WEBVTT - Searching for Christmas 0:00:07.910 --> 0:00:11.569 You know all about celebrating Christmas. But what about searching 0:00:11.570 --> 0:00:14.000 for Christmas? You say, hey, why would I need to 0:00:14.000 --> 0:00:16.610 do that? Well, because as a culture, we've lost some 0:00:16.610 --> 0:00:19.489 significant parts of the advent story. It's true. In a 0:00:19.489 --> 0:00:21.470 few minutes, we're going to sit down with J.D. Greer 0:00:21.500 --> 0:00:24.470 for compelling insights, and you won't want to miss Charlie 0:00:24.470 --> 0:00:28.280 Dyer's devotional or our look at your latest Bible questions. Hey, 0:00:28.280 --> 0:00:30.560 welcome to the land and the book with our host, 0:00:30.560 --> 0:00:33.980 Doctor Charlie Dyer, a middle East expert with many books 0:00:33.979 --> 0:00:36.710 on this subject. I'm John Gager, and you know, as 0:00:36.710 --> 0:00:39.440 the end of this year approaches, many world events have 0:00:39.440 --> 0:00:42.589 left us wondering what God's plan is for the future. 0:00:42.590 --> 0:00:45.290 And this is especially true when it comes to Israel. 0:00:45.320 --> 0:00:48.740 Despite its small size, boy, people around the world are 0:00:48.740 --> 0:00:53.090 intensely focused on what takes place there. And we wonder, 0:00:53.090 --> 0:00:56.270 are today's headlines somehow connected in any way with prophecies 0:00:56.270 --> 0:00:59.210 in the Bible? And how should followers of Jesus interpret 0:00:59.210 --> 0:01:01.940 current events as we await his second coming. Yeah. 0:01:01.970 --> 0:01:05.300 And to help answer those absolutely vital questions, our friends 0:01:05.300 --> 0:01:09.020 at Life and Messiah urge you to check out their book, God, 0:01:09.020 --> 0:01:12.860 Israel and Bible Prophecy with Scripture as its foundation. The 0:01:12.860 --> 0:01:15.140 book will take you on a journey into what God 0:01:15.140 --> 0:01:18.230 has in store for the Jewish people and the nations. 0:01:18.380 --> 0:01:20.990 This book is for anyone who wants to explore where 0:01:20.990 --> 0:01:24.800 modern day events fit on God's grand timeline. If that's 0:01:24.800 --> 0:01:27.380 you or someone you know, this would be a great 0:01:27.380 --> 0:01:32.119 resource or gift. Visit Life in Messiah. Org and click 0:01:32.120 --> 0:01:34.459 on the Moody Radio button there to find out how 0:01:34.459 --> 0:01:38.840 you can receive your copy of God, Israel and Bible Prophecy. 0:01:38.840 --> 0:01:42.020 That's life in messiah.org. 0:01:42.319 --> 0:01:44.810 And now let's swing our focus toward current events from 0:01:44.810 --> 0:01:48.350 the Middle East region. Events in Syria continue to unfold 0:01:48.350 --> 0:01:51.020 at a rapid pace. Charlie, what's the latest that we 0:01:51.020 --> 0:01:53.990 know from inside the country and how might it shape 0:01:53.990 --> 0:01:55.400 the future of the Middle East? 0:01:55.430 --> 0:01:58.970 Well, the jihadist coalition that toppled Assad is continuing to 0:01:59.000 --> 0:02:02.360 consolidate power. The initial wave of joy over the fall 0:02:02.360 --> 0:02:05.420 of Assad's brutal regime is giving way to a concern 0:02:05.420 --> 0:02:09.169 about the country's future direction. This is the second time 0:02:09.169 --> 0:02:13.310 jihadists have forcefully overthrown a regime. The first was Afghanistan, 0:02:13.310 --> 0:02:16.910 back in 2021, when the U.S. trained Afghan army simply 0:02:16.910 --> 0:02:20.089 collapsed before the Taliban. Now, at that time, the Taliban 0:02:20.090 --> 0:02:23.780 promised to continue allowing women to study and work promises 0:02:23.780 --> 0:02:27.050 that they've since broken. In a similar way, the leader 0:02:27.050 --> 0:02:30.980 of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the HTS, has promised to maintain 0:02:30.980 --> 0:02:35.090 the rights of women and religious minorities. But HTS grew 0:02:35.090 --> 0:02:38.359 out of al Qaeda, whose previous goal was the establishment 0:02:38.360 --> 0:02:42.110 of an Islamic state governed by Sharia law. This has 0:02:42.110 --> 0:02:44.959 minority groups in Syria, like the Christians and the Kurds, 0:02:44.960 --> 0:02:48.410 and the Druze and the Alawites very concerned. It also 0:02:48.410 --> 0:02:51.950 has Israel concerned. They've launched hundreds of airstrikes that have 0:02:51.950 --> 0:02:55.520 taken out most of the Assad regime's military assets. This 0:02:55.520 --> 0:02:59.300 includes the destruction of Syria's navy, its air force, its 0:02:59.330 --> 0:03:04.579 weapons storage depots, anti-aircraft systems and chemical weapons facilities. Doing 0:03:04.580 --> 0:03:07.160 so kept these weapons out of the hands of both 0:03:07.160 --> 0:03:10.850 the Syrian rebels and Hezbollah. It also opens the way 0:03:10.850 --> 0:03:14.360 for Israel to launch future attacks against Iran. Israel sent 0:03:14.360 --> 0:03:17.660 its forces into the demilitarized zone between the two countries 0:03:17.660 --> 0:03:20.750 to keep the jihadists from moving in. The events now 0:03:20.780 --> 0:03:23.780 underway in Syria could shape the future of that region 0:03:23.780 --> 0:03:27.290 in at least three ways. First, it definitely marks a 0:03:27.290 --> 0:03:31.459 setback for Iran. These Sunni rebel groups oppose Iran's influence 0:03:31.460 --> 0:03:34.340 in Syria. They oppose the Shiite religion, and they see 0:03:34.340 --> 0:03:37.160 it as a religious war with Iran as the dominant 0:03:37.160 --> 0:03:40.940 Shiite nation being the main enemy. Second, the takeover could 0:03:40.940 --> 0:03:43.580 pose a danger for those not in favor with an 0:03:43.580 --> 0:03:47.840 Islamic Sharia state. This would eventually include Israel. But before 0:03:47.840 --> 0:03:50.360 they focus on Israel, it's likely they'll try to go 0:03:50.360 --> 0:03:53.990 after the other groups within Syria itself. As I mentioned before, 0:03:53.990 --> 0:03:57.860 the Christians, the Kurds, the Alawites and the Druze, and finally, 0:03:57.860 --> 0:04:00.590 the one country in the region that could potentially benefit 0:04:00.590 --> 0:04:04.520 from this is Turkey. Turkey has supported these different jihadist groups, 0:04:04.520 --> 0:04:09.050 and they share a common religious connection through the Muslim Brotherhood. Still, 0:04:09.050 --> 0:04:11.960 it's unclear if the jihadists will allow themselves to become 0:04:11.960 --> 0:04:15.589 too closely aligned with Turkey or dominated by Turkey. Having 0:04:15.620 --> 0:04:18.740 eliminated the Persian influence, they may not want to substitute 0:04:18.740 --> 0:04:21.650 it with Turkish control, even though the Turks are fellow 0:04:21.650 --> 0:04:22.909 Sunni Muslims. 0:04:22.940 --> 0:04:26.750 Well, negotiations continue for the release of the remaining hostages 0:04:26.779 --> 0:04:30.050 being held by Hamas. How close might the two sides 0:04:30.080 --> 0:04:33.050 be to a final deal? We keep hearing stories, Charlie. Yeah. 0:04:33.080 --> 0:04:35.450 And it all depends on whom you listen to. A 0:04:35.450 --> 0:04:38.750 senior Hamas official said there is an excellent opportunity to 0:04:38.779 --> 0:04:41.840 declare an agreement with Israel and a cease fire arrangement 0:04:41.839 --> 0:04:45.020 for the Gaza Strip. Apparently, the groups are at the 0:04:45.020 --> 0:04:49.039 point where they're discussing which Palestinian prisoners would be released 0:04:49.040 --> 0:04:52.310 for the hostages. It's thought right now that 96 of 0:04:52.310 --> 0:04:56.810 the original 251 31 hostages still remain in Gaza. Israel 0:04:56.839 --> 0:04:59.419 believes at least 34 of those are dead, which would 0:04:59.420 --> 0:05:04.339 leave 62 hostages still alive. The plan under discussion would 0:05:04.339 --> 0:05:07.820 be to release the hostages in three phases. The first phase, 0:05:07.820 --> 0:05:10.430 which would last six weeks, would provide a cease fire 0:05:10.430 --> 0:05:13.430 that would include the exchange of the female, elderly and 0:05:13.430 --> 0:05:18.260 wounded hostages still alive, four Palestinian prisoners with three prisoners 0:05:18.260 --> 0:05:21.800 for every one hostage during that six weeks. The sides 0:05:21.800 --> 0:05:25.100 would also negotiate terms for the second and third phases 0:05:25.100 --> 0:05:28.280 with the remaining living hostages, and then the bodies of 0:05:28.279 --> 0:05:29.870 the rest to be released. 0:05:29.900 --> 0:05:34.010 Charlie, I wonder what leverage could Hamas still possibly hold 0:05:34.010 --> 0:05:36.560 that would allow them to dictate any of the terms 0:05:36.560 --> 0:05:37.820 in this conversation? 0:05:37.850 --> 0:05:40.760 The leverage are the people, the hostages themselves. Israel is 0:05:40.760 --> 0:05:42.710 so concerned to get them back. That's just part of 0:05:42.710 --> 0:05:45.830 the the ethos, the nature of Israel itself, that no 0:05:45.830 --> 0:05:48.770 one's going to be left behind. And as a result, 0:05:48.860 --> 0:05:52.729 the entire nation is being held hostage because of those hostages. 