American Family Radio takes your Bible questions live on American Family Radio

>> Bert Harper: The Bible. It's the word of God. Sharper than any two edged sword. This sacred book is living and active and contains all that's needed for life and godliness. Stay with American Family Radio for the next hour as we study God's word and take your Bible questions.

Alex McFarland: We are in the Old Testament book of Numbers

Welcome to Exploring the Word.

>> Alex McFarland: Welcome to another edition of Exploring the word. Alex McFarland here along with Bert Harper. And we are in the Old Testament book of Numbers. And you've heard the saying, I'm sure of walking by faith versus sight. And the Bible says there's a way that seems right to a man, the end of which are the ways of death. Well, as numbers 24 closes out, and we talked about this yesterday, Balaam was making prophecies of blessing on Israel, even though Balak wanted him to pronounce curses. But then as numbers 24 closes out, Balaam, and it says the spirit of God had come upon him. He looked on Amalek and took up this parable, says, Amalek was the first of the nations, but his latter end shall be as he that perishes forever. And he looked on the Kenites and said, they might have made their nest in a rock, but in the end they shall be wasted, and Asher shall carry them away captive. And ultimately, Balaam, yesterday, as we saw, foretold the blessedness of Israel. Well, we're going to pick it up in numbers and we'll continue into numbers 25. And of course, as we always do, we'll take your calls and Bible questions here a little bit later in the show. But, Brother Bert Harper, it's good to have you with us again. I know you were out a couple of days and, and we made do. But it's always better when you're with us, brother.

>> Bert Harper: Well, I miss being here and if you can hear my voice, you can hear a little bit of a nasal sound, so you can figure out why I, I was missing. I didn't want to cough and sniff all the way through the hour, but. So I'm back today praying and hoping that, it would go well. But I do want to appreciate all those that help, you know, Listen, none of us are indispensable except the Lord Jesus Christ and Amen. so it's great to have a bench, and so I appreciate that bench coming off.

Alex: Balaam leaves, but he's still under judgment

Well, Alex, I know you got through, but verse 25 and then chapter 25, they are connected in a way. Now, listen, Balaam rose and departed and returned to his place. Balak also went his way. Now, what did his place mean, we not 100% sure, but it doesn't seem like he went back to the place where he was. They found him, he stayed close by because. And I know I'm looking ahead, but he ties it in and gives us a little bit of a picture of it. And in chapter 31, when the Midianites are destroyed, it says in verse 8, Balaam, the son of Beor, they also killed with a sword. Sound like he was in the same area as the Midianites and not back home. And so here he departs from that place, but, he's still under judgment, even though God's spirit was able to speak through him. my estimation, you may disagree, it was a reluctant prophecy on his. His part. I still think he was hanging around for a reason. And I think that reason was, hey, I need more money. Because that was this driving force. Because we find out in Peter and Jude and Revelation, yes, the sin of Balaam. And again is that of a person that. That does his work for money or for control. So Balaam, he leaves. But only thing I say, he didn't get out of town. He didn't get out of Dodge in time. Okay, let me put it that way.

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah. Well, in Second Peter, chapter two, it talks about Second Peter 2, 15 and 16, about those who have gone astray and followed the error of Balaam.

>> Bert Harper: Yeah.

>> Alex McFarland: You know, now, there's a lot about him in 24 that you tend to appreciate in that. You know, he. In 23, he said, whatever the Lord says is what I'm going to say. And the Spirit of God was able to, you know, I guess overtake him rather than, him prophesying what he was getting paid to say.

>> Bert Harper: I think so. Remember Saul? King Saul, that happened to King Saul. So this is not the only time that happened, if that is what happened. And I personally think, reading to it and seeing through it, I think that is true. That's my m. thoughts on it.

Chapter 25 is a little depressing because Israel would fall into idolatry

>> Alex McFarland: Well, and you know what's interesting as we get into numbers, chapter 25, and folks, let's keep the larger picture in mind here that God rescued the, Israelites out of Egypt, called Abraham is going to bring them into their land, and Moses was, you know, leading them to this land where they would become a great nation, in fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham. But through the nation of Israel would come the Savior. And yet habitually, it's almost kind of cyclical here. They would fall into idolatry. They would compromise with pagan women in this Case the Moabite women. And so chapter 25 is, you know, if 24 was victorious, the Spirit of God ruled and overruled. 25 is a little depressing because they fall into sin.

