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S1: If singer and songwriter Matthew West were to visit Israel,

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S1: what would he want most to see and why? What

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S1: songs would he choose if he were asked to lead

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S1: worship on the Sea of Galilee? On another note, how

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S1: does he feel about the rise of anti-Semitism in America

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S1: and across the globe? Coming up later in today's program.

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S1: Matthew West will be in our studio to talk about

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S1: Israel music and more. Don't miss this fabulous conversation. Hey,

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S1: welcome to the land and the book. Our team leader

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S1: is Doctor Charlie Dyer, noted Middle East scholar, author, and

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S1: frequent tour guide. I'm John Geiger asking, what does Passover

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S1: mean for us as believers in Jesus? Some might remember

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S1: the story from the book of Exodus, but there's so

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S1: much more to it. For example, did you know that

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S1: the Last Supper was actually a Passover meal? Not only

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S1: did Jesus and his disciples celebrate Passover, it also foreshadowed

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S1: his death on the cross for our redemption.

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S2: Jewish people have been keeping the feast of Passover for

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S2: thousands of years. Understanding the history and importance of this

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S2: holiday will help you better connect with your Jewish friends

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S2: and neighbors. And what better way is there to learn

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S2: about Passover than to experience a Passover Seder yourself? If

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S2: you've never celebrated Passover, our friends at Life in Messiah

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S2: would love to partner with you in hosting a Seder experience.

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S2: Every year, their staff engage churches and small groups in

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S2: an interactive Messiah in the Passover Seder, allowing participants to

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S2: taste and see the redemption story. If you're interested in

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S2: having someone come lead a Seder in your area, visit

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S2: Life in Messiah Org and click on the radio button

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S2: there to learn more. That's life in Messiah.

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S1: Well, let's switch our focus now toward current events in

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S1: the Middle East. The truce between Israel and Hamas is

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S1: now entering its second week. How has the exchange of

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S1: hostages and prisoners gone so far? What's scheduled to happen

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S1: over the remaining five weeks? Charlie, I've got a couple

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S1: of questions here, too. I mean, five weeks. If it's

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S1: for a week, that's only another 20 prisoners. The math

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S1: feels funny to me. Also, you know, why am I

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S1: just unsettled by the notion that perhaps all they're doing

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S1: is booby trapping tunnels for further defense? Should the IDF

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S1: have to return?

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S2: Your concerns are well founded, John. There was some initial

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S2: uncertainty and angst when Hamas failed to provide the names

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S2: of the first hostages to be released, according to the

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S2: agreed on schedule. Now, thankfully, the process was only delayed

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S2: a few hours. The three young women who were released

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S2: brought about an outpouring of joy throughout Israel. Crowds gathered.

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S2: People wept as they watched the pictures of the young

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S2: women being reunited with family members. In return, Israel released

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S2: about 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, 30 for each civilian hostage.

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S2: Israel has also agreed to release 50 Palestinian detainees for

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S2: every Israeli female soldier who will be released in this

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S2: first phase. Now, by the end of this initial hostage exchange.

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S2: 33 Israelis are to be released. Your math is correct, John.

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S2: They've got to up the number of people being released.

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S2: But I think they might do that because for Israel

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S2: to get the 33 Israelis back, they're going to give

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S2: up 1800 Palestinians. And the Palestinians do want those back

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S2: as well. The second group of four hostages to be

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S2: released is scheduled to be actually today. And a third

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S2: group of three more hostages will be released next Saturday.

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S2: So the numbers are there, but they're going to have

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S2: to start picking up the number to get to the

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S2: total of 33 in the time allowed. The outpouring of

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S2: joy over the release of the first three hostages was

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S2: tempered somewhat by anxiety over what the release schedule looks

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S2: like for the remaining hostages, as well as which of

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S2: those hostages are still alive and which are dead. Hamas

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S2: has refused to share that information. Shiri and her two

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S2: young children are on the list of hostages to be

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S2: released during this first phase. Back in November, Hamas said

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S2: they'd been killed. However, there's been no real confirmation either way,

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S2: so people are waiting and hoping that they're among the living.

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S2: This psychological trauma will be played out every week for

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S2: the remaining five weeks of this ordeal, as Israel watches

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S2: and waits and prays for those still being held. And

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S2: once this first six week phase is over, there will

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S2: still be 64 Israelis alive and dead in Gaza awaiting

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S2: release during the next two phases of the deal. Negotiations

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S2: on the two remaining phases is scheduled to begin 16

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S2: days after the start of the first phase, or just

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S2: over a week from now. The new Trump administration's foreign

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S2: policy team is already working to help formulate that second

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S2: phase of the cease fire. Those negotiations could likely end

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S2: up being more contentious and complicated than the ones for

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S2: the first phase of the deal. And of course, they

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S2: took almost a year.

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S1: Charlie, is it your intuition that there is somebody in

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S1: somebody in leadership there in Hamas inside Gaza, who has

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S1: a reasonably comprehensive list of who those prisoners are and

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S1: their status alive or dead, or are they really not

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S1: even sure.

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S2: I believe they have that list. You know, Yahya Sinwar,

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S2: his brother, is in charge there. He knows who they are.

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S2: They just are lying and not giving that information, because

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S2: it's to their psychological advantage to keep that tension in Israel.

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S1: Well, the signing of the truce was not welcomed by

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S1: all members of Prime Minister Netanyahu's ruling coalition who opposed

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S1: the agreement and why? And what impact will their decision

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S1: have on the coalition?

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S2: Well, the main opposition to the deal came from Ben-Gvir

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S2: and his Otzma Yehudit party. They formally submitted their resignations

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S2: and withdrew from the coalition once the agreement was approved.

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S2: The net result is that Netanyahu's coalition dropped from 69

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S2: seats in the Knesset to 62 or 63, depending on

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S2: the status of one member of Ben-gvirs party who broke

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S2: with them to support the coalition. And that's still a

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S2: majority in the Knesset, though an incredibly slim one. The

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S2: other party that opposed the agreement was the National Religious Party,

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S2: led by Bezalel Smotrich, but he and his party chose

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S2: to remain in the coalition because, he said, his exit

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S2: from the government would have forced new elections. Though he

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S2: opposed the deal, he believed it was inevitable, he said,

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S2: giving the current political situation. When asked his opinion of

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S2: Ben-Gvir choosing to resign over the deal, Smotrich called him

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S2: an irresponsible pyromaniac, somewhat of colorful words there for his

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S2: former colleague. Smotrich believed the war isn't over, and he

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S2: wants to be in the government to help it achieve

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S2: the final downfall of Hamas. Once, as he believes Hamas

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S2: breaks the agreement, Netanyahu was able to finesse his coalition

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S2: into moving forward. However, the budget, the bill to draft

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S2: the ultra-Orthodox into the army and bills to reform the

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S2: judiciary still remain as battles on the horizon. Those along

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S2: with his continuing trial, will definitely keep Netanyahu busy working

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S2: to hold his fractious coalition together.

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S1: From Moody Radio. This is the land and the book

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S1: with our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Geoghegan. We're

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S1: looking at current events. Earlier this month, news reports made

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S1: headlines announcing the discovery of a biblical era worship site

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S1: from the First Temple period inside the city of David.

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S1: Many of our listeners have been there. Charlie, how significant

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S1: is this find?

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S2: Well, the reports described a worship site in the original

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S2: city there, dating to the eighth century B.C., which places

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S2: it in operation between the times of Uzziah and Hezekiah.

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S2: The site is about 1500ft south of where Solomon's Temple stood,

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S2: meaning it's a totally different worship site in Jerusalem. That's

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S2: assuming it was a worship site. Now here's some of

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S2: the rest of the story. First, this isn't a new discovery.

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S2: I was given a private tour of the site almost

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S2: two years ago, and the excavations actually took place back

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S2: in 2010 and 11. So the discovery is almost 15

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S2: years old. Now, it takes a long time for archaeologists

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S2: to examine everything uncovered, and then to formulate and write

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S2: up their conclusions. In fact, because nothing had yet been published,

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S2: I was asked not to write or comment on the

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S2: tour I was given. But now that a formal article

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S2: has been published, I can share what I saw. A

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S2: row of rooms were uncovered further up the hillside from

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S2: the entrance to the Gihon Spring. A bits of pottery

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S2: from the Bronze Age into the Iron Age were uncovered,

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S2: along with some other curious markings, including three v shaped

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S2: grooves in the floor of one of the rooms. The

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S2: problem is that there's nothing really there to help define

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S2: the purpose for the rooms, the archaeologists described what they

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S2: felt were the base of an altar, along with a

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S2: sacred stone pillar. But that altar platform was just an

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S2: eight inch high raised area. The stone pillar was simply

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S2: a flat stone standing on a pile of rocks eight

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S2: inches high. The stone itself was only about 16in high.