0:05:52.820 --> 0:05:55.810 Israel wants the hostages home. At the same time. And 0:05:55.810 --> 0:05:58.150 this is the trouble with it all, the government doesn't 0:05:58.150 --> 0:06:00.969 want to allow Hamas to remain there and remain in 0:06:00.970 --> 0:06:04.420 control of Gaza to continue their fight against Israel. So 0:06:04.420 --> 0:06:06.190 the bottom line, and this is where I think we 0:06:06.190 --> 0:06:08.349 need to go. We need to be praying for the hostages. 0:06:08.350 --> 0:06:11.890 But don't expect a lasting peace between Israel and Hamas 0:06:11.890 --> 0:06:15.010 anytime soon to come out of these negotiations from the. 0:06:15.010 --> 0:06:17.200 Land and the book this is Moody Radio Hour host 0:06:17.200 --> 0:06:19.719 Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gallagher with this week's look 0:06:19.750 --> 0:06:23.020 at current events as if Israel needed any more distractions. 0:06:23.020 --> 0:06:26.980 The trial of Prime Minister Netanyahu has resumed, with Netanyahu 0:06:26.980 --> 0:06:30.159 now being required to testify three days a week, six 0:06:30.160 --> 0:06:33.400 hours each day for several weeks. Remind us again of 0:06:33.400 --> 0:06:36.039 the charges against him. And why has this taking place, 0:06:36.040 --> 0:06:38.020 even as Israel is fighting a war? 0:06:38.050 --> 0:06:41.169 Yeah, Netanyahu is having to testify because the Supreme Court 0:06:41.200 --> 0:06:44.109 refused to grant an extension, even in the middle of 0:06:44.110 --> 0:06:46.479 all the fighting for the past four and a half years, 0:06:46.480 --> 0:06:50.290 the prosecution has been presenting its case against Netanyahu. Now 0:06:50.290 --> 0:06:52.989 he's being given an opportunity to present his side of 0:06:52.990 --> 0:06:57.010 the story. Netanyahu is charged with bribery, fraud and breach 0:06:57.010 --> 0:07:00.370 of public trust, covering three separate cases. I'll try and 0:07:00.370 --> 0:07:03.700 cover these briefly in case 1000. He's accused of receiving 0:07:03.700 --> 0:07:07.120 gifts from wealthy tycoons in exchange for help with business 0:07:07.120 --> 0:07:10.090 and personal matters. While Netanyahu claims the gifts were gifts 0:07:10.090 --> 0:07:13.480 from friends, and his assistance was the kind government officials 0:07:13.480 --> 0:07:16.660 ought to provide for citizens, he's claiming there's no linkage. 0:07:16.660 --> 0:07:19.780 So the gifts weren't bribes, they were just gifts. In 0:07:19.780 --> 0:07:23.290 case 2000, Netanyahu is accused of helping a newspaper gain 0:07:23.290 --> 0:07:26.770 a greater competitive advantage over another in exchange for more 0:07:26.770 --> 0:07:30.550 positive news coverage. However, he says no deal ever took place, 0:07:30.580 --> 0:07:33.220 nor did he ever intend for one to happen, and 0:07:33.220 --> 0:07:37.840 the negative news coverage continued unabated. And finally, in case 4000, 0:07:37.870 --> 0:07:40.930 which is considered the most serious one, Netanyahu is accused 0:07:40.930 --> 0:07:44.920 of pushing government policies that favored one specific media owner 0:07:44.920 --> 0:07:48.310 in exchange for more positive news coverage. He's claiming the 0:07:48.310 --> 0:07:51.790 news organization continued doing negative stories about him during the 0:07:51.790 --> 0:07:54.490 time in question, which shows he never made a deal 0:07:54.490 --> 0:07:57.160 and that any changes in policies that might have taken 0:07:57.160 --> 0:08:00.610 place were made by others. Netanyahu is using his time 0:08:00.610 --> 0:08:03.610 on the stand to present his perspective on the charges, 0:08:03.610 --> 0:08:05.440 and to make his own case that this is a 0:08:05.440 --> 0:08:10.630 mixture of overzealous prosecution bordering on political persecution. It seems 0:08:10.630 --> 0:08:13.210 like the more appropriate thing for the prosecution to do 0:08:13.210 --> 0:08:16.660 during wartime would be to temporarily suspend the trial until 0:08:16.660 --> 0:08:20.050 after the conflict is over. Sadly, that didn't take place. 0:08:20.080 --> 0:08:22.179 Charlie, I wonder if there's any way to gauge a 0:08:22.180 --> 0:08:25.120 sense of popular thought on all of this. Does the 0:08:25.120 --> 0:08:29.050 average Israeli citizen say, look, this is, you know, political 0:08:29.050 --> 0:08:31.690 witch hunt? Or do they say, no? You know, we're 0:08:31.720 --> 0:08:34.150 we're pretty sure that wrong has been committed here. Is 0:08:34.150 --> 0:08:36.700 there any kind of a public opinion idea? 0:08:36.790 --> 0:08:39.189 Well, there are there are opinion polls being released all 0:08:39.190 --> 0:08:43.150 the time, and this has changed nothing. Right now, probably 0:08:43.150 --> 0:08:46.870 a majority would not like Netanyahu or have some concerns 0:08:46.870 --> 0:08:49.939 about him. However, if elections were held right now, his 0:08:49.940 --> 0:08:52.520 party would still be the largest party and would very 0:08:52.520 --> 0:08:55.610 likely be able to form a coalition. So where they 0:08:55.610 --> 0:08:57.949 were just after the last election is about where the 0:08:57.950 --> 0:08:59.930 people are right now. You either like him or don't 0:08:59.929 --> 0:09:02.930 like him, but nothing has really changed. 0:09:02.960 --> 0:09:07.099 Story number four. Israeli researchers have developed a breakthrough Covid 0:09:07.100 --> 0:09:11.959 19 vaccine that is, get this needle free, inexpensive to produce, 0:09:11.960 --> 0:09:15.830 and requires no refrigeration. Tell us about this new development 0:09:15.830 --> 0:09:17.090 out of amazing Israel. 0:09:17.120 --> 0:09:19.880 You know, John, it was exactly four years ago this 0:09:19.880 --> 0:09:23.600 month when the first vaccines for the Covid virus became available. 0:09:23.630 --> 0:09:25.160 You know, that was you think back about it. That 0:09:25.160 --> 0:09:27.380 was a scary time. And I don't want to get 0:09:27.380 --> 0:09:29.960 into the debate that still swirls around the virus and 0:09:29.960 --> 0:09:33.320 all those vaccines. But we do know the vaccines developed 0:09:33.320 --> 0:09:36.709 back then needed to be refrigerated before being administered by 0:09:36.710 --> 0:09:40.730 medical personnel, and those limitations made the vaccine unsuitable for 0:09:40.730 --> 0:09:44.870 use in many developing nations. Now, scientists from Israel and 0:09:44.870 --> 0:09:48.550 Portugal have developed an inexpensive and effective nano vaccine against 0:09:48.550 --> 0:09:51.760 Covid 19 that can be stored at room temperature and 0:09:51.760 --> 0:09:55.089 administered as a nasal spray. It has the same efficacy 0:09:55.090 --> 0:09:58.660 as existing vaccines. The new vaccines don't rely on the 0:09:58.660 --> 0:10:04.240 full protein expression using mRNA like the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Instead, 0:10:04.240 --> 0:10:07.450 the scientists use tools to identify two short and simple 0:10:07.450 --> 0:10:11.890 amino acid sequences in the virus's protein. They synthesize them 0:10:11.890 --> 0:10:15.910 and encapsulated them in nanoparticles. Final studies of the vaccine 0:10:15.910 --> 0:10:19.420 are continuing, but are very promising, and hopefully this new 0:10:19.420 --> 0:10:21.850 approach for Covid 19 will also be able to be 0:10:21.850 --> 0:10:25.359 used on future diseases and will soon be available thanks 0:10:25.360 --> 0:10:29.380 to the dedicated researchers of Amazing Israel, along with their 0:10:29.380 --> 0:10:30.850 colleagues in Portugal. 0:10:30.850 --> 0:10:32.860 And that's a look at current events from the region 0:10:32.860 --> 0:10:35.500 with our host, doctor Charlie Dyer. You know all about 0:10:35.500 --> 0:10:38.770 celebrating Christmas, but what about searching for Christmas? You say, 0:10:38.770 --> 0:10:40.929 why would I need to do that again? Because as 0:10:40.929 --> 0:10:43.569 a culture, I think we have lost some significant parts 0:10:43.570 --> 0:10:45.459 of that advent story. We're going to talk about what 0:10:45.460 --> 0:10:48.520 those missing items are how we find them and more 0:10:48.520 --> 0:10:52.720 with our special guest, JD Greer. Coming up, searching for 0:10:52.720 --> 0:11:10.270 Christmas right here. The. Question what if instead of just 0:11:10.270 --> 0:11:14.110 enjoying the Christmas holidays, we seized them, went out of 0:11:14.110 --> 0:11:17.500 our way to be intentional with unsaved friends, coworkers, and 0:11:17.500 --> 0:11:21.490 neighbors by sharing Jesus in fresh, new ways? What if 0:11:21.490 --> 0:11:24.880 we steered conversations toward thoughts about Jesus and and what 0:11:24.880 --> 0:11:27.939 Christmas is ultimately all about? And what if there was 0:11:27.940 --> 0:11:30.730 a simple tool to help you do just that? Wouldn't 0:11:30.730 --> 0:11:32.650 you want to know about it? Hey, welcome to the 0:11:32.650 --> 0:11:36.190 land and the book segment two. I'm John Gager, and 0:11:36.190 --> 0:11:38.890 before we welcome today's guest, let's welcome this thought about 0:11:38.890 --> 0:11:42.429 being more strategic in loving our Jewish friends and neighbors 0:11:42.429 --> 0:11:46.079 for Christ. So you're engaged in a conversation with your 0:11:46.080 --> 0:11:50.310 Jewish friend, and it's turning toward spiritual things. The question is, 0:11:50.309 --> 0:11:53.910 what kind of Jewish questions should you ask of your 0:11:53.910 --> 0:11:55.890 Jewish friend Greg Savitt? What do you think? 