Bibleline Radio Show – 2009-06-02

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So cherish the old God and God Till my true peace and last night, may God Welcome Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Hank Lindstrom, a ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, declaring God’s love through radio and the internet, providing real answers to whenever searching world. To reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep Bibleline on the air in your community, dial toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. Thanks for joining us here today. This is Tom Perry for Bibleline Ministries. You are just in time to hear Dr.

Hank Lindstrom’s teaching series on the Book of Revelation. We pray that Bibleline will be glorifying to God as well as edifying to you. Through Bibleline’s combination of teachings from the Word of God and real life questions With answers taken straight from the Bible, we are continuing Dr. Lindstrom’s ministry of spreading the good news of salvation throughout the world, salvation through simply trusting Jesus Christ alone as your Savior. If you have not yet trusted Jesus, we encourage you to do so.

Please visit our website at BibleLineMinistries.org for information that can change your eternity. pray that you will come to trust Jesus as your Savior and be saved to the glory of God. We hope that you’ll plan to open your Bible and join us for this verse by verse study of the book of Revelation. You might be familiar with some of the favorite topics from the book of Revelation, such as the messages to the seven churches, the seven trumpets, and the new heavens and the new earth.

Throughout this series, these topics and more will be explored. Please tell your friends and family about Bibleline. If Bibleline is not being broadcast in their area, then ask them to visit our website at BibleLineMinistries.org. Have you missed some of the teachings in this series? Then call our Resource Center at 1-800-576-3771. Now please open your Bible to the Book of Revelation chapter 3 and join us as we begin Dr. Lynchtt’s teaching for today. The Bible says be found in Christ.

How do you get in Christ? Well, in Philippians 3 and 9 says be found in Christ by faith. So when you trust Christ, you’re found in Christ. When you trust Christ, Christ is found in you. Those are consequences. But to ask a lost person to do a consequence################################ to be saved is getting it all backwards. Absolutely backwards. Amazing. But again, that’s very popular today. You’ll hear most preachers using this thing. God is knocking at your heart’s door and He wants you to invite Him into your life and will you invite Christ in your life?”

But the problem is that it just goes on and gets worse and worse and worse. Bill Bright, who’s, I guess, getting near death now, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, says in one of his books, there’s a throne inside your heart. I’m going to add a little bit more. And on the throne is yourself or ego. And in order to be saved, you have to step off of the throne of your life and invite Christ to come in as the Lord of your life.

That’s what we call lordship salvation, where you have to write from the beginnings the side you’re gonna live for Christ to be saved. It’s works. It’s a false message. I call their pamphlet, The Four Spiritual Laws. And I guess they call it The Four Spiritual Laws. But it’s works for salvation if you read it carefully. And Bill Bright says in his book, Christ will not enter your life or your heart as a guest. He will only come in as Lord and Master.

And unless you step down from the throne of your life and invite Jesus to come in and take over your life, you cannot be saved. You won’t come in. Isn’t that amazing? So you know, I go off from the beginning here to say it’s wrong to invite Christ in your life or in your heart to be saved. But then they go on and add more wrong and make it a terrible, terrible, false message. And that’s a big international ministry.

Campus crusade for Christ, Bill Bright, and his four spiritual flaws. But everybody says, well it’s a big organization, it has to be right. Or he’s well known, he has to be right. I’m just saying that these people are wrong, and the Bible is right. And you have to be discerning and willing to say, the Bible doesn’t teach this, the Bible doesn’t say that. And we’re to go by the Bible. What do you think it means here? When it says keep my word.

That doesn’t mean pervert my word, it means keep my word. But a lot of today what we have is a perversion of God’s Word where they changed the doctrine and then they try to make the Bible fit a false doctrine and it just didn’t there. So anyway, this is not a salvation verse. It’s a Christian life verse. It is Christ standing at the door of the Church of Laodicea and any fellowship saying, do you have any time for me?

Can I be included in your activities and your plans? When you make decisions, do you consult me as the counselor? Do you allow me to be a part of what’s happening in your life? Or are you running your life without me? And you don’t seem to need my help. And I’m outside looking in and wishing that you’d allow me to sit down with you and have supper with you. Supper was a meal where in the Bible they would take a lot of time.

And that’s when everybody talked and shared. And when you read in John’s Gospel about the Lord’s Supper, almost five chapters are devoted to what was said there. Chapters 13 through 18 of John’s Gospel are all about what happened the night of Christ having the last supper with his disciples. A great portion of the Gospel of John is all devoted to the conversation that occurred that night. And they were sitting at dinner. reading the Passover and they were fellowshipping and talking and Christ shared with them what was going to happen and what would happen to them and he said to my Father’s house there are many mansions that if it weren’t so I would have told you I go to prepare place for you.

If I go and prepare a place for you I’ll come again I’ll receive you unto myself that where I am there may be also and he goes on and on and he’s explaining and all that happened at the Lord’s Supper. Christ says I’d like to have supper with you. Wouldn’t it be something if we could go back and sit at that supper and hear all those words that Christ spoke, which perhaps not all of them were recorded in Scripture.

But we have chapter after chapter that does record what he says. Wouldn’t it be nice to go back and sit down and have fellowship with Christ and sit it as supper and just in that casual, close, intimate environment, just have conversation? And the way God speaks to us is through His word. We speak to Him through prayer and are we leaving that out of our Christian life? And I think a lot of Christians do. They’re busy. It’s a fast world.

