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>> Alex McFarland: 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 goes through Isaiah 58 and probably much of chapter 59
Welcome to Exploring the Word.
>> Alex McFarland: Cry aloud. Spare not. Lift up thy voice like a trumpet. And show my people their transgression and, and the house of Jacob their sins. Well, seems like every chapter of Isaiah just has very famous, well known verses. And Isaiah 58 is no different. And we welcome you to today's edition of Exploring the word. Alex McFarland here. And it's a special day. We're gonna go through Isaiah 58 and probably much of chapter 59 as well. Bert Harper is traveling and back with us today. You met him over Christmas and NewSong Year's. He was with us many, many times. Dylan Burroughs and, and Dylan, thanks for making time to be with us today on Exploring the Word.
>> Alex McFarland: Of course, Alex, Great to be with you and all our listeners today and looking forward to a great show together.
>> Alex McFarland: indeed.
Dylan is currently attending a pastor's conference in Virginia
And so, you're probably at your home in Tennessee, I would gather, correct?
>> Alex McFarland: Yes, we've been dealing with a little bit of crazy weather. Not as wild as some parts of the country with all the snow, apocalypse in the northeast and other places, but still a little cold for this time. And you're looking forward to some spring temperatures here soon?
>> Alex McFarland: Indeed. Well, I'm not too, too far from you. I am out right outside of Kingsport, Tennessee in a place called Weber City, Virginia, right on the Tennessee border. I'm at a church called Church on the way. Fantastic church. Dr. Tony Crisp is the pastor and we've all day, since about 11am Been having a pastor's conference. And it's been my privilege to teach apologetics and biblical worldview. We've been talking about some end time stuff. But folks, tonight 6:30pm I'll be doing the evening service here. It's a great honor. Church on the way. Weber City, Virginia, 6:30pm and I'll be talking about revival, what constitutes a biblical revival. And we just would love to meet you. I've met a number of pastors that have come away and so it's going to be great and I look forward to the service tonight. Dylan, are you in a pulpit anywhere either tonight or this weekend?
>> Alex McFarland: Not tonight, no. Looking forward to some opportunities in the near future. But glad to hear you close to where I am. Dr. Crisp is a friend from way back I know him from when he, was associated with Tennessee Temple University, when I've done some teaching there in the past. So shout out to him and all the ministry he's doing there. Good congregation. Great people. So glad you're there with them this week.
>> Alex McFarland: Indeed. Indeed.
Isaiah 58 talks about fasting that is pleasing to God
Well, we're in Isaiah, and of course, later on in the show, we'll take questions. But Isaiah 58, really, you know, we talk about fasting and prayer and the fast that, is pleasing to God. Verse 2 says, yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways as a nation that did righteousness and forsook not the ordinance of their God to they ask of me the ordinances of justice. They take delight in approaching to God. Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and God does not see. Wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou has taken no knowledge. Behold, in the day of your fast you find pleasure and exact all your labors. And what that really means is that, people are doing what they feel like they have to do. but the thing about it is God knows our heart. and we're not just to go through rituals or religious activities m fasting and praying and worship attendance. Those things are important. But, Dylan, it really is a matter of the heart that we've yielded to God, turned from sin, trusted in Christ. God knows our heart, doesn't he?
>> Alex McFarland: He does. And it's interesting that they emphasize fasting in this chapter, which is a very hard thing to do for those of you who are listening. If you've tried to go without food for an entire day or perhaps longer, it is not easy. And it makes me chuckle a little bit when I look here in verse three, where it talks about, you know, you do as you please. It talks about how they get frustrated and do things that are ungodly. And there is that temptation that when you're trying to do something to please the Lord, that you get frustrated in your humanness and do things that would be sinful in the process. And there's something that's called out here that it's not just about the religious practice of fasting or praying or doing the religious things that we're called to do. But there's more to it than that. And it's what you mentioned, Alex, this idea of the heart and that God sees the heart. In first, Samuel 16, where we're introduced to the story of David, who would become king of Israel, we're told that Samuel looked at the first, son of Jesse and thought he would be the king who would be anointed. But God quickly reminded him that humans look on the outside. God looks at the heart. He's not the one I've chosen. And ends up selecting David to be the one who's anointed as king over Israel, giving us an example of where we are to focus our hearts as well.
