Call-ins Radio Broadcast Friday 02/11/2022

Call-In Classic Christianity Radio – Bob George P708 (02-11-22)

Be above reproach so the gospel can go out. Guard the truth and protect those entrusted to your care. Grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So many callers call in because they want to grow and have a desire for others to come to know the Lord and to grow. They want to encourage those whom the Lord has used, such as Bob George, for they themselves were richly blessed by what he shared from the scriptures. It is not by what man has said, but for pointing them to the word of God, so they can test and see what is said is true. They find out what is shared, checking it out from the word of God for themselves, and the Spirit of God within them makes the truth known to them, solidifying that truth in their heart. This is evidenced by the love toward one another, with true freedom in Christ. They are no longer bound up by the law but experience true freedom with a single-minded focus on Christ, who is your life, at work within you. The book of Colossians is such a rich book, demonstrating freedom in Christ at work among the believers, and the encouragement and instruction to continue to grow in the Lord.

Colossians 2:7
Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him. See that you go on growing in the Lord, and become strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with joy and thanksgiving for all he has done.

In contrast, the proud heart is quick to hold onto their opinions, their man-made religion, things taught by men, and sometimes callers call in with an improper attitude and focus that hinders their hearing truth that can help them. We cannot change people, not even ourselves, but we can sit at Jesus feet, pondering over His word, and allowing Him to renew our mind with truth, and that truth will set us free.

Colossians 2:19
¹⁹ But they are not connected to Christ, the Head to which all of us who are his body are joined; for we are joined together by his strong sinews, and we grow only as we get our nourishment and strength from God.

In today’s modern church, people have wondered about why such ministers spend money in the manner they do. Why give money to build mosques, to a local school to support high school youth to observe Halloween, or to schools that teach things contrary to the word of God, which I do not think we need to elaborate more on? Such things are so contrary to reaching people with the gospel of truth, hindering rather than helping, to understate it mildly. What do Halloween and Islam have to do with Christ? Now, we cannot judge motives of men, but we can certainly judge actions. And we cannot change what is going on here. Those in leadership are expected to be men of truth, and men of honesty and integrity. Unfortunately many are not. You can choose to leave and go elsewhere and do as the Lord leads. To be quite honest, no one should be giving to a ministry that keeps you in chains or that is spending monies in ways that are not promoting Jesus in truth.

1 Timothy 3:1-2
¹ Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. ² Now the overseer is to be above reproach

Now, if you are in a position of leadership, who knows the Lord and cares about truth, then you certainly would want to be a man above reproach. The book of 1 Timothy gives further details on the qualifications of a leader in God’s church. Pastors who want to be above reproach ponder over the best way to do so, so they are not falsely accused and entangled in civilian affairs. Sadly, you also have to be aware that even within your own ministry, there are those who will steal from you after you have gone. That has happened to many a once solid ministry, and so you have to be on guard against that, not so much for yourselves but from hindering truth from continuing after you are gone. So many of the ivy league schools started out to advance the gospel, but as of today there are none that we know that advance the true gospel. But in all this, and, in may cases we have no control over, or can prevent what is happening, you yourself consider the singular attitude of the apostle Paul.

Classic Christianity Books

Philippians 1:17-19
¹⁷ The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. ¹⁸ But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

Consider also Judas Iscariot, whom only Christ knew, and as his true nature was hidden from the disciples. But Jesus said it had to happen this way for scripture to be fulfilled (John 17:12). We cannot judge motives, but only actions, and many people do things in secret for they do not want to be exposed. But if you allow yourself to be exposed, remember this, God gives grace to the humble but resists the proud (James 4:6). But in the end, for those who persist in unbelief in Christ, that which is done in secret will be exposed (Jude 1:4). Jesus instructed us that in the end of days, He will separate the wheat from the tares. But for now, let both grow together until the time of the harvest (Matthew 13:24-30). That is another reason we cannot straighten out every matter in this world, a world full of fallen men prone to sin. Recall what the Lord told us ahead of time would happen.

