 Hello, and welcome to this edition of Hard Questions where we gather our pastors together to take on your tough questions and answer them right from the Word of God. I'm Tom McGuffin. I'll be the moderator for today's program. And joining me in our esteemed panel include Dr. William R. Glaze, Bethany Baptist Church in Pittsburgh, Pastor Joe Guiden, suit ministries pastor at Cornerstone Ministries, Murraysville, Pete Giacalone, pastor, South Hills Assembly Guy Church, Bethel Park, PA, Pastor J. Anthony Gilbert of another level ministries in Mount Washington. Well gentlemen, always a privilege and a pleasure. Thank you for being here. Thank you for being here. And in this edition, we're going to be taking on your questions that you've called in or emailed to us. So we start out with this first question. This is from Valerie. And she says, since Christ finished His work on the earth, we know He is seated at the right hand of the Father and making intercession for His saints. What is He doing now? Let's start there with that. Well, you know, I would say there's a lot of things that He's doing. You know, we definitely know, as she said here, that He's seated at the right hand of God. One of the things that we see in the book of Revelation, and it says this in Revelation chapter five verses, verse 11, and I beheld not heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, the living creatures and the elders, and the number of them was 10,000 times, 10,000s and thousands, thousands, saying, amen, saying with a loud voice, with a megaphone, worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. So one of the things He's doing now, He's enjoying the worship as all of heaven worships Him. So He's just not seated at the right hand of God, just kind of sitting there doing surveillance, but He's being worshiped, I believe, and He said in John 14 that He was going to prepare a place for us. Now again, I know God, He can build a mansion just like that, but Christ is in the, and I know that's a figure of speech, but I still think that there's, to some degree, He's preparing a place for us. He's preparing heaven for us. Whatever that means. I'm not sure what that means, but it says that that's one of the things that He's doing. I believe another thing that He's doing, He's teaching. He's teaching people about Himself. He's teaching people about the Holy Spirit, about God. So He's just not seated at the right hand of God, just kind of twiddling his thumbs, waiting for eternity to come. Good points. We know nothing too, I think, with this, is that people don't understand. One of the greatest revelations that God gave me right when the pandemic hit, I started speaking about a lot of things in revelations. And it's amazing that the book of Revelation was written, and I said, well, God, why was that written? Because people have this idea that the Jesus of the Gospels is who's coming back to earth. He's different. He ain't coming back as a suffering servant. He gave them little glimpses of Himself. Right. Matter of fact, when they were there and they'd come to get Him, He said, I am, and they all fell down. I said, I just want to give you a little taste, who I really am. And so He showed them who He was there when He walked on the water. He kept all of that under control, but if you don't understand it, when He comes back, when you read in Revelation, He's coming back with a sword out of His mouth. He's not coming back to suffer. He's not coming back for people to take Him by the arm and put Him back on a cross. He gave up all of that and was subservient. That's why He said, I can call down 12,000 leagues of angels, but I'm keeping all of that at bay because this is my season for that. So I'm saying all that to say, what's He doing now? The purpose of Him resting is not resting from a place of exhaustion. He's resting from a place of victory. Come on, somebody. I'm not trying to get too happy right now, but I felt something on that one right there. He's not resting. He's like, well, I'm tired and I'm just sitting here. He's resting because it's already done. That's right. When He was on the cross, He said, it's finished. And now it's being fulfilled. The finished work of Christ is being fulfilled in us. Our cooperation and all that we're doing, now we have the Holy Spirit that is inside of us. Jesus sends those words of direction through the Holy Spirit into us that we can fulfill and walk out what He finished. And that's why He said, be seated until I make your enemies your footstool. So what is He doing? He's giving out the marching orders. He's giving direction by way of the Holy Spirit to the body of Christ to bring back dominion into the earth. So He's not resting from a place of like, well, you know, I'm kind of tired and I had a rough work. He's resting from a place that when a king is sitting down, he's sitting down because everything is in order. Everything's right where he needs to be. When he stands up, that's a whole other story. If you ever see a king stand up, it's another situation that there's something that he's about to act and to do. But he's seated because it's been done. It's been finished. And now he's carrying out that finished work until all the enemies, including death hell and the grave, are put underneath his feet. I mean, Jay, what I also see in this question is the fact that the importance of