Call-In Classic Christianity Radio – Bob George P594 (12-17-20)
Synopsis
All of us need encouragement in this fallen world we live in. As Jesus warned us so many times, let no man deceive you. All of us have been deceived one time or another and are all subject to deception. Many of us grew up in some denomination or cult even, and some of us came to the knowledge of the truth. We came to realize God’s word is truth, and anything contrary to that is to be rejected as from men. Not all men are deliberately deceiving you. Many are simply passing on what they heard from others.
How grateful we are for those many people, the born again believers all over the world, who have understood God’s grace, the totality of the cross, of being made complete in Christ and salvation through receiving new life through the resurrection of Christ Jesus, who has offered all men the Holy Spirit to be placed in those who believe.
So listen now as various callers call in to either encourage Bob or receive instruction on things they have heard that just does not ring true to them, and are coming now into greater focus, or clarity of understanding, of the meaning of the word of God. How blessed are those who look intently into the scriptures to see if what any man says is so, relying on the Holy Spirit to teach them. As Jesus said, you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. The Holy Spirit is at work to draw all men unto Himself and to guide the believer into all truth.
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Transcript
Jacob from Kansas City, MO
Jacob: I have always been encouraged by your ministry. I was googling legalism the other day. It is amazing the things that come up on there. I found this ministry and I will not mention his name. It is neat. He is doing this thing where he is trying to do Christianity without the religion. He is trying to help people to understand Christianity does not have to be a religious ritual. He says it is without human enclosed rules, ritual or regulations. I left information with a staff member so you can look at it. There is just a small group of them. I have read some of their letters too. People who came out of Jehovah Witness type of background, Mormon-type of background, and normal mainline denominational churches, but you get to read all their different testimonies of how they have been encouraged and helped by this ministry, of how they have been led out of their legalistic stuff they had been involved in. They are in California. It is nice to know the body of Christ is all over the world.
Bob: That is for sure, Jacob. When we first started on the air over 20 years ago, as far as media is concerned, as far as any kind of program on either television or radio, we were kind of unique in teaching the finality of the cross and completeness in Christ with the emphasis on completeness through the resurrection. There were a lot of people who took shots at us, calling us heretics, and then started studying the word of God and found out we were teaching truth, and lives were changed by it.
Bob: When we first started out with publishing Growing in Grace, the publisher was saying that you cannot title it like that because no one is interested in grace. There were hardly any books on the book shelves with the word “grace” on it. Today, almost everything on the bookshelf is connected with grace.
Bob: God uses people in different ways. There are different people who have gotten a hold of this message and are passing it along in their unique way. We were never alone, although it seemed we were alone as far as the media is concerned. More and more people are beginning to figure out Christianity is not do’s and don’t but a relationship with Jesus Christ. We verbalize those words but to put them into practice and meaning is few and far between. That is what truth is.
Bob: People have got so bogged down in tradition and denominationalism, where Christianity is perceived as a building on the corner of walk and don’t walk instead of realizing church is people. It has been a journey for us. We are glad other people are picking up on it.
Bob: You do have to be discerning, because now grace has become a buzzword like other things. After a while people see something as popular and start teaching it. So you have to be discerning in who you listen to. All you have to do is listen to someone long enough and then you will find out if they really know the grace of God or are just using it as words.
Bob: Thank you for your encouragement, Jacob. Keep growing in grace, my friend.
Jacob: I want to thank you again for your teaching, Predestination, Free Will, Election & Foreknowledge, on how predestination is not about you’s and me’s but about Gentiles and Jews. It never clicked. It bugged me. I heard you talking to this lady caller, and she got it right away. I could not understand it. I prayed, and the Lord finally revealed the meaning to me. I knew what the word said, what you are talking about, but He had not taught me yet. “Lord, I now want to know what this is.” In Ephesians 1, I have written this down what you had been saying. It was an exciting day for me when I understood it. Then in Ephesians 2, I was encouraged to find, in verses 15 and 16, where it talks about how we are the living church. It is alive. It is a living building. It is great to know these truths are real, alive in them and rejoice in them.
