WEBVTT - Memorial Day Rewind 0:00:00.440 --> 0:00:04.080 Coming to you from the Morning Star Mission sponsored studio. 0:00:04.480 --> 0:00:06.000 This is Carl and crew. 0:00:06.040 --> 0:00:11.840 Mornings, helping you take your next step with Jesus. That's 0:00:11.840 --> 0:00:12.680 what we're all about here. 0:00:12.720 --> 0:00:15.240 Ali, do you. Have you ever counted your steps? Have 0:00:15.240 --> 0:00:16.920 you ever worn some sort of a tracker? 0:00:16.960 --> 0:00:19.080 It's funny that you say, oh, steps. I thought you 0:00:19.079 --> 0:00:22.320 were meaning steps with Jesus. Uh, yeah, I have. Do 0:00:22.320 --> 0:00:23.960 you still have your step tracker? 0:00:24.000 --> 0:00:26.680 Oh, I do. And my daughter wears one, too. So 0:00:26.680 --> 0:00:29.120 she's always trying to compete with me. 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:29.720 That's great. 0:00:29.760 --> 0:00:32.919 It's never even a competition. Mom, how are your steps doing? 0:00:33.360 --> 0:00:39.440 I'm somewhere around 3400. I have 11,000. It's always way more. 0:00:39.880 --> 0:00:42.000 So mom doesn't take nearly as many steps in a 0:00:42.000 --> 0:00:43.960 day as my active 13 year old. 0:00:44.000 --> 0:00:48.000 All we need you to take today is one giant step. 0:00:48.040 --> 0:00:48.560 Just one. 0:00:48.600 --> 0:00:51.839 And we've got some content that will help you do that. 0:00:53.200 --> 0:00:56.080 Does anyone else glad it's God's battle and not ours? 0:00:56.440 --> 0:00:58.080 You can say that again twice. 0:00:58.240 --> 0:00:58.920 About every day. 0:00:58.960 --> 0:01:02.900 Man. How do we get aligned with the God who? 0:01:02.940 --> 0:01:06.700 It's his battle, and yet he wants us to be 0:01:06.700 --> 0:01:10.060 overwhelmed by his grace and power in our life. All right. 0:01:10.060 --> 0:01:12.900 What's the best formation you guys love to see? I mean, 0:01:12.940 --> 0:01:15.140 you know, I use a marching band as a metaphor 0:01:15.140 --> 0:01:16.100 because it's. 0:01:16.340 --> 0:01:16.700 Oh, yeah. 0:01:16.740 --> 0:01:19.900 Have you ever seen those videos where the bands are 0:01:19.900 --> 0:01:21.300 running into one another? 0:01:21.860 --> 0:01:24.740 I haven't, but it sounds funny enough to. I need 0:01:24.740 --> 0:01:25.500 to check that out. 0:01:25.540 --> 0:01:27.220 No. Have you super tight? Have you seen him? 0:01:27.260 --> 0:01:28.740 Oh, yeah. Like I said, and I love the, like, 0:01:28.780 --> 0:01:30.420 the 1 or 2 little stragglers. 0:01:30.740 --> 0:01:35.140 No, that's the stragglers. I, I was always freaked out 0:01:35.140 --> 0:01:36.740 because I was in band for a little bit. We 0:01:36.740 --> 0:01:39.300 had to do a parade. Oh. And I told I 0:01:39.300 --> 0:01:42.980 remember telling our band director because this was like the 0:01:42.980 --> 0:01:45.780 beginning of the end for me. I was already getting 0:01:45.780 --> 0:01:49.020 burned out on this. And I played the French horn 0:01:49.020 --> 0:01:50.860 for ten years, if you can believe it. How does 0:01:50.860 --> 0:01:53.500 a guy mush the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race and 0:01:53.500 --> 0:01:55.420 play the French horn? Those don't go together. 0:01:55.460 --> 0:01:56.620 They're multifaceted. 0:01:56.660 --> 0:01:58.540 No, that's. Well, thank you for that, Ali. 0:01:58.650 --> 0:01:59.410 But that's. 0:01:59.410 --> 0:02:01.970 Not it. Let's go with that. Okay, but but I 0:02:02.010 --> 0:02:04.690 got out of that one quick because the marching band 0:02:04.730 --> 0:02:09.130 thing was crazy. You had to walk and keep your 0:02:09.130 --> 0:02:12.130 lips on this mouthpiece. 0:02:12.290 --> 0:02:12.769 Yeah. 0:02:12.889 --> 0:02:15.490 And on top of it, I had braces for my 0:02:15.490 --> 0:02:18.650 buck teeth. So I had to be careful. In fact, 0:02:18.690 --> 0:02:21.090 I wore these wax things. You guys are seeing me 0:02:21.090 --> 0:02:23.050 in here, but you can't see me out there. But 0:02:23.090 --> 0:02:26.410 where these where these wax things. You press the wax 0:02:26.450 --> 0:02:31.170 over the braces. Otherwise, when you pushed your lips against 0:02:31.210 --> 0:02:35.250 that mouthpiece, I would gouge up my lips. 0:02:35.290 --> 0:02:35.890 Oh, wow. 0:02:36.090 --> 0:02:36.490 Oh, yeah. 0:02:36.690 --> 0:02:38.049 Braces are sharp. 0:02:38.090 --> 0:02:38.530 Yeah. 0:02:39.210 --> 0:02:43.570 And then my, uh, private French horn teacher, Dan Heinen. 0:02:43.570 --> 0:02:45.690 He was quite a guy. This guy could flap play 0:02:45.690 --> 0:02:48.970 the French horn. Oh, my goodness, was he amazing? 0:02:49.010 --> 0:02:51.730 Dan Heinen doodle doodle doodle doodle. 0:02:53.169 --> 0:02:56.850 Anyway, I digress, but he told me, well, that don't 0:02:56.850 --> 0:02:59.549 put wax on there because you shouldn't be pressing that 0:02:59.550 --> 0:03:02.190 hard against your lips. So I didn't do it for 0:03:02.190 --> 0:03:04.150 a while, and then I came back and my my 0:03:04.150 --> 0:03:05.470 lips are like hamburger. 0:03:05.510 --> 0:03:05.829 Oh. 0:03:06.030 --> 0:03:07.790 Oh! Ew. That's so gross. 0:03:07.830 --> 0:03:09.510 Oh, that sounds really painful. 0:03:09.590 --> 0:03:09.990 No. 0:03:10.230 --> 0:03:11.350 Well, it wasn't good. 0:03:11.830 --> 0:03:13.070 No, no, it was not. 0:03:13.389 --> 0:03:15.870 No. 14 year old should have bloody lips from playing 0:03:15.870 --> 0:03:17.510 the French horn, for crying out loud. 0:03:17.630 --> 0:03:18.310 So, did. 0:03:18.310 --> 0:03:18.829 You like. 0:03:18.830 --> 0:03:21.070 The marching band formation aspect of. 0:03:21.070 --> 0:03:24.109 It? Well, I, you know, we did a few moves 0:03:24.150 --> 0:03:27.630 going down Fourth Avenue in, in Anchorage, Alaska. We did 0:03:27.630 --> 0:03:30.110 a few moves, but they weren't like marching band moves, 0:03:30.110 --> 0:03:32.070 but they were just enough to make me feel like 0:03:32.110 --> 0:03:33.030 Gomer Pyle. 0:03:33.669 --> 0:03:33.989 Oh. 0:03:34.430 --> 0:03:36.270 If you've ever seen that movie you know he gets 0:03:36.270 --> 0:03:38.230 out of step and he can't get in step. And 0:03:38.230 --> 0:03:40.910 it's like and I wasn't the worst I wasn't one 0:03:40.910 --> 0:03:43.270 of those stragglers. But we had one drummer man. He 0:03:43.270 --> 0:03:45.990 got all messed up. He's like heading the other direction. 0:03:46.030 --> 0:03:51.430 Oh no it was da dum dum dum da dum 0:03:51.470 --> 0:03:53.830 da dum da dum. If you're old enough. Notice the 0:03:53.830 --> 0:03:55.950 rise I got out of everyone in the studio here. 0:03:56.020 --> 0:03:58.620 Boom crew. As I mentioned Gomer Pyle being out of step. 0:03:59.220 --> 0:04:02.260 Full glazed donut looks here. They have no clue. 0:04:02.380 --> 0:04:04.660 I don't know who it is you know. 0:04:04.660 --> 0:04:06.580 But you know the opening to that thing where he 0:04:06.580 --> 0:04:07.540 can't keep in step. 0:04:07.580 --> 0:04:08.940 Oh absolutely. Oh yeah. 0:04:08.980 --> 0:04:10.620 Was that from the Andy Griffith Show? 0:04:11.380 --> 0:04:11.980 No. 0:04:12.260 --> 0:04:13.820 Yes. He was a character. Yes. 0:04:13.860 --> 0:04:16.260 Yeah, he was a character in Andy. Yeah. You're right. 0:04:16.300 --> 0:04:18.219 Okay. And the show kicked off from there. 0:04:18.260 --> 0:04:19.620 He had his own show, a spin off. 0:04:19.660 --> 0:04:20.060 A spin off. 0:04:20.100 --> 0:04:24.460 Yeah, I just know the the little Shazam. Like this. Shazam! Yeah. 0:04:24.500 --> 0:04:25.900 I don't know anything else. 0:04:26.060 --> 0:04:27.540 We're totally clued in here. 0:04:27.580 --> 0:04:29.740 Okay, so here's the deal. Let me get us back 0:04:29.740 --> 0:04:32.380 on track here since I got us way off track. 0:04:33.460 --> 0:04:38.619 What's the most beautiful formation you have ever seen? Is 0:04:38.620 --> 0:04:41.860 it geese that are migrating north? 0:04:42.900 --> 0:04:46.220 That's a good one. I think for me, it's, uh, 0:04:46.260 --> 0:04:50.500 synchronized Olympic diving. That's a good formation. 0:04:50.540 --> 0:04:53.339 What are you on about? Super dive. 0:04:53.620 --> 0:04:56.280 You love the water. I was just surprised he picked that. 0:04:56.320 --> 0:04:58.200 It was more of like not laughing at the answer, 0:04:58.200 --> 0:04:58.920 but like that. 0:04:58.920 --> 0:04:59.960 It was Jonathan's answer. 0:05:00.000 --> 0:05:00.880 Yeah. Yeah. 0:05:01.400 --> 0:05:05.000 I love I it's it's the Chinese that do the 0:05:05.000 --> 0:05:06.159 minimal splash thing. 0:05:06.200 --> 0:05:07.039 I know it's insane. 0:05:07.080 --> 0:05:07.480 They do. 0:05:07.480 --> 0:05:09.320 That. They're very good at it. I don't I do 0:05:09.320 --> 0:05:10.039 not get it. 0:05:10.240 --> 0:05:12.520 All right. Other great formations that you love. 0:05:12.680 --> 0:05:16.039 I like to see birds fly in formation. I find 0:05:16.040 --> 0:05:19.719 that to be fascinating. And I remember being at a 0:05:19.720 --> 0:05:21.839 stoplight one time, and this was in the middle of, 0:05:21.880 --> 0:05:23.960 of Chicago. So it was kind of odd to just 0:05:23.960 --> 0:05:26.920 look up and see this. And these birds, they were 0:05:26.920 --> 0:05:29.279 in the perfect vee. And then all of a sudden 0:05:29.279 --> 0:05:31.440 it was like they all just took a dive left 0:05:31.440 --> 0:05:33.880 and they all did it except for like three birds. 0:05:34.160 --> 0:05:36.880 And so they were kind of like your straggler marching bands. 0:05:36.880 --> 0:05:38.600 There were like some straggler birds. 0:05:38.600 --> 0:05:39.000 That. 0:05:39.520 --> 0:05:41.880 Like, missed the memo that, hey, we're going to take 0:05:41.880 --> 0:05:44.960 a left. But I thought, wow, I just stared at 0:05:44.960 --> 0:05:47.799 the sky because I find the way that they move 0:05:47.800 --> 0:05:51.560 in sync to be totally awe inspiring. Like how? 0:05:51.839 --> 0:05:52.400 How do they. 0:05:52.440 --> 0:05:54.309 It's amazing in Information. 0:05:54.510 --> 0:05:56.870 I love dance chorus line like in the ballet. The 0:05:56.910 --> 0:06:00.510 ensemble of a really beautiful ballet. And that whole group 0:06:00.510 --> 0:06:04.390 of just. Just the dancers in sync. Oh, beautiful. 0:06:04.430 --> 0:06:06.350 Oh, how about the Rockettes? 0:06:06.910 --> 0:06:07.750 Well, there you go. 0:06:08.110 --> 0:06:11.390 I mean, that is an amazing thing, watching the Rockettes 0:06:11.430 --> 0:06:14.470 like those high kicks. Yeah, those high kicks and stuff. 0:06:14.830 --> 0:06:18.870 That's an epic formation thing. Okay, coming up here, what 0:06:18.870 --> 0:06:21.470 we're going to be talking about is formation. We're going 0:06:21.470 --> 0:06:23.990 to talk today about formation of the will. Now I 0:06:23.990 --> 0:06:26.990 need to warn you ahead of time. We've got so 0:06:26.990 --> 0:06:30.109 much content in here today on the formation of the will. 0:06:31.029 --> 0:06:36.070 And the central passage is Jesus on the Mount of Olives. 0:06:36.870 --> 0:06:40.630 Not my will, but yours. Be done. What a model. 0:06:41.070 --> 0:06:43.750 What a model. It's epic. So we're going to break 0:06:43.750 --> 0:06:45.550 that down here today. But you're going to want the 0:06:45.589 --> 0:06:47.710 show cast already. So we're going to give it to 0:06:47.710 --> 0:06:50.550 you right now because there's no way unless you hang 0:06:50.589 --> 0:06:53.130 around for a full two hours, You're not going to 0:06:53.130 --> 0:06:55.690 get all this content today. Take it away. Ali. How 0:06:55.690 --> 0:06:56.610 do they get the showcase? 