0:11:55.920 --> 0:11:58.500 Well, I think you should use the Socratic method. That's 0:11:58.500 --> 0:12:01.950 the way that I've learned where there is questions and 0:12:01.950 --> 0:12:04.890 that leads to teaching. I like to ask Jewish people, 0:12:04.890 --> 0:12:08.610 do they believe in God? Do they believe in the Messiah? 0:12:08.610 --> 0:12:11.670 How are their sins forgiven? What do they think of 0:12:11.670 --> 0:12:14.790 repentance and ask them those questions? 0:12:14.790 --> 0:12:17.550 So what if they respond, though, in ways that are 0:12:17.550 --> 0:12:20.670 clearly not consistent with biblical truth? You don't want to 0:12:20.670 --> 0:12:21.689 get into an argument. No, you. 0:12:21.690 --> 0:12:23.010 Don't want to get in an argument, but you want 0:12:23.040 --> 0:12:28.830 to share from Scripture the Scripture in Exodus 32 when 0:12:28.830 --> 0:12:32.190 Moses says, his name will be blotted out of the 0:12:32.190 --> 0:12:35.340 book of life. So if there's a book of life, 0:12:35.340 --> 0:12:38.310 there's also a book of death, so there's heaven and 0:12:38.309 --> 0:12:41.969 hell there. Also, King David talks about a book of life, 0:12:42.000 --> 0:12:44.590 and there's a book of life. There's a book of Death. Yeah. 0:12:44.620 --> 0:12:46.630 If there's just a book of life, that means Hitler, 0:12:46.630 --> 0:12:49.720 Mussolini and Pol Pot are all going to be in 0:12:49.900 --> 0:12:50.890 in heaven. 0:12:50.920 --> 0:12:53.800 Greg Savage serves with Rock of Israel and joins us 0:12:53.800 --> 0:12:58.150 with insights here on the land and the book. Judy 0:12:58.150 --> 0:13:01.150 Greer is pastor of the Summit Church in Raleigh, Durham, 0:13:01.150 --> 0:13:04.330 North Carolina, the author of several books, and the founder 0:13:04.330 --> 0:13:08.290 of Judy Greer Ministries. He's also the pastor of Summit Life, 0:13:08.320 --> 0:13:12.070 a daily broadcast and weekly TV program, and Ask the 0:13:12.070 --> 0:13:14.980 Pastor podcast. He serves as a member of the Board 0:13:14.980 --> 0:13:17.530 of Directors of Chick fil A, serves as a council 0:13:17.559 --> 0:13:20.620 member for the Gospel Coalition, and recently served as the 0:13:20.620 --> 0:13:24.699 63rd president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Pastor JD and 0:13:24.700 --> 0:13:28.420 his wife, Veronica are raising four awesome kids, and we're 0:13:28.420 --> 0:13:30.220 super glad to connect with him today on the land 0:13:30.220 --> 0:13:31.630 and the book. Welcome, JD. 0:13:31.750 --> 0:13:33.189 Thank you so much for having me, John. 0:13:33.220 --> 0:13:36.520 So you have traveled to Israel before. I have to ask, 0:13:36.520 --> 0:13:40.059 how does your familiarity with the land shape your understanding 0:13:40.090 --> 0:13:41.410 of the Christmas story? 0:13:41.440 --> 0:13:44.849 Yeah, well, you know, some of it is, to be 0:13:44.850 --> 0:13:47.189 totally honest, it can be a little underwhelming just because 0:13:47.190 --> 0:13:48.750 the land is the land and you kind of go 0:13:48.780 --> 0:13:51.449 with this idea that it's some kind of special place, 0:13:51.450 --> 0:13:54.060 but it's not. And that's actually part of the, you know, 0:13:54.090 --> 0:13:57.060 to me, the magic of it, because you realize that 0:13:57.059 --> 0:14:00.390 it sort of reinforces Jesus was an actual person living 0:14:00.390 --> 0:14:04.260 with real people, with real problems, you know, ministering in 0:14:04.260 --> 0:14:07.470 these places. It's pretty overwhelming when you're, you know, standing 0:14:07.470 --> 0:14:10.560 in places thinking about him, teaching and thinking about, you know, 0:14:10.590 --> 0:14:13.679 where the nativity took place. Unfortunately, you know, there are 0:14:13.679 --> 0:14:17.130 certain kind of Christian traditions that love to sort of 0:14:17.250 --> 0:14:18.689 kind of think of it as junking it up with 0:14:18.690 --> 0:14:21.900 all kinds of tinsel and sparkly things when when really 0:14:21.900 --> 0:14:24.600 it's just the simplicity of Jesus entering into the lives 0:14:24.600 --> 0:14:28.020 of broken people. So yeah, it's almost like, you know, 0:14:28.050 --> 0:14:30.750 there's what shows in is out that that gives you 0:14:30.750 --> 0:14:33.930 a visual. Being there does even more than that. Just being, 0:14:33.960 --> 0:14:35.310 you know, on location. Yeah. 0:14:35.340 --> 0:14:37.980 One other quick question about Israel, your favorite place. Everybody's 0:14:37.980 --> 0:14:40.890 got one. Having been there, what comes to your mind? 0:14:40.920 --> 0:14:41.220 I mean. 0:14:41.220 --> 0:14:44.250 It's hard not to say the garden Tomb. You know, 0:14:44.280 --> 0:14:47.700 there's some question as to where he actually where the 0:14:47.700 --> 0:14:51.270 tomb was, but I don't know. Just just thinking about that, about, 0:14:51.300 --> 0:14:55.140 you know, 2000 years ago, death just being shattered as 0:14:55.140 --> 0:14:58.140 this thing rolled back and Jesus walked out. That had 0:14:58.140 --> 0:14:59.520 to be among the favourites. 0:14:59.670 --> 0:15:02.220 Well, if his voice sounds familiar, you might just be 0:15:02.220 --> 0:15:04.440 a fan of Summit life as I am the daily 0:15:04.440 --> 0:15:07.770 broadcast with pastor JD Greer. He's our guest today on 0:15:07.770 --> 0:15:10.020 the land and the book. You know, there are a 0:15:10.020 --> 0:15:12.660 whole lot of us who get sweaty palms just thinking 0:15:12.660 --> 0:15:16.290 about sharing Jesus with our unsaved friends. But Christmas, seems 0:15:16.290 --> 0:15:18.420 to me, is the one time of the year when 0:15:18.450 --> 0:15:21.150 folks are just a little more open. How does that 0:15:21.150 --> 0:15:23.010 square with your experience, JD? 0:15:23.040 --> 0:15:26.070 Yeah, I mean, statistically it's verifiable. I mean, it's certainly 0:15:26.070 --> 0:15:28.380 my experience, but I always tell our people, you get 0:15:28.380 --> 0:15:31.710 two free times a year that the number of people 0:15:31.710 --> 0:15:34.650 in our country who say that they would accept an 0:15:34.650 --> 0:15:39.450 invitation to go to church. It's something like think, you know, 35% 0:15:39.450 --> 0:15:43.320 and it goes to 75%. And so it's an opportunity 0:15:43.350 --> 0:15:45.930 just to say, come along with me. And and people 0:15:45.930 --> 0:15:47.790 go in. And usually if you go to a gospel 0:15:47.790 --> 0:15:50.520 preaching church, the pastor is trying to make the gospel 0:15:50.550 --> 0:15:54.150 the simplest and clearest. So yeah, it's an opportunity. I 0:15:54.150 --> 0:15:55.740 would hope people wouldn't squander it. 0:15:55.800 --> 0:15:58.440 Now you have created a powerful tool in a small 0:15:58.440 --> 0:16:01.830 book searching for Christmas. At what point did you say, hey, 0:16:01.830 --> 0:16:04.320 I think this could be really useful. 0:16:04.500 --> 0:16:07.680 Actually, I have to confess, it wasn't my idea that 0:16:07.680 --> 0:16:10.710 my friends at the Good Book Company came and they said, 0:16:10.740 --> 0:16:14.220 you know, you guys put so much energy into your 0:16:14.220 --> 0:16:18.480 Christmas Eve services, and it's where we'll have it's probably, 0:16:18.510 --> 0:16:21.660 you know, we almost double our attendance during that time. 0:16:21.660 --> 0:16:24.150 And he said, with this kind of spiritual appetite, have 0:16:24.150 --> 0:16:26.610 you given people a very simple tool just to share 0:16:26.640 --> 0:16:28.920 Christ with their neighbors? Our favorite kind of reaching out 0:16:28.920 --> 0:16:31.260 is not when, you know, I'm doing it just from 0:16:31.260 --> 0:16:34.080 the pulpit, but when people are doing it with their 0:16:34.080 --> 0:16:36.240 neighbors and with their friends. And a lot of times 0:16:36.240 --> 0:16:38.550 they can do that better over, you know, coffee through 0:16:38.550 --> 0:16:42.510 a book like this that's just short and accessible presents 0:16:42.510 --> 0:16:46.230 some of the most pressing questions that Christmas answers, and 0:16:46.230 --> 0:16:51.120 shows how really, this yearning that we experience at Christmas 0:16:51.150 --> 0:16:53.790 is something that God has written deep in our hearts. 0:16:53.790 --> 0:16:57.960 That these questions were precisely the questions that Jesus came 0:16:57.960 --> 0:16:59.880 to answer when he came 2000 years ago. 0:17:00.000 --> 0:17:02.880 I noticed you opened with a hilarious personal story about 0:17:02.880 --> 0:17:06.630 gift giving. What other precautions did you take in writing this? 0:17:06.630 --> 0:17:09.090 To make sure the message of the book comes across 0:17:09.090 --> 0:17:12.300 as winsome and friendly, rather than stuffy or judgy? 0:17:12.359 --> 0:17:14.340 Yeah. You know, if you're a dad of four kids 0:17:14.340 --> 0:17:17.790 like I am, then any ideas of stuffy or pretentiousness, 0:17:17.790 --> 0:17:21.750 especially around Christmas, is that's just out the window. You know, 0:17:21.780 --> 0:17:24.600 kids have a way of totally shattering all your kind 0:17:24.630 --> 0:17:27.600 of idyllic visions of how it should be. You know, 0:17:27.600 --> 0:17:29.310 I always tell people, if you get the image of 0:17:29.310 --> 0:17:32.250 me as a pastor, like with my kids dutifully sitting 0:17:32.250 --> 0:17:35.669 around the table, you know, saying, feed us the word, daddy, 0:17:35.700 --> 0:17:37.980 you know, or teach us, that's that's not what happens. 