Bob: Yes, it is a great time when He opens our eyes to these things. Thanks for your call and encouragement. Call any time.
John from Dallas, TX
John: I have been praying a lot. I get answers from my prayers for normal stuff, such as whether I should do this or do that. That is like a right or wrong issue. Should I go to a bar? Well, the answer is “no”.
Bob: You do not even have to pray about that one.
John: But if it is more like, “Should I start a new business or buy that car?”, I have a voice in my head, my own voice, telling me, what I want to hear. But, if I am asking God, then how do I know what He wants me to do?
Bob: I think God’s answer to that is, “I do not care what kind of car you have”. I think He cares less what kind of car you have. They did not have cars back in the day Jesus was around. Remember the garden of Eden, John.
Genesis 2:15-17
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
Bob: Of all these trees in the garden, you are free to eat from any except one, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The day you eat, thereof, saying to God, “Lord, I do not need you to determine right from wrong, good from evil. I can do that on my own.” The day you eat that one, you will die. That is exactly what happened that day. They could eat anything from any tree. You did not even have to ask God concerning those trees.
Bob: That is the same thing today. We are incapable of determining right from wrong and good from evil. Therefore, you are having to depend on God for that. The rest of the things, you are open to all kinds of options. You are open to different jobs, for wherever you are Jesus is there, if you are born again. Whatever kind of car you are sitting in Jesus is sitting there right with you. Whenever you are going out on your own, leaning on your own understanding in regard to what is right and wrong, good and evil, that you better depend on Christ for.
Bob: So you have that kind of freedom. A lot of people think that everything they do they have to ask God about. There are just things that God says, “Whatever you want to do.” That is why it says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” God does that and we can follow that and trust it. You cannot necessarily make a mistake on those things.
Psalm 37:4
4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
John: Okay, brother.
Bob: Okay?
John: Thank you.
Bob: Good to talk to you, my friend. Bye. Bye.
Rene from Novato, CA
Rene: Good to talk to you again. I read your Classic Christianity, Growing in Grace, and Faith that Pleases God. It has been a wonderful journey following your teaching, and then checking it out as the Bereans did. The Holy Spirit testifies to my spirit that this is right.
Romans 8:15-16
15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
Acts 17:11
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.
Bob: That is great.
Rene: A real blessing to be able to do that through His grace and patience with me.
Rene: My question is in regard to prophecies and prophesying. A brother was telling me that he had gone to a men’s retreat. He was saying that he was prophesying over him what he intended to do and what he should do. I wanted to get as much information from scripture on this, if possible. Maybe you can direct me where I can find information and set him straight as far as prophecy and prophesying.
Bob: Rene, you can go to a fortune teller and get the same kind of nonsense. They will tell you what your future is and what it holds. You can get people to lay out cards for you, or spin a crystal ball. All of that is a part of fraudulent activity that is satanically induced.
Bob: We have the same thing happening today. I remember going to a conference one time, where someone came to me with glossy eyes. He put his hands on my head and started. I said, “Brother, if God is talking to you, He better tell you to get your hands off my head”. I do not go for this kind of nonsense. Why do people want to sprinkle water on me? Quite frankly, I would like to kick them in the pants.
Bob: This is just total nonsense. If God has something to say to you, He will say it to you. He is not going to tell you to tell me to do something He will tell you. If you had two children and you had to tell one something, you would not go to his brother to tell him. You go to him directly and tell him.
Colossians 2:17-19
17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
Bob: People who do such things are puffed up with idle notions and are believing all kinds of mystical things and act like they have a direct line from God, in order to tell somebody what God has in mind for them. They are false prophets, dangerous people and you need to stay away from them like a plague. There is no more prophesying to be prophesied. The canon has been closed.
Hebrews 1:1-2
1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.
Bob: In times past, God spoke to people in various and sundry ways. Prophecy was one of them. But in these last days, He has spoken to us through His Son. When that revelation has been closed, and the bible is closed, there is no more revelation.
