WEBVTT - What Happens Next 0:00:08.900 --> 0:00:12.740 Max Lucado is one of America's most read Christian authors. 0:00:12.740 --> 0:00:15.860 You know him for his devotionals, but now he invites 0:00:15.860 --> 0:00:19.910 us to join him in focusing on future events, world prophecy, 0:00:19.910 --> 0:00:22.820 and what happens next. In just a few minutes, we're 0:00:22.820 --> 0:00:25.100 going to connect with special guest Max Lucado for a 0:00:25.100 --> 0:00:28.460 conversation about what's ahead. Right now, though, I want to 0:00:28.460 --> 0:00:31.900 welcome you to the land and the book from Moody Radio, 0:00:31.900 --> 0:00:34.750 where we take you to the Middle East and back 0:00:34.750 --> 0:00:37.690 with a biblical look at all that's going on. Our 0:00:37.690 --> 0:00:41.199 host is Doctor Charlie Dyer, noted Middle East expert, and 0:00:41.200 --> 0:00:45.279 I'm John Gieger. Charlie boy Israel certainly in the news again. 0:00:45.280 --> 0:00:49.000 And as the Bible is jam packed with end times 0:00:49.000 --> 0:00:52.870 prophecies about end times, world events, the regathering of the 0:00:52.890 --> 0:00:56.160 Jewish people to their ancient homeland. And Jesus soon returned. 0:00:56.160 --> 0:00:58.530 It seems to me it's crucial for us as believers 0:00:58.530 --> 0:01:02.040 to have a proper understanding of Bible prophecy. Why? Well, 0:01:02.040 --> 0:01:04.380 so our view of the future is shaped by Scripture, 0:01:04.380 --> 0:01:06.510 not just stuff we're reading online. 0:01:06.510 --> 0:01:09.090 You're absolutely right, John. And with that in mind, our 0:01:09.090 --> 0:01:12.810 friends at Life and Messiah have published a book titled God, 0:01:12.810 --> 0:01:16.230 Israel and Bible Prophecy, and they're offering it to listeners 0:01:16.230 --> 0:01:18.630 of the land in the book for a limited time. 0:01:18.630 --> 0:01:22.170 This informative book is focused on providing readers with a 0:01:22.170 --> 0:01:26.340 deeper understanding and greater appreciation of what God has in 0:01:26.340 --> 0:01:29.550 store for Israel and the nations by digging into what 0:01:29.550 --> 0:01:32.880 the scriptures say about these issues. If you're interested in 0:01:32.880 --> 0:01:36.419 learning more about what God has in store, visit Life 0:01:36.420 --> 0:01:39.720 in Messiah. Org and click on the Moody Radio button 0:01:39.720 --> 0:01:42.650 there to find out how you can receive your copy 0:01:42.650 --> 0:01:48.230 of God, Israel and Bible Prophecy. That's life in messiah.org. 0:01:48.380 --> 0:01:51.200 Charlie, a real important announcement right now. We've got a 0:01:51.200 --> 0:01:54.440 five book blast giveaway going on right now, five books 0:01:54.440 --> 0:01:56.990 we're giving away to anybody who will send in an 0:01:56.990 --> 0:02:00.320 email and be part of this drawing by Sunday at midnight. 0:02:00.350 --> 0:02:03.740 Enter to win this five book blast. Who's in this 0:02:03.740 --> 0:02:07.210 book blast? Well, we've got Charlie Dyer's Experiencing the Land 0:02:07.210 --> 0:02:10.030 of the book, a life changing journey through Israel. Just 0:02:10.030 --> 0:02:13.270 all kinds of great color photos and stories that you 0:02:13.270 --> 0:02:16.840 won't hear anywhere else. We've got wrestling with job, defiant 0:02:16.840 --> 0:02:19.480 faith in the face of suffering, a walking tour of 0:02:19.480 --> 0:02:22.600 the Gospels. In this way we came to Rome. This 0:02:22.600 --> 0:02:25.630 is an interesting book that talks about the geography of 0:02:25.630 --> 0:02:29.610 Paul's journeys and ministry. And finally, the chosen novel four 0:02:29.610 --> 0:02:32.700 from Jerry Jenkins, all part of our book blast. How 0:02:32.700 --> 0:02:35.190 do you enter? Send an email to the land and 0:02:35.190 --> 0:02:39.480 the book@moody.edu. Now you can't just say, please enter me, 0:02:39.480 --> 0:02:42.000 send me the books you need to tell us how 0:02:42.000 --> 0:02:45.000 does the land and the book impact your life? How 0:02:45.000 --> 0:02:48.450 does God use the land and the book in your life? 0:02:48.450 --> 0:02:51.690 All right, send that answer to us at the land 0:02:51.690 --> 0:02:54.690 and the book at Moody Dot. book@moody.edu, and we will 0:02:54.690 --> 0:02:58.260 draw at random. One winner by Sunday night at midnight. 0:02:58.260 --> 0:03:02.430 The land and the book at Moody dot. Edu. All right. 0:03:02.430 --> 0:03:05.310 Our current events. Topics. Story one. In response to the 0:03:05.310 --> 0:03:10.470 assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Iran has vowed revenge 0:03:10.470 --> 0:03:12.930 on Israel and the world has been holding its breath 0:03:12.930 --> 0:03:16.620 since then. What do we know so far about their plans? 0:03:16.620 --> 0:03:21.770 Yeah, you know, Israel hasn't officially claimed responsibility for Haniya's assassination, 0:03:21.770 --> 0:03:24.530 but apparently they told the US they were behind it. 0:03:24.530 --> 0:03:27.290 As the political chief of Hamas, Haniyeh was part of 0:03:27.290 --> 0:03:31.160 the leadership that's been targeted by Israel since October 7th. 0:03:31.190 --> 0:03:34.100 Iran was embarrassed by the attack, which took place in 0:03:34.100 --> 0:03:38.510 Tehran during the inauguration festivities for their new president. And 0:03:38.510 --> 0:03:41.650 it happened in a building controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary 0:03:41.650 --> 0:03:45.910 Guard Corps. Ayatollah Khomeini ordered a revenge attack on Israel 0:03:45.910 --> 0:03:48.970 and Iran met with representatives from other terror groups to 0:03:48.970 --> 0:03:53.470 prepare a coordinated attack. Back in April, Iran launched about 0:03:53.470 --> 0:03:57.550 300 rockets, missiles and drones against Israel. Most were shot 0:03:57.550 --> 0:04:00.820 down by US, British and Israeli forces, though a few 0:04:00.820 --> 0:04:03.369 made it through and caused minor damage to an Israeli 0:04:03.370 --> 0:04:06.420 Air Force base. Now at this time, Iran and its 0:04:06.420 --> 0:04:09.450 allies wanted to launch a much larger and more sustained 0:04:09.450 --> 0:04:13.950 attack of rockets, missiles and drones from multiple directions to 0:04:13.950 --> 0:04:18.750 overwhelm Israel's defenses and cause more damage. The US began 0:04:18.750 --> 0:04:22.589 an intensive diplomatic effort to cool tensions and to get 0:04:22.589 --> 0:04:26.400 Iran and its allies to reconsider. One possible reason for 0:04:26.400 --> 0:04:29.849 Iran to hold off on retaliating is the realization that 0:04:29.850 --> 0:04:34.140 the assassination wasn't caused by an Israeli missile as initially feared, 0:04:34.140 --> 0:04:37.140 but by a bomb smuggled into the room by members 0:04:37.140 --> 0:04:40.830 of its own security force working with Israel. As we 0:04:40.830 --> 0:04:44.070 record this program to send out to stations, we still 0:04:44.070 --> 0:04:46.950 don't know when or even if there's going to be 0:04:46.950 --> 0:04:49.740 an attack. It could even happen between the time we 0:04:49.740 --> 0:04:53.400 record and the time the program actually airs. Now, if 0:04:53.400 --> 0:04:56.790 there is an attack, it could come from Iran, Hezbollah 0:04:56.790 --> 0:05:00.570 or both. Iran could also try to attack Israelis traveling 0:05:00.570 --> 0:05:04.830 or living abroad. Israel prepared its defenses while telling its 0:05:04.830 --> 0:05:08.250 citizens to go about their normal duties and remain diligent. 0:05:08.250 --> 0:05:11.310 And in the meantime, all they can do is wait. 0:05:11.460 --> 0:05:14.460 Well, the US announced it would help Israel stand against 0:05:14.460 --> 0:05:18.370 any Iranian attack. What exactly did we do to help prepare? 0:05:18.370 --> 0:05:21.400 And what might we ask of Israel in return? Yeah. 0:05:21.400 --> 0:05:24.910 The US deployed multiple warships to the Persian Gulf and 0:05:24.910 --> 0:05:29.530 eastern Mediterranean to help repel any threatened attack. These include 0:05:29.529 --> 0:05:34.270 aircraft carriers and an amphibious assault team with 4000 Marines. 0:05:34.270 --> 0:05:38.380 We also sent fighter jet squadrons and land based ballistic 0:05:38.380 --> 0:05:41.849 missile defense systems. This was all intended to send a 0:05:41.850 --> 0:05:45.180 strong message to Iran that the US would defend Israel 0:05:45.180 --> 0:05:48.690 against attack. What we don't know right now is if 0:05:48.690 --> 0:05:52.560 Iran takes the message seriously or not, if Iran refrains 0:05:52.560 --> 0:05:55.200 from launching an attack, or if they only launch a 0:05:55.200 --> 0:05:58.890 token attack, then that would suggest they got the message. 