Program 287
Who was Christ?

The Jews’ view of Christ differed from what Peter had to say about him.

Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of WLC Radio Ministry, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.

For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *Part 1: (Miles & Dave)

Miles Robey: Have you ever been absolutely, positively convinced about something … only to find out you were wrong?

I have. I was young, really young. Maybe … five? Six? I was convinced my parents were related! Hey, it made sense to me. I was related to both of them; we were all in the same family. So, obviously, my mum and my dad were related, too!

One day at school, my friends and I were talking and I made the statement that my parents were related. The teacher overheard and tried to set me straight, but I was so adamant that Mummy and Daddy were related, she actually ended up giving my mum a call and talking to her about it. That evening, my mum explained that she and Daddy were not, in fact, actually related by blood. Yes, we were all in the same family, but that was different.

It was actually a rather shocking realization to my young mind, but it did give me life experience, and the life lesson it taught was make sure you know what you’re talking about before you insist that you’re right and someone else is wrong!

Hi, I’m Miles Robey and you’re listening to World’s Last Chance Radio where we cover a variety of topics related to Scripture, prophecy, practical piety, Biblical beliefs, and living in constant readiness for the Savior’s unexpected return.

Today, we’re going to be talking about how the Jews viewed Christ and contrasting that with how the apostle Peter viewed Christ. Just as Paul was the apostle to the gentiles, Peter’s ministry was, in a special way, dedicated to the Jews, so his sermons were geared to people who knew the Old Testament Scriptures.

Later, during our daily mailbag, Dave Wright will be talking about prayer: why do we need to pray if Yahuwah already knows what we need? How do you make sure you don’t ask for the wrong thing? And what do you do when you want to pray but don’t know what to say? Then, Jane Lamb has a very precious promise for anyone that has ever felt utterly alone and abandoned.

But now: being convinced of something but being wrong. Dave? Tell me I’m not alone. Have you ever been completely convinced of something only to find out later you were wrong?

Dave Wright: Well, I think we’ve all experienced that before and, like you said, it’s a great way to learn life lessons. I remember, when I was little and wanting to feel all grown up, asking my grandpa if I could have some of his coffee. He told me it was only for grownups and that, since I was still growing, drinking it could stunt my growth.

Miles: I remember my mum telling me that, too!

Dave: I don’t think they were lying; I think they really believed that. But it’s not true. There’s been no scientific link between caffeine consumption and stunted growth in children. In fact, in certain cases, it can even help some children with ADHD—although it should only ever be done under a physician’s care because there can be other side effects.

Miles: How about popping your knuckles? Your mum ever catch you doing that and tell you to stop or you’ll get arthritis?

Dave laughs: Oh, yes! But it doesn’t do that. The sound is simply nitrogen bubbles popping in your synovial fluid. It doesn’t cause arthritis. If it causes joint pain, there’s likely some other pre-existing condition like gout, or arthritis that’s already there, or even Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

My point, though, is that no matter how sincerely we believe something, no matter how convinced we are that we know the truth, we can still be wrong. Just being sincere does not prove you’re correct. You can be sincere and still be sincerely wrong.

Turn to John chapter 7. Here we find two groups of people who were confident in their personal convictions about just who Yahushua was. But despite their confidence, they were wrong.

I want to analyze this passage so we can learn from their mistake. Yahushua was in the temple court, and he’d just said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Verse 38 says, ‘Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’”

Christ, of course, was speaking metaphorically and the Jews understood that. So, let’s read their response. Verses 40 to 43.

Miles:

On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”

Others said, “He is the Messiah.”

Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” Thus the people were divided because of Yahushua.

Dave: What they were referring to was a prophecy in Micah 5 verse 2 that says:

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for Me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.

This was a prophecy of the Messiah. Yahushua was known to be from Nazareth. They didn’t know he’d actually been born in Bethlehem.

Miles: Well, yeah. It’s not something we generally talk about. I don’t know where you were born; you don’t know where I was born.

