Call-ins Radio Broadcast Thursday 09/23/2021

Call-In Classic Christianity Radio – Bob George P673 (09-23-21)

Let No One Steer You Away from Truth; Rather Let the Holy Spirit Teach You Truth through His Word

At times, various callers call in with basic questions, yet important questions. People can get bogged down in end times events, and as to when the rapture happens and if we will be around when the antichrist is here, forcing great and small to take the mark of the beast. God does want us to read about the end events, otherwise why would Revelation be written. But it is written not so we can be scared but rather to be prepared. Let us also not forget about living for today in the Spirit, walking in the newness of life, where we are trusting the Spirit moment by moment. He certainly tells us to not be anxious about anything and wants us to experience joy and peace whatever you are facing today (Philippians 4:6, Romans 14:17, Galatians 5:22-23, John 15).

We need to keep everything we do in proper perspective. If you are a Christian in Afghanistan for example, you certainly will not be spending much time talking about end times. You will be trying to survive, and in a moment by moment trusting of the Lord for everything. So, we definitely need to keep praying for the persecuted church everywhere, including the persecuted church in America. For there are also real persecutions going on today here in America that many people simply do not talk about in the open. Many have been thrown out of a church setting for preaching the truth about forgiveness or standing up for what is right and wrong. But remember, the body of born again believers is the church and the building you go to is simply a man-made building. It is important to realize, that many times, these so-called “churches” that are on the corner of walk and don’t walk actually have very few believers in them.

Other people have questions about facing trials of various kinds, health issues, facing cancer or facing a decision in regard to a recommended surgery, but are uncertain what to do. The practical advice Bob gives, in such a situation in regard to a recommended surgery, is to get a second or even third opinion. If you asked a surgeon for advice, he is likely to recommend surgery but if you asked a natural medicine person, he probably would not. There is very much a profit bias involved here also. But, you and your spouse would certainly want to entrust yourself to the Lord’s care and both be at peace about whatever decision is made, to the best of your ability to make with as much information available as possible. Certainly doctors are human and are subject to making mistakes.

You might also be in a conversation with someone of a certain religious persuasion, whether Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah Witnesses or something else. You always want to present the truth in love, truth that is revealed to you by the Spirit of God through the word of God, but do not allow them to persist in sharing things that are not true. They can certainly express what they currently believe but let them not linger with error and try to persuade you or any audience with you against the truth. You also do not want to get entangled in useless arguments about words (Titus 3:8-10).

There are several questions asked in regard to situations people find themselves in. For example, if you are in a dating situation with a non-believer, you certainly would not want to proceed in marriage to someone so as to be unequally yoked (2 Corinthians 6:14). As another example, in talking with a Catholic, a Catholic would be so caught up in traditions of men, insisting Mary is the mother of God and is the ever virgin. They are relying on traditions taught by men, for nowhere in the scripture is that taught. They are steering people away from truth that can be revealed by the word of God. Protestants do the same thing by saying tithing is for today lest you rob God or you must confess your sins to keep in fellowship with God. You try your best to point truth to them that counters their error, but you certainly do not want to get into senseless and useless arguments that get no where or lead astray others present with you. And, the Jehovah Witnesses do not even believe Jesus is God, but rather a created being, and have many other strange ideas that are totally off in what scripture teaches. They are of the antichrist, as Bob explains in more detail in the audio. If such people bring false teaching, do not even invite them into your home, otherwise you are participating in their evil work (2 John 7-11). Others have a form of godliness but deny its power, so have nothing to do with such people (2 Timothy 3:5-7).

Many believers are growing in grace and are simply asking questions for clarification. Oftentimes they read or hear phrases and kind of get caught in tunnel vision. They can misinterpret or get confused on scriptures they are reading. They could simply be forgetting about the gospel that they have firmly believed in. When you know the totality of the cross and of being made complete in Christ, then such phrases as “falling away from grace” or “backsliding” will not be disturbing to you. That first phrase is from a misunderstanding of scripture, which in context is referring to someone as 1 John would say about a person who has never repented. A person who has never repented (they never changed their mind about Jesus and completed forgiveness of sins on the cross) is a person who is lost and cannot go back to where he has never been. Many people are professors but not possessors of Christ. We may not know the difference, but God does. People, for example, who say you can backslide are not getting that from the word of God. A born again person can certainly go back to a lifestyle of sinning, and God certainly knows whether such a person is born again or not, whether we discern that correctly or not. And, often times people think of the dirty nine or the dirty dozen sins, but fail to understand that anything that does not come from faith is sin. As such, we need to be honest with ourselves and ask how many times do I worry every day? Then, realize we live under a New Covenant of grace, and so we should be thanking God always for the grace in which we now stand. So knowing the totality of the cross and of being made complete in Christ, when understood, keeps you from misinterpreting less clear passages of scripture.

So listen now as Bob George answers these and other questions that various callers called in to ask about. Learn from his example on how to share truth in love, firm but loving, yet not allowing someone to get you off track, firmly teaching the truth of the word of God that sets people free that God has qualified you for as a minister of the New Covenant (2 Corinthians 3:6). Wherever you are in your current life, Bob and any born again believer, strongly encourage you to rely on the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to you through the word of God He has given us.