0:06:56.650 --> 0:07:01.810 Just text show to 800 555 78, 98. Just that 0:07:01.810 --> 0:07:07.050 one word show to 800, 555, 78, 98. You'll get 0:07:07.050 --> 0:07:09.850 that back links for both iPhone and Android. So you're 0:07:09.850 --> 0:07:13.730 all set. Show 800 555 7898. 0:07:13.770 --> 0:07:18.170 Not my will, but yours. Be done. Getting aligned with 0:07:18.170 --> 0:07:24.730 our Savior. Well, spiritual formation is are one of my 0:07:24.730 --> 0:07:26.930 favorite topics on the planet because at the end of 0:07:26.930 --> 0:07:29.970 the day, we can be born again and still out 0:07:30.010 --> 0:07:31.690 of sync with God. Fair enough guys. 0:07:31.730 --> 0:07:32.610 Yeah, absolutely. 0:07:32.650 --> 0:07:34.130 What do you mean by what do we mean by 0:07:34.130 --> 0:07:35.370 spiritual formation? 0:07:35.850 --> 0:07:39.530 You know, let's just break it down. This simply. I'm 0:07:39.530 --> 0:07:44.010 going to use a Dallas Willard quote. Spiritual formation for 0:07:44.010 --> 0:07:48.250 the Christian basically refers to a spirit driven, Holy Spirit 0:07:48.250 --> 0:07:52.040 driven process of forming the inner world of the human 0:07:52.040 --> 0:07:55.120 self in such a way that it becomes like the 0:07:55.120 --> 0:07:59.280 inner being of Christ himself. That's Dallas Dallas Willard, one 0:07:59.280 --> 0:08:02.600 of the foremost modern authorities. He's gone on to his 0:08:02.600 --> 0:08:08.360 reward on spiritual formation, divine conspiracy. Phenomenal book. Guys. If 0:08:08.360 --> 0:08:10.200 you can get through the first third, you made it 0:08:10.200 --> 0:08:13.240 home and you'll get to back half. It'll be beautiful. 0:08:13.520 --> 0:08:18.120 But it's, um. It's an amazing thing to look at 0:08:18.120 --> 0:08:22.480 Jesus himself on the Mount of Olives, and he's facing 0:08:22.640 --> 0:08:25.720 crucifixion and he says, oh, God, if you can take 0:08:25.720 --> 0:08:28.400 this cup from me, that'd be great, but not my. 0:08:28.480 --> 0:08:34.280 Will yours be done? Now, our savior modeled something powerful. 0:08:35.520 --> 0:08:37.600 But there's a few things you've got to know about 0:08:37.600 --> 0:08:40.760 God's sovereign will. And in just a couple of minutes, 0:08:40.760 --> 0:08:43.560 we're going to break it down. Three things you need 0:08:43.559 --> 0:08:46.960 to know about God's sovereign will. This will anchor you 0:08:46.960 --> 0:08:50.260 big time. This is like revolutionary stuff when you get 0:08:50.260 --> 0:08:53.860 this etched in your etched in your brain and in 0:08:53.860 --> 0:08:57.179 your soul and in your spirit, it'll change everything. Hang on. 0:08:58.340 --> 0:09:02.060 Start your day moving closer to Jesus. You're listening to 0:09:02.100 --> 0:09:03.220 Carl and crew. 0:09:04.020 --> 0:09:06.740 I am so giddy today. I can barely stand it. 0:09:06.740 --> 0:09:07.300 Really? 0:09:07.340 --> 0:09:09.100 Yeah, I am fired up. 0:09:09.140 --> 0:09:10.660 Why does this get you so excited? 0:09:10.660 --> 0:09:13.940 This topic we often don't talk about kind of the 0:09:13.940 --> 0:09:16.860 path to sanctification, and that is a big fancy word 0:09:16.860 --> 0:09:21.980 for growing up in Jesus. But the spiritual formation of 0:09:21.980 --> 0:09:26.740 our will, getting aligned with God's who. Katie, bar the 0:09:26.740 --> 0:09:28.420 door and we're going to break it down. What is 0:09:28.420 --> 0:09:30.260 God's will for you? We're going to be hitting that 0:09:30.260 --> 0:09:32.420 later on this hour, but let me just break down 0:09:32.420 --> 0:09:34.580 a few here, Ali, if I could. And I want 0:09:34.620 --> 0:09:38.180 to give correct attribution. By the way, if you ever 0:09:38.220 --> 0:09:42.099 learn something from someone and then you repeat it, give attribution. 0:09:42.620 --> 0:09:47.740 I love that word. As a former journalist, attribution is really, 0:09:47.740 --> 0:09:51.040 really important. Tell us where you got your information. 0:09:51.559 --> 0:09:58.199 Yeah. So in Wayne Grudem systematic theology, he breaks down 0:09:58.200 --> 0:10:00.480 what he believes are kind of the three big buckets 0:10:00.480 --> 0:10:02.920 of things you need to know about God's sovereign will. 0:10:02.960 --> 0:10:04.840 Let me let me riff through them here. And then 0:10:04.840 --> 0:10:06.480 I'm going to let you guys comment on these and 0:10:06.480 --> 0:10:09.640 we'll take them one at a time. God's sovereign will 0:10:09.640 --> 0:10:16.520 is hidden until it happens. Fascinating. Look at this. Deuteronomy 2929. 0:10:16.520 --> 0:10:19.120 The secret things of God belong to the Lord our God. 0:10:19.120 --> 0:10:21.480 But the things that are revealed belong to us and 0:10:21.480 --> 0:10:24.800 to our children forever, that we may do all the 0:10:24.840 --> 0:10:28.960 words of his law. Here's the deal God's sovereign plans 0:10:28.960 --> 0:10:32.640 are often hidden from us until they unfold, but his 0:10:32.640 --> 0:10:38.480 revealed will is given for our obedience. So the secret 0:10:38.480 --> 0:10:40.360 things belong to the Lord. But the things that are 0:10:40.360 --> 0:10:43.600 revealed belong to us. In other words, whatever God shows us, 0:10:43.600 --> 0:10:48.510 do it. But oftentimes, God's will will not be revealed 0:10:48.510 --> 0:10:51.310 until Bada Bing, it shows up. Fair enough. We see 0:10:51.309 --> 0:10:52.390 that in our life, right? 0:10:52.390 --> 0:10:54.910 Yeah, I've seen that in mine. And you know, my 0:10:54.910 --> 0:10:57.270 dad's a pastor in something that he said to me 0:10:57.270 --> 0:10:59.790 before about God's will. He's like, I feel like God 0:10:59.790 --> 0:11:03.630 doesn't show us his will sometimes, because we like to 0:11:03.670 --> 0:11:06.150 give our own input about how his will might need 0:11:06.150 --> 0:11:08.750 to be changed and and how things may need to 0:11:08.750 --> 0:11:11.189 be different to fit what we want. And so I 0:11:11.230 --> 0:11:13.190 kind of like the fact that God doesn't let us 0:11:13.190 --> 0:11:15.949 in on everything all at once, all the time, because 0:11:15.950 --> 0:11:17.950 I am prone to try to go my own way. 0:11:18.750 --> 0:11:21.750 Okay, so can I kind of push back just a 0:11:21.750 --> 0:11:24.870 little bit what I think someone might say to this. Okay, 0:11:24.910 --> 0:11:28.350 so someone who would maybe be skeptical, say would, well, 0:11:28.390 --> 0:11:31.390 basically you're saying that anything that happens once I see 0:11:31.390 --> 0:11:33.990 that it happens, I can say that that was God's will. 0:11:34.429 --> 0:11:37.950 Absolutely. God is sovereign over all things. Now, the sovereignty 0:11:37.990 --> 0:11:40.430 of God does not delight in. And I'm going to 0:11:40.429 --> 0:11:43.510 get to a third point here. God's sovereign will does 0:11:43.510 --> 0:11:47.090 not delight over tragedy, but in a broken and fallen world. 0:11:47.090 --> 0:11:51.170 He will leverage those things. So this is a this 0:11:51.170 --> 0:11:55.090 is a difficult topic because this leads to the question 0:11:55.130 --> 0:11:58.610 of why does a good God let evil persist? Sure. 0:11:58.890 --> 0:12:00.929 And that's one of those that we're going to have 0:12:00.929 --> 0:12:04.850 to spend a week on down the road. Uh, in fact, 0:12:04.850 --> 0:12:07.730 we hit that hot topic here. When was that? Six, 0:12:07.770 --> 0:12:11.090 eight months ago. We brought in. I forget his name, 0:12:11.330 --> 0:12:13.610 but it's a good topic, and it's a hard one 0:12:13.610 --> 0:12:16.770 because you're like, oh, God, why does this happen? But 0:12:16.770 --> 0:12:20.250 sometimes God's sovereign will is hidden until it happens. And 0:12:20.250 --> 0:12:23.290 when it happens, it's like, wow, that's tough. In fact, 0:12:23.290 --> 0:12:25.130 that leads to the third point. But let me hit 0:12:25.130 --> 0:12:28.050 the second first here, Ali. That's great. I mean, let's 0:12:28.050 --> 0:12:31.210 always be honest with it here. Sometimes God's sovereign will 0:12:31.210 --> 0:12:34.450 you look at it and you go, wow, you allowed 0:12:34.450 --> 0:12:39.010 that to happen. And the answer is he did. And 0:12:39.010 --> 0:12:43.689 that's tough. The second one, though, is really good. And 0:12:43.690 --> 0:12:46.360 there's a red thread of redemption in it here. God's 0:12:46.360 --> 0:12:51.120 sovereign will cannot ultimately be thwarted. Remember, this is Isaiah 0:12:51.120 --> 0:12:54.920 46 nine through ten. Remember the former things of old, 0:12:54.920 --> 0:12:57.680 for I am God, and there is no other. I 0:12:57.720 --> 0:13:01.040 am God, and there is none like me declaring the 0:13:01.080 --> 0:13:04.880 end from the beginning and from ancient times things not 0:13:04.920 --> 0:13:09.280 yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand, and I will 0:13:09.280 --> 0:13:14.360 accomplish all my purpose. God's purposes are going to prevail, guys. 0:13:14.559 --> 0:13:18.120 Nothing can hinder his plans. Now, I think the encouragement 0:13:18.120 --> 0:13:21.439 of that one. Ali, is it kind of buffers the 0:13:21.440 --> 0:13:25.520 first one. His his will is hidden until it happens, 0:13:25.520 --> 0:13:28.960 but ultimately his ultimate plan cannot be thwarted. What do 0:13:28.960 --> 0:13:32.280 we know from Scripture? We know that those who are 0:13:32.280 --> 0:13:37.160 in Christ Jesus have this new Jerusalem, this new abiding 0:13:37.320 --> 0:13:41.800 relationship with God for eternity. And we hold on to 0:13:41.840 --> 0:13:46.500 that knowing that's coming and that will cannot be thwarted. 0:13:46.500 --> 0:13:48.420 Anyone else fired up about that? 0:13:48.460 --> 0:13:49.300 Absolutely. 0:13:49.340 --> 0:13:53.860 We can't mess it up. We can't somehow do something. 0:13:53.860 --> 0:13:56.699 And then all of a sudden God's scrambling, going, okay, 0:13:56.700 --> 0:14:00.460 I had this plan, but now Carl did this. And 0:14:00.460 --> 0:14:02.340 so now I got to figure out a way to. 0:14:02.380 --> 0:14:06.140 No it doesn't. We don't have the power to thwart 0:14:06.179 --> 0:14:07.260 what he's going to do. 0:14:07.300 --> 0:14:12.140 Yes. And then I think this third point that Wayne 0:14:12.140 --> 0:14:16.780 Grudem highlights, that's so good is probably one of the 0:14:16.780 --> 0:14:20.580 greatest encouragements for why do evil things happen. So I 0:14:20.580 --> 0:14:23.620 think this will answer it. God's sovereign will. Number three 0:14:23.780 --> 0:14:29.060 involves both good and evil. Genesis 50, verse 20. You 0:14:29.060 --> 0:14:34.220 guys might remember this story, Joseph. As for you, he 0:14:34.220 --> 0:14:38.180 spoke to his brothers. You meant evil against me, but 0:14:38.180 --> 0:14:40.820 God meant it for good to bring it about, that 0:14:40.820 --> 0:14:45.650 many people should be kept alive as they are today. Boom! 0:14:46.090 --> 0:14:47.530 How encouraging is that? 0:14:47.570 --> 0:14:52.090 Yeah, it is encouraging because broken things are going to 0:14:52.090 --> 0:14:54.690 happen in a broken world. But the fact that God 0:14:54.690 --> 0:14:57.370 can say, listen, I'm not going to take away every 0:14:57.370 --> 0:15:01.690 broken thing right now, but I am going to use 0:15:01.690 --> 0:15:03.770 them for my glory and I'm going to use them 0:15:03.770 --> 0:15:07.610 to prosper you. And I think that that's important is 0:15:07.610 --> 0:15:10.970 that even when hard things happen, God is still letting 0:15:10.970 --> 0:15:12.570 them happen for our good. 0:15:12.810 --> 0:15:16.730 Yeah. I mean, and this all this does scripture echoes 0:15:16.730 --> 0:15:20.290 this truth from beginning to end. And then James, the 0:15:20.290 --> 0:15:23.890 half brother of Jesus, my favorite, maybe my one of 0:15:23.890 --> 0:15:27.730 my favorite passages in the New Testament is James one 0:15:27.770 --> 0:15:31.730 two through four. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever 0:15:31.730 --> 0:15:35.970 you face trials of many kinds, because you know that 0:15:35.970 --> 0:15:41.190 the testing of your faith develops, perseverance and perseverance Parents 0:15:41.390 --> 0:15:44.830 must finish its work so that you may be mature 0:15:44.830 --> 0:15:48.470 and complete, lacking in nothing. That's it. What a great example. 0:15:48.470 --> 0:15:54.470 That's Joseph's story. So there were greater purposes even through evil. 0:15:54.630 --> 0:16:01.030 So God's sovereign will involves both good and evil. Not perfect, 0:16:01.030 --> 0:16:01.550 is it? 0:16:02.910 --> 0:16:05.550 What do you mean, not it? 0:16:05.590 --> 0:16:08.630 It. If we could script this thing out, we'd have 0:16:08.630 --> 0:16:09.670 heaven right now. 0:16:10.030 --> 0:16:10.790 Absolutely. 0:16:11.230 --> 0:16:14.110 Yeah. I mean, there's a remember a pastor saying one 0:16:14.110 --> 0:16:16.790 time that to live as a Christ follower, you have 0:16:16.790 --> 0:16:20.270 to be comfortable with a certain element of mystery. I mean, 0:16:20.310 --> 0:16:23.950 you can, depending on the really hard thing you're facing 0:16:23.950 --> 0:16:27.030 right now to hear that this is God's will for 0:16:27.030 --> 0:16:30.950 your life, but he'll use it maybe doesn't feel so 0:16:30.950 --> 0:16:35.350 satisfying in this moment. It might feel a little hollow 0:16:35.350 --> 0:16:38.790 if we're just being honest. You're facing the worst case 0:16:38.790 --> 0:16:42.860 scenario in whatever you're dealing with and you're going, okay, 0:16:42.900 --> 0:16:45.860 I'm I'm trying to make sense of it. I'm trying 0:16:45.860 --> 0:16:47.780 to trust that God's going to use it for good. 0:16:48.060 --> 0:16:50.380 But maybe you're not there just yet. What do you 0:16:50.380 --> 0:16:51.300 say to that, Carl? 0:16:52.780 --> 0:16:55.580 All things work together for good. For those who love God. 0:16:56.300 --> 0:17:00.620 Those that are called according to his purpose. I've got I, I, 0:17:00.900 --> 0:17:06.500 I anchor myself in truths like that. I anchor myself 0:17:06.500 --> 0:17:08.740 in James one two through four. And you need to. 0:17:08.780 --> 0:17:12.300 To Allie's right. You're getting up this morning and you're 0:17:12.300 --> 0:17:17.619 facing something. You're like, Carl, I don't want this. I 0:17:17.619 --> 0:17:21.940 get that. We does anyone here not get that? Don't 0:17:21.940 --> 0:17:22.660 we all get that? 0:17:22.700 --> 0:17:23.619 Oh, yeah, we get that. 0:17:24.780 --> 0:17:29.220 And yet I've lived long enough to see things that 0:17:29.220 --> 0:17:33.260 I went through. Soul crushing up in the middle of 0:17:33.260 --> 0:17:38.679 the night crying. Yeah. Grown man crying 3 a.m.. Am 0:17:38.960 --> 0:17:43.760 only to see his wife crying so I can I 0:17:43.880 --> 0:17:48.000 got now I've got my. My buddy can't comfort me 0:17:48.040 --> 0:17:49.879 because I got to comfort her and we got to 0:17:49.880 --> 0:17:54.760 comfort each other and it's hard. And yet I can 0:17:54.760 --> 0:17:57.160 look back at that and I can say it is 0:17:57.160 --> 0:18:00.399 well with my soul because I saw God use it. 0:18:01.560 --> 0:18:07.080 Is it easy? No, it stinks man. But God is 0:18:07.080 --> 0:18:12.080 sovereign over all things. Coming up, we're going to break 0:18:12.080 --> 0:18:14.120 this down. In fact, I'm going to illustrate this in 0:18:14.119 --> 0:18:17.879 a really cool way. When Jesus prayed, not my will, 0:18:17.920 --> 0:18:23.240 but yours be done, he displayed something, didn't he? It's like, hey, um, 0:18:23.280 --> 0:18:26.000 is there any way you can get me out of 0:18:26.040 --> 0:18:29.400 going to the cross and bearing the sins of this 0:18:29.400 --> 0:18:35.680 world on my shoulders? Is there any way? But if not, 0:18:37.240 --> 0:18:43.180 your will be done. And the question is, is that 0:18:44.380 --> 0:18:48.420 good enough? Coming up, I'm going to try to give 0:18:48.420 --> 0:18:53.180 a picture of this from my first sled dog I 0:18:53.180 --> 0:18:56.740 ever had in my life. It might paint a pretty 0:18:56.740 --> 0:19:01.060 clear picture. Guys, ever go adopt a pet? 0:19:01.500 --> 0:19:02.419 Eh, no. 0:19:02.460 --> 0:19:03.020 Oh, yeah. 0:19:03.060 --> 0:19:03.580 Yes. 0:19:03.619 --> 0:19:04.020 For sure. 0:19:04.060 --> 0:19:05.740 Oh, sorry. Just me? 0:19:05.780 --> 0:19:10.020 Well. It's okay. Mine was for 24 hours. You remember? 0:19:10.020 --> 0:19:11.580 You remember that, I remember that. 0:19:11.619 --> 0:19:13.820 Oh, I remember, we remember that. That was. 0:19:13.859 --> 0:19:15.859 Well, was that the dog that pooped all over the 0:19:15.859 --> 0:19:16.940 house and wouldn't stop? 0:19:16.980 --> 0:19:21.060 Yes. Uh, that was in all in all honesty, I 0:19:21.100 --> 0:19:24.500 the the purchase was, uh, a heart purchase. It was 0:19:24.540 --> 0:19:27.260 a little premature in terms of what we could handle, 0:19:27.260 --> 0:19:30.420 what I could handle. I'll say that. Uh, I agreed, say, 0:19:30.420 --> 0:19:34.139 let's get this dog. Got it. Uh, you know, waking 0:19:34.140 --> 0:19:36.300 up early for a morning show. This dog did not 0:19:36.300 --> 0:19:38.370 want to go to bed. Sitting there crying, I stayed 0:19:38.369 --> 0:19:41.050 up all night trying to calm down and help him, 0:19:41.050 --> 0:19:42.689 and I let him out of his crate and was like, 0:19:42.690 --> 0:19:45.570 maybe the space will help. He just walked out and 0:19:45.570 --> 0:19:47.970 then he started pooping everywhere. And he was running. He 0:19:47.970 --> 0:19:50.609 was running and he was pooping and it was horrible. 0:19:50.609 --> 0:19:53.730 And I was getting sick. And I'm sitting on the ground, dry. 0:19:53.770 --> 0:19:54.290 Heaving, dry. 0:19:54.290 --> 0:19:56.209 Heaving. I'm dry heaving at 3:00 in the morning and 0:19:56.210 --> 0:19:59.730 I haven't slept one lick. And, uh, and then later. 0:19:59.730 --> 0:20:02.090 In the night, it's God's will that this guy go back. 0:20:02.130 --> 0:20:05.090 I said, I said, uh, I think Jonathan bit off 0:20:05.090 --> 0:20:07.570 a little more than he can chew. Uh, sweet wife 0:20:07.570 --> 0:20:09.570 of mine. Can we take him back? It's it's not 0:20:09.570 --> 0:20:12.050 too late. He hasn't attached himself to us. Can we 0:20:12.050 --> 0:20:16.890 just give him right back? And we did. Oh, man. 0:20:17.450 --> 0:20:18.209 Oh, boy. 0:20:18.250 --> 0:20:20.130 Well, if you want a story that went a little 0:20:20.170 --> 0:20:20.810 bit better. 0:20:20.970 --> 0:20:21.330 I. 0:20:23.090 --> 0:20:26.650 Adopted. I went down to the dog pound in Anchorage, Alaska, 0:20:26.650 --> 0:20:30.929 and I now had a full blown passion to someday 0:20:31.010 --> 0:20:33.450 compete in the Iditarod trail race. And you know how 0:20:33.450 --> 0:20:37.230 you start. You get one dog and I went down 0:20:37.230 --> 0:20:40.510 and I'm walking up and down death row, basically in 0:20:40.550 --> 0:20:46.150 the Anchorage dog pound. Yeah. And I'm looking up and 0:20:46.150 --> 0:20:48.790 down and my heart's breaking because all these guys, most 0:20:48.790 --> 0:20:53.230 of them are like, hey, take me. And it's it's tough, man. 0:20:53.510 --> 0:20:54.270 It's tough. 0:20:54.310 --> 0:20:54.830 It's tough. 0:20:55.270 --> 0:20:58.950 And I look down and I see this. I see 0:20:58.950 --> 0:21:04.630 this quiet girl, beautiful husky. And she's not asking, take me. 0:21:04.630 --> 0:21:06.909 She's just huddled up and looks sad as could be. 0:21:07.710 --> 0:21:10.389 I said, hey, come up here. And she got up, 0:21:10.869 --> 0:21:14.590 came to the fence and started licking me through the fence. 0:21:14.590 --> 0:21:18.230 And I said, dad, this is my first husky. He said, 0:21:18.230 --> 0:21:24.990 all right, Carl, let's get him. Took her home and 0:21:25.030 --> 0:21:28.190 I don't know why I named her this. I have 0:21:28.190 --> 0:21:32.429 no clue, but named her target. Maybe I was aiming 0:21:32.430 --> 0:21:33.350 for something, right? 0:21:33.869 --> 0:21:35.700 There you go. And. 0:21:37.300 --> 0:21:40.100 You know, I've. I started working with her and she 0:21:40.100 --> 0:21:42.660 was oh my goodness, she was a piece of work. 0:21:43.180 --> 0:21:45.380 I loved that girl. But boy, she didn't know anything 0:21:45.380 --> 0:21:48.419 about pulling in in a harness. I'm like girl, you're 0:21:48.420 --> 0:21:50.020 you're you're bred for this. This is. 0:21:50.060 --> 0:21:51.020 You're a husky. 0:21:51.060 --> 0:21:53.220 You're a husky. You got to. We got to go now. 0:21:53.940 --> 0:21:56.859 And I started putting plastic sleds with logs in them 0:21:56.859 --> 0:21:59.740 and kind of walking in front of her around the yard. 0:21:59.780 --> 0:22:04.139 And pretty quick, she's getting this thing and we start 0:22:04.140 --> 0:22:06.619 getting a couple more dogs, and she's getting into the 0:22:06.619 --> 0:22:10.820 team and she's working pretty well. And then it came 0:22:10.859 --> 0:22:12.700 time for me to get with a good friend of mine, 0:22:12.700 --> 0:22:15.100 and he's got a big string of dogs, and he 0:22:15.100 --> 0:22:21.340 was going up above the tree line in Anchorage and 0:22:21.460 --> 0:22:25.780 up an area called flattop. And we we went up there. 0:22:25.780 --> 0:22:27.820 He invited me to come along. He said, bring that. 0:22:27.820 --> 0:22:30.260 Bring that first dog of yours, target. Let's see how 0:22:30.260 --> 0:22:35.240 she does in a big, big dog team. I said great. Well, 0:22:35.240 --> 0:22:38.840 she had now bonded with me big time, and she 0:22:38.840 --> 0:22:40.560 was used to me getting out in front to get 0:22:40.560 --> 0:22:43.240 them going and all that. It's like, oh boy, here 0:22:43.240 --> 0:22:46.760 we go. The dogs are just screaming to go. And 0:22:46.760 --> 0:22:51.119 she's just like, I'm man, I'm I, I'm. She was ready. 0:22:51.160 --> 0:22:53.160 She's jumping in the harness. I'm like this is great. 0:22:53.160 --> 0:22:54.960 So I run back to the sled and I jump 0:22:54.960 --> 0:22:58.720 on the runners with my buddy. My buddy was about 0:22:59.000 --> 0:23:01.520 30 years older than me. He was actually my pastor. 0:23:02.960 --> 0:23:06.399 And he pulls the snowhook, which is the dog mushing 0:23:06.440 --> 0:23:12.399 emergency brake, and off they go. Except target. She's sitting 0:23:12.400 --> 0:23:15.120 on her booty, looking back at me, getting drug at 0:23:15.119 --> 0:23:17.080 terminal velocity down the trail. 0:23:17.119 --> 0:23:17.800 Oh no. 0:23:18.280 --> 0:23:18.919 No no. 0:23:20.119 --> 0:23:23.560 And I'm like, whoa, target. Get up, get up girl, 0:23:23.840 --> 0:23:26.520 this is not going to feel good for you. Couldn't 0:23:26.520 --> 0:23:30.600 get her going. My buddy stops the team and he says, 0:23:30.600 --> 0:23:32.629 why don't you run out in front of her, run 0:23:32.630 --> 0:23:39.190 down the trail and hide behind a tree. So. I did, 0:23:39.190 --> 0:23:43.350 so I ran down the trail, jumped off the trail, 0:23:43.350 --> 0:23:47.790 hid behind a tree, and I looked through the branches 0:23:47.790 --> 0:23:51.709 and he let that team go. And she is full steam. 