Dave: And, not knowing this, they rejected him as the Messiah because they were convinced Yahushua didn’t meet the parameters for being the Messiah. And here’s the first take-away from this passage: all they had to do was ask! It would have taken just a moment to ask Christ or even one of the disciples: “Where were you born?” But there’s no record of anyone in that crowd bothering to ask. And that’s a lesson for us. When we are presented with a new idea, it’s so quick and easy to dismiss it just because it “sounds” wrong or it “feels” incorrect.

Sure! Anything that contradicts our current convictions is going to “feel” wrong. That doesn’t mean it is. If we really want to know the truth, we have to be willing to live with that discomfort and investigate. Thoroughly. Not just a surface glance-over to prove our own beliefs right.

Miles: No. You have to be willing to set aside your preconceived ideas if you really want to get to the truth.

Ignorance of the facts does not change the reality of what is fact.

Dave: No. All their ignorance did was convince them that Yahushua was not the Messiah.

That was part of the crowd. Others in the crowd rejected him through ignorance of what Scripture had to say about the Messiah. Let’s keep reading: verses 44 to 52.

Miles:

Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.

Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”

“No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied.

“You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”

Nicodemus, who had gone to Yahushua earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”

They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”

Dave: You can just hear the anger seething in the voices of the chief priests and Pharisees.

Now part of their disbelief was simply due to bias. Even Christ’s own disciple, Nathanial, when Philip called him and told him they’d found the Messiah, do you remember what Nathanial’s response was?

Miles: Yeah, he blurted out, “Nazareth! Can any good thing come out of Nazareth??”

Dave: And this was a man that quickly became one of Christ’s own followers, a faithful disciple. So cognitive bias certainly played a role in their rejection of Yahushua as the Messiah. So did pride. But more than that, they were ignorant of some things taught in Scripture.

Oh, sure! Their reputation was as experts in the law. They looked down on those who weren’t as knowledgeable.

Miles: Sooo … spiritual pride.

Dave: Absolutely. They were very proud of what they thought they knew.

Miles: I noticed they even challenged Nicodemus—who was, himself, an expert in the law—to go study and see if any prophet comes out of Galilee, Nazareth being in the region of Galilee.

Dave: But these experts on the law were wrong on two counts:

First, 2 Kings 14:25 reveals that the prophet Jonah—you know: three-days-and-three-nights-in-the-belly-of-a-fish Jonah?—he was from Gath Hepher.

Gath Hepher was in …?

Miles: Galilee.

Dave: Galilee. That’s correct.

The second thing these chief priests and Pharisees were wrong about, of course, was they were convinced Yahushua was not the Messiah. So, they were wrong on both counts. They were adamant that they were right; but they were wrong, as were the crowds who rejected Yahushua because they thought he’d been born in Nazareth.

So. What can we learn from their mistakes? Well, for one thing, neither confidence nor sincerity are proof of being right.

Miles: You can be sincere and yet sincerely wrong.

Dave: Paul understood this. What observation did he make in 1 Timothy 1:6 to 7?

Miles: “Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.”

Dave: What we’ve come to see in the last few years is that, while Christians tend to be very confident that they have All The Answers from Scripture, that they know precisely what the Bible says about Yahushua, too often what they know has actually been colored by traditions that came in hundreds of years later! It’s not what Scripture actually teaches.

Miles: That’s true. You read Scripture through a trinitarian lens and you’ll be convinced it teaches a triune godhead even when it doesn’t.

Dave: And many other errors that came in later.

The thing is, “Church tradition” is wrong more often than it’s right. Furthermore, even very educated Bible scholars—ministers and scholars we respect—can still be wrong.

Miles: Well, look at Paul! Before he was converted, he was responsible for the deaths of many of the early believers.

Dave: Exactly. So, a formal education, a doctor of divinity degree, doesn’t make you exempt from being wrong.

Miles: I think, actually, the more you know, the more in danger you can be from spiritual pride. The chief priests and Pharisees looked down on anyone that didn’t have their level of education. But I’ve seen that in people who’ve gone to seminary today, even Bible scholars. They’re not all humble learners at the feet of Christ.