>> Bert Harper: They really do. And this is the first time that we have them involved in the worship of baal. Now, when we say that, it's the first, but not the only, not the last. So let me read verses 1 and 2. Then Israel remained in Achaia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. Now listen to this. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. Now, I want to connect chapter 31 again with this. This is one of the reasons I believe, again, that Balaam was wrong in what he did. Notice, they invited the people when they could not prophesy against them. It seems like I've, got another plan. Listen to this. Chapter 31, verse 16. This is what was said. Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the council of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the instant of Peor. And there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord. So even though Balaam couldn't prophesy or curse Israel, he said, I think I know a way to get them, that I can destroy them. And he counsels them, invite these people to a sacrifice to their gods and have a party. The people ate, bow down to their gods. I think that Balaam may have been a student of history and remember what happened to there at Mount Sinai, Alex, because it's very similar, just a different God. Not a, A, you know, molded calf, but baal. Do you catch?

>> Alex McFarland: Oh, I know. Well, does your translation, in verse three of numbers 25 say, and Israel joined himself unto Baal peor, and the angle of the Lord. Okay. Baal is this Moabite God very much associated with sexual immorality. Peor, P E O R refers to a mountain or high place. So BAAL Peor is God of the mountain, or at the very least, God of the high place. Now, high places were these kind of sometimes almost like teepees or totem poles or these, columns that they would put some sort of sacrifice or some sort of statue of an idol, or whether it meant, you know, God of a mountain. And very often demonic places can be territorial, you know, and BAAL is a demonic God. Do you know what? I think that, to this day, some people are probably worshiping BAAL and don't even Know it. But this is a horrible type of idolatry. And besides, Bert, let me say, besides being disobedient, because God commanded the Israelites to not be idolaters, and besides being, really dishonoring to the God who is their deliverer and savior, it's very dangerous because, you know, these, idols. Behind every idol is a demon. Really.

>> Bert Harper: That's right.

>> Alex McFarland: And, so it says, the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. And the Lord said to Moses, take all the heads of the people and hang them up before the Lord against the sun. That fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, slay you, everyone. His men that were joined to BAAL pr. so there's quite a few that are executed for this sin.

>> Bert Harper: Amen. It's going to get down. You find out in verse nine, 24,000 died. But here, notice, your mind says leaders. Then take all the leaders. Notice how many times that is talked about in all of this. There's big responsibility, everybody. Oh, I'd like to be the boss. I'd like to be the supervisor. Let's listen when you see that look. Okay. What do you do, Alex? He said, how about you leaders? What took place? it's pretty. I would say it's pretty significant all the way through the Bible.

>> Alex McFarland: Yes. Well, let me say this. like chapter six, there's, besides occult and idolatrous activity, there's sexual immorality. And so there is swift judgment that falls on a certain man and a woman that were, committing sin. And it says the plague was stayed. Those that died in the plague were 20 and 4,000. Now, to our modern sensibilities, this sounds pretty brutal, right? And, Bert, even this week at one of our youth camps in South Carolina, I had a teenager, ask, you know, goodness, all this violence and bloodshed, and, the Old Testament was pretty, pretty brutal. Here's the question. what would be worse for 24,000 pagans to die or the human race not to have a savior? You know, because God and what apologists like, I think about, like William Laine Craig or Gary Habermas, would say that, yes, the execution of 24,000 people sounds pretty severe, and it is. But idolatry and corrupting the nation of Israel, jeopardizing the arrival of the perfect Messiah, that's very severe. So here's what Christian thinkers would say. While the judgment is severe, God had a morally sufficient reason for doing it. Because what would be worse Again, for several thousand pagans to die or for the human race not to have a savior. Obviously, the worst thing would be if Israel had been corrupted or extinguished or sin had come to such a degree that Christ didn't come. the worst thing would be if the human race did not have the Messiah. And so therefore, severe as it was, God had a morally sufficient reason for pronouncing this judgment and others like it.

>> Bert Harper: Well, Alex, when you study and you know what kind of immorality, moral corruption that it was, God's grace has appeared to all men. So God had been at work. We don't have all the, you know, the precise words that should have been said, but they had enough that they knew to go get Balaam, who supposedly soothsayer know about God. So here they are trying to find it, but yet in their corruptness. So God is morally sufficient reason to do that. It's not like, oh, they just stepped out of line. No, it's generation after generation after generation.