0:05:58.920 --> 0:06:02.070 Another question that hasn't been fully addressed, though, is what 0:06:02.070 --> 0:06:05.310 the US will require of Israel in return for all 0:06:05.310 --> 0:06:09.450 our help. President Biden was apparently enraged over the assassination 0:06:09.450 --> 0:06:13.920 of Haniyeh, characterizing it publicly as unhelpful. He said the 0:06:13.920 --> 0:06:16.229 goal in the Middle East needs to be to reduce 0:06:16.230 --> 0:06:20.280 tension and secure a hostage deal with Hamas. Israel is 0:06:20.279 --> 0:06:24.390 heavily dependent on U.S. funds and equipment, and President Biden 0:06:24.390 --> 0:06:27.839 is using that to exert pressure on Israel to accept 0:06:27.839 --> 0:06:30.770 a cease fire deal and a hostage deal with Hamas. 0:06:30.770 --> 0:06:32.750 If one can be reached from. 0:06:32.750 --> 0:06:35.450 Moody Radio, this is the land and the book segment one. 0:06:35.450 --> 0:06:38.390 We're going over current events with our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer. 0:06:38.390 --> 0:06:40.940 I'm John Geiger, reminding you we've got a book blast 0:06:40.940 --> 0:06:44.450 coming until Sunday midnight. You can enter at the land 0:06:44.450 --> 0:06:48.590 and the book@moody.edu to win five books. We're giving away. 0:06:48.589 --> 0:06:51.470 More on that in a moment. Story number three. Israel's 0:06:51.500 --> 0:06:54.710 ongoing war with Hamas has almost gotten lost in the 0:06:54.710 --> 0:06:58.130 conflict with Hezbollah and Iran. But the war in Gaza 0:06:58.130 --> 0:07:01.820 raises a troubling question why has it been so hard 0:07:01.820 --> 0:07:03.260 to eliminate Hamas? 0:07:03.620 --> 0:07:06.200 You know, I think there are two primary reasons it's 0:07:06.200 --> 0:07:09.349 been so hard to eliminate them. The first is all 0:07:09.350 --> 0:07:13.310 the restrictions being placed on Israel throughout the war. They 0:07:13.310 --> 0:07:16.580 face charges of genocide, even though they've done more to 0:07:16.580 --> 0:07:20.580 minimize civilian casualties than any army in history. And that's 0:07:20.580 --> 0:07:24.030 especially true when facing an enemy that has deliberately hidden 0:07:24.030 --> 0:07:28.140 behind civilians using them, as well as homes and mosques 0:07:28.140 --> 0:07:32.340 and hospitals and schools as shields. The second reason, though 0:07:32.340 --> 0:07:35.190 it's been so hard to eliminate Hamas, is that at 0:07:35.190 --> 0:07:38.370 its core, this is a religious struggle, not just a 0:07:38.370 --> 0:07:42.690 military one. Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the October 7th 0:07:42.690 --> 0:07:46.590 massacre and the one leading the fight in Gaza, was 0:07:46.590 --> 0:07:50.910 just chosen to succeed Haniyeh as the political leader of Hamas. 0:07:50.940 --> 0:07:55.020 This consolidates all the political and military power of Hamas 0:07:55.020 --> 0:07:58.020 into the one person who holds some of the strongest 0:07:58.020 --> 0:08:02.040 religious views. Over the past ten months. Israel has amassed 0:08:02.040 --> 0:08:06.590 a treasure trove of information on Hamas through prisoner interrogations 0:08:06.590 --> 0:08:10.070 and the capture of files and computer disks. They discovered 0:08:10.070 --> 0:08:13.280 that under the leadership of people like Haniyeh and Sinwar, 0:08:13.310 --> 0:08:19.040 Hamas systematically indoctrinated the people in Islamic fundamentalism since taking 0:08:19.040 --> 0:08:24.020 control of Gaza in 2007. They've used Islam to justify 0:08:24.020 --> 0:08:28.370 their brutal attacks, Western concepts of moral values, of right 0:08:28.370 --> 0:08:32.170 and wrong, of what's logical and illogical, blinded us to 0:08:32.170 --> 0:08:36.099 the reality of the values espoused by Hamas and other 0:08:36.100 --> 0:08:40.480 Islamic fundamentalists. Many secular Israelis thought the root issues with 0:08:40.480 --> 0:08:44.140 Hamas were, well, economic or social or political. And that 0:08:44.140 --> 0:08:47.559 was all shattered on October 7th. The real cause for 0:08:47.559 --> 0:08:50.650 the conflict is the false teaching of Islam. It needs 0:08:50.650 --> 0:08:53.920 to be confronted by the truth of God's Word. In 0:08:53.920 --> 0:08:56.740 the end, only God can change the human heart. But 0:08:56.740 --> 0:08:59.620 we need to remember that faith comes by hearing and 0:08:59.620 --> 0:09:02.350 hearing by the Word of God. That's the real battle 0:09:02.350 --> 0:09:03.580 that needs to be fought. 0:09:03.580 --> 0:09:06.910 Israeli start up Eno valve has been acquired by an 0:09:06.910 --> 0:09:11.200 American company for $300 million. Tell us about this medical 0:09:11.200 --> 0:09:13.689 success story out of amazing Israel. 0:09:13.690 --> 0:09:15.309 You know, I want to approach this story from just 0:09:15.309 --> 0:09:17.110 a slightly different angle than we usually do with our 0:09:17.110 --> 0:09:20.850 amazing Israel stories. One of the most common heart issues 0:09:20.850 --> 0:09:25.140 is mitral valve regurgitation. While the aortic valve can be 0:09:25.140 --> 0:09:29.760 replaced using a procedure called taven's transcatheter aortic valve replacement. 0:09:29.790 --> 0:09:32.580 My own mother had that procedure, but up until now, 0:09:32.580 --> 0:09:36.630 the only effective solution to mitral valve leakage has been open. 0:09:36.630 --> 0:09:41.130 Heart surgery and many suffering from the problem can't endure 0:09:41.130 --> 0:09:44.960 open heart surgery, which reduces their quality of life and 0:09:44.960 --> 0:09:49.310 eventually their life expectancy. So Eno Valve developed a technology 0:09:49.309 --> 0:09:52.430 that allows doctors to reach this difficult spot in the 0:09:52.429 --> 0:09:56.330 heart and securely anchor a new mitral valve in place 0:09:56.330 --> 0:10:00.350 while the heart is still beating. After receiving approval from 0:10:00.350 --> 0:10:04.429 the FDA, they began implementing the device in clinical trials. 0:10:04.429 --> 0:10:07.630 To date, about 40 people in the United States have 0:10:07.630 --> 0:10:12.219 had their mitral valve replaced using their new technology. Its 0:10:12.220 --> 0:10:15.370 effectiveness can be seen in the recent purchase of Eno 0:10:15.370 --> 0:10:21.370 valve by American medical device giant Edwards Lifesciences, which specializes 0:10:21.370 --> 0:10:24.880 in solutions for heart disease patients. The goal now is 0:10:24.880 --> 0:10:28.090 to complete the clinical trials and make the device available 0:10:28.090 --> 0:10:32.730 to potentially millions of people who suffer with mitral valve leakage, 0:10:32.730 --> 0:10:37.920 offering a minimally invasive solution to a major health problem. This, John, 0:10:37.920 --> 0:10:41.790 is another real life medical solution that is coming our 0:10:41.790 --> 0:10:43.830 way out of amazing Israel. 0:10:43.830 --> 0:10:46.410 And that's a look at current events. Charlie, we're excited 0:10:46.410 --> 0:10:49.439 about our five book blast, and if you can tell 0:10:49.440 --> 0:10:52.140 us how the land and the book impacts you in 0:10:52.140 --> 0:10:56.849 a quick email to the land and the book@moody.edu. We 0:10:56.850 --> 0:10:59.309 will enter your name for our drawing, which happens Sunday 0:10:59.309 --> 0:11:02.070 night at midnight. That's the cut off point. Tell us 0:11:02.070 --> 0:11:03.959 how the land of the book impacts you. Maybe it's 0:11:03.960 --> 0:11:06.870 personal Bible study that has been enlightened for you. A 0:11:06.870 --> 0:11:09.390 Sunday school class, if you're a pastor, maybe a sermon 0:11:09.390 --> 0:11:12.420 you're working on, or maybe just a conversation with a friend. 0:11:12.420 --> 0:11:15.150 Let us know as you email us at the land 0:11:15.150 --> 0:11:20.720 and the book@moody.edu. You could enter and win five books 0:11:20.720 --> 0:11:24.050 from this book blast, including Experiencing the Land of the book, 0:11:24.050 --> 0:11:27.530 Charlie Dyer's personal stories, personal photos of more than 100 0:11:27.530 --> 0:11:31.130 trips to Israel, wrestling with job. Maybe somebody you know 0:11:31.130 --> 0:11:33.290 is going through a rough spot right now and could 0:11:33.290 --> 0:11:36.140 use that encouragement. A walking tour of the Gospels is 0:11:36.140 --> 0:11:39.590 part of this package, as is the chosen novel four 0:11:39.590 --> 0:11:43.000 in the series by Jerry Jenkins. Also in this way 0:11:43.000 --> 0:11:45.520 We Came to Rome A look at Paul on the 0:11:45.520 --> 0:11:49.329 Appian Way. Fascinating stuff. And again, email your entry at 0:11:49.330 --> 0:11:54.010 The Land and the book@moody.edu. Let us know how the 0:11:54.010 --> 0:11:57.850 land of the book impacts you. Coming up, a conversation 0:11:57.850 --> 0:12:01.300 with Max Lucado. What happens next? That's right here on 0:12:01.300 --> 0:12:18.120 the land and the book. When my wife and I 0:12:18.120 --> 0:12:21.840 are traveling to another country. We first explore it all online, 0:12:21.840 --> 0:12:25.230 and then we visit our library and check out several guidebooks. 