2 Timothy 3:1-5
¹ But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴⁵. having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

But our focus is not on this world, but the world to come, of this faith, hope and love poured into our hearts. Although we are not ignorant of what God says will happen, we have been instructed to proclaim Him, to make Him known. When people depend on Christ, who is their life, then despite what is going on around them, they can experience joy, peace, love and hope.

Galatians 5:22-23
²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

And recall what the apostle Paul said, after having experienced so much trials and tribulations, imprisonment, beatings, left for dead, abandonment from his own people, in chains in a prison cell, what did he say was his greatest joy, which was also the same heart cry of the apostle John, who was left alone on the island of Patmos for proclaiming the word of truth?

Philippians 1:25
Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith

3 John 1:4
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Recall also Paul’s letter to the Philippians. What do you read about the heart and passion of Paul? And of the believers there in Philippi?

Philippians 1:3-11
³ I thank my God every time I remember you. ⁴ In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy ⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
⁷ It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. ⁸ God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
⁹ And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, ¹⁰ so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, ¹¹ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God.

Have you experienced such love from the church, from those who are mature in the Lord, whose heart is passionate towards God, singularly focused, longing to see you walk in freedom, who labors, and goes out of his way to see you mature? And when he sees such growth, he rejoices with you, and has been rejoicing with you along the way. You rejoice with your partnership with him in sharing the gospel of God’s marvelous grace. Such was the attitude of the caller who called to encourage Bob George, and of Bob George also, sharing in his joy.

So the gospel was never chained! These were men who took seriously to guard what was entrusted to them. Even as the apostle John guarded what was entrusted to him, guarding the flock of God against the false teaching of the Gnostics infiltrating their midst, throwing the church into confusion. We read about this in 1 John and also in Ephesians and in Jude.

We also read of this marvelous hope, faith and love we have in Christ Jesus through the words of the apostle Peter. These sure are words to hold onto in our day today, which I need not express, as you know the trials and tribulations in your life.

1 Peter 1:3-9
³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷ These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹ for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Is this not worth it! Is it not a joy to hear someone call in on a radio program and say, “I want to be saved!” Someone is listening on the radio, until such a time faith is revealed in them, and so they call in to ask for what they needed and what Christ came to give, new life, spiritual life, life without end and that can never be lost. Oh, what joy!

Listen to the very end where Bob is talking to Claudia. This is a transcript of what Bob said to her.

‘The bible has two areas. You identify what God says about you, and what God says about Himself. About you, that you and I are born into this world as sinners, and there is a wage of sin called death. The wages of sin is spiritual death. Death is the absence of life. You and I are not born with spiritual life. We are born dead spiritually. That is what has to be corrected. That is what salvation is, God giving you life that you do not have. You have physical life but you do not have spiritual life. That is what salvation is, the receiving of the spiritual life, who is Christ Jesus. In order to give you a life called eternal life, that can never be lost, He had to take away eternally the cause of spiritual death, which is sin. That is what Jesus did at the cross. He took away the sins of the entire world from the eyes of God never to see them again. No man will ever go to hell because of his sins. Only the sin, singular, of the rejection of the Son of God who came to give us life. So, what you are coming to Christ today, Claudia, is for His life to come and to live in you and to be Lord and Savior. You are not doing very well as your own lord and savior.’

To confirm what Bob says is so, check out the scriptures for yourself, in an online booklet form at Be Born Free, summarizing what he just said to Claudia.

Bob went on to emphasize with her that God is concerned with the attitude of your heart, and if this is what you want to do, and I believe it is, then I would like to lead you in prayer for what is the desire of your heart. I am speaking now also to you who are listening, that you too can express to God the real attitude of your heart and receive new spiritual life. Here is a suggested prayer, but realize the prayer is not what saves you, but your belief in what Christ has alone accomplished for you, as Bob shared with Claudia, and the prayer is an expression of that desire of your heart.

‘Lord Jesus I need you. I thank you for dying on cross for my sins, taking them away, never to see them again. Having accomplished that, you now are offering me your resurrected life. And I receive you into my heart as my Lord and my Savior and my very, very best friend in Jesus name.’