0:17:38.010 --> 0:17:41.010 I mean, it's a lot of throwing stuff and food 0:17:41.040 --> 0:17:45.090 fights and all kinds of stuff, but you know, into that. Again, 0:17:45.090 --> 0:17:47.970 not to press this point too much, but, you know, 0:17:48.000 --> 0:17:50.879 the shepherds, we think of them as really kind of 0:17:50.910 --> 0:17:55.020 quaint little idyllic scenes sitting there in our mangers. But, 0:17:55.050 --> 0:17:57.030 I mean, the shepherds were considered at the time, the 0:17:57.030 --> 0:17:59.340 lowest of the low. They were the ones who were 0:17:59.369 --> 0:18:02.909 I mean, their testimony wasn't even regarded as reliable in court. 0:18:02.940 --> 0:18:06.630 They were considered thieves and liars and just people that 0:18:06.630 --> 0:18:10.380 had been, for the most part, rejected by society. And here, 0:18:10.380 --> 0:18:13.320 that's the ones that the angels chose to announce his 0:18:13.320 --> 0:18:16.470 birth to, because that's the one whom the good news 0:18:16.500 --> 0:18:18.000 is the best news for. 0:18:18.030 --> 0:18:21.000 Is this book only appropriate for someone who has already 0:18:21.000 --> 0:18:24.510 indicated they're somewhat curious spiritually? Or could I share it 0:18:24.510 --> 0:18:26.280 with a friend at work? Or maybe a neighbor that 0:18:26.280 --> 0:18:29.070 I've had not much of a previous conversation with about 0:18:29.070 --> 0:18:29.700 my faith? 0:18:29.730 --> 0:18:32.520 Yeah, no, I actually that's a great question, because the 0:18:32.520 --> 0:18:35.429 intention of the book is to mirror the message of 0:18:35.430 --> 0:18:38.520 Christmas itself. You know, there's not a lot of indication 0:18:38.520 --> 0:18:43.560 that these shepherds were spiritual seekers. They were just people 0:18:43.560 --> 0:18:46.200 trying to make a living. But they were people that, 0:18:46.230 --> 0:18:48.720 you know, had deep questions. That's what I found about 0:18:48.720 --> 0:18:50.730 people in our society, is that we all have the 0:18:50.760 --> 0:18:53.369 same set of questions, and we choose different ways of 0:18:53.369 --> 0:18:55.590 answering them. Some people choose religious ways, some people choose 0:18:55.619 --> 0:18:58.739 irreligious ways. But we're all trying to find happiness and 0:18:58.740 --> 0:19:03.630 peace and security, identity. And all those questions are deep existential, 0:19:03.630 --> 0:19:07.140 personal questions. And whether your neighbor is choosing a religious 0:19:07.170 --> 0:19:11.040 way or an irreligious way, they're still seeking after some 0:19:11.040 --> 0:19:14.189 of these same kind of ideas. And so that's one 0:19:14.190 --> 0:19:19.200 of the advantages of Christmas, especially, is because even secular 0:19:19.200 --> 0:19:22.919 society recognizes the yearning for identity, security and happiness is 0:19:22.920 --> 0:19:25.740 something that that we all have. And and it's a 0:19:25.740 --> 0:19:28.320 good opportunity for us to say, hey, here's one of 0:19:28.320 --> 0:19:29.640 the ways that Jesus engages. 0:19:29.640 --> 0:19:32.580 That it's great to connect with J.D. Greer and you 0:19:32.580 --> 0:19:34.859 on today's edition of The Land and the book. I'm 0:19:34.880 --> 0:19:38.090 John Gager. In the book, you go into detail about 0:19:38.090 --> 0:19:40.310 some of the names of Christ as presented in Isaiah 0:19:40.340 --> 0:19:43.280 nine six. Let me ask, how do you explain Jesus 0:19:43.280 --> 0:19:46.250 as the wonderful counselor in our day? 0:19:46.280 --> 0:19:50.420 Well, wonderful implies divine Counselor. You know, I actually think 0:19:50.450 --> 0:19:53.419 our modern day understanding of the word counselor is a 0:19:53.420 --> 0:19:55.550 good starting place. Obviously, they didn't have a, you know, 0:19:55.580 --> 0:19:59.180 an entire psychology profession back then like we do today. 0:19:59.180 --> 0:20:02.570 But the idea of a counselor who takes the time 0:20:02.570 --> 0:20:06.290 to understand your brokenness and your pain, who will enter 0:20:06.290 --> 0:20:08.899 into that pain, that's one of the things that counselor implies, 0:20:08.930 --> 0:20:13.040 is that not only is he understanding and able to apply, 0:20:13.070 --> 0:20:15.169 you know, a balm to your soul, he's actually going 0:20:15.170 --> 0:20:17.540 to walk with you through it. You know, I was 0:20:17.540 --> 0:20:19.850 just thinking about this recently. In my own life, sometimes 0:20:19.850 --> 0:20:23.660 what we need is not explanation of what God is doing. 0:20:23.660 --> 0:20:25.160 What we need is somebody just to bear the pain 0:20:25.160 --> 0:20:27.440 with us. And what the New Testament tells us is 0:20:27.440 --> 0:20:30.260 that the Spirit of God actually searches our heart and 0:20:30.260 --> 0:20:32.899 explores our pain. He feels it with us, and he 0:20:32.900 --> 0:20:36.080 expresses our pain and groanings that cannot be uttered. You know, 0:20:36.109 --> 0:20:40.670 which means that whatever tears you're, you're weeping now. Jesus, 0:20:40.670 --> 0:20:43.940 he feels those tears with you and he is actually 0:20:43.940 --> 0:20:46.730 praying on your behalf from inside you, back to God. 0:20:46.760 --> 0:20:48.650 So yeah. Wonderful, counselor. 0:20:48.680 --> 0:20:51.740 Some of our listeners right now are from urban areas, 0:20:51.740 --> 0:20:54.830 and they they don't need any convincing that we live 0:20:54.830 --> 0:20:57.560 in a, you know, a dark time. There's darkness around them, 0:20:57.560 --> 0:21:00.920 whether it's decrepit buildings and present crime or whatever. Then 0:21:00.920 --> 0:21:05.060 there are others who live in comfortable suburban settings. Maybe. 0:21:05.090 --> 0:21:07.909 How do you go about helping these people see just 0:21:07.910 --> 0:21:11.090 how good the good news is? I mean, in my neighborhood, 0:21:11.119 --> 0:21:14.090 they're all doing pretty well. JD I mean, they're driving 0:21:14.090 --> 0:21:17.780 nice cars. They live in nice homes, and they often 0:21:17.780 --> 0:21:19.820 seem like they don't need a thing. But that's not 0:21:19.820 --> 0:21:21.050 necessarily true. 0:21:21.080 --> 0:21:24.619 Yeah, it's ironic that it's usually the people that are 0:21:24.619 --> 0:21:26.270 in the neighborhood, like the one you just described that 0:21:26.270 --> 0:21:28.520 you lived in. Those are the ones that are the hardest. 0:21:28.550 --> 0:21:30.800 And Jesus said, it's the poor in spirit who end 0:21:30.830 --> 0:21:33.590 up receiving the kingdom of God. I've spent all my 0:21:33.590 --> 0:21:36.379 life trying to become anything but poor in the spirit. 0:21:36.800 --> 0:21:38.629 I wanted to be rich in spirit. I want to 0:21:38.630 --> 0:21:40.520 have all my needs met, or at least middle class 0:21:40.520 --> 0:21:42.740 in spirit. You know where I feel like I've got 0:21:42.740 --> 0:21:46.639 the ability to to work, you know, and obtain those things. 0:21:46.640 --> 0:21:48.560 But just like, you know, to go back to the 0:21:48.560 --> 0:21:51.260 shepherds or to go to Mary and Joseph themselves, you know, 0:21:51.290 --> 0:21:55.129 a poor couple that is now you ever wonder, you know, 0:21:55.160 --> 0:21:58.729 why God and the way he set up the birth 0:21:58.730 --> 0:22:02.300 of Jesus is, you know, he actually created a scandal. 0:22:02.330 --> 0:22:04.760 You know, I mean, here's Mary. You know, they're they're 0:22:04.760 --> 0:22:08.719 living in a chaste way, but now they're accused of 0:22:08.720 --> 0:22:12.050 what was considered, in those days, just a shameful, you know, really, 0:22:12.050 --> 0:22:16.100 really shameful misdeed. And God creates that. But part of 0:22:16.100 --> 0:22:19.820 the reason for that is because he's communicating to people 0:22:19.820 --> 0:22:21.800 that if you're like a shepherd and you're at the 0:22:21.800 --> 0:22:25.550 bottom of the pile or you're you're like Mary and Joseph, 0:22:25.550 --> 0:22:28.399 and even if you're misunderstood and, and been cast to 0:22:28.400 --> 0:22:31.190 the side, you are who I'm coming for. Yeah. I'm 0:22:31.220 --> 0:22:33.080 coming to show you a love that will make your 0:22:33.080 --> 0:22:37.790 life complete. Even if your situation of poverty or or 0:22:37.790 --> 0:22:39.919 being cast out. Even if that doesn't change in the 0:22:39.920 --> 0:22:42.379 next 2 or 3 months. He came for you. And 0:22:42.380 --> 0:22:44.899 his love is the thing that your soul most needs. 0:22:44.930 --> 0:22:47.359 Maybe you're just connecting with us. Welcome. This is the 0:22:47.359 --> 0:22:50.300 land and the book. I'm John Geiger. Our guest is 0:22:50.300 --> 0:22:53.360 JD Greer, who has written searching for Christmas. All right. 0:22:53.359 --> 0:22:57.230 Speak to somebody directly right now who is honest enough 0:22:57.230 --> 0:22:59.930 to admit they really don't know Christ as their forgiver. 0:22:59.930 --> 0:23:02.360 Maybe they're living in that urban setting, or maybe they're 0:23:02.359 --> 0:23:05.629 living in that very comfortable suburban setting or a rural setting. 