Why should we read the Bible every day? Is it because it's great literature? Well, it's much more than that. Stay with me and we'll talk about that in just a moment. Hello, friends. Welcome to Open Line with Michael Dolnick Moody Radio's Bible Study Across America. I'm Michael Ray Dolnick. I'm the academic dean and professor of Jewish studies and
Bible at Moody Bible Institute. I'm so grateful that you're joining me around the radio kitchen table, and we're talking about your questions about the Bible, God, and the spiritual life. If you have a question and you'd like to call the phone number here is (877) 548-3675. That's (877) 548-3675. And it's always a good time to call right at the beginning of the program because people say, how do I get on? And it's always busy. Well, the best way call right now. (877) 548-3675.
With your question about the Bible, God or the spiritual life. Terry Haines is our producer today. Omar Mendoza is our tech guy. Lisa is answering the phones again. The phone number here. (877) 548-3675. It's time to get yourself a cup of coffee. Open your Bible. We're about to study the scriptures together. You know, every week I open. Every week I actually close Open Line our Bible study across America by saying, keep reading the Bible and we'll talk about
it next week. Why do I play such a value on reading the Bible regularly? The simple answer is that the Bible is inspired. It's God's word to us. A key verse about inspiration is found in second Timothy 316. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. The phrase all Scripture is inspired by God highlights three important principles. First, the scriptures themselves are inspired, not the authors of the Bible.
Although the authors of the Scripture were said to be moved by God's Spirit. In Second Peter 121 and more about that in a moment, Paul writes to Timothy that it's the Bible itself that's inspired, which literally means God breathed the single word. The word God breathed indicates the Bible comes from God, that God exhaled the scriptures into being. When we read the word inspired, we may think it means breathing into something. Rather, this verse is saying that
God breathed out the scriptures. The very words we read in the biblical text are breathed out by God. They don't become inspired when we read them and find something of value for our lives. The text of Scripture stands as God's Word even if we don't read it. But of course we should second the entire Bible. The entire Bible is inspired. The scriptures are God's Word in their entirety.
Some people say that when Paul wrote Second Timothy 316 about the scriptures being inspired, he was only referring to the Old Testament as that was what was all that was written at that point. And he didn't mean the New Testament. But in his previous letter to Timothy, in first Timothy, Paul said, For the Scripture says, you shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing, and the laborer is worthy of his wages. That's in first Timothy 518.
What's so significant about that verse? Paul is quoting two verses of Scripture here, both calling about Scripture, one from Deuteronomy 25 four. That's in the Old Testament and the other from Luke ten seven in the New Testament. He calls them both Scripture. It's likely that the Gospel of Luke was only written about five years before Paul's quotation of it as Scripture. At about the same time, Peter, the acknowledged leader of the apostles, wrote in Second Peter
316 that Paul wrote about salvation. Here's the quote in all his letters, in which there are some matters that are hard to understand. The untaught and unstable twist them to their own destruction, and they all, as they do also with the rest of the scriptures. This shows Peter considered Paul's letters to be Scripture. Here's my point. By the time Paul wrote Second Timothy 316 and said All Scripture is inspired, he meant the whole Bible was inspired,
including both Old and New Testaments. Here's the third principle. God's Holy Spirit moved human beings to produce the Bible. The Bible verse describing how God used human authors to write the books of the Bible is second Peter 121. For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will. But men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. The Holy Spirit empowered people to write Scripture by moving them, or bearing along human authors to speak and by inference, to write their words down. The word
translated moved. It's ferro in the Greek is used also in acts 2715, about a ship being driven by the wind. In the same way, the wind bears a sailboat along. So the Holy Spirit moved the human authors to write the Bible. This explains the various writing styles and different
perspectives of biblical authors. Just as the same wind can bear differing ships with different kinds of sails along in different ways, so the Holy Spirit can move writers with unique personalities and different styles to write down God's words. It's not the holy. It's not that the Holy Spirit dictated to human authors. Rather, there was a confluence of
work between the human author and the divine author. The human author wrote using his own personality, style, message, even his own understanding, while being moved by the Holy Spirit. At the same time, the work of the spirit guaranteed the accuracy and truth of that message. It made the Bible inerrant. And we'll talk about that next week. Here's a simple idea. Since God gave us his inspired word,
