Hour 1: The Transforming Gospel

glad to be with you. Sitting around the radio kitchen table where we're going to talk about your questions about the Bible, God and the spiritual life. Now is the time to call us. If you have a question, the phone number is 75. The best time to get your phone call in is right here at the start of the program. And again, the phone number (877) 548-3675. I'm grateful that to hear Haynes is here in the producer's chair.

Chris Segard is our tech guy. And, uh, tiara Will tiara is not answering the phones today, but Karen Hendren and others will be helping out over there with the phones. Again, the phone number (877) 548-3675. Time to go. Get yourself a cup of coffee. I've got mine right here. Thank you, Chris, and open your Bible because we're going to study the scriptures together. Now hopefully if you listen to Open Line for the last few weeks, maybe a couple months, you will.

You're already aware that Moody Bible Institute is holding a summit opposing Posing anti-Semitism right here at Moody in Chicago on November 9th. I've been telling people that we're doing this because of our long legacy at Moody, of standing with the Jewish community. How so? Well, in the 1930s, Moody Monthly magazine had editorials condemning the growing persecution of Jewish people in Nazi Germany in the 1970s, when the neo-Nazis wanted to march in the Jewish community of Skokie, Illinois.

Moody Bible Institute took out full page ads, standing with the Jewish community and opposing this kind of anti-Semitic action right in the big Chicago papers. That's what we did. And now, with hatred of the Jewish people surging around the world, and particularly here in the US, we've called a summit opposing anti-Semitism to help followers of Jesus become the first line of defense of our Jewish friends and neighbors. The real question is, why is this so important to

Moody Bible Institute? It's not just me, it's Moody Bible Institute that cares about this. And well, the answer to the question of why is that? At Moody Bible Institute, we want to always reflect the heart of God. Here's what the scriptures say about God's heart for the Jewish people. And I'm going to cite some passages that use the term Israel. And the term that's used in these passages is much broader than just the political nation state in the Middle East. It's used of the people of Israel

anywhere they might be today. It's synonymous. When we talk about Israel in these passages, it's synonymous with the Jewish people. So what does God say about the Jewish people? Well, first of all, God has given the Jewish people priority among the nations. God calls Israel his firstborn, first born in Exodus 422 it says, and you will say to Pharaoh, this is what the Lord says. Israel is my firstborn son. This isn't referring to chronology, because Israel wasn't the first Nation.

The Holman Bible Dictionary points out that the expression is figurative for first priority. If the Jewish people remain a priority to God, they should also be a priority for us. Second, God loves the Jewish people forever. In Jeremiah 31 three, God says to Israel, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore I have continued to extend faithful love to you. This passage uses the Hebrew word which means loyal love. It means unconditional love. It's similar to what

I would tell my sons when they were well. I still tell them they're fully adult now, but I still tell them. And I told them this very often when they were children. I love you no matter what you do. And sometimes I got a little annoying by reminding them of that all the time. It was unconditional. And, uh, the way I kind of lightened it up is I would tell them, no matter what you do, even if you break everything I've taught you and rooted for the

Red Sox, I still love you. Well, the truth of it is, no matter what they will do or could have done, I will love them. And it's not just about what team you root for. I love them faithfully, loyally. That's my obligation from God. And that's what God says about his love for Israel. It is his faithful, loyal love, no matter what Israel does. So God gives the Jewish people a priority. He loves Jewish people. Third, God calls

the Jewish people his chosen servant. In Isaiah 41 eight, God describes Israel like this but you, Israel, my servant Jacob, whom I have chosen in verse nine he goes on to say, you are my servant. I have chosen you and not rejected you. God still has a special plan for the Jewish people, which they have yet to fulfill completely. But God has a plan for his servant Israel. Now I can hear the objections. Israel didn't believe in Jesus when he came, so God made the term Israel broader.

It now refers not to the Jewish people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but now it refers to all followers of Jesus, Jewish or Gentile, the church, the new Israel. Uh, nah. Read Romans 1128 and 29. It recognizes Jewish people are opposed to the gospel. It says, from the standpoint of the gospel, there are enemies for your sake, not enemies of God, enemies to those proclaiming the gospel. Uh, it's a strong term. They were opposed

to the gospel. But from the standpoint of God's choice, there's that term again, the chosen people. From the standpoint of God's choice, they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. Because of the Abrahamic covenant, God remains faithful to the Jewish people. They are beloved, for the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. Jewish people, despite not believing the gospel, remained chosen, beloved, and called to serve God.