Alex and Bert on exploring the Word. One more thing. Let me share this. It could have been a lot more

One more thing. Let me share this. It should. It could have been a lot more had it not been for Phineas taking that man and that woman who was flaunting it. In other words, after God had condemned it, he seems to come along while they were meeting at the tent to worship God and get things right. He was doing it just on his own. And that's when Phineas runs in and zealous for the Lord and makes the Word, we'll find out later, makes an atonement. And it stayed that plague at 24,000 rather than all of them. So even in this, the mercy of God is seen in even the difficult times. Well, this is Alex and Bert on exploring the Word. And we're going to be back with numbers 2025, right after the break.

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>> Alex McFarland: Pick me up from that rock bottom.

>> Bert Harper: Wash my soul in that holy water.

>> Alex McFarland: Brought me back to life One more stone roll away One more stone sin have been saved by grace this dead man, he ain't dead no longer. All because of that grave robber.

>> Bert Harper: Amen. I can tell Brent Austin, if we'd had a camera on him, Alex, that head, man, you know, you seen those things, those little dolls where the heads wave. His was waving and weaving, keeping up with that. So thank you. A bobblehead. Bobblehead. That's the word.

>> Alex McFarland: But anyway, of any of our bumper music in the history of the show, that's probably the rockiest, Rocky, kind of music. But, man, what a great song. What great lyrics. Grave robber.

>> Bert Harper: Amen.

>> Alex McFarland: We're set free.

Alex McFarland gives an update on the COVID conference

>> Bert Harper: Well, Alex, before we get started, I know you gave a little update on the COVID but could you give a capsule so I can hear it? How did it go?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, yeah, this past weekend, Angie and I were at the COVID and I taught the book of Job. It was just such a great honor. But people came from all over the country. And, Bert, I have to tell you, we give God the glory. But all of these people were just, just very effusive in their praise for exploring the word. And they said how much they love you and they enjoy you and I on the program. And of course, I say, hey to God be the glory. Because the star of this show is the scripture. I mean, really. And this program, you know, probably some agency or some focus group could have spent months thinking about how to create a successful radio show. And Tim Wildmon had this IDEA now, almost 16 years ago, that here, here's a very complex concept. We're going to read the Bible and just present the word of God in its simplicity. Amen. but I give God the glory. I'll be back at the COVID Monday, all next week, Monday through Friday. I'm there with a wonderful brother, J. Warner Wallace. Jim Wallace, folks. You've. You've seen him on Dateline. I'm sure he's a former Los Angeles detective who became a Christian and became a great defender of the faith. And he and I will be at the COVID next week. Doing kind of a deep dive on apologetics. But, one last thing, and we'll get to numbers 25 again. we've got a big event in exactly one month in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with Charlie Kirk. And it's a night of. Of truth and common sense and calling our nation back to God, myself there with Charlie Kirk. And it's part of our summer conference series. We call it Conversations that Matter. And, you, you know, even if you're, like, in Richmond or the Carolinas or Georgia, it's not too far. And it's just one of the greatest, kind of resort places in America. Myrtle Beach. Go to my website, alexmcfarland.com conversations and I'd love to see you August 21st with the very, very popular speaker, Charlie Kirk.

>> Bert Harper: And if you want to know more about Alex, you can go to alexmcfarland.com you can find out if you'd like for him to come to your area, your town, your church. check out that Alex travels. And, he'll. He will travel and preach at the drop of the hat. And sometimes he drops the hat. And, I don't know if anybody knows this, those that's been listening for a long time. Alex did this. 50 sermons in 50 states in 50 days. Now, I want to tell you, that's a lot of 50 is a lot of traveling. And, so how'd that RV do, going from California to Hawaii?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, we had to keep the windows.

>> Bert Harper: Rolled up, I bet. But anyway, I love to hear that story. That was amazing. And Alex, thank you.