we should read it. My friend Larry, who leads a messianic congregation in California, has read the Bible faithfully every day for 53 years now. Every day. I tease him about being an obsessive compulsive person, but the truth is really different. He says when he first became a follower of Yeshua Jesus the Messiah in January of 1972, someone told him that the Bible is God's Word. He thought, how many people are longing to hear from God, to guide their lives, to understand why the world is the
way it is or what the future holds? And then he thought, I can hear from God every day by reading His Word daily. And that's why he committed himself to reading the scriptures every day. That sounds like a great example for us to adopt as well. I hope that gave you some encouragement about the Bible. And you know what made me think about talking about this today is that we're, uh, we've got a great, uh, offer for you. Uh, a great resource. Uh, it's it's just
really outstanding. It's called The Story of the Bible. It's written by Doctor Jay Carlini, a friend of mine. Have you ever wondered how he got the Bible that we read today? How the ancient manuscripts became a book? Well, the story of the Bible is a journey that we can go on as we read this book about how the scriptures develop from divine inspiration that I just talked
about To transmission to modern translations. Doctor Lainey shows how God worked through human authors and scribes and translators to give us his written word. I believe this book will deepen our confidence in the Bible's reliability, while answering a lot of the questions that we all have about where the scriptures came from. So the reason we're offering this is as a way to say thank you for your gift of any size to open line. And we would so appreciate that. You know, your gifts that you send
really keep open line on the air. And we really appreciate it. And we want to say thank you by sending you a copy of The Story of the Bible. If you'd like a copy, it's yours. When you give a gift of any size, just go to our website, Open Line radio.org or call (888) 644-7122. That's 47122. Okay. We're going to go to the phones right now and talk to Robert in Fort Lauderdale, Florida listening on RMM. Welcome to Open Line Robert. How can I help you today?
Yeah. Hi. How are you? Um, I got a question on, uh. I'm sorry, not numbers 24 seven. Um, it's an oracle of Balam. And in mid section it says in his king shall be higher than Agag. I'm a little confused because it seems like numbers was written like Samuel. Uh, Agag is mentioned in first Samuel. And I was surprised to see it mentioned here. And isn't that these aren't contemporary books. Didn't isn't this way before Agag was born. Can you explain that?
Yeah.
It's, uh, Matthew Henry doesn't mention anything about my question.
It's a prophecy. It's an oracle, and it's tough. There was no king in Israel, and yet this is a king that will come from Jacob. And clearly, if we read the Hebrew text as it is, it's his king will be higher than Agag. Agag being the king that, uh, Saul was supposed to put to death from the Amalekites. And when he didn't, he lost the kingship. And then he, Agag was, uh, removed. And who became king instead of Saul, who was higher than Agag? This would be a prophecy
of David. Okay, I hate wait. You know, Robert, I'm not done. Sorry. One minute. Here's the thing. I think it should say his king shall be higher than Gog. If you look at the version of the Samaritan Pentateuch or the Greek Septuagint, It doesn't say Agag. It says Gog. And Gog is not someone that we know in history. He's mentioned in Ezekiel 38. He's the end time enemy of Israel and the king that will defeat him and
be higher than him is the messianic king. So I think the based on the variant reading this is a prophecy of the Messiah. And it says if we read it that way, his king will be greater than Gog, and his kingdom will be exalted. And so this is talking about the messianic king. And it's interesting because in Ezekiel 3817, when it talks about Gog, here's what it says. Uh, are you the one I spoke about in former times
through my servants, the prophets? And really, there's no other place where Gog is mentioned previous to this except in numbers 24 over seven. So I think Ezekiel is talking about numbers 24 over seven. So.
Right.
Okay.
Explained it. Thank you.
Okay. Thank. Thanks for your call. We're going to take a break here. And when we come back, uh, we'll talk with you. You can always call (877) 548-3675. That's the phone number to call. And we'll talk about your question about the Bible, God or the spiritual life. Looking forward to talking with you in just a moment. This is Michael Ray Dolnick on Open Line. We'll be right back. Welcome back to Open Line. So glad to be with you today. My name is Michael Ray Dolnick. We're talking
about the scriptures together. Your questions about the Bible, God, or the spiritual life? Phone number here. (877) 548-3675. You know, it is an amazing thing. I did want to say thank you to everyone. Uh, a lot of these stations that are listening, you're listening on right now participated in Moody Radio Share spring 2025 and the Open Line, uh, audience was amazingly generous, and we are really, really grateful for that. And I am grateful. I'm grateful for everyone
that's part of the team. And, uh, I, I wanted to mention those of you who are part of the team, our kitchen table partners, who generously give every month so that we can be on the air every week answering listener Bible questions. I really appreciate all that you do. Uh, it's really part of a team work here. And I know some of you are being part of the team
is just listening. And I appreciate that too many of you. Listen, some of you have even given occasionally because you think, ah, you know, that that premium, that that current resource is just the thing I want, and I appreciate that as well.