0:12:25.230 --> 0:12:25.950 And we study the. 0:12:25.950 --> 0:12:26.670 Maps. 0:12:26.670 --> 0:12:29.610 Read the articles, bone up on what to see and 0:12:29.610 --> 0:12:33.120 what to skip. But as believers, shouldn't we be at 0:12:33.120 --> 0:12:36.959 least as deliberate about preparing for the end of this age? 0:12:36.990 --> 0:12:40.170 Thanks for joining us today on The Land and the book. 0:12:40.170 --> 0:12:42.930 We're up next. We're going to visit with America's favorite 0:12:42.929 --> 0:12:46.800 Christian writer, Max Lucado. First, though, let's sharpen our focus 0:12:46.800 --> 0:12:50.010 on ideas for being more intentional with loving our Jewish 0:12:50.010 --> 0:12:53.189 friends for Christ. If you're going to share Jesus with 0:12:53.190 --> 0:12:55.640 a Jewish friend or any friend you can't really do 0:12:55.640 --> 0:12:58.880 the story justice apart from the crucifixion. And the crucifixion, 0:12:58.880 --> 0:13:01.640 of course, involves blood. But how do we respond when 0:13:01.640 --> 0:13:04.849 our Jewish friends tell us that blood sacrifice is no 0:13:04.850 --> 0:13:08.209 longer necessary? West Tabor is with life in Messiah. 0:13:08.720 --> 0:13:11.690 We agree. Without a temple and priesthood, sacrifice is no 0:13:11.690 --> 0:13:16.130 longer possible. But what makes us think it's no longer necessary? 0:13:16.160 --> 0:13:18.290 We understand the God of Israel is the one who 0:13:18.290 --> 0:13:21.820 established the Levitical priesthood and the sacrificial system that required 0:13:21.820 --> 0:13:24.190 blood for atonement, for the life of the flesh is 0:13:24.190 --> 0:13:25.960 in the blood, and I've given it to you on 0:13:25.960 --> 0:13:28.240 the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it 0:13:28.240 --> 0:13:30.820 is the blood, by reason of the life that makes atonement. 0:13:31.150 --> 0:13:33.790 We also find in the Old Testament God's promise of 0:13:33.790 --> 0:13:35.380 one who will make atonement. 0:13:35.530 --> 0:13:38.350 So where do we go in the scriptures to point 0:13:38.350 --> 0:13:40.690 our Jewish friends to biblical truth? 0:13:40.960 --> 0:13:43.860 Well, the clearest description of Messiah's atoning work is found 0:13:43.860 --> 0:13:46.890 in Isaiah 53, but pointers to Messiah can be found 0:13:46.890 --> 0:13:50.670 throughout the Old Testament. Check out Moody's Handbook of Messianic Prophecy. 0:13:50.820 --> 0:13:53.400 Thoughts from West Tabor, who is with life in Messiah, 0:13:53.400 --> 0:13:57.600 joining us today on the land and the book. Max 0:13:57.600 --> 0:14:01.920 Lucado preaches and writes and does both with a unique touch. 0:14:01.920 --> 0:14:06.920 His storytelling is poetic and his Bible teaching is just accessible. 0:14:06.950 --> 0:14:09.200 He writes books and as he puts it, he does 0:14:09.200 --> 0:14:12.270 so for people who don't read books. More than 150 0:14:12.270 --> 0:14:15.710 million of his titles have been sold by way of 0:14:15.710 --> 0:14:18.439 a day job. Yeah. He serves as a Bible teacher 0:14:18.440 --> 0:14:21.590 at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. And we're 0:14:21.590 --> 0:14:23.840 here today to talk about his first full book on 0:14:23.840 --> 0:14:27.830 the end times, What Happens Next A Traveler's Guide to 0:14:27.830 --> 0:14:30.560 the end of the age. It's an honor to connect 0:14:30.560 --> 0:14:31.340 with you, sir. 0:14:31.610 --> 0:14:35.120 Oh, it's my privilege. You're a very, very kind and 0:14:35.120 --> 0:14:38.239 gracious to allow me to be on your program. 0:14:38.270 --> 0:14:41.570 Well, you know, a Pew survey shows that 55% of 0:14:41.570 --> 0:14:45.410 Americans say they are interested in end times events. What's 0:14:45.410 --> 0:14:47.900 got average Americans so interested, Max? 0:14:48.590 --> 0:14:50.570 I think a couple of things. That's a that's a 0:14:50.570 --> 0:14:53.750 really good question. I think a couple of things. One 0:14:53.750 --> 0:14:56.650 is what we're seeing in the world. You know, we've 0:14:56.650 --> 0:15:00.070 got uh, especially with Israel and Gaza, but we've also 0:15:00.070 --> 0:15:04.240 got a potential conflict between the U.S. and Russia, between 0:15:04.240 --> 0:15:08.590 US and China. There's potential conflict between China and Taiwan. 0:15:08.590 --> 0:15:12.160 We've got Russia and Ukraine. It just seems like the 0:15:12.160 --> 0:15:19.140 global condition is very, very fragile. And it has people anxious. Yeah. 0:15:19.140 --> 0:15:23.430 And then I think also just from a spiritual standpoint, 0:15:23.430 --> 0:15:28.890 that the Lord is stirring hearts. He's preparing his church. 0:15:28.890 --> 0:15:31.979 I'm not the only pastor who has felt a call 0:15:31.980 --> 0:15:35.490 in the last several years to really dive deep into 0:15:35.490 --> 0:15:39.570 understanding in times and try to unpack it better for 0:15:39.570 --> 0:15:43.760 our churches. So I'm hopeful that it's the Lord that's 0:15:43.760 --> 0:15:46.880 stirring this, because that's the stirring that matters the most. 0:15:46.910 --> 0:15:49.490 A lot of Christians are wondering, is it possible we 0:15:49.490 --> 0:15:52.280 are right now living in the end times? What do 0:15:52.280 --> 0:15:52.850 you think? 0:15:53.240 --> 0:15:56.510 Well, my answer is we're not in the end times. 0:15:56.510 --> 0:15:59.300 We're in the end of the end times. To me, 0:15:59.480 --> 0:16:01.880 you know, John, and I know this is a vibrant 0:16:01.880 --> 0:16:06.470 and robust discussion that we'll all have until the Lord returns. 0:16:06.620 --> 0:16:10.850 But to me, everything changed in May of 1948 when 0:16:10.880 --> 0:16:14.510 Israel became a nation. I mean, it is simply striking 0:16:14.510 --> 0:16:19.100 that a people who were dispersed from their homeland for 0:16:19.100 --> 0:16:24.860 2000 years would fulfill three specific biblical prophecies and be 0:16:24.860 --> 0:16:28.370 returned to their homeland. And all of those prophecies had 0:16:28.370 --> 0:16:31.540 to be fulfilled for many of the end times prophecy 0:16:31.810 --> 0:16:36.460 to be fulfilled. And so the fact that Israel has 0:16:36.460 --> 0:16:40.030 been regathered and is in the process of being regathered 0:16:40.030 --> 0:16:44.200 to its homeland is important. It is the we often 0:16:44.200 --> 0:16:47.620 call it the super sign. But a page of prophetic 0:16:47.620 --> 0:16:52.570 history was turned on May 8th, 1948, when Israel was 0:16:52.570 --> 0:16:54.730 reinstated to their home country. 0:16:54.870 --> 0:16:57.420 It's great to visit today with one of America's most 0:16:57.420 --> 0:17:01.260 beloved Christian writers, Max Lucado. I'm John Gager, and we're 0:17:01.260 --> 0:17:04.709 talking about what happens next. A Traveler's Guide to the 0:17:04.710 --> 0:17:08.100 End of the age here on the land and the book. Well, 0:17:08.100 --> 0:17:12.690 we live in an age of disunity, dislike and disinformation. 0:17:12.690 --> 0:17:15.240 How does that factor into what the Bible says about 0:17:15.240 --> 0:17:16.890 the end times? What do you think? 0:17:17.190 --> 0:17:20.430 I'm not at all surprised at the end times that 0:17:20.430 --> 0:17:23.640 during these last days that there is a greater sense 0:17:23.640 --> 0:17:27.090 of fear and anxiety. You think about it when people 0:17:27.090 --> 0:17:32.070 don't know where we are going, then they don't know 0:17:32.070 --> 0:17:36.060 where we are. They don't know how to interpret the 0:17:36.060 --> 0:17:38.520 many events. You know, there have been occasions when I 0:17:38.520 --> 0:17:42.810 got stuck in a subway and the subway line went down, 0:17:42.810 --> 0:17:45.830 or one time I got stuck in an elevator and 0:17:45.830 --> 0:17:48.890 the elevator quit moving. We've had those experiences and they're 0:17:48.890 --> 0:17:52.970 not very pleasant because they're claustrophobic. We wonder what's going 0:17:52.970 --> 0:17:55.760 to happen. I wonder if the whole world is in 0:17:55.760 --> 0:17:59.900 a claustrophobic state. As we look at these issues and 0:17:59.900 --> 0:18:04.609 statistics in which the mental health crisis is happening, depression 0:18:04.609 --> 0:18:07.660 is at an all time high. Suicide rates are just 0:18:07.660 --> 0:18:11.020 tragically high. Yes, and I wonder how much of it 0:18:11.020 --> 0:18:13.600 is simply due to the fact that we don't know 0:18:13.600 --> 0:18:16.570 what's about to happen. We feel stuck. We're trapped in 0:18:16.570 --> 0:18:19.780 a plane that can't get off the tarmac. And that's 0:18:19.780 --> 0:18:22.990 why the Christian gospel, that's why the hope of heaven. 