>> Alex McFarland: Well, indeed. And he talks about fasting to argue and fight and beat their fists and get their way. Verse 6 is interesting. Is not this the fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens and to let the oppressed go free, that you break every yoke. Now, the bottom line, you know, the Bible says pure religion undefiled before God is, you know, feed the hungry and visit the widows and the fatherless. It's not saying that works is what saves. But if a person is truly right with God, fruit will follow and good works will follow. And so just going. And Dylan, we know this even in the time of Jesus, that the Pharisees would fast and contort their faces, presumably to show anybody that could see, oh, look how spiritual that guy is. Oh, my goodness, he's torturing himself, you know, look how he's in pain. abstaining from food and such, let me say. to walk with Jesus closely and to seek the Lord and to really be able to pray and have God act. It's not for show. And we certainly don't do what we do for the observation or accolades of others. I really like the wording of, like, 6 and 7, the fast that God sees and will honor a, life of fruit and ministry and righteousness, helping people be set free in salvation. Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry that thou bring the poor that are cast out of thy house when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him, and thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh, then shall thy light break forth as the morning. And thine health shall spring forth speedily, says verse eight. And thy righteousness shall go before thee. The glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward. Or, you know, we say, oh, God's got your back, you know, God goes before you. His angels encamp around you. He's protecting you on all sides. and of course, verse nine and following, I'll let you comment on. But, religious machinations aside, God knows the state of our heart, doesn't he?
>> Alex McFarland: Oh, of course. And this emphasis here in verses 8 and 9, where it talks about, then your light will break forth like the dawn we see that spoken of about the Messiah earlier in Isaiah even, or talk about a light would come among you prophesying that, ah, the Messiah we would know as Jesus later on and NewSong Testament, that that's part of what this emphasizes. And this whole idea that we're to be Christlike or like God in our actions and humble our hearts before him is just as important or more important, the actual practice of fasting or practice of prayer itself. It's interesting to me that like you mentioned with the, the religious leaders in the time of Jesus, that he didn't condemn the fact that they were fasting. He condemned their attitude in fasting. It was that they were doing it with this, approach where they wanted people to see what they were doing, to draw attention themselves into their actions. And when they did it that way, they lost all benefit of seeking the Lord because they were doing it for self instead of for the Savior.
>> Alex McFarland: You know, Dylan, I've, often kind of pondered on, I believe It's Hosea, chapter eight, verses, 10 and 11. I'm digressing just a moment from Isaiah 58. but it says, ephraim and has made many altars, and those altars shall be unto him as sin. Now you say, well, wait a minute. I thought an altar was a good thing. Okay, a good thing is a bad thing if it keeps you from the best thing. Going to church is the right thing to do. But if you think that's what's going to get you right with God, then, then that is like a sin. you know, tithing is a good thing. Or maybe your family's been members of a church for years and years and years. But if you're counting on church membership to save you, that's like an idol. And when I think about this, Dylan, about the fasts that were for the wrong reason, it's like Ephraim's building altars to sin. So what does God want? Well, we have to realize that we're sinners. We can't save ourself. And Christ Jesus died and rose again to pay our sin debt. And we trust his work on the cross, not our work. Verse 10 of Going Back to Isaiah 58. If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall thy light rise in obscurity and thy darkness shall be his noonday. That's kind of a wordplay. when you're walking with God and you're in his will and all is well with your soul, then your Worst day is better than anybody's best day. That your darkness shall be as a noonday. And the Lord shall guide thee continually and satisfy thy soul in drought and make fat thy bones abundance there is. And thou shalt be like a watered garden, a spring of water whose waters fail. Not, water out in that desert area. I mean, this is life or death. And the idea of having unquenchable springs of water, what a promise that was. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places and shall raise up the foundations of many generations. And thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in. There's just something redemptive about the presence of God's people. rebuilding formerly broken down foundations, raising up generations of families.
Sometimes you'll see people complain about the church, and of course it's imperfect
God is the Savior, but the church, Dylan, everywhere Christianity has gone, there's been the betterment of the human condition. Hasn't there been?