Everything’s got to be done now. Quick, quick, quick, quick, quick, quick, run, run, run, run. And we have to just say, I have to take time to stop and pause and reflect and let God talk to me through His Word. And include Him in my decision-making process and ask Him, is this the direction you want me to go? And what do you want out of me in my life? And am I needing to change some things? I need to change direction and is there some things that I am not doing that I ought to be doing and so on and That’s what it’s all about Verse 21 says to him that overcome it again.

That’s the believer Well, I grant to sit with me in my throne Hey, even as I also overcame and I’m set down with my father in history Wow, I Guess the closest they own his life the equivalent would be I guess to sit down in the Oval Office with the president where the seat of power of the most powerful man in the world today, the president of the United States, sits and makes decisions that affect our country and other people around the world.

What a place to sit and think of what happens there affects everybody in our country and everybody in the world and those decisions that are made there are quite incredible. But a greater throne, a greater position or place of power is the power is the throne of God. And apparently the Bible says we’re going to get a chance to climb up in on that throne with Him and sit with Him. Can you imagine, as God runs the universe, if there’s a power center, a command center, a control center, we’ll get a chance to sit up there and see what it’s like as God runs the universe.

That’s quite a privilege. Very few people get to sit in the Oval Office while the president is in there and only a select group. And yet every believer will get a chance to sit in God’s throne. That’s the promise of the overcomer, if you’re a believer. Well, can you imagine we’re going to get a chance to experience what it’s like to be that close and that intimate with the very Creator and God who runs the universe to be invited to sit down with Him and enjoy what He does in His creation and the power of the that he has that will be a part of that.

Well, it says if you have ears to hear, listen up, the Holy Spirit is saying that to you and me. Chapter four, here we go. After this I looked and behold, a door was opened in heaven. From this point on, we’re not gonna find the church mentioned anymore in the book of Revelation because we believe chapter four verse one is a picture of the rapture. And so the church is caught up and now we’re gonna be talking about the things that happened when the church age concludes, which it’s concluded at the rapture.

And so we find here the third division of the book of Revelation. Look at the last phrase. I’ll show the things which must be what? Hereafter, do you remember when we started? Revelation chapter 1 verse 19, write the things which thou hast seen past chapter 1. Write the things which are present, chapters 2 and 3. Write the things which shall be hereafter. John was told. Here is the third division. And this is the things that are future. From chapter 4 to chapter 19, we have the tribulation period dissected for us.

And so anywhere between chapter 4 verse 1 and the last verse in chapter 19, you’re in the tribulation. Chapter 20 is about the millennium. Chapter 21 and 22 about eternity and that is basically how the book of Revelation breaks down. We can go home now. No. Verse 1, after this I looked and behold a door was opened in heaven. The first voice which I heard was as a word of a trumpet talking with me. What voice was that John heard it in chapter 1?

It was Jesus. He turned and he saw one like unto the Son of Man. Notice it says, he says, come up hither. That’s the rapture. Symbolically, John is now caught up, a picture of the rapture. The church is no longer mentioned in the book of Revelation. I believe a clear picture that we’re not going to be here for the tribulation period. And notice he says, I’ll show you things which must be hereafter. So immediately it says in verse 2, I was in the Spirit and behold, a throne was set in heaven and one sat on the throne.

So all of a sudden we’re now taking up to heaven and we see the throne of God. Now what you’re gonna see happening in the next chapters is how the way will be prepared in heaven and also on earth for Jesus Christ to come back and take over this planet away from Satan. Thank you for joining us. You were listening to Bibleline with your host, Dr. Hank Lindstrom. Bibleline is a teaching ministry that is dedicated to reaching out to people with the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

There are many resources available at Bibleline, such as Dr. Lindstrom’s DVD teachings on the topics of Repentance, Faith Without Works, and the Rapture. In addition to many others, please contact our Resource Center at 1-800-576-3771. Now please join us for a segment featuring Dr. Lynchroom answering questions from callers. We now have Greg in Lakeland, Florida and Greg, welcome to Bibleline you’re on the year. I’ve got a, kind of two questions about the same thing. The other day I was listening to the radio and there’s a pastor and he was saying I don’t know where they get this stuff.

Maybe he can help me understand where they get it. he says that uh… the word believe in the penises used in scriptures has to do with an ongoing belief throughout your life in other words he said that if uh… he goes even believe that the senate’s prayer that is there it necessarily saves you but that your whole life of the senate’s prayer and therefore you must keep believing i don’t understand what he’s wrong actually actually what it is is that the consequences of your belief are ongoing forever In other words, when you believe, you are saved at that moment, like John 3 16 says you have, which is present tense, everlasting life at the moment you believe.

And so the consequences of your belief is eternal. You have eternal life. And it’s not that you have to continue to believe to be saved, which would be a work and it means that you had to continue to be faithful to believe. But it’s the fact that you once, when you believe, become saved and the consequences are eternal. On 524 I love this one to end that whole argument. Jesus says, verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, number two, shall not come into condemnation.

Number three is passed from death unto life. So it’s quite clear that salvation occurs at a point in time by an act of faith and it’s done deal once you put your trust in Christ. Okay, good deal. Yeah, that’s what I believe too. I couldn’t figure out whether you’re getting this idea that in the 10th of the shoes of you, they feel that they should have some kind of proof to back that up. I mean, don’t, apparently, I don’t see it anywhere.