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S2: They also discovered items that seemed to connect to industry

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S2: rather than religion. For example, they found stone loom weights

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S2: used in weaving as well as possible grape and olive

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S2: oil presses. If it was a religious site, was it

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S2: in use prior to the time of David capturing the city,

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S2: with the rooms later being repurposed? And were the mysterious

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S2: v shaped grooves on the floor part of a structure

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S2: to hold possibly animals for sacrifice, or simply places used

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S2: to help secure the loom for weaving. The answer is

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S2: we really don't know. Religious worship would have taken place

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S2: in Jebus prior to David capturing the city. We also

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S2: know that Israel kept turning to idolatry even after Solomon

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S2: built the temple. But it's possible this could simply be

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S2: a case where rooms that may or may not have

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S2: been used for ritual purposes simply were repurposed once Solomon's

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S2: Temple had been built. The bottom line is that what

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S2: I saw really wasn't that impressive, and the now published

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S2: archaeological report didn't change my opinion.

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S1: Charlie, if you were asked to lead a prayer segment

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S1: for a small group at your church lifting up the

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S1: Middle East right now. What would be your top three

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S1: prayer items that you'd recommend all of us pray for?

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S2: Top three I would pray for the other hostages that

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S2: still have to be released. Let's just pray that the

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S2: deals go through so that they can get back to

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S2: their friends and loved ones. Second, I would pray for

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S2: incredible wisdom for Prime Minister Netanyahu and his cabinet. And third,

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S2: I would just pray for peace itself, for wisdom on

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S2: the part of our leadership as we try and redirect

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S2: the Middle East and find a way forward. You know,

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S2: we're told to pray for peace, and that's one of

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S2: the best things we could be doing right now.

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S1: Three quick prayer items for the nation of Israel and

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S1: the Middle East in general. Thanks for keeping those in mind.

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S1: Up next, a conversation with Matthew West. If he were

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S1: to visit Israel, what would he most want to see

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S1: and why? What songs would he choose if he was

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S1: asked to lead worship on the Sea of Galilee? We're

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S1: about to talk about his feelings about the rise of

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S1: anti-Semitism in America and across the globe. Don't miss this

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S1: conversation with singer and songwriter Matthew West. It's all ahead

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S1: here on the land and the book from Moody Radio.

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S1: You know him for songs like Don't Stop Praying, The

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S1: God Who Stays, Do Something. Hello, My Name Is, and

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S1: a whole lot more. He's a singer who connects with

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S1: us at a level most do not. I'm talking, of course,

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S1: about singer and songwriter Matthew West. Hi, I'm John Gager.

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S1: This is segment two of The Land and the book.

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S1: And let's pause right now. Put our heads together for

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S1: a fresh idea that just might point your Jewish friend

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S1: to our Jewish Messiah, Jesus. Listen to this. No educated

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S1: or religious Jewish person would ever believe in Jesus. Is

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S1: that a true statement? Levi Hazen is executive director of

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S1: Life in Messiah. What say you?

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S3: Well, John, this claim could not be further from the truth.

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S3: There have been many, many highly educated Jewish people that

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S3: have come to believe in Jesus. We have testimonies of

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S3: rabbis who have come to faith, such as the chief

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S3: Rabbi of Bulgaria named Daniel Zion. He played a crucial

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S3: role in saving hundreds of Jewish lives during the Holocaust.

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S3: Or what about today? Doctor James tour. He's a professor

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S3: at Rice University, a synthetic organic chemist who has over

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S3: 750 research publications. He's been granted over 130 patents and

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S3: named one of the top 50 influential scientists in 2019.

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S3: He's a Jewish believer in Jesus. So this lie can

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S3: simply be responded to with grace and love by giving

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S3: multiple examples of Jewish people who do believe.

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S1: But grace and love? Shouldn't those characterize any conversation we have?

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S3: Absolutely. We're not going to beat someone over the head

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S3: into believing in Jesus.

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S1: That's Levi Hazen with life in Messiah. Matthew West is

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S1: a five time Grammy nominee with more than 250 songwriting

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S1: credits to his name. His songs are sung by artists

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S1: like Ann Wilson, Rascal Flatts, Scotty McCreery, Michael W Smith,

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S1: Amy Grant, Mandisa, Danny Gokey, Casting Crowns, and a few others.

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S1: He has recorded 15 studio albums, the latest released in 2023,

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S1: a double album, My Story Your Glory and Unless you

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S1: live somewhere under a proverbial Rock, you've heard his wonderful

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S1: single Don't Stop Praying. Matthew has also written seven books.

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S1: More on the way. He and his wife, Emily have

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S1: two daughters. And Matthew, it is great to connect with

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S1: you on the land and the book.

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S4: Thank you for having me today.

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S1: It's great. So I have to ask, in your songwriting,

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S1: grace is not just an important theme, but a dominant theme.

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S1: What is it about grace that escapes so many believers,

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S1: and even those of us who have walked with the

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S1: Lord for a long time?

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S4: Well, I think, uh, the pressure that we put on ourselves,

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S4: at least I can speak for myself. That pressure to

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S4: be something that is impossible to be, which is perfect.

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S4: You know, I grew up a preacher's kid and always

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S4: felt like I always had a lot of people watching me,

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S4: you know, and maybe even holding me to a different standard. And,

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S4: and then I started to kind of hold myself to

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S4: that standard. And so I think that's one of the

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S4: reasons why that theme of grace shows up in so

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S4: many of my songs. Of course, you know, I'm far

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S4: from the first one to sing anthems about the message

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S4: of grace, you know? And that's what's the most widely

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S4: sung song is amazing Grace. That saved a wretch like me.

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S4: And so I feel like a lot of my songs

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S4: echo that same sentiment, just the amazement. And really a

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S4: lot of the songs that I write are reminders to

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S4: myself and anybody listening that there is a gift that

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S4: each one of us needs. We're all born sinners, and

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S4: we're all in need of a gift that we could

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S4: never be good enough to earn, or else it wouldn't

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S4: be a gift. And so years ago, I wrote in

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S4: my journal, sort of a personal mission statement that I'm

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S4: going to write and sing songs about what I know

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S4: I need, what I know I don't deserve, and what

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S4: helps me get up in the morning. And the answer

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S4: to all three of those is the word grace. You know,

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S4: getting up in the morning knowing that God's not done

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S4: with me.

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S1: Well, our program, of course, is is very much focused

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S1: on the Middle East and Israel in particular. You were

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S1: scheduled to go there some years ago. It didn't quite happen.

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S1: But if you were to go. Yeah. What are some

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S1: of the spots you think would be highlights for you?

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S4: Well, I was excited about the entire trip. I wanted

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S4: to see it all, of course. And and I was

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S4: going to have a pretty great tour guide in Max

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S4: Lucado who had gone many times before. He, he and

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S4: I are dear friends. That trip got canceled. One of

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S4: the things I was most looking forward to is we

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S4: were going to be. I was going to get the

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S4: chance to lead a group of people in worship from

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S4: a boat on the Sea of Galilee. So I was

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S4: I was really looking forward to that, and I hope

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S4: to do that at some point in the future. But

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S4: from everybody I've talked to, that has made the trip.

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S4: One of the most common refrains I hear is just

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S4: how they felt that it it really brought Scripture to

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S4: life in a whole new way. And I felt similar

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S4: feelings in recent travels to Rome, Italy, and just some

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S4: of my tours that I took, and just seeing where

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S4: some of the early Christians were buried and things like that. Like,

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S4: you know, it just kind of really puts some things

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S4: into perspective. So I have a feeling a trip to

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S4: the Holy Land is going to do the same.

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S1: Okay. You mentioned Rome. I mean, don't you feel now

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S1: that when you open your New Testament and you read

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S1: about this town or that town. Oh, gosh. You go.

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S1: It's a real place.

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S4: It's a real place. Yeah, it's a real people. That's

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S4: exactly what. Yeah, that's exactly what people who come home

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S4: from Israel share. And so I'm looking forward to taking

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S4: that trip once and for all.

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S1: Matthew West is our guest today on the land and

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S1: the book. We're honored to have him with us. How

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S1: do you feel when you're on the road all the

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S1: time cranking out songs? How do you feed your soul?

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S1: What nourishes you personally? Matthew?

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S4: Well, you know, that's one of the biggest challenges is

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S4: and I honestly, I feel like God has really done

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S4: a work in my life because if I could be

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S4: bluntly honest about one of my struggles, it would be

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S4: that I feel like sometimes I'll challenge here's here's an

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S4: honest question that deserves an honest answer. And I don't

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S4: like the answer sometimes. And the question is, Matthew, have

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S4: you gotten better at talking about Jesus than talking to him?

