insults you, then it is only important as long as you insist on remembering it. You have to let go of these things. They are not important. In light of eternity just how important is it when somebody insults you. It is putting everything in proper perspective. If bitterness is there, all it takes is a little thought and it will get triggered. So just get rid of the bitterness. It is not worth thinking about. Start praying for the person who made you bitter.
Ephesians 4:30-32
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Matthew 5:43-45
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
You may be over this. Satan is activating those thoughts. Bob relates how he had been in a situation where he found it very difficult to forgive. What he had to realize is that he could not forgive in his flesh. What he was trying to do was to manufacture up fleshly forgiveness. The flesh never wants to forgive. There is nothing good in the flesh.
Romans 7:20
Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
Romans 8:1-8
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
The flesh never wants to forgive. The Spirit in me has already forgiven him. This flesh is not going anywhere except the grave. I am in Christ, and I am a spiritual being, and since Christ forgave him so do I. In the Spirit, you forgive. Satan is just triggering your flesh. Satan, you might as well talk to someone else. I am not interested in entertaining that thought anymore. Satan wants you to waste your time and he is the one who is bringing those thoughts back to your mind.
2 Corinthians 10:5
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
John 10:10
The thief [Satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Michael from Grand Rapids, MI
Michael had a question on overcoming indecision. He is trying to get established in church. He said he has not gone in years. First time back many months ago, he could not get fully invested in one church or ministry. His heart is divided in three churches at one time. He has been involved in many of them. His heart is in different places.
Bob explains what church means. People is the church. You are going to buildings. The church is people and you cannot be at odds with the people of God. Are you relatively a new believer? No. Have you grown in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you studied the bible? “Yes”, he said.
You are the church. You are then a member of the church. Bob, as pastor of a church in Dallas, did not have church membership. They did not have a bunch of activities for you. They are there to proclaim the good news of the gospel. If saved get fed and if not, then get saved, if heart is open to it. For everyone is a member of the body of Christ who is born again.
1 Corinthians 12:27
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
Ephesians 2:18-20
18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
It is important you know the word of God, with firm convictions, not convictions of denominations. If denominations happen to match up with what God has revealed to you, fine. The issue is, “Do you know what the bible says? Has God revealed to you what it means?” God has promised to do that if you depend on Him. The problem that we have is that man comes along and says he cannot depend on that, but on what does my denomination believe. That is intellectual suicide. People erroneously respond, “What does Luther believe? What does Calvin believe? Then that is what I will believe in. What does the pope say? Then I believe that.” That is having someone else’s faith. I do not believe what I believe because of any denomination. I believe what I believe because the word of God has been studied and God has revealed to me what it means. Not all of it because there are things I am not sure of. But those things that I am sure of is because that has been revealed to me by God. Be taught by the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to you and not depend on anyone else for your interpretation.
Acts 17:11
Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
John 16:13
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
John 16:15
All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
Hebrews 8:11
No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.
That does not help you with your church problem but you really do not have a church problem. You can stay at home and read your bible. You can find a group of people who are truly born again and have fellowship with them. What more do you need?
Hebrews 10:23-25
23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Michael then mentioned some sort of teaching he has been hearing about a God of the oppressed. We all get oppressed one way or another. God is God of the universe and God came to save and meets people where we are. There is always a Christian hobby horse or a fad. We go into cycles of some new idea that people grab a hold of and get excited. Just stick to the word of God and be tenacious. Do not be indecisive in saying your plumb line is the word of God.