0:23:05.630 --> 0:23:09.680 Wherever they are, they need Jesus, and they're just now 0:23:09.710 --> 0:23:11.780 getting a hint of that. What's their next step? 0:23:11.810 --> 0:23:14.540 The first step is actually the most important. So the 0:23:14.540 --> 0:23:18.170 first step is realizing that the source of our brokenness, 0:23:18.200 --> 0:23:22.430 whether that's relational brokenness or whether we struggle with addictions 0:23:22.430 --> 0:23:25.970 or whether it's just a depression or a low self-esteem, 0:23:25.970 --> 0:23:29.179 the source, ultimately of everything goes back to a broken 0:23:29.180 --> 0:23:33.200 relationship with God. And what the gospel tells us is 0:23:33.200 --> 0:23:36.530 that try as hard as we may to fix that 0:23:36.530 --> 0:23:39.590 broken part of us. We never can fix it, because 0:23:39.590 --> 0:23:42.800 the missing piece is God Himself. And what separates us 0:23:42.800 --> 0:23:45.949 from God is our sin. Sin being the choices that 0:23:45.950 --> 0:23:48.230 we made to do things our way instead of God's way. 0:23:48.260 --> 0:23:51.170 The good news of the gospel is that God came 0:23:51.170 --> 0:23:54.890 himself to overcome our sin problem, and he did that 0:23:54.890 --> 0:23:57.470 by living the life we were supposed to live, a 0:23:57.470 --> 0:24:00.949 life of truth and beauty and justice, and then dying 0:24:00.980 --> 0:24:02.780 to death, that we had been condemned to die in 0:24:02.780 --> 0:24:05.090 our place. And he offers it to us as a gift, 0:24:05.119 --> 0:24:07.970 a gift that we just receive. That's certainly what the 0:24:07.970 --> 0:24:10.220 book that I wrote, searching for Christmas, is all about, 0:24:10.220 --> 0:24:12.560 is the simplicity of that gift, how to receive it, 0:24:12.590 --> 0:24:15.230 how to start that relationship with Jesus and be transformed. 0:24:15.230 --> 0:24:17.720 So that could be a step. Another step is if 0:24:17.750 --> 0:24:20.750 you got a Christian friend that is active in church, 0:24:20.780 --> 0:24:23.180 you know, ask them and say, you know what? How 0:24:23.180 --> 0:24:25.790 can I know for sure that I belong to God 0:24:25.820 --> 0:24:28.550 and that that I have eternal life? And if they 0:24:28.580 --> 0:24:30.649 don't give you a good answer, then just open the 0:24:30.650 --> 0:24:34.160 Bible and read the book that God wrote and has 0:24:34.160 --> 0:24:37.580 been People's Guide to salvation for 2000 years. So any 0:24:37.580 --> 0:24:39.409 one of those three steps is what I would recommend. 0:24:39.440 --> 0:24:41.600 For somebody who says, I want to deal with this now, 0:24:41.630 --> 0:24:43.340 would you lead them in a in a brief prayer 0:24:43.340 --> 0:24:44.720 that would be appropriate for them? 0:24:44.750 --> 0:24:47.540 Yeah. Right now, literally right now, the Bible says Romans 0:24:47.540 --> 0:24:50.659 1013 says, whosoever shall call upon the name of the 0:24:50.660 --> 0:24:53.300 Lord shall be saved. It says, if you confess with 0:24:53.300 --> 0:24:55.460 your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your 0:24:55.460 --> 0:24:56.959 heart that God raised him from the dead, you will 0:24:56.990 --> 0:24:59.810 be saved. So right now, right now, you could just say, 0:24:59.810 --> 0:25:03.500 Lord Jesus, I confess that you are the Lord. I 0:25:03.530 --> 0:25:05.570 confess that you're the one that's in charge. You are 0:25:05.570 --> 0:25:08.179 the Son of God. And then you tell him, say, 0:25:08.180 --> 0:25:11.180 I believe that you died on the cross and rose 0:25:11.180 --> 0:25:14.419 from the dead as the substitute payment for my sin. 0:25:14.420 --> 0:25:18.290 And I receive that offer of salvation. And then say 0:25:18.290 --> 0:25:21.530 thank you for saving me. Thank you for saving me. And, father, 0:25:21.530 --> 0:25:23.960 we pray for those right now that are listening that 0:25:23.990 --> 0:25:26.959 weren't expecting this when they dialed into this podcast or 0:25:26.960 --> 0:25:29.479 when they were listening on the radio. We know that 0:25:29.480 --> 0:25:31.070 you've heard them. We know that you've met them where 0:25:31.070 --> 0:25:32.810 they are, and we know that you have an incredible 0:25:32.810 --> 0:25:35.359 life ahead for them. And so we thank you for 0:25:35.359 --> 0:25:38.030 this moment in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. 0:25:38.119 --> 0:25:41.000 Well, it's gone too quickly, our time with pastor JD Greer. 0:25:41.000 --> 0:25:43.280 But we thank you for that investment. We thank you 0:25:43.280 --> 0:25:45.890 for the book searching for Christmas and we hope you 0:25:45.890 --> 0:25:49.670 have a wonderful Christmas season. Thank you JD. Appreciate your time. 0:25:49.700 --> 0:25:50.720 No problem. Thank you so. 0:25:50.720 --> 0:25:52.910 Much. Up next on the land in the book, it's 0:25:52.910 --> 0:25:55.669 a look at your Bible questions. Stick around for more. 0:26:06.740 --> 0:26:09.650 Welcome to segment three of The Land and the book. 0:26:09.680 --> 0:26:11.930 Hope your day is going well. I'm John Gager back 0:26:11.930 --> 0:26:14.510 with our host, Charlie Dyer. It's always fun to find 0:26:14.510 --> 0:26:17.030 out what you are curious about as you as you 0:26:17.030 --> 0:26:18.860 search through the scriptures. We're going to get to question 0:26:18.859 --> 0:26:22.190 one after this thought. As the end of this year approaches, 0:26:22.190 --> 0:26:25.430 many world events have left us wondering what God's plan 0:26:25.430 --> 0:26:28.340 is for the future, and that's particularly true when it 0:26:28.340 --> 0:26:31.879 comes to Israel, despite its small size. People all around 0:26:31.880 --> 0:26:35.330 the world are intensely focused on what takes place there, 0:26:35.330 --> 0:26:38.720 and our today's headlines connected in any way with prophecies 0:26:38.720 --> 0:26:42.410 in the Bible. How should followers of Jesus interpret current events? 0:26:42.440 --> 0:26:45.140 As we await his second coming? Lots of questions. 0:26:45.200 --> 0:26:47.780 That's right. And to help answer these crucial questions, our 0:26:47.780 --> 0:26:50.210 friends at Life and Messiah urge you to check out 0:26:50.210 --> 0:26:54.650 their book, God, Israel, and Bible Prophecy with Scripture as 0:26:54.650 --> 0:26:57.290 its foundation. This book will take you on a journey 0:26:57.290 --> 0:26:59.960 into what God has in store for the Jewish people 0:26:59.960 --> 0:27:02.990 and the nations. This book is for anyone who wants 0:27:02.990 --> 0:27:06.859 to explore where modern day events fit on God's grand timeline. 0:27:07.040 --> 0:27:09.649 If that's you or someone you know, this would be 0:27:09.650 --> 0:27:14.060 a great resource or gift. Visit Life in Messiah org 0:27:14.060 --> 0:27:16.220 and click on the Moody Radio button to find out 0:27:16.220 --> 0:27:19.850 how you can receive your copy of God, Israel and 0:27:19.850 --> 0:27:23.750 Bible Prophecy. That's life in messiah.org. 0:27:23.869 --> 0:27:27.650 And here we are at question one for today's Q&A segment, 0:27:27.650 --> 0:27:29.840 this one from Mark. He says, I don't feel that 0:27:29.840 --> 0:27:33.380 I understand the concept of a father's blessing in Genesis 0:27:33.380 --> 0:27:36.980 27 and then chapter 49. It seems to involve prophetic 0:27:37.010 --> 0:27:41.600 future telling what the father declares in the blessings will happen. 0:27:41.630 --> 0:27:44.750 Were these fathers prophets? I mean, Isaac and Jacob seem 0:27:44.750 --> 0:27:47.449 to know the rules about blessing sons, and if they did, 0:27:47.480 --> 0:27:48.800 how did they know? 0:27:48.830 --> 0:27:51.379 Yeah, and unfortunately, we don't have much information in the 0:27:51.380 --> 0:27:54.560 Bible to help provide a solid answer. By my reckoning, 0:27:54.560 --> 0:27:57.320 those are the only two examples of fathers offering such 0:27:57.350 --> 0:28:01.310 a blessing, and I don't see anything similar even for Abraham. Now, 0:28:01.310 --> 0:28:03.710 here might be some reasons that we do see this. 0:28:03.859 --> 0:28:06.500 These blessings occur before any of the Bible had been 0:28:06.500 --> 0:28:08.899 revealed by God in written form. So it was a 0:28:08.900 --> 0:28:12.379 time in history when God communicated directly to and through 0:28:12.380 --> 0:28:15.920 the patriarchs. Later we have written revelation like Psalm one 0:28:15.920 --> 0:28:19.159 that helped describe the blessing for the righteous. Now there 0:28:19.160 --> 0:28:22.430 are instances when God revealed future events to the patriarchs, 0:28:22.430 --> 0:28:26.540 and those include God's revelation to Abraham concerning Israel's 400 0:28:26.570 --> 0:28:29.659 year sojourn in Egypt, or God's revelation to Jacob that 0:28:29.660 --> 0:28:31.970 he would return to the land he was fleeing from 0:28:31.970 --> 0:28:34.609 his brother. So in that sense, they did receive direct 0:28:34.609 --> 0:28:39.050 revelation from God and did function as prophets. Isaacs intended 0:28:39.050 --> 0:28:41.239 blessing for Esau is actually interesting in light of the 0:28:41.240 --> 0:28:44.959 full narrative. Remember, Rebekah