Dave: They’re not. And this is serious because the Father is looking for a certain type of worshipper. And if you’re too full of yourself, if you’re so arrogant that you can’t admit that perhaps you might be wrong, you’re not going to be that type of worshipper.

Read John 4 verses 23 to 26. This is from Yahushua’s conversation with the woman at the well.

Miles:

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

Then Yahushua declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

Dave: The chief priests and Pharisees were well-versed in the Scriptures. But the Scriptures they knew had been learned through the corrupted filter of rabbinical tradition. That is no different from what believers today do, filtering Scripture through Church tradition.

But if we really want the truth, we’ve got to be willing to lay aside what we think we know. Obviously, any sincere person will lay aside error. But how many believers are willing to hold in suspense even the truths they think they know to give an honest and open-minded look at some new idea?

Miles: That’s a good question. Since I started thinking and studying for myself, I’ve honestly been shocked at how much I used to think was truth was actually nothing more than Church tradition.

Dave: Same here. I had no idea that so much of what I’d been taught was Bible truth was actually the musings of early Church Fathers who’d been heavily influenced by pagan philosophy.

And this just goes to show that even scholars can be wrong.

Miles: It’s true. I remember, in the past, trying to share new truth with friends or family members. The first thing many of them did was rush to their priest or pastor and ask his opinion. Well, of course if it contradicts that particular denomination’s creed, he’s going to say it’s wrong! He’s got a vested interest in maintaining the status quo of the organization that cuts his pay cheque! It’s a rare priest or pastor that’s going to admit their denomination is wrong, even if they are.

Dave: It’s sad but true. We cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the Jews of Christ’s day. We can’t let our assurance of being right prevent us from talking to those we think are wrong with a humble, teachable spirit. Maybe they are wrong! But if they are, we’ll never reach their hearts by arrogantly dismissing their arguments without actually taking the time to study into it. Nor can we let ignorance be an excuse. As followers of Christ, we need to be humble and teachable. And then, as promised, the Holy Spirit can lead us into all truth.

* * *

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* * *Part 2: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: Okay. We’ve looked at how the Jews viewed Christ. Based on ignorance, assumption, or arrogance, they rejected him because he didn’t fit their view of the Messiah.

How did the early believers view him?

Dave: That’s a great question. It’s a bit broad for today’s discussion, though, so I’m going to narrow it down.

We know how Paul viewed Yahushua. He accepted him as the wholly human, only begotten son of Yah, exalted to sit on the right hand of Yahuwah. But Paul was the apostle to the gentiles. He structured his preaching to what would connect with the gentiles and their understanding.

To answer your question, I’d like to look at how Peter, the apostle to the Jewish believers, viewed Christ.

Miles: All right. We don’t often focus on Peter’s teachings.

Dave: No. We’re gentiles. Our ancestors were gentiles. Our spiritual heritage descends more from Paul than Peter. But Peter’s ministry offers a really unique perspective. Remember, Peter was one of the three disciples that were closest to Christ. He had really keen insights and he was baptized with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Prior to Paul’s conversion, Peter took the lead in the spread of the gospel, and the gospel he spread was consistent with what he’d learned from Yahushua, and what Paul would later learn from Yahuwah.

I want to look at the few sermons from Peter preserved in Scripture. These reveal a lot about how he viewed Yahushua and, we can extrapolate, how the other disciples viewed him, too.

Let’s start with Peter’s sermon on Pentecost. Would you please read Acts 2 verses 22 to 24.

Miles:

Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Yahushua of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

Dave: And verses 32 and 33?

Miles: “God has raised this Yahushua to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.”

Dave: I want you to notice here Peter’s use of titles. It’s important because he’s drawing a contrast between Yahuwah, who he refers to by the title “God,” and Yahushua whom Peter explicitly and repeatedly states is “a man.”

So, Peter’s belief is that Yahushua was the fully human Messiah who, having lived a perfect life, was resurrected and exalted to sit on the right hand of Yahuwah. That’s Peter’s Christology in about as brief a statement as you can get.

Turn now to Acts chapter 3. I want us to look at what this story reveals about Peter’s—and by extension, John’s—views on Yahushua. Would you please read the first ten verses for us?

