[0:00] Good morning. Greetings to everyone that's here. No, we don't need a speaker or a sound system in here, but we do record, I think, most of these messages anyway because maybe somebody else wants to hear it down the road and never know where a message that's recorded will go.
[0:33] So today I'm keenly aware of that, that someone may listen to the message that is not here today. And so while I'm preaching to us here first, I'm also speaking to whoever's listening later, if that were to happen.
[0:55] And so I'd like for us to try to make it without that fan going back there.
[1:05] If somebody could turn that off. Because I know how these fans work. They feel good, but they also kind of blow us to sleep. But if you need to open this side for more air, that's fine.
[1:19] I don't want you to suffocate either, you know, whatever you need. But anyway, I'd like to talk about how that the Bible is our answer for everything.
[1:38] And Joe, thank you for sharing. And James, what you shared there at the end. I feel like basically if you just think about what was shared, the message has already been preached.
[1:53] Because Psalm 119 is where I'll end up as well. And yeah, I felt like you were just, I don't know if you were preaching the message or just laying the groundwork, but either way, God has one message for us today.
[2:12] I was going to title it, The Bible Can Answer Your Question. The more I thought about it is, that's not quite correct because people tend to sometimes ask the wrong question.
[2:27] So what do you do with that? Then I thought about the answer is in the Bible. Well, not if it's the wrong question.
[2:39] So I'm having a hard time knowing how to title this. I think we'll just go with the Bible is the answer. Whether you have a question or not.
[2:50] Whether it's right or not. The Bible is the answer. Today, it seems like everything that God has established in creation is being questioned in our society.
[3:11] Everything's up for a question. One question that keeps being asked in the political world is, what is a woman?
[3:21] And many, even though they know the answer, they won't answer that question. Because it's not politically correct anymore.
[3:34] You older ones especially know what I'm talking about. Now they want us to ask, what is your pronoun?
[3:45] Or what gender will this child be? After it was born and still ask the question. Think about how crazy that is.
[4:02] How rebellious that is. They ask, what must we do about climate change? And things like that.
[4:13] Everything all has to do with creation. How God designed. How God created. And we question everything. The world does.
[4:26] Joe made the statement. This is changing, switching a little bit. But just because someone else does it, doesn't make it right. Just because sheep jump over something that doesn't exist, doesn't make it right to jump over nothing, right?
[4:44] I mean, that's a funny story, but I didn't even know that either about sheep. But they follow the leader. Sometimes we're too quick to do that, aren't we?
[4:57] That's what everybody does, so I do it too. But you know, it's not just the world that is questioning things. It probably didn't even begin there.
[5:09] But it's throughout the churches as well. Many things that were established as biblical truths are big question marks today.
[5:23] Things that were considered Bible commands or biblical or Bible principles for generations are now considered minor things and even optional.
[5:38] Optional for churchgoers today. Today, many in the church will refuse to spend time in the Word to find answers. But instead, they argue their point.
[5:53] They compare themselves with other people and other things in order to justify themselves. Whether it's actually right or not isn't even their end goal.
[6:08] Having the blessing of God is not the focus. It's whether I get my way. It's to prove my point. To make so that I can do what I want to do.
[6:25] Let's turn to 2 Timothy 3. For a few verses there. Starting in verse 12.
[6:37] 2 Timothy 3.12 It says, Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
[6:49] But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and has been assured of.
[7:03] Know of whom thou hast learned them. He's saying here, Timothy, these things that have been established in your life. Continue in those things.
[7:17] Verse 15. And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures. Just a side note. Children should know the Bible too.
[7:29] From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures. Which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
[7:40] All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. It is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
[7:53] That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. And again, the Bible can answer your question. The Bible is the answer.
[8:07] for instruction, for correction, for reproof. That the man of God, the person of God, the Christian, can be made perfect.
[8:31] Let's go to chapter 4, 2 Timothy chapter 4, verse 1. I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom.