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S4: And that's a question that somebody like myself, who spends

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S4: so much of my life in the public spotlight singing

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S4: songs and, and people would look and applaud and go, man,

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S4: you're singing about Jesus. That's so great. Yeah, but then

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S4: what if I forget to take care of first things

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S4: first if I'm singing about Jesus, but I'm not spending

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S4: time talking to him. And so a lot of it

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S4: can just be as simple as what I did today

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S4: of just reading a verse of the day and listening

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S4: to a devotional on my phone as I'm sitting on

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S4: an airplane, you know, and trying to turn off Instagram,

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S4: turn off social media, and turn myself into God's Word

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S4: and really focus there, even just for a few moments,

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S4: even in the middle of a chaotic schedule. It helps

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S4: keep me grounded and it gives me the strength that

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S4: I need.

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S1: All right, since we're being blunt and brutally honest, let

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S1: me ask you this one. How do you cope with

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S1: getting off the bus or the plane after a spiritual high?

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S1: You're you've done a concert and and then you walk

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S1: in the door at home and maybe out of exhaustion.

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S1: You're less than gracious with Emily or your kids. You've

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S1: just sung all those great songs.

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S4: No.

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S1: And maybe now it's you that needs to say I'm sorry,

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S1: or it's you that needs to hear. Grace wins every time. Yeah.

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S1: At moments like that, do your songs comfort you, or

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S1: do they make you uncomfortable?

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S4: That's a great question. I don't I can't relate to

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S4: the hypothetical scenarios you've just raised, though, because I am

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S4: the perfect husband and the perfect father. But, you know,

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S4: I'd like to say that I think my songs here's

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S4: what I think when I write these songs, I hope

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S4: that they're for somebody out there in the audience or

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S4: somebody who's listening to your show that they need that song.

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S4: But I know for certain of one person who needed

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S4: the songs that I wrote, and that's me. And so

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S4: the songs that I put out, they've been lived in,

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S4: they've been lived through, and their message is that God

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S4: has shown me, you know, Matthew, I'm inspiring you to

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S4: write this song. But it's not just for the masses.

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S4: The song is for the singer, too. And so I

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S4: think songs, Music, when it's at its best, hopefully is

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S4: most importantly going to point people to Jesus. But a

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S4: lot of times my songs are nudges in in terms

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S4: of conviction to and reminding me. I write a lot

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S4: of songs these days about legacy, just thinking about how

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S4: do I want to be remembered, what's most important? Focusing

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S4: on the right things and being a good husband and

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S4: being a good father. So you'll hear those themes come

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S4: through a lot in my songs, and that's usually evidence

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S4: that that's what I'm wrestling with or that's what I'm,

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S4: you know, worried about. Like, oh, have I been on

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S4: tour too much? Am I making my family a big

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S4: enough priority? So, you know, I think the songs that

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S4: I write challenge me just as much as I hope

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S4: they challenge somebody out there who's listening to them.

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S1: We're having such a great time talking about uncomfortable issues.

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S1: Let's stay at it, shall we?

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S4: Might as well.

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S1: It cannot be that every time you show up for

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S1: a concert, you're in a great mood. You're right with God.

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S1: You're right with your wife. You're right with your family.

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S1: It just doesn't happen. And in the same way, we've

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S1: got pastors who are listening, others who are in ministry,

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S1: others who are in public positions, and they got to

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S1: do what they do regardless of how their world is

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S1: broken and dented. So what's your answer? What are you

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S1: saying to yourself when it isn't perfect? And you do

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S1: got to go out there and sing.

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S4: Those are the times when I feel like I reach

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S4: a deeper level of dependence on God. And wouldn't you

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S4: know it, those wind up being some of the most

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S4: special times. It's it's amazing how much my musical journey

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S4: tends to mirror my spiritual journey. For example, when I

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S4: don't feel like reading my Bible, but I do it anyway,

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S4: God shows up and he honors that and he speaks

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S4: to my heart. But I don't feel like writing a song,

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S4: but I do it anyway. Some of the songs that

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S4: I'm singing that have been my biggest hits were on

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S4: days where I didn't think I had anything in the tank. Yeah,

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S4: same thing when I get on stage. You know, I

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S4: love that opportunity to get up on stage. And I

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S4: will say, the enemy for years has done a number

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S4: on me in moments before I would walk on stage,

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S4: just feel like I'd hear the lies of the enemy saying,

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S4: who are you to go out there and sing about

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S4: God's love and act like you've got it all together? Like,

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S4: if these people only knew how messed up you are

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S4: or whatever, right? I mean, these are the lies of

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S4: the enemy that anybody in ministry might hear, you know,

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S4: because it's almost like we're, you know, the enemy wants

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S4: us to believe that we're supposed to be somehow superhuman

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S4: while everybody in the congregation gets to be just human. Right?

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S4: And I think the biggest remedy I've been able to

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S4: find to that is running, not walking to the truth

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S4: of the scriptures and who God says I am. And

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S4: that's why even in my songs, you hear a lot

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S4: of Scripture literally song word for word, like, because I

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S4: need these reminders of God's grace, of God's strength. The

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S4: reminder that I don't have to grow weary in well-doing. So.

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S4: So I would say, like, I'm thankful for those days

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S4: when I feel like I don't have it. I can't

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S4: bring it. I didn't live it today. God forgive me.

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S4: And then I feel like my posture is one of

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S4: humility before I walk on stage, because I know the

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S4: only way I can get up there tonight and be

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S4: a testament of God's grace is because of what God's

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S4: grace is showing me in my life, that when I

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S4: am weak, then I am strong, that his strength is

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S4: perfect and his grace is sufficient.

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S1: Singer and songwriter Matthew West joins us today on The

436
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S1: Land and the book. Eventually you're going to get that

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S1: trip to Israel. Eventually, that moment will come when you're

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S1: out on the Sea of Galilee. Based on what you've

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S1: done so far. If you were going to do it

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S1: next week, what would be your playlist, your song list

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S1: for that boat ride right now? What would you go with?

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S1: You got three.

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S4: Oh, man. Um, well, I was going to make a

444
00:22:01,190 --> 00:22:03,949
S4: joke about, uh, fishing. You know, maybe, maybe, maybe a

445
00:22:03,950 --> 00:22:07,149
S4: fishing song, but probably not. Um, I gotta say, though,

446
00:22:07,190 --> 00:22:10,150
S4: you know, my prayers are with Israel, too. I mean, um,

447
00:22:10,190 --> 00:22:13,670
S4: it's been unbelievable to watch, uh, what has taken place

448
00:22:13,670 --> 00:22:18,109
S4: to watch the anti-Israel rhetoric, you know, even on social media, like,

449
00:22:18,109 --> 00:22:21,030
S4: I mean, I think I made one post that, you know,

450
00:22:21,030 --> 00:22:23,510
S4: just said I was praying for Israel, and it was unbelievable.

451
00:22:23,510 --> 00:22:27,310
S4: The response, the just the vitriol and stuff. So so

452
00:22:27,310 --> 00:22:29,230
S4: that breaks my heart, you know what I mean? So I,

453
00:22:29,270 --> 00:22:31,020
S4: I guess maybe my prayer is that I that I

454
00:22:31,020 --> 00:22:33,580
S4: would when I was there. Hopefully I could sing songs

455
00:22:33,580 --> 00:22:38,980
S4: about healing. Um, songs about, uh, the reminder that Jesus

456
00:22:39,020 --> 00:22:41,739
S4: is coming back. Amen. So I'd have to work on

457
00:22:41,740 --> 00:22:44,300
S4: that playlist, but I think it'd be a pretty special one.

458
00:22:44,740 --> 00:22:47,660
S1: I love the opening line to your single, Don't Stop Praying.

459
00:22:47,660 --> 00:22:51,260
S1: You ask us, what's your impossible for me? I could

460
00:22:51,260 --> 00:22:53,700
S1: tell you what that is. It's several unsaved relatives, okay?

461
00:22:53,740 --> 00:22:56,340
S1: Or a neighbor that I've known for 40 years who

462
00:22:56,340 --> 00:22:59,940
S1: still doesn't know Jesus. Okay, I'm asking you. My question is,

463
00:22:59,980 --> 00:23:01,580
S1: fair or not fair? What's your. Impossible?

464
00:23:01,619 --> 00:23:03,580
S4: I think that's why that song, one of the reasons

465
00:23:03,580 --> 00:23:07,460
S4: that song has resonated is because I think it literally

466
00:23:07,460 --> 00:23:10,340
S4: from the very first line, everybody has an answer to

467
00:23:10,380 --> 00:23:13,419
S4: that question. Yeah. We all face something that looks bigger

468
00:23:13,420 --> 00:23:15,939
S4: than than us. And the reason is, is because it

469
00:23:15,940 --> 00:23:18,540
S4: is we're going to face things that are beyond our

470
00:23:18,540 --> 00:23:22,619
S4: ability because otherwise we wouldn't need God. And so I

471
00:23:22,660 --> 00:23:25,500
S4: love hearing other people share the story of their impossible

472
00:23:25,500 --> 00:23:29,020
S4: for me. You know, I think, uh, these days, I

473
00:23:29,020 --> 00:23:30,410
S4: think your answer is gonna be going to be different

474
00:23:30,410 --> 00:23:33,330
S4: to that question throughout different seasons of your life, I suppose. Yes, sure.

