Matt Slick Live

The following program is recorded content created by the Truth Network.

As usual, all you have to do is dial 877-207-2276. We can talk. We can blab. It's a nice Friday. Hope you're having a good day. It's a beautiful day here in a neighborhood, actually. I'm really enjoying the weather out here in Idaho right now. Boy, it's nice.

There's no humidity out here. I love it. Oh, I shouldn't say that because the Idaho Boise area used to be the best kept secret of the Northwest. Now everybody's coming here. Man, oh, man. We're getting deluged by people from all over. Hey, that's okay.

More people to witness to. Alright, like I said, 877-207-2276. Let's just jump right on the phones and let's get to Chuck from Greensboro, North Carolina. Chuck, welcome. You're on the air.

Good evening, Matt. Did you resolve the question to always mention about taking communion? What about it? Was it a question? You were talking about an exchange with Peter and I believe you were talking about getting that mixed up with the foot washing, which is John 13-8.

Wait, wait, wait. Do you have a question? Because I'm lost here. Do you have a question? No, you asked for people to look it up and I'm glad that it took me a while, but by the time I got it, you were off the air, so it's calling back the scripture. Okay, I've got to catch up to you. Look up what?

Because we've got a lot of stuff going on here. He said only the 144,000 should receive communion. Oh, and the verse... You were giving the argument that we should all receive communion.

Yeah, that's right. If you don't take it, you don't have any part of me. What verse was that? That was John 13-8. And it's really the foot washing when Jesus said that to Peter. Never shall you wash my feet. He just says, if I do not wash it, you have no part with me.

That's the washing of the feet. Right. I think what you're referring to is John 6 starting around verse 45, I think it is.

I have to do this through the Amazon Echo, so I have to piece it together. Yeah, maybe that's why I couldn't find it, because I was misquoting it. I hate to say that, but that can happen. Well, that happens to me all the time, so that's why I could empathize with you. Get two things that seem similar in your mind and get them tangled up. Yeah, well, you know, it's kind of weird because I have some verses I can't memorize, addresses. For some reason, I'll go over and over and over.

I can't get them, but other ones I just see once and I memorize. It's the weirdest thing. So, anyway, check it out. Yeah, there's something about that. I think what you're talking about, Jesus says he's the bread of life. And when the kid says eat, unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, and the people walk away saying this is a hard saying. Right. He's referring to the last supper where the elements actually represented his body of blood. Right, there it is.

That's what I was looking at. It's John 653. I say to you, unless you eat the flesh or the sun and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves. Now, that's the verse I was thinking about.

Now, then we get into the issue of Roman Catholic stuff, but that's not what's going on there, of course. Yeah, that's the verse, because there's something like that in the back of my head. So, that's it. I like that. That helps. Yeah, I'm relegated now.

I have to remember at least the first few words, and then I ask Alexa to look it up, and then I can pin it down, and then she'll read the rest of it, too. Oh, yeah. Well, I've got a great Bible program. Well, okay, that helps. Okay, well, thanks. Yeah, see, I can't see to use your Bible program, so I have to use any means I can.

Yeah, I will type it in Google. I'll type it in my Bible program, and I can usually find things pretty quickly, but, you know, not every time, not all the time. Even when I could see, I couldn't do it as fast as you do. I'm glad it helped.

That's because I'm slick. Okay. Thank you. Bye. All right, man, thanks. All right, let's get to, let's see, Gabriel from Georgia. Gabriel, welcome. You're on the air.

Hey, man, how you doing? Just a quick question concerning John 16, 13, when it says, When the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. Now, this isn't advocating that, you know, God speak outside of the Bible in an audible voice, or, like, what's your commentary? No, this is talking to the disciples. And you're saying to the disciples that he'll guide you into the truth.

He'll not speak of his own initiative. Whatever he hears, he'll speak. And so the Holy Spirit is promised, and look at the context, because he's promised, I believe it's to the, he's speaking a long thing about the disciples he's talking to. But it could be that he's switching and going to another context by that time, because there's a lot, I'm looking at how much he's saying, and there's just a lot there. But, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay. And that's John 16, 13.