0:23:51.710 --> 0:23:55.350 I mean, she was pulling the whole team. She's like, 0:23:55.390 --> 0:23:57.350 I've got to get Carl. I got to find him, 0:23:57.390 --> 0:24:00.510 got to find him, got to find my buddy. And 0:24:02.510 --> 0:24:07.030 they go scooting on by. I quietly jump out of 0:24:07.470 --> 0:24:10.149 where I was hiding, jump onto the runners as a 0:24:10.150 --> 0:24:13.030 sled as it's going by. He didn't hit the brakes 0:24:13.550 --> 0:24:17.470 and she's going great until she turned around looking for 0:24:17.470 --> 0:24:19.710 me and she sees me back there. Boom! Plops on 0:24:19.710 --> 0:24:20.550 her booty again. 0:24:21.350 --> 0:24:22.790 She goes, all right, I'm done. I found. 0:24:22.790 --> 0:24:23.030 Him. 0:24:23.270 --> 0:24:26.070 She's like, hey, stop this, stop this thing. My buddy's 0:24:26.070 --> 0:24:30.469 behind me again. Coming up here in a few minutes, 0:24:30.530 --> 0:24:33.290 I want to tell you the rest of the story 0:24:33.290 --> 0:24:37.810 with target. It's a beautiful story, and it's going to 0:24:37.850 --> 0:24:44.490 reveal for us how a relationship with God can start 0:24:44.490 --> 0:24:47.810 to align our lives with him, even when he asks 0:24:47.810 --> 0:24:52.090 us to do things that we aren't naturally made to do. 0:24:53.450 --> 0:24:57.210 Not my will, but yours be done. Rest of the 0:24:57.210 --> 0:24:58.169 story coming up. 0:24:58.970 --> 0:25:02.730 Your spiritual pit stop to keep you going in the race. 0:25:02.890 --> 0:25:05.050 You're listening to Carl and crew. 0:25:05.850 --> 0:25:08.609 Not my will, but yours. Be done. Jesus said it 0:25:08.609 --> 0:25:13.730 on the Mount of Olives found in Luke 2224. What 0:25:13.770 --> 0:25:16.970 a model our Savior put on display. Did that have 0:25:16.970 --> 0:25:19.930 to be cited in the Gospels three times, by the way? No. 0:25:20.170 --> 0:25:25.650 It's there. Why? Listen, we are disciples of Jesus Christ, 0:25:25.890 --> 0:25:29.470 and he paved the way for us. I'm telling a 0:25:29.470 --> 0:25:32.910 story about my first sled dog, target. She was quite 0:25:32.910 --> 0:25:39.790 a girl, really? For a sled dog. Well built, you know. It's. 0:25:39.869 --> 0:25:43.510 She wasn't higher in the hind quarters than the front. 0:25:43.510 --> 0:25:45.550 Sometimes you get dogs that are built that way. That's 0:25:45.550 --> 0:25:48.629 not ideal for sled dog mushing. And she had a 0:25:48.670 --> 0:25:52.230 she had a great build for sled dog and she 0:25:52.230 --> 0:25:58.669 had great heart. As I continued to train target and 0:25:59.790 --> 0:26:02.590 next few years went by, she got stronger and stronger 0:26:02.590 --> 0:26:05.550 in that team. She wasn't the highest performing dog, but 0:26:05.550 --> 0:26:08.510 she was a good, faithful team dog. She was never 0:26:08.510 --> 0:26:10.470 in wheel right in front of the sled. She was 0:26:10.470 --> 0:26:13.990 never in lead. A couple of times that I tried 0:26:13.990 --> 0:26:16.390 to put her in lead, she would just look back 0:26:16.390 --> 0:26:20.030 at me like, man, this is this is not my jam, Carl. 0:26:20.070 --> 0:26:23.430 This is not what I made to do. And I 0:26:23.430 --> 0:26:25.590 had a certain affection for her because she was the 0:26:25.590 --> 0:26:31.060 first one I got into a race year before I 0:26:31.100 --> 0:26:33.860 competed in the Iditarod Trail Race. It was a 200 0:26:33.859 --> 0:26:37.379 mile sled dog race. I actually got a waiver to 0:26:37.420 --> 0:26:39.900 compete against adults. I was 17, but I got a 0:26:39.900 --> 0:26:42.580 waiver to compete because I appealed that I was getting 0:26:42.580 --> 0:26:44.380 ready for the Iditarod and they said, all right, we're 0:26:44.380 --> 0:26:46.379 going to we're going to let you do this thing. 0:26:47.660 --> 0:26:49.780 And I wanted to make a good showing in this race. 0:26:49.780 --> 0:26:52.179 I didn't want to let them down and go, oh, great. 0:26:52.220 --> 0:26:55.180 17 year old gets lost in 200 mile dog sled 0:26:55.180 --> 0:26:57.780 race and dies thanks to the adults. That said, go 0:26:57.780 --> 0:26:59.500 ahead and do it. I didn't want to do that. 0:27:01.260 --> 0:27:03.940 I got out into this race and we were flying. 0:27:03.980 --> 0:27:06.940 I had an amazing team, but they had a poor 0:27:06.940 --> 0:27:09.540 musher and I was letting these guys go too fast, 0:27:09.580 --> 0:27:11.820 too soon. And we had 100 miles to go on 0:27:11.820 --> 0:27:16.140 this first leg of the race. I was about 30 0:27:16.140 --> 0:27:18.860 miles into it and I was in second place. And 0:27:18.859 --> 0:27:21.100 I shouldn't have been, I should have, I should have 0:27:21.100 --> 0:27:23.300 slowed the team down. I was going way too fast, 0:27:24.340 --> 0:27:27.359 and my lead dogs just started to kind of drop 0:27:27.359 --> 0:27:29.679 on me. They were getting a little bit discouraged. It 0:27:29.680 --> 0:27:31.440 can be a lot of head pressure on a sled 0:27:31.440 --> 0:27:35.520 dog when they're running lead, especially at that pace. And 0:27:35.520 --> 0:27:38.400 I had a couple of lead dogs go down, and 0:27:38.400 --> 0:27:41.400 by this time I'm on the big Susitna River when 0:27:41.400 --> 0:27:46.040 my final lead dog began to go down. And when 0:27:46.040 --> 0:27:48.920 I say go down, it just means that they their 0:27:48.920 --> 0:27:51.760 tug line loosens up, they look back and they're like, 0:27:51.760 --> 0:27:54.440 I got to stop now. And they just sit down 0:27:54.480 --> 0:27:57.360 and the whole team balls up around them. Now I'm 0:27:57.359 --> 0:28:01.760 getting nervous. It's getting cold. Teams are passing me. I'm 0:28:01.760 --> 0:28:04.520 trying to swap other dogs up in lead. I start 0:28:04.520 --> 0:28:08.399 going through the team, going through the team and guys, 0:28:08.400 --> 0:28:11.600 I'm out of lead dogs. I've got no one that's 0:28:11.600 --> 0:28:14.560 got the stuff to lead this team. And I'm thinking 0:28:14.560 --> 0:28:16.600 the only way I'm going to get my leaders to 0:28:16.640 --> 0:28:18.720 get out here and lead this team and continue in 0:28:18.720 --> 0:28:22.320 this race, get me off this river for which I'm stuck, 0:28:22.320 --> 0:28:24.560 and it's well below zero, and the wind's about to 0:28:24.600 --> 0:28:27.470 pick up. And I'm like, man, we got a problem here. 0:28:30.590 --> 0:28:38.310 And I went to my final dog, target. And I 0:28:38.310 --> 0:28:42.190 got down on that riverbed on my knees, and I 0:28:42.190 --> 0:28:44.350 looked her square in the eyes. And I said, girl, 0:28:44.350 --> 0:28:46.590 we've been together a long time. Goodness sakes, I'm going 0:28:46.590 --> 0:28:50.190 to get choked up here. I said, girl, we've been 0:28:50.190 --> 0:28:54.390 together a long time here and I need your help. 0:28:55.910 --> 0:28:57.670 I know you're not a leader, but the rest of 0:28:57.670 --> 0:29:01.229 this team is fried. And I'm just wondering, would you 0:29:01.270 --> 0:29:05.710 help me out? Because she understood what I was saying. 0:29:07.270 --> 0:29:10.510 I unclipped her from team, not knowing what she'd do. 0:29:11.870 --> 0:29:15.790 I put her up in single lead. No other dog 0:29:15.790 --> 0:29:19.750 with her. I snapped both tug lines to her. That 0:29:19.750 --> 0:29:22.830 normal normally would have been one for each dog and 0:29:22.830 --> 0:29:26.570 dual lead, and put her in single lead? Walk back 0:29:26.570 --> 0:29:29.930 to those runners. I said, target girl, are you ready 0:29:29.930 --> 0:29:32.610 to go? She looked back at me and she gave 0:29:32.610 --> 0:29:35.890 me one big lunge at that tug line like, let's go. 0:29:36.450 --> 0:29:37.370 Oh, wow. 0:29:37.850 --> 0:29:41.530 I pulled the snow hook. We got off the big Sioux. 0:29:42.690 --> 0:29:47.170 She leaned into that harness for another 40 or 50 miles. 0:29:48.490 --> 0:29:51.730 When I'd stop to snack them with little bits of 0:29:52.130 --> 0:29:56.250 salmon head and different snacks that I had, she would 0:29:56.250 --> 0:29:59.570 look at me like, let's go again. And we would 0:29:59.570 --> 0:30:08.170 go again. I ultimately got to the halfway checkpoint. My 0:30:08.170 --> 0:30:11.410 dad was concerned I was way behind the whole pack 0:30:11.410 --> 0:30:14.650 of mushers. He didn't know what was going on out there. 0:30:16.610 --> 0:30:19.170 My dad had his headlamp on by now. The sun's 0:30:19.170 --> 0:30:22.690 long been set. It's the middle of the night. And 0:30:22.690 --> 0:30:27.440 I remember my dad greeting me at the halfway point. 0:30:29.200 --> 0:30:33.520 Targets pulling hard and lead. The team goes by him 0:30:33.520 --> 0:30:35.560 and he gives me a big hug as I'm standing 0:30:35.560 --> 0:30:37.880 on the sled runner as he goes, what's going on? 0:30:38.800 --> 0:30:42.000 I said, man, we were stuck. He said, targets in lead. 0:30:42.440 --> 0:30:46.280 I said, yeah, targets in lead, dad. I had a 0:30:46.280 --> 0:30:49.360 talk with her on the big Sioux and she agreed 0:30:49.360 --> 0:30:54.680 she'd do this thing for me. You know, I never 0:30:54.680 --> 0:30:57.920 asked target to lead again. We made a deal that day, 0:30:59.240 --> 0:31:04.680 but she got me those hundred miles. And I share 0:31:04.680 --> 0:31:11.680 that story just to highlight for you that sometimes God 0:31:12.080 --> 0:31:14.719 is going to ask you to do things that seem 0:31:14.720 --> 0:31:19.960 very hard. You might not feel geared for it or 0:31:19.960 --> 0:31:26.300 wired for it. But if you can be a person 0:31:26.300 --> 0:31:32.620 today that says not my will, but yours be done. 0:31:35.700 --> 0:31:37.300 I think you're going to get a big old hug 0:31:37.300 --> 0:31:40.460 from God at the at the finish line of this 0:31:40.460 --> 0:31:43.740 trial that he's calling you to go through. I think 0:31:43.740 --> 0:31:51.900 it'll be beautiful. I've often thought about target. And how 0:31:51.900 --> 0:31:57.380 her story relates so much to mine and yours. We 0:31:57.380 --> 0:31:59.900 go through life and we hear the voice of God saying, 0:31:59.900 --> 0:32:02.460 I want you to have this tough conversation. God, I 0:32:02.460 --> 0:32:07.940 don't do tough conversations. I want to call you to 0:32:08.740 --> 0:32:17.460 leave this town. God. All my family's here. I want 0:32:17.460 --> 0:32:20.100 you to move to a new job. I want you 0:32:20.100 --> 0:32:23.330 to step up to be a small group leader. God, 0:32:23.370 --> 0:32:30.610 I'm not a small group leader. And if you listen closely. 0:32:32.970 --> 0:32:36.250 You might hear the father kneel down beside you, saying, 0:32:38.170 --> 0:32:42.930 I need you for this stretch of the race. I 0:32:42.930 --> 0:32:49.130 need you for this stretch of the race. Not my will, 0:32:50.850 --> 0:32:54.970 but yours be done. So I just want to ask 0:32:54.970 --> 0:33:00.050 you today. Do you hear the voice of God? Is 0:33:00.050 --> 0:33:02.970 there something he's calling you to do that you feel 0:33:02.970 --> 0:33:09.690 like I'm not wired for that? Could you get someone else? 0:33:12.210 --> 0:33:15.250 Could you? Could you tap someone else on the shoulder? 