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Webcasting around the world from the desert metropolis of Phoenix, Arizona. This is the dividing line. The Apostle Peter commanded Christians to be ready to give a defense for the hope that is within us.
Yet to give that answer with gentleness and reverence. Our host is dr. James white director of Alpha Omega ministries and an elder at the Phoenix reformed Baptist Church. This is a live program and we invite your participation.
If you'd like to talk with dr. White call now at 602 -973 -4602 or toll-free across the United States. It's 1 -877 -753 -3341. And now with today's topic here is James white.
Well and good evening and welcome to the dividing line. My name is James white and I'm just thinking about a time. I was sitting we used to have we used to have offices. They were sort of public offices in the sense that there was a you know.
You could just walk in and I remember I remember sitting in my office once I looked out and here came these Jehovah's Witnesses and they came up the stairs and and right right into our office and we've got a sign right there, you know, and They came in and sat down in our front office and man we started talking.
And I remember that was the time the guy told me that no one had believed in the deity of Christ until the 12th century. I found that one a very very interesting fascinating particular discussion, but something like that sort of just happened.
I Had gone home. It is. Its crunch time. Okay tomorrow night in 26 hours. Well, is that the same time up there I think was the same time as Utah right now it changes over the weekend anyways about 26 hours from now a Debate will begin at the University of Utah between myself and our Dennis Potter on the nature of the atonement substitutionary atonement does the death of Christ perfect anyone and then 24 hours after that Robertson Jennison, I'll be facing off in the mass as a perpetuatory sacrifice and So it's crunch time.
I am busily packing things up printing things out. Putting together notes and you know all the rest that same time the same type of stuff and and so I'm pretty busy. And so I decided to run home about 415 grab a bowl of cereal or something like that before the program so that I can come straight back to the house get a workout in with my son and Finish my packing and be ready to get up very early in the morning to head for Salt Lake City.
And I was just reaching for my cereal bowl. When out of the corner of my eye look out the front door and who's walking past my house but two Mormon missionaries and so I Thought I wonder if they're gonna come up here because sometimes they don't sometimes they just walk right on by.
Because ooh, it's that house. But no now they came right up to the door and We and I've just started doing this people ask me. You know what how do you? How do you approach these folks? How how do you get a conversation start with Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons?
You know what I do anymore. I tell them exactly who I am and what I'm doing that. That's just what I've and I have found that it works. Really? Well, I said hey, this is this is funny. I'm Getting ready to leave tomorrow morning to go to the University of Utah.
In fact, it was funny. It's funny how they started the the missionary said so have you ever seen? missionaries like us before. And I'm like well Yeah, a couple thousand of you since I first talked to elders Reed and Reese back in 1982 and the guy goes that was before I was born.
So Horrifically old at that particular point in time as soon as it was before I was born. Oh anyways We had a nice conversation. I'm trying to get hold of mr. Pierce's attention, but he's not paying any attention to me at all anyways.
Trying to get a little more volume in the old headsets here, but hey, he's talking to somebody else I'm not all that important at this particular point in time. He just knows I'll just talk and talk and talk and it's no big deal.
Thank you very much. That's a little bit better. Anyways, I Just told him exactly What I what you know, we're going up there. These are debates. We're gonna do these the debates we've done and then I mentioned a little book that I wrote and One of them said I'd really like to see that.
So hey, you know what? Come on over. Come on over. So they're just standing five feet from where I am right now I'm showing him my LDS library gave him both copies letters to a Mormon elder. It was great.
Just just had a grand old time Tolberg. We doing the webcast, you know and Days left about five minutes ago. I sat down here and now I just told you all about it. So. But they left with copies of letters to a Mormon elder in their backpacks and let's Let's hope and pray that they will they will accomplish what well, you know what I gotta share this with you I was climbing Squaw Peak Monday morning.
I Did I mention this on Tuesday, you know. Sometimes I start losing track of what I've mentioned what I haven't who I've told and who I haven't. I don't think I mentioned this on Tuesday. On the dividing line since we were late getting it started but on Monday morning, I'm climbing Squaw Peak and I hear someone mentioning I use these hiking poles and I heard someone up ahead of me on the trail a little ways.
Mentioning something about poles and then as the guy one guy was coming down. He was asking someone going up where they had gotten him. And so I looked up I saw the guy. I said, yeah I got mine at REI, you know, they're over in Tempe and they they were great.
Take 30 of the weight off of your Take 30 off of the weight off your knees. You're coming down the hill. They're great. And I looked a little bit closer at the guy and I normally don't look at folks on climbing Squaw Peak if you ever climb Squaw Peak, you know why because if you're looking at people you're gonna fall off and die.
So but I looked at the guy and I I realized I know this man. And it's been a long time, but I know this man. So I stopped him. I said, I know you. And he looked at me and you got it realize. Actually, I think I spoke with this fell about 1985.
Okay, so it's been a while and I've changed. You know, I had hair. I had glasses big glasses. I'm wearing massive Oakley Pro M frames bald as a cue ball and. So he's looking at me with a real puzzle look but he hadn't changed early at all and I'm looking at him.
