WEBVTT - God With Us 0:00:08.160 --> 0:00:12.320 Have you got any impossibles in your life? Impossible people, 0:00:12.320 --> 0:00:17.959 impossible problems. Impossible finances? Maybe an impossible prodigal. Well, Doctor 0:00:17.960 --> 0:00:20.759 Charlie Dyer has some encouragement for you today in a 0:00:20.760 --> 0:00:24.239 devotional segment we'll be sharing later on. And before that, 0:00:24.239 --> 0:00:26.320 a look at current events from the Middle East, a 0:00:26.320 --> 0:00:29.920 conversation about your Bible questions. And we're going to take 0:00:29.920 --> 0:00:32.000 a walk on the road to Emmaus. All of that 0:00:32.000 --> 0:00:34.520 and more in this broadcast, we call the land and 0:00:34.520 --> 0:00:37.560 the book. Our host is Old Testament scholar and author 0:00:37.560 --> 0:00:40.440 Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gager, and did you know 0:00:40.440 --> 0:00:43.879 that most Jewish people have never heard the gospel? Each week, 0:00:43.920 --> 0:00:46.360 of course, we talk about Israel and the Jewish people, 0:00:46.400 --> 0:00:49.840 and it's important to remember that they, like everyone else, 0:00:49.880 --> 0:00:51.479 need to hear the good news. 0:00:51.479 --> 0:00:54.200 That's exactly right. And that's why life in Messiah, a 0:00:54.200 --> 0:00:58.280 ministry that's been in existence for over 135 years, is 0:00:58.280 --> 0:01:01.670 devoted to sharing the gospel with Jewish people around the world. 0:01:01.950 --> 0:01:04.870 And now they're offering a gift to moody listeners. This 0:01:04.870 --> 0:01:09.030 free e-book, Reaching Jewish People for Messiah, highlights the need 0:01:09.030 --> 0:01:12.310 for the gospel among the Jewish people. It will equip 0:01:12.310 --> 0:01:15.670 you with practical ways to share the good News with them. Now, 0:01:15.670 --> 0:01:20.030 to receive this free e-book, visit Life in Messiah and 0:01:20.030 --> 0:01:22.910 click on the Moody Radio logo. Sign up today to 0:01:22.950 --> 0:01:25.830 get your copy. That's life in Messiah. 0:01:27.190 --> 0:01:29.390 And now let's swing our focus toward events happening in 0:01:29.390 --> 0:01:31.470 the Middle East this past week. It has been a 0:01:31.470 --> 0:01:34.270 week since President Trump's trip to the Middle East. What 0:01:34.270 --> 0:01:37.950 long term impact could that trip have on the region, Charlie? 0:01:38.270 --> 0:01:41.750 Well, one person rather breathlessly compared the impact to the 0:01:41.750 --> 0:01:44.709 fall of the Berlin Wall, suggesting that an era of 0:01:44.709 --> 0:01:47.990 confrontation in the Middle East was about to be replaced 0:01:47.990 --> 0:01:51.990 by an era of economic commerce and cooperation. And certainly 0:01:51.990 --> 0:01:55.510 the eye watering size of the agreements, estimated in the 0:01:55.550 --> 0:01:59.820 hundreds of billions or even trillions of dollars does suggest 0:01:59.820 --> 0:02:04.140 that President Trump approached this trip as a mega business deal, 0:02:04.580 --> 0:02:08.620 but one fly in the ointment remains Iran. The military 0:02:08.620 --> 0:02:11.980 hardware sold to the Gulf states was intended in part 0:02:11.980 --> 0:02:15.540 to help protect them against Iranian threats. A reacting to 0:02:15.580 --> 0:02:20.020 Trump's visit, Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei said Trump lied when he 0:02:20.020 --> 0:02:23.220 made claims about creating peace and that America needed to 0:02:23.220 --> 0:02:26.540 be ousted from the region. He was even more vitriolic 0:02:26.540 --> 0:02:30.340 in his description of Israel, again calling the Jewish state 0:02:30.380 --> 0:02:35.380 a lethal, dangerous cancerous tumor that needed to be eradicated. 0:02:35.660 --> 0:02:38.340 Trump presented a proposal to Iran and the two sides 0:02:38.340 --> 0:02:42.260 continued their discussion. He called the proposal an olive branch, 0:02:42.460 --> 0:02:46.020 but said the offer wouldn't last forever. A key sticking 0:02:46.020 --> 0:02:48.579 point is whether Iran will be allowed to enrich its 0:02:48.580 --> 0:02:52.100 own uranium, and so far, Iran is refusing to give 0:02:52.100 --> 0:02:55.740 up its centrifuges. The Gulf states were effusive in their 0:02:55.740 --> 0:02:59.049 praise for President Trump during the meetings. They do see 0:02:59.050 --> 0:03:02.370 this as an opportunity to develop stronger economic ties with 0:03:02.370 --> 0:03:05.530 the U.S. and to draw the US closer as their 0:03:05.530 --> 0:03:09.090 friend and protector. Now, Israel was somewhat concerned about the 0:03:09.090 --> 0:03:13.169 meetings since they were excluded from the discussions. Trump's previous 0:03:13.169 --> 0:03:17.209 trip produced the Abraham Accords and growing trade between Israel 0:03:17.210 --> 0:03:20.770 and several Gulf states, but Saudi Arabia is still not 0:03:20.810 --> 0:03:23.369 on board, and they were a central focus in this 0:03:23.370 --> 0:03:27.210 most recent visit. One surprising the trip, though, was President 0:03:27.250 --> 0:03:31.050 Trump's meeting with the new leader of Syria. Trump dropped 0:03:31.050 --> 0:03:34.530 US sanctions on Syria and offered Syria an opportunity to 0:03:34.570 --> 0:03:38.130 make peace with Israel and join the Abraham Accords. Now 0:03:38.130 --> 0:03:42.530 those negotiations are underway. Trump's grand bargain for the region 0:03:42.530 --> 0:03:47.930 envisions greater trade, greater transfer of technology and greater cooperation 0:03:47.930 --> 0:03:51.290 among all the different countries. But we need to realize 0:03:51.290 --> 0:03:53.810 that this is the Middle East. All of this talk 0:03:53.810 --> 0:03:58.320 of peace could quickly collapse to gauge the ultimate success 0:03:58.320 --> 0:04:00.400 of this trip. We need to watch to see what 0:04:00.400 --> 0:04:03.800 will happen with Iran and Gaza and Syria. 0:04:04.200 --> 0:04:07.360 Well, Libya once again finds itself in the news. What 0:04:07.360 --> 0:04:09.960 are the details behind all the headlines we're seeing? 0:04:10.000 --> 0:04:13.240 Yeah, the most prominent headline was the report that the U.S. 0:04:13.280 --> 0:04:17.880 is planning to move a million Palestinians to Libya from Gaza. Now, 0:04:17.880 --> 0:04:20.560 it's not clear if this was simply a possible option 0:04:20.560 --> 0:04:23.960 being suggested to Libya by the U.S., or if it 0:04:23.960 --> 0:04:29.160 was seriously being considered. The State Department denied discussions were underway. 0:04:29.520 --> 0:04:32.640 And likely now that that's come out, those discussions, if 0:04:32.640 --> 0:04:36.440 they were there, are ended. But under the supposed plan, 0:04:36.480 --> 0:04:40.440 Palestinians would be incentivized to leave Gaza with the promise 0:04:40.440 --> 0:04:44.200 of a financial stipend and housing in Libya, though it's 0:04:44.200 --> 0:04:46.479 not exactly clear where they were going to be settled. 0:04:47.000 --> 0:04:49.760 Libya has been used as a route for migrants making 0:04:49.760 --> 0:04:53.320 their way from Africa to Europe. So it's likely Europe 0:04:53.320 --> 0:04:56.339 would not be in favor of a million Gazans being 0:04:56.339 --> 0:04:59.700 sent to Libya. Now, there were other news reports out 0:04:59.700 --> 0:05:02.100 of Libya this last week that were likely missed by 0:05:02.100 --> 0:05:06.020 most people. We've talked before about Libya being divided into 0:05:06.020 --> 0:05:09.460 two warring governments, one based in Tripoli to the west, 0:05:09.460 --> 0:05:12.500 the other based in Benghazi to the east. The government 0:05:12.540 --> 0:05:15.500 recognized by the U.S. as the one in Tripoli. That 0:05:15.500 --> 0:05:20.500 government is supported by different militias, including the 444th Brigade 0:05:20.500 --> 0:05:24.820 and stability Support apparatus. Well, 12 days ago, the head 0:05:24.820 --> 0:05:30.500 of the stability support apparatus was assassinated by the 444th Brigade. 0:05:30.820 --> 0:05:34.300 The Tripoli based Government of National Unity then declared a 0:05:34.300 --> 0:05:37.979 state of emergency in an attempt to restore calm. But 0:05:37.980 --> 0:05:41.460 a wave of protests against the government erupted, and now 0:05:41.460 --> 0:05:45.420 several government ministers have resigned and joined with the protesters 0:05:45.420 --> 0:05:48.180 in calling for the prime minister to step down. So 0:05:48.220 --> 0:05:52.860 two rival governments, coupled with internal dissent, Libya is still 0:05:52.860 --> 0:05:56.190 a country in crisis, and any thought of adding a 0:05:56.190 --> 0:06:01.170 million refugees, perhaps including Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters, would 0:06:01.170 --> 0:06:04.450 only add to the tension and uncertainty in that country. 