0:33:18.610 --> 0:33:21.990 But if you listen closely, you might in fact hear 0:33:21.990 --> 0:33:29.550 the voice of God calling you, saying, I need you 0:33:29.550 --> 0:33:35.790 for this role today. And here's the beauty of it. 0:33:37.630 --> 0:33:42.590 There's a lot of targets out there. That would stand 0:33:42.590 --> 0:33:47.870 and testify today. We got there. I got a big 0:33:47.870 --> 0:33:55.310 old hug from God. And it worked out. Well, God 0:33:55.310 --> 0:33:58.110 call you back into that position again? I don't know. 0:34:00.670 --> 0:34:04.230 But when you say not my will, but yours be done. 0:34:05.590 --> 0:34:10.030 Amazing things can happen today. I want that for you. 0:34:10.870 --> 0:34:15.830 We want that for you. Let God lead. Have you 0:34:15.830 --> 0:34:20.730 underestimated the power of your testimony. Possibly if you go 0:34:20.730 --> 0:34:25.690 into the book of revelation, the linchpin turning point is 0:34:25.690 --> 0:34:29.330 in the tribulation about half way through, and I'm going 0:34:29.370 --> 0:34:31.330 to back up and get some context here for one 0:34:31.330 --> 0:34:35.010 of the coolest verses of the power of your spoken testimony. 0:34:35.650 --> 0:34:37.570 Go all the way back to verse seven in chapter 0:34:37.570 --> 0:34:43.089 12 of revelation. Now war arose in heaven. Michael the 0:34:43.090 --> 0:34:47.170 archangel and his angels fighting against the dragon and the 0:34:47.170 --> 0:34:50.370 dragon and his angels. So this is Satan. And all 0:34:50.370 --> 0:34:54.450 his demonic forces fought back, but he was defeated and 0:34:54.450 --> 0:34:56.890 there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 0:34:57.969 --> 0:35:02.050 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent 0:35:02.330 --> 0:35:05.890 who was called the devil, and Satan, the deceiver of 0:35:05.890 --> 0:35:10.370 the whole world. This is where we get the theological 0:35:10.370 --> 0:35:16.209 premise and context for how Satan deceives, thrown down to 0:35:16.250 --> 0:35:18.839 the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 0:35:18.840 --> 0:35:21.160 Verse ten. And I heard a loud voice, This is 0:35:21.160 --> 0:35:24.319 John now repeating what he heard from from Jesus himself 0:35:24.680 --> 0:35:28.120 in heaven, saying, now the salvation and the power, and 0:35:28.120 --> 0:35:30.520 the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his 0:35:30.520 --> 0:35:34.800 Christ have come. For the accuser of our brothers has 0:35:34.800 --> 0:35:38.520 been thrown down or could be translated. Brothers and sisters 0:35:38.840 --> 0:35:43.640 has been thrown down. Who accuses them day and night 0:35:43.640 --> 0:35:45.960 before our God? So here we have in a few 0:35:45.960 --> 0:35:51.040 short verses. He's the accuser. He is the deceiver. But 0:35:51.040 --> 0:35:55.320 now he's thrown down. Theologians say this is the linchpin 0:35:55.320 --> 0:35:59.120 verse that I'm about to read, where everything shifts in 0:35:59.120 --> 0:36:03.880 the spiritual realm. Verse 11, and they have conquered him 0:36:04.719 --> 0:36:08.719 by the blood of the lamb, and by the word 0:36:08.719 --> 0:36:13.120 of their testimony. For they loved not their lives, even 0:36:13.120 --> 0:36:17.180 unto death. Here's what's going on. There are, no matter 0:36:17.180 --> 0:36:22.140 where you're at theologically, whether you're eschatology is that we 0:36:22.180 --> 0:36:25.940 are going to be here through the tribulation or the 0:36:25.940 --> 0:36:31.060 church is raptured out before the tribulation. There are God's 0:36:31.060 --> 0:36:35.780 kids who are so radically transformed that they stand strong 0:36:35.980 --> 0:36:39.460 no matter the cost, even under the point of death. 0:36:39.780 --> 0:36:42.339 And it's through the shed blood of Jesus Christ and 0:36:42.340 --> 0:36:47.620 the testimony of brothers and sisters that this all happened. 0:36:49.219 --> 0:36:50.780 Pretty powerful ally. 0:36:50.820 --> 0:36:54.140 When you think about the power of testimony. I mean, 0:36:54.860 --> 0:36:58.940 we would probably share our testimony more if we read 0:36:58.940 --> 0:37:00.580 this verse every morning. 0:37:01.180 --> 0:37:04.979 Yes. And this is why ally gets so fired up. 0:37:04.980 --> 0:37:07.820 And so many of you have been bolstered because there's 0:37:07.820 --> 0:37:11.140 something about hearing people's stories. It's why when you go 0:37:11.140 --> 0:37:16.009 to a church on a weekend, you hear someone's story. It's. whoa, good. 0:37:16.210 --> 0:37:19.730 It fuels you, it inspires you. It takes away some fear, 0:37:19.770 --> 0:37:23.730 possibly in you. But Ali has a whole podcast committed 0:37:23.730 --> 0:37:26.410 to this. This is what you do, right, Ali? 0:37:26.450 --> 0:37:29.410 Yeah. I've got over 100 testimonies that I've been able 0:37:29.410 --> 0:37:33.250 to collect and share over the last 3 or 4 years, 0:37:33.530 --> 0:37:37.490 and each one of them is unique. There's the pivotal 0:37:37.489 --> 0:37:39.730 moment that shaped your faith in Christ. That's the premise 0:37:39.730 --> 0:37:42.050 of it. And so people go a lot of different directions. 0:37:42.050 --> 0:37:45.009 And I've gotten to talk to higher profile guests. And 0:37:45.010 --> 0:37:47.089 then one person who we asked, hey, do you want 0:37:47.090 --> 0:37:49.730 to be on this podcast? And she said, what's a podcast? 0:37:50.530 --> 0:37:51.490 So that's awesome. 0:37:51.730 --> 0:37:55.730 She's 82 years old and she'd never heard of a podcast. 0:37:55.770 --> 0:37:56.530 So awesome. 0:37:56.730 --> 0:37:58.170 That's the full gamut. 0:37:59.010 --> 0:38:01.290 What do you think a podcast is? If you've never 0:38:01.290 --> 0:38:03.010 heard it and you hear it for the first time? 0:38:03.450 --> 0:38:06.970 It's like, uh, pea pods. You're casting them out into 0:38:06.969 --> 0:38:09.770 the wind. I don't know. What would a podcast be? 0:38:11.570 --> 0:38:14.030 A sleeping pod that you cast into the lake? 0:38:14.070 --> 0:38:14.350 I don't. 0:38:14.350 --> 0:38:17.790 Know. I don't know. Oh. That's precious. So I want 0:38:17.790 --> 0:38:19.670 you to get it. If you have not heard these 0:38:19.670 --> 0:38:23.310 stories and you want something more than Doomscrolling cat videos, 0:38:23.310 --> 0:38:25.950 we got it for you. Text the word snap to 0:38:25.989 --> 0:38:34.830 855 five 7898. Text snap to 855 five 7898. The 0:38:34.830 --> 0:38:37.750 hope of Jesus Christ has been planted in you. You've 0:38:37.750 --> 0:38:42.070 been transformed by God and you've been asked on one occasion, 0:38:42.590 --> 0:38:45.790 where in the world does this hope come from? And 0:38:45.790 --> 0:38:48.950 God gave you a t ball setup to share the 0:38:48.950 --> 0:38:52.470 good news. The power of testimony. Are you kidding me? 0:38:52.670 --> 0:38:56.629 Revelation chapter 12, verse 11. And they have conquered him 0:38:56.630 --> 0:38:58.750 by the blood of the lamb, and by the word 0:38:58.750 --> 0:39:03.029 of their testimony. For they loved not their lives, even 0:39:03.030 --> 0:39:07.350 unto death. Oh my goodness, what an inspiring vision of 0:39:07.350 --> 0:39:11.150 those in the middle of the tribulation who are being 0:39:11.150 --> 0:39:14.380 used by God so powerfully that, yes, the blood of 0:39:14.380 --> 0:39:16.739 the lamb who saved them. But through the word of 0:39:16.780 --> 0:39:21.780 their testimony, Satan is deported from the presence of God. 0:39:21.780 --> 0:39:27.420 Everything shifts in this verse in revelation 12. Everything changes 0:39:27.420 --> 0:39:30.940 going forward because of a spoken word of testimony. 0:39:30.980 --> 0:39:34.540 You know, for me, this reminds me of a couple 0:39:34.540 --> 0:39:37.580 years ago I went to a wedding of my old 0:39:37.580 --> 0:39:41.380 high school buddy, and I was in in the wedding party, 0:39:41.380 --> 0:39:43.780 and so was another friend of ours from high school. 0:39:43.780 --> 0:39:47.580 And he isn't saved. And I wasn't at the time 0:39:47.580 --> 0:39:49.219 I knew him, but I was going to church all 0:39:49.219 --> 0:39:51.460 the time and, you know, but at the time he 0:39:51.460 --> 0:39:53.220 knew me in high school, I was living a very 0:39:53.219 --> 0:39:55.300 double life. He knew I went to church. I invited 0:39:55.300 --> 0:39:57.980 him to church sometimes, but then we would go and 0:39:57.980 --> 0:40:01.140 run off and do crazy things together. That absolutely proved 0:40:01.140 --> 0:40:04.060 that I didn't know God. And and so we we 0:40:04.100 --> 0:40:07.020 got together and were talking and he was like, dude, 0:40:07.020 --> 0:40:09.459 I think you'll be really excited. He goes, I'm doing 0:40:09.460 --> 0:40:12.400 a lot of like, spiritual searching right now. Um. 0:40:12.760 --> 0:40:13.000 Wow. 0:40:13.040 --> 0:40:16.320 And I was like, oh, this is awesome. And I said, well, dude, 0:40:16.360 --> 0:40:18.240 I was like, let me tell you about what God's 0:40:18.239 --> 0:40:21.560 been doing in my life lately, because this was this 0:40:21.560 --> 0:40:24.240 was just a couple years after I got genuinely saved. 0:40:24.239 --> 0:40:27.200 And so I was able to talk to him and say, hey, man, like, 0:40:27.200 --> 0:40:29.360 I know when you knew me in high school, I was, 0:40:29.400 --> 0:40:30.759 you know, I was going to church and I was 0:40:30.760 --> 0:40:32.360 doing all these things. And I said, but I don't 0:40:32.360 --> 0:40:34.560 I didn't really know God at the time. And I 0:40:34.560 --> 0:40:36.560 was like, I was living this life this way. And 0:40:36.560 --> 0:40:38.719 it was a wreck. And I go, but now he's 0:40:38.719 --> 0:40:41.160 really changed me. And there are these things. And I 0:40:41.200 --> 0:40:43.560 specifically laid them out and said, he's pulled these out 0:40:43.600 --> 0:40:45.920 of my life and he's allowing me to thrive in 0:40:45.920 --> 0:40:48.839 this way. And it was it was a great experience 0:40:48.840 --> 0:40:52.280 to be able to share with someone who I shared 0:40:52.280 --> 0:40:55.200 Jesus in an incorrect way in the past, but was 0:40:55.200 --> 0:40:58.200 able to say, hey man, I was wrong in that way. 0:40:58.200 --> 0:41:00.279 I lived Jesus for you. And I was like, now 0:41:00.280 --> 0:41:02.560 I can. Now he's changed me. And it was it 0:41:02.560 --> 0:41:03.360 was really cool. 0:41:03.400 --> 0:41:06.440 Oh, wow. Well, did he seem receptive? He he. 0:41:06.440 --> 0:41:06.960 Surprised. 0:41:07.000 --> 0:41:09.760 He did seem receptive. I think he was. He was 0:41:10.030 --> 0:41:12.790 very you know, I don't I don't think it it 0:41:12.790 --> 0:41:15.350 brought him to Jesus. I, I pray it planted a seed, 0:41:15.390 --> 0:41:18.230 but but he seemed really like. Oh, that's cool man. 0:41:18.270 --> 0:41:20.630 I'm I'm happy that this is what's going on in 0:41:20.630 --> 0:41:22.830 your life. And so he was at least receptive and not, 0:41:22.870 --> 0:41:24.310 you know, pushing me off. 0:41:25.110 --> 0:41:25.910 That's awesome. 0:41:26.590 --> 0:41:30.629 That's beautiful. What's your story, Anthony? In Illinois. Thanks for 0:41:30.630 --> 0:41:32.470 holding on. What's your story, my man? 0:41:32.750 --> 0:41:36.110 Hey, Carl. Ali, young son. I love you guys so much. 0:41:36.350 --> 0:41:41.670 I'm a soldier. And recently I got awarded a little 0:41:41.670 --> 0:41:45.950 coin for. For my hard work during this most recent exercise. 