I go. He says where do you work? I told him Alpha Omega Ministries. I said you ever go to North Phoenix Baptist Church, and he goes James. I said, yeah, and I shook his hand. This was the first Mormon missionary I ever led to Christ.
Let him out of the church. He's still out this was 18 years ago now and It was really exciting. To get a chance to meet him. We didn't get a chance to talk for a long time we're sort of an awkward spot in the trail there wasn't a lot of room, but he when he left he shook my hand and he said Thank you so much for what you did for me and what you've done for so many others.
And I just about ran up the rest of the trail to the top because I was I was Cranked at that particular point in time and very encouraged and it was it was really neat. So So like I said, you know, you never know Where where those books are gonna go where those tracks gonna go stuff like that.
So Pray for those two more missionaries. They all know God knows who they are. So just pray for the two more missionaries that dr. White just spoke to and Pray that those books will make it home at least and won't get thrown out or something like that.
Or burned as I've had some things that I've given to more missionaries in the past take that that's happened then too. So Anyhow, eight seven seven seven five three thirty three forty one. We already have one caller online so if you want to get in today you have questions and Comments and stuff about whatever feel free to Watching.
I'm watching people giving a blow-by-blow Discussion of what I'm saying in the channel because somebody for some reason can't get their real audio to work. Boy talk about doing it the old-fashioned way.
Anyways, eight seven seven seven five three three three four one if you'd like to call in make some comments I'm holding the brand new current edition of the Christian Research Journal. Which one is this?
Volume 25 number three two thousand and three whatever that means and as normally very very well done and If you open it right up to the middle And right where the staple is in the middle of the thing you will see the article is entitled examining Muslim apologetics and If you look at it on one side has the Bible.
Yes I have the Quran somehow they managed to find almost identical editions of the two so they look very much the same and it's by yours truly and it is a It is a discussion of the differences in textual background and Perspective in regards to the the Bible and the Quran and so that's in the current edition of the Christian Research Journal.
If you do not subscribe then you might want to get hold of this one if that sounds like something that's interesting to you little article we wrote there, so let's go ahead and Start clearing the lines from the many people who are calling in actually there's just one moment.
But if you'd like to call in at eight seven seven seven five three three three four one remember. This is only an hour long program these days. We do two hours a week, so you get more per week than you did before more per month.
But it's only an hour at a particular Run there, so let's go ahead and talk with Harry in Pennsylvania hello Harry.
Good hey listen. I just before I ask the question. I just I just have to thank you greatly somebody Recommended to me Dave hunts book what love is this and I just did an internet search and found the open letter and It greatly intrigued me.
This is about nine weeks. Maybe ten weeks ago and Boy when I started to read your letter and just started to see all the misrepresentations. And I'm actually a pastor, and I didn't realize my understanding of Calvinism was so thwarted and and Since then I've read in Potter's freedom listen to a lot of your mp3s reading Bettner's book and and The grace book by Boyce and and Reichen and you know it almost feels like a second conversion experience.
It has been absolutely marvelous. You know I'm so excited to Play in a church about six years ago run about 253 and I just wanted to turn it around and preach the true doctrines of It has been it has just been marvelous so brother.
You have no idea what a blessing. Well.
Well, I I do in the sense that I recall of my own coming to understand those things and I've had such a wonderful blessing and being able to introduce many other people to those things I've also I'm going to tell you I'm going to tell you straight up.
I have encountered many a person who has then in seeking to explain these to others been simply amazed at the emotional response the unwillingness to To consider the text of Scripture and especially in churches.
I can I can tell you about two pastors right now who are either in different churches or are looking to get back in the ministry because they they sought to bring Reformation to their churches and the people in the churches would not have it and As a result they they then had to leave and Now they're not they they jokingly blame me but they do so in the sense of of you know I'm very thankful that you caused me to think through these things and and Focus what ministry is supposed to be out and things like that, but still it's been it's been a challenge for them.
And I know that that I ended up at a different church after trying and Seeking to be faithful. I mean I don't leave a place easily and But eventually the the issue of consistency forced me to be in a place where There was a consistency between what I was saying and what was being preached from the pulpit And I I'm very very thankful that there was a church in my area where I could go Where that would be the case for some folks that's a difficult thing so I I pray that God will bless you that You know I have a good friend John Sampson here in the Phoenix area a new American former former Brit and He's doing the same thing in his church, and he's bringing these things out to folks and and so far they've shown a real willingness to Follow the Word of God, and that's that's what you've got to find out if your people Want to know the Word of God and be in obedience to the Word of God Then it's just simply a matter of time and being faithful and applying these things to the entirety of the of the Christian life.
Unfortunately if you've got a large contingent of folks that primarily believe what they believe on the basis of tradition Rather than a love for the Word of God. That's when Issues become difficult that's been my experience anyways, but that wasn't even your question.
But I thought I'd tell you about it, and I really appreciate that too already. I mean, I just feel so fired up about it all and in I'm actually doing a Sunday school which I normally don't and just preaching on the attributes of God the The sovereignty of God, and I'm just finding it all over the scriptures.
