Your Toughest Bible Questions Answered! With Allen Parr— The Alisa Childers Podcast #96
Do babies go to heaven when they die? Can a Christian live in sin and still be saved? Does the Bible support slavery? How is the prosperity gospel unbiblical? Allen Parr joins us to answer these questions and more!Watch on YouTube:
Read Alisa's book:
David
2/15/2021 08:45:43 am
I have a couple of comments about this podcast. There were a couple of points that were made that I believe should be challenged.
1 – "whatsoever you ask in my name" (John 14:13). Your guest proposed that this promise was only to the 12. I believe this is a dangerous position. It may lead to people believing that everything was on meant for the 12. It may have been better to look at 1 John 5:13-15. Both passages by the same author, but 1 John brings clarity, only prayers according to the will of the Father are heard and answered.
2 – Healing – I can understand the position that was made using Is 53, but ignoring Matt 8 and 1 Peter 2 where that same passage is used is difficult. Also in regards to healing. I will concede that the use of "all" or "everyone" in the gospels is more of an expression than of actually fact. However, there is no recorded occurrence of Jesus failing or refusing to heal anyone when they approached him seeking healing. There is no instance of him saying "My Father is teaching you something, come back after you have learned what he is teaching" Nor is there an place where Jesus made people sick.
Just as you believe in the moral law pointing to a moral law giver, look at those that are sick. Universally they seek healing. If the desire for a moral law points to God, then the desire for healing points to a Healer.
I could continue, but I will not at this time. I will acknowledge that people die "in faith" not having received the promise of God for healing. (See Her 11:39). You can have faith for healing, but not be healed. (The problem of evil, an argument for God)
3 – the Prosperity Gospel. The statement was made that for the prosperity gospel to be true it has to work everywhere. IT DOES! But the definition of prosperity must be biblical, not social. Biblical prosperity is having more than enough to do the will of God in your life. It does not mean having a huge bank account.
Allow me an illustration. If you are driving down a country road and are distracted for a minute, you may find yourself headed towards a ditch on the side of the road. In a panic to avoid the ditch to turn the wheel sharply to the other side. Now in your haste you have overcorrected and find yourself going towards the ditch on the other side of the road.
There are two ditches on the road of Christian maturity. (allow the limitations for this example). There is the ditch of the Prosperity Gospel. I admit that taking to the extreme it is troubling. However, there is also the ditch of the Poverty Gospel. I find this equally as troubling, but sugar coated to make it more paletable for Christians to consume.)
Just as you and your guest described 4 types of people (the unbeliever, the baby Christian, the mature Christian, and the carnal Christian). These areas can be found in nearly every Christians life. There are areas we do not believe, areas that we have just discovered, areas we refuse to discover, and areas we have walked through and learned from.
Answered and unanswered Prayer, Health and Healing, Prosperity and Poverty cannot be as easily pigeonholed as you presented. Yes, the extremes cause problems, but ignoring the truth they present leaves people bound by problems.
In closing, I would like to thank you for your podcast, even this one I am writing about. I have learned many things from them. I found your podcast through Frank Turik's program. I have not only read your book "Mama Bear Apologetics" but I have given it as a gift to my daughter and daughter's in law. May the Lord continue to bless you and your work for Him.
David
As concerning the Word of life, Luke 10 section 25-28 says: On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
Luke 18 section 18-25 says: A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good–except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'" "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Matthew 5 section 43-48 says: "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
In Old Testament, the Jewish people and their ancestors were given the Law to observe. First, What Adam and Eve should observe was that they could not eat the fruits from the tree of wisdom. Then, their son Cain was told that he should not kill. As sins became increased, the laws were also added more. Up to the generation of Moses, the Law in Old Testament was given to Israelites. We know that the Law is good and the Law is used to punish people who commit sins, but people cannot obey the Law because the sinful spirits are in people. Even that we know stealing and giving false testimony are sinful, but greedy and pride spirits in us drive us to do sinful things. So as Old Testament prophesied we need to get rid of our sinful nature from our spirits.
Jeremiah 31 section 31-33 says: "The time is coming," declares the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the Lord. "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the Lord. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
Ezekiel 36 section 24-27 says: "'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
The prophecies are fulfilled when Jesus begins to teach love. The two greatest commandments are " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Love is above the Law and if people have love they are free from the law of sin and death. People who are full of love will not think about stealing or giving false testimony but are merciful and they feed hungry people or give thirsty people something to drink or invite strangers in or clothe people who need clothes. The Law is for people who commit sins. Nobody will say that he will get reward because he does not steal before. But love is the grace we get. And with love we will get eternal life.
Romans 13 section 8-10 says: Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Luke 17 section 2
John
2/20/2021 05:21:40 pm
3 John 1:2
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (NKJ)
Does "prosper in all things" include financial provision from the hand of God for believers? Does "in health" mean protection or deliverance from sickness?
Why would John pray this way if these were not within the will of God and accessible through the redemptive work of Christ who made it possible for believers to overcome the effects of original sin (which you stated was as a result of Adam's fall)? It would appear, if our soul prospers, and it does under the Lordship of Jesus, there are additional benefits to being a believer. This prayer was offered for the well-being of believers.
Surely abusive teaching of the 'health and wealth" preaching can mislead, but to imply God's power is not available today undermines the faith of those earnestly seeking an answer for their needs.
We are not to judge scripture by our experience. We are to apply scripture to our experience. It can be a mystery why some prayers seem unanswered. We still must pray in faith, expecting answers. Otherwise, we are double-minded, not fully trusting. What about verified testimonies of miracles? Perhaps scripture is dependable
It is odd that many "anti-prosperity" ministries seem financially well off. I can understand why other ministries teaching against "faith healing" rarely witness a miracle.
I do hope these comments do add to the discussion.
Brandon Carroll
4/29/2021 01:47:17 am
I totally agree with above comments, Agar in proverbs prayed God would not make him so rich he would forget God but not so poor he has to steal and commit a sin. America Gospel and lot other ministry are doing a lot damage to Christians preaching accept the fact you may never get healed as Jesus didn't heal everyone or that God does not want you to prosper why because what is the point of bringing people to christ if we are suffering or poor, I'm drawn to Christians who have overcome poverty or health challenges because they walk by faith not facts, God does not promise a easy life but he didn't leave us to be humans just for sake of livibg and making no kingdom impact and do that you need money and you need your health.
Dean Agnor
5/29/2021 10:52:24 am
I concur with the previous post regarding Isaiah 53. People who discuss this passage and its meaning on physical healing without discussing Matt 8, which says, "He restored health to all who were sick," and "so He fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah" are simply not being forthright on the topic. The clashing mindsets of those who believe healing is a covenantal promise, yet it requires faith for its manifestation, and those who choose to see healing primarily as sovereign acts seem to determine the interpretation of Isaiah 53. There is no evidence Jesus denied healing to anyone. The evidence screams from Scripture that Jesus healed ALL He encountered.
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