>> Alex McFarland: And I got to throw this in there. Next March, Tim Wildmon, as he frequently does, he's leading a tour of Israel, to walk where Jesus walked, see the sights of the Holy Land. And, Bert, you and I are going to be there, good Lord willing. Bert and Jan Harper are going. Angie and Alex McFarland, we would like for you to go. And, if you Google Wildmon tours, Tim Wildmon. Tim and Allison have led many trips. Bert, there's something else that, you and I haven't talked about. There is the synagogue they've excavated at Magdala, and this is the synagogue of Jesus's youth, which is where Jesus would have been as a little boy. And I don't know if we'll get to spend too much time there. I haven't talked to Tim about the exact sites we'll see. The last time I was in Israel, in a similar week, we saw about 70 sites. And, you know, when Jesus, as a 12 year old boy got the scroll and it says that every eye was fastened on him. you know, I'm not sure if that is the synagogue at Magdala, but it might be. But Bert, I know March is a long way away. I cannot wait till you and I go with Tim Wildmon and we'll see the land of the Bible next March. And I hope a lot of people will go with us.

>> Bert Harper: Well, Alex, a lot of folks has been saying, why don't you and Bert to you, why don't you and Bert, you know, organize a trip? We didn't want to compete anything with another AFR ministry, but this is afa AFR With Tim and Alex and us. So, God brought it about. Don't rush God. God's working. And, I just love the way God works. He brings it about in his time.

One man responding to God with zeal and knowledge can make a difference

Well, Alex, speaking of that again, verse nine, you talked about it. They were 24,000 who died from the plague. But listen to this, verse 10. Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Erin, the priest has turned back my wrath. One man making a difference. Now, I just, I underlined this and I said, I'm going to bring this out. One man, responding to God with zeal and knowledge, making a difference. I believe with all my heart in 2025, it's still possible for one person to stand up for God, stand for righteousness and the love of the Lord, speaking truth, doing what God would have them to do to make a difference. Where many were, not killed, it says, has turned back my wrath from the children of Israel because he is zealous with my zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in my zeal. Now, Alex, again, let's make a difference. Let me challenge this to everyone who is listening in your household, in your community, in your church, in your job, in your state, in your nation, make the difference for your zeal for the Lord. So, Alex, Phineas, I think he goes down as a hero man.

>> Alex McFarland: Oh, absolutely, absolutely. You know, he, is a grandson of Erin, which is, you know, pretty exciting. And let me read something about these names that, you know, very often in the Bible, names mean a lot. Okay. Erin, you, know, can mean a lot of things. It can mean like noble one. And, but Phineas, his name means mouth of brass. Now, very often proclaiming the gospel is compared to, you know, the, the blowing of a trumpet, right? And Phinehas, I don't want to, you know, spiritualize this too much. But he proclaimed truth, and he. His obedience to God and his righteous stand caused the plague of judgment to be ended. And I think we should be like, you know, it's trumpets that announce the arrival of the king. And I think it's the proclamation of God's word that helps to people. Helps people know about the king. And that, you know, his name even just signifies someone who speaks truth and stands for truth. And verse 12 goes on.

>> Bert Harper: Let me say one more thing about that, since you brought that up. You know, you remember when they built the foundation in Ezra's rubbable, and they were looking at it, and the younger people, they were praising God, but the older folks that remembered what the old temple looked like, they. They were kind of moaning and groaning. And it says they that those that were observing and listening could not discern the sound thereof. Paul talked about not giving an uncertain sound. And I would say Phineas gave a certain sound. Catch what I'm saying. He took care of it. Go ahead to verse 12.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, yeah. And so God restates that his covenant with Israel is forever. and let me say, God's will will be done. God's promises will be realized. But their backsliddenness didn't help. verse 16. Let me read this. The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, vex the Midianites and smite them. And vex means to fight against, just like, you know, the unrighteousness of Sodom and Gomorrah vexed Lot's righteous soul. See, sin vexes us, fights against us. But God told Moses, vex the Midianites, smite them. Now, verse 18. For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you. In the matter of Peor, and that's lord of the mountain, this BAAL Peor. And in the matter of Cosby, which was really sexual immorality, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague over Peor's sake. So what's the application for us? I'm going to. Let me say something, Bert. I'll throw it to you. we're not called to fight Midianites or Canaanites or Amalekites, but just as God told Moses, okay, vex the Midianites, fight them. I'll tell you what we are supposed to fight against. sin and immorality. The Bible says, you know, resist the devil and he'll flee from you, flee fornication. We are to turn from sin to Christ. And, Bert, thankfully in our day and age, there's not Philistines and Canaanites to come after us. However, there is the world, the flesh and the devil. And in the power of Jesus, we're supposed to be, we're supposed to prevail over those things.