the Trinity, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, and none of them operate independently of each other, that the Father gives glory to the Son, the Son gives glory to the Father, the Spirit. There's a fantastic book out, The God I Never Knew, Robert Morris, I think his name is. And so in other words, so we see here that in this Godhead, they all honor, the honor that they bring to each other is so much, so important. So we see three making up one with the idea of the idea, you know, what's the role, the purpose of the Holy Spirit? Of course, his role is to lead us, guide us and show us the way of Christ to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter, quick follow up on that. We know that prior to his ascension that the disciples wanted Jesus to stay here on earth. And he said, I have to go. So to make way for the Comforter. How does the Holy Spirit play the role of Jesus Christ here on earth? Well, he says it right there, Tom and John 14. He says, I'll pray the Father John 14, 16, and he will give you another Comforter that he may abide with you forever. And here we go. The spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. So and again, this is what I love about the Trinity. They work cooperatively and they honor inextricably. Yes. Inextricably. And as you were saying, when Jesus was here in his earthly ministry, he was purposefully limiting himself into what he could do. And through all of his, all of his, his godly power and ability. So he limited himself. But what the Holy Spirit could do was be everywhere where he was choosing to limit himself to one place, one region at a time. He was saying, I'll send the Holy Spirit who will be everywhere in place in all of my believers. And so, so where he is doing that, he is that he can send the Holy Spirit into the world to convict the world of sin, to convict us of sin and then in God's righteousness and the coming judgment that he could send him forth and go everywhere all at once so we could be infilled and then dwelled. And you know, real quick, Tom, you know, one of the things that's so powerful about Jesus to also piggyback off of your point, he's so powerful that even in a limited form, they wanted to make him king. I mean, think about it. He's like, no, I ain't my time yet. He was holding back and the people are like, this guy is bad. You know what I mean? They wanted to elevate him and make him number one simply. And he was limited. That's where I was saying before about how went Mount Transfiguration, we talked about that in another show and how he showed this is who's coming back and people don't understand when he comes back. My goodness, he is coming back. John did not even recognize him in Revelation. He said he fell at his feet as a dead man. That's the crisis coming back. But I know we got to go. But you know, it's like you said, man, you know, that he's coming back and he's not coming back, you know, like that song on the earth. And I, you know, I have a message that I preached from Revelation 19. My boyfriend's back and there's going to be trouble. That's our day. But OK, the next question that we have, Laurie wants to know if it's OK to be an organ donor. And she mentions different scripture to talk about not abusing our bodies. So, well, you know, Laurie, I know I'm jumping in there. You know what, Laurie, don't worry about it. You're dead. You're not abusing anything. And we're having a little fun here. But but seriously, I my only problem, Tom, that I have in my mind's eye about organ donor, I believe in it. There are so many people who are alive today because others donated. I just don't want them to make the call. We need some eyes. So let's let this old Italian boy go, you know, we need a heart. So let's just help them out a little bit. Somebody trip over that plug. That's the only thing I wrestle with. It's I have no problems with closing my eyes and waking up in heaven. I think that's going to be a great day. But I don't think you're desecrating your body to be an organ donor. I really don't. Matter of fact, if I can pull a scripture and I know it's out of context. Paul says, if it were possible, you would give me your very own eyes. Yeah, right, right. Paul says that if it were possible, you'd give me your now it is possible. I don't think you seriously, I don't think you're desecrating your body. I think it's a legacy. I think it's it's an inheritance. You're leaving part of yourself. And I think it's glorious to leave. And I I'm leaning that way. I want to go that way. I just don't want someone to say game over before the two minute warning, you know, and, you know, Pete hit hit the nail on the head as far as what the issue is. Your people think that they're mutilating their body and they don't want to do that. But the fact of the matter is, is that, you know, God is able to raise up your body. You know, I know we're going to talk about cremation at some point. But, you know, even you look at people that burn got burned up into fire. Their bodies were mutilated. Right. I mean, and to the point where it's they just became ashes. And so, you know, the Bible says that the sea will give up its dead. And, you know, I believe that God is able to resurrect the body and bring it back together again. So if the concern is I'm mutilating my body, then, you know, that shouldn't be the concern because, you