Miles:

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Yahushua Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Dave: Thank you. Now, if Yahushua is “God” just like Yahuwah, you’d expect Peter to express this to the lame man, wouldn’t you? One lesson repeated over and over in the gospels is the importance of faith. So why wouldn’t Peter encourage the man’s faith by telling him about God incarnate in human flesh? That would really inspire your faith! That God had come in human flesh. That’s something you’d reasonably expect him to say, isn’t it?

Miles: You’d think! The whole reason he did the miracle was to draw attention to the Messiah, that he’d come already, and that Yahushua was the Messiah. But instead of performing it in the name of “God the Son,” or even Yahuwah, he performed it in the name of Yahushua the Messiah of Nazareth.

But … okay. Here’s a question. When the crowds saw him healed, they praised … “God.” Could you argue that they were praising Yahushua instead of Yahuwah? A trinitarian would say that since Yahushua is the second person of the godhead, the crowd was praising all three when they praised “God.” How would you answer that?

Dave: That’s a great question. Let’s keep reading, because Peter actually does provide an explanation. Would you please read verses 9 to 13.

Miles:

When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Yahushua. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go.

Dave: In the past, we’ve kind of glossed over this passage, more focused on the amazing act of healing itself. But we need to pay attention to what Peter is saying here. There’s some deep theological truth being shared.

We’re told that the crowd praised “God.” Which God? Moloch? Zeus?

Miles: Yahuwah.

Dave: And we know that because of what Peter says next. He refers to “the God of our Fathers,” the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That’s Yahuwah. We know that from Scripture.

Now a trinitarian “God” includes Yahushua, right? If “God” is actually a godhead, you can’t exclude Yahushua from being God.

Miles: Of course not.

Dave: But that’s exactly what Peter does. How does he refer to Yahushua here? He’s just spoken of “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers.” And he says that this God has glorified Christ. But he doesn’t call him Christ. How does he refer to Yahushua there?

Miles: “His servant Yahushua.”

Dave: Now, why would Peter do that? Calling God “God’s servant” is dishonest if the so-called “servant” is actually one-third of the godhead that makes up “God.”

And you can’t argue that “Oh, he laid aside his divinity” because when you use the generic title of “God,” you have to know how that term is being defined. There are places in Scripture that refer to Yahuwah by name, and there are places that use the generic title. This passage uses the generic title. So why would Peter be dishonest and mislead the Jews?

Miles: He didn’t. The only way he could honestly say that was if he didn’t believe Yahushua was “God.” Peter truly believed Yahushua was just a human and Yah’s “servant,” just as he said.

Dave: Correct. Now if there was ever the right time to teach the monotheistic Jews that the God of Abraham was actually a triune being, this was the perfect time to do it! And why wouldn’t Peter take advantage of the opening to teach that truth, if indeed it was truth? Trinitarians today say you have to believe in the trinity in order to be saved.

Sooo … what? Peter was withholding salvation from these people by not teaching them a salvational truth when he had the perfect opportunity to do so?

Miles: Of course not. He didn’t say it because he didn’t believe it.

Dave: Right! Let’s keep going. Read verses 14 to 16.

Miles:

You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Yahushua, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Yahushua’s name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.

Dave: Peter continues to identify “God” as separate, different and distinct from Yahushua. They were not a united godhead in Peter’s mind, and he didn’t teach that.

Miles: Okay, but could you argue that referring to Christ as the “author of life” is a reference to a trinitarian, pre-existent Christ who created the world? Some translations render that “Prince of life.” Could that be a trinitarian God the Son reference?

Dave: No, and I’ll tell you why. The word translated here as “author” or “prince” comes from the Greek word archêgos. It appears four times in the New Testament and each time refers to Yahushua. It can mean a leader or founder as well. It never means “Creator.”

Christ is the author or prince of life because it is his sacrifice that brings life to sinners. That’s all it means. Through Christ we receive life. And the life we receive from Yahushua originates with Yahuwah. Christ himself said so.

Turn to John 5 and read verses 25 and 26.