I appreciate it ecstatically, and I can't believe the way the passages are jumping out that I never saw before. Have you hit.
Have you hit Isaiah 6 yet?
In fact I'm going to be hitting Isaiah 6 because I'm in Revelation 4 this week. Well there you go.
I mean I used to have a little tagline on some of the emails I'd send out. May God grant you an interview. And then I put Job 38 through 40 and. And how God Asked Job. All of these rhetorical questions that had no answers.
Where were you when I did this. Where were you. And I did this. There is as you know. When God reveals himself to us through his word in that that gracious way. We are changed we we are we do not see others or ourselves or God in the same way ever again.
And We can't help but want to share that with those around us especially those who are the closest to us. In that relationship of you are a pastor you have a pastor's heart. You want to teach the Word of God.
And you want them to have the same? Experience of the seeing the holiness of God. Have you seen Sproul's book the holiness of God. Hello. Hello, did we lose everybody here big man on the other side of the wall?
Lost the collar. Oh, please call back. III would love to get the Harry give us a call back. I'm not sure what happened there, but we can get Harry back. Hopefully we actually we have two lines busy, so is there still one open he can get to.
I hope so Harry give us a call back. Would love to continue that conversation. I was going to say hey. Track down the holiness of God by RC Sproul. I read that during the same period of time that you're describing in your own life.
And and could not put it down. Had to read it in one night. Had a had a tremendous impact on it. Really did. So are we going to be able to go to other callers? Or what do you what are you gonna? How are we going to handle this here?
Yes, I guess that means we're good. Other colors. Harry give us a call back. We'll handle your question about Cornelius. When you get a chance to call back Howard in Scott City, Kansas. Howard are you there?
How are you sir?
Good talk to you. I'm I really want to say first of all thank you for the Potter's freedom. It kind of made me to. I guess I was a closet Calvinist, and it kind of set me free from the closet. A closet Calvinist.
And I do lay preaching out here in Western, Kansas on behalf. Oh, and it is really a helped me out quite a bit.
I used to drive every single summer when I was a kid while I wasn't driving because I was a kid. But to Kinsley, Kansas the south of Lawrence. Off of this off of 70 there. That's more in the central area, but all I remember is it was really really flat.
Yeah.
But actually it's not as flat as it is out in Western, Kansas right. And anyway my question for you today is To go to that. I'm actually taking there, and they're doing extension program over the internet.
Oh, I see and it's the first all my professors idea. Sure yeah. And I I'm trying to none of them have given me any explanation of scripture for it. Everybody just seems to assert it and I I can't really figure I can actually quote it illogical.
But I can never get pasture when the Bible talks of the elect. I focus is that saying that Jesus is the elect one.
Yeah, is that what they're all trying to say yeah in essence and and what it allows folks to do is to is to say Yes, I am dealing with the election passages. However. I'm also holding to a form of either libertarian free will or Some strong form of free will at the same time and and I just want to allow the tension to exist.
I don't want to over Theologize the the text of scripture and come up with a systematic theology. I just want to let these Tensions exist and that was real popular when I was in seminary. Basically the term tension was used for when a professor was saying the Bible contradicts itself.
Yeah, that's not not saying it's necessarily what they're saying, but it sounds very. There's something right about how it sounds. The problem is as you yourself have noticed. You say well, where does the Bible say Jesus the elect one and there's there's one place when he's called the choice elect cornerstone over in Peter's epistles.
And that's not in Ephesians 1 though. It's imported in by most people into Ephesians 1 as if that somehow was part of Paul thinking. But in reality when you have the verb elected or chosen the direct object is always personal.
It's us and the sphere in which it takes place is in Christ. There's no election outside of Christ, but it is very confusing to me as well as to why? Someone Cannot see that the choice is in Christ and it's in union with Christ, but Christ is not the one who's chosen.
It really doesn't answer any questions and and the fundamental answer to your question as I have heard I've discovered over the years is this is another example where you have tradition. That that in essence Destroys exegesis or at least allows a person not to engage in it.
And so you may have individuals who you know, I don't know if you've listened to the Programs we did. Oh, I think it was last summer Where I responded to Adrian Rogers. Yeah, and I pointed out in one of those programs That when he was going through Romans chapter 8 verses 29 through 30 August last year, thank you that when he got to the subject of justification he did a tremendous job on Justification he didn't do a tremendous job in seeing how that fit in Romans 8 29 to 30.
But you see talking about justification when he's talking about did not impact his tradition and so his exegesis was great. But then as soon as he got back into the context of divine sovereignty and election all of a sudden the exegesis fell apart again.
Now what can explain that is this something that's being done purposefully? No, it's very obvious to me That Adrian Rogers and many other individuals have at a point in time in their past adopted a particular Tradition they do not feel any Major pressure to re-examine that tradition.
They just keep referring to it when encountering those passages when encountering questions from students such as yourself and They move on from there and until there is something something happens in their lives.
