Gateway Podcast: Episode 47

You can listen to or watch Gateway Podcast Episode 47 here.

Questions/topics addressed in this episode:

(NOTE: Timestamps are for video version only.) 

Lightning Round:

I had always heard and in personal reading saw that God is not mentioned in the book of Esther.  Recently I read that Esther means “something hidden” and in fact God is mentioned at least 5 times in the book of Esther through acrostics in the Hebrew.  Curious if you’ve ever heard this and do you agree with it? (0:55)

I have a question about a discrepancy in a story that is told in two different passages in the Bible. In both 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21 we read of God punishing Israel because David sinfully took a census of the tribes. Things get a little funky because in 2 Sam. it says God incited David to do this because he was already angry at the Israelites. However in 1 Chron. it says that Satan incited David to take the census. What do you make of this? Is it just two different narrators interpreting history differently or is there something else going on? And if 2 Sam. is the "right version", why would God use a census as a reason to punish the Israelites? (4:05)

 
In Genesis 32, Jacob wrestled with a man. Was the man God or an angel?  Jacob receives a blessing from him and afterward Jacob says “I have seen God face to face,” but if it was God why didn’t God overpower Jacob? And why does the man give Jacob a limp? (9:10) 

Rev chapter 20 describes the millennium of Christ's rule. I've recently wondered what Gateway's stance is on the description of the 1,000 year reign of Christ described in Chap 20. Do we as a church body support and preach a certain way around this topic (Premillennialism, Amillennialism, or Postmillennialism)? (14:05)

• End Times document referred to in response
  

Rev 22:2 references the leaves of the 'tree of life' having healing properties for the people. Verse 22:2 has been highlighted in my bible for a long time and I've never been able to understand the purpose of the tree of life during the millennium. Do the nations of people live hundreds of years with the aid of the tree of life, but still die a natural death? (18:20)

In reference to the 4th commandment, it seems that lately our weekends bustle less with the typical travel, events, business and other secular activities. In the bible Jesus would spend his sabbath in the temple reading. Although it's not always easy, we should strive to find rest, delighting ourselves in the finished work of the living Word of God, Jesus Christ. Can you help shed some light on how we can pursue this commandment deeper? (25:30)

 
[referring to heaven…] I know we will get new bodies. But, what about our mind and heart once we are with the Lord for eternity? We are going through the sanctification process now, but will it somehow be completed when we make that transition into heaven? My concern is the present battle to keep my thinking right, and I wonder what it will be like in heaven. You talked about the tongue also and the Bible says out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. In Jeremiah 17:9 it says the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. I know at times my heart is not right.  Bottom line, what will my thinking and heart be like once I'm in heaven with the Lord. (28:20)

I don’t intend to rehash the topic of why we have the current restrictions at church due to COVID.  I understand why they are there and I trust our elders in whatever they decide.  That said, we recently came back to in-person service for the first time and it was very different then what we are used to. The current restrictions do prohibit a lot of the fellowship and connectedness that make us one body. In contrast, during the pandemic our Life Group was intentionally getting together every Sunday morning and watching the services online. We had great fellowship and discussions and grew a lot closer together as a group. I know church is not all about me.  So could you maybe speak to the value of still coming in person while the restrictions are there vs what we were doing as a Life Group and watching online together?  Is it wrong if I prefer the smaller, more intimate setting of watching online with our Life Group?  Would you recommend we still come back to church and attend in person vs. what we were doing?  Would love some council on this. (30:30)

Pastor Josh, I'm sure a lot of people probably think you just work on Sundays. But the truth is we know your weeks vary - consisting of sermon prep, leadership meetings, counseling, events and correspondents. Compared to early 2020, how has your work as a pastor changed in the midst of the pandemic? Have certain focus areas consumed more of your time while others now actually take up less? (39:15)

Final Thought (58:35)