0:18:22.990 --> 0:18:25.689 And that's why the promise of eternal life is so 0:18:25.690 --> 0:18:29.530 life giving. It tells me that these brief and momentary 0:18:29.530 --> 0:18:33.900 problems are not worth comparing with the glory that outweighs 0:18:33.900 --> 0:18:37.050 them all. And that's why we have the opportunity to 0:18:37.050 --> 0:18:39.900 give so much hope to so many people. 0:18:40.230 --> 0:18:42.720 You know, there are many among us, myself being one 0:18:42.720 --> 0:18:45.210 of them, who kind of grew up sort of fearing 0:18:45.210 --> 0:18:47.580 the rapture, you know? And if fear is not the 0:18:47.580 --> 0:18:49.139 right response, what is? 0:18:49.500 --> 0:18:53.040 Yes, sir, I know it. And I've talked to many people, 0:18:53.040 --> 0:18:55.700 especially when I was preaching through this series. All of 0:18:55.700 --> 0:18:59.090 my books are first sermon series. John at our church. 0:18:59.090 --> 0:19:01.669 And when I was preaching through this sermon series, I 0:19:01.670 --> 0:19:04.460 was surprised how many people came to me and said, 0:19:04.460 --> 0:19:07.429 you know, I grew up being afraid of the rapture. 0:19:07.609 --> 0:19:12.050 And I understand that the idea of a supernatural call 0:19:12.050 --> 0:19:16.669 of God to empty out the graves and the living 0:19:16.670 --> 0:19:19.510 will be raised and will be reunited with those who 0:19:19.510 --> 0:19:22.750 are in Paradise right now. But the Apostle Paul said 0:19:22.750 --> 0:19:26.020 after he taught on this in first Thessalonians four to 0:19:26.020 --> 0:19:29.649 encourage one another with these words, I believe it's an 0:19:29.650 --> 0:19:32.949 encouraging it's an exciting moment because what it says to 0:19:32.950 --> 0:19:36.370 me is that God will deliver his church. He will 0:19:36.369 --> 0:19:41.169 rescue his church before the real chaos begins during the 0:19:41.170 --> 0:19:45.160 tribulation and in that moment of rapture as well as deliverance, 0:19:45.160 --> 0:19:48.040 it will be great healing. I've got so many people 0:19:48.040 --> 0:19:51.010 who are friends and members of our congregation, who have 0:19:51.010 --> 0:19:54.670 lived their lives in bodies that have never worked well. 0:19:54.670 --> 0:19:57.490 I cannot wait for that moment in which they will 0:19:57.490 --> 0:20:01.450 be changed from one instant to the next in a perfected, 0:20:01.450 --> 0:20:05.320 glorified body in which they will live forever. And so 0:20:05.320 --> 0:20:08.340 it's going to be the greatest miracle since the history 0:20:08.340 --> 0:20:11.340 of mankind. And so I'm not quite sure how to 0:20:11.340 --> 0:20:15.510 calm people's fears except to say Jesus said, do not 0:20:15.510 --> 0:20:18.600 let your heart be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also 0:20:18.600 --> 0:20:21.239 in me and my father's house. There are many mansions, 0:20:21.240 --> 0:20:23.280 and if it were not, so would I have told you? 0:20:23.280 --> 0:20:25.800 But I am going there to prepare a place for you. 0:20:25.800 --> 0:20:29.040 And when I'm finished, I will come back and get you. 0:20:29.040 --> 0:20:31.500 That's his promise. I will come back and get you. 0:20:31.520 --> 0:20:34.820 So let's don't be afraid of it. Let's trust the Lord. 0:20:34.820 --> 0:20:38.600 Let's trust his goodness and his provision. And let's be 0:20:38.600 --> 0:20:41.390 comforted by the fact that he he will rescue us 0:20:41.390 --> 0:20:42.439 at the right time. 0:20:42.560 --> 0:20:45.859 Max Lucado is a writer whose books you've read or 0:20:45.859 --> 0:20:49.220 should have. He joins us today on the land and 0:20:49.220 --> 0:20:52.490 the book. What are some typical mistakes that we make 0:20:52.490 --> 0:20:56.000 when trying to do our own study of end times events. 0:20:56.420 --> 0:20:59.600 Now that is a great question. I've done several interviews 0:20:59.600 --> 0:21:01.700 and no one's asked me that, and that's the kind 0:21:01.700 --> 0:21:05.180 of question I'd love to answer, because what I've found, John, 0:21:05.180 --> 0:21:07.250 as I dug into this, is that we do make 0:21:07.250 --> 0:21:10.429 a mistake, and that is we go quickly to the 0:21:10.430 --> 0:21:14.270 prophetic books like Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, of course, the Book 0:21:14.270 --> 0:21:17.720 of Revelation. And, well, we should. Well, we should. I 0:21:17.720 --> 0:21:21.350 just think we should start in the book of Genesis. 0:21:21.350 --> 0:21:24.409 I think the book of Genesis is the most prophetic 0:21:24.410 --> 0:21:27.980 book in the Bible, because what God declares in the 0:21:27.980 --> 0:21:31.280 beginning is what will happen in the end. The Scripture 0:21:31.280 --> 0:21:34.189 tells us he declares the end from the beginning. So 0:21:34.190 --> 0:21:36.139 if you want to know how we're going to end up, 0:21:36.140 --> 0:21:38.899 let's see how we began. And when you look at 0:21:38.900 --> 0:21:42.650 the Garden of Eden, there you see God's intent and 0:21:42.650 --> 0:21:48.840 purpose that his people would reign with him in perfect bodies, 0:21:48.840 --> 0:21:53.940 in a perfect Paradise. So there's God's plan now, unlike us, 0:21:53.940 --> 0:21:57.090 God doesn't change his mind. You know, I may change 0:21:57.090 --> 0:21:59.129 my mind 2 or 3 times on a given day. 0:21:59.130 --> 0:22:01.800 Not God, he declares the end from the beginning. And 0:22:01.800 --> 0:22:06.030 so he's already declared that this is his prototype. This 0:22:06.030 --> 0:22:08.750 is his picture and what we see in the lives 0:22:08.750 --> 0:22:11.390 of Adam and Eve is a picture of his purpose 0:22:11.390 --> 0:22:14.480 for us. So if we do make a mistake in 0:22:14.480 --> 0:22:17.900 terms of studying in times, it's that we go to 0:22:17.900 --> 0:22:22.100 the end rather than to the beginning. But really, eschatology, 0:22:22.100 --> 0:22:25.369 which is the study of end things or last things, 0:22:25.369 --> 0:22:28.399 is best understood through proctology, which is the study of 0:22:28.400 --> 0:22:31.700 the earliest things. I did that in the book. I 0:22:31.700 --> 0:22:34.119 found that and also shared that with the church. And 0:22:34.119 --> 0:22:37.630 I kept coming back to that. You know, here's what 0:22:37.660 --> 0:22:41.170 God is doing. Here's where he is taking us. So 0:22:41.170 --> 0:22:45.490 let's don't get too confused or intimidated by the numbers 0:22:45.490 --> 0:22:48.190 and the symbols of the prophetic books until we've laid 0:22:48.190 --> 0:22:51.879 the foundation from the first book. And that's God's plan 0:22:51.880 --> 0:22:53.230 in the book of Genesis. 0:22:53.740 --> 0:22:55.990 Let's move on to a question that's on a lot 0:22:55.990 --> 0:22:59.770 of people's minds. Who or what is the Antichrist? And 0:22:59.770 --> 0:23:02.710 do you personally think the Antichrist is alive today? 0:23:02.980 --> 0:23:07.930 Well, the Antichrist is a figure that Satan will use 0:23:07.930 --> 0:23:12.189 in the tribulation or seven years of trouble after the 0:23:12.190 --> 0:23:18.040 church is raptured and Satan will indwell that person exactly 0:23:18.040 --> 0:23:21.659 the way he moved into the body of Judas on 0:23:21.660 --> 0:23:24.870 the evening prior to the crucifixion, and led Judas to 0:23:24.869 --> 0:23:29.580 betray Jesus. The Antichrist is a war monger. He'll come 0:23:29.580 --> 0:23:32.669 across as a peacemaker during a time of crisis, because 0:23:32.670 --> 0:23:36.090 the world will see the sudden vacated graves and the 0:23:36.090 --> 0:23:39.300 disappearance of the Christians. They'll say, where are all these people? 0:23:39.300 --> 0:23:42.630 It'll send the world into a state of chaos and crisis. 