December 8, 2016 Show with Gerald M. Bilkes on “Christ’s Parables: Glory Veiled & Unveiled” AND “Christ’s Miracles: Mercy Revealed”
GERALD M. BILKES, professor of New Testament and biblical theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, MI will address: Christ’s Parables: “GLORY Veiled & Unveiled”
AND Christ’s Miracles: “MERCY Revealed”
Transcript
Live from the historic parsonage of 19th century gospel minister George Norcross in downtown
Carlisle, Pennsylvania, it's Iron Sharpens Iron, a radio
platform on which pastors, Christian scholars and theologians address the burning issues
facing the church and the world today.
Proverbs 27 verse 17 tells us iron sharpens iron so one
man sharpens another.
Matthew Henry said that in this passage, quote, we are cautioned to take heed whom we
converse with and directed to have in view in conversation to make one another
wiser and better.
It is our hope that this goal will be accomplished over the next hour and we hope to hear
from you, the listener, with your.
Own questions.
Now here's our host Chris.
Good afternoon Cumberland County, Pennsylvania and the rest of humanity living on the planet
earth who are listening via live streaming.
This is Chris Arnsen, your host of Iron Sharpens Iron, wishing you all a happy Thursday on
this eighth day of December 2016, and I know I've got to update the opening
announcement because we haven't been a one -hour program in well over a year.
We very quickly after relaunching the program went to a two -hour daily so I have
to have our announcer update that one -hour announcement, but I am so
delighted to have on the program today for the very first time for the full two hours
Gerald M. Bilkus and Brother Bilkus is a professor of
New Testament and Biblical Theology at Puritan Reform Theological Seminary in Grand
Rapids, Michigan, founded by Dr. Joel Beakey, who's been a guest on this program a
number of times, a dear friend that I've known going back to the 1990s, and today
Dr. Bilkus is going to be addressing Christ's parables, Glory Veiled and
Unveiled, for the first hour.
The second hour we're going to be talking about Christ's Miracles, Mercy Revealed, and those happen to be
the titles of two books that we are addressing today on Iron Sharpens Iron.
If anybody would like to join us on the air, our email address is chrisarnsen at gmail .com,
chrisarnsen at gmail .com, c -h -r -i -s -a -r -n -z -e -n at gmail .com.
But it's my honor and privilege to welcome you for the very first time to Iron.
Sharpens Iron, Jerry Bilkus.
Thank you so much, Chris.
It's a great honor and a great pleasure.
I just want to thank you for your ministry.
Yes, well, I am delighted to have you on.
I've heard.
Wonderful things about you, and I am just anticipating a great program today.
And before we even go into the subject at hand, tell us something about Puritan Reform Theological.
Seminary.
Yes, Chris, we've been very privileged.
I came on board at Puritan.
Wow.
Yeah, very thankful for that opportunity.
Shabiki and the board here contacted me.
I still wasn't even,
I was working on my doctorate.
I really felt God
opened this and with the others who've come
with us,
do pray.
Great.
Well, now I want to hear something about your own personal background,.
Your childhood, what kind of religious atmosphere, if any, you were raised in, and what were the
providential occurrences that the Lord brought about in your life that drew you.
To himself?
Yes, Chris, a great, great question.
Well, I was born in a ministry, and
he was here in Grand Rapids at the time, and his first congregation was,
in fact, we lived in the Netherlands for a while, so I was raised in a pastor's
home, Reformed.
I had a very,
some, I'm very thankful.
I soon just,
as I look
back, not a true faith.
What happened was, when I was about 21, I had gone through college.
I was told that I had some gifts for hire.
I did that.
My professor, Ernst Seminary, and I knew that
going, I thought I was,
yeah, yeah, conversation, can't you?
Yeah, so in my naivete, I thought I was saying
that, in fact, to my dad,
and after a few months, half a year,
and
obviously
the stream, and I
was not a Christian,
that was, look,
after a while,
I really wonder.
I had a view of my own heart,
sense that imagination,
bringing me
under
solid preaching, the
sovereignty of God, the depravity of man, and the glory of Jesus, even
years.
In the end,
somewhat
may, and
very
difficult, and
more
than that, I think it taught me a value
we need to do in our time.
There are many who are cozy,.
That's a bit longer than I wanted to.
Oh, that's perfect, and by the way, you say you were from a Free Reformed Church
background.
Are you familiar with the congregation.
In Pompton Plains, New Jersey?
Oh, absolutely.
That's where the Lord, I believe, had mercy on my soul.
They were in
Clifton, New
Jersey at the
end of the
years that ensued.
Yeah, when Pastor Lawrence Roth was there, he and the congregation there participated in a
program that I developed that lasted, I don't know, I think it probably lasted
nearly seven years, called The Voice of Sovereign Grace, and what it was is every night,
Monday through Friday, a different Reformed pastor had the
floor, if you will, had the airwaves where his sermon was aired, and
the program had the same title and theme, and the only difference was that every night the
specific pastor whose sermon was airing was announced with the details of that specific congregation,
and that congregation, along with other Reformed churches in different denominations,
had a part of that program, The Voice of Sovereign Grace, and I have had a little bit of interaction
with Pastor Jay Lewis.