was having a difficult pregnancy, and 0:28:44.960 --> 0:28:46.760 God revealed to her that she was going to have 0:28:46.760 --> 0:28:49.340 twins and that the older would serve the younger. Now, 0:28:49.370 --> 0:28:52.489 assuming she shared that with her husband, Isaac should have 0:28:52.490 --> 0:28:55.610 known which child was selected by God, but the rightful 0:28:55.610 --> 0:28:58.910 owner of the birthright becomes even clearer when Esau sells 0:28:58.910 --> 0:29:01.430 the birthright to Jacob for a bowl of red stew. 0:29:01.430 --> 0:29:04.160 So when it came time for Isaac to bless. It 0:29:04.160 --> 0:29:06.830 appears that he was trying to bless the wrong son. 0:29:06.860 --> 0:29:08.840 And when he wanted to bestow the blessing on Esau. 0:29:08.870 --> 0:29:11.450 Now much of the blessing he gives is connected to 0:29:11.480 --> 0:29:14.300 God's earlier promise to Rebekah. So I would say God 0:29:14.300 --> 0:29:18.470 intervened to make sure a father's personal preference didn't override 0:29:18.470 --> 0:29:20.900 God's sovereign revealed plan in that case. 0:29:20.930 --> 0:29:24.010 Marcia says, I'm wondering about the scripture in Joel two 0:29:24.040 --> 0:29:27.400 verse 28 where it says, and afterward I will pour 0:29:27.400 --> 0:29:30.490 out my spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters 0:29:30.490 --> 0:29:33.790 will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, and your 0:29:33.790 --> 0:29:36.640 young men will see visions. Is this referring to the 0:29:36.640 --> 0:29:39.550 last days? Thanks for your thoughts on this passage. 0:29:39.580 --> 0:29:42.130 Yeah. And, Marcia, your thoughts are right on target. You know, 0:29:42.160 --> 0:29:44.950 as you comment about an earlier answer I had given there, 0:29:44.950 --> 0:29:46.959 I was referring to the gift of prophecy coming to 0:29:46.990 --> 0:29:49.570 an end during the church age. But Joel two does 0:29:49.570 --> 0:29:52.600 say the gift of prophecy will again reappear during the 0:29:52.630 --> 0:29:55.360 end times, after the church has been raptured and the 0:29:55.360 --> 0:29:59.170 tribulation begins. God will apparently raise up prophets in Israel 0:29:59.200 --> 0:30:02.740 to provide new revelation to those facing the terrible times. 0:30:02.740 --> 0:30:06.190 In fact, in addition to Joel two, revelation chapter 11, 0:30:06.190 --> 0:30:09.670 verse three mentions two specific prophets God will raise up 0:30:09.670 --> 0:30:12.910 during that time who will minister in Jerusalem. So there 0:30:12.910 --> 0:30:17.650 will be additional prophecies and revelations during the tribulation period. 0:30:17.680 --> 0:30:20.890 Joanne says, I was wondering when Noah and the family 0:30:20.920 --> 0:30:23.200 came out of the ark. What did they find? A 0:30:23.200 --> 0:30:27.520 beautiful new earth ready for habitation or total devastation like 0:30:27.520 --> 0:30:31.209 we've seen recently in the South. Or perhaps something in between? 0:30:31.300 --> 0:30:34.210 Yeah. And as we think about the pictures that artists 0:30:34.210 --> 0:30:36.250 have painted, you know, I think they kind of get 0:30:36.250 --> 0:30:37.810 it a little bit wrong. You know, we're not told 0:30:37.810 --> 0:30:40.090 in great detail, but I do see some hints in 0:30:40.090 --> 0:30:42.610 Genesis seven and eight that tell us it probably looked 0:30:42.610 --> 0:30:45.370 more like what we were seeing after those recent floods. 0:30:45.370 --> 0:30:48.160 We know the water receded for a number of days 0:30:48.160 --> 0:30:51.220 and and sent out the birds to look for them. 0:30:51.220 --> 0:30:53.050 So when I put it all together, I think what 0:30:53.080 --> 0:30:55.120 Noah saw when he came out of the ark, he 0:30:55.120 --> 0:30:59.710 didn't find beautiful, newly refurbished earth, you know, and everything blossoming. Instead, 0:30:59.710 --> 0:31:01.990 he came out to find a landscape that was starting 0:31:02.020 --> 0:31:06.070 to recover. Several months after the worldwide flood, trees and 0:31:06.070 --> 0:31:09.340 plants were beginning to sprout. The ground had generally dried up, 0:31:09.340 --> 0:31:12.730 but the effects of the flood had totally changed the landscape. 0:31:12.730 --> 0:31:15.520 The ark was near the top of Mount Ararat, and 0:31:15.520 --> 0:31:18.610 as the land gradually dried out, Noah's descendants moved to 0:31:18.640 --> 0:31:21.010 the south and east and ended up in what is 0:31:21.010 --> 0:31:24.520 today southern Iraq. I suspect the climate had changed so 0:31:24.520 --> 0:31:28.030 drastically from the Pre-flood era that they went in search 0:31:28.030 --> 0:31:31.150 of a warmer, drier region, and that's why they eventually 0:31:31.150 --> 0:31:34.240 ended up on the plain of Shinar, near Babylon. 0:31:34.330 --> 0:31:36.790 This is the land in the book from Moody Radio, 0:31:36.790 --> 0:31:39.730 doctor Charlie Dyer, our host, working his way through some 0:31:39.730 --> 0:31:41.560 of the latest questions that have come in to us 0:31:41.590 --> 0:31:44.200 via email. I'll share our email address later on if 0:31:44.230 --> 0:31:46.600 you've got a question. Todd wants to know do you 0:31:46.600 --> 0:31:49.300 think Paul had been married at one point? I seem 0:31:49.300 --> 0:31:51.610 to remember being told that as a Pharisee he would 0:31:51.640 --> 0:31:53.890 have been, but I'm not sure if that's correct. 0:31:53.920 --> 0:31:55.989 Yeah, I think those who tried to say Paul was 0:31:55.990 --> 0:31:58.210 married do base it on him being a Pharisee. And 0:31:58.210 --> 0:32:00.730 I think they're reading too much into the cultural background. 0:32:00.760 --> 0:32:04.270 You know, theologically, Jesus was aligned more with Pharisees than 0:32:04.270 --> 0:32:06.910 with the other religious groups in Israel at that time. 0:32:06.910 --> 0:32:10.000 And he wasn't married. When the Essenes are described in 0:32:10.000 --> 0:32:13.510 the first century, Josephus says some, though not all, chose 0:32:13.510 --> 0:32:16.720 to remain celibate. My point here is that being unmarried 0:32:16.720 --> 0:32:19.990 as a man wasn't unknown. The only passages that we 0:32:19.990 --> 0:32:22.480 have in the Bible that speak directly to the matter 0:32:22.510 --> 0:32:26.020 are in first Corinthians. First Corinthians seven seven Paul writes, 0:32:26.050 --> 0:32:28.780 talking about being married versus being single. He said, and 0:32:28.780 --> 0:32:30.729 I wish all men were as I am. And in 0:32:30.730 --> 0:32:33.970 the context he's saying he was unmarried and he tells 0:32:33.970 --> 0:32:36.460 why he feels that way in the present crisis that 0:32:36.460 --> 0:32:39.520 the church was facing. Paul then adds, if someone chooses 0:32:39.520 --> 0:32:41.890 to get married, you have not sinned. So he's not 0:32:41.890 --> 0:32:45.490 promoting celibacy as a choice for all times, but as 0:32:45.490 --> 0:32:48.310 a wise course of action in that present difficult time. 0:32:48.310 --> 0:32:51.250 And then later in first Corinthians. In chapter nine, Paul 0:32:51.250 --> 0:32:53.770 talks about the rights he had as an apostle, which 0:32:53.770 --> 0:32:55.990 he chose not to exercise, and one he says was 0:32:55.990 --> 0:32:58.090 the right to be married. He says, don't we have 0:32:58.090 --> 0:33:00.580 the right to take a believing wife along with us? 0:33:00.580 --> 0:33:02.920 But I've not used these rights, he says. And I 0:33:02.920 --> 0:33:04.690 think what he's stating there is that he could have 0:33:04.690 --> 0:33:08.140 been married, but he chose not to. And as a result, 0:33:08.260 --> 0:33:10.660 I just think he wasn't married. It seems that's what 0:33:10.660 --> 0:33:12.700 he's clearly saying in those passages. 0:33:12.820 --> 0:33:17.470 Renee asks his God, who is omnipresent, also in hell. 0:33:17.470 --> 0:33:20.350 In Psalm 139, verse eight, David wrote, if I lie 0:33:20.350 --> 0:33:24.250 down in Sheol, you are there. And revelation 1410 says, 0:33:24.250 --> 0:33:27.490 the unsaved will be tormented with burning sulfur in the 0:33:27.490 --> 0:33:30.490 presence of the holy angels and of the lamb. 0:33:30.520 --> 0:33:33.580 Yeah, I need to balance those two passages with two 0:33:33.580 --> 0:33:38.320 other passages. The first comes from Jesus's words in Matthew 25, 0:33:38.560 --> 0:33:40.810 near the end of the Olivet Discourse. He's focusing on 0:33:40.810 --> 0:33:43.570 the time of his second coming, and when he separates 0:33:43.570 --> 0:33:46.180 the sheep, the believers from the goats were the unbelievers 0:33:46.180 --> 0:33:49.090 at the time of his return. He says to the unbelievers, 0:33:49.090 --> 0:33:51.760 depart from me, you who are cursed into the eternal 0:33:51.760 --> 0:33:55.090 fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Those being 0:33:55.090 --> 0:33:57.850 judged are commanded to depart to the lake of fire, 0:33:57.850 --> 0:34:01.120 and says they'll go away into eternal punishment. So it 0:34:01.120 --> 0:34:04.330 suggests the punishment, and a judgment involves expulsion from the 0:34:04.330 --> 0:34:07.690 presence of Christ and into the lake of fire. The 0:34:07.690 --> 0:34:11.109 other passage