0:41:45.989 --> 0:41:48.990 And one of the traditions when you receive an award 0:41:48.989 --> 0:41:54.630 is everyone yells speech! Speech. So? So I. My heart 0:41:54.630 --> 0:41:57.989 was beating so fast. I was so nervous. But I 0:41:57.989 --> 0:42:00.149 was just praising the Lord in my heart. I'm like 0:42:00.150 --> 0:42:04.310 alright Lord. So I had an opportunity to tell everyone 0:42:04.310 --> 0:42:08.149 that it was because of my relationship with God that 0:42:08.150 --> 0:42:10.770 I was behaving the way that I was and and 0:42:10.770 --> 0:42:13.489 that I primarily tried to serve him to the best 0:42:13.489 --> 0:42:17.290 of my abilities. And, uh, I was too nervous to 0:42:17.330 --> 0:42:19.850 really get the whole gospel out. That was about it. 0:42:19.850 --> 0:42:23.730 And then everyone clapped for me. But later on that day, um, 0:42:23.730 --> 0:42:26.370 I got approached by one of my other fellow soldiers, 0:42:26.370 --> 0:42:30.010 and he was like, hey, man, you know, there's something, 0:42:30.210 --> 0:42:34.090 something different about you. You know, you always talk about 0:42:34.090 --> 0:42:38.049 God and and, you know, you're always kind of chill. 0:42:38.330 --> 0:42:40.729 And it was it was just a really it was 0:42:40.770 --> 0:42:45.290 a really amazing experience for me to see how God's 0:42:45.290 --> 0:42:49.410 working in me and around me. And I just was 0:42:49.410 --> 0:42:51.050 praising the Lord that day. 0:42:51.770 --> 0:42:59.570 Boom boom boom. I'm triple booming, you soldier. Couple of things. 0:42:59.610 --> 0:43:01.770 Number one, thanks for serving. 0:43:02.210 --> 0:43:05.450 Thanks for being a man. And thanks for being a 0:43:05.450 --> 0:43:08.270 man in the moment who spoke up for your God. 0:43:09.430 --> 0:43:13.950 Thank you. No speech required right now. You just get to. 0:43:13.989 --> 0:43:14.390 Say. 0:43:14.630 --> 0:43:15.390 All right. 0:43:15.630 --> 0:43:16.590 I'm too nervous. 0:43:16.710 --> 0:43:19.150 No, you just got a copy of your book, Carl 0:43:19.190 --> 0:43:19.910 Killing Sin. 0:43:19.910 --> 0:43:22.350 And I'm going through it, and it's a it's a 0:43:22.350 --> 0:43:23.830 great book, so thank you. 0:43:24.310 --> 0:43:26.430 Thank you Anthony. Epic. 0:43:27.190 --> 0:43:27.910 That's awesome. 0:43:27.950 --> 0:43:28.550 Man. Wow. 0:43:29.230 --> 0:43:30.110 What a blessing. 0:43:30.430 --> 0:43:31.630 How beautiful is that. 0:43:31.670 --> 0:43:33.950 Yeah. And that's a that's a hard thing to do 0:43:33.950 --> 0:43:36.190 to talk about your faith in Jesus in front of 0:43:36.190 --> 0:43:39.270 all the guys who, you know, might have the possibility 0:43:39.270 --> 0:43:43.150 of just ribbing you later for it, but it planted 0:43:43.150 --> 0:43:43.750 a seed. 0:43:43.950 --> 0:43:45.910 Speech, speech, speech. 0:43:45.950 --> 0:43:47.509 I'd like to thank my mom. 0:43:47.830 --> 0:43:49.029 And my handlers. 0:43:49.630 --> 0:43:50.270 I'd like to. 0:43:50.310 --> 0:43:50.830 Thank. 0:43:50.989 --> 0:43:55.109 I'd like to thank Sergeant Goomba sheets over here. I'd 0:43:55.110 --> 0:43:58.550 like to thank I'd like to thank the US Air 0:43:58.550 --> 0:44:01.750 Force or military. I'd like to know. Let me tell you, 0:44:01.750 --> 0:44:03.150 I want to thank God. 0:44:03.190 --> 0:44:03.710 Amen. 0:44:05.510 --> 0:44:10.700 Way to go, Anthony, man. You know, one of the 0:44:10.700 --> 0:44:13.739 greatest evidences that you've been transformed by God is that 0:44:13.739 --> 0:44:15.819 when you're asked to give a reason for the hope 0:44:15.820 --> 0:44:20.180 that lies within you, you. Yeah. A little bit of 0:44:20.180 --> 0:44:22.500 weak in the knees, of course. Are you kidding me? 0:44:22.500 --> 0:44:25.300 I'm convinced. Peter, on the day of Pentecost was not 0:44:25.300 --> 0:44:28.739 like I got this. He was clinging to Jesus the 0:44:28.739 --> 0:44:32.700 whole way through that message. The whole way through it, 0:44:32.700 --> 0:44:36.460 he was clinging to Jesus. There's no way he's like, ah, yeah, 0:44:36.460 --> 0:44:39.379 I got this. Because he remembers back to when he 0:44:39.380 --> 0:44:41.820 denied Christ, and now he's filled with the Holy Spirit, 0:44:41.820 --> 0:44:45.180 and he's like, I'm blazing a trail here. I'm blazing 0:44:45.180 --> 0:44:48.660 a trail here. Ooh, how about Anthony Alley? 0:44:48.660 --> 0:44:51.660 I love that story. And when he described that, sort 0:44:51.700 --> 0:44:54.060 of like the the heart racing lump in the throat 0:44:54.060 --> 0:44:56.859 when you when you're about to speak up. We've all 0:44:56.860 --> 0:45:00.940 felt that you're going, okay, how can I do this. 0:45:00.980 --> 0:45:02.660 And then by the power of the Holy Spirit, you 0:45:02.660 --> 0:45:05.560 open your mouth and you give glory to God. 0:45:07.080 --> 0:45:10.240 Get to know the team behind the scenes. Follow Carl 0:45:10.239 --> 0:45:12.440 and crew on Facebook and Instagram. 0:45:13.080 --> 0:45:15.640 When you're teed up, how in the world do you 0:45:15.640 --> 0:45:19.160 get through this? What do you say? Phillip in Illinois. 0:45:19.480 --> 0:45:21.279 We haven't heard from you in a while. Phillip. Tee 0:45:21.320 --> 0:45:22.840 it up, my man. What's your answer? 0:45:23.960 --> 0:45:26.280 You know something, man? That's so often I get people 0:45:26.280 --> 0:45:28.800 that say, dude, you're losing your sight. You're almost blind. 0:45:28.840 --> 0:45:32.520 You've been through tongue, neck and throat cancer. You've been 0:45:32.520 --> 0:45:34.960 through spinal fusion therapy, and yet you always have a 0:45:34.960 --> 0:45:37.560 smile on your face, and you always seem upbeat. How 0:45:37.560 --> 0:45:40.919 do you do it? And it's just a wonderful, you know, 0:45:40.960 --> 0:45:44.160 front porch for me to say. The Lord has shown 0:45:44.160 --> 0:45:46.840 me that he is sovereign in my life. I can 0:45:46.840 --> 0:45:50.560 choose to be either bitter or bitter. I choose better, 0:45:50.560 --> 0:45:53.719 and I know that I serve a risen Savior. And 0:45:53.719 --> 0:45:56.799 what's more, I know that in heaven I will see 0:45:56.840 --> 0:46:00.600 colors like I never seen before in my life. 0:46:02.320 --> 0:46:04.589 You know what, man? Only you can say that we 0:46:04.590 --> 0:46:08.910 can't tell your story for you. But, Philip, have there 0:46:08.910 --> 0:46:15.390 been moments when you're like, God, this glaucoma, this, this cancer. 0:46:16.670 --> 0:46:19.670 I mean, alone at night. There must be some discouraging 0:46:19.670 --> 0:46:22.790 moments where then God just gives you a big old hug, huh, bro? 0:46:23.830 --> 0:46:25.830 Oh, absolutely, my friend. You know, I tell people all 0:46:25.830 --> 0:46:28.270 the time, there are moments, especially when I was losing 0:46:28.270 --> 0:46:31.190 my vision and dealing with cancer, where Heather and I, 0:46:31.230 --> 0:46:33.350 my wife and I would just kneel by the side 0:46:33.350 --> 0:46:35.390 of our bed and we would just weep. I mean, 0:46:35.430 --> 0:46:39.430 we would weep with just our shoulders shaking. You know, 0:46:39.430 --> 0:46:43.149 snot flying tears. But, you know, at the end of 0:46:43.190 --> 0:46:48.630 that cry out that intercessory prayer, we would be able 0:46:48.630 --> 0:46:52.910 to laugh through our tears and know that God had 0:46:52.950 --> 0:46:56.830 us during the entire time, and that we knew, even 0:46:56.830 --> 0:47:01.110 though it was so hard and so painful, you know, 0:47:01.150 --> 0:47:03.450 that God was going to bring us through it. And 0:47:03.450 --> 0:47:07.130 there was such joy, not just on the other side crew, 0:47:07.170 --> 0:47:10.810 but there was such joy in this journey, in this struggle, 0:47:10.969 --> 0:47:14.890 because that's when you really know that you are God's child, 0:47:14.890 --> 0:47:18.410 when everything seems to be going sideways. And yet you've 0:47:18.450 --> 0:47:22.410 got a northern star that never wavers, that doesn't leave. 0:47:22.610 --> 0:47:24.170 That's always right there. 0:47:25.410 --> 0:47:29.090 Yeah. You know, our premise has been this morning, Philip. 0:47:29.090 --> 0:47:32.330 And hold on a second. Boom boom. 0:47:32.570 --> 0:47:33.250 Boom. 0:47:33.770 --> 0:47:36.850 I'm in triple boomed you, in a month of Sundays. 0:47:37.290 --> 0:47:40.850 But there's there's a notion, and I think a false one, 0:47:41.090 --> 0:47:43.529 that we need to be able to know now that 0:47:43.530 --> 0:47:45.970 we're going to be able to stand and deliver when 0:47:45.969 --> 0:47:49.569 we're asked for the hope that indwells us and to 0:47:49.570 --> 0:47:54.650 give reason for it. But don't you find, Philip, that 0:47:54.650 --> 0:47:57.810 it's in that moment that God shows up? 0:47:59.210 --> 0:48:01.799 Oh, absolutely. You know, it's hard for us, even as 0:48:01.800 --> 0:48:04.640 Christ believers, to be able to rest comfortably in the 0:48:04.640 --> 0:48:08.000 already and not yet. You know, it's like what Max 0:48:08.000 --> 0:48:12.320 Lucado said, we want dessert, and sometimes God gives us broccoli. Okay. 0:48:12.360 --> 0:48:15.280 He knows that we need the broccoli. You know, and 0:48:15.280 --> 0:48:17.040 that's really where it is. We have to also be 0:48:17.040 --> 0:48:19.719 comfortable in the struggle. And I know that's that's a 0:48:19.760 --> 0:48:22.480 lot of theology, but, you know, sometimes it's just as 0:48:22.480 --> 0:48:25.440 simple as just what our old grandma used to say, son, 0:48:25.480 --> 0:48:27.040 trust and obey. That's all. 0:48:27.040 --> 0:48:27.319 You got to. 0:48:27.320 --> 0:48:28.560 Do. Trust and obey. 0:48:28.600 --> 0:48:32.200 They had it right. They did. I mean, we get 0:48:32.200 --> 0:48:35.480 so theologically bowed up, and then it comes back down 0:48:35.480 --> 0:48:39.359 to trust and obey. For there's no other way to. 0:48:39.400 --> 0:48:39.919 No other. 0:48:39.920 --> 0:48:40.240 Way. 0:48:40.320 --> 0:48:41.160 Jesus, happy in. 0:48:41.160 --> 0:48:41.839 Jesus. 0:48:42.040 --> 0:48:43.960 Is to trust and obey. Come on. 0:48:44.000 --> 0:48:47.560 Now. Come on man. I got half a mind to 0:48:47.560 --> 0:48:50.239 make Young Thunder sing that right now a cappella. But 0:48:50.239 --> 0:48:51.359 I won't do it to you. 0:48:51.400 --> 0:48:55.040 Thank you. Thank you. It's time to prepare. 0:48:55.080 --> 0:48:55.399 You can. 0:48:55.400 --> 0:48:55.640 Do it. 0:48:55.680 --> 0:48:56.160 I gotta. 0:48:56.160 --> 0:48:56.480 Prepare. 0:48:56.480 --> 0:48:57.800 I gotta prepare, Philip. 0:49:01.340 --> 0:49:02.300 I love you, Phillip. 0:49:02.340 --> 0:49:02.740 Thanks. 0:49:02.780 --> 0:49:03.739 Thanks for calling in. 0:49:03.900 --> 0:49:05.460 God bless you all. Absolutely. 0:49:08.219 --> 0:49:10.859 It's in that moment, Ali, that God gives us the 0:49:10.860 --> 0:49:13.380 grace to deliver when it's teed up for us. 0:49:13.420 --> 0:49:16.580 You know, it's it's encouraging because you can start to 0:49:16.620 --> 0:49:20.460 think about all of the bad things. I mean, talk 0:49:20.500 --> 0:49:22.299 about doom scrolling. You can start to think about all 0:49:22.300 --> 0:49:26.219 the bad things that can happen in life, and that 0:49:26.219 --> 0:49:28.700 can take you down a crazy road. I mean, from 0:49:28.700 --> 0:49:34.180 persecution to Philip mentioned, you know, going blind, cancer, battle 0:49:34.700 --> 0:49:37.820 back issues, all of these things. And your mind can go, 0:49:37.860 --> 0:49:40.140 how in the world could I possibly give glory to 0:49:40.180 --> 0:49:42.500 God in the midst of that? Well, I think it's 0:49:42.500 --> 0:49:46.380 our daily preparation right now of seeking him, of taking 0:49:46.380 --> 0:49:49.940 our roots deep in him that prepares us for those 0:49:49.940 --> 0:49:51.540 tough moments when they come. 0:49:51.780 --> 0:49:54.020 Yeah, no doubt about it. You know, he's shared this 0:49:54.060 --> 0:49:55.940 on air before, so I'm going to share it again. 