>> Alex McFarland: Oh, of course. And sometimes you'll see people complain about the church, and of course it's not without its flaws. But if you look at the impact of the church over the past 2,000 years in the majority of hospitals around the world, ah, orphanages, humanitarian care, disaster relief, some of the top organizations in all those categories today are Christian organizations that are originated from local churches. So you cannot deny the impact of the church that is living out the actions that they are called to live out in the scriptures. So, we don't want to overstate the case that the church is perfect and without flaw, but we also don't want to belittle the church. This is the bride of Christ we're talking about. This is something we want to lift up. It's something that we want to emphasize as part of God's plan for our lives as believers in Jesus Christ. And a church is a group of people who not just gather for worship, but also serve in their community and around the world. And that's a key aspect that we see here in this passage of Isaiah 58, that we're talking about people fasting, people praying, but they're condemned because they're not doing the part that is talked about in verses 10 and so, and following about using their money, that they would spend on food to satisfy the needs of the oppressed and showing their light in the darkness and living out their faith in their community, and in many cases serving idols as we read about elsewhere in Isaiah. So it's a key aspect of our faith is to serve, and when we do so, it draws other people to the light. Of Christ that we see as well.
>> Alex McFarland: Dylan, I've heard somebody say that God's will is that wonderful thing that we would have wanted for ourself, if only we were wise enough to seek it. Verses 13 and 14 talk about delighting in. In God, delighting in his ways. And we'll talk more about that. This is Explore the word. Alex McFarland, Dylan Burrows, Isaiah. plus your calls and Bible questions after this brief break. Stay tuned. Exploring the Word is back after this.
>> : The AFR app is a powerful tool, but it does have limitations. You can't use it to change the oil in your vehicle or get rid of carpet stains. It won't walk the dog, won't pick up the dry cleaning or take the kids to practice. But while you're doing those things, you can listen to your favorite AFR content through the app on your phone, smart device, or Roku. Just go to your app store or visit afr.net Listen to AFR wherever you go with the AFR app.
>> Alex McFarland: Jesus, all
>> Alex McFarland: our sins and griefs to end.
Alex McFarland welcomes Dylan Burroughs to Exploring the Word
>> Alex McFarland: Welcome back to Exploring the word. Alex McFarland, longtime friend and frequent radio collaborator Dylan Burroughs is with us. We're going to wrap up Isaiah 58 here. Hey, I want to remind everybody, I'll be at the COVID this summer, the Billy Graham Training center in western North Carolina, July 17 through 19, teaching Daniel and Revelation. Then I'll be back July 27 through 31 with Gary Habermas, legendary apologist, expert on the resurrection. The website is thecove.org, t h e c o v e thecove.org and if you just put my name in the space Bar, Alex McFarland, you'll see the two seminars that, we're doing. It's been my joy. I give God all the glory. For 21 consecutive summers I've been to the COVID and that's such a great honor. And it's just grown and grown and people from all over America, Canada. last summer we had a family from India that came. And, you will not forget it. The food, the lodging, it's great. And best of all, we get to dig down deeply into the word of God. And so consider joining us this summer at the COVID And before we resume, Isaiah 58, Dylan, I want to say it's great to have you with us. for those that may be new to you and your work, tell everybody about, all that you do as a speaker and a writer, and, bring people up to speed on Dylan Burroughs, if you would.
>> Alex McFarland: Oh, sure. Well, you and I have ministered together on many occasions over the years, but my background is largely in writing and in editing. Done a lot of work on things like the apologetic study Bible for students as one of the editors there. Worked for several years with Dr. John Ankerberg doing apologetics as a writer and editor for their ministry. And so that's, that's really where my heart is. I teach as an adjunct instructor with Liberty University as well and help students in their faith journey there.
Many years ago God led me to start handwriting scripture as a devotional tool
And most recently you've talked about this before when we've been online. Is this crazy idea that God gave me years ago to handwrite scripture, which is a wild thing to think about in our day and age of doing everything digitally and not signing anything by hand except for your signature maybe on a receipt at a store. many years ago God led me to start handwriting scripture as a devotional tool. first, just to grow spiritually, but then to leave a legacy behind to each of my three children. So over the past 14 plus years have helped handwrite, scripture from Genesis 1 all the way to the end of Revelation. And it's been something that's transformed my approach to looking at scripture and living out the scriptures and highly, encourage that type of practice to have a hands on look at what the Bible will do in your life when you invest in it at that, at that level, thinking about it from the perspective of those who would have originally heard it and, and to just pause long enough to let God speak to you through His Spirit and through His Word in powerful new ways. It's been a powerful journey and a big part of my walk in recent years. So I appreciate you asking about it and even think about it as we're looking here at Isaiah today and then some of the things that people in generations past dealt with and the issues that we still wrestle with in our lives and our churches today.
