In this enlightening episode, we delve into the formidable power of praise, especially during life's tumultuous storms. With heartfelt insights, Adrian Rogers draws from the narrative of King Jehoshaphat to illustrate the potent force that worship holds in overcoming adversities. As adversaries loom large, infusing intentional praise between strategic actions becomes a beacon of hope and a source of divine energy that confuses and defeats enemies.
SPEAKER 01 :
Pastor, teacher, and author Adrian Rogers has introduced people all over the world to the love of Jesus Christ and has impacted untold numbers of lives by presenting profound truth simply stated. Thanks for joining us for this message. Here's Adrian Rogers.
SPEAKER 02 :
Second Chronicles chapter 20. The message tonight is a serious message, but a helpful message, and it deals with praise. It deals with praising God IN THE TIME OF TROUBLE. THE TITLE OF THE MESSAGE, THE POWER OF PRAISE. NOW PRAISE IS A VERY POWERFUL THING. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN ENJOY THE CHRISTIAN LIFE WITHOUT PRAISE. IT'S PRAISE THAT JUST INFUSES THE JOY AND LETS THE JOY BEGIN TO FLOW. IF YOU'RE HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH JOY, IT IS PROBABLY BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT PRAISING THE LORD. NOW BE HONEST, HOW MANY FOLKS ENJOY SPORTS, FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? LET ME SEE YOUR HAND. THAT'S MOST OF US, MOST OF US. IF THAT'S A SIN, I PLEAD GUILTY. I REALLY DO, I ENJOY WATCHING SPORTS. I ENJOY WATCHING FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL, ESPECIALLY FOOTBALL. BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN MY FAVORITE TEAM IS PLAYING, AND, AND SOMETHING WONDERFUL HAPPENS, I MEAN, THERE'S A SPECTACULAR CATCH OR SOME INCREDIBLE PLAY, SOME, SOMETHING THAT IS JUST STUPENDOUS, I HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING. I MEAN, EVEN IF I'M WATCHING BY MYSELF, JOYCE CAN HEAR ME IN THE OTHER END OF THE HOUSE. I JUST HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING. UH, I, IF, IF, IF WE SCORE OR WHATEVER, I HAVE TO SAY, ALL RIGHT, OR THAT'S GOOD, OR WOW, OR, YEAH. YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LIKE, DON'T YOU DO THAT? DO YOU DO THAT? YOU JUST, AH. IF YOU DON'T SAY ANYTHING WHEN IT'S HAPPENING, YOUR ENJOYMENT OF THAT GAME IS GOING TO BE GREATLY DIMINISHED. TRY IT SOMETIME. JUST TRY SITTING THERE AND WATCHING A BALL GAME AND DON'T EXPRESS YOURSELF. JUST WATCH IT. DON'T SAY ANYTHING AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. YOUR JOY, YOUR ENJOYMENT OF THAT GAME WILL DIMINISH. SOME FOLKS SIT HERE IN CHURCH, BLESS ME IF YOU CAN. THEY DON'T GET ANYTHING OUT OF IT. IF THEY DO, IT'S GREATLY DIMINISHED. YOU GET INTO IT. BEGIN TO PRAISE. BEGIN TO LAUGH. BEGIN TO SAY AMEN. BEGIN TO NOD YOUR HEAD. PARTICIPATE. GIVE GOD THE GLORY. THE JOY WILL START TO FLOW. QUIT JUST BEING A NON-ENTITY IN A SERVICE LIKE THIS. YOU KNOW, IT, IT HELPS TO PRAISE IN TIME OF JOY AND, AND, UH, PRAISE BRINGS JOY. AND IT HELPS TO PRAISE IN TIME OF HELP. WHEN YOU'VE, WHEN SOMEBODY'S DONE SOMETHING FOR YOU, LEARN TO PRAISE THEM. GIVE HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE. THERE'S POWER IN THAT.
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HUH.
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A WOMAN TOLD A PREACHER, SHE SAID, THAT WAS A WONDERFUL SERMON. He said, well, praise the Lord. She said it wasn't that wonderful. Just praise one another. And praise God when God has done something for you. Give Him thanks. But one of the ways and things we need to do, one of the things we need to do and one of the ways that we need to praise is to praise in time of trouble. AND I WANT YOU TO SEE HERE IN A CLASSIC PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE THAT FROM TIME TO TIME WE'VE LOOKED AT, BUT WE MUST NEED TO LOOK AT IT AGAIN, SECOND CHRONICLES CHAPTER 20, SECOND CHRONICLES CHAPTER 20. AND I, FIRST THING I WANT YOU TO SEE IS WHAT I'M GOING TO CALL A POWERFUL FOE, A POWERFUL FOE. LOOK, VERSES ONE AND TWO, AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THIS ALSO THAT THE CHILDREN OF MOAB, and the children of Ammon, with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. And there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side, Syria, AND BEHOLD, THEY THAT BE IN HAZARZON, HAZARZONTAMON, WHICH IS ANGEDDON." NOW HERE IS KING JEHOSHAPHAT, A GOOD KING. HE LOVES THE LORD AND HE'S TOLD, YOU'VE GOT SOME ENEMIES OUT THERE. THERE ARE THREE POWERFUL KINGS THAT ARE COMING AGAINST YOU. THE INHABITANTS THERE OF AMAM AND MOAB AND MOUNT SEIR HAVE COME AGAINST YOU. WE MIGHT AS WELL MAKE UP OUR MIND AND REAFFIRM THE, THE TRUTH THAT WE HAVE THREE MIGHTY KINGS THAT COME AGAINST US ON A REGULAR BASIS, SIN, SORROW, AND DEATH. THESE ARE THE CHRISTIANS' THREE GREAT FOES, THE WORLD'S THREE GREAT FOES, SIN, SORROW, AND DEATH. AND WE'RE FACED WITH THEM TIME AND TIME AGAIN. SO NUMBER ONE, A POWERFUL FOE. EVERY ONE OF US WHO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE WILL MEET OPPOSITION FROM TIME TO TIME, AND SOMETIMES THE OPPOSITION WILL BE FIERCE. NUMBER TWO, NOT ONLY WAS THERE A POWERFUL FOE, BUT THANK GOD KING JEHOSHAPHAT MADE A POSITIVE FOCUS. LOOK IN VERSE THREE, AND JEHOSHAPHAT FEARED AND SET HIMSELF TO SEEK THE LORD AND PROCLAIM TO FAST THROUGHOUT ALL JUDAH. HE SET HIMSELF TO SEEK THE LORD." NOW GOD FOR JEHOSHAPHAT WAS HIS FIRST THOUGHT, NOT HIS LAST RESORT. JEHOSHAPHAT SAID, THE ENEMY'S OUT THERE, BUT GOD IS UP HERE, AND I AM GOING TO SEEK THE LORD WITH ALL OF MY HEART. A POWERFUL FOE CAUSED HIM TO HAVE A POSITIVE FOCUS. HE SET HIMSELF TO SEEK THE LORD. AND NOT ONLY WAS THERE A POSITIVE FOCUS, BUT THERE WAS A PROCLAIMED FAST. LOOK IF YOU WILL IN VERSE THREE, THE LAST PART, AND HE PROCLAIMED A FAST THROUGHOUT ALL JUDAH. AMERICA IS SICK. IT IS TIME FOR THE CHURCH OF THE LORD GOD TO SHARPEN HER FOCUS and proclaim a fast to seek God. It is not that by fasting we buy God's blessings. God's blessings are always by grace, but yet God does business with those that mean business. And when we have a positive focus, fasting just simply sharpens the focus. It causes us to think about God in a way that nothing else that I know of does. NOW THE NEXT THING I WANT YOU TO SEE IS A, A PURPOSEFUL FELLOWSHIP. LOOK IF YOU WILL IN VERSE FOUR, AND JUDAH GATHERED THEMSELVES TOGETHER TO ASK HELP OF THE LORD. EVEN OUT OF ALL OF THE CITIES OF JUDAH THEY CAME TO SEEK THE LORD. EVERYBODY CAME TOGETHER TO SEEK GOD. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN AMERICA IF IN ALL OF THE CITIES OF AMERICA PEOPLE JUST GOT TOGETHER TO SEEK THE LORD, BLACK AND WHITE, BAPTISTS, ASSEMBLY OF GOD, METHODISTS, PRESBYTERIAN, LUTHERAN, PENTECOSTAL, WHOMEVER WANTS TO, WHOMEVER WILL, TO COME TO SEEK THE LORD, A PURPOSEFUL FELLOWSHIP. AND WHEN WE COME TO SEEK THE LORD, HE SHOWS UP. FOR OUR LORD SAID, WHERE TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED IN MY NAME, THERE AM I IN THE MIDST OF THEM. AND WHEN WE COME TOGETHER, NOT TO TRY TO HEAL RACISM, NOT TO TRY TO SOLVE POVERTY, NOT TO ENTERTAIN OURSELVES, NOT TO, UH, GET AMERICA DELIVERED FROM HER ENEMIES, BUT WHEN WE COME TO SEEK THE LORD, TO SEEK THE LORD, TO SEEK THE LORD, WE WILL BE IN ONE ACCORD AND THEN WE WILL BE FAR ABLE, FAR BETTER ABLE TO ATTACK ALL OF THESE OTHER PROBLEMS THAT NEED TO BE DEALT WITH. BUT WE CANNOT BYPASS THE ONE THING THAT WE MUST DO AND GOD HELP US THAT WE WILL DO IS TO COME TOGETHER TO SEEK THE LORD, TO SEEK THE LORD. LOOK AT IT, LOOK AT IT. VERSE THREE, AND JEHOSHAPHAT FEARED AND SET HIMSELF TO SEEK THE LORD. THE LAST PART OF VERSE FOUR, THEY CAME TO SEEK THE LORD. IT WAS A PURPOSEFUL FELLOWSHIP TO SEEK THE LORD. NOT POLITICAL, NOT SOCIAL, NOT RACIAL, BUT SPIRITUAL, COMING TO SEEK THE LORD, A PURPOSEFUL FELLOWSHIP, VERSE FOUR. AND THEN THERE WAS A, A PRAYERFUL FAITH. AND NOW I WANT TO READ ON THROUGH VERSE 13, LOOK AT IT. AND JEHOSHAPHAT STOOD IN THE CONGREGATION OF JUDAH AND JERUSALEM IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD BEFORE THE NEW COURT, AND SAID, AND I WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO THIS PRAYER. BEFORE I READ THIS PRAYER, I WANT TO SAY THIS. THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, WHEN I HAVE A PROBLEM, IT IS VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PUT YOUR EYES UPON GOD, THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE CHARACTER AND THE NATURE OF GOD. AND IN THIS PRAYER THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE, WE'RE GOING TO FIND FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NATURE OF GOD. AND WHEN A PROBLEM COMES, YOU NEED TO GLANCE AT YOUR PROBLEMS AND GAZE AT YOUR GOD. I WANT YOU TO SEE THE PRAYER THAT JEHOSHAPHAT PRAYED. NOW DON'T JUST GLANCE OVER THIS. DON'T JUST GLAZE OVER THIS. DON'T JUST GO THROUGH THIS CARELESSLY. BECAUSE THERE ARE FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NATURE OF GOD THAT ARE IN THIS PRAYER THAT GREATLY ENCOURAGED ME WHEN I LOOKED AT IT. FIRST OF ALL, JEHOSHAPHAT SAW GOD AS A SOVEREIGN GOD. LOOK IN VERSE SIX AND SAID, O LORD GOD OF OUR FATHERS, NOW LISTEN TO THIS, ART THOU NOT GOD IN HEAVEN? AND RULEST NOT THOU OVER ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE HEATHEN? AND IN THINE HAND IS THERE NOT POWER AND MIGHT, SO THAT NONE IS ABLE TO WITHSTAND THEE? QUESTION, CAN THE PORNOGRAPHERS WITHSTAND GOD? CAN THE LIQUOR DEALERS WITHSTAND GOD? CAN THE BABY BUTCHERS WITHSTAND GOD? CAN THE SODOMITES WITHSTAND GOD? NO. THERE IS NONE. THIS IS WHAT HE SAYS, YOU RULE OVERALL. THERE IS NOT POWER