Miles: “Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the son also to have life in himself. “

Dave: “God”—Yahuwah—has granted, He’s given to the son, to have life which the son can then give to all who believe in him. Eternal life is the gift!

Miles: Hmm. Yahushua couldn’t say that if he were also a co-eternal, self-existent member of the godhead, could he?

Dave: No.

Let’s keep going in Acts 3. Uhhh … verses 17 and 18.

Miles: “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer.”

Dave: Peter is explaining that Yahushua fulfills the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah. And yet, once again, he separates the Messiah from “God.” The Messiah is not God in human flesh. He’s simply God’s servant.

This is consistent with how the Messiah is presented in the prophecies. Flip over to Isaiah 53. This whole chapter is a prophecy of the Messiah. Let’s see how he’s described in verse 11.

Miles: “He shall see the labor of his soul, and be satisfied.
By his knowledge My righteous servant shall justify many,
For he shall bear their iniquities.”

Dave: If the mystery of salvation were that God would incarnate in human flesh to save sinners, this text should have said, “I shall see the labor of my soul and be satisfied. By my knowledge, I shall justify many for I shall bear their iniquities.” But that’s not what it says. Instead, the Messiah is referred to as Yahuwah’s “righteous servant.” That’s where Peter gets that concept from.

Keep going. Verses 19 to 22.

Miles:

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Yahushua. Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you.

Dave: Peter says that God raised up Yahushua to be His prophet, His spokesman. If Yahushua is “God,” he can’t be his own spokesman!

Miles laughs: That’s true.

Dave: Go ahead and finish Peter’s speech. Verses 23 to 26.

Miles:

Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.

Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.

Dave: In such a brief speech we again see Peter referring to Yahushua as God’s servant. He’s not God. He’s not divine. He’s Yahuwah’s servant.

The word “servant” is translated from the Greek pais. I’ve printed off the definition that Strong’s dictionary has. Would you read that for us, please?

Miles: It’s #3816. Paheece. It refers to “a boy (as often beaten with impunity), or a girl and a child; specifically a slave or servant.” It can also refer to a minister to a king. It’s translated “servant” 10 times, and child 7 times.

Dave: Is there anything in there that would suggest divinity or some high position?

Miles: No. Because even if it’s referring to a political minister, the emphasis is on his subservient position. He’s subservient to the king.

Dave: Peter’s Christ is exalted because he is Yahuwah’s servant, honored and exalted because he obeyed Yahuwah in all things. He’s a man from Nazareth. What he never is, is “God” in any sense of the word. He’s not divine. He’s the prophesied human Messiah who is Yahuwah’s servant.

It’s past time for Christians today to accept Yahushua as he is presented in Scripture: God’s servant; not God. The human Messiah that received life as a gift from Yahuwah, the only true God, and who in turn passes that gift on to all who believe.

Miles: Amen.

Stay tuned for our daily mailbag where Dave talks about prayer, why it’s necessary, and how to make sure you’re not asking for the wrong thing. Up next.

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You are listening to World's Last Chance Radio.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

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* * *Daily Mailbag (Miles & Dave)

Miles: The question in our Daily Mailbag is coming from the world’s most visited country. Annually, it gets more visitors than any other country in the world.

Dave: Uhhh … Italy? For some premium pizza? I can see people coming from around the world for that. Or top of the line spaghetti.

Miles laughs: Are you hungry, Dave? Did you miss lunch? Next you’ll be guessing if it’s Great Britain for some haggis or “toad in the hole.”

Dave: No. I can’t see people coming from around the world just to dine on stuffed sheep’s stomachs.

Miles: Fair enough. Fair enough.

No, the country is France. I guess they come for the Eiffel Tower. The Louvre.

Dave: No, it’s the croissants and crème brûlée.

Miles: The escargot. Do you eat snails, Dave?

Dave: Croissants and crème brûlée.

Miles: Snails are French cuisine, too!

Anyway! Amélie from Rennes writes:

In a recent program, you mentioned several times that if we need Yahuwah’s help, we need to pray and ask. How do you reconcile that with what Yahushua said in the sermon on the mount that the Father causes His rain to fall on the just and the unjust? I hesitate to ask because I’m afraid to ask for the wrong thing. Also, sometimes I don’t even know what to ask for. As our Creator, He already knows what we need. Why do we have to ask?