That's why you give. But I was wondering if if Open Line is a program that really ministers to you and helps answer your questions, and it's something that's significant for your your walk, would you consider becoming a kitchen table partner, giving monthly so that we can continue being on the air every week? Uh, if you do, one of the things that we do, Tricia and I produce. Our producer, Tricia, and I produce a Bible study moment
every other week. It comes in your email, you click on it and you get to hear, uh, a Bible study. Right now we're going through Ephesians one about the work of the father, son, and the Holy Spirit in our salvation. It's it's a lot of fun for us to provide, and we're really grateful for the responses that that people give us when they hear it. So we do the Bible study moment. The other thing that people want to
know about being a kitchen table partner. I certainly don't want to tell you how much you should commit to, but people who commit to $30 or more every month get to go to the Moody Publishers catalog and and get 50% off on everything on that catalog. That's a great deal. Uh, and there's some really great works. Uh, I don't want to mention only the ones there are great works other than even the ones that I've participated in.
So I think that people can really get some great, great tools on the Moody Publishers, uh, catalog right there. So if you if you're interested in becoming a kitchen table partner, we'd appreciate it. The phone number to call is 6447122. And the or you can go to open line radio.org. Of course. And you can become a kitchen table partner there. We're going to go right back to the phones now. We're going to talk to Charlene and Laurel,
Mississippi listening on WMU. Welcome to Open Line. Charlene, how can I help you today?
Well thank you. I was the caregiver of my mother. And after she passed, I had some extra time. So I went to a synagogue on Sabbath to pray. Now, I'm a devout Christian, and I fell in love with Jewish prayer from the siddur, especially Shema, Shemoneh Esrei and the Kaddish. I just wanted to know if you ever pray prayers from the siddur and how you adapt them as a Christian.
Well, yeah, I have used, uh, the siddur particularly. There's a messianic, some of our messianic congregations, uh, uh, use the siddur, a messianic siddur that uses these traditional prayers but adapts them theologically. I think that's something that's really important. I have another friend who's a very, very learned PhD, leader of a messianic synagogue, and he uses a traditional siddur.
But because he's very capable, he's able to do adaptations of it, uh, to so that it fits his, his teachings of the Bible fully with Jesus being the Messiah. And so, uh, there are also some things that people misunderstand, like, for example, you mentioned the Kaddish, right? A lot of people think that's a prayer for the dead. If you read the words, it's just a prayer that people who are grieving, who have lost a loved one say for
a year. But it's really about glorifying God. It's a way of daily glorifying God and saying, even though I've lost this loved one, I glorify you, God, that it's trusting your sovereignty and and and your greatness. Uh uh, glorified and sanctified be his great name. You know, that's how it opens. And so.
Praise.
Yeah. And so it's not really a prayer for the dead. It's a praise by the living to the sovereignty of God. That's what it's about. So there's a lot of really good things in there. Uh, there are some things that I probably would say have to be careful about. Much of it is the Psalms. Uh, and so but you have to do it critically, because every now and then, like, there'll be a, there's the Anima Amin, the I believe with perfect faith. And there are many things God can't
take human form in there in that one. Uh, it's so God can't become a man. It denies the incarnation. Uh, I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah, implying that he hasn't come yet. Uh, so you have to be very careful when you're in some prayers. like the Anima Amin, because I think about nine out of the 13 articles of faith that are listed there. Uh, we would we would struggle with as followers of Jesus. So, uh, I think it's really important that you do it critically.
Maybe one of the best things to do is find a really good messianic siddur, uh, that already has done the critical, uh, contextualization that you're looking for. Okay, Charlene.
I appreciate this. Thank you.
Yeah. Thanks so much for your call. Uh, and, uh, Maria in Lakeland, Florida, listening on 91.1 FM. Wmnf. Welcome to Open Line. How can I help you today?