know, God is able to to raise it back up, you know, and you'll have a glorious body. You'll have a immortal body. You'll have an invincible body. So, yeah, I wouldn't let that if I felt led to be a organ donor. I wouldn't let the fact that I think I'm mutilating my body stopped me from doing it. That's a good point, Joe. I want to give you time. I think about it like this is every time we take communion in church, we're reminded of the fact that Jesus gave up his body, gave up his blood on our behalf. And so every time I'm getting that reminder that God loved me that much, that he would be a sacrifice for me. In fact, Jesus even said in John 15, he says, this is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. You look at my works and you do that to one another. Greater love has no one than this than he laid down his life for his friends. And so, you know, I know many people who have who are living, who have given an organ like a kidney to somebody else who's living and who are grateful, both are grateful that they did that. And they have this this beautiful bond, this beautiful brotherly in Christ bond that is amazing. And those I know many people who were suffering the loss of a loved one who are comforted knowing that the loss of their loved one, especially prematurely was not in vain, that they're so grateful that this many people were saved or their lives were improved because of their sacrifice and their gift. And the amazing context of that verse from John is that Jesus said that after having had that last supper. And he said to them, if you really want to show the world, you've got to love as I've loved you. And he calls it a new commandment. What made it new is to the degree that he loves us, that God loves us. Praise be to God. Well, we're going to take a short break, but when we come back, we're going to ask, is taking the COVID vaccine away for the government to take control? Stay tuned for more of hard questions coming back in 66. We recently received an email asking, is taking the coronavirus vaccine a way of the government to take control? Kind of like the mark of the beast. This is a question that we are all being asked as pastors and that we all have to answer. Let's take a look at this. Joel, what's your perspective? I'd say for this, it's hard for me to put my finger on a black and white statement for all people and how this applies to them. I know there's many people that are in need of a vaccine for for COVID, especially with preexisting conditions, all that stuff. But I know other people feel very deeply convicted of as to how the vaccine was developed and what all was developed with, you know, whether it be including a boarded fetal tissue and stuff like that. So, so do I think it's a way of government control? I think anything people can use to control. I don't, but I don't think it's the mark of the beast. So I think, I think for each person, there's any medicine you take, any medicine you take, there's risks and rewards. And each individual has to make those evaluations themselves. Jen, I know you have a lot of wisdom on this. Let me tell you about Rona. What's going on with Rona? No, I'm to Joe's point. I don't believe that it is the mark of the beast. First of all, in order to be the mark of the beast, the beast has to show up. Now, I know a lot of my brothers and sisters all have different views on when Christ's going to come, but I am a first round draft pick. I believe Jesus Christ is coming out of here and I'm out here on the first round. That's right. That's my, that's my, I'm out of here in the first round. So, I'm a free trip brother. I'm right, right with you. I'm not behind you. I'm out of there, man. I'm with you. You know, I'm gone. And then the beast is going to show up. You know, that's my take on it. And in order for it to be his mark, he has to be the one to initiate that. So it's not something that's just out there. So even if you've gotten the vaccine, you don't have to worry about it. If you dammed your soda hell or anything along that line, because you haven't, he ain't here yet because you're still looking at me. He ain't here. We can't coexist together. That's the reason why he can't show up until we're out of there. Because we're restraining him by way of the Holy Spirit, Hallelujah. In order for him to deceive and to work those signs and wonders that he's going to work, there can't be the presence of light. And that's why he will have so much power and ability because the church and the power of the church will be removed at that season. So he'll be able to manifest in a way that he's never manifested before. So you don't have to worry about that. But I do believe that the coronavirus and the mask are dress rehearsals. And I believe that Satan, the Antichrist and everybody took notes on how man was going to operate, what was going on. The mask, then it turned into the vaccine and whatever else may come down the line. Because I remember at one point going into Ginegal. I'll never forget walking into Ginegal. And when I walked in there, it was like, what are you doing in here without me? You can't come in. I mean, it was I was like, oh, Lord, I mean, I was so terrified because people were all over you. And I'll never forget it had that big thing on a mask. And it says, you cannot enter without a mask. And the Lord said, do you realize you're one word