It’s certainly not true. And you know, wherever you look, for example, in Ephesians, and I love this passage in Ephesians 2 8, it reads, 4 by grace in the modern English, it should read, 4 by grace, you have been saved through faith. Paul writes to the Ephesian believers and tells them that they were already saved and they experienced that salvation at a prior time to his writing that letter. And as a consequence, he tells them that they’re citizens of heaven in verse 20 and can absolutely expect without a doubt to be in heaven one day in glory because of what Christ did for us at the cross.

So they were already saved. He didn’t say you’re being saved. He said, for by grace, you have been saved through faith. Right. Okay. And I’ve got a friend of mine who, who needs something explained and maybe you can help. First Corinthians chapter 15 verse 2, he seems to think that that’s what that’s implying is let me keep believing. I don’t think. No, no, no, no. What is saying there is that if you have believed in vain and there’s talking about in the context, the resurrection of Christ, if you read the context, there were those in Corinth that said there was no resurrection.

And so it says a little bit later that if There is no resurrection and Christ is not raised and if Christ is not raised Then our preaching is vain and your faith is vain So you’ve believed in vain if Jesus didn’t come back from the dead That’s the whole point But otherwise he’s assuring us that we haven’t believed in vain because Jesus indeed Rise again from the dead and Paul said I saw him and then he lists all the different appearances there or some of them where in one instance it says that 500 brethren saw Christ at one time after he came back from the dead and he said, if you want to go and inquire of them, most of them are still living as I write this letter to you of 1 Corinthians.

So they could have inquired of those people that were eyewitnesses that had seen Christ come back from the dead. So the whole point is he’s talking about the gospel and about how that if they believed the gospel they would be saved unless you have believed in vain. That is if Christ didn’t rise from the dead, then you have truly no salvation at all. Oh, okay. Okay, I see. All right. Yeah, that’s the simple way to explain it and I have thought of.

So, okay, I appreciate your answer. Hey, you’re welcome. Thank you, Greg, for calling in. That was Greg in Lakeland, Florida. We’re now going to go to George in Palm Beach Gardens and George. Welcome to Bible End. Good morning. Thank you. Please explain why fundamentalism has a bad name. Well, I think the media and others, like today, fundamentalism is attached now to anything that’s bad like the terrorist groups that are called fundamental Islamic. So that term is negative today and if you call yourself a fundamentalist Christian, that’s and negative.

And especially today with a lot of liberal and loose theology where people are willing to really cling to the fundamentals of the faith, the fundamentals of the Bible, they kind of laugh at a person who believes those fundamentals anymore, which is a shame. So I don’t like that term either because it’s being slammed today so much that many people get a negative feeling when they hear the word fundamentals. So I think Orthodox is a term maybe people would understand.

But in any case, if you believe the Bible, that’s what a fundamentalist is. And I think you can just say, I believe the Bible from cover to cover, which is what I believe. And I believe it’s all true that it’s the infallible, inspired Word of God given without error that we might have God’s mind concerning salvation and the Christian life and the future. And whatever God wants us to know, it’s right here in his word. So could I sum that up by saying that what you just said means that fundamentalism basically is not bad but it’s become a bad word or?

Exactly. We’ve been slammed with that word but it’s actually a good thing. I am a fundamentalist. I believe the fundamentals of the faith. I believe the fundamentals of the Bible. Yeah, I had a pastor when I lived up north who accused me of paying that and looked at me a little funny, you know. Well, don’t let about it. You becoming a fundamentalist. Well every early Christian was because they believed what the Bible taught. I mean the definition of a dictionary is clearly clear.

Oh yeah, it absolutely is. We’re just being slammed today and I think that’s a part of the bashing of Christians in this last time here. So if you get too excited about the Bible and begin to believe and proclaim what it says, you’re going to be ridiculed by somebody for sure. Thanks for your question. We now have George in Palm Beach Gardens and George walked from the Bible. Good morning and welcome back. Well thank you. Hey, I have a question, a lady called in, I don’t know how many days back and asked about the yellow skin agents.

And that brought up my question about Cush, the grandson of Noar. Cush in Hebrew meaning black. How would that come about? Do you have any idea? Well, you know, his sons went down to the south or to Africa and the sons of, I think, J. 5th went into Europe and the other sons became the people from which the Jews and the Arabs came from. But, you know, I think it would tower Babels where everything took place and although it doesn’t define it exactly, as that certainly God did change the languages and the nations were formed at that particular time.

And I think perhaps also he changed the skin color. But if you don’t believe that, then scientists will say because of the region where people lived, the climate, the sun, and so on, over a period of time are the reasons for the skin colors. And obviously, usually the darker skins are near the equator and the lighter skins are toward the polar regions. That’s not always the case, but we’ll have to wait a little bit to have it and find out the real answer.

Definitely, we’re all related back to Adam and Eve, and so we’re all members of the same race. Correct. Yes, and he made us in his image all of us absolutely so and God so loved the world that means all of mankind and That he gave Christ to die for all of us that whosoever any one of us in the human race can receive God’s wonderful Forgiveness in the gift of eternal life now you mentioned bable. Do you think we’re going back to a one-language world?

Well definitely I think you know the Bible says when we go back to Iraq, that’s when Christ will come back and we’re there and it seems like that English is that language and I believe the Antichrist comes out of this country and our language is probably the world language at the end times. You know it is the international language for pilots wherever you fly. Pilots have to communicate in English and then amazing. The worldwide web, the main language worldwide is English and so on and so on.