The Apostles were appointed by God so the scriptures could be written down. The apostles had to be eyewitnesses and their office was confirmed as from the Lord by signs and wonders. Signs and wonders were performed through them to give credibility to their message, to the fact that what they received was from the Lord. Now that the canon is closed, there is no more to be written down, as one reads in Revelation.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Revelation 22:18-19
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
Bob: You have a book of Mormon because someone thought he was a latter day prophet. So what do we end up with? A book of nonsense. Those in the Jehovah Witnesses, likewise, the same deal. “I got some prophecy over and above the bible.” So what do you have? A book of nonsense. In every one of those things, there is no such thing as further information. Everything God wants us to know about Himself is revealed in scripture. There is no further prophecy.
Rene: That is my understanding also. That is also in regards to when we are baptized. You mentioned that there is no second baptism of Spirit.
Bob: There is no second baptism of the Spirit. You would not be born again. If the Spirit of God does not live in you, you are not born again, are you?
Romans 8:9
9 And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.
Rene: No.
Bob: So how can you be born again and get the Spirit later? If you do get the Spirit later, then it means you never got Him the first time. There is no such thing as a second baptism.
Bob: First of all, baptism of the Spirit is what happens when the Spirit baptized you into the body of Christ. That happens at spiritual birth. The Spirits of God comes to live in you and then places you into His body. That is called baptism by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:13
13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body – whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Bob: That is not something as babbling in tongues or you get when you roll around on the floor. That is not something that needs a sign to be accompanied. If you are born again, your own spirit testifies that you are a child of God.
Romans 8:16
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
Rene: Amen.
Bob: So you do not need any signs and wonders. As a matter of fact, Jesus said to the religious Jews that a wicked and adulterous generation are always looking for a sign and none will be given.
Matthew 16:4
4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.
He got into a lion’s den. All that stuff going on is being taught and people are falling for it but it is not biblical in any shape or form. The same people baptizing will be slaying people in the spirit. Jesus did not come to knock you down. The Spirit came to give you life.
Rene: That is true.
Bob: All of that teaching is all wrapped up in a big bundle. People step into that and get hooked on it. They may as well count themselves out of the picture as far as God is concerned because they are not living by faith but by sight.
Rene: That is true. Thank you very much for your response. God bless you guys. God is great.
Bob: I say He is also. God bless you, my friend. Bye. Bye now.
Junior from Bakersfield, CA
Junior: I have listened to your show for a couple of weeks. My father attends an Apostolic Church. He claims that his church is the only church mentioned in the bible. I recently came to Christ within the last year. I find it rather discouraging that he says my church I go to is non-denominational. He basically told me that my church is sending me to hell because we do not practice the same things he practices or because we are not baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in that church. He just goes on and on with these things. Can you shed some light for me?
Bob: Junior, I think your discernment has already shed all the light that you can shed on that type of thing. It is absolutely nonsensical for people to say they are the only church. The only church in the bible is the born again.
Bob: You read in the scriptures about the foolish Galatians and the sensual Corinthians, which Paul wrote to address. The bible was written to correct the stupidity of man when he came to Christ by faith but then they allowed themselves to get back under the law. Such churches are not to be admired but to learn from.
Bob: Today’s Apostolic church is contrary to the fact that there are no more apostles today. To claim that we are not doing what they were doing, what does that have to do with anything if Jesus said He did not do anything unless the Lord told Him to do? So why does he think we should be functioning any other way? We are not there to imitate Jesus. We are there to imitate His faith and dependency but not what He did. God does not tell me what He told Jesus to do.
John 14:10
10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.
John 8:28
28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.
Bob: Your discernment is right on but discouraging when that person is your father. The best you can do is to continue to grow in grace. Hopefully, you can get him into the scriptures some time. Again, I just think you have to prepare yourself for the shots you might get. That is where I would encourage people to buy this booklet called a A Spirtual Journey to Discover the Grace of God. It is all scripture around the Deity of Christ, the validity of the word of God, law and grace, the New Covenant we live under today, and saved by His life. All of those subjects are dealt with, with terrific amounts of scripture. Sometimes having something like that in your hand to be able to go over with him is helpful. They have gotten some very bad teaching and are literally cultic. Whenever someone says my church is the only church is a cult. There is no such thing as this is the only church.