Dave: Those are great questions and, to be honest, I’ve wrestled with them myself in the past. So, let’s start with the passage she referred to. That’s from Christ’s sermon on the mount. Maybe you could read it for us. It’s going to be somewhere in Matthew 5 or 6.

Miles: Okay, give me just a second to find it here …

Here we go. It says—

Dave: Where is it?

Miles: Matthew 5. Verses 43 to 45 say:

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Dave: So, yes. Our Creator does many things for everyone for which we never have to ask. He does this to sustain life.

Miles: He’s our sustainer. So, if He already does all this, yeah! Why do we have to ask?? What’s the point?

Dave: There are several reasons. One is for specifics. If you need specific help, you need to ask for that specific help.

Miles: Well, then, what about Amélie’s concern of asking for the wrong thing? I remember once hearing a preacher say that Hezekiah should never have prayed that his life be extended.

Dave: Seriously! You want to tell us about that?

Miles: Well, it was when Hezekiah got really sick.

Let me find it really quick. Uh … Here we go. It’s 2 Kings 20:1-6. It says:

In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him and said to him, “This is what Yahuwah says: ‘Set your house in order, for you are going to die and not live.’” Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed to Yahuwah, saying, “Please, Yahuwah, just remember how I have walked before You wholeheartedly and in truth, and have done what is good in Your sight!” And Hezekiah wept profusely. And even before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard, the word of Yahuwah came to him, saying, “Return and say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘This is what Yahuwah, the God of your father David says: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I am going to heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of Yahuwah. And I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will save you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will protect this city for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.”’”

Dave: Right. Okay. So, did the pastor explain why this prayer should have never been prayed?

Miles: He did. He pointed out that it was during those extra 15 years that Hezekiah’s wife gave birth to a boy that grew up to be one of the worst kings Judah ever had. That was Manasseh. He, in turn, fathered Amon, another extremely wicked king. His point was that if Hezekiah had just died when Isaiah warned him he was going to, he never would have fathered Manasseh, saving Judah from the influence of two of the worst kings they’d ever had.

He used this as an example of asking for the wrong thing. Do you agree with him?

Dave: Not at all, and I think it’s extremely presumptuous on his part to find fault with Yahuwah’s decision to answer Hezekiah’s prayer and grant him an additional 15 years of life.

Turn to Matthew 7. Verses 7 to 11 talk about how we’re to pray and they teach an important lesson. Would you read those for us?

Miles: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

Dave: Now, the original Greek has an additional meaning that’s kind of lost in our translation. In the original it doesn’t just say “ask, seek, knock.” It conveys the idea to ask … and keep on asking. Seek, and keep on seeking. Knock, and keep on knocking.

Miles: So, persevere in prayer.

Dave: Exactly. I know a lot of people hesitate to do this. They’re so afraid of asking for the wrong thing that they pray generalized, unspecific prayers … and then wonder why they never get answers!

If you’re someone who’s afraid of asking for the wrong thing, listen to this next part. Keep going and read verses 9 to 11.

Miles:

Or what person is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? So if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Dave: Say you’re holding your baby while you put water on to boil. Your child sees … I don’t know. A glowing, red-hot element? Pretty blue flames? Whatever it is, it’s pretty. He reaches out to touch. He obviously wants to touch the pretty blue flames. Do you let him do that?

Miles: Of course not!

Dave: Well, why not? Clearly, that is what he’s asking for when he reaches out for them.

Miles: Because I’m going to protect him from something that, in his ignorance, could hurt him.

Dave: So why should our heavenly Father be any different?

The problem isn’t that we might pray and ask for the wrong thing. The problem is that we don’t pray enough. 2 Timothy 1:7 says that Yahuwah has not given us a spirit of fear. So just who is making us afraid to ask for the things we need?

Miles: Satan.