Now how should that affect us, the followers of Jesus? Well, first of all, we need to keep bringing the good news to Jewish people so they can come to know him and experience his wonderful forgiveness. But we also need to openly express our love for this people whom God loves. We need to care for whom God cares for. We need to stand for those people because of our concern for God's heart. It's why we need to stand with the Jewish people and oppose anti-Semitism. Because God loves the

Jewish people and opposes anti-Semitism. Please join us here in Chicago on November 9th for this historic summit opposing anti-Semitism. You can go to Open Line radio.org, click on the banner about the summit and then come here, sign up. Let the Jewish community know that followers of Jesus are taking our stand as the first line of defense of God's beloved Jewish people. Well, we're going to go to the phones right now. Uh, God. God wants us to have a heart for Jewish people. And it sounds like

something that I said spurred a question. So we're going to speak with Bill in Urbana, Ohio, listening on the Moody Radio app. Welcome to Open Line. Bill. How can I help you today?

But so let's. I like to distinguish between punishment and discipline. We're never going to be punished, as you say, Bill, but we will be corrected sometimes, not even with a problem. He just wants us to walk closer and he'll. Because discipline really just means discipling, uh, teaching us, uh, helping us to follow more closely. So that's that's the beginning in terms of nations, you know, we know that God was going to destroy, uh, Nineveh. Yet, remember, Jonah had

to go sure. And proclaim. Yet 40 days and Nineveh will be destroyed. Uh, God disciplined Israel. In fact, it says in Isaiah 40 that she received, uh, double. But that was discipline, but double for her sins. Uh, God forgave Nineveh when they repented. All that's true. I think the problem is that, uh, as we turn further away from God, the likelihood of consequences for any nation, whether it's Europe or anywhere, the consequences, um, become closer and closer.

But I can't speak categorically as to when or how, and I always found it problematic when, you know, some TV preacher will say, oh, the hurricane came and struck Florida because somehow Florida was sinful, or that nine over 11 happened because of our sin, you know. Right. I don't think we can. I don't want to become job's friends, you know. To. To nations. Uh, I think. Why don't we just pray for our nation and for all the nations to open their hearts to the Lord? And. And

I'm praying for revival. And let me tell you something. The further we get away from God, the greater opportunity there is for revival. Uh, I'm. I'm seeing it. Young people are becoming much more tender to things of the Lord. And I think it's important that we keep praying for our nation, that there that there will be open hearts and that people will come to know him. So I know that there are some believers praying for judgment. I'm praying for repentance.

the Bible. It's Moody Publishers enlightening. It's it's really a great book. Jim teaches here at Moody Bible Institute for a long time. He's a great Bible teacher. Uh, he was on just last week with me or two weeks ago with me talking about the book. It is a great little book, and we want to send you a copy. Uh, if you send a gift of any size, we so appreciate every gift you send. And we want to say thank you with this wonderful book. It's called 14 Fresh

Ways to Enjoy the Bible. Uh, it's won all sorts of awards. It's a great little book. you'll get the practical strategies that you need for reading the Bible to keep it from becoming boring to you. It should never be boring. So that's what I want to send you. If for a gift of any size. If you'd like to make that gift, go to Openline radio.org or call (888) 644-7122. We're going to go to break now. When we come back, we'll take more of your calls. This is open line

with Michael Melnick. Stay there. We're going to talk about our Bible study across America. We'll continue in just a moment. And we're back. This is open Line. My name is Michael Ray Melnick. So glad to be with you for our Bible study across America. We're studying the scriptures from coast to coast. I'm so grateful that you're joining me. And,

you know, there are people that listen from overseas. I'm I'm always amazed that there are people that will write to me occasionally, will even call in from places as far away as Japan, Israel, uh, all over the world, people listen to open. I'm grateful for that. That's because of the Moody Radio app. Easy to get the Moody Radio app, and you can listen anywhere you are. Uh, if you get the Moody Radio app and not just Open Line, you can listen to all sorts of great

programming from Moody Radio. So check out the Moody Radio app, put it on your smartphone and use it. It's it's a great help and really a great way to keep your mind renewed with godly, good, wholesome music and also great programs, uh, across the Moody Network. Now, uh, I do want to mention something. Uh, I'm. So I met a whole bunch of kitchen table partners this past week at Founders Week at Moody Bible Institute. We had a great time at Founders Week. I did a couple of workshops.