475
00:23:33,369 --> 00:23:36,649
S4: And so these days, I'd say I feel like, um,

476
00:23:36,650 --> 00:23:40,210
S4: parenthood is one where I'm like, I don't know. I'm

477
00:23:40,210 --> 00:23:43,010
S4: in new territory. I've got a daughter who's in college now,

478
00:23:43,130 --> 00:23:47,010
S4: and and I'm struggling with that feeling of empty nester,

479
00:23:47,050 --> 00:23:49,050
S4: you know, that, like, and I'm wondering if, did I

480
00:23:49,050 --> 00:23:51,129
S4: do a good enough job as a dad? And how

481
00:23:51,130 --> 00:23:53,970
S4: do I help continue to, like, raise my kids to

482
00:23:54,010 --> 00:23:56,450
S4: to know the Lord and pursue a relationship with the Lord?

483
00:23:56,450 --> 00:24:00,090
S4: And so sometimes I feel like my impossible is just going, man,

484
00:24:00,130 --> 00:24:03,850
S4: every new season as a parent is unchartered territory for me,

485
00:24:03,850 --> 00:24:06,010
S4: and I'm asking God to show me how to be

486
00:24:06,010 --> 00:24:06,770
S4: a good dad.

487
00:24:07,450 --> 00:24:09,370
S1: If Jesus were to sit in the back row or

488
00:24:09,369 --> 00:24:11,570
S1: front row of one of your concerts, and I assume

489
00:24:11,570 --> 00:24:14,050
S1: you invite him to do that every time, what do

490
00:24:14,050 --> 00:24:16,850
S1: you think he might enjoy most as his favorite? What's

491
00:24:16,850 --> 00:24:19,850
S1: his favorite Matthew West song and why? I think I know,

492
00:24:20,690 --> 00:24:21,489
S1: but but you take a.

493
00:24:21,490 --> 00:24:22,410
S5: Shot at it, you.

494
00:24:22,410 --> 00:24:25,090
S4: Know? That's a great question. I mean, the beauty of

495
00:24:25,090 --> 00:24:28,090
S4: it is that he does promise that we're two or

496
00:24:28,090 --> 00:24:30,560
S4: more of us are gathered in his name, that he

497
00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:32,200
S4: will be there in the midst of us, and that

498
00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:34,239
S4: one of the things that I pray for, and I

499
00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:37,520
S4: think he'd be pleased with the fact that I pray

500
00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:39,800
S4: that every one of my concerts will be not just

501
00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:42,040
S4: a night of entertainment, but that it will be a

502
00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:44,680
S4: night where people feel like they left going. You know,

503
00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:47,760
S4: I spent time with Jesus tonight, and that's the goal.

504
00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:50,840
S4: And I think I would think he would be pleased, hopefully,

505
00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:53,600
S4: that I want my heart posture to be what pleases

506
00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:55,920
S4: him the most, that my desire is not. Did I

507
00:24:55,960 --> 00:24:58,880
S4: sell enough records? Did I sell enough T-shirts? Did I

508
00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:02,000
S4: make them a fan of me? Most importantly, it probably

509
00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:03,960
S4: be the end of the night where at the end

510
00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:06,199
S4: of every concert that I do, I give a gospel

511
00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:10,199
S4: presentation and invite anybody who doesn't know the Lord to

512
00:25:10,240 --> 00:25:12,320
S4: make the most important decision of their life, just like

513
00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:14,160
S4: Billy Graham did when I was a little kid. And

514
00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:17,480
S4: I asked Jesus into my heart. So I'd probably say, man,

515
00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:20,159
S4: more than any one song, it's how all the songs

516
00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:23,080
S4: are leading up to that pivotal moment in someone's life,

517
00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:26,160
S4: where they feel God knocking at the door of their heart,

518
00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:29,910
S4: and then together we pray and they say yes to Jesus.

519
00:25:30,030 --> 00:25:32,590
S4: So that's probably what I would say, hands down the

520
00:25:32,590 --> 00:25:34,470
S4: most important part of my show. Were you going to

521
00:25:34,510 --> 00:25:35,630
S4: guess a certain song? Yeah.

522
00:25:35,630 --> 00:25:36,990
S1: It's grace wins every time.

523
00:25:37,030 --> 00:25:37,870
S5: Grace wins every time.

524
00:25:37,869 --> 00:25:39,710
S1: You think of the mission of Jesus. God so loved

525
00:25:39,710 --> 00:25:41,470
S1: the world that he gave. Yes, sir. For the woman

526
00:25:41,470 --> 00:25:44,030
S1: at the well. Grace wins. Yes. For the worst. In

527
00:25:44,030 --> 00:25:45,470
S1: you and me? Yes. Grace wins.

528
00:25:45,470 --> 00:25:46,630
S4: Yes. Amen to that.

529
00:25:47,230 --> 00:25:49,150
S1: Our time has gone, but it's been a blast. Thank you.

530
00:25:49,310 --> 00:25:51,150
S4: Thank you guys. Great to talk to you today.

531
00:25:51,350 --> 00:25:54,230
S1: Hey, it's Bible questions and answers. Next right here on

532
00:25:54,230 --> 00:26:07,949
S1: the land and the book. This is segment three of

533
00:26:07,950 --> 00:26:10,950
S1: the land and the book Bible questions and answers from

534
00:26:10,950 --> 00:26:14,430
S1: Doctor Gerald Peterman. Boy, this guy knows his Bible, teaches

535
00:26:14,430 --> 00:26:16,750
S1: the Bible, is the field chair of Bible at Moody

536
00:26:16,750 --> 00:26:20,230
S1: Bible Institute. He's very comfortable answering those questions. And if

537
00:26:20,230 --> 00:26:22,949
S1: you want to send yours, it's welcome anytime at the

538
00:26:22,950 --> 00:26:28,139
S1: Land and the Edu. Here's a question what does Passover

539
00:26:28,140 --> 00:26:31,219
S1: mean for us as believers in Jesus? Some might remember

540
00:26:31,220 --> 00:26:33,419
S1: the story from the book of Exodus, but there's so

541
00:26:33,420 --> 00:26:35,420
S1: much more to it. Did you know that the Last

542
00:26:35,420 --> 00:26:39,060
S1: Supper was actually a Passover meal? Not only did Jesus

543
00:26:39,060 --> 00:26:43,020
S1: and his disciples celebrate Passover, it also foreshadowed his death

544
00:26:43,020 --> 00:26:46,420
S1: on the cross for our redemption. Jewish people have been

545
00:26:46,420 --> 00:26:49,620
S1: observing the feast of Passover for thousands of years, and

546
00:26:49,619 --> 00:26:52,460
S1: understanding the history and importance of this holiday will help

547
00:26:52,460 --> 00:26:55,540
S1: you better connect with your Jewish friends and neighbors. And

548
00:26:55,540 --> 00:26:58,139
S1: what better way is there to learn about Passover than

549
00:26:58,140 --> 00:27:03,220
S1: to experience a Passover Seder yourself? If you've never celebrated Passover,

550
00:27:03,260 --> 00:27:05,739
S1: get this. Our friends at Life in Messiah would love

551
00:27:05,740 --> 00:27:09,820
S1: to partner with you in hosting a Seder experience. Every year,

552
00:27:09,820 --> 00:27:13,780
S1: their staff engage churches and small groups in an interactive

553
00:27:13,980 --> 00:27:18,060
S1: Messiah in the Passover Seder, allowing participants to taste and

554
00:27:18,060 --> 00:27:21,340
S1: see the redemption story. So if you're interested in having

555
00:27:21,340 --> 00:27:23,980
S1: somebody come to lead a Seder in your area, just

556
00:27:23,980 --> 00:27:27,609
S1: visit Life in Messiah org and click on the Moody

557
00:27:27,650 --> 00:27:31,650
S1: Radio button there to learn more. That's life in messiah.org.

558
00:27:32,210 --> 00:27:33,929
S1: You ever get tired of questions that come to you

559
00:27:33,930 --> 00:27:36,490
S1: from students? Doctor Peterman I mean, you teach these classes

560
00:27:36,490 --> 00:27:39,369
S1: year after year. Do the questions weary you?