AND MIGHT SO THAT NONE IS ABLE TO WITHSTAND THEE. AND IT'S ABOUT TIME WE BELIEVE THAT. PEOPLE GOING AROUND WRINGING THEIR HANDS, SAYING, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? WELL, I CAN TELL YOU THERE'S NO PANIC IN HEAVEN. AND I CAN TELL YOU ALSO THAT THE HOLY TRINITY NEVER MEETS AN EMERGENCY SESSION. YOU SAY, WELL, PASTOR, I HAVE A BIG PROBLEM, ALL RIGHT? I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THE BIGGEST PROBLEM YOU HAVE. I MEAN THE VERY BIGGEST. THEN I WANT YOU TO DOUBLE IT. THEN I WANT YOU TO DOUBLE IT AGAIN. THEN I WANT YOU TO CO, COMPARE IT TO ALMIGHTY GOD AND TELL ME THAT YOUR PROBLEM IS TOO BIG FOR GOD. LISTEN, JEHOSHAPHAT BEGAN TO PRAY, AND FIRST OF ALL, HIS PRAYER WAS ADDRESSED TO A SOVEREIGN GOD. SECONDLY, VERSE SEVEN, IT WAS ADDRESSED TO A STEADFAST GOD. NOW LOOK AT VERSE SEVEN, ART NOT THOU OUR GOD, WHO DIDST DRIVE OUT THE INHABITANTS OF THIS LAND BEFORE THY PEOPLE ISRAEL, AND GAVEST IT TO THE SEED OF ABRAHAM THY FRIEND FOREVER? WHAT DOES HE SAY? HE SAID, GOD, YOU MADE A PROMISE TO ABRAHAM. YOU SAID TO ABRAHAM, I AM GOING TO GIVE YOU THIS LAND AND IT IS YOURS AND IT IS YOURS FOREVER. AND NOW, LORD, THIS BUNCH IS COMING TO TAKE AWAY FROM US THAT WHICH YOU GAVE US. AND, LORD, WE ARE STANDING ON YOUR WORD AND WE'RE PRAYING ON THE BASIS OF YOUR PROMISE. YOU ARE A STEADFAST GOD. YOU DON'T CHANGE WHAT YOU SAID TO ABRAHAM. YOU'RE SAYING TO US AND WE'RE STANDING ON YOUR WORD. GOD IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND FOREVERMORE. AND THE GOD WHO HAS WORKED MIRACLES IN THE PAST IS THE GOD WHO CAN WORK MIRACLES TODAY. AND DON'T YOU INSULT GOD BY SAYING, WE CANNOT HAVE REVIVAL IN THIS DAY AND IN THIS AGE. IT'S AN INSULT TO GOD BECAUSE GOD IS STILL POWERFUL. HE STILL HAS POWER TO SAVE MULTITUDES, TO SHAKE CITIES, AND TO SEND REVIVAL. STUDY THE HISTORY OF REVIVAL. AND GOD HAS SENT REVIVAL IN DARK DAYS BEFORE, AND GOD CAN AND GOD WILL, IF WE WILL TRUST HIM, SEND REVIVAL TODAY. HE IS A SOVEREIGN GOD, HE IS A STEADFAST GOD, AND HE IS A SYMPATHETIC GOD. LOOK IN VERSES EIGHT AND NINE AS WE CONTINUE TO READ, AND THEY DWELT THEREIN, AND HAVE BUILT THEIR SANCTUARY THEREIN FOR THY NAME, SAYING, IF, WHEN EVIL COMETH UPON US, AS THE SWORD, JUDGMENT, AND BY THE WAY, AMERICA IS UNDER JUDGMENT, JUDGMENT OR PESTILENCE, AMERICA HAS PESTILENCE, IT'S THE AGE PESTILENCE, OR FAMINE, WE STAND BEFORE THIS HOUSE AND IN THY PRESENCE, FOR THY NAME IS IN THIS HOUSE, THAT IS, THEY'RE PRAYING ON THE BASIS OF GOD'S GLORY, AND CRY UNTO THEE IN OUR AFFLICTION, THEN THOU WILL HEAR AND HELP. IS THAT UNDERSCORED IN YOUR BIBLE? IT IS IN MINE. THEN THOU WILL HEAR AND HELP. I LOVE THAT. THE GOD WHO HEARS AND THE GOD WHO HELPS. HE IS A SYMPATHETIC GOD. IF WE CRY TO HIM, HE WILL HEAR AND HE WILL HELP. HE WILL HEAR, HE WILL HELP. HE IS A SOVEREIGN GOD. HE IS A STEADFAST GOD. HE IS A SYMPATHETIC GOD. THE BIBLE SAYS IN ALL THEIR AFFLICTIONS HE WAS AFFLICTED. HE'S TOUCHED WITH THE FEELING OF OUR INFIRMITY. Then next, He is a seeing God. Look, if you will, in verse 10, "'Now behold,' that is, Lord, take a look. "'Now behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, "'whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, "'these, Lord, that you protected "'when they came out of the land of Egypt, "'but they turned from them and destroyed them not. "'That is, we showed mercy to them. "'Behold,' I say, how they reward us.' TO COME TO CAST US OUT OF THY POSSESSION WHICH THOU HAST GIVEN US TO INHERIT." NOW WHAT'S HE SAYING? HE'S SAYING, GOD, TAKE A LOOK AT ALL OF THIS. JUST BEHOLD IT. YOU SAY, DO I HAVE TO TELL GOD TO LOOK AT WHAT HE ALREADY SEES? YES. DO I HAVE TO ASK GOD FOR WHAT HE KNOWS I ALREADY NEED? YES. BUT THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT OUR PRAYER THAT GETS GOD'S ATTENTION AND CAUSES HIM IN A VERY SPECIAL WAY TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE FOCUS ON. HE IS A SEEING GOD. AND TWICE, GOD IS ASKED TO BEHOLD THIS. VERSE 10, AND NOW BEHOLD. VERSE 11, BEHOLD I SAY. HE IS THE SEEING GOD. GOD KNOWS YOUR SITUATION. HE KNOWS YOUR ENEMY. HE KNOWS YOUR DANGER. HE KNOWS WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW. HE KNOWS WHAT YOU'RE THINKING THIS VERY MOMENT. AND THAT HELPS US WHEN WE PRAY. THERE'S NOTHING THAT ESCAPES HIS NOTICE. NOT ONLY IS HE A SEEING GOD, BUT HE IS THE SAVING GOD. LOOK, IF YOU WILL, IN VERSES 12 AND 13, O OUR GOD. BY THE WAY, THESE ARE TWO OF THE GREATEST VERSES IN THE CHAPTER. O OUR GOD, WILT THOU NOT JUDGE THEM? FOR WE HAVE NO MIGHT AGAINST THIS GREAT COMPANY THAT COMETH AGAINST US, NEITHER KNOW WE WHAT TO DO. BUT OUR EYES ARE UPON THEE. AND ALL JUDAH STOOD BEFORE THE LORD WITH THEIR LITTLE ONES, THEIR WIVES, AND THEIR CHILDREN. OH, GOD, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. WE DON'T HAVE ANY STRENGTH. BUT, LORD, OUR EYES ARE ON YOU. HERE ARE OUR WIVES. HERE ARE OUR CHILDREN. HERE ARE OUR LITTLE BABIES. LORD, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. THEY'RE COMING AGAINST US. GOD, WE DON'T HAVE ANY MIGHT. WE DON'T HAVE ANY STRENGTH. HOLLYWOOD IS GREATER THAN WE ARE. THE LIQUOR PEOPLE HAVE MORE MONEY THAN WE HAVE. THE MEDIA SEEMS TO BE AGAINST US. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. BUT GOD, OUR EYES ARE ON YOU. HMM. IF WE GO DOWN, WE'RE GOING DOWN WITH OUR EYES ON YOU. IF THEY KILL US, THEY'RE GONNA KILL US WITH OUR EYES ON YOU. LORD, YOU ARE THE GOD WHO CAN DELIVER US. YOU ARE THE SOVEREIGN GOD. You are the steadfast God. You are the sympathetic God. You are the seeing God. You are the saving God. AND SO WHAT THEY DID, FRIEND, THEY JUST CAME TO A PRAYERFUL FAITH AND BEGAN TO PRAY, NOT ON THE BASIS OF WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, BUT ON WHO GOD IS. NEXT THING, NOT ONLY A PRAYERFUL FAITH, BUT A PROPHETIC FACT. NOW THEY'RE PRAYING, AND WHEN THEY PRAY, GOD BEGINS TO SPEAK AND ANSWER. BEGIN NOW IN VERSE 14. And upon Jehaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation. And the Lord said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou King Jehoshaphat. Thus saith the Lord unto you, BE NOT AFRAID NOR DISMAYED BY REASON OF THIS GREAT MULTITUDE, THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS BUT GOD'S. OH! OH! THAT'S IT! THAT'S IT! THAT'S IT! THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS BUT GOD, A PROPHETIC FACT. NOW THEY'RE PRAYING. THEY'RE SEEKING GOD. THEY'RE SAYING, GOD, WE HAVE NO MIGHT. WE HAVE NO UNDERSTANDING. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. BUT WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE SET OURSELVES TO SEEK YOU. WE'VE GATHERED TOGETHER TO SEEK YOU. WE'VE PROCLAIMED TO FAST TO SEEK YOU. AND GOD THEN BEGINS TO MOVE. AND GOD BEGINS TO SPEAK. AND GOD TAKES A SPIRIT ANOINTED PREACHER TO BRING A MESSAGE. THANK GOD THAT THE SPIRIT OF GOD DOES ANOINT. THANK GOD FOR SPIRIT-FILLED MESSENGERS. AND THE MESSENGER SAID, HERE'S THE MESSAGE FROM GOD. HERE IS THE PROPHETIC FACT THAT WE NEED TO SEE ONE MORE TIME. VICTORY BELONGS TO GOD. THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS, BUT GOD'S. NOW, THE PROPHETIC FACT BRINGS US TO THE POTENT FORCE. AND WHAT IS THE POTENT FORCE? WELL, BEGIN NOW IN VERSE 16 AND READ THROUGH VERSE 22. HERE'S WHAT THE MAN OF GOD SAID. HERE IS WHAT THE PROPHET SAID. TOMORROW GO YE DOWN AGAINST THEM. BEHOLD, THEY COME UP BY THE CLIFF OF ZIZ, AND YE SHALL FIND THEM AT THE END OF THE BROOK BEFORE THE WILDERNESS OF JAPAN. Ruel, and ye shall not need to fight in this battle. Set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem, FEAR NOT, NOR BE DISMAYED. TOMORROW GO OUT AGAINST THEM, FOR THE LORD WILL BE WITH YOU.' AND JEHOSHAPHAT BOWED HIS HEAD WITH HIS FACE TO THE GROUND. AND ALL JUDAH AND THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM FELL BEFORE THE LORD, WORSHIPING THE LORD. AND THE LEVITES OF THE CHILDREN OF THE KOTHITES AND OF THE CHILDREN OF THE KORHITES STOOD UP TO PRAISE THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL WITH A LOUD VOICE ON HIGH. BY THE WAY, IF YOU DON'T LIKE LOUD MUSIC, YOU WOULDN'T LIKE IT HERE. THEY BEGAN TO PRAISE THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL WITH A LOUD VOICE ON HIGH. AND THEY ROSE EARLY IN THE MORNING, AND WENT FORTH INTO THE WILDERNESS OF TO, UH, TECHOA. AND AS THEY WENT FORTH, JEHOSHAPHAT STOOD AND SAID, HEAR ME, O JUDAH, YE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM, BELIEVE IN THE LORD YOUR GOD. AND BOY, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE OF THESE GREAT STATEMENTS IN HERE. BELIEVE IN THE LORD YOUR GOD, SO SHALL YOU BE ESTABLISHED. BELIEVE HIS PROPHETS. SO SHALL YE PROSPER. GOD RAISED UP A PROPHET AND GOD SAID, BELIEVE HIM IF YOU WANT TO PROSPER. AND WHEN HE HAD CONSULTED WITH THE PEOPLE, HE APPOINTED SINGERS UNTO THE LORD, THAT THEY SHOULD PRAISE THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. AND THERE'S ANOTHER GREAT PHRASE. SINGERS UNTO THE LORD, THAT THEY SHOULD PRAISE THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS, AS THEY WENT OUT BEFORE THE LORD, AND TO SAY, PRAISE THE LORD, FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER. AND WHEN THEY BEGAN TO SING AND TO PRAISE, THE LORD SET AMBUSHMENTS AGAINST THE CHILDREN OF AMMON, MOAB, AND MOUNT SEIR, WHICH WERE COME AGAINST JUDAH, AND THEY WERE SMITTEN. FOR THE CHILDREN OF AMMON AND MOAB STOOD UP AGAINST THE INHABITANTS OF MOUNT SEIR, UTTERLY TO SLAY AND TO DESTROY THEM. AND WHEN THEY'D MADE AN END OF THE INHABITANTS OF SEIR, EVERY ONE HELPED TO DESTROY ANOTHER. AND WHEN JUDAH CAME TOWARD THE WATCH TOWER IN THE WILDERNESS, THEY LOOKED UNTO THE MULTITUDE, AND, BEHOLD, THERE