I haven't gotten to know him well, but he seems like a very nice man,.
Nice brother in Christ.
Yeah, that's wonderful to hear, Chris.
That congregation has a very fond place in my
life.
Yeah, it's wonderful to hear that.
Well, I didn't even know that before.
I asked you that question, so that was not a staged interaction.
I just want our listeners to know.
The ways of God are interesting, aren't they?
They're past finding out.
That's right.
Well, we are going to be discussing two books that you've written, as I mentioned earlier,
before.
The first we are going to be focusing on during the first hour is Glory Veiled
and Unveiled, A Heart -Searching Look at Christ's Parables.
If you could explain what was the motivation for you to write this book to
begin with.
Yes, Chris.
Well, it's interesting.
I teach New
Testament.
I
like
digging
into
the parables.
These
parables light
on Jesus.
And if
you
could explain why the parables are known as a mystery.
That's the
key.
Obviously, in
a very remarkable way,
when Jesus taught
his parables,
he didn't do it nice, easy.
It was
certainly not
why Jesus taught parables.
He tells us himself in Mark 4, Matthew 13, that the
parables, and what
he means by
that, mysteriously,
Matthew 13 illustrates.
It's planted.
There's nothing on
the
earth.
Just to
get at it,
yeah, they're nice
stories.
We do have a listener all the way in Slovenia,.
Joe, who says, please ask Brother Gerald to explain about the ten virgins of
Matthew 25, verses 1 -13.
My question is specifically about verse 7 and following.
Since the bridegroom, Jesus, has come, and the five foolish virgins weren't
ready, as they should have been, to go into the banquet immediately, why are they instructed to
go and buy oil from the
dealers?
Why aren't they simply told that they aren't prepared at his arrival, as they should
have been, and now it is too late?
Thanks for your insights.
Grace and peace in Christ, our hope.
Excellent
chapter,
actually.
You can't
necessarily
end, apply them spiritually,
for example, the
parables.
But in the
case of this, the point of
that is to tell this gripping story that we all can feel
ourselves.
And yeah, in terms
of the story,
when the end
comes to the
canon, and
that's how I
would read that parable.
Well, thank you,
Joe, in
Slovenia, and thank you.
For providing an American address for us, because we are sending,
as our gift to you for your question, a free copy of the book that we are addressing right now.
That is Glory Veiled and Unveiled by Gerald M. Bilkus.
And we are shipping that out to your daughter in the United States, as you have provided
her address.
And that saves Cumberland Valley Bible Book Services a lot of money on postage, because
they ship out all of our winners, their free Bibles and books and DVDs and CDs and other things
that you, the listener, win when you submit questions.
So we thank Reformation Heritage Books for providing that book for you, and we also thank
Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service, CVBBS .com, for shipping that out to you.
We have C .J. from Lindenhurst, Long Island, New York,
who says, Are all the parables fictitious stories
that have truth embedded in their storyline?
I wonder, for instance, is the rich man in Lazarus an actual
account, or is it merely a story to teach a valuable lesson?
One of the things that confuses me about the rich man in Lazarus story is that
the rich man appears to be in hell, whereas, according to
my understanding, and I have been taught this by reliable Reformed scholars,
even from Banner of Truth, that no one is in the lake of fire right now.
That is something that the damned await until the time of
judgment, the last day, if you could explain.
To cut
the
point that
I'm making
in the
unit, some people have
said that maybe
just simply
be,
but anyhow, it is, I guess I would come
down.
Well, thank you,
C .J. and
Lindenhurst,.
Long Island.
Please give us your full mailing address so we can ship a free copy of that book out to you, compliments of Reformation Heritage
Books and compliments of Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service.
So would you agree, and I've heard the same thing, and this is
also my conviction, that there is indeed no one in the lake of fire, although
I believe that people are in a place of torment where they await the lake of
fire.
They're obviously somewhere right now, those who are damned, that is,
before the final judgment, but it seems to be chronologically
inconsistent and illogical that if the day of judgment is on the last day where
the damned are cast into the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels, it would seem
to indicate that there is no one in the lake of fire right now, which is the puzzling statements
about the rich man is that he is in the.
Flame and wants, you know, a drop of water for his tongue
and so on.
Yeah, we do believe that there is,
and so there's not some kind of neutral
place.
The damned
are not yet united with their body,
the unjustified death.
This is talking about
the intermediate
state, and
again,
the
principle...
Yes, and one of the things that occurred to me with that parable
is how powerful it is, or that story, I should say, whether it's a parable or not.
Obviously, there's a dispute.
To me, it's a clear proof or one of the
proofs of unconditional election, and the reason why I say that
is that if men truly have a free will with the
capacity to please God before they are regenerate, and the way they would please God is by
offering up a faith that saves them from out of their own
dead, sinful soul.
The Arminian obviously believes it is not so dead, it is sick, but is still able to please God by
offering up a faith that saves them, that God is
pleased enough to receive to save the sinner.