is Second Thessalonians one and verses eight and nine. 0:34:11.110 --> 0:34:14.350 Paul describes what will happen to the unsaved at the 0:34:14.350 --> 0:34:17.089 return of Christ. He says he will punish those who 0:34:17.090 --> 0:34:19.640 do not know God and do not obey the gospel 0:34:19.640 --> 0:34:22.700 of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting 0:34:22.700 --> 0:34:26.390 destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord 0:34:26.390 --> 0:34:29.270 and from the majesty of his power. The Greek says 0:34:29.270 --> 0:34:32.030 they will be away from the face, literally the presence 0:34:32.030 --> 0:34:35.420 of the Lord. So one aspect of eternal judgment is 0:34:35.420 --> 0:34:38.930 eternal separation from God's presence. Now let me harmonize that 0:34:38.930 --> 0:34:42.410 with those other verses. The word Sheol in Psalm 139 0:34:42.410 --> 0:34:45.020 refers to the place of the departed dead. And certainly 0:34:45.020 --> 0:34:47.029 as a believer, David knew that if he were to die, 0:34:47.060 --> 0:34:48.859 he would go to the grave or the underworld, and 0:34:48.860 --> 0:34:51.440 God would still be there. So I can't push that 0:34:51.440 --> 0:34:55.130 verse too far. It's also not clear in revelation 1410 0:34:55.160 --> 0:34:57.410 whether the lake of fire is being described in connection 0:34:57.410 --> 0:35:02.029 to God because of his omnipresence, or because it's geographically nearby. 0:35:02.060 --> 0:35:05.839 That is is the passage saying God's omnipresent even in 0:35:05.840 --> 0:35:08.030 the lake of fire, or that the lake of fire 0:35:08.030 --> 0:35:10.250 is visible to God and perhaps to others. And I 0:35:10.280 --> 0:35:13.820 think about the parable Jesus gave in Luke 16, where 0:35:13.820 --> 0:35:17.430 We're Lazarus, and the rich man died. And the rich man, 0:35:17.430 --> 0:35:19.529 it says, could see he was in torment. But he 0:35:19.530 --> 0:35:22.890 saw Abraham far away with Lazarus. So is part of 0:35:22.890 --> 0:35:26.550 the eternal judgment being eternally separated from God. It seems 0:35:26.550 --> 0:35:29.100 like there is a gulf fixed, but it's one where 0:35:29.100 --> 0:35:31.020 they can see from one side to the other. And 0:35:31.020 --> 0:35:33.450 those few details are all we have, and so it's 0:35:33.450 --> 0:35:34.860 hard to go beyond that. 0:35:34.890 --> 0:35:37.380 Brian takes us to the story of Achan in the 0:35:37.380 --> 0:35:40.590 book of Joshua, pointing out Achan took something that was 0:35:40.590 --> 0:35:44.100 not from the Battle of Jericho. My new American Standard 0:35:44.100 --> 0:35:46.859 Bible says that Achan was stoned along with his sons 0:35:46.860 --> 0:35:50.670 and daughters. Some Bible students might say Achan's family helped 0:35:50.670 --> 0:35:53.550 cover up the theft, although the text doesn't seem to 0:35:53.580 --> 0:35:57.120 say that. Did the sons and daughters have to be stoned? 0:35:57.150 --> 0:35:59.820 Well, I apply it this way. Clearly, Achan was the 0:35:59.820 --> 0:36:02.280 one who deliberately disobeyed God and who took these items 0:36:02.280 --> 0:36:05.580 from Jericho. But in his confession, he admits he stole 0:36:05.580 --> 0:36:08.219 these items and hid them in the ground inside my 0:36:08.219 --> 0:36:11.070 tent with the silver underneath, he says. So I believe 0:36:11.070 --> 0:36:13.500 it's reasonable to assume that when Achan Aiken returned from 0:36:13.500 --> 0:36:15.930 battle and dug that pit in his tent and buried 0:36:15.960 --> 0:36:18.420 the stolen items, it was obvious to the family what 0:36:18.420 --> 0:36:20.820 he was doing. The tent was a common area where 0:36:20.820 --> 0:36:24.330 the entire family lived, worked, ate, and slept. They hadn't 0:36:24.330 --> 0:36:27.120 stolen the items, but they understood and they knew what 0:36:27.120 --> 0:36:29.790 the command had been before the battle. So otherwise, I 0:36:29.790 --> 0:36:32.910 believe Aiken's family were judged, as we might say now, 0:36:32.910 --> 0:36:36.780 for knowingly aiding and abetting his actions. In this case, 0:36:36.780 --> 0:36:39.780 God was judging them for their own sin in the matter. 0:36:39.810 --> 0:36:41.820 Hey, if you've got a question you'd like to run 0:36:41.820 --> 0:36:46.859 by us, send it to the land and the book@moody.edu 0:36:46.890 --> 0:36:52.350 the land and the book@moody.edu. Don't go away. Charlie Dyer's 0:36:52.350 --> 0:36:55.319 devotional is next here on the land and the book. 0:37:07.890 --> 0:37:10.200 When you think about it, the Christmas season is a 0:37:10.200 --> 0:37:14.340 time of mystery, Delving into that ancient story of God 0:37:14.370 --> 0:37:18.060 taking on flesh in the form of Jesus, His son. Wow. 0:37:18.090 --> 0:37:21.180 Absolutely amazing. But we've got a mystery for you yet 0:37:21.210 --> 0:37:24.600 today to discover in Charlie Dyer's devotional coming up. Charlie, 0:37:24.600 --> 0:37:26.880 you've titled This Time Today What. 0:37:26.910 --> 0:37:28.440 A Christmas Triptych. 0:37:28.440 --> 0:37:30.570 And a lot of us are wondering what a triptych is. 0:37:30.600 --> 0:37:33.299 We'll let you get to that after this testimony from 0:37:33.300 --> 0:37:35.669 someone who's traveled to the Holy Land and shares this 0:37:35.670 --> 0:37:36.900 with you and me. 0:37:41.040 --> 0:37:42.990 Hello. I've been listening to a little bit of the 0:37:42.989 --> 0:37:46.469 program today, and I wanted to say that as a 0:37:46.469 --> 0:37:51.120 high school teacher, it is refreshing to hear a program 0:37:51.120 --> 0:37:56.370 on a Christian station to using only the scriptures as sources. 0:37:56.640 --> 0:38:02.010 It was refreshing to hear a level headed scholarship sound 0:38:02.010 --> 0:38:07.350 educational judgment in the discussion of the nature and origins 0:38:07.350 --> 0:38:11.430 of the Jewish race. I have been in complete agreement 0:38:11.430 --> 0:38:13.860 with what I've heard, and I find that my students 0:38:13.860 --> 0:38:16.800 in high school honors students. Students who are supposed to 0:38:16.800 --> 0:38:21.810 be well-educated have many, many prejudices and misconceptions, some of 0:38:21.810 --> 0:38:25.710 which are based on religion from all quarters, both Christian 0:38:25.710 --> 0:38:30.300 and other religions, and also which are based simply on 0:38:30.300 --> 0:38:35.939 the information they're getting through all kinds of web pages television, 0:38:35.940 --> 0:38:39.779 perhaps even from their own families. It is refreshing once 0:38:39.780 --> 0:38:45.270 again to hear a discussion which has an evenness about 0:38:45.270 --> 0:38:50.970 the sources and what I consider to be authentic educational 0:38:50.969 --> 0:38:54.690 authority or scholarship. Thank you for the discussion. 0:38:56.250 --> 0:38:59.520 All right. A triptych. I'm guessing there's three of something 0:38:59.520 --> 0:39:02.010 in this, but I'll let you take it away. Charlie. 0:39:02.280 --> 0:39:05.400 Thanks, John. Yeah. Back in the dark ages of auto travel, 0:39:05.430 --> 0:39:09.180 before the era of GPS and satellite navigation, a long 0:39:09.180 --> 0:39:12.360 road trip was something of an adventure. It usually required 0:39:12.360 --> 0:39:15.779 two people, one to drive while watching out for potholes, 0:39:15.780 --> 0:39:18.629 and a second to fold and refold the map while 0:39:18.630 --> 0:39:22.500 keeping watch for upcoming turns and intersections. And then the 0:39:22.500 --> 0:39:28.440 American Automobile Association revolutionized the entire process by introducing the triptych, 0:39:28.469 --> 0:39:32.040 a slim, spiral bound grouping of pages focused on the 0:39:32.040 --> 0:39:34.530 best route to take. It was one of the real 0:39:34.530 --> 0:39:38.010 pluses of being a member of triple A. Years later, 0:39:38.010 --> 0:39:41.220 while serving in seminary administration, I was asked to work 0:39:41.219 --> 0:39:45.330 with an interior designer helping decorate a new building on campus. 0:39:45.360 --> 0:39:47.610 One day, the designer asked me to go with their 0:39:47.610 --> 0:39:51.720 group to the downtown Marquette Convention Center to look at accessories, 0:39:51.719 --> 0:39:55.320 including triptychs for the walls. Now, I had trouble trying 0:39:55.320 --> 0:39:59.129 to imagine triple A triptychs hanging on office walls, but 0:39:59.130 --> 0:40:01.950 not wanting to appear stupid, I simply agreed to go. 0:40:01.950 --> 0:40:04.890 And I'm glad I remained silent because I learned a 0:40:04.890 --> 0:40:07.890 new homonym, a word that's pronounced the same way but 0:40:07.950 --> 0:40:11.220 is spelled differently, and that has a totally different meaning. 0:40:11.250 --> 0:40:14.609 The triptychs we were going to see were large paintings 0:40:14.610 --> 0:40:18.270 hung in three sections side by side, and that thought 0:40:18.270 --> 0:40:20.160 came to mind as I focused on the message I 0:40:20.160 --> 0:40:23.759 want to explore today. So button up your jacket and 0:40:23.760 --> 0:40:25.950 come with me as we pay a visit to the 0:40:25.950 --> 0:40:30.150 studio of Isaiah to view his triptych of the Messiah 0:40:30.150 --> 0:40:33.600 he prepared just for the nation of Israel. Each of 0:40:33.600 --> 0:40:37.410 the three panels tells its own unique story, but aligned 0:40:37.440 --> 0:40:40.920 side by side. They blend into a magnificent portrait of 0:40:40.920 --> 0:40:45.240 Israel's coming king. 700 years before his birth, the first 0:40:45.239 --> 0:40:48.120 panel is found in Isaiah seven and eight. The panel 0:40:48.120 --> 0:40:51.540 itself is in two parts, with one side mirroring the other. 