Well, I just have a question about the resuming of the Passover celebration in Second Chronicles, chapter 30, verse 26. It attributes it to Hezekiah, but then in Second Kings chapter 23, verse 22, it attributes it to Josiah. So I know there are no contradictions in the Bible. So I'm just wondering why Hezekiah and Josiah were each attributed to resume this Passover celebration.
Well, think about the chronology. Uh, Hezekiah who became king after him?
Oh, I'm not sure.
Okay. Well, the it was the longest reigning king in Judah's history. Uh, King Manasseh, if you read.
Oh.
That's right. You've got Hezekiah. Uh, Hezekiah restores the Passover in Second Chronicles. But then King Manasseh comes along. He's 12 years old when he becomes king, and he was reigned 55 years. Longest reigning king and his mother's name was Hephzibah, it says, and he did what was evil in the Lord's sight, imitating the detestable practices of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites. He built the altars of the Baalim, the the bails, Baal gods,
and the Asuras. Uh, and he he put them in the temple. He he brought pagan worship, Canaanite pagan worship into the holy Temple in Jerusalem.
Mhm.
Guess what he didn't do. He didn't keep up his father's work of keeping Passover.
Okay.
And then Josiah comes along. His son. Now Manasseh does repent. We know that from second Chronicles. Uh, but dies very shortly thereafter. And, uh, which gives us great hope for people who do, who ignore God, who resist him, who rebel against him. And yet at the end of life, they can turn to him and they are forgiven. And Manasseh was forgiven. However, it took his son Josiah to once again restore the Passover. That's what it's talking about in Second Chronicles 20. Second Kings 23.
Second restoration. Yep. That's it. Okay. Okay. Well, I appreciate that.
Yes, sir. Okay. Thanks for your call. Sure, I appreciate it. Uh, we're going to talk to Jody, listening on Wmbi in Chicago. Welcome to Open Line, Jody. How can I help you?
I have a nephew who is questioning me about. He keeps telling me the Jewish people because I tell them, you know, he's not happy what's going on with the Jewish people? And he thinks they're very corrupt. And I keep telling him, but the Bible tells us to pray for them. And he's telling me that the Bible, the Jewish people today are not the same people from the Bible, and I don't know how to respond to that.
Well, uh. First of all, you know what's driving his opinion, right?
Um, I'm he's doing he keeps talking about the Talmud and just how evil the Jewish people are.
That's that's what I'm saying. So do you know what's driving that? This is called anti-Semitism or hatred of the Jewish people. You can go all the way back in time. And one of the things that's most specific is the Jewish people, for example. Uh, well, you don't have to go very far. The Nazis said the same thing. The Jewish people were corrupt. They said it was biologically, uh, made them corrupt. It was the the actual biology, but they weren't the Jewish people of the Bible, that they
were somehow different. British Israelism says, well, actually it's the the white Anglo-Saxon Protestants who are the the Jewish people. Well, first of all, if you look at history, no other people has been as persecuted throughout time. Who else would want to call themselves the Jewish people if, if that were the case? Uh, really going since the second century, Jewish people have been persecuted. Secondly, other people say, well, no, they're actually a Ukrainian people that adopted Judaism in in
the Middle Ages. That's been disproven because genetic studies have shown that the European Jews, the Jewish people from Central and Eastern Europe have the same genetic code as the Jewish people from the Mediterranean world. From the Sephardim. Uh, the the people who are there. So it's just false, but it's driven by hatred of the Jewish people. And it's unfortunate. And I'm glad you don't share his views. So, uh, I hope that helps. We can talk more about it
another time, if you like. We're going to be right back with the mailbag. The Febc mailbag. This is open line with Michael Zelnick. Stay with us. Welcome back to Open Line with me, Michael Zelnick. And I am so glad that it's time for the Febc mailbag. Far Eastern Broadcasting Company is a wonderful ministry that brings the gospel to people through media around the globe and also through
personal contact as well. A lot of times people think it's just broadcasting the message, but there are people who actually follow up and reach out to those who are responding to the media. It's a terrific organization. Check out the Febc podcast called Until All I've Heard, featuring Ed Cannon, the president of Febc. By going to the Febc. Org website febc.org and Far Eastern Broadcasting Company. It's something you'll really be interested in if you listen to that podcast.
And now joining me for the Febc mailbag is Teairra hey Teairra Haines.