The reason why this story seems to contradict that idea
strongly is that, of course, if the
Arminians were right, someone rising from the dead to warn them
about hell, that would change the minds of multitudes,
even when you think about the resurrection of Christ himself.
But am I right there?
Do you think that that story lends itself to proving the doctrines of grace, at least
in part?
I commend ourselves to God, neither can we find ourselves the
other.
Amen.
When you put your ear to the multitudes out
there, and suppose
it to count,
people are not
going to believe
it indeed.
Great.
And we have Seth in Randleman, North Carolina.
Hold on, Seth, we're going to get to your question after we return from the break.
If anybody else would like to join us, our email address is chrisarnson at gmail .com.
That's chrisarnson at gmail .com.
Please give us your first name, city and state and country of residence.
If you live outside of the good old USA, don't go away, we're going
to come right back, God willing, after these messages with Dr. Gerald M. Bilkus and
more on Glory Veiled and Unveiled.
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I think that's what it's called.
Hoping that you can join Chris and me at the G3 Conference in Atlanta, my new
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It is going to be a bang up conference called the G3 Conference,
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If you've just joined us, our guest today for the full two hours is Dr. Gerald Bilkus.
We are discussing right now his book Glory Veiled and Unveiled about Christ's parables.
The second hour we'll be talking about Mercy Revealed, a book about Christ's miracles.
If you'd like to join us on the air, our email address is chrisarnson at gmail .com and we do have
Seth in Randleman, North Carolina who wants to know the most difficult practice, I'm sorry,
the most difficult parable that theologians have interpreting.
Dr. Bilkus?
Hello Dr. Bilkus.
I think that Dr. Bilkus somehow got disconnected.
Chris, I'm right here.
Oh, how did...
Did you fall asleep Dr. Bilkus?
No, this is my fault.
I hit the mute button during.
Our break there and it never turned it back on.
Well, do you want to hear something funny?
I did the same thing just a few minutes ago if you noticed there was a long pause of silence after we were talking about
the rich man and Lazarus.
Yeah, yeah.
Sorry about that.
I was going on.
Lecturing and then I realized that no one was hearing me.
Well, if you could address.
Our brother Seth's question from Randleman, North Carolina.
Listen, I think the most difficult.
Parable probably
and seem to
be even
preserving
and
bottom
of that
parable,
if
you
want to
hear that at this time Chris.
Oh sure, sure.
One of them is that light so often and that one
is fairly easily.
They often know or in
light
of their principle.
Another lesson that I
argue
in my book
even if we don't and
wise that
we have
been unjust
towards
should
we not
do
what's
really
in
the
previous parable.
He looked at his
life.
He didn't have
anything to eat and he wasn't even allowed to eat
the food.
Should not we.
I'm not the only one.
Well, thank you Seth
and you
have also.
Won a free copy of the book Glory Veiled and Unveiled Compliments of Reformation Heritage
Books and compliments of our friends at cvbbs .com Cumberland Valley Bible
Book Service.
So expect that in the mail God willing within a week or so.
We have another listener from North Carolina and it's really interesting.
I think by far most of my listeners are south of the Mason Dixon line.
I seem to have a lot of listeners in North Carolina, South Carolina,
Texas, Georgia, all over the place down south Mississippi.
I do have them up north too and other parts of the world but it just seems uncanny that I have a lot of listeners
down south even though I am in the heart of Yankee territory in Pennsylvania here.
We have Pastor Sterling Vanderwerker from Greensboro, North Carolina
who says, thanks for another great show brother Chris.
My question is it's certainly easy to take a purpose to the text that makes
its interpretation objectively wrong.
Could the author tell us what the most dangerous ways that the parables are
used?
Very good question Pastor Sterling, thank you.
Yeah it's an excellent question or the
other
the parable and
you read there
about feeding the
hungry
and the
judgment that is and
that parable is not
teaching
that at all.
Indeed there are works that flow from faith
and they
will guard against that
who will receive
greater.
Well
thank you very
much Pastor Sterling.
And you have also won a copy of the book we are discussing right now,
Glory Veiled and Unveiled, a heart -searching look at Christ's parables.
So expect that in the mail, compliments of Reformation Heritage Books and also compliments
of cvbbs .com, Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service.
We thank you so much for participating in the show and we ask of you to please continue spreading the word about
Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, not only among the folks in your congregation but all over the North
Carolina area and everywhere else the Lord leads you.
Thank you very much for that and our email address is chrisarnson at gmail
.com, that's chrisarnson at gmail .com
and we have Arnie in Perry County Pennsylvania who
wants to know were the parables ever given as a way
of in some sense masking the truth to the reprobate such as
many of the pharisees and others while at the same time revealing and opening up
truth to the elect.
That is an awesome.
Question.
And that is indeed
here's how it
doesn't mean that they can
even understand for example the main point of the parable.
However what happens for those who are not believers as they listen to the parable.
They never a proper way in the way
that God has designed that Christ is aiming for as he's
teaching this parable
they excuse.
Take for example
now believers are going
to listen
up and they are the
good life.
Maybe mirror some of these other.
The devil comes a reality
of my heart and life now
that's joy.