People came. We asked, how many of you are kitchen table partners? Whole bunch raised their hands. It's always great to get to meet kitchen table partners. I so, so appreciate it. Many of them were, uh, beyond that were people who were regular listeners. And some people even said, well, I'm not a kitchen table partner, but we give occasionally, and I am so grateful for that. I'm grateful for

even just listening without giving. But if you feel blessed by God, if you're growing, if it's helping you, uh, we sure would appreciate it if you would join us, uh, on this task of bringing open line to people so they can understand their Bibles. Better understand the Lord. Better walk closer with him. Uh, if you'd like to give a gift, that's great, but we'd hope you would consider becoming a partner. A monthly partner, become a kitchen table

partner by giving monthly to open line. One of the things that we'll do is we'll send you a digital Bible study. It's a audio exclusively designed for open line listeners. All you have to do is click on that link that comes in your email, and you get to hear a Bible study every other week. And I was I need to remind people, my friend Doctor William Washington, who's

everyone he meets, he says, your kitchen table partner, he's listening. Now, what he says is give $30 a month if you'd like, and then you get 50% off everything in the Moody Publishers catalog. That's a terrific deal. So, uh, if you'd like to give your gift or more specifically, become a kitchen table partner, go to Open Line radio.org or call (888) 644-7122. So appreciate it. Grateful that you'd even consider this. We're going to talk to Linda in Chicago listening on Wmbi.

Welcome to Open Line, Linda. How can I help you?

the same thing. Praise the name of Jesus. Uh, what are we doing? We're praising the one who is our salvation. His name and bodies. Who he is. And so it's just a literary device to say the name encompasses who the person is, and that's why we should be praising them. Is that clear to you? Is that okay?

step on, does it have an eternal, immortal? Uh, not eternal, but immortal. Immaterial part. Um, I'm. I'm skeptical of that. I do see that in the new heavens and new earth. There will be animals in Scripture. It says that. And if that's the case, then will they be new, newly created, or newly born animals that will be there? Or are they resurrected animals? Uh, you know, I don't want to say no. Uh, I think I'm just going to leave

that one up to God. I like what Don Cole, who used to be the host of Open Line for many, many years now with the Lord. He used to say, well, when you when we get to heaven And we we see the Lord. Uh, we may see, obviously, we'll see our loved ones, but maybe we'll see our beloved pets. Maybe just give a whistle, see who comes running. We'll just never know. Uh, but at this one, I'm going to mostly plead agnostic. I just don't know. Okay.

didn't mean anything. Dennis. That's totally fine. It's fine. You know what it is? It's just that people get mad at me about this. I'm surprised it gets so hot about it, but.

bless you. It's okay. Uh, the second thing is, when I look at Scripture, it says that the church is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. And it's talking there about New Testament prophets. Uh, the reason I know that, because that's in Ephesians 220. Then in the next chapter, it talks about apostles and prophets again, and it talks about them presently. So I know he's talking about, uh, at the time that Paul was writing that those who were apostles and prophets. And why is

that significant? Because they're no longer are apostles. Apostles had to testify of the resurrected Lord. That's why they were the foundation of the church. And there is no one that can do that today. There are no apostles. It's one of the gifts that pretty much everyone agrees that the office of apostle with that gift has been rendered inoperative. On the other hand, profits are linked with them. So it seems to me that the foundation has been laid.

They are no longer our profits. There's guidelines for the profits when they existed. First Corinthians 12 through 14. But when you look at First Corinthians 13, it says, uh, prophecy shall be done away. The dispute is when but it's clear that prophecy will be done away. I like to think that prophets today, that office has been done away, and the idea of visions and dreams, and not that I discount dreams. I still think God can speak to us through a dream. He can speak to us with

an audible voice. All I'm saying is that office of prophet, that person that always speaks the truth, 100% accurate revelation from God that that doesn't seem to be operative today. Joel 228 through 32 seems to say that it will be reinstated during the day of the Lord during the tribulation period. And so then it will be back. Now it's gone. But it was there in the foundation of the church. That's how I understand it. Thanks for your call, Dennis.