away from the mark instead of a mask, it will be a mark. You won't be able to buy or sell or anything without it. And so we're that close to the return of Christ. So while it is not the mark of the beast, let me tell you this, we are very, very, very, very, very, very close to his return. And we need to be prepared. And I know I want to give some brothers some room. Well, I definitely think it's a way of the government controlling people. You know, what is the Antichrist going to do the beast? It says that people will not be able to buy or sell, you know, without the mark. And so what is it? You know, people are fearful. You know, I'm how am I going to pay my bills? How am I going to pay my house note? You know, and so people will be fearful. And I think, right. I know a lot of people right now that the only reason they have taken the vaccine is because they don't want to lose their job. Right. Fear. And again, I mean, hey, you got to do what you got to do. You know, and I'm I ain't mad at you. I ain't preaching at you. You know, you got to do what you got to do. I'm just saying that I know people that didn't want to take it. And the reason they took it was because they were fearful that they were going to have an income. They weren't going to have insurance. They weren't going to be able to pay their bills. And so, yeah, I believe that definitely this is a way of the government controlling people. And like you said, you know, the Antichrist, even if he's not here right now, he's he's he's definitely writing notes down because he's going to see how how you know what what's the prescription for taking control and we see what it is right now. And the thing, let me say this now. So you got me fired up. He is that this is not even a law. It is not a law. It's a mandate. And there's a difference between the law and the mandate, you know, and a law is means that all of the government has come together. They aren't taking it right now. They are now they have made that change. It's going to be required of them to take it. But yeah, so it's not even a law. It's a mandate that is being bogart on us by certain entities. And you know, to go one step further, look how it's dividing our home. I mean, brothers and sisters, moms on Sunday after church. And I love pastoring this church. A 10, maybe 11 year old boy comes up, the cutest kid you ever want to see. Pastor, would you pray for me? Sure. Sure. What are we praying about? He goes, Pastor, grandma and grandpa told me I'm not allowed at the house for Thanksgiving because I didn't get the shot. I wept. What? I come from an Italian family that there's nothing more precious than the children. And you should see this little guy. He said, I am not a grandma and grandpa already told me don't even bother coming to Thanksgiving. You're talking about fear. You're talking about I'm seeing that with families, too. More and more, even coming to Thanksgiving. I have people right now that said, listen, my family is completely divided. There are there's a non-vax and a vaxed house because people won't even come together with it. And that's family, brother and sister. And I get it to some degree because some people are concerned. I mean, and I understand that. Everybody has to do what's right in their own eyes. You know, and I really believe that. But at the end of the day, though, one of the things you do have to realize is that it's not the mark, though. It's not any of those things. We don't need to worry about any of that. But it is. It's dividing everybody. I mean, I've seen it just as clear as day, like I'm not going to their house and I'm not going to do it. It's it's crazy. And the shot's not the cure. How many I can't tell you. Countless people I know got the shot and then got COVID. Yeah, right. And some people died from the shot. Yeah, not only 16,000, but they died. They got the shot and they died, too, with COVID. Yeah, from COVID with COVID. Yeah. Wow. Well, coming up a brand new call in segment in just 60 seconds. Please stay tuned for more of Hard Questions. Recently, we asked for you to call in your question to Hard Questions Hotline. Listen as we attempt to answer one of those calls. While watching last night, Hard Questions, I was I was quite surprised when they had the question, can you put tattoos on your body? And they said there was no place in scripture that said that and that they thought that there was nothing wrong with it. And would you please ask them to look at Leviticus chapter 19 verse 28 and in the King James verse and it says, he shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead nor print any marks upon you, for I am the Lord in the NIV. It simplifies it even further and it says, do not cut yourself. I don't have that one. Do not cut or put tattoos on your body. I am the Lord. So please let them have a look at that and maybe make another comment. Thank you. That's a very good question. And Joel, I'm going to let you begin. Yeah, for me, I have no problem with tattoos, especially I actually love tattoos that honor Christ, that glorify God, that people, you know, wear as a testimony, wherever they go, wherever their fields are in. And it's their way of communicating the gospel 24 seven wherever they can. And so, or I don't even have problems with tattoos as just beautiful symbols of self-expression. I'd say for me, I'm not a big fan of tattoos