But when tribulation comes I again
that's not a sin
here that that unbelief is in my life the
Lord as it were on his knees.
Is it I Lord.
Is it I.
Is this is this me.
Whereas a reprobate reads over this parable and doesn't for a moment uh
imagine or if he even in
the end
it hardens him I'll give you proof
of and he's aiming that parable
these leaders these religious leaders.
And in the end when they hear this parable at an intellectual level they can get
to repent
born in their
life.
Thank you Arnie and Perry County.
Please give us your uh mailing address.
Because you've also won a free copy of the book Glory Veiled and Unveiled
by our guest Gerald Bilkus compliments of Reformation Heritage Books and compliments
of cvbbs .com Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service.
We have a an anonymous listener using an alias.
Uh lamb lamb.
I always chuckle when she writes in and I'm assuming lamb lamb is a woman I'm not 100 sure about
that.
Um lamb lamb and valley stream long island new york is professor Bilkus book
Glory Veiled and Unveiled aimed to help readers in understanding
each parable individually or see the connectivity among the parables.
Did professor Bilkus include the background and or biblical customs
related to the subject of the parable used in order to help readers understand
more.
Yeah that's a great.
Question.
Um I I did do
that.
A worldview we might not get.
Church people
have read and uh
there is a the.
When it
comes
to
the what
I do is
every parable is
treated according the one is the setting the scenario that's where I
look at in this
parable.
That's easy to
discern.
And then the last category is search.
That's more application.
I have a few questions at the end to help us learn take the learning even further.
So that's how I do this.
Chris.
Well thank you.
Lamb lamb.
You've won our last copy of the book Glory Veiled and Unveiled a heart -searching look at Christ's
parables so please give us your full mailing address in Valley Stream Long Island New York and
we'll have Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service ship that out to you.
And thanks again to Reformation Heritage Books for supplying those free books and their
website.
By the way if anybody would like to purchase copies of Dr. Bilkus's
books or other authors that they offer heritagebooks .org is the
website heritagebooks .org and you can also go to Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service's
website.
They carry many titles by heritage books Reformation Heritage Books and they are
more than happy to order anything that you don't already see on their website cvbbs .com
cv for Cumberland Valley bbs for biblebookservice .com.
A thoroughly reformed and Christ honoring a book and Bible ministry.
And I thank Todd and Patty Jennings for their support and their faithful encouragement over the
years for Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.
And I would like you Dr. Bilkus to close this first hour by giving us a
summary of what you most want etched in the hearts and minds of our listeners on the subject of the parables before
we move on to the second.
Topic.
Yeah I would
encourage
along
with the
rest of
scripture
David and
though
that's
that we need all of
us again seemingly just just just just
time does it
and we need that stripped and a savior in
these parables and throughout the scriptures and I want that kind of a close reading of
the Bible and every faithful true Christian it's it settles us
it keeps us humble and at God's will.
Praise God for that.
And it is remarkable if you read that passage from the Old Testament about when Nathan
is confronting David that when God is speaking through
Nathan how he God is saying that he is going to rise up
evil within David's house and all these horrible chastisements that
David will receive as a result of what he has done the wicked things that he has done both
involving adultery and murder.
God is saying I will do this I will do this.
And it's in it's in contradiction to the Arminians who say that God
never is in control over calamity and evil occurrences on
this on this earth.
They try to distance and separate God from those things but.
God is saying that he is going to do these things
is to bow under the Arminianism
that is still as
Christ and and even true believers even
Calvinists which he is no matter what we do can
buy him.
Amen.
And uh by the way if anybody wants to look up uh those passages that you will
be if you haven't read them already or have not really considered the weight of them they're in
2nd Samuel 12 and quite a
shattering text I think that dismisses the idea that God is
not in control over everything.
Absolutely.
And we are going to our next break right now if you would like to join us on the air
with a question for our next topic which is mercy revealed a cross -centered look at
Christ's miracles our email address is chrisarnson at gmail .com.
Chrisarnson at gmail .com.
Please give us your first name.
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residence.
If you live outside the USA we're going to be right back after these messages with Dr. Gerald Bilkus
so please do not go away
Chris Arnzen here.
And I can't wait to head down to Atlanta Georgia.
And here's my friend Dr. James.
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Paul wrote to the church at Galatia for am I now seeking the approval of man or of God or am I trying
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If I were still trying to please man I would not be a servant of Christ.
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Hi.
I'm pastor bill shishko.
Inviting you to tune in to a visit to the pastor's study.
Every saturday from 12 noon to 1 p .m. on wlie radio www
.wlie540am .com we bring biblically faithful
pastoral ministry to you and we invite you to visit the pastor's study by calling in with your questions.
Our time will be lively useful sometimes controversial but never dull.
Join us this saturday at 12 noon for a visit to the pastor's study.
Because everyone needs a pastor that's 12.
Noon to 1 p .m. eastern time on
wlie540am on the radio dial.
If you live in the new york tri -state area but also if you live anywhere on the planet earth and have a
computer you can hear it via live streaming at
wlie540am .com.