So English is the one and apparently we’re back in Iraq and this is where it all began where there was one world government. That seems to be the direction the world seems to be going. That’s what Satan wants to do is unite the world like he had once united before at the Tower of Babel. You know, Babel really means in Hebrew the gate of God and And that, they believe was the way to God through the religious system that they had.

And so we’re going to have a, we believe a world religious system and a world government and one world language. So I think so. Yes, I think we’re right there on top of it. Where is it? Uh, by will mention that about going back to Iraq. Well you know, it tells us in the Prophet Zakharaya and also in Daniel chapter two that But when the image that Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about would be completed, and that was this colossal image where the head was Babylon, the shoulders were the Medo-Persian Empire, the belly was the Grecian Empire, and the legs were Rome, and the tendos at the end were the nations of Europe combined with America taking over the Middle East.

And so basically it says that when the image was completed it would stand upright, and its feet which stand upon its base which is Babylon, that’s in Zechariah, forget the exact verse right now. So we’re back there, our feet are standing on our rack right now. And we believe that we’re the inform of the image that Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about which was a beautiful picture of Gentile world history for the past 2,500 years. And so we’re there, the image now has, it began with Babylon and spread out further and further and further till now it includes America and America and Europe together will encompass all of that territory that used to be Babylon as we’re taking over the Middle East.

And when that happens, of course, when we have our feet standing on Iraq, that’s the signal that we’re about ready to get out of here, the raptures around the corner. Thank you. You’re welcome and thank you for your call. We hope that you’re learning with us. As you listen to this question and answer segment featuring Dr. Hank Lindstrom, if you’d like to hear today’s program again, then please visit our website at BibleLineMinistries.org. There you’ll be able to replay today’s program in our audio archives as well as access other resources including a Bible search tool and flashcards in addition to many other resources in our online store.

It’s time for us to take a short break now. When we return, we will continue this question and answer segment and then hear more Bible Don’t go away, Bibleline will be back in a moment. To pledge your support for Bibleline, give us a call at 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. Most of the modern translations delete and change the text of the Bible and sometimes it is really, really to our detriment. In fact, sometimes the meaning is totally changed to the opposite of what the Bible is really saying.

That’s scary. One of the ones that’s out there is the new living translation. It seems like they did no research at all. They took the word repent every time it occurs and just took apparently a word processor and put in the phrase, turn from your sin. Turn from your sin every place that occurs. That’s totally wrong. Repentance is not turning from sin. The Greek word is metanoia and it means a change of mind. And when you repent, you change your mind about Christ and about how to be saved and about works for salvation and simply trust in the shed blood of Christ as the only means of your salvation.

Amazingly though, the English word repent does not mean the same thing, so it was a bad translation. And ever since preachers have been saying, turn from your sin, when if it had been translated correctly, it would be change your mind and that’s what’s required in salvation. In fact, when you trust Christ, you do change your mind. One of the great ways to remember what What this doctrine is all about is to know that you can repent without believing, but you cannot believe without repenting.

What did I just say? You can repent without believing. What does that mean? You can change your mind about Christ, about God, about salvation, and yet not trust Christ, not believe. But you cannot believe or trust Christ without having changed your mind from whatever you were previously trusting in. So biblical faith, biblical trust in Christ includes and implies that change of mind which is called repentance. You don’t have to use the word repent to be teaching repentance. In fact, if it were true that you had to use the word repent, then we might as well pitch out a lot of our Bible.

You know, the Gospel of John, the wonderful gospel track of God? People give out gospels of John expecting that people can read that and get saved. Guess how many times the word repent occurs in the Gospel of John? Zero! There is not one time does the word repent. You know, the Epistle to the Romans, the book of Romans in the New Testament, one of the great, great 16 chapter letters of Paul that just defines the Gospel is really all about what the Gospel is and is not.

Guess how many times the word repent occurs in the book of Romans. Once, amazing. So it’s not everywhere. But you know, the concept is there everywhere because in order to be saved, you have to change your mind from whatever you’re trusting in to trusting in Christ. And when you do that you have repented you have changed your mind. As a new believer just learning about repentance I would be amazed as I go to a church or I’d go to a crusade or a revival and the preacher would say repent of sin.

Which by the way the phrase repent of sin does not even occur in your Bible once. That’s right the phrase quote repent of sin unquote That phrase does not occur in your Bible. It’s not there. You would think it would be everywhere because you hear that phrase used so often, repent of sin. Well, it doesn’t make any sense if you know the true meaning of the word repent. I don’t know about you, but I always always taught that sin was wrong.

What about you? Well, if I were to repent of my sin, it would mean I would change my mind about my sin. And I would say, whoa, it must be wonderful. Where have I missed? No, of course not. That doesn’t make any sense, does it? Repent of sin would really mean change your mind about sin if you’ve been taught that it was wrong. You’d think it was wonderful. That’s crazy. That’s not the truth. In fact, the problem is that they use that phrase that doesn’t even occur in the Bible, UCH they manufacture, and then they define it as turning from your sin, which by the way is not something the Bible teaches.

Obviously, when they have a crusade and they tell the audience to come forward and repent of their sin, turn from their sin as they define it, they have the choir in the church or in the revival or in the crusade singing, just as I am, I come. Without one plea but that thy blood was shed for me. So the preacher says, turn from your sin and the choir says, no, don’t listen to him. Come just as you are. as I am, I come without one plea, but thy blood was shed for me.”