>> Bert Harper: Is exactly right. Alex, listen, the names may have been changed. You remember old Dragnet, the show? The names. Well, listen, the names of the evil may have changed, but they're still there. they house themselves in different colors and different clothing in different terms, but they're really still the same. And there's nothing new under the sun. Now I want to go back. You're always saying Bert, I want to go back. Bert's making his first day back this week, so I'm going to go back. Notice this? It's a covenant of peace. Alex. This is it. Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace. This is God. He's the only one that can bring this about in anyone's life is his peace. I heard someone talk about it today. Janet and I were talking about it. We've got a. A God sized hole in our lives that only God can fill. Nothing else can fill it. Solomon tried it in Ecclesiastes, and it was vanity. It was empty. Only God. If you're trying to fill it with immorality, if you're trying to fill it with power, I just want to tell you the only way you're going to have this is the covenant of peace. And that's the covenant with God through Jesus Christ.

Alex: Numbers begins with a census and it gets close to end

The other thing I wanted, it gives precise who these were. And you've mentioned them there in verse 18. But Zimri, the son of Zulu. But notice a leader of his father's house among the Simeonites. Now listen to the woman. And the name of a Midianite woman who was called Cosby. The daughter of Zur was head of a people of a father's house in Midian. Now, here's. What is the possibility, Alex, they being who they were? Okay? We're, we're privileged. you know, this is who I am. This is what I have. you know, we're above that. We, we're not. We don't have to succumb ourselves to what other people put themselves under. You know, I've been enlightened, I've been woke. I don't go by the old standards. No, I got new standards. Now. The gods, the God who gave us the Bible is the same God today as he was then. And he is loving and caring. That's the reason he talks about this covenant of peace. This is why he said that Phineas has turned back what I would have done in my zeal and not kill all of you again. Mercy and grace. And then looking at the leaders, Alex, there's no way that we're to put ourselves to the place where. Where we think because of our position, we're above obedience to the Savior. And, I heard Dr. Vance Havner, and you heard the sermon, I bet. A Home before dark.

>> Alex McFarland: Oh, yeah.

>> Bert Harper: And he was talking about how many men, even in leadership, pastors, who had served the Lord from young men all the way up until they got to a certain age, middle aged and above, and they had served the Lord. And they thought, well, man, I got it made. They let down their guard. And then they made horrible, horrible decisions, moral decisions, financial decisions, without consulting God. And so let me just share with everyone, stay with God. Guard your heart. Never let it go where you say. Well, I. That doesn't apply to me. Listen, we're to obey him. We're to come under his. His banner. His banner over us is love. And we need to march under his banner of obedience and faith and trust. Alex.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Amen. Well said. I can't add to that, for sure. verse 20. I'm sorry. Chapter 26. There's going to be another census in Israel. Be all right if we kind of segue into chapter 26?

>> Bert Harper: Go right ahead. We got about, two minutes, so I bet we can get it.

>> Alex McFarland: It came to pass after the plague that the Lord spake unto Moses and under Eleazar. And by the way, Eleazar, who's the son of Erin, it means God is helper. And then, of course, Phinehas was the son of Eliezer. But God tells them, take the sum S U m the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel from 20 years old and upward throughout their father's house and all that are able to go to war in Israel. And Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab, by Jordan, near Jericho. Now, David got reprimanded for taking a census. But here's the difference. God ordered this census. You know, they were taking inventory of the men that were able to go to war. this census was done in obedience. When. When David, years and years and years later, would take a census, it was really kind of to rest and relax in his thoughts of his own power and his own aggrandizement. But this census is of God.

>> Bert Harper: It really is. Numbers begins with a census and it gets close to the end and another census. But guess what? It's a new generation and they want to know what they have. Triple 858-9884. Give us a call. Some would say truth is relative and to the world.

>> Alex McFarland: That's right, what the world considers to be truth fluctuates depending on the narrative they're trying to promote. Of course, we know truth is found.

>> Bert Harper: In scripture, and it never changes. The documentary, the God who Speaks, proves.