WERE DEAD BODIES FALLEN TO THE EARTH, AND NONE ESCAPED." NOW WHAT IS THE POTENT FORCE? THE POTENT FORCE IS PRAISE. NOW, THE PROPHET OF GOD SAID, THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS, BUT THE LORD'S, BUT YOU HAVE A PART, AND YOUR PART IS PRAISE, AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HIDE UNTIL IT'S ALL OVER. NOW A LOT OF US WOULD HAVE SAID, NOW GOD, WHEN IT'S ALL OVER, HUH, WHEN WE HAVE THE VICTORY, THEN WE'RE GOING TO PRAISE YOU FOR THE VICTORY. BUT GOD SAYS, OH NO, THE BATTLE IS MINE, THE BATTLE IS, IS NOT YOURS, BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HIDE UNTIL IT'S OVER, AND, AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PRAISE, ON THE FRONT END, NOT AT THE REAR END. BUT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PRAISE AT THE BEGINNING, NOT AT THE CONCLUSION. YOU CAN'T PRAISE AFTER IT'S OVER, BECAUSE IT WON'T BE OVER UNTIL YOU BEGAN TO PRAISE. I WONDER, HAVE YOU LEARNED TO PRAISE GOD IN YOUR PROBLEMS? YOU SAY, I CAN'T PRAISE GOD IN THE MIDST OF MY PROBLEMS. WELL, THEN GO AHEAD AND LIVE WITH HIM. LET'S GO AHEAD AND LIVE WITH HIM. BUT FRIEND, IF YOU WILL DO WHAT THIS WONDERFUL TWENTYTH CHAPTER OF SECOND CHRONICLES TEACHES US TO DO, YOU CAN PRAISE AND SEE GOD MOVE. DID YOU KNOW WHAT PRAISE IS? PRAISE IS FAITH EXPRESSING ITSELF. THAT'S ALL PRAISE IS. PRAISE IS JUST FAITH TURNED INSIDE OUT. NOW, WE, WE COME TO GOD, WE MUST ASK GOD. THAT'S WHAT THESE PEOPLE DID. THEY CAME AND THEY ASKED GOD, THEY SAID, GOD DELIVER US, OUR EYES ARE ON YOU, HELP US. THAT'S PETITION. BUT PETITION MUST BE MARRIED TO PRAISE. PETITION SAYS PLEASE, PRAISE SAYS THANK YOU. BUT PRAISE SAYS THANK YOU ON THE FRONT END. SEE, PRAISE BRINGS GOD INTO IT. DO YOU REMEMBER THAT PASSAGE OVER THERE IN PSALM 22 VERSE 3, WHERE GOD OCCUPIES THE PRAISE OF HIS PEOPLE? WHAT IS GOD'S ADDRESS? WHERE DOES GOD LIVE? PRAISE IS GOD'S ADDRESS. WHEREVER THERE'S PRAISE, GOD SHOWS UP. GOD OCCUPIES THE PRAISE OF HIS PEOPLE. THE TWO WINGS OF POWER ARE PETITION AND PRAISE. NOW, LET ME TELL YOU TWO THINGS PRAISE WILL DO. I LOVE IT. AND IT'S RIGHT HERE IN VERSES 16 THROUGH 22. HERE'S TWO THINGS PRAISE WILL DO. PRAISE INFUSES THE ENERGY OF GOD. NUMBER TWO, PRAISE CONFUSES THE ENEMIES OF GOD. PRAISE INFUSES THE ENERGY OF GOD. PRAISE CONFUSES THE ENEMY OF GOD. WHEN YOU BEGIN TO PRAISE, GOD'S ENERGY JUST BEGINS TO FILL YOU. IT INFUSES YOU WITH ENERGY AND POWER BECAUSE GOD IS IN THAT PRAISE. AND WHEN YOU BEGIN TO PRAISE, NOT ONLY IS THAT PRAISE VERY HEALTHY FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT, IT IS THE AMBIENCE, THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT OCCUPIES, BUT SATAN IS ALLERGIC TO IT. SATAN BREAKS OUT WITH HIVES. When you begin to praise God, Satan gets confused. Now here are these enemies. Here are the inhabitants of Ammon and Moab, Mount Seir. And they're all coming against one enemy, against Israel. And here goes the army of God. And they're just going against the enemy. And they're singing the battle hymn of the Republic. And they're singing victory in Jesus. And they're singing what a mighty God we serve. AND SATAN GOES BANANAS. I MEAN, THEY TURNED ON EACH OTHER. THEY BEGAN TO KILL ONE ANOTHER AND DESTROY ONE ANOTHER. THEY GOT IN ABSOLUTE CONFUSION. PRAISE FRACTURES THE UNITY OF THE ENEMY. AND PRAISE FORMULATES THE UNITY OF THE BELIEVER. Oh, how we need to be bound together, praising the Lord God. What a potent force is praise. It infuses the energy of God. It confuses the enemy of God. And so there's a potent force. And now what happens? Well, look, if you will, in verse 25. There is a provided fortune. And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, THEY FOUND AMONG THEM IN ABUNDANCE BOTH RICHES WITH THE DEAD BODIES, AND PRECIOUS JEWELS, WHICH THEY HAD STRIPPED OFF FOR THEMSELVES MORE THAN THEY COULD CARRY AWAY. AND THEY WERE THREE DAYS IN GATHERING OF THE SPOIL." IT WAS SO MUCH. NOW HOW ABOUT THAT FOR A SWITCH? HERE THEY HAVE AN ENEMY. THIS ENEMY LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO DESTROY THEM. YOU SAY, OH GOD, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO. THEN GOD, AS THEY SEEK THE LORD IN FASTING AND PRAYER, GOD SENDS THEM A MESSAGE. THEY OBEY THE MESSAGE. THEY BEGAN TO BELIEVE GOD AND PRAISE GOD. THE ENEMY IS PUT INTO CONFUSION. AND NOW THEY'RE LEFT WITH ALL THIS BOUNTY, THESE SPOILS. TREASURE. FOR THREE DAYS THEY'RE TRYING TO LOAD IT UP AND CARRY IT OFF. IS GOD'S MESSENGER BOY. YOU SAY, WHY DOESN'T GOD KILL THE DEVIL? DID YOU KNOW THAT GOD USES THE DEVIL? IF WE WILL BEGIN TO PRAISE THE LORD, THE DEVIL WILL BECOME OUR SERVANT TO ENRICH US. I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THE TIMES THAT I'VE BEEN IN SPIRITUAL BATTLE, AND I GUESS I'VE BEEN IN SPIRITUAL BATTLE ALL MY LIFE. SOMEBODY ASKED ME THE OTHER DAY, HE SAID, ARE YOU UNDER PRESSURE? I SAID, I DON'T KNOW. I don't know, I've never been any other way. It's like the woman didn't know her husband was drinking until one day he came home sober. I mean, I've just been under pressure, I guess. I don't know whether it's pressure or not. I just live this way. I'll tell you one thing. There have been some times when I've been under pressure, pressure. There have been some times when, I mean, it's really, really, really been tough. EVERY ONE OF THOSE TIMES WHEN I'VE TURNED TO THE LORD, NOT ONLY HAS HE BROUGHT ME THROUGH, BUT HE'S MADE ME RICH EVERY TIME, EVERY TIME. I HAVE COME OUT WITH BOTH HANDS FULL OF RUBIES AND DIAMONDS AND EMERALDS AND GOLD. AND THOUGH I WOULDN'T CHOOSE IT, I WOULDN'T TAKE ANYTHING FOR IT, For the way that what the enemy meant for evil, God used for good. And David cut Goliath's head off with Goliath's sword. And God takes that which the enemy means against us for evil. AND GOD USES IT FOR HIS GLORY AND HIS GOOD. GOD WANTS TO DO THAT FOR BIBLE BELIEVERS IN AMERICA. AND WHAT WE THINK ARE CALAMITOUS THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THESE DAYS, IF WE WILL SET OURSELVES, SET OURSELVES, SET OURSELVES TO SEEK GOD IN FASTING AND PRAYER AND PRAISE, WE'LL SEE GOD DO A MIRACLE IN AMERICA. AND I'M, FOR ONE, I'M HUNGRY TO SEE IT HAPPEN. AND WHEN IT HAPPENS, HUH, NOBODY'S GONNA GET THE PRAISE BUT JESUS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, YOU'LL HAVE TO GET TO PRAISE BEFORE IT HAPPENS. AND IT'S JUST, IT, IT'S A PROVIDED FORTUNE. VERSE 25, AND THEN VERSES 26 THROUGH 30, A PEACEFUL FUTURE. LOOK IF YOU WILL IN VERSE 26 HERE, AND ON THE FOURTH DAY THEY ASSEMBLED THEMSELVES IN THE VALLEY OF BARAKA, FOR THERE THEY BLESSED THE LORD. THEREFORE THE NAME OF THE SAME PLACE WAS CALLED THE VALLEY OF BARAKA UNTIL THIS DAY. THEN THEY RETURNED EVERY MAN TO JUDAH AND JERUSALEM, AND JEHOSHAPHAT IN THE FOREFRONT OF THEM, TO GO AGAIN TO JERUSALEM WITH JOY. FOR THE LORD HAD MADE THEM TO REJOICE OVER THEIR ENEMIES. AND THEY CAME TO JERUSALEM WITH SALTRIES AND HARPS AND TRUMPETS UNTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD." WHAT A DAY THAT MUST HAVE BEEN. AND THE FEAR OF GOD WAS ON ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THOSE COUNTRIES. WHEN THEY HAD HEARD THAT THE LORD HAD FOUGHT AGAINST THE ENEMIES OF ISRAEL. SO THE REALM OF JEHOSHAPHAT WAS QUIET, FOR HIS GOD GAVE HIM REST." ROUND ABOUT, A PEACEFUL FUTURE. DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE ENEMIES LOVED HIM, THEY STILL HATED HIM. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS? THE BIBLE SAYS, WHEN A MAN'S WAYS PLEASE THE LORD, EVEN HIS ENEMIES WILL BE AT PEACE WITH HIM. DOESN'T MEAN THEY'LL LOVE HIM, THEY'RE JUST AFRAID OF HIM, JUST AFRAID OF HIM. WOULDN'T IT BE WONDERFUL AGAIN IF, IF, IF THIS WORLD WERE AFRAID OF THE PRAYERS OF GOD'S PEOPLE? WOULDN'T IT BE WONDERFUL AGAIN IF THEY SAY, DON'T TOUCH THEM, THEY'RE HOLY PEOPLE. DON'T MESS WITH THEM, GOD IS WITH THOSE FOLKS. THEY DON'T HAVE ANY RESPECT FOR US TODAY, THEY LAUGH AT US, THEY MOCK AT US, AND WELL THEY OUGHT BECAUSE WE DESERVE IT. BUT FRIEND, I WANT US TO COME TO A PLACE WHERE THEY SAY, DON'T, DON'T MESS WITH THEM, GOD IS WITH THEM. AND WHEN A MAN'S WAYS PLEASE THE LORD, HE MAKES EVEN HIS ENEMIES TO BE AT PEACE WITH HIM. WELL, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED A LONG TIME AGO. WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO SEE IT HAPPEN AGAIN? I WOULD. NOW, I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO GET FRIGHTENED NOW, BUT I WANT TO GIVE YOU TEN FACTS. I KNOW THAT'S A LOT. I'M JUST GOING TO, THEY'RE GOING TO BE SHORT. BUT IF YOU'VE GOT SOME PROBLEMS, HERE'S WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO. LISTEN TO ME NOW. NUMBER ONE, YOU NEED TO LEARN TO SEE ALL SATANIC OPPOSITION AS OPPORTUNITY. GOT IT? SEE ALL SATANIC OPPOSITION AS OPPORTUNITY. THAT'LL PUT A DIFFERENT FOCUS ON IT. NUMBER TWO, SEEK GOD, SET YOURSELF TO SEEK GOD BEFORE YOU TAKE ANY ACTION. NUMBER THREE, REMEMBER THOSE TIMES WHEN YOU SEEK GOD THAT HE HAS SHOWN HIMSELF FAITHFUL IN THE PAST AS JEHOSHAPHAT DID. THINK BACK ON OTHER TIMES WHEN HE DELIVERED YOU. NUMBER FOUR, BEGIN TO STUDY THE WORD OF GOD FOR A PROMISE ON WHICH TO STAND. NUMBER FIVE, LET THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD MAKE THAT PROMISE REAL AND LIVE IN YOUR HEART. NUMBER SIX, REFUSE ANY CONFIDENCE WHATSOEVER IN THE FLESH. NUMBER SEVEN, GIVE YOURSELF TO FULL, FREE, UNRESTRAINED, OPEN WORSHIP AND PRAISE OF THE ALMIGHTY. NUMBER EIGHT, BEGIN TO PRAISE GOD IN THE FACE OF OPPOSITION AND IN THE FACE OF THE ENEMY. NUMBER NINE, EXPECT GOD TO SEND CONFUSION TO YOUR ENEMIES. NUMBER TEN, GET READY FOR A BLESSING. GET READY FOR A BLESSING. THAT'S WHAT THIS CHAPTER IS TELLING US.