>> Alex McFarland: I remember you were at our house in North Carolina one time and you had a couple of notebooks where you had been making one of your children a handwritten copy of the Bible. And I have to tell you, it was very convicting because, you know, I haven't written out the whole Bible by hand. you know, there are a lot of Christians haven't read the whole Bible, much less written it. So you're an amazing brother in the Lord and we are just grateful to have the friendship.
Dylan: Isaiah 58 is about yielding all to God
But folks, we're in Isaiah 58, the last two verses of Isaiah 58, some of the promises God makes to the people. As, as I read this, I'm reminded of mark's, Matthew 6:33. Matthew 6:33. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And all these other things will be added to you. It says if you turn away, if you turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day. So it's not saying turn away from the Sabbath, but the stuff you want to do that really isn't appropriate for the day you've sanctified for God and spending time with him. And call the Sabbath a delight. The holy of the Lord honorable and shall honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words. In other words, the. There's this day of the week that you have consecrated to meditate on the Lord. Pray, read his word, rest from work. I mean, truly taking a Sabbath. God says he's gonna bless you in that. Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord. And I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth. Feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. Dylan I was friends with Charlie Kirk, and, you may have known him personally as well, Charlie. And we did quite a number of things over the last five years. And we spoke to several hundred teenagers, in conjunction with the Republican, convention up in Milwaukee back in the summer of, 24. The thing is, Charlie, everywhere we would go, he would always give a message about truly taking a Sabbath off. And it was very convicting because I don't do much with downtime. And Charlie said, look, even on Sunday we go to church, but we're going to be like, watching TV or going water skiing at the lake or. I mean, even good, faithful Christians keep a pretty busy, busy, busy schedule. And Charlie Kirk, it was one of his soapboxes he would get on, but it was the right kind of soapbox. He would say, look, we are to take a Sabbath. And this thing of life being a continual sprint to the next thing, the next thing we're supposed to give our mind, our body and our heart rest, and we're supposed to show it to our children. And when I read Isaiah 58, 13 and 14, I think about that. I mean, Dylan, this is 750 years before the birth of Christ, and yet it's so relevant. God says, you know, take the Sabbath and don't do your own thing, and don't do what you plan to do, but really make it a Sabbath unto God. Now I'm not saying that we add to the Gospel is we're not Sabbatarians. But this thing, if something is set apart for God, it needs to be set apart for God. Our time, our abilities, the stewardship of our bodies. What I'm reading here, Dylan, is about really, really, yielding all to God. Not part way. But if we're going to say that we and our lives are committed to God, I mean, that really needs to be an authentic commitment.
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, that's very well said. I like to think about it from the perspective of the Jewish people. Think about when the Sabbath was first given in the Jewish law. It was right after they had become free from slavery for 400 years. No rest, no day, off, no take another job. If you don't like the job you have, you're forced to work day after day after day in bondage to Pharaoh and the Egyptians. So when they came out of that and they were given the Ten Commandments and the Sabbath was given that they had one weak not to work. That was such a significant cultural change and it had very strict enforcement during that time. There was a guy in the Old Testament Torah who was collecting firewood on the Sabbath and he was put to death for it. That's how strictly they enforced it. But here we were hundreds of years later and yet the religious leaders were breaking the Sabbath we read about in this chapter. They were not paying attention to the law at all or to the Ten Commandments at all in this regard. And God called them out on it. It's just like this area of fasting that if you or given God's command and you're not practicing it, or not even practicing it with the right heart attitude, God knows and he will call you to account for that. And it's, you know, very true that in our times calling to rest is often ignored and it can catch up with you if you avoid it for too long. And God gives us that for a reason. And here we're just told that if we find our joy in the Lord, he, will give us this time of rest. And also in the final verse of chapter 50, eight, it tells us that they would enjoy the, the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob. Talking about the promised land of Israel, which is still such a contentious point today, but is a major part of God's promises to the Jewish people.