0:49:56.460 --> 0:50:01.890 He lost a big contract. He lost his agent because 0:50:01.890 --> 0:50:06.250 he wouldn't take a script that a big production company. 0:50:06.290 --> 0:50:08.690 I mean, Philip's been on big screen and small screen. 0:50:08.690 --> 0:50:09.130 Guys. 0:50:10.050 --> 0:50:13.969 A lot. And that's that portion of the story is 0:50:13.969 --> 0:50:16.530 for him to tell. But the portion that he shared 0:50:16.530 --> 0:50:22.210 here before is he he lost his agent because he 0:50:22.210 --> 0:50:25.810 wouldn't take a role. So sometimes standing up and speaking 0:50:25.810 --> 0:50:28.650 out is costly, Ali. It's costly. 0:50:29.170 --> 0:50:31.730 But even still, we trust that God will give us 0:50:31.730 --> 0:50:34.890 the grace in that moment and the courage to do 0:50:34.890 --> 0:50:37.250 the thing that he's calling us to do. 0:50:38.090 --> 0:50:39.930 Yeah. I got to go back and read this again. 0:50:41.570 --> 0:50:47.129 Middle of the tribulation. Satan is thrown down. Why? And 0:50:47.130 --> 0:50:49.850 they have conquered him by the blood of the lamb 0:50:49.850 --> 0:50:52.410 and by the word of their testimony. For they loved 0:50:52.410 --> 0:50:59.830 not their lives, even unto death. Oh my goodness! That 0:50:59.830 --> 0:51:07.550 is a faith. That is solid and secure. That is powerhouse. 0:51:07.590 --> 0:51:11.910 And that's what God wants to do in you. You 0:51:11.910 --> 0:51:13.750 might say, Carl, I don't know if I got the 0:51:13.750 --> 0:51:15.870 stuff to speak up. If I had it teed up 0:51:15.870 --> 0:51:18.230 for me like a Philip. I don't know if I've 0:51:18.230 --> 0:51:22.430 got the stuff. Well, we don't in and of ourselves, 0:51:22.430 --> 0:51:25.710 but the Spirit of God that indwells us has the stuff. 0:51:25.710 --> 0:51:27.669 All we've got to do is make sure that that 0:51:27.670 --> 0:51:30.790 connection is solid with God, day by day, moment by moment. 0:51:30.790 --> 0:51:34.029 Because then when the opportunity tees itself up, bam, you're 0:51:34.030 --> 0:51:36.549 going to hit a home run, you're going to do it. 0:51:37.710 --> 0:51:38.630 It's going to happen. 0:51:39.630 --> 0:51:43.630 Walking closer to Jesus every day. You're listening to Carl 0:51:43.630 --> 0:51:44.310 and crew. 0:51:44.910 --> 0:51:48.070 So I got my wife running some Intel for us. Ali. 0:51:48.110 --> 0:51:48.710 You do? 0:51:48.750 --> 0:51:52.270 Yep. Running Intel. She scoped it out. She said, hey, 0:51:52.270 --> 0:51:54.189 you know how much you've been wanting to talk about 0:51:54.190 --> 0:51:57.050 Iran and what God's doing over there? Well, I heard 0:51:57.050 --> 0:52:00.009 this guy on Janet Parshall Show and I said, well, 0:52:00.010 --> 0:52:03.209 who is he? Now we got him with us. I 0:52:03.250 --> 0:52:06.609 have been wanting to know forever what is God doing 0:52:06.610 --> 0:52:10.410 in Iran? And when you've got the Billy Graham of Iran? Ali, 0:52:10.450 --> 0:52:11.490 we got the right guy. 0:52:11.530 --> 0:52:14.810 We do. His name is Doctor Shariat. He's the founder 0:52:14.810 --> 0:52:19.609 and president of Iran Alive Ministries, which uses satellite broadcasting 0:52:19.610 --> 0:52:22.450 and the internet to reach Iranians with the gospel. 0:52:22.489 --> 0:52:26.690 What is going on, doctor? Shariat. What's God doing in Iran? 0:52:26.730 --> 0:52:29.649 I hope your audience are ready to be shocked. Oh, good. 0:52:29.690 --> 0:52:34.690 Watch what you hear in the news is so bad. Oh, Iran. 0:52:34.690 --> 0:52:38.169 Nuclear bomb threat to the peace in the world and 0:52:38.170 --> 0:52:42.770 all that. The ayatollahs. But inside Iran, spiritually, there is 0:52:42.770 --> 0:52:48.090 another story. God is working. Iran is the first Islamic 0:52:48.090 --> 0:52:52.210 nation that's turning to Christ. And Islam is experiencing its 0:52:52.210 --> 0:52:55.919 greatest defeat in its history in Iran Today. That's what 0:52:55.920 --> 0:52:59.400 you don't hear on the news. And people of Iran, 0:52:59.440 --> 0:53:03.319 they didn't. It didn't happen overnight. It took him 40 0:53:03.320 --> 0:53:06.600 years of Islamic rule, that the people of Iran come 0:53:06.600 --> 0:53:10.560 to the conclusion that Islam is not the answer. Islam 0:53:10.560 --> 0:53:13.359 is actually the root of their problems and they need 0:53:13.360 --> 0:53:17.040 to get rid of it. Iranians are done with Islam, 0:53:17.280 --> 0:53:21.279 so very open spiritually to the gospel when they hear it. Oh, 0:53:21.320 --> 0:53:24.720 it resonates with their heart. They say, we don't believe 0:53:24.719 --> 0:53:27.960 in a God that's cruel like Allah. But when they 0:53:28.000 --> 0:53:32.840 hear about the love of Christ, they receive that with gladness. 0:53:33.080 --> 0:53:35.360 Give us a little bit of your own background. Growing 0:53:35.360 --> 0:53:38.759 up in an Islamic household, you are a muslim background believer. 0:53:38.800 --> 0:53:40.120 Tell us your story. 0:53:40.320 --> 0:53:43.480 Yeah, I was born in Iran, in an Islamic family. 0:53:43.480 --> 0:53:46.040 I was pretty devout in my early years, but when 0:53:46.040 --> 0:53:49.120 I got to be a teenager, I said, hey, memorizing 0:53:49.120 --> 0:53:51.560 these prayers and repeating them five times a day, what 0:53:51.560 --> 0:53:53.960 does it add to my life? Hey, just be a 0:53:53.960 --> 0:53:57.580 good person and pursue your dream. My dream was to 0:53:57.620 --> 0:54:00.380 come to the United States, get a PhD, be a 0:54:00.380 --> 0:54:03.379 research scientist. So I work hard towards that. I came 0:54:03.380 --> 0:54:07.460 to us at the University of Southern California, USC, studying 0:54:08.100 --> 0:54:12.900 PhD in artificial intelligence, and that's when I said, hey, 0:54:12.940 --> 0:54:15.980 maybe there is God and you need to consider that. 0:54:15.980 --> 0:54:18.060 So I studied Quran. I wanted to be a good 0:54:18.060 --> 0:54:21.900 Muslim because I thought Islam is the last religion, best religion. 0:54:21.900 --> 0:54:24.140 Why don't I start with that? So I read Quran 0:54:24.140 --> 0:54:27.819 very carefully. It did not satisfy my soul out of 0:54:27.820 --> 0:54:31.299 my intellectual pride. I said, If God has written other books, okay, 0:54:31.340 --> 0:54:33.740 I will read it. So I got a Bible and 0:54:33.739 --> 0:54:37.380 I read the Genesis, then said what is who is Jesus? 0:54:37.380 --> 0:54:41.460 I jumped to Matthew and oh my gosh, a crisis. 0:54:41.739 --> 0:54:44.140 This Jesus. Who is this Jesus? This is not the 0:54:44.140 --> 0:54:48.540 Jesus that Quran teaches me. Islam teaches me. So I 0:54:48.580 --> 0:54:51.299 struggled for a few months. Is Jesus true? I mean, 0:54:51.340 --> 0:54:54.370 he makes such big claims. I went to a church 0:54:54.370 --> 0:54:58.049 in downtown Los Angeles, and that's where I heard the simple, 0:54:58.290 --> 0:55:01.490 simple message of the gospel that even a child can understand. 0:55:01.530 --> 0:55:04.009 You don't need to have a PhD to understand it, 0:55:04.010 --> 0:55:08.810 but it's powerful. It changes life and it changed my life. 0:55:09.010 --> 0:55:13.330 Oh, doctor, who is serious here? Uh, what an amazing thing. 0:55:13.370 --> 0:55:18.129 Then God providentially did. Because I'm okay with languages. But 0:55:18.130 --> 0:55:21.410 for me to learn Farsi and to get geared up 0:55:21.410 --> 0:55:24.569 to evangelize those folks, that's a reach. But here you 0:55:24.570 --> 0:55:29.689 are now fully equipped to somehow, some way, go back 0:55:29.690 --> 0:55:31.569 to reach the people that you love. You got to 0:55:31.570 --> 0:55:35.250 share with us a story. Jesus transforms your life. You're 0:55:35.250 --> 0:55:38.410 now set free in Jesus. You must then want others 0:55:38.410 --> 0:55:39.650 to hear this, right? 0:55:39.690 --> 0:55:43.129 Oh yeah. I hope everybody feels the same. You know, 0:55:43.170 --> 0:55:47.850 I was an engineer type. An introvert and nerd. I 0:55:47.850 --> 0:55:50.969 was more comfortable with books and then people. But when 0:55:50.969 --> 0:55:53.230 I got saved, I felt this way. And I hope 0:55:53.230 --> 0:55:56.509 everybody feels this way, that you are selfish if you 0:55:56.550 --> 0:55:59.950 keep this message to yourself. It's a powerful message that 0:55:59.989 --> 0:56:03.830 is an answer to your personal problems, to your addictions, 0:56:03.830 --> 0:56:07.910 to your anger, to your depression. It is a response 0:56:07.950 --> 0:56:10.430 or it's a solution to your relational problem. You know, 0:56:10.469 --> 0:56:13.350 I was at the verge of divorce and Jesus healed 0:56:13.350 --> 0:56:17.469 my marriage. So it's an answer to even society problem. 0:56:17.710 --> 0:56:21.989 Why don't you share this powerful message with others? He 0:56:21.989 --> 0:56:25.670 does the work. You just share and God changes lives 0:56:25.670 --> 0:56:29.470 and saves people. So let's let's get God's heart on that. 0:56:29.510 --> 0:56:32.230 Let's go. Okay, now I got to tell you, I 0:56:32.270 --> 0:56:35.029 am chomping at the bit to know what God is 0:56:35.030 --> 0:56:38.950 doing in Iran. Give us some facts and figures. Is there, 0:56:38.950 --> 0:56:41.989 as we hear, a movement of the spirit among the 0:56:41.989 --> 0:56:43.310 Iranian people? 0:56:43.350 --> 0:56:47.710 Definitely, yes. According to an independent survey, Iran has the 0:56:47.710 --> 0:56:51.500 fastest growing evangelical population in the world in terms of 0:56:51.500 --> 0:56:55.700 rate of growth. Iranians are coming to Christ. They're open. 0:56:55.700 --> 0:56:59.459 They're questioning Islam. They're looking for God. They're looking at 0:56:59.500 --> 0:57:02.459 eastern religions. They're looking at New Age. And of course, 0:57:02.460 --> 0:57:07.340 they're looking at Christianity. They're looking everywhere for God except Islam. 0:57:07.340 --> 0:57:09.940 So this is the time that you and I, if 0:57:09.940 --> 0:57:13.300 we do our part, which is if we share the gospel, 0:57:13.700 --> 0:57:16.620 we tell them about Jesus. There is no competition. But 0:57:16.620 --> 0:57:19.340 we have to say that's what we do in Iran, 0:57:19.380 --> 0:57:23.780 alive through satellite television. We go over the signal, go 0:57:23.780 --> 0:57:28.260 over the heads of the mullahs into people's homes, privacy 0:57:28.260 --> 0:57:30.380 of their homes. And I talked to them about God's love. 0:57:30.420 --> 0:57:33.060 And the government of Iran is mad, but they cannot 0:57:33.060 --> 0:57:36.020 stop that signal because it comes from the sky. And 0:57:36.020 --> 0:57:41.020 that's why people come to Christ. Um, so easy. They 0:57:41.020 --> 0:57:43.380 call me Billy Graham. And of course, I don't call 0:57:43.380 --> 0:57:48.140 myself that. And my response is this Iranians are so 0:57:48.180 --> 0:57:52.280 open to the gospel that if you share the gospel 0:57:52.280 --> 0:57:55.040 with them, you too can be Billy Graham of Iran. 0:57:55.080 --> 0:57:55.440 Oh. 0:57:56.000 --> 0:57:57.720 I got to stop right here. And I got to 0:57:57.720 --> 0:57:59.560 praise the Lord. I'm sorry. We're going to do this 0:57:59.560 --> 0:58:02.000 right here. I got to stop right now. Father, I 0:58:02.040 --> 0:58:05.959 give you praise for what you are doing in Iran. Uh, 0:58:06.000 --> 0:58:10.000 for those beautiful people who are under the yoke of 0:58:10.120 --> 0:58:17.200 Islam and under the yoke of performance and and kneeling down, 0:58:17.200 --> 0:58:20.680 but no one to talk back with them. God, thank 0:58:20.680 --> 0:58:23.880 you that you're bringing them out of darkness into the light. 