Whoops, I'm down there at 15. So, yeah, I've spoken to these, you know, make you outcasts in the synagogue. He's talking to the Jewish people, you know, I believe he's talking to his disciples. And the Spirit, when he comes, will guide you into all truth.

What I think, oh, excuse me, oh, I had a good yawn there. What I think is interesting is it says he will speak, he will not speak on his own initiative. That's interesting, because it also, Jesus says in John 5, 19 and John 5, 30, he says he will do nothing of his own initiative, but only what he sees the Father doing. And this is interesting to me, because both the Spirit and, well, Jesus says about the Spirit and about himself, about the initiative of doing the will of the Father, who sent them.

This is, it gets to be really interesting, and I've got to think about that some more. But, anyway, you know, I forgot what your question was about it, because I'm just looking at the context. I don't know if I answered your question.

What was your question? Well, basically, there's a passage that's saying that pretty much the Holy Spirit will speak to you in an audible voice, because I'm actually getting ready for a debate as far as like defending the sufficiency of Scripture. And I came across this passage, and I was like, let me just ask around. Always remember what the context is, always. And what I do when I prepare for debates, say I'm going to be debating a certain topic, I'll get Word, Microsoft Word out, and I'll find quotes. I also take the verses, and I will find any and all verses that they might use, and then I go read the context, and then I write what the context is so that I can quickly cite what my research is.

So I recommend you do something like that. You read the context here of what it is and what commentaries might say about it, because it might give you a different context, but that's the thing. He's saying to you, he'll guide you into all truth.

Well, who is the you? And even if it does mean everybody in the church, it doesn't mean that God will speak audibly here, though I do think it's possible for today. I mean, God could certainly speak audibly. He's God. He can give us words of knowledge and stuff.

I don't have any problem with that. But like these charismatic people, oh, God told me something last night. Really?

Yeah. And how are you doing after that? If God spoke to you, was your face glowing?

And how long were you crying and weeping in his presence because of his incredible holiness? No, it's a flippant kind of a thing that they do now. Yeah, God told me, and blah, blah, blah, let me tell you what he said. And it's like a casual thing.

It's ridiculous. So if I were praying and I heard an audible voice where God spoke to me and it turned out to be really him, I'll tell you. I wouldn't be out there boasting about it and being casual about it. And even when I speak about my conversion, which is a very profound presence of God, even then, I'm hesitant to just jump into it because it's such a reverential thing.

So I don't get how these people can just say, oh, yeah, God told me, blah, blah, blah. Yeah, he's just communicating to me. Oh, it happens all the time. We're buds.

That kind of laissez-faire casual attitude I think is very unfortunate. Right. Yeah.

Thank you for that. One last question, and that will be it because I'm pretty sure we have people on the line. How would you respond to somebody who would use the verse that if anybody lacks wisdom, ask God? What would be your response? Yeah, James 1.

1.5. Yeah, in the context that we're talking about as far as... Well, remember... Go ahead. Yeah, what he's doing, he's speaking to the 12 tribes who are dispersed abroad. That's in verse 1. So he says, if any of you lack wisdom. So he's already talking to the Jewish believers because he's addressing it to the 12 tribes. That's Jewish.

Flat out, that's what he's talking about. And he says, if you lack wisdom, ask God. He's already asking, he's already talking to believers and saying, ask God about wisdom. Wisdom from what? Wisdom from what the word of God says. It doesn't say, ask God for wisdom and you'll get an audible thing or you'll get a burning in your bosom and your heart that tells you something. Wisdom is the proper use of knowledge. And the giftings of word of knowledge and word of wisdom are charismatic gifts out of 1 Corinthians 14 and 1 Corinthians 12 and stuff. But that's not what's being spoken of here.

It's not what is going on. Because he says you must ask in faith without doubting. He's talking to those believers. You want wisdom about what is being spoken of and things like that.

And particularly in the trials that they're having. You need wisdom to deal with these trials because consider it all joy my brethren when you encounter various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance and let endurance have its perfect result so that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing. If you lack wisdom, ask God. Who gives to you generously without reproach will be given to him. So the context is about being persecuted. How do you handle it? What's going on? It's not about praying about the Book of Mormon for those who might be listening.

You pray and then you get, you know, God told me, blah, blah, blah. You know? Okay? All right, Matt. Thank you for that. Thank you and have a blessed weekend. Talk to you later. You too, man. God bless Gabriel. All right.