>> Alex McFarland: Well, you know, and talking about the Sabbath, I mean, think about this, that for centuries observant Jews had kept the Sabbath. And in Fact, their standing with God was very much contingent on their faithful observance of the Sabbath. And yet, folks, is Jesus Christ really the savior? Yes. Matthew 12:8 and Mark 2:28, Jesus said that he was Lord of the Sabbath. That's an amazing thing. people ask, did Christ really claim to be deity or God incarnate? I mean, the Sabbath and the faithful observance of it was just deeply, deeply part of the Jewish identity. And Jesus said, you know, you know that Sabbath you've kept all these centuries, I am the Lord of the Sabbath. Matthew 12, 8, Mark 2:28, that, that alone is a powerful declaration of Christ's deity. But we get into Isaiah 50:59 again, very well known words. Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, neither is his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear. Wow, Dylan. Isaiah 59, verse 2 is. That's an evangelistic sermon all in itself. Sin is a serious thing. It's not a little thing. Sins have separated us from God. Now, praise the Lord, there's a resolution. But this alone should cause any thinking person to pause and say, oh, my goodness, have I dealt with the sin problem. That thing which is between me and Almighty God. I've got to face it and deal with it. Powerful evangelistic stuff here in the Old Testament, Book of Isaiah.
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, and that's well said. You think sometimes today there are people, even in church, you know, Christians who think, how far can I go until something is considered a sin? And we have this temptation of going as closely as we can to the edge and then, okay, you know, we want to know what that line is, to stop and go back. But the real attitude we're supposed to have is just to run from sin, to flee from immorality and specifically sexual immorality. We're told in the NewSong Testament that we flee because our sins separate us from God. And of course we're told part of the good news of the Gospel is that that separation can be bridged, that gap can be, made closed through the cross of Jesus Christ. So it's not a separation where we're doomed, for eternity apart from him, if we will turn to Jesus as our Savior to forgive our sins, to give us that cleansing, to remove the iniquities as it talks about in verse three. So yes, we are all guilty. We can't, pretend that we are, perfect, or even close to perfect. But we do know someone who is. And when we turn to him, have our sins forgiven, it should motivate us, give us a new joy for life. And we think about the scriptures that talk about the joy of the Lord as our strength, or First Peter one where it talks about, this unspeakable joy, the salvation of our souls. So there's a lot to be said about both the bad news of sin and also the good news of being forgiven from sin and how it changes us and restores us and gives us a purpose for life here today.
>> Alex McFarland: Amen.
We'll entertain any and all Bible questions after the break
Amen. You know, we've got a break in a few minutes, and then after the break, we'll be doing questions. I'm going to give the number. You might want to write this down. It's triple 858-98-80. That's 888-589-8840. And we'll entertain, any and all Bible questions. It doesn't just have to be about Isaiah 59 or 58, but, get ready for questions here in a few moments.
Rob Reiner and his wife were killed by their son last month
But as I read the next few verses about, hands being defiled with blood, fingers, that are stained with iniquity, lips that have spoken lies, a tongue that mutters perverseness. None calls for justice nor pleads for the truth. They trust in vanity and speak lies. They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity. Now, in the last couple of months, very sadly, there have been a couple of high profile homicides. the famous film director Rob Reiner, he and his wife were both killed by their son, their very son. Stabbed them to death. Or at least that's what he's accused of. Brutal. And that was in the news. And not too long after that, there was a little boy, kind of, I think might have been a middle schooler, 12 or 13, who shot and killed his father because his father took away his tablet, his screen, and made him go to bed. Now, I mean, this is violent and vile.
Dylan: A world without Christ is a world that fast unravels
All right, Verse five. These sinful people that have turned away from God says they hatch cockatrice eggs. Those are snake eggs. Vipers. Can you imagine having children siring children that turn out to be like snakes? This is very dangerous, isn't it? They weave the spider's web. He that eats of their eggs dies, and that which is crushed breaks out of a viper. Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works. Their works are works of iniquity. And the act of violence is in their hands, their feet run to evil. They make haste to shed innocent blood. The thoughts are thoughts of iniquity. Wasting and destruction are in their paths. Now, what am I saying here, Dylan, I'm going to throw it to you in a moment. But we are several generations into an America where people assumed, not all, but many assumed they could do life, have success, raise children. They don't need so much church. They thought, a little bit of spirituality, but not anything too rigid. we can work and engage in commerce, but we don't really need morality or God. It's like indigent, naked, dangerous. Dylan, a world without Christ is a world that fast unravels. Well, stay tuned, folks. We've got a break and then your call with more Exploring the Word after this.