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If you would like to learn more about how you can know Jesus or deepen your relationship with Him, simply click the Discover Jesus link on our website, lwf.org. For a copy of this message or additional resources, visit our online store at lwf.org or call 1-800-274-5683. Thank you.
Listeners are inspired by a heartfelt letter shared by Dr. McGee, recounting how a sermon on Hosea led one family to salvation. This powerful testimony serves as a reminder that despite our failures, there is always hope in Christ. Through this study, Dr. McGee draws parallels between Hosea's prophecy and contemporary issues, encouraging believers to find solace and strength in their faith amidst modern challenges. Join us as we uncover important biblical lessons and discover the transforming power of God's love in our daily lives.
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The foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith.
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Welcome to Through the Bible. In our study, our teacher, Dr. J. Vernon McGee, helps us to understand a very difficult section of Scripture in Hosea 5, verses 1-14. And it's really an important message, one that we all need to hear. But before we get to it, I just want to remind you that as we travel through the pages of Hosea, our one prayer is that we will all recognize our need for Jesus Christ and respond to His invitation of eternal life in Him. In fact, many years ago, a listener wrote to Dr. McGee about being saved as a result of hearing a sermon on Hosea. Dr. McGee was so moved by the letter that he wanted to share it. Let's listen now.
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I want to share with you today a letter that's quite a remarkable letter because it came some time ago to us, in fact, around the first of the year. And it was about a Sunday sermon we gave. Well, listen to the letter. It says, I started listening to your program the beginning of this year. Then one day I decided to listen to your Sunday sermon. The sermon was on the book of Hosea and the sin against God's love. Right there, I asked Jesus to be my Savior and Lord of my life. I have hope for the future, not just for me, for my five children, my husband, and anyone who will listen to me speak of the kingdom of God and accept Christ. May I say to you that one thing that even this book, it will bring men and women to Christ and give them a hope, if you please, actually a hope for the future.
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Yes, that's our prayer. If you found hope in Jesus Christ through our studies together, we'd love to hear your story too. You can leave us a message in the feedback section of our app. You can email us at biblebus at ttb.org or send your note to Box 7100, Pasadena, California, 91109. In Canada, Box 25325, London, Ontario, N6C, 6B1. You can even call and leave a message at 1-800-65-BIBLE anytime. Letters like this one mean so much to us. This person writes, It was your messages, books, and letters which helped me realize the purpose of life. Had I not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ, I would have been destroyed. I would have been groping in the dark. But now I have received the light of life. The Lord Jesus has forgiven me of all my sins. I'm grateful to the Lord for this program and for all of you who labor in his name. Well, isn't that the truth? We all would be groping in the dark without the Lord Jesus Christ. If you know him, praise him for saving you and thank him with your whole heart. And let's begin our study with prayer. Gracious Heavenly Father, bless your word as it goes out into the world. We pray that it brings salvation to many and then reminds us all of our great need for you in our lives every day. In Jesus' name. Amen. Here's Dr. J. Vernon McGee with our study of Hosea 5 on Through the Bible.
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Now, friends, we've come to the fifth chapter of Hosea. Now, there are several things that we need to keep in mind, and I'd like to call your attention to them. You must remember the background of the prophet, for everything that's being said is on the background of a prophet who, as a young man, fell in love with, I'm sure, a lovely young lady. I'm sure she was beautiful. And then she became a prostitute. I imagine that the money and the fact that she probably would be able to get the luxuries that she could not have gotten up there in the hill country of Ephraim. So she went into the oldest profession that's known to mankind. And God sent this man to marry her. Anyway, in spite of that, he loved her. He married her. And I'm sure that it brought disgrace upon him. And then he had three children and she went out again, played the harlot. And he went and bought her and brought her back to himself. He had a broken heart. He had a broken home. And with that background, he walks out into the nation Israel and northern kingdom. and says that God says that you're playing the harlot. You have been unfaithful to him, and I know exactly how he feels. He loves you, and he'll never let you go, but he's going to judge you because of your sin. Now, with that background, let's look here at chapter 5, and what we find here is that Israel plays the harlot, and we have now God and the faithless nation, Israel. Here in the fifth chapter, Israel turns from God altogether, and God turns from Israel, and deterioration within follows. Now, first of all, God condemns the leadership in the nation, the priest and the king. Will you listen now to verse 1 of chapter 5 of Hosea? Hear ye this, O priests, and hearken ye house of Israel, and give ear, O house of the king, for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor. Now, Mizpah was in the southwest section of the kingdom, and Mount Tabor was way up in the northeast section of the kingdom. And actually, at this time, they were worshiping under every green tree. You'd find idols all over the land. And he goes on to say now, because of the fact that the priests and the king represented the leadership of the nations. And we've already seen as the people, so the priest. The priest doesn't rise any higher than the lowest in society. And he ought to be setting an example. And that's true of the king. Now, unfortunately, we are living in a day in our nation when the leadership in the nation, the spiritual leadership and the political leadership is certainly not worthy of emulation, very candidly. Liberalism being predominant in theology and liberalism predominant today in politics and news media that's altogether liberal, that actually is brainwashing the people. And you have the same situation that you have here. You have a spiritual deterioration and a deterioration and decline in a nation that will finally bring it to destruction. And that's what happened to this nation here and furnishes a pattern for us today. Now, verse 2, "...and the revolters are gone deeply into slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all." God rebuked them for their brutality. There was murder, there was violence, and then there was warfare. Now, may I say that I may take a little different position today than the average conservative. And will you listen to me very carefully? We have fought probably the most disgraceful war that was ever fought in Vietnam. and in the Near East against the warnings of generals who knew and who actually made a profession of being Christian, I think they were, like General Douglas MacArthur, that we should never fight a land war in Asia. We made a terrible military blunder by getting involved in that. And I believe that we made a terrible mistake and that it's tragic what's happened in that land. And the question still remains, did we help them? No. And I'm not sure, but what this is a judgment of God upon us and actually upon the white man. We have come through a day that's been called the white man's day, and it has been. At first, the sons of Ham didn't do any better. Egypt was under sons of Ham. So was Babylon, Assyria, and those were great pagan nations. And then we find that the sons of Japheth call the white man. And the white man has probably made the greatest blunder of all. And the great blunder is this. We had the Word of God. We had the Bible. And we didn't send missionaries as we should have sent. We didn't get the Word of God out to China. And God closed the door finally. And I say God closed the door, not communism. And then the same thing has happened now in these nations. We didn't send Bibles over there, so we sent bullets over there and bombs. We didn't send men over there to give out the word of God, so we sent boys to die on the battlefield. I don't know. Maybe we ought to wake up today. Maybe we haven't reached the place where we can take God to the end of his universe and dismiss him and tell him we don't need him anymore. My feeling is that we're feeling the effects of the judgment of God upon us. And that's what happened to this nation. Now, that is a pattern for any nation, by the way. Now, he says here in verse 3, I know Ephraim and Israel is not hidden from me. In other words, God says, I know what I'm talking about because I know Ephraim and I know Israel. And as we saw last time, Ephraim now is the name not only for just the one tribe, but for the whole 10 tribes that's called Israel, the northern kingdom. And as I said last time, I'm not sure whether it's used in the framework of being a term of endearment, and I rather think that, or whether it's really a nickname that he's giving actually of ridicule to them. I think it's really a term of endearment. But there's another reason. Ephraim was the very center of the idolatry. Now, the first golden calf that was set up by Jeroboam was in Bethel. And then later on, one was put in Samaria. And both of those places, I judge, are in the tribe of Ephraim. Now, I know that Bethel is probably actually in the tribe of Benjamin, but when the revolt came, this area went with the tribe of Ephraim and with the northern kingdom, so that the very heart of the idolatry is centered in Ephraim. And because of that, God gives that label to all of them, because this is the very heart of idolatry. And that was the great problem of the nation. That was the great sin of the nation, of turning from God. Now he says, I know Ephraim. God knows what he's talking about. And Israel is not hidden from me. For now, O Ephraim, thou committest harlotry, and Israel is defiled. That is, this calf worship, worship of Baal that had been set up in this tribe had defiled all of the other ten tribes and even had its effect upon the southern kingdom. There's no question about that. So that the great sin was of a people who had the Word of God and who knew God, and have now turned from him, and they no longer know him, and no longer worship him. And as a result, gross immorality, deterioration sets in, in every part of the nation, even the ecology of the nation. God said, even the animals, even the ground. And I think the curse of God is still upon that land. I can't see... that a few little irrigated spots has made a desert bloom like the rose. If it does, then a rose by any other name smells just the same way. And there are not many roses to smell in that land, even today, my friend. Now, will you notice verse 5? And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face. Therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity. Now, God says they're coming down. I'm going to bring them down. Judah also shall fall with them. He doesn't say at the same time, but he says Judah finally will be brought down. And both of these kingdoms would carry away into captivity. And at different times, separated by about a century, northern kingdom went to Assyria, southern kingdom taken to Babylon. And from that, there has never been the return that the Word of God speaks about, as we've attempted to indicate. And this book, I think, makes that abundantly clear, that when God brings them back, the world's going to know it, and there'll be peace in the land then. Now will you notice, he says also, verse 6, "...they shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord, but they shall not find him. He hath withdrawn himself from them." In other words, they have deserted God, and when trouble comes upon them, and they've tried every other resource, God is the last resource they've come to. why they won't find him. He's withdrawn himself from them. It's like years ago, the story is told. It's a whimsical little story that a ship was crossing