0:06:04.450 --> 0:06:06.930 From Moody Radio. This is the land and the book. 0:06:06.930 --> 0:06:10.210 I'm John Geiger, our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, noted Old 0:06:10.250 --> 0:06:14.050 Testament scholar, Middle East expert, nearly lost in all the 0:06:14.050 --> 0:06:16.930 focus on President Trump's trip to the Middle East was 0:06:16.930 --> 0:06:20.849 a report that Israeli police arrested nine Jewish men trying 0:06:20.850 --> 0:06:24.010 to smuggle a goat onto the Temple Mount. Why were 0:06:24.010 --> 0:06:26.570 they trying to smuggle the animal up there? And what 0:06:26.570 --> 0:06:28.409 might have happened had they succeeded? 0:06:28.850 --> 0:06:31.330 Yeah. To understand this, we need to begin with a 0:06:31.330 --> 0:06:34.770 passage in numbers, chapter nine. Some Israelites during the Exodus 0:06:34.810 --> 0:06:37.890 weren't able to celebrate Passover on the 14th day of 0:06:37.890 --> 0:06:41.890 the first month because they were ceremonially unclean. They asked 0:06:41.890 --> 0:06:45.050 Moses what they were to do. Moses asked the Lord. 0:06:45.050 --> 0:06:48.450 And in numbers nine, God instituted what is sometimes called 0:06:48.450 --> 0:06:52.680 the second Passover, exactly one month later. And now back 0:06:52.680 --> 0:06:55.520 to recent events. On the 14th day of the second 0:06:55.520 --> 0:06:58.640 month in the Jewish calendar, this group of nine Jewish 0:06:58.640 --> 0:07:01.600 men tried to sneak a baby goat onto the Temple 0:07:01.600 --> 0:07:04.720 Mount inside a shopping bag. Their goal was to offer 0:07:04.720 --> 0:07:08.600 the animal as a Passover sacrifice in this second Passover 0:07:08.640 --> 0:07:11.680 on the Temple Mount. Now, guards are always alert to 0:07:11.720 --> 0:07:15.520 such attempts, especially during Passover. But this group hopes security 0:07:15.520 --> 0:07:19.120 would be less stringent for the second Passover. Some of 0:07:19.120 --> 0:07:21.400 the men, including the one with the goat, managed to 0:07:21.440 --> 0:07:24.120 push their way onto the mount. They were met by 0:07:24.120 --> 0:07:27.920 Muslim guards there and by the Israeli guards who caught 0:07:27.920 --> 0:07:31.120 up with them, and all nine were detained. So was 0:07:31.120 --> 0:07:34.600 the goat, by the way, and no sacrifice was offered. Now, 0:07:34.640 --> 0:07:37.760 had they succeeded, it likely would have led to rioting 0:07:37.760 --> 0:07:41.440 within the Muslim community. This isn't the first time someone's 0:07:41.440 --> 0:07:46.160 tried to smuggle an animal onto the Temple Mount for sacrifice. Thankfully, 0:07:46.200 --> 0:07:48.800 at least up till now, the Jewish guards at the 0:07:48.800 --> 0:07:51.550 gates have been able to block all these attempts. 0:07:52.070 --> 0:07:55.390 A study of ancient names suggests the northern Kingdom of 0:07:55.390 --> 0:07:59.550 Israel was more cosmopolitan than the southern Kingdom of Judah. 0:07:59.710 --> 0:08:01.150 How accurate is this study? 0:08:01.670 --> 0:08:04.230 Well, I found this fascinating, but mainly by the way 0:08:04.230 --> 0:08:07.190 the study was framed. It claimed the northern kingdom of 0:08:07.190 --> 0:08:12.430 Israel was more, quote, worldly, open, cosmopolitan or diverse than 0:08:12.430 --> 0:08:15.590 the southern kingdom of Judah, which they described as insular, 0:08:15.630 --> 0:08:20.910 a displaying religious centralization and political rigidity. So what was 0:08:20.910 --> 0:08:24.910 the study? Well, it applied modern statistical tools to over 0:08:24.910 --> 0:08:28.430 a thousand personal names found on seals and jars and 0:08:28.430 --> 0:08:32.550 pottery fragments from sites in Israel and Judah. Based on 0:08:32.550 --> 0:08:36.230 the names discovered, the researchers concluded the northern Kingdom of 0:08:36.230 --> 0:08:40.670 Israel displayed more name diversity than the southern Kingdom of Judah. 0:08:41.070 --> 0:08:43.910 One of the lead archaeologists said it showed that, quote, 0:08:43.950 --> 0:08:47.189 Israel was more open to the world, while Judah leaned 0:08:47.190 --> 0:08:51.900 into internal cohesion and religious uniformity. Now, my problem with 0:08:51.900 --> 0:08:54.140 the study is that it was presented in a way 0:08:54.140 --> 0:08:57.540 that suggests that this is some new revelation, and it 0:08:57.540 --> 0:09:01.860 assumes that the northern kingdom's diversity was superior. But the 0:09:01.860 --> 0:09:05.300 study really just confirmed what the Bible already says. The 0:09:05.300 --> 0:09:08.900 northern kingdom of Israel departed from God and tried to 0:09:08.900 --> 0:09:12.860 become like its neighbors. You see this from Jeroboam setting 0:09:12.860 --> 0:09:17.339 up his own false worship centers, to Ahab marrying Jezebel 0:09:17.340 --> 0:09:20.780 from Sidon and making Baal the God of Israel. In 0:09:20.780 --> 0:09:24.100 the end, Israel was influenced by, in fact, even oppressed 0:09:24.100 --> 0:09:28.420 by the Phoenicians and the Syrians and the Assyrians. This 0:09:28.420 --> 0:09:33.460 quote cosmopolitan northern kingdom was judged by God and fell 0:09:33.500 --> 0:09:37.580 150 years before the southern kingdom of Judah. Now, in 0:09:37.580 --> 0:09:40.940 wanting to be like all the surrounding nations, Israel turned 0:09:40.940 --> 0:09:44.060 from God and was judged by him. And the diversity 0:09:44.059 --> 0:09:49.609 of names uncovered by these scholars simply Confirms the biblical account. 0:09:49.610 --> 0:09:52.810 I would prefer to stick with Judah and stay close 0:09:52.809 --> 0:09:53.490 to God. 0:09:53.929 --> 0:09:56.490 Charlie, I want to circle back to this Libya story. 0:09:56.490 --> 0:10:00.970 Any possibility that at least some Gazans might actually relocate 0:10:00.970 --> 0:10:04.650 to Libya or somewhere else? You would think that by now, many, 0:10:04.650 --> 0:10:07.569 if not most, would be happy to be anywhere other 0:10:07.570 --> 0:10:08.410 than Gaza. 0:10:09.050 --> 0:10:11.650 Uh, I think that the State Department has been approaching 0:10:11.650 --> 0:10:14.650 many countries, including Libya, to see if they would take 0:10:14.650 --> 0:10:18.130 in some of these individuals from Gaza. And certainly many 0:10:18.130 --> 0:10:21.330 of the individuals in Gaza would prefer to go somewhere 0:10:21.330 --> 0:10:25.010 where there would be peace, stability, food, the opportunity to 0:10:25.050 --> 0:10:28.250 make a living. The problem is, most of the countries, 0:10:28.450 --> 0:10:32.210 for whatever reason, have refused entry to those individuals except 0:10:32.210 --> 0:10:35.290 for small handfuls. And I think that's because they're being 0:10:35.290 --> 0:10:38.210 pressured by by other countries not to do that, because 0:10:38.210 --> 0:10:39.929 it might be a solution for Israel. 0:10:40.530 --> 0:10:42.890 Up next on the land and the book, we're going 0:10:42.929 --> 0:10:45.330 to talk about God with us. We're going back to 0:10:45.370 --> 0:10:48.800 the road to Emmaus for a conversation with Jesus and 0:10:48.800 --> 0:10:51.440 those two who wondered what had happened to him. Don't 0:10:51.440 --> 0:11:08.240 miss it. Next on the land and the book. It's 0:11:08.240 --> 0:11:11.200 one of the most intriguing moments in the Gospels. The 0:11:11.200 --> 0:11:14.679 risen Jesus encounters two travelers on the road to Emmaus. 0:11:14.960 --> 0:11:17.319 The two are grief stricken over the death of Christ, 0:11:17.520 --> 0:11:22.120 but they don't recognize him when he actually joins their walk. Eventually, 0:11:22.120 --> 0:11:25.800 beginning with Moses and all the prophets. Jesus shows them 0:11:25.800 --> 0:11:29.280 all the scriptures concerning himself. Boy, if only we had 0:11:29.280 --> 0:11:32.360 been there, right? Well, with just a bit of imagination, 0:11:32.360 --> 0:11:36.800 we can. Up next, God with us. Bible stories on 0:11:36.800 --> 0:11:39.840 the road to Emmaus. This is the land and the book. 0:11:39.880 --> 0:11:43.040 I'm John Gager, and before we head off for Emmaus, 0:11:43.080 --> 0:11:45.200 let's take a walk with a friend who can help 0:11:45.200 --> 0:11:47.340 us more effectively share the love of Christ with a 0:11:47.340 --> 0:11:50.820 Jewish friend. Here's an objection you sometimes bump into when 0:11:50.820 --> 0:11:53.500 you're sharing Christ with a Jewish friend. Why would I 0:11:53.500 --> 0:11:57.580 believe in Jesus when his followers Christians have persecuted Jewish 0:11:57.580 --> 0:12:01.460 people for 2000 years? Tough question. Let's ask that of 0:12:01.500 --> 0:12:04.380 Levi Hazon, executive director of Life in Messiah. 