Please stay with us and at the end of the program we’ll let you know where to send your questions for Dave and Tom to respond to in a future Contending For The Faith. You’re listening to Search the Scriptures Daily, a radio ministry of The Berean Call.
Now, our final segment, Understanding The Scriptures. And, we resume our excursion through the book of Acts. Once again, and along with Dave Hunt, here’s Tom.
UNDERSTANDING THE SCRIPTURES
Tom:
In this, our Understanding the Scriptures segment, we’re in the book of Acts. We’re in Acts, Chapter 8, and we left off last with verse 31. And, of course, this is Philip who is being led by the Holy Spirit and he is led to a man of Ethiopian who was in charge of the treasure of the Queen of the Ethiopians, and he’s reading from the book of Isaiah and not quite understanding it, is he Dave,
Dave:
Yes, but he has a copy of it.
Tom:
Right.
Dave:
I don’t think he bought it in Jerusalem. He brought it with him. He’s reading it on the way home.
Tom:
Now, Dave, this might be a little controversial, and I know you like to steer of that, but I was going to throw it out there anyway…
Dave:
Absolutely.
Tom:
In verse 29 it says, “Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.” You know, a lot of people say that we’re anti-charismatic, anti-gifts, etc., I don’t know where they get that idea. Over years and years we take the position that A.W. Tozer takes that we don’t find anything in the Word of God that would say that the gifts are not for today.
Dave:
But, we want them to be the real thing.
Tom:
Exactly. And that’s a large problem. That’s why I say this is going to be a bit controversial.
Dave:
Tom, how many people have said to me, “Let me tell you what God told me today about you,” you know? Well, He didn’t tell me. That’s almost like when I get up in the morning I ought to have some neon sign up in the sky giving me my orders for the day. You’ve got the Bible. You better read that and study that. And the Lord will give you insights and understanding. I don’t know how He said this to Philip. Maybe it was just an impression that he had. He realized that he’s got to join himself to this chariot.
Tom:
This whole thing was a miraculous event.
Dave:
Yes it was.
Tom:
He didn’t just get on his bike and tool off and run down the chariot.
Dave:
Right. Right.
Tom:
But, here’s my question. And, again, I want to do this cautiously because, as we’ve noted, there’s so many fakes, there’s so many flaky claims to be led of the Holy Spirit, etc. But nevertheless, Dave, couldn’t God do this today? Couldn’t God speak to your heart, couldn’t God speak audibly to somebody? But, it wouldn’t be an everyday event.
Dave:
Of course. But, Tom, let me put it in these terms. Last week I mentioned my little experience on the plane. I’ve had this so many times, where the gentlemen across the aisle asked me to change places with him. Now, why would God have to say to me, “Dave, take the place of that man across the aisle, and get him to change seats with you!” He didn’t have to do that because the Lord had somehow arranged for that man’s wife to be sitting next to me, next to the window, and he wanted to come over and do it. So, you see, there’s one of the problems, Tom. Oh, it would be much more spectacular if I had had a voice from God telling me, “Talk this guy into changing seats with you.” Well, I could give a great testimony about that. Wow! God told me to do this. But, God didn’t have to tell me to do that. But, it is just as much guidance as if He had told me to do that. I have missed planes…never my fault I don’t think…maybe once or twice. Because I’m pretty careful about getting there on time when it comes to airplanes. Maybe some other things…now, Tom, don’t tell on me.
Tom:
All I have to do is mention the flight that you thought was Friday, but was actually Thursday of last week, Dave. Now, come on here.
Dave:
Well, now that is one of the very few exceptions.
Tom:
Yes that’s the exception to the rule.
Dave:
And, again, that was all in the Lord’s will. He allowed me to make
that mistake because…
Tom:
But He does that. He creates opportunities for us.
Dave:
Right. Right.
Tom:
It’s wonderful.