[8:48] Preach the word, be instant in season and out of season. Rebuke, I'm sorry, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
[8:58] For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but will after their own lust shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables.
[9:23] Fables are things that aren't true. It might mean more than that, but that's the meaning that I get. the time will come.
[9:38] Why? Because they're asking questions after their own lust. They want to do things their way. And they will have itching ears.
[9:50] They want to hear good things, easy things, not hard things. You know, instead of man, instead of us having authority or trying to be an authority over God's word, we must allow God's word to be the authority over us and must teach this mindset to our children.
[10:20] Teach it to those that we are responsible for to our children in our homes and in the church. We must thoughtfully engage the skeptical questions of our age with answers from God's word so that we can be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is within you.
[10:49] In 1 Peter 3.15 he talks about that. The hope within us to give an answer. But it is very important that we teach these things to our children and that we this mindset that God's word is our authority.
[11:17] I'm not in authority over God's word and never will be. But God's word is our authority. It is in authority over us. At least two-thirds now this was in 2019 I believe two-thirds of young people are walking away from the church by the time they reach college age and many aren't coming back.
[11:45] Many of these young people are leaving because they have unanswered questions about the Christian faith that led them to doubt God's word. Shame on the church that has no real life-giving answers for the next generation.
[12:04] Moms and dads we need to fulfill our calling and responsibility and sons and daughters while it is good to ask many questions in your quest for truth it's not wrong to ask questions but never question the Bible's complete and total authority in your life.
[12:33] The Bible is what will judge you someday. ask those questions to learn that's the key that's the difference we ask questions to learn not to argue your way through life especially those that are younger ask the ones that are older than you and look up to godly examples in your life and I know and I believe that many of you most of you maybe all of you do that you do look up to examples you do ask questions and that's right and good but not questions to argue so you can have your way with something that's never the right question in fact I believe that if we might get to this later but that if we are like that song we sang what was that last song
[13:37] I love you Lord there was another one earlier now it's I'm blank but if our heart is turned toward God and we are seeking God we love God it'll eliminate probably most of those questions that are being asked today I want to look at just briefly at some biblical examples some bible examples and is it important to God here's actually kind of the birth of the message what started this message earlier this week was in the thought of is God concerned with the details of my life does God even care does God care about whether I walk this way or this way is he concerned about those smaller things in life what we would consider smaller things and I believe that as we go through the bible and this is just the beauty of
[14:45] God's word is we can look back in history and find that answer does God care if we follow him in detailed obedience or doesn't he care is he negotiable is he is he optional can we decide instead of him and he doesn't mind those are questions those are the real questions that are being asked today think about Noah if he hadn't obeyed God in detail the outcome would have been very different God told him how to build an ark what size to make it what kind of wood to use how to pitch it in and out all the details of the ark and it worked perfectly people question that today but I don't
[15:48] I just believe it by faith use cypress wood gopher wood in the bible they believe that was cypress but Noah obeyed God in detail and if he would not have God would have had an issue with it we know that because of other things that happened where people didn't obey God Abraham offering up his son you know now here's one that we would think wait a minute you could argue with God about this one offering up his only son the son of promise not his only son but the only son that came by promise was Isaac and God asked him to offer him up he could have argued you know we can let our thoughts roam on this one you know did
[16:49] I really hear from God it must not have been from God you know but God said to do it and that was enough for him is it any wonder that Abraham is called the father of faith what a great faith that would have taken but he did exactly what he was told and then God stopped him and blessed him and said had another had a ram caught in a thicket to take his place God had made a provision for him Moses think about Moses and the call that God put on his life the call to to be the leader and to deliver God's people you know right at first he wasn't willing he did actually argue a little bit with God in one place he said you know I can't speak