561
00:27:39,369 --> 00:27:42,850
S6: John? No. Absolutely not. Actually, I tell the students when

562
00:27:42,850 --> 00:27:45,129
S6: I'm in the classroom that my favorite thing to do

563
00:27:45,130 --> 00:27:48,690
S6: is answer questions. Really? Because when I'm answering a question,

564
00:27:48,690 --> 00:27:51,410
S6: I know I'm addressing a need. They have. Yeah, this

565
00:27:51,410 --> 00:27:53,210
S6: is on their mind. They want to talk about it.

566
00:27:53,210 --> 00:27:54,970
S6: I could answer questions all period long.

567
00:27:55,010 --> 00:27:56,770
S1: You know, I see that on your face. There's a

568
00:27:56,770 --> 00:27:59,210
S1: smile as you're reading these questions or reacting to them

569
00:27:59,210 --> 00:28:01,690
S1: because you truly do love it. And that's a good

570
00:28:01,690 --> 00:28:03,690
S1: thing because you know your Bible. Let's go to our

571
00:28:03,690 --> 00:28:06,570
S1: first question of the day from Christine. She says, I

572
00:28:06,570 --> 00:28:08,850
S1: have a question about John 15 1 to 8. What

573
00:28:08,850 --> 00:28:12,170
S1: exactly does it mean to abide? I understand from looking

574
00:28:12,170 --> 00:28:15,650
S1: at the definition it means to remain, to continue. So then,

575
00:28:15,650 --> 00:28:18,170
S1: is it correct to say that abiding is the position

576
00:28:18,170 --> 00:28:20,690
S1: of every true believer, or is there something more or

577
00:28:20,690 --> 00:28:22,369
S1: deeper to abiding?

578
00:28:22,369 --> 00:28:25,510
S6: Oh, I just love John 15. You get this illustration

579
00:28:25,510 --> 00:28:29,310
S6: that Jesus gives of the Christian life is about the

580
00:28:29,310 --> 00:28:32,350
S6: vine and the branches. It's a grape vine and we

581
00:28:32,350 --> 00:28:35,150
S6: are branches. We're going to bear fruit if we stay connected.

582
00:28:35,470 --> 00:28:37,910
S6: You only get this in John 15. It's just wonderful,

583
00:28:37,910 --> 00:28:41,510
S6: wonderful stuff. So I love this question. To abide, to remain,

584
00:28:41,510 --> 00:28:44,830
S6: that is, are we staying connected to Christ? Do we

585
00:28:44,830 --> 00:28:47,510
S6: love him? Are we listening to him? Are we praying

586
00:28:47,510 --> 00:28:49,950
S6: to him? Are we being guided by him? Are we

587
00:28:49,950 --> 00:28:52,790
S6: staying in His word? Are we trusting Him in His word?

588
00:28:53,310 --> 00:28:57,230
S6: Because several times in John's Gospel there's another option. It's

589
00:28:57,230 --> 00:28:59,989
S6: a poor option, but there's another option that is, you

590
00:28:59,990 --> 00:29:02,590
S6: get into John six and we find that after Jesus

591
00:29:02,590 --> 00:29:06,990
S6: teaches for a while, some of his disciples stop following him.

592
00:29:07,350 --> 00:29:09,830
S6: This is very bad. And in John six there are

593
00:29:09,830 --> 00:29:12,230
S6: some who believe for a while, then they stop believing.

594
00:29:12,270 --> 00:29:14,110
S6: So one of the things our Lord wants to communicate

595
00:29:14,110 --> 00:29:17,310
S6: to us is hang in there, stay connected to me.

596
00:29:17,310 --> 00:29:21,150
S6: Keep listening, keep trusting, keep obeying. I want to add

597
00:29:21,150 --> 00:29:25,140
S6: one more thing and that is abiding is not about perfection.

598
00:29:25,580 --> 00:29:29,140
S6: Abiding is just being consistently faithful. When we sin, we

599
00:29:29,140 --> 00:29:31,980
S6: don't lose our relationship with God. We can abide by

600
00:29:32,020 --> 00:29:34,380
S6: then confessing the sin just like a husband and wife.

601
00:29:34,380 --> 00:29:36,979
S6: They might get angry, but they still remain husband and wife.

602
00:29:37,140 --> 00:29:40,500
S6: We will always have eternal life in Christ. But what

603
00:29:40,500 --> 00:29:44,100
S6: he's talking about here is that daily hanging in there,

604
00:29:44,460 --> 00:29:46,300
S6: cultivating the relationship with him.

605
00:29:46,340 --> 00:29:49,700
S1: Yeah, this is so important. This idea of abiding Oliver

606
00:29:49,700 --> 00:29:53,100
S1: takes us to the creation age. He says, how do

607
00:29:53,100 --> 00:29:55,820
S1: we respond to the idea that some scientists want to

608
00:29:55,820 --> 00:29:59,460
S1: say carbon dating places the Earth as billions of years old?

609
00:29:59,660 --> 00:30:02,980
S1: It's hard to wrap our minds around such age dates

610
00:30:03,100 --> 00:30:05,860
S1: when you consider how the 40 days of rain caused

611
00:30:05,860 --> 00:30:08,140
S1: a flood to change the contour of the land. When

612
00:30:08,140 --> 00:30:11,180
S1: you see how Mount Saint Helens changed the landscape within

613
00:30:11,180 --> 00:30:14,580
S1: a matter of hours, can we believe creation was literally

614
00:30:14,780 --> 00:30:18,500
S1: six 24 hour days as we know them? It would

615
00:30:18,500 --> 00:30:21,850
S1: seem like at least the sixth day creatures would take

616
00:30:21,850 --> 00:30:24,610
S1: more than 24 hours to evolve. When you consider the

617
00:30:24,610 --> 00:30:26,770
S1: life cycles and seasons your thoughts.

618
00:30:27,050 --> 00:30:29,850
S6: Can we believe in a six day creation? Short answer yes.

619
00:30:30,210 --> 00:30:32,450
S6: But let's talk about a couple of other things along

620
00:30:32,450 --> 00:30:36,010
S6: the way. Actually, carbon 14 dating can only take us

621
00:30:36,010 --> 00:30:40,050
S6: back to around 60,000 years in theory. And even that

622
00:30:40,050 --> 00:30:43,690
S6: has some questions to it. When we come to what's

623
00:30:43,690 --> 00:30:46,890
S6: happening in Genesis, I really believe that what's happening in

624
00:30:46,890 --> 00:30:50,530
S6: Genesis is six literal 24 hour days. This is how

625
00:30:50,530 --> 00:30:53,170
S6: it's being presented in Genesis. The kind of language that's

626
00:30:53,170 --> 00:30:55,610
S6: being used is the typical language you have in the

627
00:30:55,610 --> 00:30:58,010
S6: rest of scripture about typical days. And then when we

628
00:30:58,050 --> 00:31:00,370
S6: come to Exodus, when God is giving the law and

629
00:31:00,370 --> 00:31:03,410
S6: he's talking about the Sabbath on the sixth day, that's

630
00:31:03,410 --> 00:31:06,890
S6: being presented as as a literal week. Now, of course,

631
00:31:06,890 --> 00:31:09,810
S6: there's a lot we don't know about creation, because God

632
00:31:09,810 --> 00:31:11,969
S6: is so rich and deep and majestic. There's a lot

633
00:31:11,970 --> 00:31:14,930
S6: we don't know about creation. But here's my view. In

634
00:31:14,930 --> 00:31:20,000
S6: my view, God created the world with the appearance of age.

635
00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:22,280
S6: What do we have? We have Adam in the garden.

636
00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:25,080
S6: It appears he's full grown. And it appears that the

637
00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:28,200
S6: trees are full grown and they have fruit. And then

638
00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:30,440
S6: when he makes Eve. Thanks be to God. He makes

639
00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:33,360
S6: Eve and brings her and brings her to Adam. It

640
00:31:33,360 --> 00:31:37,080
S6: appears that she is full grown. Certainly. Right. So that

641
00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:40,360
S6: is the appearance of age, even though they're both brand new.

642
00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:43,960
S6: So what other appearances of age might there be embedded

643
00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:46,880
S6: in our world, when in fact there is a six

644
00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:49,440
S6: day creation? I think we. Yes, we can believe in

645
00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:50,760
S6: a six day creation.

646
00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:53,800
S1: Doctor Gerald Peterman answers your questions when you email the

647
00:31:53,800 --> 00:31:57,440
S1: land and the book at Moody. Edu. Thanks for joining

648
00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:00,080
S1: us on this third segment of The Land and the book.

649
00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:03,720
S1: Todd asks what is left to be fulfilled in God's

650
00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:07,080
S1: covenant with Abraham. Could a person not say the promises

651
00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:09,720
S1: to Abraham have already been fulfilled?