the Atlantic and hit an iceberg. And this might have been the Titanic. I don't know. And the captain sent out the order all over the ship to prayers, to prayers. And one woman aboard the ship came rushing up to the captain. She says, Captain, has it come to this? In other words, if you're going to pray, it's the last resort. And that's the way a great many people treat God. He is sort of like the spare tire. We hope we don't have a flat, but if we do, we've got a spare tire back there and we'll put it on. But we hope we don't have to do it. And that was the condition of these people. And that's the condition of a great many people actually today that are making a profession of Christ. He's sort of an emergency measure. He's like a life insurance policy. He's a spare tire that you put in the trunk of the car, hoping that you won't have to use it. He's like a fire extinguisher that you have around. These are things that you just hope you don't have to use. but they're there in case the emergency arises. Now he goes on here in verse 7. He says, "...they have dealt treacherously against the Lord, for they have begotten strange children." That is, they're strange to God. They didn't bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, in the discipline and in the instruction of the Lord. And God had taught these people, go back and read Deuteronomy again. God says you're to teach this to your children. You're to put it on your doorpost. You're to teach them, even when you get in bed at night. You continue to teach them the word of God. But he says, you've forgotten strange children. They don't know me. Now shall a month devour them with their portions. Blow ye the horn in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah. Cry aloud at Beth-Avon, and Beth-Avon is Bethel, after thee, O Benjamin. And that part of thee, probably Benjamin, apparently had gone over with the northern kingdom. And as a result, why, the warning is to go out all over the land, warning the people. Now, we come to verse 9. Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke. "...among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be." In other words, it wasn't for the fact God had not warned them. He had warned them, and He had rebuked them, and they still would not hear. Verse 10, "...the princes of Judah were like those who remove the boundaries. Therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water." In other words, the southern kingdom had attempt to apparently move its boundaries far north as it possibly could. There apparently was always a real division caused by the fact they could not agree on just where the boundary was. And God has a message from Hosea even to the southern kingdom, but he primarily was the prophet to the northern kingdom. Now it goes on, and he's still using the term Ephraim. And as we said, it's used 36 times from beginning at the fourth chapter on through this little prophecy here. And he says here, Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment. Because he willingly walked after the commandment. That is, he willingly followed idols and the worship of the idols. He went with the crowd. Therefore will I be unto Ephraim like a moth, and are the house of Judah like rottenness." Now, I think this is quite interesting, the figures of speech that the prophets used. And may I say, and I do not mean to make a play up in words, but there's a wonderful prophet to you in studying the prophets. Because they reached out into nature and used certain figures of speech. that are quite helpful in understanding the Word of God. Now, he says, God's going to be unto Ephraim like a moth. Well, friends, moths are something you just don't want in the closet where your clothes are. Because in just one night, they can ruin a suit of clothes. They can ruin a very valuable garment, especially if it's a wool garment. Now, God says, I'm going to be to Ephraim like a moth. I'll judge him in a hurry. And to the house of Judah be like rottenness. It takes a board or a foundation of a house a long time to become rotten. God says to Ephraim, the northern kingdom, I'm going to judge you now. But the rottenness has already set in in the southern kingdom, and finally there'll be the collapse, but it'll take longer for that to take place. The foundations today are being removed in every way that's imaginable in our nation and that which is left. rottenness has already set in. It may take a while, friends, but we just can't continue in sin like this. And it's enough to make us weep today. Now, will you notice verse 13? He says, when Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah saw his wound. Now, you see, Ephraim's sick and sick nigh unto death. And Judah saw his wound. In fact, he got hurt and was hurt at this time because of the Then went Ephraim to the Assyrian and sent the king Jareb, yet could he not heal you, nor cure your wound? You went to a quack doctor. You thought that actually you would turn to the king of Assyria and he'd help you. Well, he's the one who's going to take you into captivity. You've appealed to the wrong one, by the way. And here's another marvelous figure of speech that the prophet uses, draws it from out yonder in nature. For I will be unto Ephraim like a lion and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear and go away. I'll take away, and none shall rescue him. Now, he said first to Ephraim, I'm going to be a lion. But I'm just going to be a young lion, a lion cub to the southern kingdoms. Now, what does that mean? Well, it just simply means this. I was looking at television the other night at one of these nature pictures, and I enjoy them very much of how attempts being made throughout the world today to preserve the wild animals of the world, because many of them are becoming extinct throughout the world. They're suffering from man's sin. You may be sure of that. And so there's an attempt to preserve them. They showed lions. And this female lion and how she protected her cubs. And these little fellas, they just look like great big, you know, roly-poly dog or a cat. And you'd feel like you'd like to have one as a pet. But, oh, that mother lion, she was vicious. When an animal came up near her, I tell you, she really went after that animal. Little old cubs, they just kept playing. Now, God says to the northern kingdom, I'm a lion. I intend to destroy you now. But I'm just a cub lion to the southern kingdom. But what happens to a cub lion? He's going to grow up. And the day will come when he'll become just as vicious as Mama Lion was. And so the day's coming. It's a warning to the southern kingdom. You can see here, I'll be a young lion to the house of Judah. He says, I, even I, will tear and go away. In other words, God says, I'm going to let you go into captivity. And you can whine and cry all you want to. But God judges sin. And God does that today, friends. No one's really getting by with sin. We fail the young people today. And they've scattered throughout the world. You find these hippies everywhere. And venereal disease is in epidemic stages today. And they say, what in the world is happening? Well, I'll tell you what's happened. You don't get by with sin. God says you don't get by with it. And if you can get by with it, friends, you contradict the word of God. But you're not getting by with it because God can wait. He will judge sin. May God richly bless you, my beloved.
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You don't get by with sin. That's the message that we heard loud and clear from Hosea. And although God patiently waits, the time of judgment for each one of us will inevitably come. And that's why it's so important for us to read God's word. For those of us who have accepted Christ into our hearts and our lives, it's also important to let the Lord speak to us about our actions and our thoughts and our motives. And for those who don't yet believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, well, today is the best time right now to make that commitment. You don't know what tomorrow holds, do you? But today, God stands with his arms outstretched, willing to accept and love you just as you are. If you'd like to know more about God's great love for you and His free gift of eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ, click on How Can I Know God in our app or at ttb.org or call us at 1-800-65-BIBLE. That's 1-800-652-4253. When you contact us, be sure to tell us how you listen to Through the Bible. This feedback really does help us because we want to be good stewards of the ministry time and resources that we've been entrusted with. So as the Bible bus rolls along in Hosea, Dr. McGee tells us, I wish we could get rid of religion. What? Well, find out why in our next study of Hosea chapter 5. I'm Steve Schwetz, and I'll meet you back here for another great adventure in God's Word.
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Jesus gave it all, all to him I owe. Sin had left the prison safe, he washed it white as snow.
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We're grateful for the faithful and generous support of Through the Bible's partners, whom God uses to take the whole word to the whole world.
Join us as we venture through one of the most explosive epistles in the New Testament, the Gospel of James. Dive into the nuances of faith, works, and how our speech reflects our inner spiritual state. Be prepared to examine your own faith through the lens of James' poignant writings, whose truths are as relevant today as when they were first penned.
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The foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in his excellent word.
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What's the most dangerous weapon in the world? Well, according to our teacher, Dr. J. Vernon McGee, it's the human tongue. Welcome to the Sunday Sermon on Through the Bible. I'm Steve Schwetz, inviting you to grab your copy of God's Word and turn it to James 3, as we hear that like a fire, the tongue can consume and destroy everything it touches. But also like a fire, it can be useful when kept under proper control because it reveals in God's people their genuine faith. We'll begin our sermon, Tongues on Fire, in a moment. But first, here are a couple of really good letters from our fellow Bible bus passengers. Here's a note from Jose in Argentina. I have been a listener since 1978. Today, I am a pastor of a small church, and I am eternally grateful for your studies, which were very helpful and a blessing. Whenever I can, I share the program with others. I always pray for the ministry. And then next, we have a listener from Nigeria who shares this. Almost two years ago, I sat down all alone in the darkness, thinking sadly to myself about the unfortunate trajectory of my life. I recall that somewhere in the depths of my despair and despondency, it had occurred to me to stand up and go re-listen to some of your older messages again and again. As the teaching began to filter in my mind, I remember how I began to sense the peace of God returning once again. and brilliant light flooding my heart. Ever since then, I have come to personally know for a certainty and without any shadow of equivocation that my future is indeed very bright and brilliant. Glory be to God, I can still clearly affirm that my life has never been the same. Well, to God be the glory indeed. Now, our last note comes from Teresa in Van Nuys, California, who writes this. I'm grateful beyond words for the unmatched privilege to be able to study God's word and cannot comprehend how I survived without it for so long. Ignorance and a hard heart, I suppose. I love Dr. McGee's unwavering and bold way of preaching the scriptures. It is my prayer that all future generations will have the same opportunity to hear this teaching. Steve and Greg, you have a beautiful mission, and with the little or much I can contribute, it is a privilege as well. Thank you for your humble obedience to keep the ministry strong and flinging the seed throughout God's world and to all nations. Well, I agree. It is a privilege for all of us who pray and provide for the Bible bus, isn't it? Let's thank God for the opportunity to study his word together. Heavenly Father, thank you for the privilege of watching your word at work around the world. We ask that you would speak to us as we listen and give us humble hearts to hear even the hard things that you have to say to us. In Jesus' name, amen. Here's the Sunday sermon on Through the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee.
