Paul’s part, it was simply a cooperat ing with God in the fulfillment of Hii promises. Many of God’s people like Dwight L. Moody and others who had unshakable confidence in God, used the means of insurance that was available for their use, as far as temporal things were concerned. Q, Much interest is running in our mail right now as to the end times. This listener says, “Do, the terms ‘Para dise’ and ‘Heaven’ refer to the same place?” A. Since the resurrection and the as cension of Christ, Paradise and Heaven have been identical. At His ascension, Christ took Paradise up to Heaven. Evidently Paradise was an abode for the Old Testament saints who were waiting for the Lord Jesus Christ to come and finish the work of redemp tion, and when He cried on the Cross, “It is finished”, what power was in volved in those words. When the Lord ascended on High, we read that He led a multitude of captives captive. Now that multitude was the Old Tes tament saints who had been in Para dise, and He took all the saints out of that waiting place and took them with Him into Heaven. They were the p e a t multitude that He led with Him into the presence of God at the time of His ascension. Now we must make clear the fact that Paradise and Heaven were not the same before the resurrection and as cension of Christ. The Apostle Paul, writing in II Cor. 12:2 says that he was caught up to the third heaven, and then in a few verses later evi dently referring to the same event, he says that he was caught up into Para dise. Also, the Lord Jesus Christ said to the thief on the Cross, “Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise.” Now after His resurrection and before His ascension He said to Mary, “Touch me not for I am not yet ascended unto my Father.” He had already gone to Para dise and between this appearance to Mary and the later appearance to the disciples, the risen Lord evidently did 24
QUESTIONS (cont.) It must be wonderful to live like that. More power to you and may you be a blessing to everyone who hears your voice. I feel so helpless.” A. When you write, “You seem to be so calm and sure about yourself and your personal affairs”, I wonder to whom you refer. My friend, I have the same weaknesses and problems that you have to face and oftentimes I fall down and fall far short of trusting God wholly in such a crisis. But it is a wonderful thing when we come to the end of our rope and throw up our hands in helplessness and say it is too much for me to handle, for it is then that God steps in; it is then that you come to know the mighty arm of God, that is if you trust Him. However, tragedy lies in the path of one who grows to be self-reliant. I do trust that the writer of this ques tion will just trust in the Lord and know Him as the One who said, “As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” Q. "Some people hold that Christians should not insure their lives or prop erty, because by so doing they dis trust God and His providential care. What does the Bible teach us as to this?” A. The Bible teaches that there is no conflict between trusting God and a wise provision for the necessities of the future. Turn to the Proverbs 6:6-8 and you will read His instruction as to con sidering the ways of the ant, how that in the summer she makes provision for the winter needs. Now things such as life insurance or anything of that nature do not repre sent any lack of faith in God at all. Do you remember that when the Apos tle Paul had God’s assurance that both he and all those who were in the ship with him should be saved, he fully believed God. But when some of the sailors tried to flee and thus imperil the ship and passengers, Paul saw to it that they were not allowed to escape. This was not an act of unbelief on
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