[17:51] I don't know how to do this I can't talk well enough and God just reminded him he said who made you who made your tongue and things like that and and then he did become an obedient leader one of the greatest leaders perhaps in history but one time he was frustrated probably many times that we don't read about I would have been you know the Israelites the people he was leading they accused him every angle every time something didn't go right at one point they even wished they were back in Egypt and died there versus being out here in this wilderness but they were in the wilderness because they didn't believe but they blamed Moses what did he do one time when God said what did
[18:53] God say speak to the rock what did he do instead he hit it and it worked and the water came but that one disobedience kept him out of the land of promise that's a hard story for me after all Moses was through but I'm just pointing this out because God cares about the details if God cared about the details for Moses and the children of Israel he cares about the details today as well King Saul he tried different angles to excuse his disobedience to God you know he even tried to make it spiritual God told him to wipe out those people and destroy everything don't keep anything destroy it all he kept the king he kept all this Samuel came and he said what about if you've destroyed it all what about the bleeding of sheep and the sound of oxen and all this noise he knew
[20:01] God knew well then he turned it into spiritual tried to say well we kept those the people the people kept those things to sacrifice your God to your God didn't work what did Samuel say he said obedience is better than sacrifice even if it were true that you kept it to sacrifice I don't think it was but even if it were still not right you didn't obey and because of this your kingdom will be taken from you and given to somebody else you see the details these people these men Daniel let's turn to Daniel chapter 6 Daniel chapter 6 I had the whole chapter here but I'm just going to skip through to keep going here because of time and starting in verse 1 we'll just skip through and I just want to point out some things as we go through here but you can read the whole chapter we know that King
[21:21] Darius he was set he was the king he was he set over his kingdom 120 princes and it says in verse 2 of whom Daniel was first Daniel was the head of all these presidents and princes verse 5 it says that these men it says we shall not find any occasion against this Daniel except we find it against him concerning the law of his God I thought that was an amazing verse we can't find anything wrong with this man except we find it against him concerning the law of his God in other words his life was so perfect so right I should say that they had no they just had nothing to blame against him verse 7 all the presidents of the kingdom the governors and the princes the counselors and the captains have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days save of thee
[22:50] O king he shall be cast into the den of lions we know the story in verse twelve says hast thou not signed they came to the king hast thou not signed a decree that every man shall ask a petition of any god or man within thirty days save the O king shall be cast into the den of lions and we know the story you know Daniel kept right on praying to his god you know he could have made all kinds of excuses he could have said well for thirty days I mean God wants to use me so I don't want to be eaten by the lions that wouldn't be beneficial so we'll make excuses and we'll just maybe make sure nobody sees me I'll just wait at night and I'll pray by myself privately and stop doing what he used to do to be spared he could have made all kinds of logical common sense excuses but he didn't
[23:56] God cares about the details of how we live to the glory of God he didn't and he was brought before the king and yes because of that decree we know the story he was cast into the lion's den in verse 26 or verse 25 then king darius wrote unto all the people this is after oh I skipped a few things here couple thoughts sorry there was something here about yes so after the king verse 18 it says the king went into his palace and passed the night fasting he couldn't sleep he was troubled now that Daniel was in the lion's den but we know that God spared Daniel and shut the lion's mouth he didn't harm him at all but then in verse 24 the king commanded this is after you know
[25:09] Daniel was rescued from the lion's den and was perfectly sound and well the king commanded that they brought those men which had accused Daniel and they cast them into the den of lions them their children their wives and the lions had the mastery of them and break all their bones in pieces wherever they came to the bottom of the den those very men that made the accusation got exactly what they wanted for Daniel God turned it all around and then the king said in verse 26 I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel for he is the living God and steadfast forever and his kingdom that shall not be destroyed and his dominion shall be even unto the end he delivereth and rescueth and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth who hath delivered
[26:22] Daniel from the power of the lions so this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian we can think also of Daniel's friends the Hebrew boys Daniel's friends in the fiery furnace obedience to God no excuses they even they wouldn't even eat of the king's meat the king's food why didn't they they were in a strange land all by themselves why did they keep the law of their people when they could have enjoyed the king's food think about today how that would be for us you know let's say there was something like that in our lives like and there is plenty of biblical principles and laws in our lives today but if we're in a land all by ourselves you know people go on vacation nowadays and they say things like well what stays in wherever you went