Good morning Michael. How are you today?
I'm doing great. It's good to see you. So we've got a bunch of questions that have come in. I think it's important for people to know how to send their question. They think, where did these come from? I think it's a good idea to go to the Open Line radio.org website. Our website. Open line radio.org. You can check out everything that's there. Uh, and one of the things that you'll see there, it says ask Michael a question.
Click on that and fill out the form. And you will be able to have your question added to the mailbag. Just like these that we're going to talk about right now.
So wonderful. Yes, that's exactly what Wayne did. Wayne from Minnesota listening through CFRB. He says, I am 70 years old and still work part time. Out of curiosity, are there any scriptures related to retirement?
I am not aware of any scriptures related to retirement. I know that many times when we look at the, uh, the list of the kings, when we look at the, the, the mysterious numbers of the Hebrew kings as Thiele called it. I think. Who wrote the book about that? There did appear to be times when people got to a certain age, and they established a co-regency to reduce the amount of work they were doing as they got older, but not
that they quit working. Uh, so I don't think that the Bible ever talks about retirement, but that doesn't mean that, for example, we can officially retire. I would say, uh, the reason I would say that is it's part of the governmental responsibilities. It will change the work that we do if we retire. But I don't think anyone of us ever retires from the Lord's service. We might change how we do it. Uh, every person, I mean, you can keep working, you know, whatever you want to do.
There are a lot of different jobs that people do part time after their official retirement, but I. I think we're 100% the Lord's. And we while when we retire we may shift and do something different. We're always serving the Lord. I love it. I was talking with Joe Stoll, former president of Moody Bible Institute. He was the president of another university. And when he finally retired from that position, he said, I didn't retire from God's kingdom. I just
retired from that position. And I loved it that when Mark Jobe, our president, approached him about being an ambassador for Moody and an advisor to him, Joe accepted that part time position because we love him and he's so part of Moody, and he didn't retire from the kingdom. This enabled him as he was seeking God's direction. What's the next kingdom work I'm going to do? And and that was it. Because we never retire from the kingdom of God. I would say I love that.
Thank you so much. Thank you. We also.
By the way, you haven't retired yet, have you, Teairra?
Oh, not not at all. I have quite a few years before I retire or redirect my purpose.
Yep. That's it.
Yes, yes, we have Deb from Facebook. Is there a good reference book to learn more about Israel from its beginning to today in political, geographical, spiritual and cultural ways?
You know, it would be nice if there was just one book. Uh, I'm not sure there is one book that does that. I think if you want to understand biblical Israel, a good history, that kind of takes us through the Bible. I'm not, you know, I don't know if she's referring here from its beginning to today. I there's a lot of books that you could read. There's a History of Israel by Leon Wood. There's a Kingdom of Priests by Eugene Merrill. Those are good biblical histories.
A good history of the Jewish people that takes you to understand where they are today is actually by a British Anglican, not Jewish. It's called A history of the Jewish. A history of the Jews by Paul Johnson. I think that would kind of take you through the whole history to today. So maybe choosing a biblical history like Leon Wood's book or Eugene Merrill's and Paul Johnson's book that would take you through, uh, modern days and bring the geographical,
spiritual and cultural along with it. That's what I would say. But there's a whole lot of books that will, if you want the geographical, get a good, uh, geography, like the moody, uh, Atlas of the Bible. And then, of course, if you want more geography, there's, uh, there's an atlas of Jewish history. Uh, I can't remember the name of the the cartographer who did that, but it's called the Atlas of Jewish History. That would be helpful.
Okay, excellent. So there are several resources that she can choose. Excellent. And then we also have Caleb from Alabama listening through Wmft in numbers 33 four. It talks about the Egyptians burying their firstborn after the Lord struck them down. But the second part of the verse says, O their gods, on their gods. Yeah, sorry. Thank you. On their gods also, the Lord executed judgment, judgments. Is this saying there are other gods?
No, it's not saying there are other gods. It's saying that the Egyptians believed in other gods and God. For example, they believed in the Nile River as a god. And so what did the Lord do? He turned the the waters of the Nile into blood.
To blood.