652
00:32:10,040 --> 00:32:12,040
S6: Well, a person can say that, but I don't believe

653
00:32:12,040 --> 00:32:15,720
S6: it's true. Are the promises to Abraham in the process

654
00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:19,110
S6: of being fulfilled? Yes they are. Are they all completely fulfilled?

655
00:32:19,150 --> 00:32:22,590
S6: No they're not. That is. What does the promise to

656
00:32:22,590 --> 00:32:26,230
S6: Abraham include? It includes a specific land. It includes a

657
00:32:26,230 --> 00:32:30,430
S6: promised seed or offspring that is family. And then also

658
00:32:30,430 --> 00:32:34,790
S6: the reality that it's Abraham's family that's going to bless

659
00:32:34,790 --> 00:32:37,670
S6: all the families of the world, all the nations on earth.

660
00:32:38,350 --> 00:32:42,230
S6: So do we see the specific land promise starting to

661
00:32:42,270 --> 00:32:46,150
S6: come true? Yes. But what Israel currently occupies is not

662
00:32:46,150 --> 00:32:49,989
S6: all that's promised in numbers 34. So that's beginning to

663
00:32:49,990 --> 00:32:52,390
S6: come true. How about the promise sea? Do we see

664
00:32:52,670 --> 00:32:55,469
S6: millions of Jews in the world? We do. I'd like

665
00:32:55,470 --> 00:32:58,630
S6: to see more. But we see that promise beginning to

666
00:32:58,630 --> 00:33:03,190
S6: be fulfilled. But through Abraham's offspring, all the nations on

667
00:33:03,190 --> 00:33:05,469
S6: earth will be blessed. Let's go to revelation five. What

668
00:33:05,470 --> 00:33:08,710
S6: do we find there? We find that John sees people

669
00:33:08,710 --> 00:33:12,510
S6: from every tribe and tongue and people and nation worshiping God.

670
00:33:12,910 --> 00:33:16,550
S6: That hasn't happened yet. There's still much mission to be done.

671
00:33:16,550 --> 00:33:20,940
S6: But because God has begun to fulfill the Abrahamic promises,

672
00:33:20,940 --> 00:33:23,260
S6: I think we can be sure that he will continue

673
00:33:23,260 --> 00:33:24,060
S6: to fulfill them.

674
00:33:24,900 --> 00:33:27,620
S1: Marvin takes us to an article in the Jerusalem Post

675
00:33:27,620 --> 00:33:32,180
S1: suggesting Jericho is 1100 years old. How did they know

676
00:33:32,180 --> 00:33:34,180
S1: the age of the city? How does this fit in

677
00:33:34,180 --> 00:33:37,220
S1: with the Bible? Who and when did people move into it?

678
00:33:37,340 --> 00:33:39,900
S1: Was it before the flood? From the Bible's point of view,

679
00:33:39,900 --> 00:33:43,140
S1: the flood happened about 4000 years ago. Could the Bible

680
00:33:43,140 --> 00:33:46,660
S1: chronology be skipping time, allowing for the city to be

681
00:33:46,820 --> 00:33:48,740
S1: 9000 years old B.C.?

682
00:33:49,460 --> 00:33:51,140
S6: I appreciate that all that seems to me that there

683
00:33:51,140 --> 00:33:53,220
S6: are several questions in there. I'm not sure I will

684
00:33:53,220 --> 00:33:57,140
S6: get to all of them. Actually, I printed off the

685
00:33:57,140 --> 00:34:00,500
S6: article from the post and read through it this morning. Actually,

686
00:34:00,540 --> 00:34:04,700
S6: the article in the Jerusalem Post says 11,000 years old,

687
00:34:04,700 --> 00:34:09,340
S6: not 1100 years old, suggesting the city had its existence

688
00:34:09,340 --> 00:34:12,779
S6: somewhere around 9000 B.C., something like that. Where does this

689
00:34:12,780 --> 00:34:16,049
S6: number come from? Where does this assertion come from? It

690
00:34:16,050 --> 00:34:19,850
S6: comes from Kathleen Kenyon, who way back in the 1950s

691
00:34:20,130 --> 00:34:23,410
S6: did some excavations there and made some assertions. Now you

692
00:34:23,410 --> 00:34:25,529
S6: have to keep in mind at least a couple of

693
00:34:25,530 --> 00:34:28,810
S6: things that happen when we're talking about archaeology. Many times,

694
00:34:28,810 --> 00:34:34,210
S6: archaeologists make the assumption of the world being billions of

695
00:34:34,210 --> 00:34:37,650
S6: years old, or they make the assumption about evolution. This

696
00:34:37,650 --> 00:34:42,890
S6: can sometimes taint their results. Furthermore, you're absolutely right. A

697
00:34:42,890 --> 00:34:46,370
S6: previous question that came to us has to do with

698
00:34:46,930 --> 00:34:50,170
S6: could the flood have rearranged some things? Could the flood

699
00:34:50,210 --> 00:34:54,290
S6: have caused layers of sediment to be mixed up? Yes, absolutely.

700
00:34:54,330 --> 00:34:56,370
S6: And over the course of time, much of this could

701
00:34:56,410 --> 00:35:00,049
S6: have happened. Now, I don't see that this assertion by

702
00:35:00,050 --> 00:35:03,690
S6: the post really negates the chronology we find in our

703
00:35:03,690 --> 00:35:06,730
S6: Old Testament, because the assertion made by the post is

704
00:35:06,730 --> 00:35:09,010
S6: largely based on evolutionary presuppositions.

705
00:35:09,410 --> 00:35:13,089
S1: Freya has a rather antagonistic comment. She says after a

706
00:35:13,090 --> 00:35:17,230
S1: year of genocide, Moody continues to defend the Israeli government

707
00:35:17,310 --> 00:35:20,629
S1: and provide cover for the countless deaths of Palestinians. You

708
00:35:20,630 --> 00:35:22,910
S1: are a shame to the name of God. How do

709
00:35:22,910 --> 00:35:24,150
S1: you respond, Doctor Peterman?

710
00:35:24,550 --> 00:35:27,270
S6: Freya, let me share this response from the entire land

711
00:35:27,270 --> 00:35:30,109
S6: of the book team. We're concerned by your lack of

712
00:35:30,110 --> 00:35:33,470
S6: understanding of what's really happening in the Middle East. Has

713
00:35:33,469 --> 00:35:37,070
S6: it been genocide? Yes. But it's not been genocide committed

714
00:35:37,070 --> 00:35:40,750
S6: by Israel. The genocide was committed by Hamas on October

715
00:35:40,750 --> 00:35:44,709
S6: 7th when they raped, tortured and killed 1200 Israelis for

716
00:35:44,710 --> 00:35:49,190
S6: simply being in their own homeland. In 1946, the United

717
00:35:49,190 --> 00:35:52,550
S6: Nations declared that genocide is a denial of the right

718
00:35:52,590 --> 00:35:57,270
S6: of existence of entire human groups. It is Hamas, Hezbollah

719
00:35:57,270 --> 00:35:59,790
S6: and Iran that have been trying to destroy Israel and

720
00:35:59,790 --> 00:36:04,110
S6: the Jewish people within Israel. There's something like 2 million Palestinians,

721
00:36:04,110 --> 00:36:08,229
S6: about 20% of Israel's population. And Israel wants those folks

722
00:36:08,230 --> 00:36:10,590
S6: to be safe in their homeland, as they want to

723
00:36:10,590 --> 00:36:14,460
S6: be safe in their homeland themselves. So we do not

724
00:36:14,460 --> 00:36:16,339
S6: wish anyone to die in this region. But we also

725
00:36:16,340 --> 00:36:18,060
S6: believe that Israel has the right to live in their

726
00:36:18,060 --> 00:36:20,940
S6: land without fear of attacks like that of October 7th.

727
00:36:21,340 --> 00:36:25,100
S6: And Hamas, Hezbollah and ultimately Iran have caused the current crisis.

728
00:36:25,780 --> 00:36:27,739
S6: God said he would bless those who bless Israel and

729
00:36:27,739 --> 00:36:31,180
S6: curse those who curse them. That's Genesis 12 three. They've

730
00:36:31,180 --> 00:36:33,140
S6: chosen to curse Israel, and in so doing, they have

731
00:36:33,140 --> 00:36:35,300
S6: set themselves against the God of the Bible.

732
00:36:36,100 --> 00:36:38,940
S1: Thank you for that sobering response, and we thank you

733
00:36:38,940 --> 00:36:41,939
S1: for your questions as well. Yours are welcome again when

734
00:36:41,940 --> 00:36:46,620
S1: you email us at the Land and the book@moody.edu. Charlie's

735
00:36:46,620 --> 00:37:03,220
S1: devotional is next right here. Our grandkids love to play

736
00:37:03,219 --> 00:37:05,940
S1: on the beach. And Charlie, they're they're real good at

737
00:37:05,940 --> 00:37:10,819
S1: constructing things. Towers and moats. And I don't know what

738
00:37:10,820 --> 00:37:12,810
S1: they do, but it's a lot of stuff. It's almost

739
00:37:12,810 --> 00:37:15,330
S1: become a city, but a city built on sand is

740
00:37:15,330 --> 00:37:17,090
S1: ultimately probably not a good idea.