We're going to come back with the mailbag in just a moment to hear is dragging it in. So get ready for the Febc mailbag. This is Michael Ray Dolnick. You're listening to Open Line. I'll be right back. Welcome back to Open Line. I am so grateful that the Far Eastern Broadcasting Company partners with Open Line to bring you the weekly Febc mailbag. It's a terrific organization, Far Eastern Broadcasting Company. They bring the good news to people

through media, but also through personal touch. I think it's really important to have real live engagement when we present the gospel, and they do that both of those things through media, through technology, but also through personal engagement. Check out the Febc podcast. It's called Until All Have Heard. You can find it by going to Febc dawg. That's febc.org. Joining me right now to to hear a Haynes who is sitting in for Trish today. I'm so glad you're here Tyra. Happy to.

the Israelites. And, you know, some people have used this to defend the documentary hypothesis that the Torah, the five books of Moses, the the Pentateuch, different names that we call it, sort of evolved gradually that there was a yahwist document J the old from German j is pronounced like a ja the after the name of God, the yahwist document. And then there's the elohist document that the different names of God then got merged together like a

great big blanket. You know that you're sewing patchwork together. And then there was the priestly document and finally the deuteronomist. So they call it jedp. And they think it evolved over time. And maybe by the seventh century, we've we've got the deuteronomist. And then finally, just before the destruction of the temple, we've got the priestly document. And that's how the Torah evolved. There are a lot of reasons to say the Torah didn't evolve, but this is one

of the verses that's cited say, oh, look, it's very late. Uh, there are lots of good reasons not to believe in the documentary hypothesis. The Bible says that Moses wrote it. Jesus said Moses wrote it. I kind of trust Jesus

more than I do 19th century German, uh, biblical scholars. Uh, the thing is, I think they misunderstand some issues, and one of the things they make a big deal about is that there's different names of God used in different passages, and then they just say, well, but there are other passages where both names of God, Yahweh and Elohim are used. Well,

those are kind of conflated passages. How about we just say that there was one author who uses the name of God in different ways because of the content of his material? I think that's the best, the best way of looking at it. But these verses, how do we deal with them like Genesis 3631? Because it sounds like there are already kings in Israel. I'll give you another example, and then I'll try and give you my explanation in

Genesis 14. It says that Abraham pursued lot when he was kidnapped all the way up to the city of Dan, and then further towards Syria, but he went to the city of Dan. The problem is, Dan wasn't named Dan until the Israelite conquest. Way after Abraham Before that it was called Laish. So why in the world does Moses call it Dan when it's not Dan yet? Well, the answer is. And there's a great prophet Master's Seminary, where John MacArthur was the president. Uh, he wrote a book. Uh,

not a book. An article. Uh, his name was Michael Grisanti. He's a great Old Testament scholar, loves the word of God, believes it, believes Moses wrote this. But as the Torah was being copied from generation to generation before the close of the biblical canon, before the Torah was before the Bible was closed, while there were still prophets, people like Ezra writing, and Isaiah. During that period of time, there might have been a scribe like Ezra who is copying

the Torah. Now remember, he's a biblical author and he can update stuff because it is still the period when the Bible is being inspired. So Grisanti calls it inspired updating. And so, you know, it's sort of like New York was New Amsterdam and then it became New York. If you were writing about a document earlier, you might say, oh, no one knows what New Amsterdam is. So I'll, I'll change the name of New Amsterdam to New York. Well, the same thing. Ezra may have been copying the Torah,

and he says no one knows what Laish is. So I'm going to put Dan in there, because that's. And it's still in the period before the canon is closed. And it's an inspired update. I'm going to add, he might say, the story of the death of Moses, because Moses wasn't alive to write that. And so I'm going to add that part, the death of Moses and update it. Torah 2.0. Uh, and then, uh, but it's the same

Torah written by Moses, just that thing ended. Update. And then of course, the reference to these kings who were there before there were kings in Israel and and Ezra or someone like Ezra, a scribe superintended by the spirit before the close of the canon, will now update it and say, as we're reading the Torah, you need to know that this was before there were kings in Israel. It's just giving us a little historical insight. And so

that's what I would say. That's a better explanation for these updates than saying that someone other than Moses wrote it and that it was patchwork together, according to evolutionary theory.

the livestock and not. And they also, for example, the sheep they wanted for clothing and and things like that. So it seems to me that that's why they, they were fed manna in the wilderness. And then God provided the, the, the poultry for them as needed. So that's that's what I think it is.