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Tongues on fire. James was so anxious to get to this subject that before he got to the third chapter, way back in the first chapter, he made mention of this subject that we have today. And it's in James, the first chapter, verse 26. If any man thinketh himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his heart, This man's religion is vain. We have come in our Through the Bible program to the most explosive epistle in the New Testament. In fact, we have come to the book that is the spiritual atomic bomb of the Bible. It's a book that's feared by both saint and sinner. The policy, I think, of the average Christian is, hands off or handle with care. It doesn't have much to do with the Epistle of James. Let this letter alone. Do not open it. It's not, do not open until Christmas, but do not open at all. And I went back to make an inventory of my own ministry yesterday, and it was rather humiliating. I go to conferences and speak on Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, Romans, Galatians, Acts, all of the Gospels. I take the book of Ruth a great deal in the Old Testament because I love it, and the Minor Prophets, the book of Psalms. But do you know that I have never yet in a conference spoken on the epistle of James? And I wondered why. Isn't it part of the word of God? Yes, it is. But I can't answer it this morning other than I just never have been in this epistle. So I come in under the category of those this morning who've been maybe a little afraid to open this. You see, we dismiss this epistle as being unimportant. John is the gospel of love and it appeals to our heart. Romans and Galatians are the great documents of the Christian faith. The great doctrines are given to us there. That appeals to our head. Ephesians and Colossians go into the heights with spiritual truth, and we like that. And then the epistle to the Hebrews goes down deeper than any other in the New Testament, or the Bible for that matter. And my, we latch on to that. But James, well it's unappealing. It contains Christian cliches, sententious sayings and sentences, pious proverbs. It contains that which looks to be obvious and then it pinches just a little. Even Martin Luther who said of this epistle that it was a Troy epistle. He's been misunderstood. Curse of Blake of Yale Divinity School years ago made the statement that Martin Luther said the epistle of James is an epistle of straw. He did not say that. He said it was a Troy epistle. He meant by that that it did not contain these great doctrines that had so transformed his life. And therefore, he gave very little attention to the epistle of James. Now, as we come to it, we might expect that it was written by one of the sons of thunder, that it was written by James, who was the brother of John. But it wasn't written by James, the brother of John. It was written by James, who was the half-brother of our Lord. You see, Mary had other children. And we're told in Matthew 13, verse 55, the question was asked of our Lord, is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary and his brethren James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? You see, she had four other sons. And the one that probably was next to our Lord was James. And he's the James who wrote this epistle. And you talk about a lesson in humility. If the Lord Jesus had been your half-brother, could you have written four chapters or five chapters and not have mentioned that? Oh, I very subtly would have got that in me. You know, you could have said it casually. But for goodness sakes, let's say it if he's your half-brother. But you notice how he begins. Not an apostle. James, the servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. James would have said with Paul, I know him no longer after the flesh. He's my Lord and my Savior. And so he doesn't even mention it. He was the head of the church in Jerusalem. You find over in the 15th chapter of Acts in that great council that was held, that after Paul and Barnabas had spoken, many of the Pharisees who had been converted spoke, Peter spoke, then James drew it all to a conclusion. and formulated the opinion of the group, the Holy Spirit opinion, if you please. And we read in Acts 15, 13, And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me. That's the James who wrote this epistle. Now, he was called Old Chamel Knees. That was his name. And he was called Old Camel Knees because he spent so much time on his knees praying that great calluses came there. And Alexander White says that when they buried him, they had trouble getting him into the casket. They couldn't coffin him because they couldn't get those big old knees down into the casket. He's a great man of prayer. And the other very arresting thing concerning him is that he's the one who wrote the first book in the New Testament. I remember hearing a young preacher years ago with liberal leanings say that James wrote his epistle in order to answer Paul in Romans and Galatians. The difficulty with that is that when James wrote, nobody else had written. He's not answering anybody because nobody's put down yet a pen for the New Testament. If you had the books of the New Testament arranged chronologically, James would come where Matthew is. He wrote first. That's interesting. And the thing is that he has the same theme, and I have more and more come to the conclusion, in fact, the matter is, I, in my own thinking, am pretty dogmatic about this, that James had the same theme in his epistle that Paul did, justification by faith. And somebody says, but he says it's justification by works. I know he did. You see, when James wrote, he's saying just simply this. Man are justified by works, but not the works of the law. It's the works of faith. And he's writing from man's viewpoint. When God sees us, he sees our heart and he knows whether we have saving faith. But when men see us, they don't see our hearts. They see the work of faith. And James says, if the work of faith is not there, brother, you are not saved. Paul would agree with him, for Paul said practically the same thing. Therefore, we have the same theme here, and this man, he pours in the acid of reality on the coin of faith to test it to see if it's genuine. That's the reason he's not popular. You see, we like to read the epistle of 1 John because in that epistle we get the assurance of our salvation. I frankly think we've got it all mixed up. I think that we ought to read the epistle of James first to see if our faith is genuine. Then read the first epistle of John and then you can have assurance of salvation. But you've got to read James first. James was written first because I think the Spirit of God intended that we read this epistle first. We're to test our faith. This morning, I want us to go into the laboratory of life, reach upon the shelf, and take down a bottle of acid to test your faith and my faith today. And we ought to do this. If this morning you had property out yonder on the desert, and you were out there yesterday and were digging down and found some very shiny, heavy-looking stuff, and you say, my, this is more than a rock. This must be Ola. What would you do? You'd have rushed back into town and gone to the assayer's office and says, test this and see if it's genuine. If you had some property and thought you had oil on it, you'd ask an oil geologist to come out and make an inspection and run some tests. If this morning you had some water, you would take it. If it was a spring on your property, you'd take it in and have it tested to see if it's fit to drink. My beloved, since our faith is so important, don't you think that we ought to bring it in and test it and see whether it's genuine or not? I want to reach up this morning. There's several bottles there, but I want to take down off the shelf a bottle of acid. And the label on this bottle is tongue. Tongue. That's acid, you know. You put a blue litmus paper in your mouth and it'll turn red because your tongue is acid. So let's take down the acid this morning. Let's label the tongue. And let's pour a little of it on our tongue and see whether our faith today is genuine or not. Now, this acid is stronger than hydrochloric acid. It's stronger than sulfuric acid. Oh, this acid's potent. And I advise you to handle this with care because you can get hurt in it. The thing could explode. So let's be careful today as we handle a bottle of acid. Now, I'm not interested myself in the chemistry of the tongue. I'm interested in the theology of the tongue. And will you listen? If any man thinketh himself to be religious, and that word religious is the only place it's used in the New Testament, and it has to do actually with just ritual and liturgy. When I was fooling with these electorate fans here at the beginning of the service, I was afraid maybe you'd get the impression that we were starting some new form of ritual here, bowing down and getting up, but we're not really. But that would be a religious service, and that's what he's talking about here, going through a religious service. If he thinketh himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his heart, he may be sincere." but he's deceiving his own heart. This man's religion is vain. That is, it's empty. Even your formality of going through a ritual isn't worth that. That tongue is not under control. That's acid already, isn't it? Let's look at it. We want to pour some on this morning. The tongue lifts man today above the animal world. Man is not a gibbering ape or an aping parrot. Man is not an inarticulate animal and he's not a mockingbird. Man can put thoughts into words and he can express himself and be understood. The tongue is the badge that we wear. It's by the tongue that we communicate on the highest level. It is said that Every articulate person utters 30,000 words every day. Now, that's a fair-sized volume. And in the course of a lifetime, you and I fill a library. How would you like to read it? I think you and I are going to hear it in eternity. I think that's one of the things the Lord Jesus is going to force us to do at his judgment seat, for I think he's recorded everything you and I have ever said. That's going to hurt, isn't it? And we're going to have to sit with him and listen to the words that we have uttered. The tongue is the badge we wear. It identifies us. It's the index of our life. It's the table of contents. It's the fraternity pin of our character, and it gives us away. Our tongue betrays us. Several years ago we were driving from Salt Lake City, where we'd been in a conference, to Mount Hermon. Very close connection. We were in a hurry. We came over Donner Pass, stopped briefly, and then came down to one of those little towns along the highway, drove into a fill-in station. My wife and daughter got out on one side. I just stepped out on the driver's side, turned to the young man, a fine-looking young man, and I said to him, Fill her up. That's all I said. Then I began to look at that grand scenery that's around there, and while I was looking I felt this boy's eyes on me very closely. And in a moment he spoke out and he said, Are you Dr. McGee? And I said, Yes, sir, I am. But do you know me? And he said, No, I don't. Well, I said, Do I know you? And he said, No. Well, I said, How'd you know? He said, On Sunday nights in the wintertime we can get your program. And up here in the snow, in the wintertime, we all listen to you. And he said, I think I'd have known you anywhere. Your voice deceives you. It betrays you. It gives you away. All I said was three words. Fill her up. Oh, my beloved, this tongue of ours, for that's the thing you remember the little maid said to Simon Peter, thy speech betrayeth thee. It tells who you are. It tells where you came from. It tells whether you're ignorant or educated. It tells whether you're cultured or crude. It tells whether you're clean or unclean. It tells whether you're vulgar or refined. It tells whether you're a believer or a blasphemer. and it tells whether you're a Christian or a non-Christian. Your tongue gives you away and your tongue tells whether you're guilty or not guilty. The paramour of a doctor in a little town east of here talked too much and she was arrested for murder. Her tongue condemned her. If we had a tape recorder that followed you around this past week. And everything that you said for this past week was recorded, and we could play it before this audience this morning. I want to make a bold statement. This audience would know whether you're a Christian or not. They'd know. Your tongue tells who you are. You want to go through with it? Let's pour some of the acid of the tongue now on your tongue and mine. First of all, we have the unbridled and unrestrained tongue. Will you listen here to verse 3? Now if we put the horse's bridles into their mouths that they may obey us, we turn about their whole body also. And it was the rider... of the Psalms, David who said, I said, I will take heed to my ways that I sin not with my tongue. David was so afraid that he'd say something that would hurt him. And he went on to say, Father, set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth. Keep the door of my lips. Our Lord said, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. Then we read, Therefore keep thine heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. Then the apostle says, For every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account in the day of judgment. Oh, my beloved, this morning, God is listening to you and he's listening to me. Back in Malachi, it says, they spake and the Lord heartened. Yes, they spake and the Lord heard. He heard that whispered conspiracy. He heard that word of slander. He heard that falsehood that was uttered. He heard that cutting remark. He heard every obscene utterance that you've ever given and that foul blasphemy that you made. He heard you. And that told who you were. For out of the heart, the mouth speaketh. It tells who you are. Somebody has said that it takes a baby two years to learn to talk and then 50 years to learn to keep its mouth shut. There was a fellow fishing down here on one of the piers this summer, and a dear little lady came up to him and began to get after him. She finally said, Aren't you ashamed of yourself to cruelly catch a little fish like that? Poor little fish. This fellow didn't even look up. He says, Lady, maybe you're right. But he says if this fish had kept its mouth shut, it wouldn't have been caught. The tongue, my beloved, is like a runaway horse. He says that we put a bridle, the bits of the bridle are put in the mouth of a horse. They're very small, but they'll hold a horse and check and keep him from running away. I think many of us this morning here have a faint recollection of the horse and buggy days, and we've probably seen a horse run away. bringing death and destruction. The tongue is a runaway horse. Someone has said that the mind starts the tongue to wagging and then sometimes goes off and leaves it. The tongue is that which is like a runaway horse and only the Spirit of God can control the tongue. The Psalmist again says, Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding, whose mouth must be held with bitten bridle, lest they come near unto thee. The Holy Spirit is the bridle for the tongue, and as we shall see, the Holy Spirit alone today can control the tongue of man. James changes his figure of speech here. Listen to him. Behold the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, are yet turned about by a very small rudder, whether the impulse of the helmsman or steersman will it. Now the figure is that of a ship. A fierce storm will drive a ship, but a little rudder can control it. The tongue is a little rudder. It can change the course of our lives. Men have had their reputations ruined because someone said something they should not have said. The fair name of many a woman has been wrecked and ruined and smeared because some gossip said a thoughtless, untrue thing. It's worse. This little tongue is worse than a storm at sea, and it can do more damage than a storm at sea. The tongue is more dangerous than a runaway horse. It's more dangerous than a hurricane. I personally believe that alcohol will be the instrument that will eventually destroy America. It's right now eating at the vitals of our land. We're becoming a nation of drunks and of drunken sots. The number of alcoholics now in this country is running into the millions, and it's one of the most alarming things. But may I say to you this morning, The Word of God condemns alcohol, but for every verse that you will show me in the