0:12:04.580 --> 0:12:08.220 Well, John, this is really a historical objection that unfortunately 0:12:08.220 --> 0:12:10.420 has a lot of truth to it. Just a couple 0:12:10.460 --> 0:12:13.700 centuries after the birth of the church, Gentile believers started 0:12:13.700 --> 0:12:18.580 to far outnumber Jewish believers. Unfortunately, the Gentile leadership made 0:12:18.580 --> 0:12:20.940 a lot of decisions that separated the church from the 0:12:20.940 --> 0:12:24.660 Jewish roots of our faith. What started with animosity and 0:12:24.660 --> 0:12:28.660 hatred sometimes turned into outright violence. We don't have time 0:12:28.660 --> 0:12:31.580 to explore the lengthy history of relations between the church 0:12:31.580 --> 0:12:34.060 and the Jewish community right now, but if listeners are 0:12:34.059 --> 0:12:36.820 interested in learning more, I encourage them to pick up 0:12:36.820 --> 0:12:39.740 a book by Edward Flannery called The Anguish of the 0:12:39.740 --> 0:12:45.089 Jews 23 Centuries of Antisemitism. But when addressing this historical objection, 0:12:45.090 --> 0:12:47.490 I found the most important things to do are what 0:12:47.490 --> 0:12:51.610 I call the three A's. Number one, acknowledge. Acknowledge the 0:12:51.610 --> 0:12:56.729 history that it has taken place. Number two, apologize. Apologize 0:12:56.730 --> 0:12:59.650 for the terrible treatment that has taken place. There's no 0:12:59.650 --> 0:13:03.809 point in trying to defend these actions in the number three. Ask. 0:13:04.130 --> 0:13:07.050 Ask if you can share what Jesus actually did and 0:13:07.050 --> 0:13:11.090 said about the Jewish people. Jesus loved the Jewish people 0:13:11.090 --> 0:13:14.209 and willingly laid down his life for their sins. 0:13:14.370 --> 0:13:17.970 Great insights from Levi Hazen, Executive Director of Life in 0:13:17.970 --> 0:13:22.929 Messiah here on the land and the book. Matt Mikalatos, 0:13:22.970 --> 0:13:25.530 author of God with Us, has been a youth pastor, 0:13:25.530 --> 0:13:28.890 missionary with crew, and a clerk at a comic book shop. 0:13:29.090 --> 0:13:32.410 He has a master's degree in Biblical and Theological Studies. 0:13:32.650 --> 0:13:34.730 Matt is an award winning author who lives with his 0:13:34.730 --> 0:13:37.570 wife and three kids in the Portland, Oregon area, along 0:13:37.570 --> 0:13:40.730 with their very large rabbit named Peter. No no no no. 0:13:40.770 --> 0:13:43.520 I'm sorry. A very large rabbit named Bruce. I had 0:13:43.520 --> 0:13:45.400 that wrong. I'm so sorry there, Matt. 0:13:46.920 --> 0:13:48.840 Bruce will be fine. All right? He'll be fine. 0:13:49.600 --> 0:13:52.560 Uh, let's get started here on this book. God with us. 0:13:52.559 --> 0:13:54.200 There are lots of books out there that try to 0:13:54.200 --> 0:13:57.480 make the story of Jesus more accessible for children. What 0:13:57.480 --> 0:14:00.040 drove you to create this one? How is it different? 0:14:00.679 --> 0:14:03.560 You know, there are a lot of really wonderful comic 0:14:03.559 --> 0:14:07.199 book Bibles out there, graphic novels that are basically our 0:14:07.240 --> 0:14:10.400 illustrated Bibles. And what we wanted to do that was 0:14:10.400 --> 0:14:14.080 a little different is take stories from the Bible, but 0:14:14.080 --> 0:14:17.800 put them in the context of another story of Jesus 0:14:17.800 --> 0:14:21.000 telling the story so that we could see characters interacting 0:14:21.000 --> 0:14:25.040 with Bible stories, learning, changing, growing like we all do 0:14:25.040 --> 0:14:27.560 when we interact with Scripture. So that's what we did. 0:14:27.560 --> 0:14:30.840 That's why we chose the story of Emmaus. Jesus is 0:14:30.840 --> 0:14:34.120 telling the story to some of his followers, including in 0:14:34.120 --> 0:14:37.000 our imagined version, a couple kids who are walking along 0:14:37.000 --> 0:14:38.320 the road with him. 0:14:38.360 --> 0:14:40.200 Yeah. So just to frame this correctly, this is a 0:14:40.200 --> 0:14:44.070 book that is targeted first at younger readers, but also 0:14:44.070 --> 0:14:47.870 adults as well. In my opinion, anybody who likes a great, 0:14:47.870 --> 0:14:51.150 great visual approach to the Bible, this is for you too. 0:14:51.190 --> 0:14:51.910 Wouldn't you say? 0:14:52.110 --> 0:14:55.470 Oh, absolutely. I've already been getting notes from seven year 0:14:55.510 --> 0:14:58.350 olds who love it, as well as adults who said 0:14:58.350 --> 0:15:01.110 that it really brought to life some things for them 0:15:01.110 --> 0:15:04.870 about the connections with the Old Testament stories and how 0:15:04.870 --> 0:15:07.390 they reveal the good news of Jesus to us. 0:15:07.950 --> 0:15:10.030 All right. We've mentioned, Matt, that you have a master's 0:15:10.030 --> 0:15:13.550 degree in biblical and theological studies, and yet you've chosen 0:15:13.550 --> 0:15:16.630 to have Jesus be the storyteller throughout God with us. 0:15:16.870 --> 0:15:19.830 Did that at any point give you pause for concern, 0:15:19.830 --> 0:15:22.790 for example, not wanting to to cross boundaries in telling 0:15:22.790 --> 0:15:25.310 the story, putting words in Jesus mouth? It would make 0:15:25.310 --> 0:15:26.910 me nervous. I'll just be honest with you. 0:15:27.390 --> 0:15:30.790 For sure. Yes. And I think one of the things 0:15:30.790 --> 0:15:33.350 that is wonderful, though, if you've ever read the story 0:15:33.350 --> 0:15:36.030 of Emmaus, you quoted it already, is that it says 0:15:36.030 --> 0:15:39.670 that Jesus begins with Moses and the prophets and tells 0:15:39.670 --> 0:15:43.820 them everything concerning himself in Scripture and what that gave 0:15:43.820 --> 0:15:47.620 me some confidence that if Jesus was saying these things 0:15:47.780 --> 0:15:50.020 and we can look at the teachings of the New Testament, 0:15:50.020 --> 0:15:53.460 we can assume, right, that they're building on the things 0:15:53.460 --> 0:15:57.060 that Christ was revealing to them. So when we're looking 0:15:57.060 --> 0:16:00.140 at the Old Testament and seeing how it reveals Jesus 0:16:00.180 --> 0:16:03.020 in God with us, even what we're doing is we're 0:16:03.060 --> 0:16:06.700 looking for places that the New Testament has already revealed this. 0:16:06.700 --> 0:16:09.260 So the story of Jonah is a great example where 0:16:09.260 --> 0:16:12.500 we see in the New Testament it's overtly said. There 0:16:12.500 --> 0:16:15.220 are connections between the story of Jonah and the story 0:16:15.220 --> 0:16:17.580 of Jesus. So to have Jesus talk about that is 0:16:17.580 --> 0:16:18.820 not a stretch at all. 0:16:19.500 --> 0:16:22.540 Well, God with us Bible stories on the Road to 0:16:22.580 --> 0:16:24.860 Emmaus is what we're talking about today here on the 0:16:24.860 --> 0:16:28.740 land and the book. I'm John Gager, joined by our guest, 0:16:28.780 --> 0:16:31.900 Matt Michaloudis. And Matt. Like the best of children's books, 0:16:31.900 --> 0:16:35.060 this one does appeal to adults. I love the way 0:16:35.060 --> 0:16:38.820 that you simplified things without losing a sense of the profound. 0:16:38.820 --> 0:16:41.410 I think that's so important. What's your secret here? 0:16:42.530 --> 0:16:45.170 You know, my secret was to not try and answer 0:16:45.170 --> 0:16:48.970 every question, because I think part of the power of 0:16:48.970 --> 0:16:51.450 a book like this is that you want to drive 0:16:51.450 --> 0:16:54.930 kids back to Scripture, so when there's something that you 0:16:54.930 --> 0:16:58.210 can't explain in two pages, it's okay to make them go, 0:16:58.250 --> 0:17:00.250 I want to pick up the Bible and understand what's 0:17:00.250 --> 0:17:03.770 happening here, or to go to their parents and say, hey, 0:17:03.810 --> 0:17:06.330 what's happening in this story? Can you explain it? So 0:17:06.369 --> 0:17:09.290 my hope all along is that this book will push 0:17:09.290 --> 0:17:14.170 kids toward deeper spiritual conversations with trusted adults and push 0:17:14.170 --> 0:17:15.290 them towards Scripture. 