And then all of a sudden, the preacher says, don’t listen to the choir. I’m telling you, repent of your sin, turn from your sin if you want to be saved. They’re not on the same page. They’re not saying the same thing. If you had to turn from your sin to be saved, the choir ought to be singing some refrain or some song that said, turn from your sin. I could write it probably, turn, turn, turn, turn right now, turn or burn for sake or bake, or something along that line.

That isn’t what the Bible teaches. We’re going to rejoin stations that have been on break into the second half hour Bibleline. Would you like to help Bibleline continue in your area? You can! Just pick up your phone and dial 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. And now back to Bibleline. Welcome back from the break. We hope that you’re learning with us as you listen to Bibleline and hear real-life questions with scriptural answers from Dr. Hank Lindstrom. Please… Please make plans to join us and open your Bible as we also present in-depth studies covering a variety of biblical topics.

Now let’s return to our question and answer segment and then we’ll hear more Bible teaching from Dr. Hank Lindstrom. We’re going to go to Utica, New York. We have a cell phone call. He is right now waiting and we’re going to go to Utica, New York and talk to Michael. Welcome to Bibleline. You’re on the earth. Dr. Hagg, please come)| Yes, sir. I like you know if you can explain the acronym TULIP dealing with the fact that it’s not absolutely true to be saying that God is true to us.

Sure. Well, you know Calvinism, the five points of Calvinism are best memorized I guess by the acronym TULIP. T is standing for total depravity and that refers to the fact that we’re all sinners, but Calvinism goes further and says that we are spiritually dead, unable to recover ourselves from the fall in the garden, which is true, but they say that dead men cannot even believe. And so therefore they say that God has to choose those he’s gonna save, and then he gives them faith after he saves them as a consequence, and that’s not true.

The Bible teaches the order is you believe and then you become saved. But, dead men can believe, by the way, in John 5, verse 25, it says, Verily, Verily, Christ says, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. Well, that’s talking about those that are spiritually dead, people walking around alive just like you and me, but without Christ, and they can hear the Word of God, it brings life to a dead person.

They can then hear and respond to God’s word and trust Christ and be saved. So that is a point that I reject. So if you were to say, how many points of Calvinism do you embrace? I embrace none of them, except I do believe, of course, we’re depraved and we’re sinners and that we can’t save ourselves and we must be saved through Christ. But we believe that we can respond to the gospel and believe and be saved. The second one is unconditional election.

the youth for tulip is unconditional election and I believe that true we’re not saved on the basis of our works our church membership our behavior our obedience and so on but but they say that it’s not even based upon belief but what I want to say but wouldn’t I be choosing God wouldn’t it be a work no it’s not it is not and and let me give you two verses that you might want to write down that will, if you connect the dots, make that very clear.

In Romans 4, in verse 16, write this one down Michael because it’s a good one. It says, therefore, that’s talking about salvation here in Romans 4, therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace. Then you go to Romans 11, 6 and you connect the dots and it says over there, and if by grace, then it is no more of works. Otherwise grace is is a grace. So when you tie the two together, it reads like this, therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace.

Romans 11 and 6 says, if by grace, then it’s no more of works. Otherwise grace isn’t grace. By definition, grace excludes all works. And God says salvation is received by faith that it might be by grace. And grace is the absence of works. If it be of grace, it’s no more of works. Otherwise, grace isn’t grace. So if you tie those two together belief or trusting in Christ is not a work. And there are other verses that we could use to support that.

It’s really trusting in the finished work that God performed for us at the cross. So He did the work of salvation and when we believe or trust that He did that work on our behalf, then God saves us. I see. Well, you clear up a lot. Form it there because I’ve got this book called God’s back in the book that i’ve been and that’s what it teaches in this book well i think the book is wrong okay thank you very much back you’re very welcome thank you that was michael in newtica in the york We have Rick in Lutz, Florida and Rick welcome to Bibleline.

Good morning, Dr. Hank. Good morning. Your website took advantage of the MP3 download and everything and it’s very easy and you’ve got a lot of good things. People can read the Bible, strong corners, everything and your website is amazing. I just want to thank the Lord for that also. Well, thank you. You know we get thousands and thousands of hits every month from all over the world. 136 countries so far have logged in and we’re gonna But we’re talking about Australia, we’re talking about New Zealand, we’re talking about Papua New Guinea, we’re talking about Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, the islands of the Pacific, Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, South America, Central America, and of course all across North America.

We’re reaching out to the whole world on this internet and people can listen to our radio program on the internet 24 hours a day, seven days a week. is just a miracle of the technology of today. And thank you for saying that because our website really is, once people get a chance to jump around in there, they like to come back again and again. We’ve got a ton of stuff for you. A lot of good tools on there for studying the Bible.

My question is, and I’ve taken several classes with you, and I got hit by someone about trusting Christ being a work. And I know You had a verse that shows that or somewhere and I couldn’t find it and I like to take two verses and connect the dots and the first one is in Romans 4 verse 16 where it says and I’m turning there right now in my Bible, but Romans chapter 4 verse 16 says Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace Then if you connect that to Romans 11-6 later in the book of Romans, it says if by grace, then it is not of works.