That's going to force them to really think through these things. They just keep doing that and I think that Adrian Rogers He he heard these answers long long ago, and he's just stuck with them and in my experience Generally, they don't listen to the questions are being asked to realize that their answers really are not giving an answer to the question and Instead they tend to start thinking well If this person really starts pushing this Then this person sort of is a little bit unbalanced and you know There's sort of a they're a hyper Calvinist or something like that and it's really not the case at all.
So I really think that what you see there is the power of tradition and you see it I think I've obviously from my perspective the greatest example of this and that I've encountered is Dave Hunt the power of tradition just absolutely Keeping him from hearing anything that said to him it will have less effect upon others.
But still it's the issue of tradition and wouldn't But see realize the There's a there's something I said to Dave Hunt a long time ago that I think people really need to hear and that is When we were discussing a passage of scripture and he was he was giving me a response on a passage of scripture that was not Exegetical it was not derived from the text.
It was Isogentical was being read into the text and I said Dave that's your tradition speaking and he said to me James I have no traditions and I said Dave The man who thinks he has no traditions is the man who is the most enslaved to his traditions.
And so what you just asked is well, wait a minute if that don't they see the relationship between scripture in their tradition. Well, they would say so in fact, I can't hardly think of hardly anyone. It's southwestern.
Who would not affirm solo scriptura and the ultimate authority of scripture. However, if You don't realize that you have a tradition in a particular area Then you're not going to examine it and you're not going to see that in essence.
You're violating a solo scriptura by elevating your tradition because you don't know it's a tradition. You just think it's an interpretation. But in reality, it's a tradition that's been delivered to you.
It's not based upon the text. I mean, I Don't know if you've heard the debate that I did with John Sanders who is a avowed Armenian On the subject of inclusivism, but when I asked this man, this is a PhD teaching systematic theology and Christian doctrine at Huntington Christian College.
When I asked him about John chapter 6 Verses 35 through 45. He opens his Bible looks at it and says in the debate. He says well, I've never really done any work on this passage and you might sit here and go.
Well, wait a minute.
You've got a PhD you're teaching us. How can that be?
You just need to realize that's how it works and You can't assume that in these classes that you're taking that. This issue has been thoroughly discussed and and and hashed through. It may not have been in fact in many schools.
It's it's really frowned upon to raise such issues. And so it's easy to maintain that that kind of tradition. So I really think that's where it comes from. I appreciate it. All righty, man. You have you keep serving the Lord out there in Kansas and I like I said some everyone's a while though get out of Kansas and see a mountain.
Actually, I'm from New Hampshire, so I know there you go.
All right, God bless thanks for calling. Thank you. All right. Okay. I think we got Harry back From Pennsylvania. Harry you there? Yes, I am. Hey, we you just sort of went poof and we know I heard a click and I Was gone.
Oh, man. Well, I was I was right in the middle of asking if you had seen.
RC Sproul's book the holiness of God. Well, you know, I'm actually I actually have you on real player running right now and I heard that and I was kind of amazed because this Tuesday and I've only been at this thing about two months nine weeks and this Tuesday night We're starting a men's study going through art of God.
Well, there you go. See what I'm trying to do. I figured I'll start there and then from there move into either sovereignty or chosen excellent or reform theology.
I don't know yet. I just need a lot of prayer though. That's oh, yeah. Well, yeah and a lot of patience and start with the foundations because if you if you can if you've got people who Believe the Word of God they're under the authority of the Word of God start with the foundations build upon that and You know, I was mentioning my friend John Sampson.
He hasn't even had to use the buzzwords. You just start let the Word of God speak. Let the exegesis speak for itself and then as people start asking questions. Then you can start bringing in the terminology to help answer it.
But that's I think that's the best way to go that it's not guaranteed that it's not going to bring some level of resistance but the point is that's I think the best best direction to go and once someone grabs hold of what RC is talking about in the holiness of God and And really starts to see their own thin God's complete otherness.
That to me is the most shattering thing. That's what shatters the traditions. That's what shatters the the false conceptions We have of God and opens up the eyes to the the beauty of God's grace and his power and his holiness and things like that.
So I think that's really the the direction to go. Well, thank you, brother.
I it's it's it's really had an incredible effect on me. In fact, there's at least a couple guys now that I've been I've been giving them a lot of the mp3s and listening to a lot of sprawl and some of your debates and and.
Yeah, I just think it's so clear. I can't believe I've been saved 18 years and I've never seen it. Like I see it now. Yes, it's like an awakening. I understand. Listen, this is my question. I remember hearing you a debate once in a Romans 8 7 passage where The flesh is hospital to God.
They can't they cannot submit to the law of God and they cannot please God. And as I'm reading through acts and I see Cornelius that you've probably heard the question before. But your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God.
Speaking he says in every nation and it does what is right is acceptable to go back to no man fears God. And then when he went up to Jerusalem and and and he was given the explanation and then in verse 14 of chapter 11 He says a message by which you will be saved.