Junior: I have gone to the books that he has told me to in the bible. I do not find anything that confirms what he is saying to me. I do not want to argue with him. I just continue to love him and pray for him. It does discourage me a bit, for him to say he is Spirit led and Spirit filled and trying to tell me that I am not when I know I am.
Bob: Again, you know whether you are saved or not and when someone is there telling you are not saved that certainly is not coming from God.
Junior: Right. Thank you. I will keep on listening.
Bob: Okay, Junior. Best to you, brother. It is not an easy thing to go through. Keep listening and let us see what happens. You stay in touch, If you have any question, do not hesitate to call.
Junior: Thank you.
Bob: Thank you, Junior.
Rudy from McAllen, TX
Rudy: It is always good to listen to your program. I enjoy it and I learn a lot. When Jesus said “I never knew you” to people who prophesied in Jesus name, who is he talking to?
Bob: The false prophets. It is in the 7th chapter of Matthew.
Matthew 7:21
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Bob: What is the will of the Father? That you come to Christ Jesus by faith.
John 6:28-29
2829 Jesus answered, “work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
Matthew 7:22-23
22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Bob: You will see a lot of that taking place in heaven, to people who do not know the Lord, yet are out verbalizing words, and parroting and claiming to be prophets and claiming to do miracles, of driving out demons and performing all kinds of miracles. The Lord is saying to them, “I do not know who you are”.
Bob: If a miracle is going to be done, God will do it through us. But, like He said, you are an adulterous and wicked generation, always looking for signs and wonders.
Matthew 12:38-40
38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Bob: Obviously He was talking about His own body and resurrection. If you cannot believe God after He was raised from the dead, you will not believe God about anything. That ultimately is what it is coming to.
Bob: It is like a man who prophesied the world is going to end at some specific date.
Bob: Yes, you are talking about people who claim they are a prophet and here is new information. There is no more new information. If there was, then Revelation would not have been written.
Revelation 22:18-19
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
Bob: When the bible is completed, it is completed and there is no more to complete. We have been given all the information God wants us to have and there is no more information. Nobody is going to be prophesying of anything new. The prophecy that is used in the New Testament is really explained in Corinthians, Rudy.
1 Corinthians 14:3
3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.
Bob: Prophecy is now used for the purpose of bringing people back to the word of God, away from your tradition. I do not care what you have been taught, let us look to what the word of God has to say. So it is bringing people back to a confidence in the word of God, the strengthening out of the word of God, the encouragement and comfort out of the word of God. Those are the things that edify the church, not new information but bringing people back to what God has revealed to us in His word.
Rudy: Very good. That clears it up for me. You always do.
Bob: Good, brother. God bless you, pal. You keep listening.
Rudy: I will do that.
Bob: Thank you, Rudy. God bless you. Bye. Bye.
Larry from Bulk Springs, TX
Larry: I was asking about a seeming disconnect between Romans 2:13 and Romans 3:20. I know it is not a disconnect, but I would like to hear an explanation.
Romans 2:13
13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
Romans 3:20
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
Bob: There is no contradiction there at all. Those who sin apart from the law, the Gentiles, they will perish apart from the law. Those who sit under the law, the Jews, will be judged by the law. In other words, there is no one who escapes. The wages of sin is death, whether Jew or Gentile, whether under the law or not under the law. Everyone knows what is right and what is wrong. The consequence of sin is death. It is not for those who hear the law who will be declared righteous. Now he is back to the Jew who are righteous in God’s sight only if they completely obey the law. Who obeyed the law will be declared righteous. Has anyone ever obeyed the law? No. It tells us that in Romans 3:20.
Romans 3:20
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
Bob: In chapter 2, if there was a way of being declared righteous, it would be through total obedience to the law but no one has ever done that except Christ Jesus.
Larry: Right. Thank you, Bob.
Bob: Okay. Thank you, Larry. Bye bye.
