Terry: TIME TO ANSWER
YOUR E-MAIL QUESTIONS.
PAT, THE FIRST ONE IS FROM
JESSE, WHO SAYS, "I'VE BEEN
REJECTED BY A FEW DIFFERENT
CHURCHES BECAUSE I REFUSED
TO HAVE MY CHILDREN BAPTIZED
RIGHT AFTER THEY WERE BORN.
I'VE SEEN SOME CHURCHES HOLD
DEDICATION CEREMONIES FOR
NEWBORNS, AND I WOULD LIKE
TO GO THIS ROUTE.
IS THAT WRONG?
DOES THE BIBLE TALK ABOUT
INFANT BAPTISM, AND IF SO,
WHERE?"
Pat: THE ONLY THING I
KNOW OF IN THE BIBLE IS THE
BELIEVER'S BAPTISM, WHICH IS
BEING BURIED WITH CHRIST.
THERE IS NOTHING IN THERE
ABOUT SPRINKLING.
IN THE EARLY CHURCH, AS FAR
AS I CAN TELL, THAT WAS THE
ONLY FORM OF BAPTISM.
WHERE DID THE INFANT CONCEPT
COME FROM?
I WON'T GO INTO GREAT
DETAIL, BUT THE THOUGHT IS
PEOPLE ARE BORN WITH WHAT IS
CALLED ORIGINAL SIN.
AND THEY NEEDED TO BE
BAPTIZED IN ORDER TO COME
INTO THE GRACE OF GOD SO
THAT IF THEY DIED, THEY
WOULD DIE IN GRACE.
AND WHEN I ASKED THAT IT'S
SUPPOSED TO BE FAITH, AND
THE ANSWER IS THAT IT IS THE
FAITH OF THE PARENTS IN THE
SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM.
NOW, I DON'T AGREE WITH
THAT.
I'M A BAPTIST.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A
CHURCH THAT WILL TAKE YOU IN
AND WELCOME YOUR BELIEFS.
THE BAPTIS BAPTISTS, THAT'S
WHAT THEY BELIEVE.
PENT COASTALPENTECOSTAL
CHURCHES, MOST OF THE
CHURCHES, ALL SHARE THAT.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH BELIEVES
IN INFANT BAPTISM.
THERE ARE SOME, YOU'RE
RIGHT, THEY HAVE A
DEDICATION.
THEY DEDICATE THE CHILD TO
THE LORD, AND LATER ON HE
CAN MAKE THE DECISION ON HIS
OWN TO GET BAPTIZED.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF CHURCHES
THAT WILL WELCOME YOU WITH
OPEN ARMS.
Terry: MATTHEW SAYS, "I
RECENTLY BECAME A
CHRISTIAN.
I WANT TO QUIT USING
SMOKELESS TOBACCO, BUT I'M
HAVING SUCH A HARD TIME.
HOW DO I STOP?
CAN GOD TAKE THIS ADDICTION
AWAY FROM ME?"
Pat: THE BEST WAY TO
STOP IT IS TO LOOK IN THE
MIRROR.
THE NASTY TEETH, AND THE
TOBACCO -- I THINK THAT'S
WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
HOW DO YOU STOP AN
ADDICTION?
I'VE SAID THIS SEVERAL
TIMES, AND I'LL SAY IT
AGAIN, 21 DAYS.
21 DAYS.
YOU DON'T USE THAT STUFF FOR
21 DAYS.
I USED TO SMOKE A PACK AND A
HALF OF CIGARETTES EVERY
DAY, EVERY DAY.
I SAW WHAT IT DID TO
PEOPLE'S LUNGS.
I CAME OUT OF AN EVIDENCE
CLASS IN LAW SCHOOL, AND
THREW DOWN THE CIGARETTE AND
GROUNDED IT ON THE GROUND,
AND SAID THAT'S THE LAST
CIGARETTE I'LL EVER SMOKE.
IT WAS A DIFFICULT TIME FOR
21 DAYS.
AND THEN SOMETHING SHIFTED.
AND INSTEAD OF DESIRING THE
THINGS, I COULDN'T STAND
THEM.
THEY WERE REPULSIVE TO ME.
NOTHING WORSE THAN WET
CIGARETTE BUTTS.
Terry: I HAD THE SAME
THING HAPPEN TO ME.
I USED TO SMOKE, AND NOW I'M
ALLERGIC TO CIGARETTE
SMOKE.
Pat: IT'S CRAZY.
IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG.
EVERY DAY, TODAY I'M NOT
GOING TO SMOKE OR CHEW OR
WHATEVER YOUR DOING.
THE NEXT DAY, TODAY I'M NOT
GOING TO DO IT.
AND AFTER 21 DAYS, YOU KNOW,
YOU'RE HOME FREE.
Terry: IT OCCURS TO ME
IT MAY HELP TO CHEW GUM
BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT IS JUST
THAT CHEWING PROCESS.
THIS IS REILLY WHO SAYS, "I
HAVE A REALLY CLOSE FRIEND
THAT BELIEVES IN MORE THANqan'ib7
ONE GOD.
I THINK SHE IS HINDU, BUT
I'M NOT CERTAIN.
HOW DO I HELP HER REALIZE
THERE IS ONLY
HER TO BECOME A
CHRISTIAN.
WHAT SHOULD I DO?"
Pat: REILLY, I SUSPECT
THE FIRST THING YOU DO IS
TELL HER THERE IS ONLY ONE
GOD.
IF SHE BELIEVES IN ONE OF
THE TOP FIGURES IN THE HINDU
PANTHEON, YOU SAY I
REPRESENT THE GOD WHO IS
ABOVE THAT ONE.
AND HE IS ET CREATO IS THE
CREATOR OF EVERYTHING.
AND THESE OTHERS ARE MERELY
CREATIONS, AND I THINK
THEY'RE DEMONIC, BUT
WHATEVER.
AND THEN ASK HER TO PRAY TO
JESUS, AND WATCH JESUS.
THE LORD HAS GOT TO COME IN
AND INTERVENE IN A SITUATION
LIKE THAT, AND HE WILL.
IF SOMEBODY IS SINCERELY
SEEKING GOD, GOD HIMSELF
WILL APPEAR TO THEM.
JESUS IS APPEARING TO PEOPLE
ALL OVER THE MIDDLE EAST, TO
MUSLIMS AND PEOPLE IN ISLAM,
AND I DARE SAY THE HINDUS,
TOO.
ANYBODY WHO IS SINCERELY
SEEKING GOD, GOD WILL REVEAL
HIMSELF.
SO THE PRAYER IS, JESUS, IF
YOU ARE GOD, REVEAL YOURSELF
TO ME AND I WILL SERVE YOU.
LET HER PRAY THAT.
ALL RIGHT.
Terry: THIS IS KATRINA,
WHO SAYS, "I WAS LISTENING
TO A PASTOR SPEAK ON THE
RADIO.
HE SAID THAT THE BOOK OF
REVELATION STATES THAT GOD
HAS ALREADY PICKED THE
PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE
SAVED.
DOES THIS MEAN IF WE'RE NOT
CHOSEN WE DON'T HAVE A
CHANCE?
WILL YOU PLEASE CLEAR THIS
UP FOR ME?
NOW I'M WORRIED AND
CONFUSED."
Pat: IT'S AMAZING, WE
HAVE NO LAW IN AMERICA THAT
WILL KEEP SCREWBALLS OFF THE
RADIO.
SO PEOPLE CAN SAY ANYTHING
THEY WANT TO.
Terry: I THINK THERE IS
A LOT OF CONFUSION, THOUGH,
ABOUT THAT DOCTRINE OF
ELECTION, WHAT DOES THAT
MEAN AND HOW DO YOU TAKE
THAT?
Pat: YOU'RE EXACTLY
RIGHT.
THAT WAS EXTREME CALVINISM.
ONLY THE ELECTED ARE GOING
TO BE SAVED.
HERE IS WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS,
IT ISN'T GOD'S WILL THAT ANY
SHOULD PERISH, BUT THAT ALL
SHOULD COME TO THE KNOWLEDGE
OF THE TRUTH.
THAT'S WHAT HE SAYS.
AND JESUS CHRIST CAME TO
SEEK AND TO SAVE THAT WHICH
IS LOST.
SO THE HEART OF GOD IS
ALWAYS REACHING OUT TO THE
LOST, TO THOSE WHO DON'T
KNOW HIM.
IT ISN'T HIS WILL THAT ANY
SHOULD PERISH, BUT ALL
SHOULD COME TO THE KNOWLEDGE
OF THE TRUTH.
SO TO SAY HE HAS ELECTED A
SMALL GROUP AND THEY'RE THE
ONLY ONES?
YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT CHILLS
EVANGELISM, AND YOUR QUEST,
WHAT IF I'M NOT AMONG THE
ELECT.
YOU'RE ELECT IF YOU SAY YES
TO JESUS.
THAT'S WHAT DETERMINES IT.
NOW, WHAT HAPPENS IN TERMS
OF GOD'S FOREKNOWLEDGE AND
ALL OF THAT -- THAT REALLY
SHOULDN'T CONCERN YOU.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THAT
GOD LOVES YOU AND HE WANTS
YOU TO BE SAVED.
AND HE WANTS EVERYBODY TO BE
SAVED.
I WAS PRAYING, AND I BELIEVE
THE LORD -- I SAID, GOD,
WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU, AND HE
SAID, I HAVE MADE HEAVEN
VERY LARGE, AND THERE IS
ROOM FOR MANY, MANY PEOPLE.
AND HE SAID YOUR JOB IS TO
BRING AS MANY OF THEM IN AS
POSSIBLE.
SO HE PUTS PEOPLE LIKE ME
AND OTHERS OUT THERE TO
PREACH THE WORD.
AND IT IS THE PREACHING OF
THE GOSPEL THAT BRINGS
PEOPLE TO SALVATION.
AND TO SAY, WELL, I'M SORRY,
HE'S GOT A NUMBER, AND YOU
LIVE IN BURBANK OR
SOMETHING, AND THERE CAN
ONLY BE 5,000 OF YOU SAVED,
AND THE REST OF YOU ARE
OUT.
THERE WAS A CHURCH THAT
BELIEVED THAT, 144,000.
AND AFTER THEY GOT MORE THAN
144,000, THEN THEY HAD TO
COME UP WITH ANOTHER
DOCTRINE.
THEY BLEW THE COUNT.
GOD HAS A BIG HEAVEN, A BIG
HEAVEN AND A BIG HEART.
AND HE WANTS PEOPLE SAVED.
THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED TO
KNOW.
Terry: WE THANK YOU FOR
YOUR QUESTIONS.
WE DO LOVE HEARING FROM
YOU.
AND WE'LL ANSWER SOME MORE
TOMORROW.