741
00:37:17,570 --> 00:37:19,410
S2: It's not a good idea, John. And that's what we're

742
00:37:19,410 --> 00:37:20,290
S2: going to talk about today.

743
00:37:20,410 --> 00:37:23,410
S1: All right. As we turn toward acts 26, not before

744
00:37:23,410 --> 00:37:26,090
S1: we take in a testimony, though, from somebody who's traveled

745
00:37:26,090 --> 00:37:27,890
S1: to the Holy Land and has a thought for you

746
00:37:27,890 --> 00:37:28,370
S1: and me.

747
00:37:32,770 --> 00:37:34,529
S7: Hi, I'm Rick Warren, and I'd just like to talk

748
00:37:34,530 --> 00:37:38,610
S7: a little bit about my trip to Israel. What really

749
00:37:38,610 --> 00:37:42,010
S7: strikes me is every time this is my third trip here,

750
00:37:42,010 --> 00:37:45,410
S7: and every time I come is, you know, just going

751
00:37:45,410 --> 00:37:49,970
S7: through the various places where Jesus actually was and just

752
00:37:49,969 --> 00:37:53,410
S7: the sense that whether you're on the Sea of Galilee

753
00:37:54,130 --> 00:37:59,410
S7: or you're, you know, in Jerusalem or anywhere along the way,

754
00:37:59,410 --> 00:38:03,129
S7: just the fact that Jesus was actually there, and then

755
00:38:03,130 --> 00:38:06,089
S7: the thought just keeps coming back to me how much

756
00:38:06,090 --> 00:38:08,730
S7: he really loved us and what he was willing to

757
00:38:08,730 --> 00:38:11,239
S7: do for us in the And the sacrifice to come

758
00:38:11,239 --> 00:38:13,960
S7: to earth, to give up his place in heaven, to

759
00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:18,359
S7: come to earth and to make the sacrifices for our

760
00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:21,880
S7: salvation so that we we can honor and bring glory

761
00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:26,160
S7: to him. It's just really makes me very reflective each

762
00:38:26,160 --> 00:38:28,120
S7: and every time I come here. I think the thing

763
00:38:28,120 --> 00:38:34,040
S7: that really stands out to me this time was standing

764
00:38:34,040 --> 00:38:39,000
S7: on the Mount of Olives and just looking down on

765
00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:43,520
S7: the city of David and thinking about the last week

766
00:38:43,520 --> 00:38:46,080
S7: or so that he was here on earth. And that

767
00:38:46,080 --> 00:38:49,720
S7: just really, really struck me this time.

768
00:38:50,680 --> 00:38:54,360
S1: Acts chapter 26 is where we're headed for Charlie Dyer's devotional.

769
00:38:54,920 --> 00:38:56,320
S1: Let's let you get at it, Charlie.

770
00:38:56,640 --> 00:38:59,000
S2: Thanks. And, John, we're going to focus on Caesarea, a

771
00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:02,200
S2: city that was built on sand for many pilgrims to Israel.

772
00:39:02,200 --> 00:39:04,160
S2: One of the first stops on their journey through the

773
00:39:04,160 --> 00:39:08,080
S2: land is the Seaside Theater at Caesarea. The theater, originally

774
00:39:08,080 --> 00:39:10,469
S2: built by Herod the Herod the Great rises from the

775
00:39:10,469 --> 00:39:14,230
S2: sand dunes to greet its visitors. Though restored by archaeologists

776
00:39:14,230 --> 00:39:17,750
S2: and used today for musical performances, the theatre retains that

777
00:39:17,790 --> 00:39:21,190
S2: well-worn look of a structure that faced the Mediterranean for

778
00:39:21,190 --> 00:39:25,270
S2: 20 centuries. The scarred and pocked sandstone hints at the

779
00:39:25,310 --> 00:39:28,310
S2: storms that have lashed at it through the years. Walking

780
00:39:28,310 --> 00:39:30,990
S2: into the theatre brings a sense of excitement, but that

781
00:39:30,989 --> 00:39:34,710
S2: visceral emotional reaction does not come from the height or

782
00:39:34,710 --> 00:39:38,790
S2: the grandeur or the intricate workmanship of the structure. Rather,

783
00:39:38,790 --> 00:39:41,430
S2: it comes from being face to face with a visible,

784
00:39:41,590 --> 00:39:44,710
S2: tangible link to the past, a gateway back to the

785
00:39:44,710 --> 00:39:47,470
S2: time of the Bible. Herod the Great may have walked

786
00:39:47,469 --> 00:39:51,150
S2: across the same stones, his hands brushing against the very

787
00:39:51,150 --> 00:39:54,190
S2: walls you're now touching. The remains of his palace are

788
00:39:54,190 --> 00:39:56,670
S2: just a few hundred yards away. And that's where the

789
00:39:56,670 --> 00:40:00,550
S2: apostle Paul was imprisoned for two years before being taken

790
00:40:00,550 --> 00:40:04,230
S2: to Rome. During that time, Paul spoke boldly to Felix

791
00:40:04,230 --> 00:40:07,589
S2: and Festus, and to the great grandson of Herod the Great,

792
00:40:07,590 --> 00:40:11,819
S2: King Herod Agrippa the Second Luke records these encounters in

793
00:40:11,820 --> 00:40:15,940
S2: acts 24 and 25. Paul's life and ministry is intertwined

794
00:40:16,060 --> 00:40:19,780
S2: with this ancient Roman city on the shore of the Mediterranean.

795
00:40:20,260 --> 00:40:22,980
S2: But those who look beyond the impressive ruins soon see

796
00:40:22,980 --> 00:40:26,580
S2: the fatal flaw in Herod the Great's original design. The

797
00:40:26,580 --> 00:40:30,540
S2: city's foundations did not rest on solid rock. Instead, the

798
00:40:30,540 --> 00:40:34,700
S2: city spread out along the shifting sands of the Mediterranean coast.

799
00:40:34,739 --> 00:40:38,940
S2: Herod's harbor is gone, sunk beneath the waves. The aqueduct

800
00:40:38,940 --> 00:40:42,340
S2: that once brought Caesarea, its life giving water from Mount Carmel,

801
00:40:42,860 --> 00:40:47,180
S2: now stands in complete isolation. Its northern edge disappears beneath

802
00:40:47,180 --> 00:40:51,259
S2: the sand that has relentlessly reclaimed its territory, while the

803
00:40:51,260 --> 00:40:54,260
S2: southern end has been torn away by the Mediterranean, leaving

804
00:40:54,260 --> 00:40:56,980
S2: a gap between the aqueduct and the city it was

805
00:40:56,980 --> 00:41:00,500
S2: built to serve. Vast parts of the ancient city are

806
00:41:00,500 --> 00:41:04,339
S2: now covered by sand. What Herod thought was permanent was

807
00:41:04,340 --> 00:41:08,890
S2: only temporary. The city named after Caesar, built with Roman

808
00:41:08,890 --> 00:41:13,730
S2: technology and intended as a monument to Herod's greatness, hasn't endured.

809
00:41:14,050 --> 00:41:17,250
S2: The buildings may have been grand, but their foundations rested

810
00:41:17,250 --> 00:41:20,770
S2: on nothing more than sand. The entire western side of

811
00:41:20,770 --> 00:41:24,890
S2: the original Hippodrome, the horse racing track between Herod's Palace

812
00:41:25,010 --> 00:41:28,250
S2: and the harbor, is gone. It was washed away by

813
00:41:28,250 --> 00:41:32,130
S2: the relentless waves of some long ago storm that tore

814
00:41:32,130 --> 00:41:35,090
S2: away the sandstone blocks and carried them out to sea.