0:17:15.330 --> 0:17:17.050 Now, how do you go about doing this? You say, 0:17:17.170 --> 0:17:19.649 here's the script, or so to speak, the narrative of 0:17:19.650 --> 0:17:25.450 the story. Insert picture of Jesus and or insert, you know, Moses. Uh, here. 0:17:25.490 --> 0:17:27.050 How did that flow work? 0:17:27.369 --> 0:17:30.650 Yes. So when you're writing a graphic novel, the writer 0:17:30.730 --> 0:17:35.130 explains as well as he can, everything possible. Here's what 0:17:35.130 --> 0:17:38.080 the picture should look like. Here's the idea. here's the 0:17:38.080 --> 0:17:40.800 emotion that should be on the page. And then when 0:17:40.800 --> 0:17:42.800 you have a really gifted artist like I did in 0:17:42.800 --> 0:17:46.800 this book, David Shepherd, Dave would sometimes not exactly follow 0:17:46.800 --> 0:17:49.560 my directions if he could make it better, which he 0:17:49.560 --> 0:17:52.320 often did. And I love that. So you have to 0:17:52.359 --> 0:17:56.040 trust the people you're collaborating with, that they're also bringing 0:17:56.040 --> 0:18:00.359 their skills and abilities and their storytelling sensibilities. So yeah, 0:18:00.359 --> 0:18:02.840 it's really fun. It's really fun to get a page 0:18:02.840 --> 0:18:04.000 and see. Yeah. 0:18:04.040 --> 0:18:06.200 You use the word emotion. Sorry for jumping in there. 0:18:06.200 --> 0:18:08.680 You use the word emotion. And I would say the 0:18:08.680 --> 0:18:12.080 artwork has a vibe that kind of projects hope and 0:18:12.080 --> 0:18:15.720 joy on every page. Tell us more about the the 0:18:15.720 --> 0:18:17.200 art and the artist as well. 0:18:18.240 --> 0:18:21.440 Yeah. So Dave, one of the things he's really gifted at, 0:18:21.440 --> 0:18:23.479 and I told him this many times, is what I 0:18:23.480 --> 0:18:27.840 call acting. The characters have so much life and so 0:18:27.840 --> 0:18:31.560 much emotion. Even looking at the cover, you see Jesus laughing. 0:18:31.560 --> 0:18:34.439 You see these kids smiling and enjoying each other. The 0:18:34.440 --> 0:18:38.629 people walking on the road. Dave sadly passed away before 0:18:38.630 --> 0:18:42.910 the book was finished completely. But just a gifted artist 0:18:42.950 --> 0:18:45.630 who really brought what I love about the book is 0:18:45.630 --> 0:18:48.669 you read it and you connect and feel like Jesus 0:18:48.710 --> 0:18:51.310 is alive, which we know he is. But I think 0:18:51.350 --> 0:18:53.310 seeing it on the page is really beautiful. 0:18:53.350 --> 0:18:56.710 Yeah. For sure. Well, what kind of collaboration or conversation 0:18:56.710 --> 0:18:58.870 did go on between the two of you at points, 0:18:58.869 --> 0:19:01.430 as you said, he he maybe strayed just a little 0:19:01.470 --> 0:19:03.790 bit from what you had suggested. So what's the back 0:19:03.790 --> 0:19:04.630 and forth like? 0:19:05.790 --> 0:19:07.910 Yeah, a lot of that would be done. I would 0:19:07.910 --> 0:19:11.670 send Dave, here's the script. He would do a breakdown. 0:19:11.670 --> 0:19:15.030 So rough, rough, rough pencil drawings and send those back. 0:19:15.030 --> 0:19:16.830 And I would say, okay, I like this. That's not 0:19:16.830 --> 0:19:19.510 quite right. And then he would do another, more polished 0:19:19.510 --> 0:19:22.070 draft that was closer. And we'd go back and forth 0:19:22.070 --> 0:19:24.550 like that, like he would make suggestions. I would take 0:19:24.550 --> 0:19:27.030 some of them. Others I'd say, I'm not sure that's right. 0:19:27.030 --> 0:19:29.630 And of course, we had editors involved too, who were 0:19:29.630 --> 0:19:33.550 coming in and saying, hey, would Jewish people dress that way? Hey, 0:19:33.590 --> 0:19:36.330 should this guy have a beard? You know, those sorts 0:19:36.330 --> 0:19:38.649 of things. So we had other people helping us too. 0:19:38.970 --> 0:19:41.650 Okay, so these are all digital art files, I presume. 0:19:41.650 --> 0:19:43.409 Or is he using traditional medium? 0:19:43.450 --> 0:19:45.530 He did almost completely digital. 0:19:45.570 --> 0:19:50.490 Yeah. Imagine Jesus telling stories about himself in the Old Testament. 0:19:50.690 --> 0:19:53.890 That's what we're considering today on the land and the book. 0:19:54.090 --> 0:19:57.730 I'm John Gieger. Our guest is Matt Mikalatos. Why did 0:19:57.730 --> 0:19:59.689 you feel so committed to a book that would immerse 0:19:59.690 --> 0:20:04.530 readers in a realistic first century in Israel kind of setting? Matt. 0:20:05.450 --> 0:20:10.010 I think it can be really hard for kids, in particular, 0:20:10.410 --> 0:20:13.810 to feel like first century stories have to do with 0:20:13.810 --> 0:20:17.170 their life today. And so we really wanted to touch 0:20:17.170 --> 0:20:19.770 on that. So there's a chapter, for instance, where the 0:20:19.770 --> 0:20:22.930 kids find a toy merchant and all the toys are 0:20:22.930 --> 0:20:26.409 first century toys, and there's something exciting about that. Something 0:20:26.570 --> 0:20:28.290 I think kids look at that and go like, those 0:20:28.290 --> 0:20:30.170 are cool. Some of those toys are toys I would 0:20:30.170 --> 0:20:33.010 play with. Yeah. So I wanted kids to feel like 0:20:33.010 --> 0:20:35.600 they were in that world and that that world was 0:20:35.600 --> 0:20:39.040 real and would matter to them. It's not some distant thing, 0:20:39.040 --> 0:20:40.520 but something they could relate to. 0:20:40.560 --> 0:20:43.440 Yeah, I'm drawn to that episode in the chosen series 0:20:43.440 --> 0:20:45.720 where Jesus is with the children and the toys that 0:20:45.720 --> 0:20:49.520 are present there. That's a real connection issue, I think. 0:20:50.040 --> 0:20:54.159 Right, absolutely. And I think, you know, kids are so 0:20:54.160 --> 0:20:58.679 smart and so insightful. So let's give them a world 0:20:58.680 --> 0:21:01.200 where kids are smart and insightful as they interact with 0:21:01.200 --> 0:21:03.760 Jesus and have questions and are learning things. 0:21:04.040 --> 0:21:07.240 All right. Let's go to the conversations themselves, the words, 0:21:07.240 --> 0:21:10.439 the moments that Jesus is sharing as he reveals himself 0:21:10.440 --> 0:21:12.880 in the Old Testament. What would you say is one 0:21:12.880 --> 0:21:15.919 of your favorite conversations that unfolded? 0:21:16.960 --> 0:21:19.639 I really love the story of Moses and the Bronze Serpent. 0:21:20.040 --> 0:21:23.080 In this story, Moses raises up a bronze serpent and 0:21:23.080 --> 0:21:26.439 anyone who looks to it is healed from being bitten 0:21:26.440 --> 0:21:30.480 by serpents. And what happens is Jesus talks about this 0:21:30.480 --> 0:21:32.400 story and says in the same way the Son of 0:21:32.510 --> 0:21:35.430 Man himself is going to be lifted up, and all 0:21:35.470 --> 0:21:37.950 who look to him will be saved. We don't talk 0:21:37.950 --> 0:21:40.389 about that a lot in kids books, but it's a 0:21:40.390 --> 0:21:44.149 really easy and interesting story to talk about. The good news. 0:21:44.150 --> 0:21:47.310 So I love Jesus, who specifically discussed this in the 0:21:47.310 --> 0:21:50.830 New Testament, having this conversation with the people with him 0:21:50.830 --> 0:21:52.110 on the road in this book. 0:21:52.430 --> 0:21:55.590 How about another profound revelation of Christ in the Old 0:21:55.630 --> 0:21:59.070 Testament that has struck you in putting the book together? 0:22:00.190 --> 0:22:04.030 I really love the story of Jonah, where we talk 0:22:04.070 --> 0:22:06.030 about just in the same way that Jonah was in 0:22:06.030 --> 0:22:08.270 the belly of the fish for three days. So Jesus 0:22:08.270 --> 0:22:10.710 is going to be in the belly of the earth, right? 0:22:10.750 --> 0:22:14.510 And then he comes out and speaks true words. The 0:22:14.510 --> 0:22:18.189 flood is a fascinating one, where we have the story 0:22:18.190 --> 0:22:21.670 of humanity being saved through the water, and then we 0:22:21.670 --> 0:22:24.790 see Jesus being baptized. And there's a dove in the 0:22:24.830 --> 0:22:28.150 Noah story, and there's a dove in Jesus baptism story. 0:22:28.190 --> 0:22:32.300 Like there's amazing connections where God is saying to us throughout, 0:22:32.300 --> 0:22:35.300 this is not a new plan. Jesus coming. That has 0:22:35.300 --> 0:22:37.380 always been the plan. And let me show you that 0:22:37.380 --> 0:22:39.500 I've been talking about it for thousands of years. 0:22:39.980 --> 0:22:41.460 You know, I look at some of these stories and 0:22:41.460 --> 0:22:45.100 the details associated with them, everything from, as you've pointed out, 0:22:45.100 --> 0:22:48.860 Moses and and that bronze serpent being lifted up, Christ 0:22:48.859 --> 0:22:52.860 using that same set of words unless I'm lifted up. 0:22:53.220 --> 0:22:55.500 That sort of thing. And you think of Jonah in 0:22:55.540 --> 0:22:58.020 the belly of that fish. Three days. Three nights. Christ 0:22:58.020 --> 0:23:01.260 in the tomb. And I ask, is that, you know, 0:23:01.300 --> 0:23:03.980 just sort of a love that God has for artistic 0:23:03.980 --> 0:23:07.179 symmetry or is it not? I want to make it really, 0:23:07.180 --> 0:23:10.820 really clear in lots and lots of ways that Jesus 0:23:10.820 --> 0:23:13.459 really is in the Old Testament. You know, what do 0:23:13.460 --> 0:23:13.939 you think? 