Gabriel is the messenger angel in the Bible incidentally. Let's get to Brad from Iowa. Brad, welcome. You're on the air. Hey, Matt. How are you doing? Oh, I'm doing okay. Hanging in there. What do you got, man? Oh, good.

Wonderful. Hey, just wanted to ask, in regards to Deuteronomy 25 verses 11 and 12, I'm just trying to, I guess, come to an understanding of what's going on behind that and more or less, I guess, just to boil it down about trying to correlate how the punishment fits the crime, I suppose, in that scenario. And just wanted to get your thoughts on that. Let's read it because it's an interesting set of verses. So Deuteronomy 25, 11 through 12, if two men, a man and his countrymen, are struggling together and the wife of one comes near to deliver her husband from the hand of the one who's striking him and puts out her hand and seizes his genitals, then you shall cut off her hand. You shall show no pity. That's pretty harsh.

See, in that culture at that time, sexual purity was extremely important. And we've got a break. So if you can hold on, we'll get back to that break. We'll talk about it a little bit more, okay?

All right. So, hey, folks, please stay tuned. We have two open lines. We're going to give you a call. 877-207-2276. We'll be right back. It's Matt Slick live, taking your calls at 877-207-2276. Here's Matt Slick. All right, everyone. Welcome back to the show.

If you want to give me a call, we have two open lines, 877-207-2276. Let's get back to Brad from Iowa. Brad, welcome. You're on the air. Thanks, Matt.

All right. So this is a difficult passage because it's so culturally related, but also probably theologically related. As I was saying that sexuality was very, very private, very, very serious. And in that culture, a woman would let her hair down only in the presence of her husband. And there's some accounts of a woman, more than one throughout the centuries back then, letting her hair down in public, and her husband would divorce her for it because it was so considered sensual that she was advertising her sensuality. Now, we may look at that and say, are you serious?

That's ridiculous. Well, that's just what the culture was back in the time, the way things were. So there might be something connected with that in the cultural thing dealing with the purity issue because if she's going to be grabbing another man's stuff, then she's abandoning her own purity.

And this is a very serious thing. And there might also be a connection to the issue of the organ, the male organ, and his stuff representing circumcision and the covenant promises of God through the male and that she is usurping the position of her womanhood and grabbing onto that. There might be a theological significance where, say, that's out of place and can't do it. So I don't know the exact answer, but I think that in these kinds of things, that's what's going on.

Gotcha, gotcha. Yeah, I think that I just had briefly kind of just roused around and stuff, and I think some people had, I guess, different interpretations because I think they said, or they looked into the word, I guess, as far as cutting off the hand, and they said the words that were used are like, you know, the Hebrew, I guess, the hand was two different words and they weren't used the same way, and so they were thinking it could be something that was, you know, maybe more or less like paying a fine or something like that. But I was just trying to get clarification more or less, just trying to see how, just more or less matching it up with God's holiness and just, you know, just seeing more or less, you know, the punishment, yeah, just the punishment fitting the crime and just, you know what I mean.

Yeah, you know, we have this culture where we say, well, we are more advanced, we are more civilized, so let's look at that culture and judge them. Well, we've got to be careful about that. There's often a theological reason that's tied to it. You know, some people call up and they'll ask about the 42 lads, young men who were killed by the she-bear that Elijah called on them because they were mocking him, and he had them, they were all killed. Well, that's awfully mean.

Well, they were calling him bald man, which was a sign of disrespect. There was a gang of them. They were supposed to be home with their families working and providing, so they were threatening and were threatening the person of God, and so their judgment came upon them. So when we understand culture and context, we go, okay, I can see more of why. But I personally think it has to do with the covenant aspect combined with the decency laws and that she violated both and so then was punished appropriately.

Okay. That's what I would think. Okay, well, yeah, that certainly clarifies some things and stuff because it's just when you're coming across it and stuff, it's like, and I know John MacArthur said this is the, I think the only time in the Old Testament, I think that this kind of, I guess, punishment was, I guess, you know, commanded and stuff, not just trying to more or less just see how that relates to being the only time, you know, with something like this, I guess. Yeah, and another thing I would want to know is, is it an idiom? You shall cut off her hand. You know, Peter tells you she's black and blue. I don't think it's idiomatic, but there's some, I've read some commentary and it says that some rabbis didn't take it seriously.

They just converted it to a heavy fine. So apparently this would happen. Right. So, you know, if I'm struggling with somebody, my wife grabs stuff, you know, I might say, thank you. You know, help me out or whatever, but it just depends.

So back in that culture, it's a different thing. You know, it's a tough. Sure. Read some more research on it though. Sure. All right. Gotcha.

Yeah. Okay, that certainly helps. I appreciate that, Matt. All right, man. God bless, Brad. Okay. God bless. God bless. Okay, folks, if you want to give me a call, three open lines.

All you have to do is dial 877-207-2276. Let's get to Adam from Utah. Adam, welcome. You're on the air.

Hi, Matt. Thank you very much. I had a question for you actually last night, and they asked me to call you back today. You say that pretty often, but I figured I'd give it a chance. So it's about all millennialism. It actually seems to be that last night when I was telling you, you said that's not a position, and then it was the end of your show. So I was hoping I could tell you what I believe about that, and then you could tell me maybe where I'm off. Okay. Go ahead. Fair enough. Well, of course, I want to at least first say that I believe in the miraculous birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.

Good. I can confirm that, and the Holy Bible is my favorite 66 book. As far as everything else goes, the millennium, I feel like we have a thousand-year reign with Christ, and there's a pre-Rapture of the saints. It almost seems like there's two raptures, one of the non-believers and then one of the believers. But at the end of the world, at the end of this age, I should say, there's seven bowls that are poured out, and before the last bowl is poured, Jesus says, Behold, I come as if deep in the night. So to me, that tells me there's a pre-Rapture. After that, we have the new heaven. I'm sorry?

Why would that do it? What verse is that, Revelation? It's in chapter 16, and it's during the bowls being poured out a bit, and then right before the seventh bowl is poured.

Thank you. I'm trying to find the exact verse. What exact verse is it? I'm looking at Revelation 16.

I'm actually driving, and I have you on a headset. Well, that's okay. Quote it, and I'll find it exactly. Well, it's actually in parentheses. It's in chapter 16.

Everything's all black letter until you get to part 16 where it goes red letter, and it's in parentheses. Yeah, I got you, but give me some words. Give me some words.

I can find it. Try and quote it to me. No, just try and quote it to me a little. Just try and quote it. Revelation 16, he says, Behold, I come as if deep in the night. I'm quoting it right there.

Verse 15. Okay, cool. It says, Bless is the one who stays awake and keeps, but it doesn't say that's pre-rapture or anything, pre-wrath or anything. No, it doesn't. No, it doesn't. Okay. But to me, where the rapture would happen would be right before the wrath. We're not appointed unto wrath. No, no, no.

You can't do that. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Go ahead. 1 Peter 2. It's a common mistake that people make with that verse.

Oh, no, it's 1 Peter 2. I've got these verses in my head. Not appointed to wrath, but salvation. That's what it says, right? That's what it says. Salvation means you're saved. And so what it is is a juxtaposition. We're not appointed to damnation, but salvation. We're not appointed to wrath, but salvation. That's what that is.

It can't be used for pre-tribulation rapture. Hold on, because we've got a break coming up. Okay, hold on. We'll be right back, folks, after these messages.

Three open lines. Give me a call. 877-207-2276. We'll be right back. It's Matt Slick live.

Taking your calls at 877-207-2276. Here's Matt Slick. And pretty welcome back to the show. Let's get back on here with Adam from Utah. Adam, welcome. You're back on here.

Hi, Matt. Okay. Okay. So anyway, well, that's right. It was 1 Thessalonians 5, 9. And God is not a destinist for wrath, but for obtaining salvation.

The wrath there is about damnation, so it's not a pre-tribulation rapture verse. Anyway, go ahead. Fair enough.

I appreciate the correction. You know, to be honest with you, I really want to be careful not to give you the opportunity to let myself get off topic. I definitely want to talk about this millennium thing. Sure. So when it comes to the new heavens and the new earth, I believe that that's the same time that the rapture happened, but then after that, I believe that's when the thousand years happened. So we get the millennium on the new heaven, on the new earth, with all of that already being set forth.

I believe that's what you were telling me, that that isn't an actual view that I might be on. Well, how about this? Can you help me out with that one?

Sure. You mentioned the end of the sage. There are only two ages in the Bible, this age and the age to come.

Right. So at the end of this age, that's what we've got to look at. Well, at the end of the age, the wicked are gathered. That's Matthew 13, 40, and 49 through 50. The judgment of the wicked occurs, Matthew 13, verses 40 through 42.

The elect are gathered. That's Matthew 24 talks about that. He sent his angels out to gather them. The harvest occurs, Matthew 13, 39. The return of Christ occurs, Matthew 24, 1 through 30. The rapture occurs, Matthew 24, 1 through 31. So at the end of the age, this is when it happens. Now, since, for example, I have a table on this.

I'll show you where to go on calm to look at it. But since the judgment of the wicked and the resurrection occur at the end of the age, the judgment of the wicked also is on the last day, and the resurrection is also the last day. The day of the Lord is also on that last day. On the last day. As is the resurrection. I believe all of that. Yes, sir. In the last trumpet.

I hope you do. And so all of it points to at the end of the age. In fact, the wicked are gathered. So the age to come, how come that's not the thousand year millennium? Because the age to come is when we have eternal life. Because it says... Now tell me this, because Satan is loosed for a short time, after the millennium, and we don't really get a lot of information about that one. It says Satan is loosed. So after the thousand year reign, I kind of feel like Satan is loosed, then he's judged and put into hell. So that whole part happens after the millennium. Well, some of the Amillennialists' position is that they'll say that Satan has been let loose, and he's wreaking havoc, just like the Bible says.

Nations against nations. Great deception going on. The apostasy is occurring.

Some Amillennialists believe that Satan is already loosed. Yeah. Currently. Yep. That he's been let loose.

Reaking havoc currently. He's had world wars, in fact... I thought your position was that he was bound. My position is that he was bound, but I suspect that he has been let loose. Because of what it says.

He'll gather the nations to war, there'd be great deception going on. We can't prove it, but this is just one of the ways of looking at it. So I've done a lot of research on this.

In fact, if you were to go to, and I could give you the article on Karm, an examination of this age and the age to come in support of Amillennialism. I've taught this, I don't know, 10 times, 20 times? Nobody's ever refuted it. And it's not me saying they have, and I just want to listen. No, I've sat there and said, can anybody answer this? And nobody has.

Nobody said, yeah. So then tell me, ask me a question that would convert me to Amillennialism. What is something that tells me that there's not going to be this reign of Christ where there's no death?

No, no, no, no. The reign of Christ is now. Jesus says, in Matthew 13, he says he will come and take the wicked out of his kingdom.

And the wicked are taken before the good are taken, according to Matthew 13, 30 through 42. Right. Right. I just need to say that there's only two. But there's only one rapture of the good.

Just one. Right. There's never two. So if there's one rapture of the good and the wicked are taken first, and Jesus says the wicked. So the wicked, when they're taken first, you wouldn't consider that a rapture necessarily. That's more like a reaping.

So there's a reaping of the wicked and a rapture of the saints. And so I believe that too. It's a good way to call it.

But let me, hold on. I like that. I'm going to start using that term, a reaping of the, you know, to reap them.

But I'll look. The reaping of the wicked and the rapture of the saints. That might work. Or the gathering of the wicked, because it's really gathered. But anyway, here's the thing. If the gathering of the wicked occurs before the rapture of the good, then that would mean then that when Jesus says that the wicked are taken out of his kingdom, that means the kingdom has to be there for them to be taken out of it before the rapture occurs.

Okay. You see? So, so if the wicked are taken, it doesn't say how long before that the rapture occurs. But obviously right now we're not in this kingdom without the wicked.

You're wicked everywhere you look. Oh, of course. And so, out of the kingdom, he says, that's what he says in Matthew 13, 30 and 40, okay, Matthew 13, 40 for example, he says, he says, verse 40, just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age, the son of man will send forth his angels. They'll gather out of his kingdom all the stumbling blocks and those who commit lawlessness.

So that's what he, he's interpreting that. But he said earlier that the first ones gathered are the tares. I'm going to use the word gathering because he says gather the tares. So the tares are the ones gathered. And he says first gather the tares to bind them, but gather the wheat into my barn. So the, the, the wicked are gathered and they're gathered out of his kingdom, which means it has to be Jesus kingdom they're taken out of.

That's just what it means. So if the thousand year reign in the future is his kingdom and the rapture happens before that thousand year reign, then we've got a problem because the Bible, Jesus says that the wicked are taken before the rapture. Right and I believe the rapture of this thing happened at the end of the age. I agree with you. So the reaping of the wicked, that could happen before, but the rapture does happen at the very end.

So the things will have to go through tribulation. We're going through it. So tell you what, go to our website, look this article up and print it up and then map out what you find.

Just do a piece of paper. I've got calm bookmarks buddy. I'm glad you do.

But look up this, this age and age to come in support of Amil and just see what you think, what you think, you know, and then call me back up and go, dude, I loved it or dude, it didn't work. You know, whatever. That's okay. All right. Fair enough. Enjoy the rest of your night, my friend. You too, man.

God bless Adam. All right. All right. I like that. You know, he's just, he's running through things and disagreeing and looking and I like that. That's good.

Good for him. Let's get to Jonathan from California. Jonathan, welcome. You're on the air. Hey Matt, how you doing? That was a good conversation you guys just had. I enjoyed that too. Yeah. He's a good guy.

I like that. Yeah. No, I had a question about the septuogen. I've been working through some things. My dad was a Jehovah's Witness for quite a long time since I was three to about, I don't know, 37.

I'm 39 right now. So but one of the things I used to use was I used to cross reference to the New Testament with the Old Testament and one of the verses I would use would be Deuteronomy 32, 34 and I think it's Hebrews 1, 6, I don't have the Bible in front of me, but where the worship, where the angels are commanded to worship Jesus. And when you look at it from the septuogen, it shows how closely or where he was getting that quote from. But I'm about to purchase a septuogen and it's really hard to find information about what septuogen or what would be the best one to use that would be the most like what they would use back in the time when Paul was doing this. Well, I'm impressed that you are aware that there's different versions of the septuogen because not many people know that, so that's good. And the second thing is I don't know which one is the right one or the better one, I just don't.

It's just not something I've studied. So what I would recommend is that you go on the web and just type out, you know, compare septuogen versions and just do some research and see what it says because there are slight variations but apparently the New Testament writers did refer to the septuogen quite a bit. So were there different ones? I don't believe so. I mean, did they use different ones? Probably not. Probably had one main one and that's what I would check out because I don't know, it's a great question. Yeah, that helps.

I mean, I'm just trying to work through it. I used to have it all compiled and actually I think it was like 15 years ago I sat down with you one time. You pulled me aside after a conference in L.A. and we talked about the Jehovah Witnesses.

Well, hold on a sec, I want to hear about that because I don't remember that but Dylan talked about that after the break. Okay, hold on buddy. Hey folks, we'll be right back after these messages.

making a call at 877-207-2276, here's Matt Slick. All right, everybody, welcome back to the show. Let's get back to Jonathan from California. Jonathan, so what conference was this? Yeah, so you were having a conference, I know it was in L.A., and I remember that a part of it was speaking about the Jehovah Witnesses. I actually got three or four CDs when I was there that was questions and answers when you're talking to a Jehovah Witness. And you were one of the speakers, and there was a couple other speakers that were there, and then at the end you took questions and you pulled me into the back room and we discussed different things that I could bring up to my dad about the Jehovah Witness religion. And one of the suggestions that you had was that I had a binder that had all the information so I could flip through it, because Jehovah Witnesses are well-versed. It's really, if a Christian doesn't study the Bible and they go against the Jehovah Witnesses, it's hard to win, they know where to go. So that actually helped a lot, and I was battling with my dad for years, and just two years ago, he actually came out of the religion. Is he a Christian? And so it was really good, but the problem is he's kind of drifting now.

He's wandering, he doesn't know where he needs to be. He hasn't really seeked after a church, he kind of just fell away. Okay, let's talk about this because it's important, because a lot of times after people have been in a mind-controlled cult like the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Mormons, that after they leave, sometimes there's an enthusiasm, but then the remnants of their ancient traditions and training still echo in their minds and hearts, and they get a little bit confused, and they don't have people to really talk to about them without being corrected all the time.

They just want to voice a lot of stuff. So what I'd recommend you do is sit there with him, and just have him voice as much stuff as he can, and don't give an answer to everything unless he asks you, and just let him get it off his chest, because sometimes you need to talk till you know what it is you need to say, and it's a way of ministering. You know what really, I appreciate that, and you know what really, because I did have that conversation with them, and one of the things, and I don't think a lot of people know until they've experienced it with the Witnesses, is when you went through a hard time, and so he went through a divorce with my stepmom, and when that happened, they both got excommunicated.

Well, she not so much, but it's a cut off. So all the friends that you know, all the people that you care about, that you've went 30 years for, they just turn their back on you. Absolutely. And that was really difficult for him, and I talked to her about it as well, because you're not serving like you used to serve, and you don't have the importance in the organization. But he is asking questions, but he does feel like a lot of what they taught was correct, and so now I'm getting back, I stepped away from having that binder, and now I'm trying to get everything back in place so I can have that conversation when the time comes up.

Good. Well, I'm gonna tell you that what you've got to do, absolutely, is you've got to start praying about this in advance, and I mean not just, hey, you know, rub-a-dub-dub, thanks, Lord, help me up, and then we're done. No, pray.

Pray through it, because he's gonna need it, and you're gonna need it. This is, the cult of the Jehovah's Witnesses has a demonic presence, and there might be still attachments. So it's gonna be on you to work and to pray and to bind, in the name of Jesus, any demonic powers, and when I say, when I pray, I say, I bind you. I don't do that. I say, Lord Jesus, would you please bind any demonic forces associated with blah, blah, blah? Because I don't do, I bind you, I don't do that.

So talk to Christ, ask him to work and prepare his heart and yours, and then you prepare and be very patient and very gentle and very kind, because psychologically, if you become too strong, a lot of times people will emotionally resist and they become more grounded in the error because they're simply resisting. Make sense? Yeah, yes, yes, absolutely. Okay. Okay, now, I really appreciate the time, Matt.

I really do. Thank you for taking my call. Well, good, praise God, man. Okay, praise God. Thank you.

All right. All right, let's get to, let's see, Steve from Texas. We lost Steve.

And how about Peggy from North Carolina? Peggy, how are you doing here on the air? I'm doing fine, how are you, sir? I'm doing okay. I'm doing okay.

What do you got? Good. Well, our Sunday school class's assignment for this week was to define sin. And I think I know what sin is, but I think that I come where I don't have the right words to be distinct and comprehensive and all that. So I was just wondering, what is the definition of sin?

Well. And I wanted to make it big enough because it's what Christ died for us, for us. Well, I can tell you what the Bible says. I can tell you what the Bible says. Sin is lawlessness. That's 1 John 3, 4. Sin is lawlessness.

So let me help you out and give you some more information, okay? Okay. So God is holy, 1 Peter 1, 16. And he wants us to be holy. That's what that verse also says. Be holy for I am holy.

Right. The law is a reflection of the character of God. Now Jesus says out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks, Matthew 12, 34. So since God spoke and He spoke the law, don't lie, don't steal, et cetera, those are things that reflect His character.

The law, don't lie, don't steal. Sin is lawlessness. Sin is breaking the law of God. And the law of God reflects the character of God. So the reason it's wrong to lie, for example, is because God cannot lie.

Titus 1, 2. So sin is breaking the law of God. The law reflects the character of God.

It's the codification of His character in words. So sin is breaking the law of God, which ultimately is offending the character of God because the codification, the writing down of the law, comes from God. 10 commandments out of Exodus 20. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not have any other gods, et cetera.

Because God is one speaking, it's a reflection of His character, Matthew 12, 34. And therefore, we can know that the writing down of the law, don't lie, don't steal, no adultery, et cetera, is a reflection of His character. And if we sin, we're breaking that law.

We are going against His character. And by definition, a law has a punishment. So Romans 6, 23, the wages of sin is death. And Isaiah 59, two, sin has caused a separation between you and God. Okay?

A lot there. I agree with all that. And I think that might be a way that I can concentrate and see about making of a sentence or a paragraph. Oh, because I want to shine in Sunday school, you know.