So that would be one way of looking at it. He judged the okay. He judged what he thought were gods. You know, it'd be like saying today, uh, let's say God judged a website, uh, because it was so wicked. Okay. And we said, and because people have made it a god, it doesn't mean it's a real god. It's just people have treated it as if it was a god. And then that website crashed and we'd say, oh, God, look, God judged that website, that other God. It's not really
another god. It's what it is. It's in the minds of people. They have made it another god. So. Okay. Uh, do you want to take one more?
Sure. We have, uh, Jerry, Ohio Wsrf based on Deuteronomy 23 three. No Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord. Does this pertain to males only? Ruth was a moabite, but she was redeemed and married to Boaz.
Yeah. I don't think that it's only referring to males. I do think what this is saying is that, generally speaking, Moabites are not allowed in. Uh. However, Ruth made a conscious choice to separate from her family and from the false gods of the Moabites and instead embraced the Jewish people, the people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and embraced the God of Israel. The reason I say that is remember what she says to Naomi. Uh, she says, your God will be my God. Your people will be
my people. And that's why she could be accepted and worship the God of Israel, because she worshiped the true God, rejected the Moabite gods who weren't really gods anyway, right?
That's right.
And just just to remind us of what we just said. And then also she embraced the Jewish people and said, these are my people. And I think that that's why she was welcomed and actually became the the great grandmother of King David. So how cool is that? Right? It's really.
It.
Shows God's redemption. Yeah. Well, uh, we're going to take a break right now. And when we come back, I'll take more phoned in questions. But to your you'll be back next hour with more of the mailbag, right?
That is right. I'll be back next hour. Thank you.
Michael, that was Tara Haynes. I'm Michael Radonich. When we come back, you can. We'll be talking to you with your phone calls, with your questions about the Bible, God and the spiritual life. I'm Michael Riedel. Stay with me. We're coming right back. We're back. So glad to be with you this Saturday morning talking about your questions about the Bible, God and the spiritual life. You know, I'm often asked many people wonder if Jewish people still need
to hear the good news of Jesus the Messiah. Uh, God has a special plan for Jewish people. He has covenants he's made with the Jewish people. But do they still need to know the Messiah? Jesus? Well, Doctor Al Mohler's answer is yes. Absolutely. Chosen People Ministry is offering his booklet called To the Jew First in the 21st century in it. Doctor Al Mohler maintains that bringing the gospel to the Jewish people shows our faithfulness to the truth.
It's the best example of our faithfulness to the truth of the gospel. For your free copy, if you'd like one, all you have to do is go to our website openline radio.org. Scroll down. You'll see a link that says A free gift from Chosen People Ministries. When you click on that, you'll be taken to a page where you can sign up for your own copy of To the Jew first in the 21st century. I hope you'll do that. Uh, we're going to speak with David in Zion, Illinois, listening
on Wmbi. Welcome to Open Line. David. How can I help you today?
Thank you. Um, I have a friend who was watching a television preacher, and, uh, he touched this woman's forehead. She fell backwards, and my friend thought that this was a miracle. And, uh, this is strange to me. I've never seen this happen in any of the church services that I've been at.
Well, you haven't been going to the right church services, then? It happens at a lot of places. So.
Uh, is this biblical?
Well.
It's I would say that that there's very little that you could find in Scripture that would support that. And I've talked to people who have experienced it. Some people say I just felt consumed, filled up. I got emotionally, uh, I felt they felt it was the power of the spirit, but they they just collapsed. Uh, then others said everyone else was falling down, so I did it, too. Uh, the only biblical example I could tell you about being slain in the spirit is Ananias and Sapphira. I don't
think any of us want to be slain that way. Right. Uh, that. Remember what happened with them? Uh, here's what I think it is. And I think it's when when a person legitimately, legitimately experiences this, they get they they they feel like they just have to go down. Do you remember what it was like when the Beatles came to America and young women were going crazy and And they got so much emotion going, uh, uh, that they, uh, that they, that they just became, uh, filled with, with emotion and
they fell down. Same thing happened with Elvis Presley the generation before and with Frank Sinatra the generation before. Uh, that's that's all that I think it is. Uh, when they when they have that kind of experience, uh, I think it's it's just saying, uh, that they got filled with emotion and, and they felt if they, you know, sometimes people just go, uh, uh, uh, they, they just go and they, uh, uh, that they, they, uh, they following along sometimes they get so filled with emotion, they
fall down. I forget the name of it. Once I was, uh, I had an allergic reaction to a medicine when I was in college, and the doctor gave me an injection, and, uh, I, I thought, oh, uh, I'll be fine now. Uh, and, uh, the the, uh, the interesting thing was I just went right down, uh, because I got just filled up with. It's just like a I was, I was just so filled there with this injection. Boom. Gone. And I think that's that's all that happens. That's what I think it is.