Dave:
I remember being shuffled from one plane to another. They all kept having mechanical problems and I think the third one, finally, and I have a special number I call...get over to this gate quickly, you know. And I finally get over there and just as I step aboard, the first class flight attendant standing there, you know at the front, “Dave Hunt! You’re just the guy I wanted to talk to.” Well, I didn’t get a voice from God telling me to get over there. But, the Lord worked the circumstances out. So that was where it went. But, Tom, yes, God works in amazing ways and I see Him guide me life, and you know, you’ve heard me say many times… almost, not every time…but almost every time I get off of an airplane I just say, “God, you did it again. I don’t know how you do it!” But He doesn’t have to talk to me to tell me to make some decision. But, I remember one plane that landed in Chicago. When it hit the runway, the hydraulics went out. It had to be towed up to the gate so I…anyway, Tom, the man I sat next to on the next plane—that’s the one God wanted me to sit next to. But, He didn’t give me a voice from heaven. It could happen. He could have done that, but, Tom, we live in a much more organized society today. So, it’s more likely that God is going to work the circumstances in our schedules or whatever.
Tom:
But, Dave, the bottom line is the content that you were there for. It was the Word of God.
Dave:
Amen.
Tom:
You were preaching and teaching the Word of God. God arranged a circumstance and situation to have you in a place where you spoke His Word, you preached the truth and people respond.
Dave:
Amen .
Tom:
That’s the bottom line. Many times we get letters from people that said they’re Spirit led, etc., and you’ll find out the content of what they’re promoting…it’s all subjective. It’s all stuff that they’ve either made up…and some cases it’s so contrary to the Word of God that you think God could not be involved in this.
Dave:
Right.
Tom:
So we need to test the Spirits, test all of these things, but not deny what God is able to do. That’s my point.
Dave:
Right. And stick with the Bible.
Tom:
Amen. Amen. Verse 30: “And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Isaiah, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this:
He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb
before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth.
So, that’s Isaiah 53.
Dave:
So, Tom, it was miraculous how God put Philip right there. Miraculously said to Philip, “Join yourself to this chariot.” But, the man was ready. That’s why God had him there. The man invited Philip up. I’ll never forget an ex-Marine pilot…I shouldn’t have been in that seat …I shouldn’t have been on that plane, etc., but anyway, without going into those details, his first words when he sat down beside me were: “ I want to know God!” Well, that’s the way the Lord does it. He caused that man to sit there. And He will bring us in contact with people who want to know the truth. You don’t have to knock your head against the wall trying to persuade somebody….
Tom:
Yes, but Dave, some people say, “Yeah, but I don’t know as much as Dave Hunt, man, you know, suppose somebody asks a question I don’t have the answer?” If God provides the opportunity, it seems to me, He’s going to have you there with what you have with what you know. He’s not going to create it out of a vacuum. But if somebody has something to give that will be a blessing to somebody else, God’s going to have you equipped and in that right place to do it no matter where you are…how mature you are in the Word, etc., I think.
Dave:
That’s true, Tom. But the Lord is going to teach us through these experiences, too. So, I couldn’t say how many times I came home from an encounter and I fell on my face before the Lord and said, “God, I didn’t have the answer. Please help me. I want to have the answer the next time that question is asked.” So, we learn. We don’t know everything at once. And, we learn over a period of time.
Tom:
But, we’re just not to be that reluctant or self-conscious, actually that’s I was getting at.
Dave:
Absolutely. We’re trusting in the Lord. And the place of the scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth; in his humiliation his judgment was taken away.” Well, Tom, we’re not going to be able to finish this. But, he’s going to ask Philip, “Is he talking about himself or about some other man?” But, the man had that much sense to recognize…now the Jewish people today who say, “well, that was Israel he was talking about. Couldn’t have been the Messiah.” They wouldn’t dare to admit this was the Messiah because it goes on, it’s very clear…Tom, you could write out…I’ll just make this suggestion to people out there…type out Isaiah 53 on a blank piece of paper. Don’t tell them where it came from—and ask some Jewish friend, or ask anybody almost—“This is in the Bible. Who do you think it’s talking about?” I guarantee you they’ll say, “Oh, that’s Jesus. Oh, that’s Jesus. Yes.” A Jewish man might say, “Why that must be some Protestant, some Christian from today, wrote that.” No, surprise, surprise.
It was your ancient prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 53. And he was talking about the Messiah. Now, who do you think the Messiah might be?