0:23:42.630 --> 0:23:45.800 But he will step forth, much like Hitler did, and 0:23:45.800 --> 0:23:49.370 be a calming voice and be a magnetic personality. And 0:23:49.369 --> 0:23:53.210 people will be irresistibly lured to him, and he will 0:23:53.210 --> 0:23:56.869 negotiate a peace treaty that involves the nation of Israel 0:23:56.869 --> 0:24:00.680 and involves, I believe, the rebuilding of the temple. But 0:24:00.680 --> 0:24:03.380 midway through that peace treaty, he'll break it. He'll set 0:24:03.380 --> 0:24:06.530 him up in the in the temple itself and demand 0:24:06.530 --> 0:24:10.750 to be worshipped. Daniel called this. And then Jesus called 0:24:10.750 --> 0:24:13.930 this the abomination of desolation. And it will take place 0:24:13.930 --> 0:24:17.590 during those seven years. So he is the ultimate pawn 0:24:17.590 --> 0:24:20.980 of the devil. Now to your question, is he alive today? 0:24:20.980 --> 0:24:24.760 I believe a candidate for the Antichrist is alive in 0:24:24.760 --> 0:24:29.800 every generation. Remember, Satan is not omnipresent and he's not 0:24:29.830 --> 0:24:33.730 omniscient and so he does not know when the rapture 0:24:33.730 --> 0:24:37.149 will take place. For that reason, I believe he's had 0:24:37.150 --> 0:24:41.290 a candidate in each generation. In the minute that there 0:24:41.290 --> 0:24:43.600 is a rapture, then Satan will go to work. I 0:24:43.600 --> 0:24:47.080 do not know if the Antichrist will appear immediately like 0:24:47.080 --> 0:24:50.110 within minutes after the rapture, but soon thereafter, at some 0:24:50.109 --> 0:24:54.190 point he will appear and Satan will have embodied him 0:24:54.190 --> 0:24:57.750 or moved into him. And so yeah, a candidate, it 0:24:57.750 --> 0:25:01.469 seems to me, is is alive in each generation. So 0:25:01.470 --> 0:25:05.220 there's one in our generation, but we who are believers 0:25:05.220 --> 0:25:08.130 will be rescued before he comes. Uh, the Scripture has 0:25:08.130 --> 0:25:10.770 promised that God will protect us from the wrath, not 0:25:10.770 --> 0:25:13.170 lead us to the wrath. And so for that, we 0:25:13.170 --> 0:25:14.700 don't have to worry. I'm never going to meet him. 0:25:14.700 --> 0:25:16.680 You're never going to meet him? Uh, I don't. 0:25:16.680 --> 0:25:17.070 Know if we'll. 0:25:17.070 --> 0:25:18.810 Be able to see him from Paradise. If we do, 0:25:18.810 --> 0:25:20.040 I don't even want to look at him. 0:25:20.420 --> 0:25:20.720 Uh. 0:25:21.380 --> 0:25:24.860 So I'm not anxious about it. But I do believe 0:25:24.859 --> 0:25:28.250 that those who do not know Christ should be anxious 0:25:28.250 --> 0:25:29.990 about it. And for that reason, we've got to be 0:25:29.990 --> 0:25:34.160 urgent urging people to trust Christ now, before the end comes. 0:25:34.160 --> 0:25:37.610 What happens next? A Traveler's Guide to the End of 0:25:37.609 --> 0:25:40.669 the age. We've been talking with author Max Lucado about 0:25:40.670 --> 0:25:43.520 that book. So many other questions to tackle, which means 0:25:43.520 --> 0:25:46.210 we need to get together again. Would you say we 0:25:46.210 --> 0:25:49.300 do it next time? We're looking forward to that conversation. 0:25:49.300 --> 0:25:51.700 But right now it's a look at Bible questions with 0:25:51.700 --> 0:25:54.040 our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer. That's next here on the 0:25:54.040 --> 0:26:08.679 land and the book. Welcome back to the land and 0:26:08.680 --> 0:26:11.560 the book. I'm John Gager saying thank you. Thank you 0:26:11.560 --> 0:26:13.480 for being with us. And thank you for sharing us 0:26:13.480 --> 0:26:15.640 with your friends. Word of mouth is how others find 0:26:15.640 --> 0:26:19.600 out about the broadcast or podcast, however you choose to listen. 0:26:19.600 --> 0:26:21.760 We're grateful for that. If you're a regular, you know 0:26:21.760 --> 0:26:24.460 this is segment three where we tackle questions that have 0:26:24.460 --> 0:26:27.520 been emailed to us. Here's a question though Israel has 0:26:27.520 --> 0:26:29.530 been in the news a lot over the past year 0:26:29.530 --> 0:26:32.820 and as we know, the Bible is jam packed with 0:26:32.820 --> 0:26:36.840 end times prophecies about epic world events, the regathering of 0:26:36.840 --> 0:26:39.570 the Jewish people to their ancient homeland. And of course, 0:26:39.570 --> 0:26:42.780 Jesus soon returned. It is crucial for us as believers 0:26:42.780 --> 0:26:46.530 to have a proper understanding of Bible prophecy. So our 0:26:46.530 --> 0:26:49.320 view of the future is shaped by Scripture, not today's headlines. 0:26:49.320 --> 0:26:51.389 Do you have that perspective? Right, Charlie? 0:26:51.420 --> 0:26:53.520 That's right. John. In fact, with this in mind, our 0:26:53.520 --> 0:26:57.200 friends at Life and Messiah have published a book titled God, 0:26:57.200 --> 0:27:00.560 Israel and Bible Prophecy, and they're offering it to listeners 0:27:00.560 --> 0:27:02.750 of the land in the book for a limited time. 0:27:02.750 --> 0:27:06.379 This informative book is focused on providing readers with a 0:27:06.380 --> 0:27:10.189 deeper understanding and greater appreciation of what God has in 0:27:10.190 --> 0:27:12.950 store for Israel and the nations by digging into what 0:27:12.950 --> 0:27:16.070 the scriptures say about these issues. Now, if you're interested 0:27:16.070 --> 0:27:19.400 in learning more about what God has in store, visit 0:27:19.400 --> 0:27:22.300 Life in Messiah. Org and click on the Moody Radio 0:27:22.300 --> 0:27:25.330 button there to find out how you can receive your 0:27:25.330 --> 0:27:30.310 copy of God, Israel and Bible Prophecy. That's life in Messiah. 0:27:30.580 --> 0:27:33.790 Org if I had an imaginary button here I could push. 0:27:33.790 --> 0:27:35.950 I would go for a drum roll. As we open 0:27:35.950 --> 0:27:39.130 today's segment of questions and answers, starting with this one 0:27:39.130 --> 0:27:42.340 from Todd, who says, can you help me interpret? First 0:27:42.340 --> 0:27:46.930 Samuel 1529 and verse 35 one verse says, the Lord 0:27:46.930 --> 0:27:50.830 doesn't regret, and the next says, the Lord regretted. Charlie. 0:27:50.830 --> 0:27:52.000 Help us. Yeah. 0:27:52.000 --> 0:27:54.850 And both of those passages I see God using imagery 0:27:54.850 --> 0:27:58.810 of human emotion to express divine judgment. That is, the 0:27:58.810 --> 0:28:02.920 passage isn't suggesting God's fickle or prone to unpredictable changes 0:28:02.920 --> 0:28:06.129 in thought or mind. In fact, right in the middle 0:28:06.130 --> 0:28:09.060 of this section is verse 29, where Samuel provides a 0:28:09.060 --> 0:28:13.620 clear theological statement of God's immutability. He says, he who 0:28:13.619 --> 0:28:16.080 is the God of Israel does not lie or change 0:28:16.080 --> 0:28:18.210 his mind, for he is not a man, that he 0:28:18.210 --> 0:28:20.970 should change his mind. And the word used twice in 0:28:21.000 --> 0:28:23.970 that verse, change his mind, is the exact same word 0:28:23.970 --> 0:28:26.790 used in those other verses. Now here's how I put 0:28:26.790 --> 0:28:29.909 it all together. Verse 29 is that clear explanation of 0:28:29.910 --> 0:28:34.129 God's character? God's character and his actions remain consistent. God 0:28:34.130 --> 0:28:38.870 always rewards obedience, and he always judges disobedience. When Saul 0:28:38.870 --> 0:28:42.110 chose to disobey God, God withdrew his blessing from Saul 0:28:42.110 --> 0:28:45.260 and placed Saul under judgment. But to picture that in 0:28:45.260 --> 0:28:48.440 human terms it would appear that God relented or regretted 0:28:48.440 --> 0:28:51.380 his original decision. By the way, a good example of 0:28:51.380 --> 0:28:55.150 this principle can be found in Jeremiah 18, verses 7 0:28:55.150 --> 0:28:58.390 to 10. Jeremiah describes how God can appear to relent 0:28:58.390 --> 0:29:01.240 or change his mind, but in actual fact, God is 0:29:01.240 --> 0:29:04.360 consistent in promising to bless those who turn to him 0:29:04.360 --> 0:29:07.540 and to judge those who turn away from him. Historically, 0:29:07.540 --> 0:29:10.030 it's the same principle found in the Book of Jonah, 0:29:10.030 --> 0:29:14.170 where Jonah's message of judgment against Nineveh didn't take place 0:29:14.170 --> 0:29:17.560 because the people repented. In his anger, Jonah said to God, 0:29:17.560 --> 0:29:20.800 I knew you were a gracious and compassionate God, slow 0:29:20.800 --> 0:29:23.760 to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents 0:29:23.760 --> 0:29:27.030 from sending calamity. And the same word for relent is 0:29:27.030 --> 0:29:30.060 used in both Jeremiah 18 and Jonah four. That's used 0:29:30.060 --> 0:29:32.910 in in Samuel. So starting to go into all that detail. 