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.