[27:33] Africa who goes to vacation in Africa but what happens over there stays over there you know that's kind of the attitude that we have why do we change depending on where we are if we're God's children have you ever thought of that we need to think about those things why do we change just because we're somewhere else does that mean that we just do things for other people if is God not there at that location place of vacation God doesn't exist there God is not with us when we hunt or when we fish or when we travel he's just here on Sunday morning that's it wasn't that way for the Hebrew boys they were in a strange land they had the king's food they could have partied they could have had a great time they were well liked lifted up but they didn't they kept
[28:43] God's law they said we oh and then they had this thing about bowing down and they said we cannot bow we cannot worship anyone except our God yes we will be burned alive versus disobey him wow what a commitment what about Joseph he asked a simple question how can I do this great evil and sin against God think about where he was there's whole messages that could be preached out of the life of Joseph and I'd love to someday but he was so faithful he was alone he was abused by his brothers they were murderers to him and sold into slavery all alone he was willing to go to prison into a dungeon because of who he served never thought about the life of
[29:54] Joseph much people today for the most part way too many of us are self conscious or we're people conscious conscious versus God conscious you know if we can reverse that and we begin to fear God it will transform not only our life but also show others what true Christianity looks like today if we were just to fear God it will transform us the Bible will always answer your question if it's a legitimate question now let's look at David David was overwhelmed with the word of God and he had a deep love and respect for God's law his moral law that guided
[30:55] God's moral law that guided this man David we know that he also failed but when he repented it was genuine it was true repentance and like we heard this morning David was a man after God's own heart so let's turn to Psalm 119 and look at a few more of those scriptures psalm 119 verse 9 I'm going to skip a lot of this but I want to get some of these verses in this chapter just to show the heart of the man that had a heart after God's own heart can I repeat that that sounded good so that we can see the heart of a man that had a heart after God's own heart Psalm 119 is a precious chapter verse 9 wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word with my whole heart have I sought thee oh let me not wander from thy commandments thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee
[32:20] David clearly did not want to offend God blessed art thou Lord teach me thy statutes you know that verse right there teach me thy statutes if we could just have that teachable heart that heart that says I want to learn I want to know more I want to go deeper with my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth I have rejoiced in thy ways I'm sorry in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy ways I will delight myself in thy statutes I will not forget thy word deal bountifully with thy servant that I may live and keep thy word open thou mine eyes that
[33:23] I may behold wondrous things out of thy law you know instead of asking the wrong questions how about we go there and say open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law teach me oh Lord the way of thy statutes I'm sorry I'm skipping verses now I'm way down in verse 33 teach me oh Lord the way of thy statutes and I will keep it unto the end give me understanding and I shall keep thy law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart not this half hearted stuff that we heard about as well this morning but with our whole heart and I know Joe I think you had read a few of these verses here make me to go in the path of thy commandments for therein do I delight incline my heart unto thy testimonies and not to covetousness turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken thou me in thy way establish thy word unto thy servant who is devoted to thy fear amen verse 62 at midnight at midnight
[35:02] I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments you know there's a principle we should be in bed before midnight shouldn't we you can't rise at midnight if you don't go to bed till midnight but David's saying I will rise at midnight I am a companion of them that fear thee and of them that keep thy precepts here's another highlighted one who are your companions who do you want to hang out with to them that keep his precepts to all them that fear thee are those your friends that's what David said those are my companions I'm a companion to them are you with questionable characters 89 by the way if you are
[36:19] I hope you're there to witness to them to try to get them to fear God as well verse 89 forever oh Lord thy word is settled in heaven and that's the other thing that we just need to keep in our minds when we think about the word of God having authority in our lives as individuals that that word his word is settled forever in heaven that's not even a question the question is is it settled in my heart is it settled in your heart has it changed us verse 97 oh how I love thy law oh how I love thy law it is my meditation all the day thank you Joe for saying that what do we meditate on what do we think about
[37:22] David said it right here he said it is my meditation all the day what a challenge though through thy commandments I'm sorry thou through thy commandments has made me wiser than mine enemies for they are ever with me I have more understanding than all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation I understand more than the I understand more than the ancients because I keep thy precepts I have refrained my feet from every evil way that I might keep thy word I have not departed from thy judgments for thou has taught me how sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter than honey to my mouth through thy precepts
[38:24] I get understanding therefore I hate every false way here's a good verse thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path this is where your question can be answered not in comparing yourselves with each other but thy word is a lamp it's a light it shines from heaven it shows you where to walk it's a light unto your path so you can see where to walk now let's go to 113 I hate vain thoughts but thy law do I love thou art my hiding place and my shield I hope in thy word you know today we need hope sometimes situations look hopeless they look dark but in his word we find hope verse 125
[39:35] I am thy servant give me understanding that I may know thy testimonies it is time for thee lord to work for they have made void thy law and when we think about the times that we are in that verse it is time for thee can we pray that to god it's time for you lord to work they don't listen to you anymore lord they don't obey your commandments they don't follow you the people maybe it's loved ones maybe it's close friends maybe it's just neighbors or the world around us that we live in but to pray that prayer that god you will work you will bring a revival you will raise up me as a godly man as a godly woman to serve you let's go to a verse where were we 127 therefore
[40:38] I love thy commandments above gold above fine gold therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way there he says that again thy testimonies are wonderful therefore does my soul keep them the entrance of thy words giveth life it giveth understanding unto the simple you know you don't have to be a genius you can be of a simple mind like me and still have understanding if you're given to the word of god you can still know his ways and that word of god is still powerful in your life when we have a heart like that verse 135 make thy face to shine upon thy servant and teach me thy statutes rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy law did you get that did you get the heart of what's coming out of this man it should grieve us it should grieve the church when people people that we know do not keep his law
[42:14] David said that rivers of waters run down his eyes what is that tears because people do not keep his law and and I like to think of that verse a man God said this is a man after my own heart so what that tells me if David was weeping for people God is weeping for people God is sad deeply sad when people do not keep his law we're not talking about the Old Testament law I think you all understand you know the Mosaic law and things like that that were that changed with the coming of Christ but God has laws in his word in fact he said I will write them upon their hearts he doesn't want to write it on tablets and paper and all those things he wants to establish them in our hearts and in our minds but when people just won't listen they don't care it should cause us to weep verse 137 righteous art thou
[43:41] Lord and upright are thy judgments thy testimonies that thou hast commandment are righteous and very faithful my zeal hath consumed me because my enemies have forgotten thy words thy word is pure therefore thy servant loveth it I am small and despised yet do not I forget thy precepts thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness and thy law is the truth trouble and anguish have taken hold of me yet thy commandments are my delight the righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting give me understanding and I shall live I cried with my whole heart hear me oh Lord I will keep thy statutes I cried unto thee save me and I shall keep thy testimonies when is the last time that we have cried out to
[44:43] God with our whole heart verse 165 great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offend them are you offended this morning are we offended at something or somebody great peace have they which love thy law maybe we don't love his law enough if we're offended there's a lot of people that are very offended today a lot of people missing in churches because they're offended but if they would love the law of God nothing can offend you nothing shall offend them I've been offended I know how it is to be hurt or rejected but when we get close to the heart of
[45:51] God and we begin to love and meditate like David did those things override any offense that we can get in this life amen now let's look at a few from the New Testament people as well that obeyed God you know Peter he had denied Christ three times but when he was converted or filled with the Holy Ghost he began to preach and they tried to stop him they told him to not preach anymore and his response was we must obey God rather than man Peter said that he was willing to go to jail again or be beaten again Paul he was obedient to
[46:54] God's call in spreading the gospel everywhere possible even in the face of strong obstacles and prison he remained faithful and you know today we are blessed a lot of the scriptures we read in church or we read in your Bible was written by this apostle Paul why because he was obedient he did and he performed what God called him to our most and most our best and most precious example of course is Jesus you can turn to this if you want Philippians 2 we know these very very familiar verses and on each of these men that I mentioned you know you could take just one and preach a whole message easily so I'm just mentioning a few things but Jesus here in
[47:57] Philippians 2 verse 5 it says let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God you know he was God he is God Jesus is God but he made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
[48:57] Lord to the glory of God how committed are we how committed am I even to death are we willing to die today for the cause of Christ for the cause of fearing his word or would I compromise would we just start compromising you know the answer is kind of simple if you're compromising today you'll for sure compromise with death facing death right if I can compromise for selfish reasons real easily on the word of God today don't expect that we'll stand under severe persecution question can your name be added to the list can we say Ethan or Tim Jason just going down the line can your name be added to this list of men that obeyed
[50:09] God when they so easily could have made excuses and you know I'm sure many did but we don't read about them in the Bible very few Saul read about Saul and there's a few but you know his life didn't end well either just a side note but we have lots and lots of good examples of men and women that just obeyed God think of Mary when the angel came he was just surrendered he obeyed God can your name be added to the list as an obedient child of God you know the Bible will answer your questions there is no issue in our life today that cannot be answered in the Bible the question is not whether the Bible answers it it's whether we'll find it whether we care enough deeply enough to seek and to search until we find that answer that we need you know we'll only do this if our heart is right and turned toward
[51:24] God like David was he loved he rejoiced in discovering the heart and the desires of God that was his ultimate joy one verse was or one thing he said was that he has no greater desire this is my own words but to dwell in the house of the Lord forever that was his greatest desire being translated to the day to be in the presence of God to know him that intimately to know the heart of God if that is our heart we will seek answers I believe today that we need less questions and more opinions less questioning God things that have been established things that we know
[52:27] Bible says he that know to do good and do it not to him it is sin so less questions more obedience God has always had established his way his will for his people and he has done that again today he has a plan he has a purpose he has a place for us to walk you know we're even more responsible today than they were and those men that I was reading about we're in the day of grace we're in the day of power we're in the day of salvation Jesus has been here now he he leaves he goes home to his father he sends us the holy spirit so that he can dwell in each one of us at the same time to give us power to give us victory we're even more responsible to follow the bible and to find the will of god you know the more the closer we get to god the more we study his word the more we're into his word and we care about the details of his word i think the less questions you have a lot of those questions that are asked today in the world in the church amongst friends would just go away god cares about detailed obedience and you know there's many other examples throughout the scripture that i didn't touch on but it is proven in scripture over and over that god cares think about moses he got the water but he didn't do it god's way he hit the rock does god care about details absolutely what will judgment day be like for you and for me a life that was lived in obedience to god loving all of his word or a life riddled with questioning and excuses what will judgment day be like full of questions and excuses we've made all our life or will it be a testimony of obedience to god loving his word you know jesus said i am the way the truth and the life the bible is his word it's his word the bible was written by men filled with his spirit it's his word he is the author that must be established in our hearts where's the respect the honor the fear of god love reverence in our thoughts and in our lifestyle will we be committed to his word i don't think i'm lifting up the standard too high i know it seems like it almost and i know that i don't always reach this at all many times but i don't believe that standard is lifted too high when i look at the word it's not lifted up high enough we try to bring it down to where we can attain and then we weaken the word of god we water it down we say well god really doesn't care about these things and what things what are we talking about absolutely everything how we live what
[56:27] we do with our lives sure you can say what we listen to how we dress what you know how do we know how do we know the heart of god unless we get into the word of god we really don't we can't I mean we can just compare ourselves and try to figure it out you know well this this church over here does it this way so we'll do it this way but that shouldn't be our guide it can't be it has to be the word of god