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>> Alex McFarland: My faith don't flinch at your rat devil Gon. Get off of my shoulder. You thought you had the last laugh. You thought this song was over. You ain't my king though.
What is revival and can we experience one in our times
Welcome back to Exploring the Word. Oh, we're having a great day on the program. Dylan Burrow is sitting in for Bert Harper and Alex and then also on the board, as always, Brent Austin. And, Brent is going to help, with the calls again, by the way, I am in Weber City, Virginia, which is not too, too far from Kingsport, Tennessee. church on the way. It's just a fantastic, state of the art facility. 6:30pm Tonight I'm going to be preaching about revival. What is revival? And can we experience one in our times? And if you're in this part of the world, we surely would love to meet you. And, so Brent Austin, you've. You're helping us there on the board. I am. M. who do we have that has called in?
>> Alex McFarland: Okay, let's go to David in Louisiana. David, you're on the air. Hello, David?
>> Caroline: Yes, yes, go ahead.
>> Alex McFarland: You're on the air. Go ahead, you're on the air.
>> Caroline: I lost a connection. I don't have Alex on. I can't hear him. I can hear you, but I can't hear.
>> Alex McFarland: Go ahead. Sir, you're on the air. What's your question?
>> Caroline: Hi, Alex, can you hear me?
>> Alex McFarland: Yes, yes.
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, he.
>> Caroline: Well, I can't hear them, though.
>> Alex McFarland: Okay, what's going to ask your question, sir? They can hear you.
>> Alex McFarland: Go. Yeah, yeah, we'll. We'll get the question on the air.
>> Caroline: Okay, that's fine. Hey, Yeah, the reason I'm calling is, it's just a little story. late last year I bought a little figurine from a religious, religious store. And it's a. It's a little figurine of a stone grinder, a little knife sharpener. His name was Silvanus. And it came with a story of this. Silvanus lived, during the, birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. And, it goes on to that, when the Persian kings, came, upon the birth of Jesus, that, one of the kings had his knife sharpened or his dagger sharpened by Silvanus. And, Silvanus so intrigued that, he looked up into the night sky and he joined the shepherds and he was present at the gift giving of the Persian kings and the, on the. At the birth of Jesus. Now my story is. I'm reading, first Thessalonians, and, First Thessalonians, verse one, says I, Paul and Silas, also known as Sylvanus. Now here I am questioning, could this or is there any, research done that could this possibly be the same person?
>> Alex McFarland: Hey, great question, Great question. You know, this is one of those things where, we just don't know. Silas and Silvanus are the same person. Now, was it the person of lore and legend who sharpened one of the knives carried by one of the magi? Dylan, I just don't think we could definitively know. But I have to tell you, I love church history. I think when we get to heaven, we're going to find out a lot of the biblical history. Yeah, it really was true. was this the same Sylvanus? I don't know. And I've never seen anything definitive that could tell us. But it's fun to think about and Ponder. Do you know anything more beyond that, Dylan?
>> Alex McFarland: No. I mean, there's the Silas in the NewSong Testament that we read about is one of the co writers of Paul. but then there's in church tradition, there's also a Sylvanus who's part of like Eastern Orthodox tradition, who's supposed to be one of the seventy disciples that Jesus sent out. And that part, there's no way to confirm whether that's true or not. So whether that's accurate or whether it's simply tradition that was later developed, we don't know for certain. but there are two different people who are mentioned in church history under this name. One is the Sylvanus or Silas from the NewSong Testament, and then one is more from the church traditions that we have later on.
>> Alex McFarland: Excellent. Well, Brent, who's next?
William in Ohio has some concerns about deliverance ministry
>> Alex McFarland: All right, let's go to William in Ohio. William, thank you for calling.
>> Caroline: Hi, gentlemen. Thanks for having me. I appreciate your ministry.
>> Alex McFarland: Thank you.