Dave: So, because we’re so afraid that Yahuwah will give us a snake if we ask Him for a fish, we pray these insipid, vague prayers. If you pray only vague, generalized prayers, how will you even know when your prayers are answered? If all you ever say is, “Please let your will be done in my life,” do you know what that looks like? Will you know when this prayer is answered?

If you have specific needs, pray specific prayers? Urge the blood of Christ as the reason for why your prayer should be answered! Wrestle with Yah in prayer as did Moses and Jacob and even Christ. Claim a promise. Be specific! Yahuwah wants you to! That’s when you’ll see answers to prayer.

And if you’re really that afraid of asking for the wrong thing, you can always add, as did Yahushua in Gethsemane, “Not as I will, but thy will be done.”

But the point to remember is simply this: Yahuwah is our Father. And, just like any loving parent, He likes to help us! He’s not going to stand back and watch us struggle. “Oh, they haven’t asked for help so I’m not going to help them.” No. He makes His sun shine and His rain fall on the righteous and the wicked.

But if we need help with something specific? Yes. We’re to ask, and we’re to ask specifically. It will increase our faith as we start to receive answers to prayer. And that’s why we’re to ask. It’s for our benefit so that we can gain confidence in His love and care for us.

I’d like to close with a quote here. It’s by a 19^th-century writer and it’s always inspired me. Here … would you read this for us, please?

Miles:

In order to strengthen our confidence in [Yahuwah], Christ teaches us to address Him by a new name, a name entwined with the dearest associations of the human heart. He gives us the privilege of calling the infinite God our Father. This name, spoken to Him and of Him, is a sign of our love and trust toward Him, and a pledge of His regard and relationship to us. Spoken when asking His favor or blessing, it is as music in His ears. That we might not think it presumption to call Him by this name, He has repeated it again and again. He desires us to become familiar with the appellation.

[Yahuwah] regards us as His children. He has redeemed us out of the careless world and has chosen us to become members of the royal family, sons and daughters of the heavenly King. He invites us to trust in Him with a trust deeper and stronger than that of a child in his earthly father. Parents love their children, but the love of [Yahuwah] is larger, broader, deeper, than human love can possibly be. It is immeasurable. Then if earthly parents know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more shall our Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?

Hmmm. That’s beautiful. Okay. Amélie had one final question and that is: how can you pray specifically if you don’t know what to pray for?

Dave: There’s nothing wrong with simply telling the Father that. You can always say “Please bless me in the area you know I need it the most.” If you haven’t prayed a specific prayer, you may not be able to see a specific answer, but you can know that the Father is still blessing you in whatever way He knows you need it the most.

Turn to Romans 8. There’s a really special promise here for anyone that longs for Yahuwah’s blessing but doesn’t know how to put it into words. Read Romans 8 verses 26 to 28. You’ll recognize verse 28, but I want you to see what comes just before. It’s an unusual but very powerful promise.

Go ahead.

Miles:

Now in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

And we know that [Yahuwah] causes all things to work together for good to those who love [Yah], to those who are called according to His purpose.

Dave: Yahuwah loves you so much, He wants to help you so much, that His own spirit intercedes for us. If you are longing for Yahuwah’s blessing but you don’t know what to ask for, if you’re mental or emotional pain is too deep to put into words, you can rest in the assurance that Yah’s own spirit is interceding for you with “groanings too deep for words.” That’s how much Yahuwah loves you.

Miles: That’s beautiful.

If you have a question you’d like Dave to answer, you can send us a message. Just go to WorldsLastChance.com and click on Contact Us. We always enjoy hearing from you.

Up next is Jane Lamb with today’s daily promise.

* * *Daily Promise:

Hello! This is Jane Lamb with your daily promise from Yah’s Word.

Sometimes, it is our privilege to act on behalf of Yahuwah in helping others.

It was spring and Theresa Brandt was happily at work in her garden while her two little boys and the dogs were running around playing. As she tugged at a stubborn weed, she heard a soft voice say hesitantly, “Hello?”

Not expecting anyone in the yard of their country home, Theresa jumped and turned to face the stranger. It was a very thin young girl, about 17 or 18. Theresa smiled at her. “Hello!” The girl didn’t smile back. Looking at the ground she asked, timidly, “Could I please have a drink of water?”