So evidently it appears like Cornelius was in an unsafe state yet his prayers Ascended as seemingly something pleasing to God, right? And so my question is how does that all fit?
Well, I think it's similar to what we have in a number of places in this section of Acts starting about Acts 8 Through Acts 12 you have the gospel going out into non-jewish areas first. You have it going down the Samaria and what you have in this situation Samaria is you have an unusual situation?
And that is the disciples have to come down. And even though these people believe the Holy Spirit hasn't come upon them and that's we know from 1st Corinthians. That's not normative. Acts relates to us a number of non-normative situations here.
We have Cornelius. Here's an individual very clearly God is already active in this person's life. It's amazing to me. See some people actually use this. Pelagians will use it to say see. You don't need to have any grace.
Cornelius was a good guy without God's grace. Well, I Can't believe that someone could actually read what Peter says and come to conclusion. That means that he was good without God's grace, but the point is there was a preparatory work going on in Cornelius's heart.
However. Despite that still God has to go through and a miraculous event. To send Peter to him and as you pointed out in chapter 11 verse 14 He had to speak to him the gospel by which he would be saved that Cornelius was not in a saved state.
But obviously God was already working within this man's life. And so some people take this and this is the the noble Pagan the Christian pagan is actually how the inclusiveness we use this phrase Cornelius is the Christian pagan.
Well, no, he wasn't but obviously God did intend to bring him into relationship with himself and went through miraculous Measures to do so by sending Peter. I think it's very similar to what happens happen.
I'm not sure if you heard the program we had last week with Peter in the United Kingdom. Here's a man who grows up on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan. No missionaries outside of a missionary who came through at one point and left a New Testament here the New Testament functions the same way Peter did for Cornelius and he reads the New Testament and he Embraces Jesus Christ as Lord without anyone preaching to him and in the case of Peter that was on the program.
Just through the ministration of the of the Word of God. It was just absolutely fantastic to hear his testimony. I'm not sure if you if you didn't get a chance to hear you might want to listen to the archives and catch that.
I would like yeah I would. And what. And I guess another thing that was kind of giving me comfort in it all was was verse 18 of 11 Where it says God has granted repentance, you know to the Gentiles, right?
It really does seem like the Lord is initiating I mean sending the angels supernaturally.
Right. I think I think the problem is if we try to make Cornelius Normative it causes all sorts of problems and that's what what happens when we're in Acts. There are a number of things here deacons generally are not teleported to do evangelism today.
Okay, you know, I mean With Philip, you know and and the same thing a pot. You've got Apostles active here and you've got you've got two things going on here. You've not only got Cornelius But you've also you guys forget you can't forget part of this is for Peter, right?
Peter is still very much in Entrenched in his tradition and God has to basically in a supernatural way hit him upside the head three times With a vision to get him to understand what it means. Do not call what I have called Clean unclean and so he's working Cornelius his life.
When Peter comes in he sees this and that's what confirms in his thinking What God has revealed to him God has brought me to this place God is working in these people's lives. God is bringing the gospel to the Gentiles.
It's not just for the Jews anymore. So I really think that's what's going on in the text. Well, thank you, brother. Hey, just just quickly. Are you on you're on Thursday nights and any other we're on Tuesday mornings at 11 a .m Mountain Standard Time and I think over the weekend this is going to change as to what time that is for you.
Because here in Arizona, we don't play with our clocks. We we respect that God is the maker of time. You just set your clock and let it run the rest of you folks play with your clocks as if you have power over time.
You know, we don't do that. So next week. It'll be an hour different.
If you're where are you located? So turn the clocks ahead. I'm assuming it'll be 12 o 'clock next week for me.
Actually the other direction because we become the same time as, California Next week, I believe so. I think it'd be a three-hour difference. So right now it's two-hour difference because it's 534 here.
So however, you figure it out. We know we're all on the same time 11 a .m On Tuesday mornings Mountain Standard Time and 5 p .m. Thursday evenings Mountain Standard. Thank you very much. Alrighty. God bless you, brother.
You too. All righty. Hey, we went a little bit over on that one. So we're gonna need to take our break, but we have another caller online and lines open for you at 8 7 7 7 5 3 33 41.
We'll be right back. This portion of the dividing line has been made possible by the Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church. The Apostle Paul spoke of the importance of solemnly testifying of the gospel of the grace of God.
The proclamation of God's truth is the most important element of his worship in his church. The elders and people of the Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church invite you to worship with them this coming Lord's Day.
The morning Bible study begins at 9 30 a .m. And the worship service is at 10 45. Evening services are at 6 30 p .m. On Sunday and the Wednesday night prayer meeting is at 7. The Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church is located at 3805 North 12th Street in Phoenix.
You can call for further information at 602 26 grace. If you're unable to attend you can still participate with your computer and real audio at PRBC org where the ministry extends around the world through the archives of sermons and Bible study lessons available 24 hours a day.
What is dr. Norman Geisler warning the Christian community about in his book chosen, but free a new cult. Secularism. False prophecy scenarios. No, dr. Geisler is sounding the alarm about a system of beliefs commonly called Calvinism.