0:58:24.480 --> 0:58:26.280 In Jesus name, Amen. 0:58:26.480 --> 0:58:27.160 Amen. 0:58:27.440 --> 0:58:30.320 We have Doctor Shariat with us right now, founder and 0:58:30.320 --> 0:58:33.880 president of Iran Alive Ministries. He talked about the use 0:58:33.880 --> 0:58:38.120 of media. Iran Alive is the most watched Christian television 0:58:38.120 --> 0:58:41.960 channel in Iran. An independent survey of over 10,000 Iranians 0:58:41.960 --> 0:58:47.800 found that 7.7% of the population say it's their favorite channel. 0:58:48.460 --> 0:58:52.340 That's what they told us. And by God's grace, you know, 0:58:52.820 --> 0:58:55.700 I don't know. I don't know why people of Iran 0:58:55.700 --> 0:58:59.260 like us, but they do. They love they sense the 0:58:59.260 --> 0:59:01.180 love that we have for them. You know, before I 0:59:01.180 --> 0:59:03.740 go before the camera and all of our stuff, I'm 0:59:03.740 --> 0:59:07.140 not the only one. People think I'm a televangelist. I'm not. 0:59:07.180 --> 0:59:10.820 I love people, and I. I'm a pastor kind of thing. 0:59:11.140 --> 0:59:13.980 When I go before the camera, I pray before that. 0:59:14.020 --> 0:59:18.420 God give your love for these people to my heart. 0:59:18.460 --> 0:59:20.940 I want to love them. And you know what? Even 0:59:20.980 --> 0:59:25.780 though through camera, when you genuinely love people, they sense that, 0:59:25.820 --> 0:59:29.020 they sense that you truly love them and they're touched. 0:59:29.020 --> 0:59:33.420 Because in Islam, there is no love. Perfect love casts 0:59:33.420 --> 0:59:36.820 out fear. And that's the cast out is a spiritual warfare. 0:59:36.860 --> 0:59:39.740 We're we have a spiritual warfare with the spirit of Islam. 0:59:39.740 --> 0:59:42.700 And the best power that we have is our love, 0:59:42.740 --> 0:59:45.820 because it casts us the spirit of Islam. That's what 0:59:45.820 --> 0:59:49.250 we do in our channel. Love people, share the love 0:59:49.250 --> 0:59:51.810 of Christ and many, many are coming to Christ. Let 0:59:51.810 --> 0:59:54.770 me share you just a recent story. On Fridays I 0:59:54.770 --> 0:59:57.410 have church service because that's their day off. We do 0:59:57.450 --> 1:00:00.650 church service, live church service on Fridays and the most 1:00:00.690 --> 1:00:03.610 watched program we have. You know, we have 24 over seven, 1:00:03.610 --> 1:00:06.450 but most watch program is our Friday service. And after 1:00:06.450 --> 1:00:10.970 my sermon we have like a two hour zoom open zoom. 1:00:11.090 --> 1:00:13.330 It's like a lobby where people come to meet their 1:00:13.330 --> 1:00:16.970 pastor and ask the pastor questions or get prayer. So 1:00:16.970 --> 1:00:20.250 I go to an open zoom meeting last Friday. Just 1:00:20.250 --> 1:00:25.930 last Friday, for two hours, I was leading people to Christ. 1:00:26.250 --> 1:00:30.370 They were there, lined up. They would come share a 1:00:30.370 --> 1:00:32.770 little bit about themselves, ask a couple questions to make 1:00:32.810 --> 1:00:35.450 sure what they're doing. They know what they're doing and 1:00:35.450 --> 1:00:38.689 then pray to receive Christ. Now what is amazing, if 1:00:38.730 --> 1:00:42.290 you ask any missionary who works among the Muslims, this 1:00:42.290 --> 1:00:46.310 will be amazing to them even more. These people on 1:00:46.310 --> 1:00:49.310 Friday last Friday are leading people to Christ. They did 1:00:49.310 --> 1:00:54.310 not have any questions. They didn't say, oh, how about Islam? Oh, 1:00:54.350 --> 1:00:57.630 why do you say Jesus is God? No, they were ready. 1:00:57.630 --> 1:00:58.189 They count. 1:00:58.390 --> 1:00:58.510 To. 1:00:58.510 --> 1:01:00.070 God and they would say, just I want to. I 1:01:00.110 --> 1:01:02.910 want to receive Christ. Do you have any question? No. 1:01:02.950 --> 1:01:05.470 And one of them was saying, hey, I was I 1:01:05.470 --> 1:01:10.390 was watching your sermon and I felt somebody is planting 1:01:10.390 --> 1:01:14.790 flowers in my mind, you know. Beautiful. Another one was 1:01:14.790 --> 1:01:17.870 saying I was eating dinner and I was watching you, 1:01:17.870 --> 1:01:20.590 and I just could not eat any more because my 1:01:20.590 --> 1:01:24.150 heart was filled with so much joy. This is what 1:01:24.190 --> 1:01:28.910 God is doing. Of course. Signs, wonders, miracles, visions, dreams 1:01:29.150 --> 1:01:30.390 also happens a lot. 1:01:30.430 --> 1:01:31.030 Yeah. 1:01:31.550 --> 1:01:35.030 What is the cost for the average Iranian who surrenders 1:01:35.030 --> 1:01:38.630 their life to Jesus Christ? What's at risk? What's going 1:01:38.630 --> 1:01:39.670 on in the real world? 1:01:39.710 --> 1:01:43.230 The risk. The risk of being in jail for many 1:01:43.230 --> 1:01:47.380 years and even death. But the government of Iran is 1:01:47.380 --> 1:01:50.820 very afraid of Christians because they know we are growing fast. 1:01:50.820 --> 1:01:54.860 So their response, you know, they cannot put millions there. 1:01:54.900 --> 1:01:58.460 At least 2 million Iranian Muslim background believers in Iran 1:01:58.460 --> 1:02:01.300 right now. They can't put everybody in jail. So what 1:02:01.300 --> 1:02:05.580 they do is a campaign of fear and intimidation. How 1:02:05.580 --> 1:02:08.940 do they do that? They arrest a few people. And 1:02:08.980 --> 1:02:13.820 for minor Christian crimes, you can call that and put 1:02:13.820 --> 1:02:17.580 them in jail. Just a couple weeks ago, three people 1:02:17.620 --> 1:02:21.620 were arrested. One of them beautiful young lady with a 1:02:21.620 --> 1:02:26.180 small child. They put her in jail for 17 years. 1:02:26.220 --> 1:02:27.140 What was her crime? 1:02:27.500 --> 1:02:28.980 Attending a house, church. 1:02:30.420 --> 1:02:34.220 But it's not stopping the forward movement of God's kingdom, 1:02:34.220 --> 1:02:35.340 is it Hermosa? 1:02:35.380 --> 1:02:39.900 No it's not. Working people are so desperate that they. 1:02:39.940 --> 1:02:42.940 You know, sometimes I'm more concerned about them than they 1:02:43.000 --> 1:02:46.560 among themselves sometimes say, hey, be careful. Be careful. You know, 1:02:46.720 --> 1:02:50.000 these young people say, I'm not afraid of this government. 1:02:50.040 --> 1:02:52.400 They are afraid of me. That's what they want to 1:02:52.400 --> 1:02:54.840 put me in jail. They're afraid of my message. Think 1:02:54.840 --> 1:02:58.200 of the desperation. These people have come to a point 1:02:58.200 --> 1:03:00.840 that they don't care to live or die. And that's 1:03:00.840 --> 1:03:04.440 when they find Jesus. So after they find Jesus, they 1:03:04.440 --> 1:03:07.040 have dealt with death. You know, I have a program 1:03:07.080 --> 1:03:09.360 on politics. I had this young man. He was not 1:03:09.360 --> 1:03:11.880 a Christian when he was on my program. And he 1:03:11.880 --> 1:03:15.040 told me, I said, you're so brave. He was inside Iran. 1:03:15.040 --> 1:03:18.040 He had been arrested. He had been tortured. They had 1:03:18.040 --> 1:03:21.160 shot him multiple times. When he was outside, they tried 1:03:21.160 --> 1:03:23.960 to assassinate him, and he was showing his face on 1:03:23.960 --> 1:03:27.640 my program. And I said, hey, you're so brave. Tell me, 1:03:27.640 --> 1:03:30.400 why are you so brave? Aren't you afraid of being killed? 1:03:30.400 --> 1:03:32.720 He said, no. I said, why? Why aren't you afraid? 1:03:33.000 --> 1:03:35.480 He said, because I love my people. I'm ready to 1:03:35.480 --> 1:03:37.560 give my life for my people. I said, I need 1:03:37.560 --> 1:03:39.800 to talk to you. So I talked to him. I 1:03:39.800 --> 1:03:41.920 talked to him a couple of times, and he came 1:03:42.070 --> 1:03:46.550 to Christ and he has become a political Christian activist. 1:03:46.590 --> 1:03:49.150 Right now. And he will be one of the future 1:03:49.150 --> 1:03:51.870 ministers of Iran when the government collapses. 1:03:52.230 --> 1:03:55.390 I can barely take this. I'm so overjoyed and thrilled 1:03:55.390 --> 1:03:56.470 with your work. 1:03:56.710 --> 1:03:59.910 Praise the Lord. It's all his grace, his spirit moving 1:03:59.910 --> 1:04:03.070 in Iran and we as Christians, we need to be awake. 1:04:03.550 --> 1:04:06.470 See what God is doing. Iran is the key to 1:04:06.510 --> 1:04:09.270 the Middle East and to the world. Can I shock 1:04:09.310 --> 1:04:12.709 your viewers another time? One more time? Yes. I make 1:04:12.710 --> 1:04:18.790 this outrageous statement. Iran will be a Christian nation and 1:04:18.990 --> 1:04:24.030 people say, are you crazy? Just. Just Google it. It's 98% 1:04:24.030 --> 1:04:27.950 when you Google it. I said, no, it's not 98%. 1:04:27.950 --> 1:04:29.950 And Iran will be Christians. And they say, where did 1:04:29.950 --> 1:04:32.510 you get that idea? I tell them I stole it. 1:04:32.550 --> 1:04:34.670 Where did you steal it from? I stole it from 1:04:34.670 --> 1:04:41.370 the Lord in Jeremiah 4938. He promises in Jeremiah 4938. 1:04:41.490 --> 1:04:44.050 He said, I will set my throne in Islam. Islam 1:04:44.050 --> 1:04:47.410 is completely inside the land of Iran today. So we 1:04:47.410 --> 1:04:51.570 know Iran eventually be a Christian nation and sitting his throne. 1:04:51.730 --> 1:04:54.090 What does it mean? It means that Iran will be 1:04:54.090 --> 1:04:57.290 a blessing to the Middle East and the world. You know, 1:04:57.330 --> 1:05:00.650 Jesus loves the world. So wherever he rules, that could 1:05:00.690 --> 1:05:04.930 be a sending nation. Iran will be ascending nation to 1:05:04.970 --> 1:05:07.890 the Middle East and the world, and we're approaching that 1:05:07.890 --> 1:05:09.050 very fast. 1:05:09.090 --> 1:05:12.050 Doctor Shariat, our guests right now. If you want more 1:05:12.050 --> 1:05:16.130 on this ministry, Iran Alive Ministries, just text alive to 1:05:16.170 --> 1:05:24.210 800 555 7898. Text alive to (800) 555-7898. 1:05:24.250 --> 1:05:26.410 One of the things you're going to find there is 1:05:26.970 --> 1:05:34.130 Doctor Chariot's new book, Iran's Great Awakening, and I am 1:05:34.130 --> 1:05:36.730 going to read it cover to cover. Doctor, I got 1:05:36.770 --> 1:05:41.560 to tell you something. This has. absolutely lit a fresh 1:05:41.560 --> 1:05:43.920 fire in me today, and I thank you from the 1:05:43.920 --> 1:05:46.760 bottom of my heart. Godspeed to you, my friend. Would 1:05:46.760 --> 1:05:50.640 you pray for the people of Iran in Farsi before 1:05:50.640 --> 1:05:51.520 you go today? 1:05:51.760 --> 1:06:16.400 Uh, yes, I will do that. Uh. Iran. Iran. Iran. Iran. Iran. 1:06:17.760 --> 1:06:20.040 That name is on me. 1:06:20.120 --> 1:06:20.720 Amen. 1:06:21.680 --> 1:06:29.600 Wow. Text alive to 800 555 7898. Just that one word. 1:06:29.600 --> 1:06:35.200 Alive to 800 555. 78. 98. And let's be in 1:06:35.200 --> 1:06:38.440 prayer for our brothers and sisters and those to be 1:06:38.560 --> 1:06:39.240 in Iran.