Otherwise grace isn’t grace. So if you connect the dots there, it’s clearly telling us that it is by faith, that it might be by grace, and if it’s by grace, Romans 11-6, then it’s not of works. So if you connect your dots there, that’s a real nice clean presentation that faith is not a work because it’s by faith that it might be by grace and if it’s by grace then it’s not a works. So Romans 4 16 connect that with Romans 11 6 and you’ve got it.

Alright, well God bless you and thank you. Alright, and that was Rick in Lutz, Florida and that’s of course not too far from here. It’s a, I guess, like North Tampa. And right now we have John in Richmond, Virginia on the air. John, welcome to Bibleline. Yes, on the asker question about where did you find out? I hear you say yes or yes or yes, but do to be saved. The only way to be saved is to trust Christ that he died and shed his blood and was buried in rose again from the dead.

When you trust him, God saves you. Actually the word believe comes from a Greek word, pestul, P-I-S-T-E-U-O. And that word, if you look it up, means to trust, that’s the best English equivalent. It means to rely upon, to put your confidence in the rest your weight upon. So when you put your confidence in Christ, to rest your weight upon Him is the only means of your being able to interheaven you trust that He alone died and paid for your sin that by his death and shed blood and is the only means of your entrance into heaven God saves you.

Look how fine that indestructive. Well John 3 16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth that Greek word there translated believeth means to trust when you trust in him you’ll not perish because Christ perished in your place but you’ll have everlasting life. Then there’s dozens of verses that say the same thing, but that’s a great one the verse that who what?

He the belief within his baptize shall be saved, but he’s not talking about water there He’s talking about the spirit baptism that he Washes you or cleanses you of your sin by the spirit of God when you believe So when you believe you know there are ten baptisms taught in the New Testament We talked about this yesterday on the radio and most of them are dry and don’t involve a liquid at all. If you read the context of the book of Mark, in Mark 1 8, John the Baptist said, I indeed have baptized you with water, but he, Christ, shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

That’s the end of water and Mark. You don’t see water mentioned again. Then you have in the after the resurrection in chapter 16, Christ is the one who’s speaking and what does he baptize with? Not water, but the Holy Spirit. And he says, if you believe and you’re cleansed by the baptism that he baptizes with, then you’ll be saved, but it’s not water. Right. When you, well, there’s two things going on there. And that is that Christ died to pay for your sin.

And when you put your trust in it, you’re not going to be saved. And you’re not going to be saved. he did that, then God’s part is to wash you of your sin by the Spirit of God. And that happens in Christ as the one who baptizes or washes away your sin. It’s not by water, but it’s by the Spirit of God. But God, you get the Spirit. Absolutely. But that happens to every believer. It says in John 738 that Christ spoke of the Holy Spirit, that those which believe should receive.

So when you believe, you receive the Holy Spirit. That’s an automatic thing. He said you should receive. Well because it hadn’t happened yet. It was going to happen at Pentecost and this is said in John chapter 7 verse 38 and Pentecost didn’t occur until it’s not even mentioned in John’s gospel because you have Right through the resurrection and Christ then preaching after that But 50 days after the resurrection you pick up in the book of Acts and you see the Holy Spirit coming on that They’re Pentecost and every believer being indwalt with the Holy Spirit from the moment they believe in this age But the Holy Spirit came to end dwell believers permanently for the first time on Pentecost.

But every believer today has the Holy Spirit. John, you can get my series on CD on the Holy Spirit. I got 12 hours of teaching and we also have a wonderful book by Charles Ryrie. He’s a great Bible teacher called the Holy Spirit. Some of these will help you and of course the Scofield Bible, the notes are incredible that will also help you to learn more about the Holy Spirit and His role in our salvation. Sure do thank you for calling.

That was John in Richmond, Virginia. That wraps up today’s question and answer segment. As believers in Jesus, there is no other topic that is more important to us than the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it was Dr. Hank Lindstrom’s mission to spread the gospel. Through your prayers and ongoing financial support for Bibleline, you too can help spread the gospel of Christ throughout the world and reach others with the message of salvation through Jesus. Please, prayerfully consider supporting Bibleline by visiting our website at BibleLineMinistries.org and getting copies of any of our resources, such as Dr.

Lindstrom’s audio CDs on the books of John or Hebrews, plus many others. Join us now as we continue today’s teaching series from Dr. Hank Lindstrom. The way will be prepared in heaven and also on earth for Jesus Christ to come back and take over this planet away from Satan. And Christ will now become the ruler over this world as of the Second Coming. But here it outlines what will take place to pull that off. And we find first the scene takes place in heaven.

And we notice it says a throne, said in heaven, and one set upon the throne. He that set upon the throne was to look upon like a jasper stone. Most Bible scholars believe it’s a diamond. So can you imagine looking at the presence of God on the throne of God in heaven that it will be like looking at a diamond sparkling? And also a sardine stone, which is a red stone and perhaps a picture of redemption. It seems like there’s a red thread that ties the whole Bible together.

That’s a picture of redemption. Remember the rope that Rahab hung out the window of her apartment in Jericho. And that was a picture of salvation through the blood and how they spared Rahab because of her faith and her family. an interesting article this month in Israel, my glory, for the Friends of Israel. And they show how they have demonstrated that the walls fell down flat, just like the Bibles said that they did. And then the city was burnt. And they said, there’s three foot of ash in there from all the wooden temple that were built in all the buildings in Jericho.