815
00:41:35,690 --> 00:41:38,570
S2: The Apostle Paul spent two years under guard at Herod's

816
00:41:38,570 --> 00:41:42,930
S2: palace in Caesarea, probably as nothing more than a footnote

817
00:41:42,930 --> 00:41:45,930
S2: in the ledgers of the Roman rulers who governed Judea

818
00:41:45,930 --> 00:41:48,730
S2: from here. But the mission to which Paul had committed

819
00:41:48,730 --> 00:41:51,890
S2: his life was not built on sand. It was anchored

820
00:41:51,890 --> 00:41:55,290
S2: on the solid rock of God's eternal son. As Paul

821
00:41:55,290 --> 00:41:59,529
S2: himself reminded the church at Corinth in one Corinthians 311,

822
00:41:59,530 --> 00:42:02,169
S2: for no one can lay any foundation other than the

823
00:42:02,170 --> 00:42:06,440
S2: one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. Paul's words in

824
00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:09,560
S2: that verse raise an important question in what should I

825
00:42:09,560 --> 00:42:12,480
S2: place my trust? That's likely a question that many who

826
00:42:12,480 --> 00:42:15,640
S2: listen to Paul must have asked themselves. They could see

827
00:42:15,640 --> 00:42:19,120
S2: the visible might of Rome. Could it somehow be less

828
00:42:19,120 --> 00:42:23,000
S2: permanent than God's promise of salvation? Grounded in the death

829
00:42:23,000 --> 00:42:26,480
S2: and resurrection of Jesus Christ? To many in Paul's day,

830
00:42:26,520 --> 00:42:30,440
S2: such a choice must have sounded absurd. Festus, the Roman

831
00:42:30,440 --> 00:42:35,040
S2: governor in Caesarea, after hearing Paul's impassioned message, cried out

832
00:42:35,040 --> 00:42:38,920
S2: in acts 26, Paul, you're out of your mind. He

833
00:42:38,920 --> 00:42:42,160
S2: lived in a magnificent palace with a pool that extended

834
00:42:42,160 --> 00:42:45,600
S2: out into the Mediterranean. He attended Roman plays in the

835
00:42:45,600 --> 00:42:48,920
S2: nearby theater, or listened to the pounding of horse's hooves

836
00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:52,280
S2: as they thundered around the hippodrome next to his palace.

837
00:42:52,280 --> 00:42:54,680
S2: From the palace roof, he could see the other impressive

838
00:42:54,680 --> 00:42:59,480
S2: buildings already standing while hearing the clank of hammers, hitting chisels,

839
00:42:59,480 --> 00:43:04,020
S2: fashioning still more monuments to Rome's greatness. To Festus, Hephaestus.

840
00:43:04,180 --> 00:43:09,020
S2: These stones and statues and monuments were reality. How could

841
00:43:09,020 --> 00:43:12,419
S2: Paul believe that the power of God through Jesus Christ

842
00:43:12,420 --> 00:43:17,500
S2: could be greater than this? That seemed absolutely absurd. It's

843
00:43:17,500 --> 00:43:21,180
S2: been almost 2000 years since Paul Festus and Herod Agrippa

844
00:43:21,180 --> 00:43:25,100
S2: the Second met in the audience hall at Caesarea, originally

845
00:43:25,100 --> 00:43:29,300
S2: built by Herod the Great. Only fragments of Herod's palace remain,

846
00:43:29,300 --> 00:43:33,180
S2: bits of tesserae that once formed grand mosaic floors. The

847
00:43:33,180 --> 00:43:35,980
S2: outline of the pool cut into solid rock and jutting

848
00:43:35,980 --> 00:43:40,300
S2: into the Mediterranean. Pieces of elegantly carved statues that only

849
00:43:40,340 --> 00:43:43,820
S2: hint at the glory that once adorned the site. This

850
00:43:43,820 --> 00:43:46,060
S2: city that was built to honor the name of Caesar

851
00:43:46,180 --> 00:43:49,100
S2: and promote the greatness of Herod is little more than

852
00:43:49,100 --> 00:43:55,660
S2: an archaeological curiosity worn, weathered, world weary. But the message

853
00:43:55,660 --> 00:43:58,739
S2: announced by the Apostle Paul in the room where we're

854
00:43:58,739 --> 00:44:02,779
S2: now standing, spread with power around the globe, and continues

855
00:44:02,969 --> 00:44:06,330
S2: to do so even today. It's almost time to head

856
00:44:06,330 --> 00:44:08,730
S2: back to the bus to continue our journey. But as

857
00:44:08,730 --> 00:44:10,649
S2: you look around one last time, I want to challenge

858
00:44:10,650 --> 00:44:13,489
S2: you to look at Ancient Caesarea and at your own

859
00:44:13,489 --> 00:44:16,569
S2: country in a different light, just as it must have

860
00:44:16,570 --> 00:44:19,129
S2: been in Paul's day. So today, it's easy to be

861
00:44:19,130 --> 00:44:24,970
S2: overwhelmed by the great feats of human accomplishment. The buildings, roads, monuments,

862
00:44:24,969 --> 00:44:28,970
S2: and palatial homes are definitely impressive, and the world around

863
00:44:28,969 --> 00:44:31,810
S2: us encourages us to devote our lives to plans and

864
00:44:31,810 --> 00:44:36,810
S2: projects that seem so grand, so awe inspiring, so permanent.

865
00:44:37,370 --> 00:44:40,850
S2: But what looks permanent is only temporary. Remember, it's not

866
00:44:40,850 --> 00:44:43,969
S2: the structure, but the foundation on which the structure is

867
00:44:43,969 --> 00:44:47,850
S2: built that ultimately provides stability, for no one can lay

868
00:44:47,850 --> 00:44:51,410
S2: any foundation other than the one already laid, which is

869
00:44:51,410 --> 00:44:55,090
S2: Jesus Christ. Edward Mote was born to parents who managed

870
00:44:55,090 --> 00:44:57,810
S2: a pub in England. He grew up not even knowing

871
00:44:57,850 --> 00:45:00,210
S2: there was a god. As a teenager, he became an

872
00:45:00,210 --> 00:45:03,799
S2: apprentice cabinetmaker. maker. His employer took him to a meeting where,

873
00:45:03,840 --> 00:45:06,120
S2: for the first time, he heard a minister share the

874
00:45:06,120 --> 00:45:09,800
S2: message of Christ. He responded and it changed his life.

875
00:45:10,160 --> 00:45:13,000
S2: He did become a successful cabinet maker, but one who

876
00:45:13,000 --> 00:45:17,040
S2: sought to serve Christ in his 50s. He entered the ministry.

877
00:45:17,400 --> 00:45:20,719
S2: He also expressed his love for God through music, writing

878
00:45:20,719 --> 00:45:24,759
S2: about 100 hymns. The words to his best known him

879
00:45:24,760 --> 00:45:28,279
S2: go like this. My hope is built on nothing less

880
00:45:28,280 --> 00:45:32,040
S2: than Jesus blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the

881
00:45:32,040 --> 00:45:36,640
S2: sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus name. On Christ,

882
00:45:36,640 --> 00:45:40,920
S2: the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand.

883
00:45:41,440 --> 00:45:45,600
S2: All other ground is sinking sand. And that leads me

884
00:45:45,600 --> 00:45:49,120
S2: to ask a simple question as we close today, what's

885
00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:52,880
S2: the foundation on which your life is built?

886
00:45:53,400 --> 00:45:56,480
S1: You know, I'm sitting here listening to this devotional, and

887
00:45:56,480 --> 00:45:59,720
S1: I'm thinking about somebody who's saying, boy, I've never made

888
00:45:59,910 --> 00:46:04,270
S1: Christ the center of my life, the foundation of my existence.

889
00:46:04,670 --> 00:46:06,430
S1: What should that person do now? If they'd like to

890
00:46:06,430 --> 00:46:09,030
S1: receive Jesus? Do they pray? What do they say? And.

891
00:46:09,030 --> 00:46:10,029
S1: And what's next?

892
00:46:10,150 --> 00:46:11,870
S2: Well, it's as simple as prayer. Prayer is just talking

893
00:46:11,870 --> 00:46:15,709
S2: with God. That person could say, Lord, I don't know you.

894
00:46:15,710 --> 00:46:17,790
S2: I don't know your son, at least the way that

895
00:46:17,790 --> 00:46:20,350
S2: they've been talking about him. But right now I know

896
00:46:20,350 --> 00:46:22,950
S2: I'm a sinner. I know Jesus died for my sins,

897
00:46:22,950 --> 00:46:24,870
S2: and I want to place my trust in him as

898
00:46:24,870 --> 00:46:28,469
S2: my Savior. And if they pray something that simple, that's

899
00:46:28,469 --> 00:46:30,830
S2: all it takes to make that transaction with God.

900
00:46:31,030 --> 00:46:33,750
S1: And if you've got questions that you'd like answers to,

901
00:46:33,790 --> 00:46:35,870
S1: why not speak with a volunteer now? Who will pray

902
00:46:35,870 --> 00:46:39,070
S1: with you and answer those questions at eight, eight, eight?

903
00:46:39,110 --> 00:46:42,950
S1: Need him 888 and the numbers that spell out need him.

904
00:46:43,590 --> 00:46:46,029
S1: Our time has gone. Always goes too quickly, but we're

905
00:46:46,030 --> 00:46:48,710
S1: always glad to have you with us. I'm John Yeager

906
00:46:48,710 --> 00:46:51,029
S1: for Charlie Dyer. The land and the book is a

907
00:46:51,030 --> 00:46:54,950
S1: production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.