0:29:32.910 --> 0:29:34.950 But I think the way to harmonize the verse is 0:29:34.950 --> 0:29:38.790 to recognize God in His essence is immutable. He doesn't change, 0:29:38.790 --> 0:29:41.490 but part of his character is God is to judge 0:29:41.490 --> 0:29:45.660 sin and disobedience and to reward repentance and submission. And 0:29:45.660 --> 0:29:48.720 in Saul's case, God went from blessing him to judging 0:29:48.720 --> 0:29:51.420 him based on Saul's actions as king. 0:29:51.450 --> 0:29:54.450 Thank you Charlie. Appreciate you clearing that up. Nancy wants 0:29:54.450 --> 0:29:57.480 to know, has the Philistine city of Gaza been in 0:29:57.480 --> 0:30:02.520 existence continuously since biblical times? Reading Zechariah nine, it's foretold 0:30:02.520 --> 0:30:05.370 this area would become a remnant for God. Would this 0:30:05.400 --> 0:30:08.760 be after Christ takes rule over all, or has there 0:30:08.760 --> 0:30:11.630 been a time previously when that people knew the God 0:30:11.630 --> 0:30:14.990 of Israel? Obviously the current territory of Gaza is much 0:30:14.990 --> 0:30:18.230 larger and not this remnant. Your perspective? 0:30:18.260 --> 0:30:20.540 Yeah, I've got to answer by putting verse seven there 0:30:20.540 --> 0:30:24.170 in its larger context. Zechariah nine ultimately points toward the 0:30:24.170 --> 0:30:26.810 coming of Israel's Messiah. In fact, verse nine in that 0:30:26.810 --> 0:30:29.870 chapter describes his arrival in Jerusalem on the colt, the 0:30:29.870 --> 0:30:32.360 foal of a donkey. So the overall imagery in the 0:30:32.360 --> 0:30:35.030 beginning of the chapter is of God coming to humble 0:30:35.030 --> 0:30:38.840 or judge nations and assume his rightful place as king. 0:30:38.930 --> 0:30:41.690 In verses 1 to 7, God pictures this coming as 0:30:41.690 --> 0:30:44.300 a march from north to south, and I believe the 0:30:44.300 --> 0:30:47.540 historical fulfillment of those verses came to pass when God 0:30:47.540 --> 0:30:50.960 sent Alexander the Great against the Gentile powers that are 0:30:50.960 --> 0:30:54.170 listed there. Now, when Zechariah then announced in verse seven 0:30:54.170 --> 0:30:56.780 that those who are left of the Philistines will belong 0:30:56.810 --> 0:30:59.460 to our God and become leaders in Judah, I believe 0:30:59.460 --> 0:31:02.250 he's predicting that the remnant will be absorbed into the 0:31:02.250 --> 0:31:04.950 nation of Judah. That is, he's saying the Philistines will 0:31:04.950 --> 0:31:08.310 lose their national identity and become part of the Jewish nation. 0:31:08.310 --> 0:31:11.100 And that's why he also adds that Ekron will be 0:31:11.100 --> 0:31:14.700 like the Jebusites. So he's comparing the remaining Philistines to 0:31:14.700 --> 0:31:18.240 the remnant of the Jebusites. When David captured Jebus and 0:31:18.240 --> 0:31:20.040 made it the capital of Israel. 0:31:20.070 --> 0:31:23.820 Here's a question from Mark takes us to numbers three, 42, 0:31:23.820 --> 0:31:26.640 and 43, which tell us that the total number of 0:31:26.640 --> 0:31:32.790 firstborn male Israelites a month old or more was 22,273. 0:31:32.820 --> 0:31:35.370 This total, he says, seems small in light of the 0:31:35.370 --> 0:31:38.280 fact that the number of male Israelites 20 years old 0:31:38.280 --> 0:31:40.620 or more, who were able to serve in this army 0:31:40.620 --> 0:31:45.800 was 603,550. What do I misunderstand? I thought all first 0:31:45.800 --> 0:31:50.330 born Israelites includes all. Firstborn is the figure from numbers 0:31:50.330 --> 0:31:53.330 three only firstborn under age 20. And if so, how 0:31:53.330 --> 0:31:55.370 do we know that? Or did I miss something? 0:31:55.400 --> 0:31:57.140 Yeah. This is one of those times when I would 0:31:57.140 --> 0:31:59.600 tell students, that's a great question. I wish I had 0:31:59.600 --> 0:32:02.060 a great answer to go along with it. And in 0:32:02.060 --> 0:32:04.850 this case, I think there are several possible answers, though 0:32:04.850 --> 0:32:08.120 none of them right now appears to be completely satisfactory. 0:32:08.150 --> 0:32:11.230 Now I take at face value numbers three versus 42 0:32:11.230 --> 0:32:14.380 and 43, which says the total number of firstborn males 0:32:14.380 --> 0:32:19.360 a month old and upward in Israel was 22,273. And 0:32:19.360 --> 0:32:21.760 verse 32 of chapter two says, the total number of 0:32:21.760 --> 0:32:27.250 fighting men 20 years old and upward was 603,550. So 0:32:27.250 --> 0:32:29.950 if you put those together, the ratio of total fighting 0:32:29.950 --> 0:32:32.890 men to firstborn would be something like 27 to 1, 0:32:32.890 --> 0:32:35.700 you know, that is, uh, there's 27 fighting men for 0:32:35.700 --> 0:32:38.730 every one first born. Now, they did have large families 0:32:38.730 --> 0:32:41.490 and many had multiple wives, but that seems like a 0:32:41.490 --> 0:32:44.910 large number. But there are several possible solutions, each of 0:32:44.910 --> 0:32:48.150 which comes at least with its own potential issues. Some 0:32:48.180 --> 0:32:51.060 see this as the key to reducing the population of Israelites. 0:32:51.060 --> 0:32:53.670 At the time of the Exodus, from 2 million to 0:32:53.670 --> 0:32:57.870 about 250,000. Now, I don't like that response. And here's 0:32:57.870 --> 0:33:00.690 part of the reason why there's a little obscure passage 0:33:00.690 --> 0:33:04.440 in Exodus chapter 38, where the amount of silver collected 0:33:04.440 --> 0:33:07.890 from the half shekel tax imposed on each male, it's 0:33:07.890 --> 0:33:12.060 100 talents and 775 shekels. When you add that up, 0:33:12.060 --> 0:33:17.310 it exactly matches 603,550 men. So I really do think 0:33:17.310 --> 0:33:19.200 that that's how many fighting men there were, which means 0:33:19.200 --> 0:33:22.310 the whole population was around 2 million. Now others say, 0:33:22.310 --> 0:33:25.640 well then maybe the 22,000 only refers to first born 0:33:25.640 --> 0:33:29.540 male children born after the time of the first Passover possible. 0:33:29.540 --> 0:33:31.700 But there's nothing in the passage that would seem to 0:33:31.700 --> 0:33:34.610 limit it that way. Others suggest it might be a 0:33:34.610 --> 0:33:37.520 textual error, and the number could actually be higher, but 0:33:37.520 --> 0:33:40.040 there's no evidence of a textual problem. In fact, the 0:33:40.040 --> 0:33:43.730 Septuagint very closely matches the Masoretic Text at this point. 0:33:43.730 --> 0:33:46.209 So what do I suggest? Well, I start with the 0:33:46.210 --> 0:33:48.670 assumption that it isn't an error in the Bible. There 0:33:48.670 --> 0:33:51.880 is a solution. Even if it's not readily apparent to me. 0:33:52.000 --> 0:33:55.210 It means I need to hold any proposed solution lightly 0:33:55.210 --> 0:33:58.390 until more information is available. I think the possibility of 0:33:58.390 --> 0:34:01.690 lowering the total number of Israelites seems the least likely option. 0:34:01.720 --> 0:34:04.750 It's possible that the apparent discrepancy can be reduced by 0:34:04.750 --> 0:34:07.660 assuming the firstborn male is reckoned from the father, instead 0:34:07.660 --> 0:34:10.049 of the case of multiple wives. That is, if a 0:34:10.050 --> 0:34:13.440 man had multiple wives and multiple children, it's the first 0:34:13.440 --> 0:34:16.800 male child, regardless of which mother gave birth first. And 0:34:16.800 --> 0:34:19.860 we know Jacob had 12 sons through four women. David 0:34:19.860 --> 0:34:22.350 was the youngest of eight sons born to Jesse. My 0:34:22.350 --> 0:34:24.660 point would be that the ratio of firstborn males to 0:34:24.660 --> 0:34:27.150 the total number of males could have been 1 to 8, 0:34:27.150 --> 0:34:29.759 or 1 to 10, or 1 to 12. It doesn't 0:34:29.760 --> 0:34:34.080 completely resolve the problem, but it reduces the disparity. So finally, 0:34:34.110 --> 0:34:37.320 it's possible the number of firstborn does exclude the firstborn 0:34:37.320 --> 0:34:39.359 males at the time of the exodus, since they were 0:34:39.360 --> 0:34:42.330 redeemed by the application of blood on the doorposts of 0:34:42.330 --> 0:34:44.760 the houses. But right now I just have to live 0:34:44.760 --> 0:34:47.820 with the possibilities until someone comes along with a better 0:34:47.820 --> 0:34:50.460 answer that provides a more satisfactory solution. 