He insists that this belief system is theologically inconsistent. Philosophically insufficient and morally repugnant. In his book the potter's freedom. James White replies to dr. Geisler, but the potter's freedom is much more than just a reply.
It is a defense of the very principles upon which the Protestant Reformation was founded. Indeed it is a defense of the very gospel itself in a style that both scholars and laymen alike can appreciate.
James White masterfully counters the evidence against so-called Extreme Calvinism. Defines what the reformed faith actually is and concludes that the gospel preached by the reformers is the very one taught in the pages of Scripture.
The potter's freedom a defense of the Reformation and a rebuttal to Norman Geisler's chosen. But free you'll find it in the reformed theology section of our bookstore at a omen org. Millions of petitioners from around the world are employing Pope John Paul II to recognize the Virgin Mary as co-redeemer with Christ.
Elevating the topic of Roman Catholic views of Mary to national headlines and widespread discussion. In his book Mary another Redeemer James White sidesteps hostile rhetoric and sites directly from Roman Catholic sources to explore this volatile topic.
He traces how Mary of the Bible esteemed mother of the Lord obedient servant and chosen vessel of God Has become the immaculately conceived bodily assumed Queen of Heaven. Viewed as co-mediator with Christ and now recognized as co-redeemer by many in the Roman Catholic Church.
Mary another Redeemer is fresh insight into the woman. The Bible calls a blessed among women and an invitation to single-minded devotion to God's truth. You can order your copy of James White's book.
Mary another Redeemer at a omen org. Today Mr. Strong and true quickly fall.
Just singing along with Steve there that's not the normal one we use. Is it that was Pilgrim's Progress on anyways. Welcome back to dividing line. We have about 20 minutes left on the program. Got him backwards.
I Wonder what the story was there. It sounded a little bit different. Anyways, eight seven seven seven five three thirty three forty one. Eight seven seven seven five three thirty three forty one is the phone number if you would like to get in.
I was. I Mentioned I was in normal, Illinois last week and one of our regular channel folks He Nielsen went came down one other guy who will remain nameless because he never shows up anyways but one other guy was supposed to come but he wouldn't anyways.
Eric was there and At one point we were going to Go into Fazoli's. I happen to like Fazoli's I think they have great food and I started doing an accent and the people in the channel get really Angry with me when I do accents, but I started to do CDS.
I started to do Colin Smith accent and that. He's actually he said I did a very good job of it because I didn't like overdo it a lot. But just sort of did some somewhat of the you know, just the way that someone a British person, you know.
When they've been here in the United States for a while There's still got a little bit of that, you know, just but anyways, he said it was pretty good. So it was it was fun. Anyways, so Steve in New Jersey is joining the program.
Wants to comment on last week's show with Peter. Yes, it was a wonderful time. Stevie there. How are you doing, sir? Good. I.
Wanted to comment on Peter. I thought it was excellent and one of the better ones that not that they're any of them are bad. But one of the better programs you've had because of that. Very much blessed.
Mm-hmm. Makes us think that the freedoms. Oh, yes, and and and the sovereignty of God in all the affairs of man, but on to you that oh, yeah.
Well, we we really haven't had as much opportunity Since we started doing the webcasts. Until we got the phone system just recently to be able to do that in any meaningful fashion and now that we have it you know, I'm not a real good networker that just had that came up through the through the Chat channel and as more opportunities come up.
I'm trying to get Derek Derek Webb on the program to talk about his stuff and I'd like to have more guests. But I'm I'm not real good at doing the you know, chasing people around like a producer. To try to try to do that.
So when opportunities come up and I too was extremely encouraged. To think about the fact that God's Word is has that kind of power even the midst of utter darkness I mean what kind of light was there and yet there there you have the Word of God and it has that power and Accomplishes what God intends it to accomplish.
That's right.
I'd also like to encourage Harry if he's still listening. Yes to continue on.
I've had people tell me you're not New Testament. Why would they say that I did? I'm not New Testament.
Well, I know that I'm not new to I see. Okay, you know, we'll say when I when we talk about an issue or something. So well, that's not New Testament, you know, I'm new, you know this sort of comment. Not knowing how to answer it.
And and and of course you're you're challenging their traditions and what they've been taught, right? I'm just smiling when God reveals it to him. He will reveal it to them. Yeah, we sometimes want to.
Want him to operate on our timetable timetable rather than his. Yes.
And I'm also pleased that we are going on daylight savings time because I can get home a lot easier. Was on 8 o 'clock instead of 7 o 'clock.
Well, it will be at 8 o 'clock. You're exactly right and that'll put us into California time and We tried it once here. But the problem was during July. You'd try to go to bed at 10 o 'clock at night and the Sun was still up and it was a hundred and seven degrees.
It just you know, it just didn't work. So we said forget it. I also have a little bit of a complaint. Oh program on I don't know and you were talking about. Okay, a tan. Yes, and you were going through all the details and the logic and you got to sort of a mundane part.
And you said that you're all asleep. You making a comment about people. I wasn't asleep. Oh, was that on the apocrypha?