>> Alex McFarland: The Bible's reliability as the source of real truth and reinforces our belief in.

>> Bert Harper: It as our firm foundation.

>> Alex McFarland: Watch it [email protected] that's stream.aca.net welcome back to Exploring the Word, Alex and Bert. Hey, the number, if you've got a Bible question, the number is 888-589-8840. And yesterday being Tuesday, we had prayer requests. And, as the show timed out at the end of our, our time, there were still several on hold. So if you still want to put in one of those prayer requests, that wouldn't hurt either. But it's triple 8589 8840. And, and by the way, you can always email questions in too, and that very often becomes content for a future show. But you may email us wordfr.net Finally, Bert, I've got the privilege. Tonight is one of those nights.

I will be guest hosting the Hamilton Amen later this evening

I'll be on the hamilton corner. So 6 o' clock eastern time, 5 o' clock central and so forth. I'm going to be on and talk about some of the legal and political goings on in our country today. But, later on this evening, I will be, guest hosting the Hamilton Amen.

>> Bert Harper: So y' all tune in. That's five o', clock, like say Central time. So, so be sure and do that now. That's drive time for a lot of people and, so there'll be a lot of folks listening.

Bert says spiritual warfare is real and Satan is real

Well, let's go to the phone lines and first of all, we'll go to Ohio and it's Will. Will, thank you for calling. Thanks for having me. Yes, sir, go right ahead.

>> Alex McFarland: Thank you.

>> Bert Harper: Appreciate y' all had a quick question about Deliverance, ministries and, in some Christian circles that's a bigger thing. There's a, you may be aware there's a host on AFR that has talked about it a little bit and,

>> Alex McFarland: I'm not denying power, of God's.

>> Bert Harper: Spirit to do that, but seems like Potential for abuse or getting out of balance a little bit. What's, what's yalls thoughts on that?

>> Alex McFarland: let me jump in here. Thank you for that question. I want to be very clear that spiritual warfare is real and Satan is real, and we don't take that lightly at all. And you know, the Bible talks about, I mentioned it earlier, like in James 4. 7, resist the devil and he will flee from you. And Ephesians 4. 27 says, not to give Satan any room in our lives. You know, don't give a foothold to the devil. And you know, at the name of Jesus, Satan must flee. So this is real. And, and I don't minimize that. The one thing, that I am a little bit careful about, Bert, is that the thing about deliverance, it can be kind of subjective. And let me say what I mean by that. And this is just me. But, I'm trying to give what I am giving based on several decades of ministry experience, sharing the gospel that's very objective. Believe on the name of the Son of God, be born again. very clear scripturally there. But I have had people come to me and maybe they felt depressed, or maybe they had, a family member that they were on the outs with, and they said, you know, Satan has a foothold. And I want you to, would you pray and cast out Satan? And believe me, I'm not afraid to pray in Jesus name and rebuke the devil. But the point is this. Sometimes Deliverance Ministries can be kind of gray and fuzzy and abstract. And now there have been a couple of times that I felt like I engaged someone who I thought was demon possessed. One was a witch in Virginia, and a couple of times in Africa. And we definitely were, you know, invoking the name of Jesus and rebuking the devil. But Bert, I guess my point is be, careful, folks. Not everything is the. The devil. Once I was going to preach and I had a flat tire and somebody said, the devil did that. And I said, well, no, I think I hit a nail. You know, I mean, you don't want to emphasize too much about the devil. I'd much prefer to emphasize Jesus, Bert. Do you see what I'm saying?

>> Bert Harper: I agree with you fully. I know that I've experienced that in messages when I do spiritual warfare, and I still do preach sermons that when I gave more emphasis to the enemy than I did the overcomer, I just want to tell you it wasn't good. Jesus is the one. But I do want to say James, chapter five, verses, 13, talking about praying for someone that he's sick. That's deliverance. You pray for them, but anoint him with oil. I believe that can be the Holy Spirit, but it may be, medicinal. But notice what it says first in 16. Confess your trespasses one another and pray for one another. I remember the story about Bertha Smith and the Culpeppers, in China, the shantung revival. And Ms. Culpepper was sick and they was going to have to come home and didn't really want to because God was doing some things. And I, you know, they were reading this passage in the Bible Book of James. So they got together and they decided they was going to do this and pray for her for deliverance from this illness. Deliverance. And so they got together and they prayed. Then somebody saw verse 16 about confessing your, trespasses and faults with one another, and they started doing that before they started praying for her. And let me just tell you, they never did get around to praying for her. And she got healed after they got through confessing their own sins. So look deep in your own heart before you start trying to do the other. But yes, pray and trust God and deliverance can come in different ways. Just let me tell you, it can become immediate. It also can come that which is gradually as God supports you. Yes, but I agree with Alex. A lot of bad, things can happen when you put too much emphasis on the enemy and the ailment than you do the Savior. Alex, I agree with you fully. Go to Oklahoma and talk to Kenny. Thank you, Kenny, for calling. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