And at the The northern end, there is a part that didn’t fall. Apparently, that’s where Ray have lived. It’s amazing how archaeology today is confirming the accuracy of the Bible. It just… He is a way of God saying, this book is mine. It’s true. It’s a historical record that really did happen. These events that we read about took place. And so here is God, a God who is the God of the universe. And he is a God of redemption.

One is provided salvation through the blood pictured perhaps here by that. Then there was a rainbow round about the throne in sight like unto an emerald. Now we know the rainbow we see has multi-colors, but this is a green emerald, one color. one color, and what do we know about the rainbow? Well, it’s a picture that God keeps his promise. It was a reminder to those after the flood that God would never, ever again flood the earth as He did in the days of Noah.

So when we look at the rainbow, it’s a reminder of God’s promise. And He made a promise then that He would never flood the earth, but He’s also made many, many promises, and notice this green emeralds, a picture of green is a picture of a life or a symbol of life that we’re going to live in the presence of the Lord and He’s going to keep all the promises that He’s made to you and me throughout the Scriptures. And so we have a promise keeping God.

He’s a promise keeper. And we can count on whatever promise that God has made, He’s going to deliver on that promise. Verse 4, around the throne we’re four and 20 seats. It should read thrones as Schofield points out in the margin. And upon the seats I saw four and 20 elders sitting clothed in white raiment. These are men who have been redeemed. as white Raymond is a picture of salvation, the garment of salvation, the righteous garment that you and I will also have because of what Christ did for us at the cross.

And notice they had on their heads crowns of gold. Who are these 24? Well 24 in the Bibles of number that means complete representation. And we know that when the priestly tribe of Levi grew beyond numbers, they divided the service of the priesthood in the 24 periods of time, gave every priest an opportunity to serve. Let’s try to identify the 24 elders. I believe we can go to chapter 21 and get a pretty good idea as to who they are.

24, complete representation. Let’s see if we don’t come up with a good answer here. In Revelation 21, page 1352, we see the New Jerusalem, which will be our heavenly home. It is the the city of the living God. It says in verse 12 of Revelation 21, the city had a great wall, great and high, 12 gates and at the gates 12 angels and names written there on which are the names of the 12 tribes of the children of Israel.

Isn’t it interesting that there are 12 gates into the heavenly city that you and I will one day enter and each one of them are named after a Jew. I love to tell people, if you want to go to heaven, you’re going to have to enter into a gate named after a Jew. And you’re going to have to trust in a Jewish Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, the only way to get in. And so I believe these twelve, the twelve patriarchs, the twelve sons of Jacob that became, when Jacob’s name was changed to Israel, the twelve sons of Israel, which became the twelve tribes of Israel, give us representation of all the Old Testament saints.

Now let’s move down. Verse 14, and the wall of the city had twelve foundations and in them the name of the twelve what? Apostles of the Lamb. So the twelve apostles would give us representation of all the New Testament believers, wouldn’t it? So we have all the Old Testament believers represented by the twelve patriarchs. We have all the New Testament saints represented by the twelve apostles, and those I believe are the twenty-four elders. They give us complete representation before the throne of God, of all the believers of the Old and New Testaments together.

Verse five, out of the throne, proceeds, we’re back in chapter four now, out of the throne preceded lightnings and thunderings and voices. What does that speak of? Judgment. God is about to bring judgment on the earth. And that judgment cannot occur until the bride is taken away. We’re going to be raptured out and then the judgment can occur. As long as we believers are here, God can’t judge the earth. You know, Lot and his family were a picture of that.

The angels told them that they couldn’t bring fire and judgment upon Sodom until they were taken away. And a picture of the rapture, Lot and his family escaped and then the judgment came. And what is withholding the judgment right now? is the Holy Spirit in us, the Restrainer has to be taken away, and when he did endreth is taken away, then we go, and then the judgment will come, and that’s what’s happening here. Then it says here, and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.

I told you we’d see that again, and we’ll see it again in a moment, but Isaiah 11 2 gives us the answer. I I believe it is the one and the same Holy Spirit in his fullness as Isaiah 11 2 says he’s the Spirit of the Lord, he’s the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of the Spirit of the mind, the Spirit of knowledge and so on in their seven. Things there that describe the one and same Holy Spirit. Verse 6, and before the throne there was a sea of glass, like unto crystal.

Can you imagine the floor that extends out from the throne is so vast it’s like a sea, and it’s also like crystal. If you have any crystal in your home, that’s a special glass, isn’t as quality as that are that make it sparkle. And can you imagine what this floor must look like? I get excited sometimes I see in the mall some of these floors that just gleam and they keep them polished so well and I said, wow, those are beautiful floors.

But there’s nothing able to be compared to the floor that extends from the throne of God. God’s throne and outward just like a sea of like crystal glass. We sing about it in different wonderful hymns that we sing as believers. And then in the midst of the throne and round about the throne were four beasts. No. I believe that kind of takes away from the meaning. But if you notice in the scope of it, it should read four living creatures, four living creatures like none other that exists in the universe.

And I believe these are the cherub. Cherub is singular. Cherubim, the I am ending, means plural. And there are four here that are about the throne of God. Now where some people get mixed up is when they classify cherub and cherub and then what we call the typical angel all in one category as angels, then we have angels with wings. But I don’t believe that these are angels. The word angel means messenger, and we’ve already seen in chapters 2 and 3, it’s applied to men.