0:34:50.489 --> 0:34:53.250 Charlie, that reference to blood on the doorpost takes us 0:34:53.250 --> 0:34:57.770 to Mark's question did the firstborn plague on Egypt take 0:34:57.770 --> 0:35:00.980 the lives of only children, or was it the firstborn 0:35:00.980 --> 0:35:02.270 of any age? 0:35:02.480 --> 0:35:04.550 I believe the plague was all inclusive. It took the 0:35:04.550 --> 0:35:08.509 firstborn males regardless of age. Exodus 1229 says it this 0:35:08.510 --> 0:35:11.690 way at midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn 0:35:11.690 --> 0:35:13.820 of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on 0:35:13.820 --> 0:35:16.580 the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner who was 0:35:16.580 --> 0:35:19.190 at the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock 0:35:19.190 --> 0:35:22.669 as well. But it doesn't have any age limitation. So 0:35:22.670 --> 0:35:24.410 they may have been young children, but they may have 0:35:24.410 --> 0:35:27.590 been adults. Uh, whoever was the first born male. 0:35:27.590 --> 0:35:31.040 Stan has a question about qualifications for elders. He says 0:35:31.040 --> 0:35:34.730 it seems clear based on first Timothy three and Titus one, 0:35:34.730 --> 0:35:37.370 an elder is to be a man under the headship 0:35:37.370 --> 0:35:40.310 issue in Scripture. What is your thought on this as 0:35:40.310 --> 0:35:43.219 some churches are debating the issue also same for a 0:35:43.219 --> 0:35:45.350 head pastor. Should it be a man? 0:35:45.570 --> 0:35:48.150 Yeah, I believe first Timothy three and Titus one do 0:35:48.150 --> 0:35:50.880 limit the office of elder to men in first Timothy 0:35:50.880 --> 0:35:53.279 three one qualification of an elder is that he be 0:35:53.280 --> 0:35:55.919 a husband of one wife. Literally. In Greek it says 0:35:55.920 --> 0:35:58.380 he needs to be a one woman man. And the 0:35:58.380 --> 0:36:01.290 word for husband or man there is very specific. The 0:36:01.290 --> 0:36:04.770 word husband isn't anthropos, which can at times be generically 0:36:04.770 --> 0:36:07.380 referring to men and women. It's the word honor which 0:36:07.380 --> 0:36:09.990 is man or husband. Uh, so the same is true 0:36:09.989 --> 0:36:12.180 of the word he uses for woman or wife. The 0:36:12.180 --> 0:36:15.630 elder must be a male, married and characterized by faithfulness 0:36:15.630 --> 0:36:17.550 to his wife. Now, I believe the role of the 0:36:17.550 --> 0:36:20.310 senior pastor, the head, the lead pastor, whatever the church 0:36:20.310 --> 0:36:23.880 uses is someone who's functioning biblically as an elder. So 0:36:23.880 --> 0:36:26.370 I see this limited to qualified men. 0:36:26.370 --> 0:36:28.890 Well, lots of questions come to our minds as we 0:36:28.890 --> 0:36:31.589 read Scripture and yours is welcome any time with an 0:36:31.590 --> 0:36:36.830 email to us at the Land and the book@moody.edu. Don't 0:36:36.830 --> 0:36:39.200 go away. There's more to come on the broadcast. It's 0:36:39.200 --> 0:36:42.169 Charlie Dyer's devotional. He takes a passage in Scripture to 0:36:42.170 --> 0:36:45.290 a place in the Holy Land and nails them together. Next. 0:36:45.290 --> 0:37:01.779 Right here. From Moody Radio. This is the Land and 0:37:01.780 --> 0:37:04.810 the book with our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gager, 0:37:04.810 --> 0:37:08.320 reflecting on a trip to Kruger National Park in South Africa. 0:37:08.350 --> 0:37:11.620 You're there to see the Big Five game. And one 0:37:11.620 --> 0:37:14.049 of those, of course, is the Lion and Man. Once 0:37:14.050 --> 0:37:17.770 you've heard a lion roar, you never forget it. And 0:37:17.770 --> 0:37:20.529 you read about it differently when you read scripture. Charlie. Uh, 0:37:20.530 --> 0:37:22.719 I think that's a sense of where you're going in 0:37:22.719 --> 0:37:23.950 your devotional today. 0:37:23.980 --> 0:37:25.930 That's exactly where we're heading, John. 0:37:25.930 --> 0:37:28.479 Much more than something a lion might do or say. 0:37:28.480 --> 0:37:31.750 Charlie's got an insight for us in Joel chapter three 0:37:31.750 --> 0:37:34.330 verse 16. But before he gets there, let's you and 0:37:34.330 --> 0:37:36.910 I listen to this Holy Land experience testimony. 0:37:40.810 --> 0:37:44.799 Hello, my name is Jan and my Holy Land experience 0:37:44.800 --> 0:37:49.040 was a series of aha moments. You know those moments 0:37:49.040 --> 0:37:53.840 where something that you've heard and you've felt, you understand 0:37:53.840 --> 0:37:58.160 the little tweak that just tells you this is my 0:37:58.160 --> 0:38:04.970 answer to this situation. And we were talking about Jesus baptism, 0:38:04.969 --> 0:38:10.190 and Charlie was explaining that that was the one time 0:38:10.190 --> 0:38:15.439 in recorded history that God the Father, God the Son, 0:38:15.440 --> 0:38:19.490 and God the Holy Spirit were present in one place 0:38:19.489 --> 0:38:24.530 for people to see. And so many times people question 0:38:24.530 --> 0:38:27.410 the Trinity, or how do you believe in the Holy Spirit? 0:38:27.410 --> 0:38:30.290 How can they be three? But to be able to 0:38:30.290 --> 0:38:35.049 say in Scripture, there's a part where they were together, 0:38:35.050 --> 0:38:38.800 3 in 1. It was just one of those moments 0:38:38.800 --> 0:38:42.310 like that's there. He gave us the proof of that 0:38:42.310 --> 0:38:45.160 in his word, and I hadn't seen that before. 0:38:47.350 --> 0:38:48.969 All right, Charlie, I'm looking forward to what you got 0:38:48.969 --> 0:38:51.250 for us in your devotional today. Uh. 0:38:51.250 --> 0:38:53.380 Thanks, John. And if you've heard a lion roar, imagine 0:38:53.380 --> 0:38:55.630 what it sounds like when God roars. Well, that's what 0:38:55.630 --> 0:38:57.160 we're going to talk about, because this is week two 0:38:57.160 --> 0:39:01.680 of our five week series on famous 3/16 of the Bible. 0:39:01.830 --> 0:39:04.410 And today finds us once again in Jerusalem. But the 0:39:04.410 --> 0:39:07.950 scene in front of us is rather stark. It's late spring, 0:39:07.950 --> 0:39:11.340 but the trees are a little more than barren white sticks. 0:39:11.340 --> 0:39:14.430 Even the bark has been stripped off the branches. The 0:39:14.430 --> 0:39:17.040 fields just outside the city, which should be full of 0:39:17.040 --> 0:39:20.700 ripening grain, only have small clumps of stubble poking out 0:39:20.700 --> 0:39:23.730 from the ground. And then we spot the reason. As 0:39:23.730 --> 0:39:26.190 someone walks toward us through one of the barren fields, 0:39:26.219 --> 0:39:29.310 a cloud of insects fly up around him, only to 0:39:29.310 --> 0:39:32.400 settle back down and continue their feast. Once he's passed, 0:39:32.400 --> 0:39:36.840 Judah and Jerusalem have been invaded by swarms of locusts. 0:39:36.870 --> 0:39:39.540 We follow a group of ragged and worn citizens who 0:39:39.540 --> 0:39:42.930 are making their way through Jerusalem's streets toward a lone 0:39:42.930 --> 0:39:46.950 figure standing near the entrance to Solomon's Temple. He's calling 0:39:46.950 --> 0:39:49.290 out to all those who are streaming into the temple 0:39:49.290 --> 0:39:53.160 to ask for God's mercy. Declare a holy fast and 0:39:53.160 --> 0:39:56.610 call an assembly. Summon the elders and all who live 0:39:56.610 --> 0:39:58.740 in the land to the house of the Lord your God, 0:39:58.739 --> 0:40:01.950 and cry out to the Lord. Alas, for that day, 0:40:01.950 --> 0:40:04.049 for the day of the Lord is near. It will 0:40:04.050 --> 0:40:08.040 come like destruction from the Almighty. The man calling out 0:40:08.040 --> 0:40:10.870 to the crowd is the prophet Joel, and his message 0:40:10.870 --> 0:40:15.759 is a somber declaration of imminent disaster. Like repeated hammer blows, 0:40:15.760 --> 0:40:19.810 the nation has experienced a series of locust plagues. What 0:40:19.810 --> 0:40:22.990 the gnawing locusts has left, the swarming locust has eaten, 0:40:22.989 --> 0:40:25.930 and what the swarming locust has left. The creeping locust 0:40:25.960 --> 0:40:28.779 has eaten, and what the creeping locust has left. The 0:40:28.780 --> 0:40:33.190 stripping locust has eaten. With the crops and trees devastated, 0:40:33.190 --> 0:40:36.540 the nation now faces the very real specter of famine 0:40:36.540 --> 0:40:39.990 and death. No wonder Joel announced the day of the 0:40:39.989 --> 0:40:43.830 Lord is near. That phrase occurs throughout the Bible. The 0:40:43.830 --> 0:40:45.870 day of the Lord was any time God came in 0:40:45.870 --> 0:40:49.380 judgment to settle accounts. In that sense, there were many 0:40:49.380 --> 0:40:52.739 days of the Lord throughout Israel's history. As the crowd 0:40:52.739 --> 0:40:55.410 gathered around listening to Joel, they could see that the 0:40:55.410 --> 0:40:58.850 crisis they now faced was just such a day. But 0:40:58.850 --> 0:41:02.390 as Joel continued speaking, he used the current crisis as 0:41:02.390 --> 0:41:05.600 a springboard to describe an even more frightening day of 0:41:05.600 --> 0:41:08.720 the Lord, a still future day when a greater and 0:41:08.719 --> 0:41:12.560 more deadly invasion would threaten the land. The prophet described 0:41:12.560 --> 0:41:15.440 it as a day of darkness and gloom, a day 0:41:15.440 --> 0:41:19.520 of clouds and blackness like dawn spreading across the mountains. 