And we hope that you tune in regularly and call in regularly to a visit to the pastor's study
hosted by pastor bill shishko of the orthodox presbyterian church.
If you've just tuned us in our guest today for the full two hours with an hour to go
is dr gerald bilkus.
We are now going to be discussing as our second topic today his book mercy revealed a
cross -centered look at christ's miracles.
If you'd like to join us on the air with a question our email address is chris arnzen at
gmail .com.
Chris arnzen at gmail .com.
C -h -r -i -s -a -r -n -z -e -n at gmail .com.
And please give us your first name city and state and country of residence if you live outside of the
good old usa.
Before i return to dr bilkus i just have a couple of more announcements about some events
that iron sharpens iron is going to be running
very soon.
Please mark your calendars.
If you are a man in ministry leadership whether you're a pastor or in leadership in a
parachurch organization or perhaps you are a deacon or some other sort leader
in your church and you're a man you are welcome to attend a free luncheon the
iron sharpens iron pastor's luncheon.
The next one is going to be held at the beautiful carlisle vault in
carlisle pennsylvania.
This is an old bank from the early 20th century that has been
transformed into a gorgeous catering hall hence the name the vault.
And they have been so gracious and generous to us to provide us
this catering hall at a much less expensive cost
than the general public would be paying to rent this facility.
And we are going to be blessed with a guest speaker named dr tony costa.
He is professor of apologetics at toronto baptist seminary.
And uh then the very next day uh 7 p .m on friday
the 13th uh january 13th that is uh dr tony costa is going to be
debating a roman catholic theologian uh dr robert singenis on the
theme mary sinless queen of heaven or sinner saved by grace.
That's going to be held at the historic carlisle theater another beautifully restored building from the
early 20th century it's an old -fashioned theater but to but restored to brand new
quality although retaining the historic architecture of the of the building.
It's absolutely breathtaking.
It's one of those old -fashioned theaters with the very high ceilings that some of you may have just seen in movies.
Uh but uh the debate will be held 7 p .m to 11 p .m uh and
that is friday the 13th in january the tickets to that event are five dollars unlike the pastor's
luncheon which is absolutely free of charge.
And uh.
So if you would like to attend either of those or both of those events please email me at chris
arnzen at gmail .com.
Chris arnzen at gmail .com.
C -h -r -i -s -a -r -n -z -e -n at gmail .com uh dr
uh bilkis uh mercy revealed a cross -centered look at christ's miracles.
What was the motivation behind you writing this book.
Yes chris thanks.
One sec.
Yes i wrote this.
As a follow -up volume after my parables volume which
is entitled um in
in the
flesh or many miracles during i
call them they show more than just their
signs of the kingdom as i
argue here and and more than that.
When we trace them through we find that we
have
bb in
cumberland
county.
Pennsylvania.
Who wants to know if you believe in modern day miracles.
Bb says i am not pentecostal or charismatic and i do not believe in modern day miracle
workers.
I do not believe in the gift of performing miracles as the apostles had but i
do believe god continues and will always continue.
To do the miraculous.
What is your guest's opinion of
this.
Perform miracles.
And in many many countries not.
And
in
the bible the
actions are
no less
behind the normal
process
what we call miracles.
Now the terminology that the
side of normally expected.
So for example the fact that israel could cross the red sea
water uh now that's no less of
a divine act as as keeping um the continents in
their call normal.
All of those are the acts of god.
But miracles are those things that are spectacular regard.
Uh indeed the lord continues to do things that from
our perspective today are are stunning.
Uh draw attention.
But they don't have the function that they had in the bible.
I think we need to make a difference.
They do
dry hardness
to the kingdom to witness to his glory to his power to what christ had come to do.
We can't say that exact same thing about the things that we see happening around us though.
We should always sit up and take note.
And we should do so even for the everyday pros.
Agree with with the
questioner.
Uh by the
way uh i
don't
know if bb.
Is a she either we.
I have assumed that too but bb warfield was a woman.
And bb warfield was a few points you
know.
Well
guess what.
Bb.
Uh if you give us your mailing.
Address.
You are getting a free copy of mercy revealed.
A cross -centered look at christ miracles compliments of reformation heritage books
and compliments of cumberland valley bible book service.
Cv bbs .com.
We uh have harrison in mechanicsburg pennsylvania.
Who wants to know is the devil capable of actually performing a miracle
or are his miracles merely a charade or a counterfeit.
That's interesting.
A very good question harrison.
In fact it's interesting that in revelation 13
starting at verse 13 when it's referring to the beast
it says.
He performs great signs so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the
presence of men.
He deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him
to perform in the presence of the beast telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the
beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.
And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast
would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be
killed.
And he causes all the small and the great and the rich and the poor and the free men and the slaves to be given a mark on
their right hand or on their forehead.
And he provides that no one will be able to buy or sell except for one who has the mark either the name of the beast
or the number of his name.
But but it's talking about bringing down fire from the sky.
Do you think that this is actually physically happening or is the beast making
it an appearance that fire is coming from the sky.
But it's not in reality.
Something that is occurring that is a great that's going to pass.
That's exactly where my the deal
with
satan and we
a lot
of times satan
is
when it comes to
mirror are
indeed
charades.
Um and but a lot of
it's just
well feats where i go
right now.
There's always a limit to them like you see with those signs
to mimic what what.
Certain he
has a
certain capability to do that.
So the question is not
discerning mind to be miraculous or
even can verifiably be called miraculous.
We need to test everything by the script that
even an angel of light if they would come an angel of light
appear to whatever it was.
Yes and
thank you
harrison
and mechanicsburg.
Pennsylvania.
And please give us your full mailing address because you have also won a free copy of mercy revealed by our guests today
compliments of reformation heritage books and compliments of cumberland valley bible book service
in that same line of thinking.
One thing that baffles me that i have brought up a number of times on this program
to different guests and i do not receive harmonious answers.
Not sometimes i do.
But it is when saul uh had the medium uh
conjure up samuel.
And this is in first samuel 28 i believe.
And um and the uh the medium actually successfully from what we can
read does conjure up this spirit or soul of samuel who
had been deceased.
And this is nowhere mentioned in the scripture as a fraudulent or
or a charlatan scam.
In fact.
The medium herself
was terrorized by
this.
I do believe
that that
indeed the media
are immediately in the present
and yet
that's that's not samuel that's
where i come and
of course i'm assuming you believe that not even that could occur without the sovereign power
of
god.
Right.
Right.
Satan has to request and even then the lord puts limits on that and that's true in everything in
every way he
cannot take a step he cannot go.
Amen.
Well i'd like you to go through some of the.
Miracles that you uh you list in your book you obviously have far too many for us
to cover during the course of the next uh 45 minutes or so.
But uh one of the miracles in fact the first uh that you uh list
and and uh exegete is the the great catch of fish.
If you could explain.
Yes
that one takes place.
What happens.
He tells him
to cast
the
net.
And at thy word i
will let.
And indeed um it thinks there
they need to bring in extra help.
Recognizes that he
the fact that
peter's life.
And yet the lord raises him up.
He says fear not.
And this is a christ's ability.
And he does this in order to uh that he's not simply
uh another man and that he's raising up people like simon
peter and other disciples.
And that miracle is just radiant full
of of the grace of god.
And yet in the end
it wins him over.
And i quote at the end of the chapter kevin says something
very interesting.
He says his own people in the grave that he may
afterwards raise them to life.
He sees a miracle going on beneath peter.
He sees peter
just down before christ.
But christ himself raises him by his word.
It makes him to realize.
Don't trust yourself.
Don't trust your own.
Instincts in instincts.
Amen.
We have joe again from slovenia.
Who has a question about this topic.
He says.
Thank you so much for this timely topic.
Andy stanley is sadly continuing his shameful slide into post -modern
deconstructionism because we are into the christmas season.
His topic is denying the virgin birth of christ.
Wow i didn't know anything about that.
Here are two quotes from a recent talk he gave at his church.
If somebody can predict their own death and then their own resurrection i'm
not at all concerned about how they got into the world.
Uh christianity doesn't hinge on the truth or even the stories around the
birth of jesus.
And uh he says.
I'm personally of the persuasion that the virgin birth of christ is a crucial part of
christianity.
This by the way is our listener saying this joe in slovenia.
Isn't it a fact uh crucial to the gospel.
If jesus has not been miraculously born of a virgin.
And how could he have been free of original sin lived a perfect human life
and died the perfect atoning death on the cross for my sin.
If the incarnation did not happen how could jesus be fully god and fully man.
If the virgin birth did not happen then how could prophecy have been fulfilled.
And how could jesus escape being tainted by original sin.
Isn't the whole nativity a crucial part of christianity.
Amen.
Real.
Really great question.
Although i'm not sure.
Even though i am not a fan of andy stanley at all i'm not sure that that.
That.
Those quotes explicitly prove that he denies the virgin birth.
He just apparently doesn't think it's very important.
But anyway if you could comment yeah our questioner is right on here.
I've.
I've seen many who
and their motivation with people's
own views of the
world
makes very.
We need
to hold to this.
Unlike anything in all the
firms without of a
woman and indeed that woman was a virgin.
All the prophecies come together that
our
questioner says if we do not have uh a savior that is born of a virgin not only his
prophet indeed is
is the fallen son of adam
secure in god.
He has ordered this.
Yes it's in a way that's pat and his
thoughts are high.
And that he has done it.
It'll take an eternity.
Yeah i can remember um uh
a jewish friend of.
Mine orthodox jewish friend who said he was trying to
uh throw a monkey wrench into the virgin birth and he said you know that the uh
hebrew word that is used in that prophecy for the birth the virgin birth
of jesus all it means is a young girl.
And i said oh really bob well that may be true but how on earth could that be a
sign when young girls were giving birth by the thousands.
And he said you know something you're right is he had.
He hadn't realized the nonsensical uh response that he had uh
for what it was because that could not be a sign when the average age i
think of of women being mothers.
Back then they were in their early teens.
Yes for sure.
That was a great response by.
The way and indeed was born yeah
and um so they were using
the word
yes in
fact uh
they would
uh.
All have been jewish prior to to the birth of christ other than uh those who were
uh you know one to the faith the the jewish faith uh prior to christ uh.
So before christ's birth they would all been uh of the uh religion of the hebrews
of the jews uh.
But uh anyway we have to go to our final break right now.
And thank you very much joe and slovenia for the excellent question and even your your comments as well.
Uh we're going to our final break right now.
If you'd like to join us on the air i would send your email in as quickly as possible because we've only got
about 25 minutes left or so because we have commercial break time here.
So uh send us an email at chris arnson at gmail .com.
Chris arnson at gmail .com.
Don't go away we will be right back after these messages from.
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I'm pastor bill shishko inviting you to tune in to a visit to the pastor's study every saturday
from 12 noon to 1 p .m on wlie radio www
.wlie540am .com.
We bring biblically faithful pastoral ministry to you and we invite you to visit the pastor's study by calling in with your
questions.
Our time will be lively useful sometimes controversial but never dull.
Join us this saturday at 12 noon for a visit to the pastor's study.
Because everyone needs a pastor that's 12 noon.
Eastern time to 1 p .m eastern time on
wlie540am on your radio dial
if you live in the new york tri -state area but you can hear it anywhere on the planet earth via live
streaming at wlie540am .com
wlie540am .com.
And we hope that you continue listening to a visit to the pastor's study hosted by
pastor bill shishko of the orthodox presbyterian church a dear friend of mine for
approximately 30 years.
If you'd like to join us on the air now with a question you can email us at chrisarnson at gmail
.com.
Chrisarnson at gmail .com.
Our guests for the 90 minutes and the next half hour today has been and will
continue to be gerald m bilkus professor of new testament and biblical theology at
puritan reform theological seminary in grand rapids michigan.
And by the way before i forget or run out of time i just want to give a i just want to
announce the website for the puritan reform theological seminary.
It's prts .edu pr for puritan reformed ts
for theological seminary dot edu.
Prts .edu is the website for the seminary where our guest
dr gerald m bilkus is a professor of new testament and biblical theology
we're talking about his book mercy revealed during this last half hour.
And if like to join us again our email address is chrisarnson at gmail .com.
And uh what are some of the uh most compelling examples of
the miraculous uh jesus's miracles in the new testament that you would like to cite
today within the next 20 minutes or so.
Yeah chris uh it's hard to some.
People time i i love the bartimaeus
miracle.
It's dear to many people.
This this blind beggar outside the outside the city of
he dies on the
cross.
Jesus stands still.
What do you want you
follow.
And the people don't
even want
jesus to
stay ministry
there.
We don't
read of
any other that
he meets.
This uh one
is a
wonder.
The people
today all this was for him
that had the pality to light.
In the gospel praise god we do have a
christian in cumberland valley pennsylvania who says some
of my arminian friends have told me that
our faith is hinged on whether or not our prayers are answered.
These arminian friends would typically be charismatic or pentecostal and they will cite some of
jesus's miracles that describe the miracles occurring after jesus
told the person to do something if you could explain
whether or not.
This disproves the fact that our faith the strength of our faith
is not required for a miracle to occur in our lives.
Yeah that's a that's a great
question now.
And it can be that god's least.
And he talks about arm.
You can find this article online.
It's wonderful.
A lot of times when god saves us he does so
in a way
god leads his true people.
This becomes more in me.
Dwelleth.
No that's an interesting
article to read.
By the way that
whole question
and the bible says that
that's
not flattering to the human the human heart and to the human mind.
We the holy spirit regenerates us.
It's humbling.
That's like a knife in our soul.
We don't like that man by nature.
Now why do i go into
this in terms
of the people say do you believe in miracles.
We talked and i do believe that we can see the spectacular still today.
We shouldn't court this we shouldn't.
Uh this.
This is not what we are called to do in our world but we do.
The central
mirror is life being
and that
miracle.
However.
Indeed we are said to believe but regeneration is not through faith.
We believe upon regeneration that the newborn
soul that we all
must have.
If we are going to be asking.
Well there was like this man who
had to dip in.
Yeah the gospels it calls us
to all these things.
When we when we by grace we
are mobilized.
We are energized by his spirit but without his
grace.
Even even that.
Well thank you very much.
Christian in cumberland county pennsylvania.
And you two have won a copy of the book mercy revealed a cross
-centered look at christ's miracles by our guest dr jerry bilkus.
And if you could give us your full mailing address we'll have that shipped out to you by cumberland valley bible book
service.
Keep your eye open for an envelope that says cvbbs .com on it.
And that's a gift as compliments of our friends at reformation heritage books.
So thank you very much for contributing to the program.
We have murray and kinross scotland who says i was greatly
helped by the explanation you gave of the purpose of parables.
Do you see a governing purpose for miracles too.
Apologies if i missed this.
Luke 5 the great draft of fishes.
Surely.
Another miracle was that experienced fishermen went all night
without catching a single fish.
Would this be the sovereignty of god in fashioning events to fulfill his purpose.
That's murray and kinross.
Scotland.
Excellent.
I deal with the purpose i
i narrow it down to four from here once it one is to initial the
eyes of the blind be open.
So it's announcing
the.
If you look at these miracles especially the healing miracle
a woman in need and the
need
speaks
great she spent all
her.
It's one taught by faith
and she can as well
the joy in god.
So it's a picture of what god does in redemption
whereby he took away his namely sin
and he secured and life forever more.
These things are pictures and various miracles as well.
And ultimately all the miracles combined together is showing forth the glory of the son of god in our
nature.
Jesus just say
which which is all to his.
His glory.
Well thank you very much.
Murray and kinross scotland keep spreading the word about iron sharpens iron in the uk for us.
Uh let's see.
We have uh.
Bob in white plains new york.
Bob in white plains new york says that i have friends who take a
strict prohibitionist interpretation of the
consumption of alcohol or should i say against it.
They do not believe that the miracle at the wedding feast of cana involved
water turning into fermented wine but merely grape juice.
The reason being is that for the massive quantities of wine that
were brought about from this miracle people would have been getting drunk left and right.
Uh what is your guests take on this
right now
and there's why
i know many people uh
who will
stay um
a stance i
certainly
commend.
There's a miracle of the
the um
that you could go from
this scenario to and to produce
wine but the very fact that we are
does not mean that in any way
or any miracle it has
a redemptive uh.
Thank you very much
bob.
And you are also getting a free copy of mercy revealed a cross -centered look at christ's
miracles.
Please give us your full mailing address in white plains new york and we'll have cumberland valley bible book service cb
bbs .com ship that out to you.
And we thank once again our friends at reformation heritage books for providing these free books.
Yes i happen to uh have been by god's grace delivered from alcohol
addiction myself drunkenness.
And uh that is a damning sin.
And it does disturb me at times when some of our reformed brethren who typically
believe in the liberty to drink alcohol sometimes cross the
borderline of uh responsible moderate consumption
of alcohol to boasting about it and rubbing it in the faces of their brethren who have a
different point of view.
And and uh i happen to agree that a christian does have a liberty to moderately and
responsibly drink alcohol.
I do not believe i have that liberty anymore.
But um and uh i was gonna i was leading some there with that and
i completely flew out of my head here.
But uh the uh oh this is what i was gonna say uh i have heard and perhaps you can
uh disagree.
But i have heard that uh the strict prohibition
or abstinence view or teetotaling view amongst christians did not even rise
up within christianity until the 19th century.
And that christians of all denominations and branches believed in the responsible and
moderate uh consumption of of wine and alcohol uh barring
drunkenness which will unanimously believe is a damning sin to habitually be a
drunkard.
But uh do you know of that.
Uh if historically i can't speak about the history.
Of it it rings
kind of
true but if
someone could
present evidence.
Indeed.
Ward well i
really
want.
You to uh summarize uh what you most want etched in the hearts and minds of our listeners about the miracles of
jesus over the next five minutes or so before we close the program today.
Let me thank.
You so much
for the
opportunity
to to hear his word.
These are the
key things that we need to grow in.
God is is firm.
And the word
testifies of what god is able to
do in the midst
of.
Um he
was hiding about
and
there
may be
speaking to anyone here like that that he would work
with his almighty power.
He can he can crown.
He can
renew our youth like the eagles as he says.
These are all quotations from psalm 103.
We need to fall on our faces before we need to heed his word.
And that we would see
the lord jesus christ and all his willingness to save and all this the
glory of his person and of his work.
He's come as a full savior of sinners.
He can save to the save from it.
Um by the power of his holy spirit.
We just spoke about how it is uh continued in.
And if there are
people
into any drunkenness
defeat.
So we need to
be in
the scriptures.
We need to take hold of the promises.
We need the work of the spirit to apply this to our savior
the miracles they feed.
That hope did to each of these uh sinners lost in
sin.
And as well.
And it would be my to
not build on
a sandy foundation and
not as he can
save.
Amen.
And.
I'd like to uh mention a text that also further
uh has uh bolsters my belief in god's grace in saving
sinners uh through unconditional election.
Uh in john 5 when we have the man healed at the pool of bethesda
i remember hearing an old landmark baptist a calvinist landmark baptist from texas
preaching a sermon and he said in his very thick texan accent
uh he said uh let's see uh now a certain
man that was there who had an infirmity 38 years and he said a certain man he
said there were men men all over the place that were sick.
But there was a certain man there that jesus wanted to heal and did heal.
And i think that i'd never heard that application of that miracle in that way before.
But that is interesting that there were many there were a multitude of sick people as the text said
and jesus is not healing everybody there but he sees a certain
man.
Amen.
Well i know that the
puritan reform theological seminary website is prts .edu.
Do you have any other contact information.
No that's great.
If anyone wants to be in touch with us
are you.
And don't forget about heritagebooks .org heritagebooks .org and cvbbs
.com.
I want everybody to always remember for the rest of your lives that jesus christ is a far greater savior than
you are a sinner.
We look forward to hearing from you and your questions for our guests tomorrow on iron sharpens iron radio.
God bless.