Yeah, yeah, right, right. Well, no, I could tell there were some in the channel that we're starting to flatline actually. There's some there's some folks we have in the channel that just you know after about 20 minutes that stuff.
They're gone. So but no, that's good stuff. And that was when we were supposed to have the debate and it didn't work out, right? I.
Believe so. Yeah, right. I believe so and I I do appreciate church history and even when you get into the details and and it does get pretty much mundane at times. It still gives you insight up to what was going on.
Oh, yeah.
Well, if you've ever heard my my Sunday school lessons. Yes, I have. Yeah, we did a whole series on church history. I don't think we've posted all of them yet.
But there I don't. We must have gone years on the guy that they hung up in that Chapel for 300 years. Um, and what was the name of the?
Church John. Oh gracious John of Leiden. And I don't I don't have anything in front of me. I'm just going off top my head here. I believe was John of Leiden. It was when the combined Catholic Lutheran Army Defeated the and this is where in fact, it's interesting I've been having a conversation or tried to have a conversation with someone just about this recently.
They called him anabaptist, but they were they were. You know, there was part of the Radical Reformation and they they took over Munster and Established polygamy and all sorts of other weird things and the combined army Defeated them a John of Leiden was was put into a cart dragged through the streets people were allowed to poke him with things through the bars of the of the cart until he was dead and Then they they they hung the cage up there and it came down somewhere.
Around World War one. Yeah, just before the First World War. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, so.
That was that was meant to be a very long-term warning because for many people The Anabaptists and again, that's a misuse that term, but that was the what was used. They were the very Sign of anarchy and That was meant to be a a warning.
There will be no anarchy in in issues of government or church in this place. So that's that's really what it's all about. I'm not sure what it was like to worship in that place the first few years. Mommy I don't want to sit in this view.
It's right underneath. Man, you know. Yes, that's right, so but pretty high. I guess I don't know that they would have smelled it but Eventually something had to fall out of there. So I. That's just an amazing thing.
But anyways trivia of church history. Yes, indeed. That's right. All right. Well, thank you, sir. It sounds like your dog's hungry. Well, yep. He is Always hungry. Sounds like a big dog. So they are we've got two beagles.
Yeah, and they're 13 years old. Oh, okay. All right. All righty, sir. Well, thanks for calling in you take it. All right. God bless. All right 877 that sound like a big dog, but I guess beagles do have that sort of war type type thing.
Okay, I won't do dog stuff either. Y 'all were mocking me for my my British accents. Have you noticed on the war coverage of all these British commandos? Oh, yes, I think we really took it to him to that, you know.
They're funny. Yes. I know I saw that we're getting there. We've got time. It's 547 man Patient. All right, eight seven seven seven five three thirty three forty one. Let's talk to Greg up in Michigan about first Timothy 410.
Hi Greg. Well, congratulations. Mm-hmm a universal atonement or universalism it can be or will be. Okay. Okay, and so I've listened to some of your tapes and I've tried to explain them in the various passages when it says all men man, mm-hmm, and Right.
I think I think the way to understand this is the only God. Exactly he's the only Lord. He is the only creator I think that is the the you're you're right on on on the target in recognizing that when this distinction is As is drawn and you have this this the Greek term is mollusk stuff especially of believers.
That's a very strong It really isn't communicating what we frequently think of as in well This is a little bit more. So very frequently in it indicates a completely different kind of Relationship and so God and it's it's interesting some people would would question exactly What Paul's referring to here because the term so tear Savior is Almost always used of the Son.
And yet he uses they ask God in Verse 10 fixing our fixed our hope in the Living God. There seems to be an interchange and interplay here one way or the other and if and if if he is in fact referring To Christ here to the Son, this would be a reference to the deity of Christ.
But in any case The point is that the Living God is the only Savior there is just as he's the only God. He's the only Lord whether they replace him whether they Denigrate him whether they have their own Idols that they put in the way.
He's the only one who really is and it's believers who know that I was sort of parallel with Paul's statement of the Corinthians. When he talks about there is only one. We're everything's been made through God the Father by Jesus Christ, and he says not all men have this knowledge.
It is a universal truth, but not all men have this knowledge and hence there's issues of idolatry and and things like that. And it's interesting. Here's another example, just like we have in most of the other passages that are frequently asked.
If this is not a passage that's specifically discussing the extent or purpose or intention of the Atonement. It's a it's an inference drawn from Phraseology that isn't actually about the specific subject we're talking about and that's for me.
Anyways, that's that's been one of the things that over the years has solidified my Understanding of reform theology is that when you go to the passages like Hebrews 10 like Hebrews 7 like Hebrews 9 you can start.
You can walk all the way through a passage the passage is specifically on the subject. You're addressing that is the Atonement intention the Atonement effect the Atonement relationship with intercession all the rest that stuff and you can consistently walk through a major section of Scripture and come up with a consistent interpretation.