0:41:19.520 --> 0:41:22.670 A large and mighty army comes, such as never was 0:41:22.670 --> 0:41:25.399 of old, nor ever will be in ages to come. 0:41:25.640 --> 0:41:29.000 The horrors of the recent deadly series of locust plagues 0:41:29.000 --> 0:41:31.970 will pale in comparison to the ultimate day of the 0:41:31.969 --> 0:41:36.410 Lord invasion still to come. As a master orator, Joel 0:41:36.410 --> 0:41:40.430 holds his audience in suspense. What is this still future invasion? 0:41:40.460 --> 0:41:43.850 Is it another, even greater horde of locusts? But how 0:41:43.850 --> 0:41:46.480 could another locust plague do any more damage than that 0:41:46.480 --> 0:41:50.230 which we've just experienced? The people focused with laser like 0:41:50.230 --> 0:41:55.060 intensity on Joel, waiting for an explanation, and Joel doesn't disappoint. 0:41:55.060 --> 0:41:57.700 Beginning in chapter three, he makes it clear that this 0:41:57.700 --> 0:42:00.340 future day of the Lord invasion will appear to be 0:42:00.340 --> 0:42:05.710 an unstoppable human army, and their destination is Jerusalem. Proclaim 0:42:05.710 --> 0:42:09.580 this among the nations. Prepare for war. Rouse the warriors. 0:42:09.580 --> 0:42:12.760 Let all the fighting men draw near an attack. Beat 0:42:12.760 --> 0:42:16.630 your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. 0:42:16.630 --> 0:42:20.440 Let the weakling say, I am strong. Come quickly, all 0:42:20.440 --> 0:42:23.800 you nations from every side, and assemble there. Bring down 0:42:23.800 --> 0:42:27.100 your warriors, O Lord. Let the nations be roused. Let 0:42:27.100 --> 0:42:30.850 them advance into the valley of Jehoshaphat. That's the valley 0:42:30.850 --> 0:42:33.670 where Yahweh the Lord will judge. For there I will 0:42:33.670 --> 0:42:37.939 sit to judge all the nations on every side. Joel 0:42:37.940 --> 0:42:40.760 describes an invasion in the ultimate day of the Lord, 0:42:40.760 --> 0:42:43.670 a time when nations on all sides will focus on 0:42:43.670 --> 0:42:47.810 attacking and destroying Jerusalem and the Jewish people. The army 0:42:47.810 --> 0:42:51.830 appears to be unstoppable, and they're intent on vengeance. Using 0:42:51.830 --> 0:42:56.270 every resource available to arm and outfit their warriors implements 0:42:56.270 --> 0:43:00.200 a peace. Plowshares and pruning hooks will be refashioned into 0:43:00.200 --> 0:43:04.729 implements of war. How can the tiny country of Israel survive? 0:43:04.969 --> 0:43:08.120 One key theme in Joel is the importance of repentance 0:43:08.120 --> 0:43:11.090 and turning to the Lord. In chapter two, verses 12 0:43:11.090 --> 0:43:14.240 and 13, God calls out, even now, return to me 0:43:14.239 --> 0:43:17.570 with all your heart. Rend your heart and not your garments. 0:43:17.570 --> 0:43:20.899 Return to the Lord your God. And what does God 0:43:20.900 --> 0:43:24.550 promise to do? Well, Joel first deals with the devastation 0:43:24.550 --> 0:43:27.820 caused by the recent locust plague. I will repay you. 0:43:27.820 --> 0:43:30.339 For the years the locusts have eaten the great locust 0:43:30.340 --> 0:43:33.069 and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm. 0:43:33.070 --> 0:43:36.219 My great army that I sent among you. But what 0:43:36.219 --> 0:43:38.620 about the future day of the Lord invasion by what 0:43:38.650 --> 0:43:42.069 seems to be an unstoppable army? God makes a similar 0:43:42.070 --> 0:43:45.070 promise to those who will be alive at that time. 0:43:45.070 --> 0:43:47.370 Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will 0:43:47.370 --> 0:43:50.610 be saved. For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there 0:43:50.610 --> 0:43:55.200 will be deliverance. But wait, what's the famous 316 in 0:43:55.200 --> 0:43:59.640 this story? Ah, patience my friend. We're almost there. As 0:43:59.640 --> 0:44:03.299 Joel describes the nations gathering against Jerusalem in chapter three, 0:44:03.300 --> 0:44:06.060 he pictures them gathering to wipe out the city and 0:44:06.060 --> 0:44:10.110 the people, multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision. For 0:44:10.110 --> 0:44:12.049 the day of the Lord is near in the valley 0:44:12.050 --> 0:44:15.860 of decision. And then, in response to their desperate plea 0:44:15.860 --> 0:44:20.450 for help, God once again intervenes in history. Verse 15 0:44:20.450 --> 0:44:23.450 sets the stage. The sun and moon will be darkened 0:44:23.450 --> 0:44:27.260 and the stars no longer shine. Supernatural signs in the 0:44:27.260 --> 0:44:30.740 heavens prepare the way for God's arrival. And now Joel 0:44:30.739 --> 0:44:35.120 delivers his famous 316 the Lord will roar from Zion 0:44:35.120 --> 0:44:38.990 and thunder from Jerusalem. The earth and the sky will tremble, 0:44:38.989 --> 0:44:41.420 but the Lord will be a refuge for his people, 0:44:41.420 --> 0:44:45.080 a stronghold for the people of Israel. With a roar 0:44:45.080 --> 0:44:48.230 like a lion as it pounces on its prey, God 0:44:48.230 --> 0:44:51.680 will visibly leap back onto the stage of human history 0:44:51.680 --> 0:44:55.759 to vanquish the attackers and rescue his people. And this 0:44:55.760 --> 0:44:58.370 day of the Lord will alter the entire course of 0:44:58.390 --> 0:45:02.410 history for Jerusalem and the people of Israel. Jerusalem will 0:45:02.410 --> 0:45:07.000 be holy. Never again will foreigners invade her. That hasn't 0:45:07.000 --> 0:45:11.290 yet been fulfilled, but someday it will. Joel then ends 0:45:11.290 --> 0:45:14.170 his book by describing the impact of this physical and 0:45:14.170 --> 0:45:17.800 spiritual restoration on the land, the city, and the people. 0:45:17.800 --> 0:45:22.180 Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem through all generations, 0:45:22.180 --> 0:45:25.590 their blood guilt, which I have not pardoned, I will pardon. 0:45:25.620 --> 0:45:30.240 The Lord dwells in Zion. There is a grand future 0:45:30.239 --> 0:45:33.480 awaiting the nation of Israel, because God is a God 0:45:33.480 --> 0:45:37.920 who keeps his word. So what difference can Joel 316 0:45:37.920 --> 0:45:41.250 make in our lives today? First, I think we need 0:45:41.250 --> 0:45:44.400 to remember the principle that underlines the entire book. A 0:45:44.400 --> 0:45:49.770 disobedience brings judgment, but repentance brings deliverance and blessing. Have 0:45:49.770 --> 0:45:53.430 you placed your trust in Jesus as your Savior and Lord? 0:45:53.460 --> 0:45:57.690 If not, turn to him today, confess your sin and 0:45:57.690 --> 0:46:00.720 ask him to save you. If you have placed your 0:46:00.719 --> 0:46:03.330 trust in Christ but are concerned about the condition our 0:46:03.330 --> 0:46:06.150 world seems to be in, just remember that God is 0:46:06.150 --> 0:46:09.000 still in control. There is coming a day when Jesus 0:46:09.000 --> 0:46:11.900 will return to right all wrongs and deliver those who 0:46:11.900 --> 0:46:14.900 look to him. We don't know when he'll return, but 0:46:14.900 --> 0:46:17.210 his final words to us in the book of Revelation 0:46:17.210 --> 0:46:20.990 are yes, I'm coming soon. And our response ought to 0:46:20.989 --> 0:46:25.730 match that of the Apostle John. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 0:46:25.969 --> 0:46:30.140 Amen indeed. And thank you, Charlie, for that great devotional. Well, 0:46:30.140 --> 0:46:32.030 you can hear it all again at our website. The 0:46:32.030 --> 0:46:36.140 land and the book. Org. Not just the devotional, but 0:46:36.140 --> 0:46:38.840 the entire program. And we encourage you to do just 0:46:38.840 --> 0:46:41.060 that and to share us with a friend. Word of 0:46:41.060 --> 0:46:43.730 mouth is a great way to spread this ministry. Thank 0:46:43.730 --> 0:46:46.040 you for doing that. Thank you for listening. Today I'm 0:46:46.040 --> 0:46:48.680 John Geiger on behalf of our host, Charlie Dyer, our producer, 0:46:48.680 --> 0:46:51.620 Dan Anderson. The land and the book is a production 0:46:51.620 --> 0:46:55.040 of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.