Each of the letters are written under the angel, the church at Ephesus, the angel of the church at Smyrna, and it’s talking about there a man, the pastor, the elder of the church, who is called of angel. The The word means messenger. So in a broad sense, we are all messengers. And in that sense, Satan, who also was a cherub, is considered an angel because he’s a messenger of false information. He’s an angel of light, the Bible says. He brings false information.

So he’s a messenger. Thanks for listening to Bible I with Dr. Hank Lindstrom. We’d like to continue with Dr. Lindstrom’s teaching, but we are out of time for today. We hope that you’ve enjoyed today’s program and that you are learning from it. If you missed any part of today’s program or if you’d like to hear it again, please visit our website at BibleLineMinistries.org, where you can either listen to today’s program again or if you prefer, you can get the entire teaching series through our online store.

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Just visit our website at BibleLineMinistries.org and watch Dr. Lynch from 7 minute video that will greet you there. If you have already trusted Jesus as your Savior, then we encourage you to develop and strengthen the foundation of your Christian life by spending time reading your Bible and learning with us about God’s Word by listening to Bibleline. We’d like to say thank you to our audio team for their work on today’s program. Until next time, this has been Tom Perry for Bibleline Ministries.

We invite you to join us again for another edition of Bibleline and as Dr. Lynchroom would say, keep looking up, Jesus is coming. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a presentation of Bibleline Ministries of Tampa, Florida. regular monthly donations to Bibleline make it possible for this ministry to continue in your area and on the internet. Please contact us today and lend your prayerful and financial support. Bibleline’s address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Or visit Bibleline online at BibleLineMinistries.org.

Be sure to tune in to another edition of Bibleline from Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. If you had to turn from your sin to be saved, the choir ought to be singing some refrain or some song that said turn from your sin. I could write it probably. Turn, turn, turn, turn right now. Turn or burn for sake or bake or something along that line. But that isn’t what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that God so loved the world that every one of us were all sinners and that if we would simply believe or trust in Christ as our Savior as the one who died to pay for our sins that we would be saved and we would be saved in the eternally, and we are saved on the spot just as we are.

You know, in Romans chapter 5, it says, God commended His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5, 8. It’s really saying there that while we were in the act of sinning or in the state of sinning, Christ died for our sins. And we are saved by receiving that wonderful payment that Christ made at the cross for you and for me. Today we have so many different things that Satan is using to add works to salvation.

If you have to change your life or if you have to turn from your sin to be saved, that’s works. That’s contrary to the Bible. And the Bible says that you get saved and then God the Holy Spirit comes into your life and gives you the power to have victory over sin. But to tell the lost person, he has to stop sinning in order to be saved as a work for salvation That’s a false by the salvation. And I’m afraid he won’t be saved if you’re trusting in changing your life or your behavior.

All things are possible if you only believe. If you trust Christ, God will save you. He paid for your past, your present, your future sins. They’re all paid for. And you can receive the gift of eternal life at the moment you believe. And you’ll possess it forever the rafter. And by the way, if one person in all of history were ever lost after the out saved, Jesus would be a liar. the word of God would be wrong. He can’t be lost.

Because God keeps you saved. He says it in John 639, this is a Father’s will which has sent me to the Father which he had given me. I should not lose you. We don’t lose salvation. We’re kept by the power of God, 1 Peter 1, 5. And it is Christ who keeps you saved. So in order to be lost, you would have to incapacitate Christ. You’d have to overcome Christ. You’d have to be stronger than Christ. Christ is God.

He’s God had to go on the place. It’s impossible. Impossible. And those poor folks that believe you can lose it, I’m afraid don’t realize that they’re trusting in their works. And they won’t be saved. One of the best questions you could ask somebody is, can you lose your salvation? If they say yes, they’re really saying it from this point right now, until they die. What they do will determine whether they’re saved or not. That’s works. It makes them the Savior not Christ, and they won’t be saved at all.

I believe it’s the difference between identifying the wheat and the terrors. The terrors look like Christians, walk like Christians, talk like Christians, sing songs like, and hymns like Christians carry Bibles like Christians, but in reality they’re not because they’re trusting in their works, and that ultimately whether they make heaven or not is dependent upon what they do or what they do not do. The false message, the false gospel always points you to your future, and what you will What does Allah do?

As the determining factor as to whether you go to heaven. The true gospel points you back to the cross where Jesus said it is finished. It’s done. It’s done. And yet how many denominations call a liar, call Christ a liar. When he’s set on the cross it’s finished. That means it’s finished. And they say it’s not finished. Why you have to keep the commandments and you have to go to church and you have to be baptized and you have to go to mass and you have to do penance.

And it’s not finished. keep on keeping, keeping, and keeping, keeping on, and the one that endures to the end shall be saved. My friend, that’s the devil’s lie, and you’ll not be saved. You’ll not go to heaven if you’re depending upon your works. And I warn you, because one day it will be too late if you die and haven’t understood that Jesus paid it all, that every one of your sins past, present, and future were paid for at the cross.

It is finished. It’s done. And you simply receive God’s gift by receiving the full payment that Christ made for your sin. My friend, you will not be saying it. God bless, keep looking up. Jesus is coming, and we believe He’s coming soon. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a presentation of Bibleline Ministries of Tampa, Florida. Your regular monthly donations to Bibleline make it possible for this ministry to continue in your area and on the internet. Please contact us today and lend your prayerful and financial support.

Bibleline’s address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Or visit Bibleline Online and BibleLineMinistries.org. Be sure to tune in to another edition of Bibleline from Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida.