MS Top 6 Season 5 #6

This is the Truth Network. Monday through Friday, Matt takes calls from all around the world on his radio show.

We've compiled this week's best, Matt Slick's Top Six. Number six. When Jesus was praying in the garden of Gethsemane and He was just having those agonizing prayers and the disciples fell asleep, then how did they know what He said as He was praying? He probably told them later on, or the Holy Spirit gave it to them.

Number five. With the Old Testament and New Testament, is this set up for us to understand it, like, for the past, present, and future? Yes. What was written in the Word of God is written for instruction. It's profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, training, and righteousness, so that we can be adequately equipped for every good work, as 2 Timothy 3, 16, and 17. So the Old Testament, New Testament is there and is inspired in where to study it. Most of those covenantal documents, uh-huh.

Number four. When Jesus came to earth, that was when the end times started. I don't know if I'm asking a question right now. That's a good question.

No, that's a really good question. When He came to earth, is that when it happened, or at His death, or at His ascension? And I think we could make an argument for each one, but I tend to lean towards the idea that it was at Pentecost. Now, I could be wrong, but Peter says in Acts 2 17, you know, it shall be in the last days, you know, God will pour forth His Spirit. So that means that Peter was in the last days when the Spirit was poured forth. Now, the question is, when did that begin?

Okay. So we know it was existing then, but did it begin when Christ arrived? When He was baptized?

When He was crucified? So there's some good questions there. So I don't know how to exactly answer that one, but it's a good question.

Number three. Uh, you're wandering in the desert and unbelief with struggling in sin. The world's calling your name and you're calling upon God to help you out of the desert. He doesn't seem to be answering. Is it logical to at least start pondering that you may not be of the elect? Yeah, it's worth pondering. Sure. You said, is it logical to ponder it?

Yeah. But on the other hand, if you're saved, no, it's not. If you're saved, then that's because God has chosen you for salvation. Second Thessalonians 2 13, He's chosen you for the beginning for salvation.

Acts 13 48, as many as have been appointed to eternal life believed. So let me ask you a question. How long have you been in the desert? Six months. Okay.

My desert was five years. I would pray and it was, it felt like nothing. I would ask. Nothing happened. Nothing. I looked, sought, waited, nothing. Probably because my thick skull was a lot worse than yours. So I needed five full years.

Number two. What happens in a desert is interesting. So you go to the desert there, you got to take a walk, right? So you have a bunch of supplies, you're ready and you start walking and you start walking and you're in there. After a while you're dropping stuff because it's getting in the way. By the time you come out of that desert experience, you're stripped clean and only the very essentials are left.

What God often does in a desert is he strips everything from you because he's preparing you. For me, I'm not just making it about me, I'm just telling you as an example, been through it, is that what was stripped was a lot of just stupid stuff. Confidence in my knowledge. This, that reasoning ability, all this stuff, you know, I'm, I boast in those things.

I used to a great deal and trying to do that anymore. You know, what came through it all was, what do I really believe in? And for me, it came down to one thing, just one thing. How much do I really believe in the resurrection of Christ and who he is? He brings us through deserts. In fact, Moses was in the desert 40 years. He was in, in Egypt learning how great he was in 40 years in the desert, learning how nothing he was. And then 40 years being used by the Lord, 40 years in the desert physically. Jesus was in the desert for 40 days. Paul was in the desert for like three years after he got saved. And each time the desert is a preparation and a stripping for God's use of you.

So you're going through a desert. So what's God taken away from you and what's going to be left? Pride.

I'm a long time student of yours and others. And I would say somewhere in the process, I got puffed up in knowing things and having theology come easy for me. And somewhere in the, instead of trying to share that with people, it became more of a club to beat people with.

Yeah. I left my club about halfway through. I fully dropped. Happy trails to you. Until we meet again. Goodbye. Goodbye. Whoa. Goodbye. I hope you had the time of your life. It's okay now.

Goodbye my friend. We hope you've enjoyed this episode of Matt Slick's Top Six. For more on Matt and his live syndicated call-in radio show, go to truthnetwork.com. Got a question? Matt Slick has your answer. This is the Truth Network.