“Sure!” Theresa checked to see where her sons were then went into the house to get the girl a drink. When she returned with a bottle of cold water, the teen downed most of it with the first swig then turned to go. Theresa glanced beyond her but saw only her own car in the driveway. Had the girl walked? Clear out here? The United States is very large and things are very spread out.

“Wait a minute!” The girl hesitated, but then turned around, her eyes still on the ground. “Did your car break down?”

“No.”

“Do you need help?”

The girl shook her head, but a sob escaped. “I-I need to get to the bus station. I’ve only got a few hours to get there.”

Theresa’s jaw dropped. The closest bus station was over 30 miles away. There was no way this girl could walk that far, even at a brisk pace, in anything less than 10 hours.

“Well, why don’t I drive you?” Theresa suggested. “Give me just a few minutes to get the boys ready and I’ll give you a ride.”

Tears welled in the girl’s eyes, and she nodded. Suddenly, a thought struck Theresa: “Y-you’re not running away, are you?”

For the first time, anger sparked in the girl’s eyes. “No. My dad threw me out. I’m going to live with my grandma, but she can’t come get me. She said she’d have a ticket waiting for me at the bus station.”

“Let’s give your grandma a call,” Theresa gently urged the girl toward the house. “She’s probably worried.” Theresa dialed the number the girl gave her and the woman on the other end confirmed her story. The girl’s mother had been killed in an accident recently and the father was dealing with his grief through anger. He and his daughter hadn’t been getting along.

Theresa got her sons ready for a quick trip to town and then, on impulse, grabbed some extra cash from the family’s emergency fund in her dresser drawer. Half an hour later, they were pulling into the bus station.

The clerk at the ticket counter did have a ticket waiting in the girl’s name but the bus wouldn’t be coming for another two hours. Theresa took everyone to a nearby fast-food restaurant while they waited. As the boys played nearby, Theresa slipped $50 into the girl’s hand.

“Oh, no!” She tried to give it back. “I can’t take your money. You’ve already done too much.”

Theresa gently squeezed the girl’s fingers around the money. “It’s just in case you need something. You can always pay me back.” The teen launched herself at Theresa, giving her a bone-crunching hug. After the girl was safely on the bus, Theresa called the grandmother to let her know her granddaughter was safely on her way.

About a year later, spring had arrived once more. Theresa was, once again, hard at work in her flower beds. A strange car pulled up and the same girl from the year before hopped out. What a transformation had taken place! She had a new hairstyle, and her eyes were sparkling and happy. Even before a word was said, she gave Theresa a huge hug, then her grandmother gave her an even bigger hug. The girl handed Theresa an envelope. At Theresa’s puzzled look, the girl explained, “It’s the money you lent me.” The grandmother said the girl had been doing babysitting jobs, saving up money to pay her back.

“Oh, sweetheart!” Theresa exclaimed. “I didn’t expect you to pay me back.”

“Well, you didn’t have to help, but you did.” She gave Theresa a last, long hug. “I’ll never forget what it meant to me that you helped me that day. You gave me back some hope that life isn’t all bad.”

Psalm 27:10 says: “Though my father and mother forsake me, Yahuwah will receive me.”

Even in the night of your darkest trial, you are never truly alone. Yahuwah loves you. He will be your father, your mother, your support and your protection. You can trust in Him.

We have been given great and precious promises. Go and start claiming!

* * *Part 3: (Miles)

Miles: Thank you for joining for today’s program called “Who Was Christ?” If you’d like to share today’s program with a friend, you can find it on our website at WorldsLastChance.com. Just click on the WLC Radio icon and scroll down to Program 287, “Who Was Christ?”

We hope you can join us again tomorrow, and until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!

* * *

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This program and past episodes of WLC Radio are available for downloading on our website. They're great for sharing with friends and for use in Bible studies! They're also an excellent resource for those worshipping Yahuwah alone at home. To listen to previously aired programs, visit our website at WorldsLastChance.com. Click on the WLC Radio icon displayed on our homepage.

In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him warmly when he comes.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.