Whereas the other side is forced to take a a phrase like this. It's not even talking about the specific intention of the Atonement and by inference build. Well, if he's the Savior of all men, that means he's the Savior potentially of all men and read into it some sort of a a Hope for interpretation that then I guess in some way shape or form vitiates the the interpretations of Hebrews or whatever other passages are looking at so I think you're you're you're right on the money with what you were thinking of initially.
And in it doesn't want to hear the other verses from John. Well and see and see that's just that there's just nothing, you know, you can go to John 10 you can go to Galatians 2 you can go to 2nd Corinthians 5 and go all these passages and talk about the intention and the purpose of the Atonement, but if a person is not willing to go there if there's if and believe me I hear this constantly if what you hear is well, you know, it just says it over there.
It's just plain as can be and therefore I just don't want to discuss this anymore what you've done is you've stepped on traditional toes and All you can do is is is try to in a in the most non of Non-personally offensive way you can warn of of the role of tradition and really try to to emphasize the need to bring all of our traditions into the light of the Word of God and Because many of the people you and I are talking to don't realize how incredibly powerful their traditions are because they don't they don't realize they have traditions and so the best you can do is to keep speaking the truth and and sometimes some folks just say look we're not going to discuss this anymore and and It's sad, but you pray about it and you go Lord Keep me from ever getting to that point myself or if I was there Thank you for delivering me from me.
But please Lord help this one of yours to to listen to what your word has to say and you know God has ways of doing that that we you and I Never even see him coming, you know, I've seen folks who at one point were just extremely negative to what I had to say and then Six months later.
They come they come to me and They say you know what? You you were right, but and then they tell me the story of how they came to find that out and I'm just shocked I would never have Believed the story that they end up telling me, you know, God uses all sorts of wild circumstances To bring them at it from a completely different perspective that I could never have planned.
So I've got to leave it in his hands, you know If I really believe it was God by his spirit that subdued my rebellion And made me love his sovereignty and his freedom. And trust him in those matters, then it's got to be the exact same grace for for anyone else.
Well, thanks very much for taking my call. Hey, thanks for calling today Greg. God bless All right, well I love when when we have Great callers, I mean this hour has flown by. There's been no down spots.
No Trying to fill in. I've talked about everything I want to talk about mention the article and stuff like that and then great callers. Encouraging callers it is encouraging to to hear From these folks who who are zealous for God's truth.
They want to speak the truth. They want to deal with these issues and Zealous for God's glory and and you know what? No two of them are in the same state. We had this is this is something that is So encouraging to me is to see That God has his people all across this world and you know in the last couple moments we have here Obviously everyone knows and if you're listening by my archive you Will know the outcome of all these things, but we don't know today the United States Great Britain Australia especially primarily and Poland 200 Polish soldiers.
Don't forget them are involved in in war in Iraq right now and I Know that that's become a little more personal for me of late. Last year I got to know some Marine majors some majors in the United States Marines reformed men Who listen when they could?
They listen to this program. They listen to the dividing line. They listen to the debates that we've done and I got to know them and we sort of did some correspondence. Well, I've gotten back in touch with them.
They're deployed they're in Kuwait and Iraq and That's made it more personal to know these these men to know that there are Christians out there who are Continuing to seek to serve and honor the Lord in Even in very difficult situations.
It's very warm over there right now. It's they've sent me some pictures and man. I'm gonna tell you That's a that's a Miserable place to be when that when the heat hits no two ways about it. But I was also thinking about the fact that I I taught Bible and a Christian high school last year and one of my students a woman now a 19 year old woman Went into Iraq today as an MP.
She's a reservist and So I'm praying for those people. I mean the all of them are in a a Very dangerous situation. We we know that that you do not have to be on the front lines there in any way shape or form To be in danger in those places and So, you know, I I pray for those individuals.
I hope that you've maybe taken time to track down some folks and to help to Encourage them they want to hear from folks back here on the On the home front that we are thinking about them that we have not forgotten about them and I certainly am seeking to do so and I know that I read today the report from the CNN reporter about the 19 year old Marines who wanted to To see their sergeant Get a chance to use a satellite video phone to talk to his wife who's pregnant.
And then when the CNN reporter Asked the other young soldiers who wants to call home first. They all said actually if it's all the same for you, sir We'd like to call the parents of our of our friend who was killed in action the 23rd and near al-nazareh To see how they're doing and the reporter couldn't hardly speak he was completely broken up and all he could say is where do they get young men like this and That really touched me and and we've got some very very very fine folks over there.
We need to pray for him and I hope you'll do that. Thanks for joining us today on the dividing line. It's been a great program. Thanks to the callers God bless all of you We'll see you next Tuesday be praying for us as we do our debates this weekend at the University of Utah Tomorrow night the night after that.
I appreciate your support. We'll see you next week.
Line has been brought to you by Alpha and Omega ministries. If you'd like to contact us call us at 602 9 7 3 0 3 1 8 or write us at p .o Box 3 7 1 0 6 Phoenix, Arizona 8 5 0 6 9. You can also find us on the world wide web at a omen org That's a o m i n dot o RG where you'll find a complete listing of James White's books tapes debates and tracks.
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