that make it seem like you belong to somebody else. I think that maybe covers more of the original intent of that verse, you know, something that says I belong to this person or anything like that. But likewise, I don't have a problem with tattoos that are, you know, a tattooed wedding ring for somebody who's in construction or something like that, where it's better for their safety. So, you know, it's saying, hey, this is a lifelong commitment for me. I think a big thing, you know, a lot of people say, you know, because tattoos are permanent, but also rest in the fact that we receive a new glorified body when we enter into eternity. So, so I'd say tattoos aren't even permanent, or they might be permanent here, but they're not eternal. So I keep that in mind. Well, you know, and, you know, to look at her question, and I think that even the last time when we, when this came up, I even quoted the scripture Leviticus 1928, and I said that some people refer to Leviticus 1928 to say that you can't have a tattoo. But, but again, and, you know, thank God for the collar, you know, because, you know, I like that, you know, you know, okay, you know, give me a little bit more. And, you know, when you study the verse in its context, context that God is condemning his people from following the practices of the nations around them. And one of the practices of the nations around them was to get car cuttings in the flesh for the dead. And so that's, that's the point that God is emphasizing. You know, don't, don't be like the other nations that get it for the dead, you know, going back to what Joel said, that, you know, expressions of, you know, beauty, expressions of, you know, Christ and stuff like, you know, that's a whole different purpose. You know, what you brought up, you know, that's a whole different purpose opposed to what we're going to be like the heathen, right? And we're going to get tattoos in our flesh like the heathen do for the dead. So, you know, again, my sister, I love you. Thank you for sending it in. But okay, go back and put that verse in the context also. And, and, you know, I believe that you'll walk away, you know, with the, with the different understanding. I love my, my daughter, my youngest daughter. She has four kids. I love all my kids, love all my grandkids. But my, my daughter has had a sane all her life. And she says, dad, you'll never see a bumper sticker on a Bentley. Yeah. Right? Right? So I consider myself a Bentley. I mean, there's no way I just, but again, I enjoyed other people, you know, with their arms and stuff, it's nice. Yeah. But you cannot, ma'am, one quick thought. You cannot build a doctrine on one verse. You cannot build a teaching on one verse. And then again, I think Doc did a great job in explaining that the whole idea that of that. And then there's scriptures that talks about baptizing of the dead. Right. So it has nothing to do with putting art on your body. That verse, it really doesn't. Yeah, that verse, that verse, yeah. If you want to look at it in context. Well, real quick too, take everything in context. I don't know if you guys, are y'all meat eaters and y'all like steak? Well, if you read up a couple of verses, we're probably all going to hell for this one. Don't eat any meat with blood still in it. Oh, don't get meat eaten. Don't practice divination or seek omas. Don't cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard. Well, that means if you get a fade, you can't do any of that. I mean, if you get a fade, I mean, you're, look at that. You cut there, you cut that beard, man. That's it, it's a wrap. So I mean, you have to look everything within context, which goes back to your point. And then it goes in, don't cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks in regards to that practice. So he's talking about staying away from evil practices. These were evil practices that people did to worship false gods and divination and demonic forces and things like that. That's what it all comes down to. So I like what you said, Dr. Glaze, as well, that, you know, it's all taken within context. If you do it that way, you'll be fine. So if you want to get a tattoo, God bless you. If you don't want one, hey, keep it clean. Like I said, don't put it on the button. Yeah, quickly, I just want to follow up with you. Sin is an attitude and I think what you're saying and you can clarify this, that sin is an attitude. And so it's the attitude with which we do some of these things that are in that gray area. It's the attitude that if it's of an attitude of sin, if it's an attitude to glorify self or if it's an attitude to glorify God. Without a doubt, yeah, I think you hit it right on the head. You know, if there's an attitude of sin and it's towards an evil practice, then, you know, to you, it's it. Well, we always like to end a program with a scripture. And today we go to Proverbs where it says, where there is no guidance, a people fall. But in an abundance of counselors, there is safety. Praise you, God, praise you, God. And we pray that this program, this time that God blesses us to have with you the viewer that this is counsel, that this is guidance, that this is literally the Holy Spirit answering these questions from his precious word. Please know that God loves you and he's paid a tremendous price for you. Receive that precious gift right here now today.