0:40:51.570 --> 0:40:53.880 On the far left is a dark portrait of an 0:40:53.880 --> 0:40:57.300 unfaithful king named Ahaz. He refused to trust in the 0:40:57.300 --> 0:41:00.090 Lord or ask for a sign from the Lord, so 0:41:00.090 --> 0:41:03.299 God himself provided a sign to show that Ahaz would 0:41:03.300 --> 0:41:06.810 not remain, but another will eventually rise to replace him. 0:41:06.810 --> 0:41:10.080 And what's the sign? The Virgin will be with child 0:41:10.080 --> 0:41:12.150 and will give birth to a son and will call 0:41:12.150 --> 0:41:15.420 him Immanuel. The child will be born in a time 0:41:15.450 --> 0:41:18.120 of trouble for Judah. And before he reaches the age 0:41:18.120 --> 0:41:23.580 of accountability, the nations feared by Ahaz would be laid waste. Sadly, 0:41:23.580 --> 0:41:27.510 because of Ahaz disobedience, Judah would also experience a time 0:41:27.540 --> 0:41:30.060 of trouble. On the right side of the first panel 0:41:30.060 --> 0:41:33.239 is what looks at first like a mirror image a 0:41:33.239 --> 0:41:37.020 woman giving birth to a son. But on closer inspection, 0:41:37.020 --> 0:41:41.280 several contrasts can be seen. The woman is actually Isaiah's wife, 0:41:41.280 --> 0:41:44.640 and in this portrait, the judgment of Judah's nearby enemies 0:41:44.640 --> 0:41:47.549 will take place within a few years before his son 0:41:47.550 --> 0:41:50.460 can even say daddy or mommy. This is a near 0:41:50.489 --> 0:41:55.259 prophecy whose fulfillment points to the certainty of the previous prophecies. 0:41:55.260 --> 0:41:58.770 Later fulfillment. The fall of these two kingdoms within two 0:41:58.770 --> 0:42:02.580 years was a certain sign that a young woman, a virgin, 0:42:02.580 --> 0:42:05.160 at some point in the future, would give birth to 0:42:05.190 --> 0:42:08.190 a son who would be named Emmanuel, God with us. 0:42:08.219 --> 0:42:11.700 The center picture in Isaiah's triptych is perhaps the most 0:42:11.700 --> 0:42:15.870 striking of all. Isaiah does a masterful job of interposing 0:42:15.870 --> 0:42:20.310 brilliant light over a very dark background. The background focuses 0:42:20.310 --> 0:42:24.090 on Galilee, but now it's Galilee of the Gentiles. The 0:42:24.090 --> 0:42:28.230 nations have come to oppress Israel. Isaiah uses dark verbal 0:42:28.230 --> 0:42:33.660 shades to paint this background distress, gloom, darkness, living in 0:42:33.660 --> 0:42:37.529 the shadow of death. But into this dark image blazes 0:42:37.560 --> 0:42:40.920 a great brightness. The people see a great light that 0:42:40.920 --> 0:42:45.540 suddenly dawns on them, replacing gloom with gladness. And what's 0:42:45.540 --> 0:42:49.140 the central focus of this second picture? What turns despair 0:42:49.140 --> 0:42:52.380 into joy? The answer leaps out from the very center 0:42:52.380 --> 0:42:55.320 of the painting. For to us a child is born, 0:42:55.320 --> 0:42:57.810 to us a son is given, and the government will 0:42:57.840 --> 0:43:00.779 be on his shoulders, and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, 0:43:00.780 --> 0:43:05.600 Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace of the increase 0:43:05.600 --> 0:43:08.509 of his government and peace, there will be no end. 0:43:08.540 --> 0:43:11.899 He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, 0:43:11.900 --> 0:43:15.800 establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that 0:43:15.800 --> 0:43:20.239 time on and forever. There's the child again. But now 0:43:20.239 --> 0:43:23.719 we learn this child, Emmanuel, God with us, is born 0:43:23.719 --> 0:43:27.770 to reign as the divine King sitting on David's throne. 0:43:27.800 --> 0:43:31.250 The brush strokes in this second picture are bold and dramatic. 0:43:31.250 --> 0:43:34.009 No mere baby, this one to be born will have 0:43:34.040 --> 0:43:38.660 titles that present him as being God with us. Wonderful counselor, 0:43:38.660 --> 0:43:43.220 Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. It's hard to 0:43:43.219 --> 0:43:46.279 take our eyes off this dramatic portrait, but we must. 0:43:46.310 --> 0:43:49.790 There remains one final picture in this triptych, so we 0:43:49.790 --> 0:43:53.060 turn our gaze to that last divine painting in chapters 0:43:53.060 --> 0:43:57.200 ten and 11. The initial colors are dark but more muted. 0:43:57.230 --> 0:44:00.350 On the left are hints of both judgment and restoration, 0:44:00.350 --> 0:44:04.010 judgment on the Assyrians coming to devastate the land because 0:44:04.010 --> 0:44:07.669 of King Ahaz disobedience. This ties the third picture back 0:44:07.670 --> 0:44:10.490 to the first one. But then there is God's promised 0:44:10.489 --> 0:44:14.060 restoration and deliverance for his remnant. He will restore his 0:44:14.060 --> 0:44:17.510 people and lift the yoke of oppression from off their necks. 0:44:17.540 --> 0:44:20.120 Our gaze is once again drawn to the right side 0:44:20.120 --> 0:44:23.569 of the painting, the progression taking us still again to 0:44:23.600 --> 0:44:26.390 the birth of a child. The details in this part 0:44:26.390 --> 0:44:29.180 of the painting force us to slow down and examine 0:44:29.180 --> 0:44:31.969 it with great care. A shoot will come up from 0:44:31.969 --> 0:44:34.610 the stump of Jesse. From his roots a branch will 0:44:34.640 --> 0:44:37.340 bear fruit. The spirit of the Lord will rest on him. 0:44:37.340 --> 0:44:40.190 The spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of 0:44:40.190 --> 0:44:42.890 counsel and of power, a spirit of knowledge and of 0:44:42.890 --> 0:44:45.170 fear of the Lord. And he will delight in the 0:44:45.170 --> 0:44:47.270 fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what 0:44:47.270 --> 0:44:49.520 he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he 0:44:49.550 --> 0:44:52.430 hears with his ears, but with righteousness he will judge 0:44:52.430 --> 0:44:55.219 the needy, and with justice he will give decisions for 0:44:55.219 --> 0:44:57.440 the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth 0:44:57.440 --> 0:44:59.600 with the rod of his mouth. With the breath of 0:44:59.600 --> 0:45:02.660 his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be 0:45:02.660 --> 0:45:07.520 his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. We 0:45:07.520 --> 0:45:09.589 step back to take a more panoramic view of the 0:45:09.590 --> 0:45:13.850 entire triptych. It's a portrait of a child being born, 0:45:13.850 --> 0:45:16.460 but it's far more than the mere birth of a child. 0:45:16.489 --> 0:45:20.330 This child is God with us. This child will be 0:45:20.330 --> 0:45:24.770 the Prince of Peace sitting on David's throne. This child 0:45:24.770 --> 0:45:29.120 will vanquish evil and wickedness. This child will usher in 0:45:29.120 --> 0:45:35.090 a time of universal peace and harmony. This child is Jesus. 0:45:35.120 --> 0:45:41.450 The triptych painted 700 years before his birth this week. 0:45:41.480 --> 0:45:44.630 As you get ready to celebrate Christmas, focus on more 0:45:44.630 --> 0:45:48.170 than just a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying 0:45:48.200 --> 0:45:51.200 in a manger. Focus on more than just the wise 0:45:51.200 --> 0:45:54.890 men showing up to offer gifts to this child. That 0:45:54.890 --> 0:46:01.040 child was and is God incarnate. And that child will someday, 0:46:01.070 --> 0:46:05.180 perhaps very soon, return to sit on David's throne to 0:46:05.210 --> 0:46:09.650 rule over all. And with that thought in mind, have 0:46:09.650 --> 0:46:11.779 a blessed Christmas. 0:46:11.810 --> 0:46:13.760 You know, before we let you go, I have to ask, 0:46:13.790 --> 0:46:17.360 have you made this child who became a man who 0:46:17.360 --> 0:46:20.390 is now our Savior, Jesus, at the right hand of 0:46:20.390 --> 0:46:23.330 the father? Have you made him your Savior? Have you 0:46:23.330 --> 0:46:25.850 asked him to forgive you for your wrongdoing? Put him 0:46:25.850 --> 0:46:28.070 in charge of your life. You can do that today. 0:46:28.219 --> 0:46:30.890 A friend will pray with you right now at eight, eight, eight. 0:46:30.920 --> 0:46:35.390 Need him. Explain answers to your questions and there's no hassle. 0:46:35.390 --> 0:46:38.900 There's no cost because there's nothing to buy. So call 888. 0:46:38.930 --> 0:46:42.770 Need him right now. Well, thank you, Charlie, for that devotional. 0:46:42.770 --> 0:46:45.530 Thank you for listening to the broadcast. And as Charlie says, 0:46:45.530 --> 0:46:48.620 we do hope you have a very wonderful Merry Christmas. 0:46:48.650 --> 0:46:51.200 I'm John Gager The Land and the book is a 0:46:51.200 --> 0:46:55.070 production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.