Well, I gave you the info, and I could write it for you, but then that wouldn't be right. So there's the info, okay? The verses to look at are 1 John 3, 4. That's wonderful, yeah. 1 John 3, 4. That's wonderful. Okay, start with that, okay?

1 John 3, 4. Okay, thank you so much, sir. You're welcome, so are you. Have a good weekend. You too, God bless.

God bless. All right, let's get to Adam from California. Adam, welcome, you're on the air. Hey, Matt, how you doing? Doing all right, doing all right.

What do you got, buddy? So my question is, somebody who's saved, I know I've heard you talk about somebody not being able to be indwelt by demons or spirits, things like that. Christians can't. But if you're saved, can Satan or demons whisper into your ear and influence your actions, or try to guide you off the right path? Is that possible? Well, the Bible doesn't say so, but it doesn't say yes or no.

And I'm gonna suspect that, yeah, it can happen. But I don't know. I'm always looking for scriptures, you know? We see where Jesus says to Peter, get behind me, Satan. Well, does that mean he was possessed?

No, it's a phrase. So can they influence us? I believe they can influence us.

How much can they influence us? I don't know. What ways do they do it? Can they whisper? Do they hear something?

I don't know. And I wrote about this kind of thing, believe it or not, in my novel called The Influence. And with unbelievers, you've read it? I'm in the process of reading it, yeah. Okay. Well, you can see Kathy, when she's at her father's house, the terror demon is whispering into her ear.

Now, this is just linguistic license. So does it really happen? I don't know.

I just don't know if it does or does not. But I'll tell you one thing. I don't need any demonic forces whispering in my ear to do or think anything bad.

I got plenty of that on my own. So how do you tell the difference between- That kind of leads me to the question that in my life, I'm struggling right now. Supposedly, in my heart, I've been walking since 2013. I've hit a point the last year or so where I know what's right in my mind to sit down and to leave my family in prayer and worship in my home and to take them to church and be that Christian leader. So we go to a Presbyterian church, it's a Reformed church, I've studied Reformed theology, I've been on your side a lot, but I'm in a point right now in my life where I know what's right to do, but my conscience or my mind or whatever is saying, I don't wanna do that.

Sit down and pray with your family tonight. I'm in my mind, I'm like, I don't wanna do that. I'm in opposition against myself what my conscience is telling me to do versus what I'm doing.

Well, let me tell you, I've had that argument with myself thousands and thousands of times. I don't wanna do this and each night, my wife and I pray together. And sometimes I just don't wanna do it, but I do it. And you just do it. You don't wanna go to work, but you go. You don't wanna clean the garage, but you do.

It's that kind of a thing. But I would think, I got a suggestion for you that might help in the motivation. And it is to psychologically prepare yourself for like in a day or two or three or four or five days in the future when you know you're gonna be by yourself enough where you can literally go into your room, turn the lights out, what are you gonna do?

Get on your knees, put your elbows on your bed and pray. And you talk to God for however long you just wanna talk to God for. And you commit to doing that three days in a row. Then see what happens. And the reason I'm saying that is because in the presence of God, the indwelling of God is awakened, which speaks to our heart, which changes our motives. Make sense?

That makes perfect sense. Thank you so much for your advice. Keep doing what you're doing. I've been a huge fan for years.

Well, praise God, at least that's one person. Good, good, good, good. Take care, man. Thank you.

All right, man, God bless. All right, let's get to Carl really fast. We got less than a minute on, what do you got, buddy? Say hello. Hi. We got less than a minute. How you doing, Matt?

Doing all right. What do you got, buddy? We're almost out of time. I just got a brief question.

I have a friend. He has a debate. He thinks that he could be a free mason and be a God-searer man. No, he's gotta get out of free masonry.

There are oaths to other gods in it and secret rituals that are not done for godliness. He should get away from it. And that's as quick as I can say before the end of the show. Call back Monday and we can talk, okay? We're out of time, buddy. Hey, everybody, may the Lord bless you all greatly. I hope you have a great weekend. Don't forget to pray. May the Lord bless you by His grace. Back on air on Monday, we'll talk to you then. We'll see you. God bless, bye. Another program powered by the Truth Network.