Gary:
Dave and Tom will resume their discussion on the topic of salvation next week, we hope you can tune in. This is Search the Scriptures Daily, a radio ministry of The Berean Call.
It’s on the horizon, it’s almost in view, get ready for, Judgment Day, Islam, Israel and the Nations, the new book from Dave Hunt and The Berean Call. Is God about to judge the world over issues related to Israel? His highly informative and revealing work cuts through the political to the prophetic, alerting us to the judgment about to befall this planet. Hans Kristian, President of the International Sakharov Committee, calls it “the most important book on the issues of the Middle East and the Holy Land.” Joseph Farah, Founder of worldnetdaily.com says, “Dave Hunt has nailed it. This book is a wake up call to a sleep-walking world trying to make sense of events that were foretold in the greatest book ever written, the Bible.”
Lecturer and co-author of, The Seduction of Christianity, Dave Hunt: “Judgment Day is the most important book I have written, God’s judgment is coming upon this world. The leaders of this world are defying what God has said about Israel and about that land that belongs to them. They are taking the side of people who pretend that that land belongs to them and it does not, and God is going to punish this world and we document that in the book.”
This treatment of the topic offers no room for political correctness or ecumenical accommodations. The truth is more devastating than fiction. Judgment Day, Islam, Israel and the Nations, the latest by Dave Hunt is now available from The Berean Call in e-book and hard cover. Information on how to order in just a moment.
And now, to tell you more about our ministry, here is TBC Executive Director Tom McMahon.
Tom:
The name, The Berean Call, is taken from the Book of Acts, Chapter 17, Verses 10 and 11, where we find the apostle Paul entering the synagogue in the Greek City of Berea after he had just come from Thessalonica. To these Bereans he preached that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah sent from God. They were commended for being noble, or fair-minded, not only for their willingness to hear what Paul had to say about the matter, but more specifically, because they searched the scriptures daily to find out whether or not what the apostle was saying was found in God’s Word. That’s what we hope to encourage through this ministry. Our mission is to alert believers in Christ to unbiblical teachings and practices impacting the church. We want to exhort believers to give greater heed to Biblical discernment and truth regarding what they are accepting as spiritual. We hope to supply those who profess to be Biblical Christians with information and materials that will encourage the love of God’s truth. Hopefully, we can help mobilize believers in Christ to action and obedience to the scriptural command to “earnestly contend for the faith,” found in Jude 3. And, finally, our prayer is that we can be used of God to stimulate Christians to look to the Bible alone as their rule of faith, authority and practice in living lives pleasing to our Lord and Savior. Gary.
Gary:
If you are a serious student of God’s Word, we offer a wide variety of items that you will find helpful, from books and tracts to audio and video tapes, CD-ROM, our internet website and much more. For a complete list of materials, or to get a copy of today’s broadcast, write to us at PO Box 7019, Bend, Oregon 97708, call us at our toll free order number, 877-882-4253, that’s 877-88Bible, or visit our website at www.thebereancall.org. If you would like a copy of this broadcast, ask for Program #4105, and be sure to mention the call letters of this station. Get a pen or pencil ready, we’ll repeat our contact information in just a moment.
Next week, we’ll wrap up our three part re-visit to our series “Psychology versus the Bible” with T.A. McMahon and Martin and Deidre Bobgan and, in Religion in the News, “Drugging out Kids for Piece of Mind, Dare We Say No?” We’ll take a look at that story and address the question: “Do You Have The Right Psychological Profile To Be A Missionary?” We hope you can join us. If you have questions or comments about this program we urge you to contact our offices. Search the Scriptures Daily Radio Ministry is made possible by God’s grace, your prayers and your financial support. I’m Gary Carmichael, and for Dave, Tom and everyone here at The Berean Call, I would like to thank you for tuning in and invite you to tune in again next week. In the meantime, if you desire to know God’s truth, search the scriptures daily.
For more information about The Berean Call, write to us at PO Box 7019, Bend, Oregon 97708, call us toll free at our order #877-882-4253, that’s 877-88Bible, or visit our website at www.thebereancall.org.