0:23:14.460 --> 0:23:19.260 Yeah. I think there's something beautiful about the way human 0:23:19.260 --> 0:23:24.060 beings interact with stories. And God knows that. And God 0:23:24.060 --> 0:23:29.139 uses stories throughout human history to say this reveals something 0:23:29.140 --> 0:23:33.970 about me. There are historical resonances between these stories, but 0:23:33.970 --> 0:23:36.850 I think also God is coming in and saying, let 0:23:36.850 --> 0:23:40.050 me tell this story to you in a way that 0:23:40.050 --> 0:23:43.169 will help you to understand me better. And I think 0:23:43.170 --> 0:23:46.810 that's pretty amazing. God is choosing to communicate with us 0:23:46.930 --> 0:23:50.570 in a language that we understand because it resonates with us, 0:23:50.570 --> 0:23:52.129 because it draws us to him. 0:23:52.170 --> 0:23:54.889 You know, Matt, I wonder sometimes if once we're finally 0:23:54.890 --> 0:23:58.090 in heaven and God is, however, he's going to do 0:23:58.090 --> 0:24:01.250 it in one great, you know, intellectual blast or layer 0:24:01.250 --> 0:24:04.170 by layer like an onion peel things away. When we 0:24:04.210 --> 0:24:07.810 finally truly understand all these things, how much more we 0:24:07.810 --> 0:24:11.330 will discover in heaven that was revealed of Christ in 0:24:11.330 --> 0:24:12.649 the Old Testament, you know? 0:24:13.010 --> 0:24:15.370 Oh for sure. I think we're going to be in 0:24:15.369 --> 0:24:20.129 heaven forever. And God is an eternal being, which means 0:24:20.130 --> 0:24:23.970 the work of eternity will be getting to know God better. 0:24:24.090 --> 0:24:27.250 I think we'll never run out of things to learn 0:24:27.490 --> 0:24:30.720 about an eternal being, and I think that's amazing. It's exciting. 0:24:31.280 --> 0:24:33.120 What would you say is the best way for listeners 0:24:33.119 --> 0:24:35.760 to harness the power of this tool? Do you just 0:24:35.760 --> 0:24:38.880 hand it to a kid or do you share time 0:24:38.880 --> 0:24:41.359 with them? What's the best way to to use this? 0:24:41.680 --> 0:24:44.040 Yes, it might depend on your kid, but the beauty 0:24:44.040 --> 0:24:46.520 of comic books is that you hand it to a 0:24:46.520 --> 0:24:49.320 seven year old and they will read it over and 0:24:49.320 --> 0:24:51.080 over and over. That's what I did when I was 0:24:51.080 --> 0:24:54.199 a kid. So, yeah, stick it in an Easter basket 0:24:54.200 --> 0:24:55.919 or give it to them at the end of school 0:24:55.920 --> 0:24:58.560 one day, or give it to them during school if 0:24:58.560 --> 0:25:02.280 you're homeschooling. And I think there is value in reading 0:25:02.280 --> 0:25:03.960 it together. It's fun. 0:25:04.000 --> 0:25:04.359 Yes. 0:25:04.400 --> 0:25:06.320 But yeah, I think kids would read it on their own. 0:25:06.359 --> 0:25:08.440 And then if you go and read it and say, hey, 0:25:08.440 --> 0:25:10.520 let's talk about that book, I really enjoyed it. I 0:25:10.520 --> 0:25:13.240 think you'll have some really interesting good conversations. 0:25:13.560 --> 0:25:15.840 Well, and let me just encourage you, if you're an adult, 0:25:15.840 --> 0:25:18.160 don't steer away and say, well, that's for kids. It's 0:25:18.160 --> 0:25:20.840 not for me. I'm an adult, and it's not like 0:25:20.840 --> 0:25:22.959 I have a stash of comic book collections at home. 0:25:22.960 --> 0:25:26.080 I don't, but boy did I love this book. God 0:25:26.080 --> 0:25:29.550 with us. Just the whole idea of of one book 0:25:29.590 --> 0:25:33.150 trying to capture the conversation that would have occurred with 0:25:33.150 --> 0:25:36.270 Jesus on the road to Emmaus. It really is a beautiful, 0:25:36.310 --> 0:25:39.790 beautiful thing and the images are fantastic. I just can't 0:25:39.790 --> 0:25:41.750 say enough about it. Matt, thank you so much for 0:25:41.750 --> 0:25:42.709 putting it together. 0:25:43.150 --> 0:25:44.710 Thank you John. A real pleasure. 0:25:44.990 --> 0:25:47.310 That's Matt Mikalatos, and we'll put a link to his 0:25:47.310 --> 0:25:50.470 book at our website, The land and the book org. 0:25:50.630 --> 0:25:54.230 Up next, your Bible questions and our answers here on 0:25:54.230 --> 0:26:07.950 the land and the book. This is the land and 0:26:07.950 --> 0:26:10.390 the book. I'm John Gager. And as a regular listener, 0:26:10.390 --> 0:26:12.310 you know what's coming up. And if you're not a 0:26:12.310 --> 0:26:15.669 regular listener, well, welcome. Anyway, we're so glad you're here, 0:26:15.670 --> 0:26:18.630 and we hope you'll become a regular listener. Not just that, 0:26:18.630 --> 0:26:21.109 we hope you'll share with your friends the existence of 0:26:21.109 --> 0:26:23.710 this thing we call the land and the book, which also, 0:26:23.750 --> 0:26:27.420 by the way, conveniently enough, is available in a podcast 0:26:27.420 --> 0:26:30.980 at our website, the land and the book. Org. You've 0:26:31.020 --> 0:26:33.300 got friends who don't live anywhere near a radio station 0:26:33.300 --> 0:26:35.860 that might carry the program, but they can hear it 0:26:35.859 --> 0:26:39.780 if you'll share the land and the book with them. 0:26:39.780 --> 0:26:42.340 Thank you for doing that. That said, let me point 0:26:42.340 --> 0:26:45.540 out the fact that most Jewish people have never heard 0:26:45.540 --> 0:26:48.260 the gospel. Each week we talk about Israel and the 0:26:48.260 --> 0:26:51.500 Jewish people for sure, and it's important to remember that they, 0:26:51.740 --> 0:26:54.500 like everybody else, need to hear the good news. 0:26:54.700 --> 0:26:58.940 Life in Messiah, a ministry in existence for over 135 years, 0:26:59.140 --> 0:27:02.020 is devoted to sharing the gospel with Jewish people around 0:27:02.020 --> 0:27:05.340 the world. Now they're offering a gift to moody listeners 0:27:05.340 --> 0:27:10.020 this free e-book. Reaching Jewish People for Messiah highlights the 0:27:10.020 --> 0:27:12.300 need for the gospel among the Jewish people, and will 0:27:12.300 --> 0:27:15.060 equip you with a practical ways to share the good 0:27:15.060 --> 0:27:19.219 News with them. To receive this free e-book, visit Life 0:27:19.220 --> 0:27:23.780 in Messiah. Click on the Moody Radio logo and sign 0:27:23.780 --> 0:27:25.490 up to get your copy today. 0:27:25.530 --> 0:27:28.090 All right. This segment is all about your questions as 0:27:28.090 --> 0:27:31.890 you read through Scripture. We'll get right to Ron and 0:27:31.930 --> 0:27:34.690 his question. He says I was reading first Samuel 16 0:27:34.690 --> 0:27:37.850 verses 17 and 18, where it talks about King Saul 0:27:37.890 --> 0:27:42.090 being tormented by an evil spirit. A servant suggests music 0:27:42.090 --> 0:27:44.010 so the king will feel better. And then one of 0:27:44.010 --> 0:27:46.690 the young men said, hey, I've seen a son of Jesse, 0:27:46.690 --> 0:27:50.129 the Bethlehemite, who was a skilled musician, a mighty man 0:27:50.130 --> 0:27:53.770 of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a 0:27:53.770 --> 0:27:57.090 handsome man. And the Lord is with him. So here's 0:27:57.090 --> 0:28:00.409 Ron's question. If David is perhaps in his teens or 0:28:00.410 --> 0:28:03.890 maybe early 20s and has never been in battle, how 0:28:03.890 --> 0:28:06.410 could he have a reputation as a mighty man of 0:28:06.410 --> 0:28:08.250 valor and a warrior no less? 0:28:08.290 --> 0:28:11.010 Oh, it is a wonderful question. Now, we should keep 0:28:11.010 --> 0:28:15.890 in mind something important. This comment about David comes from 0:28:15.890 --> 0:28:19.250 one of Saul's young men. It doesn't actually come as 0:28:19.250 --> 0:28:22.370 a comment from God. It comes from one of Saul's 0:28:22.369 --> 0:28:24.510 young men. Now, how did he get this idea? Where 0:28:24.510 --> 0:28:27.470 did this comment come from? Huh? I think there's a 0:28:27.470 --> 0:28:31.750 couple of possible ways where this young man thought this. First, 0:28:32.230 --> 0:28:35.470 David comes from a family with a very strong reputation. 0:28:35.510 --> 0:28:38.790 He's got lots of older brothers, and they are courageous 0:28:38.790 --> 0:28:40.910 and they are strong and they are hard working. They 0:28:40.910 --> 0:28:43.910 are warriors. So I think the young man is assuming 0:28:44.110 --> 0:28:47.350 if David is anything like his older brothers, right. He's 0:28:47.350 --> 0:28:53.350 going to be courageous and strong. Secondly, when David volunteered 0:28:53.350 --> 0:28:57.230 to fight Goliath, Saul objected, saying David was too young 0:28:57.390 --> 0:29:00.910 and he had no experience. Do you remember what David said? Oh, 0:29:00.950 --> 0:29:04.990 this is really fun. This is first Samuel 17, verses 0:29:04.990 --> 0:29:09.110 34 to 37. David said to Saul, your servant used 0:29:09.110 --> 0:29:11.510 to keep sheep for his father. And when there was 0:29:11.510 --> 0:29:14.630 a lion or a bear, and it took a lamb 0:29:14.630 --> 0:29:17.910 from the flock, I went after him and struck him, 0:29:18.310 --> 0:29:21.150 and delivered it from his mouth. If he arose against me, 0:29:21.150 --> 0:29:22.979 I caught him by his beard and struck him and 0:29:22.980 --> 0:29:27.460 killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, 0:29:27.460 --> 0:29:30.540 and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them. 0:29:31.580 --> 0:29:36.780 So David has experience in battle with the animals threatening 0:29:36.780 --> 0:29:42.060 his flock. I think that those victories out in the field, 0:29:42.060 --> 0:29:44.980 people were talking about them. Yeah. And so he was 0:29:44.980 --> 0:29:45.740 a warrior. 0:29:45.900 --> 0:29:48.340 Okay. I want to ask a timeline question related to 0:29:48.380 --> 0:29:51.140 David now. And this particular incident seems to me this 0:29:51.140 --> 0:29:55.020 has to happen before David going to fight Goliath because he's, quote, 0:29:55.060 --> 0:29:57.420 being introduced to Saul in this setting. Is that is 0:29:57.420 --> 0:29:58.180 that fair chronology? 0:29:58.220 --> 0:29:59.780 Yes, exactly. Right. Exactly right. 0:29:59.820 --> 0:30:02.420 Yeah. Okay. So David would have been known first as 0:30:02.420 --> 0:30:03.380 the harpist. 0:30:03.420 --> 0:30:04.140 Yes. 0:30:04.300 --> 0:30:05.980 And then the giant slayer. 0:30:06.020 --> 0:30:06.460 Mhm. 0:30:06.500 --> 0:30:07.060 Okay. 0:30:07.140 --> 0:30:09.100 And I think people grow up a little bit faster 0:30:09.100 --> 0:30:11.020 in the ancient world than they do these days. Yeah. 0:30:11.020 --> 0:30:13.380 He could have been a teenager who was very strong 0:30:13.380 --> 0:30:14.220 and courageous. 0:30:14.780 --> 0:30:17.780 Altus question do you think that God taught Adam and 0:30:17.780 --> 0:30:21.210 Eve to read and write when he taught them to speak. 0:30:21.490 --> 0:30:24.010 It would make more sense, she feels, than the oral 0:30:24.050 --> 0:30:27.370 tradition theory. I mean, Moses compiled all the writings into 0:30:27.370 --> 0:30:28.770 one narrative. What do you think? 0:30:29.570 --> 0:30:31.650 This is amazing. You know, I had never thought about this, 0:30:31.650 --> 0:30:34.250 but it's a really good question. On the one hand, 0:30:34.250 --> 0:30:38.490 it seems to be natural that God would create Adam 0:30:38.490 --> 0:30:42.050 and Eve as fully fluent. Obviously he can speak to them. 0:30:42.090 --> 0:30:45.770 Obviously they can understand him. But did that include being 0:30:45.770 --> 0:30:49.490 able to read and write? I'm sorry. There's just no 0:30:49.530 --> 0:30:51.610 Old Testament evidence where I can say yes or no. 0:30:51.970 --> 0:30:54.010 So I have to say, I'm sorry, I don't know. 0:30:54.050 --> 0:30:57.290 Yeah. Okay. And I don't know, is is a legitimate 0:30:57.290 --> 0:30:59.170 answer to a lot of questions that come our way. 0:30:59.170 --> 0:31:01.410 It's an honest answer. But if you've got a question 0:31:01.410 --> 0:31:03.450 that you'd like to send our way, you can email 0:31:03.450 --> 0:31:07.209 Doctor Peterman anytime in care of the land and the 0:31:07.250 --> 0:31:14.410 book at the land and the book at Eric says, 0:31:14.410 --> 0:31:17.690 I've been thinking about Psalm 46 verse ten. God says, 0:31:17.730 --> 0:31:20.840 be still and know that I am God. So here's 0:31:20.840 --> 0:31:24.680 his question how can I become still and know God? 0:31:24.680 --> 0:31:27.600 Is this just through prayer? I was wondering exactly how 0:31:27.600 --> 0:31:28.480 this is done. 0:31:28.680 --> 0:31:31.880 Oh, thanks Eric so much for the question. The psalm 0:31:31.880 --> 0:31:37.680 begins and ends talking about God as our refuge, God 0:31:37.720 --> 0:31:41.600 as our stronghold. He is the place where we go, 0:31:41.840 --> 0:31:46.440 where we can find safety. So therefore Psalm 46 verse 0:31:46.440 --> 0:31:49.800 two says, therefore we will not be afraid, though the 0:31:49.800 --> 0:31:53.240 earth should change. And though the mountains shake into the 0:31:53.240 --> 0:31:55.840 heart of the sea. So in other words, when the 0:31:55.840 --> 0:31:58.720 world seems like it's in serious trouble, God is the 0:31:58.720 --> 0:32:01.720 place we can go for safety. Now back to verse ten. 0:32:01.760 --> 0:32:05.160 This verse in particular. Be still and know that I 0:32:05.200 --> 0:32:09.960 am God. I've gone there many times. Like I feel sick. 0:32:09.960 --> 0:32:12.800 Like there's relationships in my family that don't seem right. 0:32:12.800 --> 0:32:15.400 Like the world seems to me like a crazy place. 0:32:15.640 --> 0:32:18.990 Like I feel stressed because I'm working too hard And 0:32:18.990 --> 0:32:21.670 now I'm all in a turmoil in my heart and mind. 0:32:21.710 --> 0:32:24.710 I can just feel it. And then this verse speaks 0:32:24.710 --> 0:32:28.230 to me. Be still, that is. Don't think that you're 0:32:28.230 --> 0:32:31.310 in control. Don't think that you have to fix this. 0:32:31.630 --> 0:32:35.230 Don't think this is all about you. Folks, this is 0:32:35.230 --> 0:32:38.150 a place where we sometimes go. We think it's all 0:32:38.150 --> 0:32:41.150 about us. We have to fix it. But I can 0:32:41.150 --> 0:32:43.830 be still. I can say, all right, I'm going to 0:32:43.830 --> 0:32:47.430 be okay. And then know. He says, know that I 0:32:47.470 --> 0:32:51.630 am God. He's the one who's in control, not I. 0:32:52.150 --> 0:32:55.950 So I'm encouraging Eric to take all his troubles to 0:32:55.990 --> 0:32:58.630 God and just lay him at his feet. As Peter says, 0:32:58.630 --> 0:33:01.510 cast all your cares upon him. He cares for you. 0:33:01.510 --> 0:33:04.750 And just let him be the God who's in control. 0:33:04.950 --> 0:33:07.950 You know, the language used here is so dramatic. Some 0:33:07.950 --> 0:33:10.790 would say, you know, over the top hyperbole. Though the 0:33:10.790 --> 0:33:13.310 earth give way, though the mountains fall into the heart 0:33:13.310 --> 0:33:16.390 of the sea. I don't think God is exaggerating. He 0:33:16.390 --> 0:33:20.060 is speaking the truth. It's it's that dramatic, that frightening. 0:33:20.060 --> 0:33:22.780 And we can still be still. That's the wonder of it. 0:33:22.780 --> 0:33:26.060 Not just minor troubles that we know, but. 0:33:26.100 --> 0:33:26.740 Oh, yes. 0:33:26.780 --> 0:33:27.140 Extreme. 0:33:27.140 --> 0:33:30.220 Stuff. Extreme troubles are a place where we can go 0:33:30.220 --> 0:33:31.300 and we can trust God. 0:33:31.340 --> 0:33:32.980 Yeah, well, that's that's reassuring, isn't it? 0:33:33.220 --> 0:33:35.020 He's that big. Very reassuring. 0:33:35.460 --> 0:33:39.180 Joanna asks if God is omniscient, then how can we 0:33:39.180 --> 0:33:42.060 have free will? I'm a Christian, but I really struggle 0:33:42.060 --> 0:33:43.260 with this. Any thoughts? 0:33:43.580 --> 0:33:46.739 Well, I can see how we struggle with this. And, uh, 0:33:46.780 --> 0:33:49.580 years ago I've pondered it and struggled with it myself. 0:33:49.580 --> 0:33:53.300 It was extremely hard. This is an important question. If 0:33:53.300 --> 0:33:56.820 God is omniscient, then he knows the future. If he 0:33:56.820 --> 0:33:59.980 knows the future, then does this mean the future has 0:33:59.980 --> 0:34:03.860 already been established? Does this mean my choices don't matter? 0:34:03.900 --> 0:34:07.220 Does this mean I'm not making real choices? My response 0:34:07.260 --> 0:34:12.940 is no. Let's make sure we affirm two things. First, 0:34:13.700 --> 0:34:17.570 God is omniscient and God is sovereign. God will accomplish 0:34:17.570 --> 0:34:21.050 his will. The psalmist says, Our God is in the heavens. 0:34:21.450 --> 0:34:25.569 He does whatever pleases him. Psalm 115, verse 33. 0:34:26.130 --> 0:34:27.810 I want to ask you a moment, a couple of 0:34:27.810 --> 0:34:31.850 questions about principles for unpacking prophecy. You know, you you 0:34:31.890 --> 0:34:34.850 come to Scripture. There's a whole lot of of imagery 0:34:34.850 --> 0:34:38.609 in Daniel and revelation in particular that are exclusively prophetic. 0:34:38.969 --> 0:34:41.890 What are some right practices that we should look to 0:34:41.930 --> 0:34:45.529 and maybe some wrong practices? Uh, any thoughts come to 0:34:45.570 --> 0:34:46.170 mind there? 0:34:46.770 --> 0:34:52.810 Read, reread and reread and pray and then repeat. Don't 0:34:52.810 --> 0:34:57.330 go too fast. Be very slow. Take your time. Read 0:34:57.330 --> 0:35:02.089 in the context what comes before. What comes later. Read 0:35:02.090 --> 0:35:08.410 in context. Look for cues or signals as to what's 0:35:08.410 --> 0:35:13.810 being discussed. Because very often we reread and we slow down. 0:35:13.969 --> 0:35:17.069 We find some cues or some signals as to what's 0:35:17.070 --> 0:35:22.190 being read. I think particularly about the beginning of Ezekiel, 0:35:22.430 --> 0:35:26.310 where he sees a vision of the cherubim and the 0:35:26.350 --> 0:35:28.230 wheels within the wheels. 0:35:28.270 --> 0:35:28.509 Yeah. 0:35:28.550 --> 0:35:31.710 And then he describes the eyes and the wings and 0:35:31.790 --> 0:35:35.670 it's like. And in the beginning of Ezekiel, we don't 0:35:35.670 --> 0:35:39.030 get an explicit statement about what this is. Keep reading. 0:35:39.030 --> 0:35:42.590 Because later he will say he sees this vision again. 0:35:42.790 --> 0:35:45.630 And then he calls it the glory of God, which 0:35:45.630 --> 0:35:48.910 I saw before. That is that's a vision of the 0:35:48.910 --> 0:35:52.989 glory of God. So we will get cues if we 0:35:52.989 --> 0:35:55.630 just keep reading and then keep rereading. 0:35:56.310 --> 0:35:59.630 What are some errors that people typically make? Probably the 0:35:59.670 --> 0:36:02.670 antithesis of what you've just shared here. Not really reading 0:36:02.670 --> 0:36:05.950 or reading at a surface level. Maybe going too quickly, 0:36:05.950 --> 0:36:09.910 or maybe reading for a conclusion they already have. What 0:36:09.910 --> 0:36:12.550 about the idea of ignoring context? I mean, those things 0:36:12.550 --> 0:36:14.100 all lead to error, do they not? 0:36:14.140 --> 0:36:17.660 Yes, absolutely. Every time we ignore context, every time we 0:36:17.820 --> 0:36:21.379 don't look for definitions within the text itself, every time 0:36:21.380 --> 0:36:25.620 we're going too fast. Every time we draw conclusions which 0:36:25.660 --> 0:36:28.980 kind of fit our presuppositions, we run the risk. We 0:36:28.980 --> 0:36:32.060 run the risk of reaching conclusions that are not helpful 0:36:32.060 --> 0:36:33.460 or maybe just flat wrong. 0:36:33.500 --> 0:36:37.060 Yeah. Well, this has been a great segment and very, 0:36:37.060 --> 0:36:39.700 very practical, and I hope you've enjoyed it as well. 0:36:39.860 --> 0:36:41.500 And again, if you've got a question you'd like to 0:36:41.500 --> 0:36:44.780 get to Doctor Petermann, it's welcome anytime at the land 0:36:44.780 --> 0:36:49.060 and the book at Moody's. We got one more segment 0:36:49.060 --> 0:36:51.300 to go. And for many people it's their favorite. Every 0:36:51.300 --> 0:37:07.780 week it's Charlie Dyer's devotional. It's next right here. From 0:37:07.780 --> 0:37:10.580 Moody Radio. This is the land and the book. I'm 0:37:10.580 --> 0:37:12.730 John Gager, and if you've ever been on a Charlie 0:37:12.730 --> 0:37:16.450 Dyer tour of Israel, you know his very favorite spots. 0:37:16.610 --> 0:37:19.250 One of them has to be Charlie. I'll let you share. 0:37:19.410 --> 0:37:22.690 Uh, the Judean wilderness. My absolute number one place. 0:37:22.890 --> 0:37:25.890 I love it, too. And, uh, you just don't get 0:37:25.890 --> 0:37:29.050 a sense of wilderness until you take that look, until 0:37:29.050 --> 0:37:31.970 you climb up that incline and stare into the vast 0:37:31.969 --> 0:37:35.210 nothingness that is still there today. I'll let you get 0:37:35.210 --> 0:37:37.969 to your devotional after we pause for a quick testimony 0:37:37.969 --> 0:37:41.210 from someone who has actually seen that spot and many, 0:37:41.210 --> 0:37:43.650 many others as they've traveled Israel, but they wanted to 0:37:43.650 --> 0:37:44.690 share this with us. 0:37:49.010 --> 0:37:51.610 One of the many reasons why I love traveling to 0:37:51.650 --> 0:37:54.330 Israel and the Holy Land was not only because I 0:37:54.370 --> 0:37:58.130 saw sites where Bible history took place, but seeing modern 0:37:58.130 --> 0:38:03.050 day Israel, seeing prophecies of the Jewish people coming back 0:38:03.050 --> 0:38:06.489 to the land and the desert blooming was amazing. I 0:38:06.489 --> 0:38:11.680 saw fields of fruit and flowers in the Israeli irrigation system. 0:38:11.680 --> 0:38:15.319 But I think the thing that made all of the 0:38:15.320 --> 0:38:18.239 land so special to me was seeing the places where 0:38:18.239 --> 0:38:21.920 prophecy will be fulfilled. The Mount of Olives, where Jesus 0:38:21.920 --> 0:38:25.120 will return in Jerusalem, where he will reign, and the 0:38:25.120 --> 0:38:29.640 valley of Jezreel, Megiddo, Armageddon, the place where the armies 0:38:29.640 --> 0:38:33.120 of the nations will gather to march on to Jerusalem. 0:38:33.880 --> 0:38:37.719 Israel is the place where we can actually go and 0:38:37.719 --> 0:38:43.560 see where Bible history happened, and where prophecies will be fulfilled. 0:38:45.800 --> 0:38:47.560 All right, Charlie, we'll let you get at your devotional 0:38:47.560 --> 0:38:50.680 for today, The God of Impossibilities. I'm looking forward to this. 0:38:50.920 --> 0:38:53.960 Ah, thanks. Well, in the book of Ecclesiastes, an older 0:38:53.960 --> 0:38:57.480 but wiser King Solomon wrote about life in all its stark, 0:38:57.520 --> 0:39:02.520 unvarnished reality, in a profound and in fact troubling observation. 0:39:02.520 --> 0:39:06.279 He noted that what is twisted cannot be straightened. Whether 0:39:06.280 --> 0:39:08.680 it's a bent paper clip or a crumpled fender on 0:39:08.680 --> 0:39:12.270 your car, Something that has become twisted and changed can't 0:39:12.270 --> 0:39:16.469 be completely restored to its original shape. You can get close, 0:39:16.469 --> 0:39:19.550 but it's never quite the same. What's true of paper 0:39:19.550 --> 0:39:22.470 clips also seems to be true of life. The innocence 0:39:22.469 --> 0:39:26.110 of youth all too often becomes jaded, hardened, and scarred 0:39:26.110 --> 0:39:29.590 by the harsh, abrasive realities of the world around us. 0:39:29.950 --> 0:39:34.509 Poor choices in life shape, destiny, and direction. The chasms 0:39:34.510 --> 0:39:39.190 and valleys of anger, depression, disappointment and loneliness carve their 0:39:39.190 --> 0:39:42.270 way into our very souls and leave us marked for life. 0:39:42.270 --> 0:39:44.989 Or so it seems. That must be how the people 0:39:44.989 --> 0:39:49.750 of Judah felt almost 25 centuries ago. Their rejection of God, 0:39:49.790 --> 0:39:52.990 their pursuit of pleasure, their callous disregard for the needs 0:39:52.989 --> 0:39:57.390 of others left deep marks on the nation. Eventually, their selfish, 0:39:57.430 --> 0:40:01.110 sinful choices cost them everything that mattered in life. The 0:40:01.110 --> 0:40:06.230 nation of Babylon invaded Judah, captured, looted, and then destroyed Jerusalem, 0:40:06.230 --> 0:40:09.220 and killed or carried into exile the people of the land. 0:40:09.660 --> 0:40:11.819 Only when it was too late did the people see 0:40:11.820 --> 0:40:17.060 the awful consequences of their actions. Pain, anguish, suffering, loneliness, 0:40:17.060 --> 0:40:21.540 depression and hopelessness cut into their very souls. They felt 0:40:21.580 --> 0:40:25.259 trapped with no hope of escape. But the answer to 0:40:25.300 --> 0:40:28.940 Judah's feelings of discouragement lay just beyond the summit of 0:40:28.940 --> 0:40:32.260 the Mount of Olives, in the barren hills between Jerusalem 0:40:32.260 --> 0:40:37.100 and Jericho. This harsh land, marked by deep serpentine valleys, 0:40:37.100 --> 0:40:41.259 jagged cliffs and high hills laced with knife edged flint, 0:40:41.460 --> 0:40:44.779 held God's message of hope for his people in their 0:40:44.780 --> 0:40:48.299 time of desperate need. Starting on the eastern slopes of 0:40:48.300 --> 0:40:51.140 the Mount of Olives, this wilderness twists its way down 0:40:51.140 --> 0:40:54.339 into the Jordan Valley, running along the entire length of 0:40:54.340 --> 0:40:57.540 the Dead Sea. This is not a wilderness of sand 0:40:57.540 --> 0:41:00.180 like the Sahara Desert, nor is it a flat, empty 0:41:00.180 --> 0:41:04.379 expanse that stretches off into the horizon like some other deserts. 0:41:04.660 --> 0:41:08.290 This Judean wilderness is rough and rugged, a land of deep, 0:41:08.330 --> 0:41:15.090 twisting gorges carved into chalky limestone. The ground is hard, harsh, unyielding. 0:41:15.370 --> 0:41:18.969 Patches of brown and black flint sprinkled across the surface 0:41:19.010 --> 0:41:22.490 seemed to provide the only variations in color. The Judean 0:41:22.489 --> 0:41:26.489 wilderness exists as a stark metaphor of permanence. Its foreboding 0:41:26.489 --> 0:41:30.529 hills stood guard when Abraham first entered the land. The 0:41:30.530 --> 0:41:33.610 same hills watched Joshua lead his army on a daring 0:41:33.610 --> 0:41:37.089 night march from Jericho to Gibeon. They saw David flee 0:41:37.090 --> 0:41:40.290 from Jerusalem toward the Jordan River to escape the evil 0:41:40.290 --> 0:41:43.969 plans of his own son, Absalom. And they watched Satan 0:41:44.170 --> 0:41:46.370 tempt Jesus as he enticed the Son of God to 0:41:46.410 --> 0:41:50.250 turn the ever present stones into loaves of bread. The 0:41:50.250 --> 0:41:54.730 wilderness never seemed to change. The Jewish captives in Babylon 0:41:54.730 --> 0:41:58.250 felt that their spiritual condition matched the physical condition of 0:41:58.250 --> 0:42:01.850 the wilderness. It was a picture of the nation's collective soul. 0:42:02.050 --> 0:42:06.160 They were spiritually dry, exiled from God's source of blessing 0:42:06.160 --> 0:42:09.839 and surrounded by deep chasms of trouble and difficulty that 0:42:09.840 --> 0:42:13.759 seem to make any restoration impossible. And just as that 0:42:13.760 --> 0:42:18.200 barren wilderness never changed, so it seemed that their heartache, sadness, 0:42:18.200 --> 0:42:22.600 and separation from God would also never change. Sins erosion 0:42:22.600 --> 0:42:27.040 had carved deep fracturing and scarring their lives. Solomon's words 0:42:27.040 --> 0:42:30.920 must have haunted them. What is twisted cannot be straightened, 0:42:31.360 --> 0:42:35.040 at least not by mere human effort. Now imagine the 0:42:35.040 --> 0:42:38.439 impact the words of Isaiah 40 had on these people. 0:42:38.440 --> 0:42:42.799 People living in depression, seeing no hope. Every valley shall 0:42:42.800 --> 0:42:46.000 be raised up. Every mountain and hill made low. The 0:42:46.040 --> 0:42:49.799 rough ground shall become level. The rugged places a plain. 0:42:50.440 --> 0:42:54.359 The God of impossibilities used this very wilderness as an 0:42:54.360 --> 0:42:57.759 object lesson for the people of Judah. Isaiah pictured a 0:42:57.760 --> 0:43:02.319 day when God would turn desolation into delight, heartache into happiness, 0:43:02.360 --> 0:43:06.180 pain into pleasure. What seemed to be permanent was only 0:43:06.180 --> 0:43:09.859 temporary to an all powerful God. But Isaiah was not 0:43:09.860 --> 0:43:13.219 just speaking about physical hills and valleys. The God who 0:43:13.219 --> 0:43:16.100 can reverse the ravages of nature is the God who 0:43:16.100 --> 0:43:19.500 can also heal the scars in a human heart. Isaiah 0:43:19.540 --> 0:43:22.859 boldly announced that when God comes to rescue his people, 0:43:22.860 --> 0:43:26.140 no obstacle will stand in his way. What appears to 0:43:26.140 --> 0:43:29.060 be a problem for us is not a problem for him. 0:43:29.380 --> 0:43:34.060 God specializes in eliminating every valley and every mountain, including 0:43:34.060 --> 0:43:37.620 those that seem so powerful or permanent. We can't even 0:43:37.620 --> 0:43:41.220 begin to imagine how they can be overcome. The prophet 0:43:41.219 --> 0:43:45.219 looked beyond Judah's temporary troubles to see God's ultimate triumph, 0:43:45.420 --> 0:43:47.620 and the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and 0:43:47.620 --> 0:43:50.259 all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of 0:43:50.260 --> 0:43:54.620 the Lord has spoken. Isaiah offered comfort through the promise 0:43:54.620 --> 0:43:57.780 of God's presence. Those who were discouraged could look beyond 0:43:57.780 --> 0:44:01.660 their circumstances and focus instead on the reality of God's 0:44:01.660 --> 0:44:05.930 comforting presence. He had not abandoned them, and his coming 0:44:05.930 --> 0:44:09.490 deliverance was certain because God himself was the one making 0:44:09.489 --> 0:44:12.810 the promise. But what do the words of Isaiah 40 0:44:12.850 --> 0:44:16.129 have to do with you today? Perhaps you're struggling with 0:44:16.130 --> 0:44:19.049 a barrenness in your soul that is just as desolate 0:44:19.050 --> 0:44:23.250 and seemingly as permanent as the wilderness of Judah. Just 0:44:23.250 --> 0:44:25.729 like the wilderness, you might believe your life has been 0:44:25.730 --> 0:44:30.569 permanently scarred by suffering and sadness without any hope of change. 0:44:30.969 --> 0:44:35.250 But God specializes in changing the unchangeable. That's the message 0:44:35.250 --> 0:44:37.850 he announced to the people of Judah. And the God 0:44:37.850 --> 0:44:40.969 who promised to someday fill in every valley, push down 0:44:40.969 --> 0:44:44.049 every mountain, and smooth over the rough, rugged land in 0:44:44.050 --> 0:44:47.089 the wilderness of Judah. Can also do the same thing 0:44:47.090 --> 0:44:51.330 in your heart today. Isaiah began this chapter by offering 0:44:51.330 --> 0:44:55.610 comfort to those who were discouraged. Comfort, comfort my people, 0:44:55.610 --> 0:44:58.330 says your God. And the God who can accomplish the 0:44:58.330 --> 0:45:03.080 impossible also wants to give you that same comfort right now. 0:45:03.440 --> 0:45:09.359 He specializes in changing the unchangeable. Pause and pray to 0:45:09.400 --> 0:45:12.840 the God who wants to heal your heart. Then, sometime today, 0:45:12.880 --> 0:45:18.640 take your Bible and read slowly, carefully and prayerfully. Isaiah 0:45:18.680 --> 0:45:22.200 chapter 40. And as you do, let his words of 0:45:22.200 --> 0:45:24.120 hope comfort you. 0:45:24.719 --> 0:45:26.520 You know, Charlie, I'm struck by the fact that as 0:45:26.520 --> 0:45:29.280 you share from Isaiah 40 and what a powerful devotional 0:45:29.280 --> 0:45:31.600 that was, you're speaking to those of us who know 0:45:31.600 --> 0:45:34.759 Christ as Savior already. But there are people listening right 0:45:34.760 --> 0:45:37.759 now who maybe don't. And they want this comfort. They 0:45:37.760 --> 0:45:41.279 sense their their own desert, their own wilderness. What's their 0:45:41.280 --> 0:45:43.440 next step, Charlie? To get right with God. 0:45:43.760 --> 0:45:47.080 Uh, the first step is to acknowledge their sinful condition. Lord, 0:45:47.080 --> 0:45:50.560 I've created this valley. I am in this separation from you, 0:45:50.560 --> 0:45:53.640 I need you. And then it's to turn to Jesus 0:45:53.640 --> 0:45:56.279 to recognize he was God's son. He came to earth, 0:45:56.280 --> 0:45:58.839 lived a perfect life. But then his death on the 0:45:58.840 --> 0:46:02.230 cross was designed to pay the penalty for their sin, 0:46:02.430 --> 0:46:05.310 and by turning to him, they can experience God's love 0:46:05.310 --> 0:46:08.549 and forgiveness in their lives. And that's the first step 0:46:08.550 --> 0:46:12.509 toward reaching that time of trust and fulfillment, and experiencing 0:46:12.510 --> 0:46:15.190 all the blessings that God has in store for them. 0:46:15.350 --> 0:46:17.950 The Bible assures us that whoever calls upon the name 0:46:17.950 --> 0:46:21.030 of the Lord will be saved. That's open to you. 0:46:21.190 --> 0:46:22.670 And if you'd like a friend to pray with you 0:46:22.670 --> 0:46:25.350 and receive Jesus. Now, why don't you talk to a 0:46:25.350 --> 0:46:31.109 volunteer at eight, eight, eight? That's 888. Need him. Well, 0:46:31.110 --> 0:46:33.029 we've covered lots of ground today. Maybe you'd like to 0:46:33.030 --> 0:46:35.710 hear it all again. You can do that. Our podcast 0:46:35.710 --> 0:46:38.470 is available at the website. The land and the book. 0:46:38.469 --> 0:46:44.270 All the land and the books. Thanks for hanging out 0:46:44.270 --> 0:46:46.550 with us today on behalf of our host, Charlie Dyer, 0:46:46.590 --> 0:46:50.230 our producer, Dan Anderson, I'm John Geiger, and the land 0:46:50.230 --> 0:46:52.710 and the book is a production of Moody Radio, a 0:46:52.710 --> 0:46:54.910 ministry of Moody Bible Institute.