A lot of preachers do not have the courage to say get children out

Alex and Bird, it's been a long time since I've spoken to you. Been a been a lot of eggs scrambled since I talked to you last. Alex, I thank God. Alex, I heard you here while do not have the courage.

>> Alex McFarland: You broke up a little bit. repeat that please. I'm sorry.

>> Bert Harper: Alex, I hear a while back I heard you say something and I thank God for it. A, ah, lot of preachers do not have the courage to say get your children out of the public schools. I heard you say that I thank God for it. we know that President Trump proclaimed that there's only two genders. Thank God. And then the Supreme Court. Thank God ruled correctly here a while back on the, on the case in Maryland for the parents, they voted correctly. Thank God for that. But I fear Alex and Bert and do you see this from all the news I'm getting the public school starting in kindergarten on up, they are ignoring President Trump. They are ignoring the Supreme Court. They are continuing to promote this LGBT perversion. Do you see that?

>> Alex McFarland: Oh, absolutely, absolutely. And, you know, let me say, my mother taught in public school for 28 years. My sister has for many decades, although she's retired now. I realize, let me just say this. I realized that there are Christians in public education. But in terms of parents, I call. I don't say public school anymore. I say government schools. Somebody said to me, said, the public schools are broken. I said, no, they're not. The public schools are doing just what they were designed to do, which is create secularists. Really. and so for Christian parents, please pray, look for either homeschooling, private schooling or Christian schooling. because really, as Martin Luther said, ah, I'll say this, and I'll get off my little soapbox. But, Bert, we're. We're in front of 1200 teenagers this summer, and we've been working with youth for a lot of years. honestly, what gets programmed into children in public schools definitely can have spiritual, negative repercussions. And I mean, all of this LGBTQ trans that. Bert, when, when young people are wedded to this idea of the LGBTQ trans worldview, it's almost like they've been inoculated against the Bible and to a large degree, public education. That is what they're all about these days.

>> Bert Harper: It is. And I thank God for those that are Christians, and I know them, they're in my family. They feel like they are agents of God behind enemy lines. Okay, so, we need to be praying for them. I'm not saying you shouldn't get your children out. I understand that, and there's some that can't and where they are, but I just want to say we've got. And they're listening to the radio. They listen on their way from school each day. They listen to Exploring the Word and their teachers. And they are there as God's agents behind enemy lines, doing what God would have them to do. So we pray for them. Let me do this. I'm going to drop this in anyway. I forgot to do it. When we did it, we talked about this about Christian, going to a homosexual so called wedding. Okay. Notice that you get the invitation. There are some invitations you don't need to keep. Here is one the children of Israel should have never kept in 25 to when the people were invited to come to the sacrifices of their gods to celebrate. Listen, there's times when say, no, I can't go there. I cannot Be there to celebrate that. So I just thought I'd throw that in Alex and. Right. Going to the next caller.

>> Alex McFarland: Sure, let's do it.

>> Bert Harper: Older in Texas. Older. Thank you for calling.

>> Alex McFarland: Hello.

>> Bert Harper: Go right ahead.

>> Alex McFarland: Hi. Yeah, I just was. Was saying that, in, the.

>> Bert Harper: The, story of King, David.

>> Alex McFarland: He slews Goliath and then he picks.

>> Bert Harper: Up Goliath's sword and he cuts Goliath's head off. That must have been a big sword. How did he do that? No, I mean, I'm sure it was supernatural. Okay. Old. That's good. Hey, we're going to hear more about that sword after that, don't we, Alex? Go ahead.

>> Alex McFarland: Absolutely.