Word of God where alcohol is condemned, I'll show you 100 verses where the misuse of the tongue is condemned. I believe this morning that the tongue is doing more damage in this world than any other thing, that it's hurting this morning this world more than anything else, and it's far more dangerous then the atomic bomb. And the writer in Ecclesiastes says, Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin. And then Paul in Romans, the third chapter, he speaks of the fact that one of the marks of the sinner is that the poison of ass is under their lips. And with their tongues they've used deceit. Have you ever been to a zoo and gone to the snake pit and looked at those hissing serpents that are carrying enough poison to kill an army? May I say to you, and I say it kindly, and I say it to myself, when we get home we can look in the mirror and stick out our tongue and you'll see something far more dangerous than any tongue, than any serpent ever had. For that serpent can only kill a body, but you and I have a tongue that can slay people and destroy them and wreck people. God says he hates it. These six things doth the Lord hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto him, a proud look, a lying tongue. He puts that ahead of murder. He puts that ahead of all the others. He says he hates a lying tongue. Oh, my beloved, the tongue today can absolutely be unbridled and when it is, It's not in the heart of a Christian or controlled by a Christian. And that brings us to the second one. Let's pour out a little more acid now. For we see the uncontrolled tongue in verse 6. The tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue which devileth the whole body and setteth on fire the wheel of nature and is set on fire of hell. The tongue is compared to a forest fire. Fire, I suppose, is one of the greatest friends that man has. A great many of the historians write like this that the dawn of civilization came when man discovered fire. When fire is under control, it will warm our bodies, it will cook our food. But when the house is on fire, it's tragic. When fire is under control, it makes power to run the wheels of industry that brings jobs to multitudes. But when in the night we hear a fire siren and out into the night rushes the fire engines and we see the blaze yonder and the factory's on fire, what a tragedy again, my beloved, that is. And our present civilization even today can't control a fire. There was the Great London Fire in 1666, and Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicked over a lantern in Chicago, and they had the Great Chicago Fire in the last century. And today, again and again, fires break out. James says the tongue is like a fire. When it's under control, it's a blessing. When it's out of control, it's a blight and a curse. It can be a cure or a curse. And again, the writer to the Proverbs says, "...that is that that speaketh like the piercings of a soward, but the tongue of the wise is hell." And then he also adds again, "...the heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge, but the mouth of fools..." feedeth on foolishness. It can be a blessing, or it can be a blight. There is an old Arab proverb that goes, Thou art master of the unspoken word, the spoken word is master of thee. Up to the time that you have said it, you've got control, but the minute you've said it, it goes like a fire. You no longer can control it. It's like a forest fire that burns over our hills and our mountains here. The tongue is a fire that can be set on fire by either heaven or hell on the day of Pentecost. There were tongues like us of fire. And there stood up a man under perfect control now, a man who had blundered with his tongue, a man who'd always said the wrong thing. Now with the tongue under the control of the Holy Spirit, Simon Peter preaches the first sermon on the day of Pentecost, and thousands come to Christ. A tongue under control. I've been at the Church of the Open Doer for 11 years. Even before I came, I saw the forest fire burn through. There have been wonderful improvements made, I think, in many spheres, but I must confess there's no improvement made here. The fire still burns, the forest fire. We've had several remarkable conversions here recently in the past couple of years. I can give you three couples in particular whose faith was almost wrecked by listening to the tongues of gossips. One young couple came to me and they said our feet well nigh slipped. We were ready to give it all up. We found out we were listening to the wrong folk. I tell you today, my friend, This little member that you and I have here will give us away. It'll tell whether we are genuine or whether we are not. That's the most dangerous thing that there is. Now in conclusion, let's look at the third and last, and we've got a little acid left. Let's pour it on again and look at the untamed tongue in verse 7. For every kind of beasts and birds of creeping fangs and fangs in the sea is tamed and hath been tamed by mankind. When I was pastor in Nashville, I had a deacon that he and I loved to go down to see the circus come to town. And we went down early one morning about two o'clock and watched it come in, and then we followed it out to the circus grounds and watched them put up the tent. And it was, I think, then Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey and Clyde Beatty was with them then, and he came into the animal tent. We were there, and there were some little cub lions, and we were watching them, very playful. And he came up and went in and put his hand in, and my, he was rough with them. He rolled them over. And my deacon, who was a salesman, never met a stranger. He went right up to him. He said, let me ask you, why did you do that? He says, these cub lions will go into the cage with me before too long, and I never pass them for what I do not play with them. Because when I go in the cage with them, I want them under perfect control. Ha! Men can train lions. Put up a hoop, jump through, and this big old snarling lion with a shaggy mane jumps through a hoop. Men can train little fleas. Men can train big elephants. But, brother, you never yet have seen a tongue on display in a zoo. Nobody's been able to capture one of them yet. It's not in captivity. And the circus has never been able to make one of them perform. Never depend on it.
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Listen. Untamed tongues.
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Verse 8. But the tongue can no man tame. It's a restless evil. It's full of deadly poisons. Now he says the tongue can no man tame. That's interesting. That's very suggestive. No man can tame it. Only God can tame the tongue. A regenerate tongue in a redeemed body is the way God does it. That's the thing that James goes on to say here. But the tongue can no man tame. It's a restless evil. It's full of deadly poisons. Therewith bless we the Lord and Father, and therewith curse we men. My beloved, may I say to you this morning that with the tongue you become a child of God. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with thee heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. You see, all Paul is saying is that the mouth and the heart have to be brought into harmony. They have to say the same thing because your mouth is going to tell who you are. And isn't it interesting that when our Lord came to that dumb man, the gospel writer is very careful to say he touched his mouth My friend, if he's touched you, he's touched your mouth also. And Mark tells us that when they went out, our Lord gave the commission and he says, and they shall talk in new tongues. Now, that doesn't mean unknown tongues. That means, my beloved, you'll talk with a regenerated tongue. It means by your tongue you will say who you are. And thank God, God will ultimately bring the tongue into captivity. There's coming a day when the tongue will be brought into obedience to God, for the scripture says, every knee must bow and every tongue must confess that he's the Lord. This tongue will someday be brought into control. Now the question arises, and I conclude with this, Can you tell a Christian by the tongue? James says you can. Listen to him. Therewith bless we the Lord and Father, and therewith curse we men who are made after the likeness of God. Out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be. Doth the fountain send forth from the same opening sweet water and bitter water? Do you believe this morning that a fountain can send forth both bitter water and sweet water? If it does, there's something wrong with the fountain. And today, my beloved, a tongue tells who you are. Your tongue, my tongue, tells who we are. Now I don't care, you may go to a consecration service on Sunday evening and very sweetly get up and give a verse of scripture and then my friend if you go out and indulge in filthy and suggestive language, James says you are not a Christian. I don't care what you say. If a man seems to be religious and that little tongue is saying things it should not say, James says that man's religion Even the profession is empty.
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You give yourself away by your tongue. Your tongue tells whether you're his or not.
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And when he regenerates you, he doesn't regenerate everything except the tongue. That's the most important thing if we confess with our mouth. And that doesn't mean... Just on Sunday, that means Monday morning in our business. That means in everything that we say during the week. We confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus.
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It hurts, doesn't it? This is bitter acid, but it'll tell whether we are real or not.
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I'm wondering this morning, friends, if you have to look into your own heart and you say this morning, I'm like a fountain that's giving forth both bitter and sweet water. I have the sweetest little testimony when I'm out with the Christians you've ever heard. But when I'm out with the crowd, I've got the dirtiest mouth that you've ever heard. May I say to you, you're not a Christian. Why don't you face it? You're not a Christian. You have to confess with your mouth. Oh, my friend, today, only the Spirit of God can control our tongues. And when we indulge in gossip, when we say malicious, gossipy things about others, James is very real. James says... that a fountain cannot give forth both sweet and bitter water. And if you've given forth bitter water, then evidently the sweet water you give is just a profession. Oh, friend, today make it real with him. Deal with him in reality. Bring to him today your heart. and your tongue. He wants to give you a new tongue. He wants to touch your tongue. He wants to touch your life. He wants to transform you. James says, faith without works is dead. He says, show me your faith by your works. Is it just a profession or is it real with you today? with our heads bowed, eyes closed. Ask God to search your own heart. And then I'm wondering if you were here today and you'd like today to accept this wonderful Savior and let him put a bridle on your mouth, on your tongue.
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That's an important message. If you'd like to listen again or maybe share it with a friend, you'll find it in our app or online at ttb.org. And if you want to learn more about how to accept Jesus as your Savior, you can click on How Can I Know God in our app or visit us at ttb.org or call 1-800-65-BIBLE. Now, when you're in touch, tell us your story. How long have you been riding the Bible bus with us? How's God using His Word in your life? Well, you know we'd love to know. You can leave a note in the feedback section of our app. You can also email us at biblebus at ttb.org or send a note to Box 7100, Pasadena, California, 91109. In Canada, Box 25325, London, Ontario, N6C 6B1. You can also call and leave a message at 1-800-65-BIBLE. Now, as we go, I want to pray Proverbs 4, 23 and 24, asking the Lord to guard our hearts and mouths and all that flow from them as we walk with him. See you next time.
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All to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.
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Just go to ttb.org or download our app to listen again anytime. As always, we'd love to know what's God teaching you.
Join us as we explore complex narratives from both Old and New Testaments. We tackle listeners' questions regarding marital dynamics and the Biblical call for mutual respect and love. We also navigate through supposed contradictions in the story of Jesus's early life in Luke and Matthew, emphasizing the distinct perspectives each gospel provides. This episode guides listeners through a meaningful exploration of how to comprehend and live by scripture despite seemingly contrasting accounts.
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should we confess our sins to one another? Or do we confess our sins to God and our faults to one another? If it's the latter, then how should we distinguish between faults and sins? Or can one do that at all? Well, this is just one of the topics that we'll deal with today. So stay with us.
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of foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in his excellent word.
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What more can he say than to
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You are listening to the question and answer program of the Through the Bible Radio Network. Our Bible teacher, Dr. J. Vernon McGee, answered the many questions of his listeners for over 30 years, and they've been recorded and preserved for future generations of believers to grow in their faith. Now let's get to our first question, which comes to us from a faithful listener of this program, and she says, Why was it that only a woman was forgiven of adultery in John chapter 8? Did not a man ask Jesus for the same forgiveness? Or is it a greater sin for women?
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Certainly, it's no worse degree of sin for women by any means. But after all, they didn't bring the man, you see, at that time to the Lord Jesus. They let him off, and they've been letting the man off ever since. But today, I noticed that the Los Angeles Police Department, so the reports are, But now they arrest the man also. And if they start that, why, the fact of the matter is the prostitutes will be out of business. And they do not approve of it, by the way. And they're willing to bear the blame and the shame. And, of course, today there's no shame in this permissive society in which we live. And the reason was that she was the only one that was brought to him. And that, of course, is the very simple explanation of it. You remember the Lord Jesus says, is there some man that blames you? You see, the Lord Jesus got rid of that crowd because none of them were guiltless. And when you raise the question about the forgiveness of the man, that crowd that brought her were guilty. And if I may take a moment to give what I believe is the interpretation of it, you remember that's when he stooped down and wrote on the sand. And I think that one old Pharisee there that was so insistent upon the Lord Jesus saying she should be stoned, I think he wrote down the name of a girl that that Pharisee had an affair with in his early life. And the old Pharisee didn't think anybody knew anything about it. But Jesus did, and we're told that they began one by one to slip away. So when you say that he didn't forgive them, the whole thing is he didn't forgive them. They all left without asking forgiveness. They could have asked for forgiveness, and he would have forgiven them. But they didn't. They all got away. And you remember, he said to her, is there any man that condemns you? She said, no. And he said, neither do I condemn you. And why? Because I think they should have brought the man. I think that was what the Lord Jesus is saying. You've got to have them both here. And therefore the woman was forgiven, but also with the injunction, go and sin no more. He labeled it sin, and let's understand that also.
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Our next question comes to us from Escondido, California. The listener writes, I heard you say that we should confess our faults to one another and our sins to God. I agree with you, but could you make a distinction between faults and sins? Is there a line that can be drawn?