>> Caroline: The question about. Not sure if you've had this question in a while or just kind of had some concerns about it, but, as far as deliverance ministry, now, what's the, biblical, safe, biblical way to consider that as far as you hear about deliverance ministries, was that just for the apostolic, time Jesus gave his apostles, you know, authority to cast out demons. And I know there's, in some areas of Christendom, there's, there's more of an emphasis on that type of stuff. It just kind of concerns me a little bit as far as what, how we should be, considering that.
>> Alex McFarland: Let me step in on this. This is a great question. for one thing, I do believe that, in the name of Jesus, we have authority, and we can, call out the darkness and speak against Satan, in the name of Jesus. And of course, Second Corinthians 10 talks about the fact that we, are not fighting flesh and blood, but the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but beautiful folks. Second Corinthians 10, 3, 5. We have divine power to destroy strongholds. In other words, the places where Satan has his clutches into the lives of people. and there in, Matthew 10:8, when Christ was commissioning his disciples, he said, go, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. All right, here's my position. And Dylan, you feel free to agree or disagree. I think we need to be balanced. We don't have to be paranoid or morbidly fearful of Satan, but I don't think we need to go looking for him either. Now I have. I have met people that I felt like were demon oppressed. One or two, I think might have been demon possessed. but in the NewSong Testament era, they would lay hands on. For one thing, there has to be, I think, on the part of the person, a desire to be delivered. And it's not like we just go, I guess, preemptively looking for the devil under every bush. there's got to be a balance. there have been, you know, I've had people ask me to pray for some darkness to be eliminated from their house. And, I know you don't hear that much about that these days, but. Dylan, do you see I'm trying to balance that. We do have authority in Jesus name, but, I have met people that I feel like had a little too much of an emphasis on zealously trying to find the devil so they could fight him. I guess I would just say be careful.
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, There is, definitely need for a word of caution there, because we do see Jesus cast out demons. His disciples did. Other people in the NewSong Testament did. So it is a real thing. The question of. Comes to mind is what does that mean for us today? Do people still do that? Do people need to have a ministry to do that? I would say there are certainly still times where people are possessed by demons or, or oppressed by demons like you're talking about. So those of us who are believers can rely on God's spirit to pray against those things. But to say that we need to have a deliverance ministry or to go out of our way to. To build up some kind of, you know, organization around that or some kind of work around that is certainly going a little too far. Even in the NewSong Testament, that was a fairly rare thing. So I, would certainly caution against a deliverance ministry, but at the same time, acknowledge that there are oppressed and possessed people, still today. And that when we pray in Jesus name and in the power of the Spirit, that can change the lives of those who are impacted by them. Indeed.
>> Alex McFarland: Brent, who's next?
Alex and Dylan say God always hears our call for salvation
>> Alex McFarland: All right, let's go to Dick in North Carolina. Dick, you're on with, Alex and Dylan.
>> Alex McFarland: Thank you.
>> Caroline: Thank you very much. My question is on Isaiah 59 and 2. I know so many m. People who believe that God, on the basis of that one verse, God will not hear the prayer of an unsaved person. Alex, do you believe that?
>> Alex McFarland: I believe God, for one thing, because God is omniscient. He knows everything. God hears every prayer now. He's not necessarily obligated to answer the prayers of those that aren't his children. But I really do believe the one prayer that God will always hear is the cry to be saved. And I base that on a number of scriptures, not the least of which is John 6. 37, where Christ said, the one who comes to me, I will in no way reject. Isn't that something? So for one thing, the Lord save me. Jesus, son of God, have mercy on me. Dylan, I do believe because the Bible, like we were in Isaiah 55, whosoever will may take of the water of life freely. Whosoever will may come. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13. So I think the salvation prayer, God will always answer in the affirmative. Now, other prayers, God knows of it, God hears it, but he's not necessarily obligated to answer for someone who's not his child. but Dylan, what do you say?
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, you're right that God certainly hears everything because he's all knowing. But at the same time, he talks about hearing in the sense of responding. And in this Context, in Isaiah 59, it talks about him hiding his face from you so that he will not hear. Because these people were trying to do religious practices, but had a. An evil heart or evil intent, and they weren't living according to God's ways. And that's something we should still expect today. We can't come to God with our request and our desires, say, God, do this and that for me when we're living in sin and not seeking to truly live for the Lord. And Alex pointed out that God always hears our call for salvation. He always hears the prayers of those who sincerely desire him. But he's not obligated to respond to your requests when you're living in sin and seeking self over the Lord's desires for your life. So, great question, and appreciate it.