Goliath was decapitated with the very weapon he was wielding against Israel

Do you know what? this is in 1st Samuel 17, and, it says that, Goliath of Gath had a helmet of brass, and he had this coat that weighed 5,000 shekels, which is 250 pounds. And he had a spear that was seven feet long. So no doubt his sword was, pretty heavy. But Goliath was decapitated with the. The very weapon he was wielding against the armies of Israel. Isn't that something?

>> Bert Harper: That is something.

>> Alex McFarland: Hey, in a similar way, Haman, who was the Hitler of the Old Testament, Haman built a gallows to kill Mordecai and the Jews. Yet who was hung on that very gallows? Haman himself.

>> Bert Harper: Amen. I love it when God turns things around and for good, and then he turns around those evil thoughts on the person had those evil thoughts. That's prayers in the Bible many times.

Jim Callahan: Let's go to Texas and talk to Jim

So let's go to Texas and talk to Jim. Jim, thank you for calling.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, thank you. And, can you hear me okay?

>> Bert Harper: Yes, sir. Go right ahead.

>> Alex McFarland: Okay, well, I'll be as brief as I can. back in the 70s, the Lord had me go to a college that was run by a group called.

>> Bert Harper: The Churches of Christ.

>> Alex McFarland: I don't know how familiar you are with them, but, they definitely don't.

>> Bert Harper: Believe the scriptural teaching on things like.

>> Alex McFarland: Grace and, security. And of course, they don't believe in the millennium. And I look back until recently wondering why. And now I know, because in the town where I'm at, he's opened so many doors, wonderful doors of opportunity to share the real gospel with this local congregation that I've been frequenting. And, so if you could just.

>> Bert Harper: Please trust God to speak through something.

>> Alex McFarland: That I'll share with them because they're so nice and friendly and devout. but, you know, I know I don't have to tell you that no one can come to the Lord unless God first draws them. And so for them, I'm asking that, And that God, will you continue using me and just let them see, you know, the real resurrection life that Jesus gives.

>> Bert Harper: Amen, Jim. Go ahead, Alex.

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, you know, I was way down east in eastern North Carolina, and there were some people from a Church of Christ, ah, Bible college down that way. And they came out and they. One of them said, we're not supposed to come and hear you, but we wanted to come and hear you preach. And I was glad they did. And so, I can't speak about the whole of. Of that. That camp, but, Bert, legalism and denial, or let me say selective obedience to the scripture, it never yields good fruit, does it?

>> Bert Harper: It does. Dr. Adrian Rogers. Have y'. All. We quoted him this week. Did y'. All? Let me get it. He said, there's two things you don't want to go to. Legalism and license either way. And it's in the middle with grace, obedience to him. And so that's where you want to stay with Christ all the way. Let's go to Oklahoma and talk to David. David, go. You hadn't got a lot of time. Go right ahead, man.

>> Alex McFarland: Okay, if I read the Bible, the.

>> Bert Harper: Order of Michel's deck comes up every once in a while.

>> Alex McFarland: I was wondering who. What is the order of Michael's deck, and who is Michael's the deck?

>> Bert Harper: Alex, you got a minute, to explain this big question that's been asked? Go ahead, man.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, this is in Genesis chapter 14, and it also gets referenced in, Psalm 110 that, and this is Jesus a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. And this is when Hebrews talks about this in Hebrews 7:17. You know, it's a reference to the Messiah. So now what was, you know, Melchizedek? Well, he was the king of Salem. This was a region that would later become Jerusalem. He represented, the most high God. He, basically validated, Abraham and Abraham's covenant. He received worship, he received tithes. So I guess what it means after the order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek was very pictorial of Christ who would come while Melchizedek was maybe the symbol or the image. Jesus was the incarnation and the authentic Savior. so Melchizedek is an Old Testament circumstance or person in a circumstance that points to the eventual arrival of Jesus.

>> Bert Harper: Let me add to that, you know, the. No one from Judah should have been a priest. So it wasn't after the priest of Erin. Levitical priest. It was after the order of Melchizedek, not the order of Erin. So he is our high priest. And he has that order not from Aaron's, but that of Melchizedek. Well, we'll see you tomorrow. Read ahead, chapter 26. Concentrate on the latter part of it and you will see God's blessing. The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.

Numbers 25:1-26:4: Israel's First Encounter with Baal