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No, my answer is no. I don't think that you can draw a line between certain things, and they're both false and sins, and sins and false. And when they do, then you have a two-way confession to make. If you have harmed somebody, it's been a sin against God, then you will make that thing right as far as the individual is concerned. You remember that Zacchaeus, who had wronged many people, he said, if I have taken anything by false accusation, I'll restore it. But he needed also forgiveness of God, too. And you remember David and his great sin. He recognized that it was against God, and he said, against thee, thee only have I sinned. But he'd certainly committed against others a terrible thing that he needed to rectify. And I believe that as far as David was able to do it, he did rectify that sin so that there is a two-way confession to make when there's any question about it.
SPEAKER 01 :
We come now to a question from a listener in Connersville, Indiana who says, I heard you say that a woman shouldn't be expected to obey a godless man or an unsaved man. Now, Dr. McGee, my husband is not saved and neither was I when we got married. I've been a child of God for almost eight years now and how I've turned my husband away from Jesus by my holier-than-thou attitude. Finally, I am paying attention to the Lord and what He says about subjection. I am claiming the promise, If any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the behavior of the wives. My husband doesn't enjoy Christian radio, going to church, or saying grace, but delegates it, which is his prerogative since he has the authority. I blamed him for all of this until the Lord showed me that I wasn't showing him the love that Jesus can give. I now know it's not important to win any worldly skirmish because my victory is in Jesus. Our marriage is now beautiful. He will be saved. What do you think?
SPEAKER 03 :
patience of this woman, and some time ago I had another letter that you've heard already on the radio of someone else who disagreed with me, and they too had had a marriage in which she took 1 Peter 3, although she didn't mention it, I'm sure that's what she did, and was subject unto her husband, she said. Well, may I say that you girls probably put me to shame, and you make me look bad, don't you, by doing this. Now, this woman has not won her husband, and that's been eight years. I'll be frank with you. Again, I must say, I certainly admire her patience and all that sort of thing. And I think that you're following, both of you are following rightly, the scripture. And I'm going to read this 1 Peter 3 now. Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, that if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives. And conversation here means the life of the wives. while they behold your chaste life, coupled with fear, whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel. But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God, of great price. For after this manner in the old time, the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands. even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord, whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. Now, let me say, first of all, that you two women, and the example the other woman gave me, are indeed fortunate, and you have a husband who that 1 Peter 3 works with well, and both of you tell about adopting a holier-than-thou attitude when you were first converted. And surely you were wrong in that, no question about that, but that you were wrong in adopting that attitude. And now you have adopted a Christian attitude, and is working for one of you. The husband has already been one. The other one, he's not yet but one, but you have faith that he will be. And apparently, both of you say that you're having a beautiful marriage relationship. And my, that's thrilling to hear. But the question I was answering had nothing to do with women in your class. You see, the danger of just taking one scripture And using it, you have a husband that you can be in subjection to. Suppose you had a husband who was a drunkard, who beat you. I had a woman in my study, as I mentioned before, every finger on both hands was broken by a drunken husband who repented of it the minute he got sober. but he was an alcoholic, a drunk, and this woman's life actually was in danger. He had threatened to kill her on several occasions. I have a letter from another woman that has practically the same situation, a husband that is godless and drunken, and he actually is... trying to force her to have a relation with another man for the sake of his job, that he might get a promotion. Now, suppose you were in that situation, you women that have not a Christian husband, but at least he's a good husband, and there are a lot of unsaved men that make good husbands, and Peter's talking to those. Now, Paul over there is talking to the ones that are Spirit-filled. When he says there to be in subjection to your husband, he also says you to be subject one to another. That's when you're filled with the Spirit. He didn't say that to a woman married to an unsaved man at all. The whole point is that there must be a response on the part of the husband And these women that wrote are actually one woman was going to a psychiatrist. Her health was breaking under it all. May I say to you that she was in danger, actually in her home, and she was being told that she should continue under that. And I think, frankly, her life would have been in jeopardy, at least one of them. Her life would have been in jeopardy had she continued in that situation. Now, I don't think Peter's talking to that kind of a situation. He's talking to your situation, but not to this other situation. And Paul, in the fifth chapter of Ephesians, he's not talking to that situation. He's talking to Spirit-filled people. Now, I can't find where any woman, and where I said that you misunderstood me and you misquoted me, that a woman should be expected to obey a godless man, an unsaved man. I said a certain kind of a godless and unsaved man. Now, if you can win him by subjection, Fine, but actually it's your manner of life before him, the way you live your life as a Christian before him. That's the important thing. And a Christian thing is not to yield as these women were being forced to do by a drunken husband. One was taking her to the bar, humiliating her before the crowd that was there. telling them all, what do you think, I brought in a Christian here today, and she may want to preach a sermon to you, and stuff like that. May I say to you, friends, Paul and Peter both are not talking to that situation at all. And I think that these women today should not be told that. It's very easy for a counselor to tell somebody else to, you know, to go in the lion's den. I've always thought that, you remember when the king looked down at Daniel and began to, you know, to say that to give him a little sermon about his God could take care of him and all that sort of thing. I've always felt that it'd been nice if Daniel at that time had said, King, come on down here and spend the night with me. You know, it's very easy, you know, to stand up and look in the lion's cage and tell somebody else how to do. So I think we need to be very careful how we're interpreting the Word of God today. For you, yes, but I wasn't talking about women in your situation. I was talking to a woman that had not only a godless and unsaved husband, but a man that I would say was a beast. In fact, several of them. And believe me, Paul and Peter are not talking into that situation.
SPEAKER 01 :
Moving on, we come to a question from a listener in Marshall, Missouri. He says, According to Luke 2, verse 21 and following, Jesus was taken to Jerusalem for presentation to the Lord, after which the family returned to Nazareth. How does this correlate with Matthew 2, where we're told that Joseph took Mary and Jesus to Egypt from Bethlehem until the death of Herod? After Herod's death, we're told they made their home in Nazareth.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, may I say to you that I don't quite follow you in finding an inconsistency in that. I rather suspect you were not with us as we went through the Bible in the Gospels, because at that time we'd have made it very clear, or we did make it very clear, that each one of the Gospels is written from a certain viewpoint. There's no contradictions. Each one is bringing out a certain thing, and another one omits something else. Now, Luke... in his account, and I think probably I should turn there to Luke 2, 39, and just read this verse, and I'll not go to the other one, but in Matthew we're familiar with it. And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee to their own city, Nazareth. Now, can't you see that Luke is giving you an abbreviated record here? He's not giving you a detailed record at all. Why? Because he presents Jesus as the man. Now, why did Matthew give the incident about him going down into Egypt and coming up out of Egypt? Because it has to do with the purpose of his gospel. He's presenting the Lord Jesus as the king. And he was born a king. And Herod was after him to kill the child because he was a king. And it's necessary to tell how God protected the little child by having Joseph take the mother and the child down to the land of Egypt. But they ended up in the same place. They came back to Nazareth, their hometown, and that's all that Luke says. There's no contradiction there. Luke just didn't record that because he's presenting Jesus as the man, the perfect man. And that part of the life of Jesus is irrelevant as far as he was concerned. And he leaves that out. I wish that this, and I don't mean to apply this to this individual at all, but I do wish today that we could read the Word of God with the same kind of common sense that we use in reading any other book. That we can see that in the gospel certain things are left out. Not because there's a conflict. There's no conflict. It's because one writer is emphasizing one thing and the other writer is emphasizing something else. And listen to this. When you put all four Gospels together, you do not have a biography of the life of Jesus because not one of them wrote for that purpose. And even when you put them together, you do not get a complete biography of the life of Jesus. Why? Because that's not what they're doing. These men are presenting the one who died on a cross for the sins of the world. And all four of them get to that. And all four of them emphasize that. And let's give the writers of Scripture credit for having, you know, the intelligence that writers of history today and writers of biography exert. Not everything is recorded.
SPEAKER 01 :
For our final question, let's take up this one from a listener in Indianapolis, Indiana. She writes, I'm enclosing an article from the Indianapolis News and would like to hear your answer to it. I'd like to know how to respond to someone when they ask me about the statements regarding creation brought out specifically in the second paragraph.
SPEAKER 03 :
And I'm only going to read the paragraph of this article. It's written apparently by some individual. It's written to the editor And the paper naturally always plays up anything that's anti-Bible, and it says Bible, bad biology, bad morality. Now, this part it says here in this article and this paragraph that I shall read now. The Bible is a poor source for biology. The first two chapters of Genesis have two creation stories, which contradict each other on several points. Whether man was made before or after animals, whether man was created in the likeness of the gods or from the dust of the earth by the Lord God singular, whether a woman was made with man or later from his rib, whether days and nights can be counted before there is a sun, whether there are oceans above the clouds like those beneath the clouds, and whether man could live before there were trees, beasts, and fowl. Now, may I say that this article, the entire article, reveals a colossal ignorance of the Bible and a bias that is absolutely bent double. I have never read really anything that is such a display of ignorance. Let's go down that for just a moment, and I'll not go into detail, but I'm sure the average person today knows how wrong this is. The Bible is a poor source for biology. Well, I would say that you're accurate in that statement. I don't think that Moses... had in mind of writing a book on first-year biology. What he wrote was not biological or biology, but it doesn't contradict biology, and you are wrong from then on. The two chapters of Genesis do not have two creation stories. If you were acquainted with the Bible, you would understand that there is a law that goes through all of the Bible known as the law of recapitulation, that the Spirit of God has a way of describing a series of events in a large way, and then coming back and in a detailed way lift out that which is important. Now you have the creation of the heavens and the earth, including man, in the first chapter. Then man, who happens to be important for the story, his creation is lifted out in the second chapter. And then this part is totally unaware of the fact that the word Elohim is not dual, as Hebrew has a dual, And it is plural, and since a number is not put with it, it generally means three. It would come up with three. So we actually are talking about the Trinity here. And I have a notion this brother would not know much about the Trinity either, so that we do not have several gods and then one Jehovah, and that word has a particular and peculiar meaning. in the New Testament. He's identified as a savior, as the one that is the one that protects and watches over mankind. This party, of course, was totally unacquainted with that, and there is no thought that woman was created out of the dust as Adam was. She passed through Adam and and came out of Adam. And so that is clarified in the second chapter. And the scripture makes it very clear, when you've given the detailed account, that woman came along later than man, much later, by the way. And whether days and nights could be counted before there was a sun, and that would be very easy to do, as around the earth there evidently was a cloud cover, but the sun was up yonder, and so was the moon, and they were just brought through. I find here in Southern California, when we have a foggy day, that we have morning, and we have afternoon, we have night. We don't see the sun or the moon at all, but you can have that, and maybe this brother, where he lives, he's experienced that sort of thing. And may I say that there is not water above the clouds, But the water's in the firmament, in the clouds. And that was something man didn't know at first. You know, the Lord pumps up the water out of the ocean and takes the salt out of it, moves it out over the land by his special method of transportation called the wind, air currents. And then he opens up the faucet and lets it come down on the dry land. And actually, he's been doing that for a long time. and there's nothing quite wrong with that. I would say that this is an article that reveals a bias and an ignorance that is colossal.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, that brings us to the close of our program. We sure hope that Dr. McGee's responses have answered some of your questions, or at least spurred you to dig deeper into the Word of God yourself. If you'd like assistance with understanding the Scriptures and how to locate answers to your own questions, then we suggest you get a current copy of our resource catalog. One resource you might consider is Dr. McGee's five-volume hardback set of edited messages containing his teaching on the Word of God based on the radio broadcasts. This invaluable set will greatly assist you in learning the whole counsel of God. To order any of our materials, including a CD copy of today's broadcast or the edited messages, call 1-800-65BIBLE Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pacific Time. Thank you for watching. Be sure to join us this week on the Through the Bible radio program as we continue Dr. McGee's five-year journey through the whole Word of God, book by book and chapter by chapter. And we pray that God will answer all your questions and solve all your problems.
SPEAKER 02 :
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