>> Alex McFarland: Brent, what's next?
Let's go to Gary in Arkansas. Gary, can you hear us
>> Alex McFarland: All right, let's go to Gary in Arkansas. Gary, you're on the air.
>> Caroline: Hello, guys. Thanks for taking my call.
>> Alex McFarland: Well, thank you.
>> Caroline: Can you hear me?
>> Alex McFarland: Yes.
>> Caroline: Yeah.
Dylan says predestination should not be understood as salvation
my question is, predestination, and also in Revelations, about God. Block your name out of the book alive.
>> Alex McFarland: Great question, great question. well, let me say what, based on all the scriptures relative to salvation, let me say what I don't think it means. I don't think it means that God predestines some people to go to hell and they have no recourse, no opportunity for salvation. I believe that obviously not Everybody accepts Christ. There are people that reject the truth they've been shown. But predestination should not be understood. I believe in terms of double election, that some are elected to heaven and some are irrevocably, without any hope or help, elected to hell. Now, what it does mean, in the time of the Reformation, they talked about a lot of concepts, one of which was eternal security and the perseverance of the saints. It says that we are predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ. So I think, Dylan, what we really need to, at least one nuance of this is understand that if a person is born again, they are secure in Christ, they will one day get a glorified body, and, the truly saved person will remain so. And predestination. While so many talk about election, I think really it's, you know, Romans 8:29, predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ. I think it's more about eternal security of the believer, not the, unelect going to hell by God's decree. one last thing, and I'll throw it to Dylan. It's called decretal theology, that some are saved, some are lost by God's decree. Now, God has decreed that you must be born again, and that's true. But God has also decreed that whosoever will may come. So predestination is about the believer one day getting that glorified body being fully conformed to the image of Jesus. But, Dylan, what. What say you?
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, I always go back to John 3:16, where Jesus is very clear that whosoever believes will not perish but have everlasting life. The limitation is not on God. The limitation is on whether we respond to God. Otherwise, why would Jesus send out his disciples and all of us as believers to take the gospel to the ends of the ear? Well, it's because there are people who are going to respond and believe. So there's that example you see in the Old Testament of, Pharaoh hardening his heart. And then other times, God saying he's hardening Pharaoh's heart. Well, both are true. That Pharaoh made his choice, and then God was, understanding and included that as part of his plan for God's people. So nobody will have the excuse that God didn't choose me or predestined me. Predestined me. It'll always be because we've decided to reject the Lord if we're not with him for eternity.
Dylan Burroughs says people take God's name in vain
>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Brent, do you think we can get one more question in.
>> Alex McFarland: Yes. Let's go to Shari from North Carolina. Shari, what's your question?
>> Alex McFarland: Yes, I think I've heard Alex speak
>> Alex McFarland: of this before about people using like,
>> Alex McFarland: omg and that's like taking God's name in vain.
>> Caroline: M. I just wanted to know how
>> Alex McFarland: to better explain it to somebody because they don't. They don't think, yeah, we are supposed to reverence the name of God. And I know that. and folks, I don't even like to, really talk too much about this, but people think taking the Lord's name in vain is GD which we should never say that. But I think people throw around God's name irreverently and, taking God, putting God's name in a shorthand emoji. Omg. M. You know, that was great pizza. Omg. M. I think we need to have a little more reverence for our maker and Savior. Don't you, Dylan?
>> Alex McFarland: Yes. And the Jewish people wouldn't even say the special name for the Lord because they didn't not want to disrespect his name. That's how much reverence they had for the Lord. And of course, we are to have that kind of reverence as well, whether it's simply refraining from some of the examples you've given it or else.
>> Alex McFarland: Folks, thanks for listening. Dylan Burroughs, thanks for being with us. Brent Austin running the board and, all the listeners, we appreciate it. We're going to be back tomorrow with more from Isaiah on Exploring the Word. Tell somebody about the show but me.
>> : Tell.
>> Alex McFarland: Tell everybody about Jesus. The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.