I don't mean to be, uh, unkind or disrespect someone's experience. I just don't think it's the Holy Spirit. I think it's emotion. So. Okay. Does that help?
Thank you.
Yeah. Okay. Yeah.
I've enjoyed, uh, Torrey Auditorium and Moody's church. Uh, and I've never seen that happen. Any any services?
No, it doesn't happen at Moody, I'll tell you that.
So that's that was the reason for my question. Thank you so much.
Yeah, sure. Uh, we're going to.
Talk.
To Lee.
In Cleveland, Ohio. Uh, I guess listen, on wtxf. Welcome to Open Line, Lee. How can I help you?
Thank you. Uh. Thank you, doctor. Uh, yes. I've heard of people that are present themselves as being very learned or scholarly that, uh, it's required that when a person is baptized, they have to be baptized in the specific name of the father, specific name of the son, and specific name of the Holy Spirit, as I understand it. Otherwise, they haven't been baptized. And I get the impression they're saying that, uh, they're not saved.
Mhm.
Well, I don't think baptism makes a person saved. Uh, whether they are baptized or not, or baptized appropriately or in, you know, inappropriately with the right formula. I just don't think we're saved by grace through faith. It's not of works, including the work of baptism. So wouldn't you agree with me that we're saved by grace through faith?
Yes, sir. But I wanted to.
Yeah, yeah. I just, I just I think that that's important to recognize at first. Uh, and, uh, the, the the second is, uh. This is important, uh, uh, that the Bible commands that we be baptized. Uh, it tells those of us who make disciples to when they win or want the Lord to baptize them. And then it says, how in the name of the father and the son
and the Holy Spirit. And I think it's it's a significant verse there in Matthew 28, because that command reflects the triune nature of God, because it uses the singular word, baptizing them in the name, not plural names, but in the name of the father, son, and Holy Spirit. And since the Bible does indeed give that, uh, then, uh, then the uh, then the idea is that that we reflect the triune nature of God when we baptize and
when we are baptized. And so I think I wouldn't mess around and I and use other terms for God, I think we've got the clear formula it's written out in Scripture. Why change it? What do you think?
Yeah, I agree, I agree with that. I just wanted to be sure.
Yeah, that's what I would say. Okay. Appreciate it. Lee. Thanks for your call. Yeah. Uh, we're going to talk to Caroline in Geneva, Illinois, listening on wmbi. Welcome to Open Line. Caroline. Caroline.
Well, good morning and thank you. And I am a cable partner with you, so.
Oh, great. Thank you for being a kitchen table partner.
Yes. Thank you. I'm not at the kitchen table. I'm at my desk right now.
Okay, there we go. Okay.
Uh, anyway, um, I am teaching a Bible study, and we finished our Bible study early this year. And so we went to your 50 most important Bible questions. And I let them choose each choose some of the important questions they liked from that book. Well, the one we're going to do Monday is question number three. Can the believer lose their salvation? And in the third reason or the third way that you talk there. It's about Romans 838 and 39.
Mhm.
Um, just remember we who would you say are created beings and even we don't have the power to separate ourselves from the love of God and the and the Messiah, Jesus. Um, three of the people in the Bible study have members of their family who are adults now, who grew up in the word, went to all of the camps, uh, confessed Jesus as their Lord, got baptized and now have said, no, I no longer believe in it. I'm an atheist.
Mhm. So how have they separated themselves from the love of God and lost their salvation? Is that what you're asking?
That's it.
Yeah. Uh, well, I think it's interesting that in the last days. Oh, my. Running out of time. Uh, you know what, Carolyn? When we come back, uh, in the next hour, I'm going to address this question. So you stick around with us. I'll start off by talking with you. Okay.
Uh, okay.
Because that's it for the first hour. Uh, thanks for listening, everyone. Keep listening. There's a second hour of Open Line coming up from on most of these stations, and you can hear the answer to Carolyn's question. I think that would be really great. Uh, during the break, check out our web page, Open Line radio.org. It's got all the links you're looking for, including a link to my personal web page. You can see about going on a biblical cruise with me.
Our 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. We'll be right back.