Because they're so precious. So by saying how difficult it is for me to comprehend it, it just means that it's so amazing. It's so precious that.

And we're back. You know, I so appreciate the Chosen People Ministries has been partnering with Moody Radio and Open Lines since the inception of this program. It's a ministry that I hold very dear to my heart. I came to the Lord through this ministry, and also they are the ones that are partnering with us in bringing the summit opposing anti-Semitism. On November 9th here at Moody Bible Institute,

I'm so grateful that they're doing that. Check out Open Line radio.org and click on the link that says Summit Opposing anti-Semitism. I hope you'll join us for that. And Chosen People Ministries always has a free gift available to our listeners. Right now. What they're reminding us is that the Torah, sometimes the Pentateuch, may seem intimidating or irrelevant. It's still really significant. In fact, we need the Torah so that we can understand the New Testament. I don't

think we can without reading the New Testament. And they are offering, uh, a weekly devotional based on the Torah portion read by Jewish people around the world. It's called The portion. And every week there's a portion read and there's a devotional that Chosen People Ministries is offering to help us see how to understand and apply the Torah portion of the week. For your free copy, go to our website openline. radio.org. Scroll down. You'll see a link

that says A free gift from Chosen People Ministries. Click on that. You'll be taken to a page where you can sign up for your very own copy of the portion. We're going to talk with John in Crystal River, Florida, listening on WGN. Welcome to Open Line. John. How can I help you?

and the word of God. And it says, and those nurse who had not worshiped the beast or its image, had not received the mark on their foreheads or their hands, they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. And I didn't know if the believers were in that on that part, or because I've always been taught that, uh, we'll I'll be going to the Bema Seat of Christ because I'm a believer. But then it's it looks like.

the Lord will descend with a shout of the archangel. Right? Uh. And the trump of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. That means that the physical bodies of those who have died in Christ will be resurrected and reunite with that immaterial part that's been with the Lord since they died. So that's when that resurrection happens. That's before the day of the Lord. That's before the tribulation.

And so everyone, uh, in the body of Messiah, the body, the congregation, uh, all believers in this era, uh, from Pentecost until that time who have died will be resurrected

and go to be with the Lord. And then we'll experience the Bema Seat, as you say, during the day of the Lord, while we're in heaven, during the tribulation period, then there will be people who become believers in the tribulation, and some of them will die, some by martyrdom, others will just die of natural causes during the tribulation period, and these believers will be resurrected and reign with the Messiah for a thousand years. At the same time, they're resurrected.

So will the Old Testament saints that Daniel 12 talks about. So there's going to be a resurrection of the church, uh, before the tribulation and a resurrection of the Old Testament saints and the tribulation saints at the the end of the tribulation when the Lord Jesus returns, and then we all get to be in the kingdom with him together, uh, the Messianic kingdom, for a thousand years. I hope that helps. John, uh, thanks for your call. We're going to talk with Sam

in Mendenhall, Mississippi, listening on WMU. Welcome to Open Line. Sam, how can I help you?

But for believers, if believers die, it doesn't state when if they've entered the kingdom when they will be resurrected. I'm guessing they would be resurrected to life, not judgment at the end of the Millennial Kingdom. That's what I would say. Right. Okay.

They would probably have to be translated similarly to the way we are translated at the rapture, if we're alive at the rapture, uh, you know, people like to say, oh, it's appointed unto man once to die. Everyone has to die. That's a general rule. We're all going to die. I heard a preacher say that this week. Uh, of course, if you pressed him, he would say, well, at the rapture, those people won't die. They'll be translated. Uh, Elijah didn't die.

He was translated. Enoch didn't die. He was translated into his immortal body immediately. And I would say that the the believers who might die in the Millennial kingdom, uh, will be resurrected at the end of it. Uh, on the other hand, people who are believers at the end of the Millennial Kingdom will be translated. That's what I would say. You know, that's the only thing that makes sense to me. Okay.

the Moody Radio app. You can go online, you can get the podcast. So don't miss the second hour during the break. Check out our web page. It's open line radio. Dot org has all sorts of important links of our current resource. How to become a kitchen table partner a link to the summit opposing anti-Semitism on November 9th. Remember this the Bible study across America will continue in the second hour, so stay with us. Open line with Doctor Michael Ray Dolnick is a production of Moody Radio, a

ministry of Moody Bible Institute. Be right back.