WEBVTT - From Mecca to Christ 0:00:08.110 --> 0:00:11.319 How would you respond if you were arrested by the 0:00:11.320 --> 0:00:15.220 religious police? They drag you away, beat you bloody, and 0:00:15.220 --> 0:00:19.329 knock out 13 of your teeth. It happened to today's guest, 0:00:19.329 --> 0:00:22.090 and that was just the beginning of his torture. Why 0:00:22.090 --> 0:00:25.180 was he so hated and how did he endure? We'll 0:00:25.180 --> 0:00:27.680 ask those questions and a whole lot more coming up. 0:00:27.700 --> 0:00:30.040 This is the land in the book. Our host, Dr. 0:00:30.040 --> 0:00:33.310 Charlie Dyer, a lifelong student of the Middle East. I'm 0:00:33.310 --> 0:00:36.430 John Geiger, and Israel has certainly been on all our 0:00:36.430 --> 0:00:39.729 minds these past months, many of us struggling with questions 0:00:39.729 --> 0:00:42.220 about what to think, what to feel. And in the 0:00:42.220 --> 0:00:44.350 midst of all this, God's heart for the Jewish people 0:00:44.350 --> 0:00:48.700 remains unchanged. He is faithful to his chosen people. 0:00:48.790 --> 0:00:50.800 That's right, John. And as the year is drawing to 0:00:50.800 --> 0:00:53.350 a close, our friends at Life and Messiah would like 0:00:53.350 --> 0:00:56.800 to help you better connect with this crucial aspect of 0:00:56.800 --> 0:01:00.550 God's character. They're offering their new book, Sharing God's Heart 0:01:00.550 --> 0:01:03.940 to Land. In the book listeners, this 30 day guided 0:01:03.940 --> 0:01:07.030 reflection will help connect you with God's heart for his 0:01:07.030 --> 0:01:10.900 precious people. The articles written by Life and Messiah staff 0:01:10.900 --> 0:01:14.589 provide insight into Jewish life and culture. They can help 0:01:14.590 --> 0:01:17.410 prepare you to share with your friends the peace of 0:01:17.410 --> 0:01:20.560 Messiah they so desperately need. If you'd like one of 0:01:20.560 --> 0:01:23.440 these insightful books for yourself or as a gift for 0:01:23.440 --> 0:01:27.130 someone else, visit Life in Messiah org and click on 0:01:27.130 --> 0:01:29.740 the Moody Radio button to find out how you can 0:01:29.740 --> 0:01:34.180 receive your copy. That's life in messiah.org. 0:01:34.300 --> 0:01:36.430 Well, let's turn to our look at current events from 0:01:36.430 --> 0:01:39.490 the Middle East. Of course, this past week, Israel and 0:01:39.490 --> 0:01:43.300 Hamas arranged a temporary pause or cease fire to allow 0:01:43.300 --> 0:01:45.970 for the release of hostages. That's our big story. How 0:01:45.970 --> 0:01:49.360 many were actually released, Charlie? What now happens to the rest? 0:01:49.360 --> 0:01:52.300 And will the fighting resume? We're wondering, or could this 0:01:52.300 --> 0:01:55.000 actually be the beginning of a process to end the 0:01:55.000 --> 0:01:55.990 whole conflict? 0:01:55.990 --> 0:01:59.350 Yeah. After 49 days of fighting, the guns went silent 0:01:59.350 --> 0:02:02.890 as that pause went into effect. But from Israel's perspective, 0:02:02.890 --> 0:02:06.640 the pause is only temporary. Over the initial four days, 0:02:06.640 --> 0:02:11.020 50 Jewish hostages were released in exchange for 150 Palestinian 0:02:11.020 --> 0:02:14.980 women and children jailed for terrorism. In addition, at least 0:02:14.980 --> 0:02:18.820 16 others were released, including a Russian Israeli, 14 Thai 0:02:18.820 --> 0:02:22.180 workers and a Filipino worker. Israel and Hamas then agreed 0:02:22.180 --> 0:02:25.840 to extend the pause to allow for additional exchanges of hostages, 0:02:25.840 --> 0:02:29.260 with Israel continuing to say it would resume its military 0:02:29.260 --> 0:02:32.680 operation once these pauses are over. Now, there are still 0:02:32.680 --> 0:02:36.549 at least 150 thought to be held by Hamas. Israel 0:02:36.550 --> 0:02:39.010 doesn't know how many of them are alive and how 0:02:39.010 --> 0:02:42.850 many might already be dead. Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel 0:02:42.850 --> 0:02:46.269 intends to fulfill all three of its goals the elimination 0:02:46.270 --> 0:02:49.180 of Hamas, the return of all captives and making sure 0:02:49.180 --> 0:02:52.990 Gaza never again becomes a threat. Now, following this pause 0:02:52.990 --> 0:02:56.859 in fighting, Israel is going to face several headwinds going forward. 0:02:56.860 --> 0:03:00.550 The first will be increased international pressure to declare a 0:03:00.550 --> 0:03:03.730 permanent cease fire. The second is going to be the 0:03:03.730 --> 0:03:07.510 logistical difficulties if they expand the conflict into the southern 0:03:07.510 --> 0:03:10.630 half of the Gaza Strip, more Hamas fighters are still 0:03:10.630 --> 0:03:13.600 located there. And that's also where most of the population 0:03:13.600 --> 0:03:16.960 of Gaza is now residing. And the third headwind they 0:03:16.960 --> 0:03:21.460 face is financial. The war is disrupting Israel's economy while 0:03:21.460 --> 0:03:24.280 adding to its debt. The central Bank of Israel cut 0:03:24.280 --> 0:03:27.760 its growth forecast because of the war's impact, and urged 0:03:27.760 --> 0:03:31.750 the government to reduce non-essential items in the 2024 budget, 0:03:31.750 --> 0:03:36.160 including discretionary coalition funds. Now, the coalition did approve a 0:03:36.160 --> 0:03:40.180 new war budget, but they also unlocked previously frozen funds, 0:03:40.180 --> 0:03:44.050 causing friction within the War Cabinet itself. Those changes now 0:03:44.050 --> 0:03:47.050 head to the Knesset for its deliberation. And yet, in 0:03:47.050 --> 0:03:49.990 spite of all these problems, Israel says it's committed to 0:03:49.990 --> 0:03:52.270 putting an end to the threat of Hamas and to 0:03:52.270 --> 0:03:55.600 get all its citizens back, no matter what the cost. 0:03:55.840 --> 0:03:58.660 Charlie, those of us who are less nuanced in Middle 0:03:58.660 --> 0:04:02.260 East affairs say why not just line up every F-16 0:04:02.260 --> 0:04:05.290 in the Israeli Air Force, every tank they have and 0:04:05.290 --> 0:04:08.680 say to Hamas, you have 12 hours to return all 0:04:08.680 --> 0:04:11.230 hostages or else everything is coming at you. 0:04:12.070 --> 0:04:14.560 The basic problem is that Hamas is hidden among the 0:04:14.560 --> 0:04:17.680 population of Gaza. They're hidden in those tunnels. And to 0:04:17.680 --> 0:04:21.820 go after Hamas has caused the death of many innocent, 0:04:21.820 --> 0:04:25.659 as we would say, civilians in Gaza. Certainly Israel is 0:04:25.660 --> 0:04:29.020 committed to fighting a war as ethically as it can, 0:04:29.020 --> 0:04:32.350 which means trying to keep the civilians from being hurt. 0:04:32.470 --> 0:04:34.779 So the more they would go after Hamas in an 0:04:34.779 --> 0:04:38.080 indiscriminate fashion, the more Israel could ultimately be charged with 0:04:38.080 --> 0:04:38.920 war crimes. 0:04:38.920 --> 0:04:41.290 This is the land in the book from Moody Radio, 0:04:41.290 --> 0:04:44.350 our host, Dr. Charlie Dyer, helping us understand all that's 0:04:44.350 --> 0:04:46.419 happening in the Middle East. Well, in addition to the 0:04:46.420 --> 0:04:50.830 conflict with Hamas, Israel is also experiencing problems with Hezbollah, 0:04:50.860 --> 0:04:54.280 the Houthis, Iran and Turkey. How do all these different 0:04:54.279 --> 0:04:55.450 issues intersect? 0:04:56.020 --> 0:04:58.210 At its heart, people need to understand this is a 0:04:58.210 --> 0:05:03.220 religious struggle. That's where everything intersects Hamas's charter. Its statement 0:05:03.220 --> 0:05:06.220 explaining why it exists says its goal is to liberate 0:05:06.220 --> 0:05:08.290 all a part. Line from the river to the sea 0:05:08.290 --> 0:05:11.320 and to make it an Islamic state under Sharia law, 0:05:11.320 --> 0:05:14.200 with Jerusalem as its capital. In fact, the very name 0:05:14.200 --> 0:05:19.450 Hamas is an Arabic acronym for Islamic Resistance Movement. Hamas 0:05:19.450 --> 0:05:22.719 is an outgrowth of the Muslim Brotherhood. Another outgrowth of 0:05:22.720 --> 0:05:26.229 the Muslim Brotherhood is the Justice and Development Party, which 0:05:26.230 --> 0:05:29.169 is the ruling party of Turkey. That's why Erdogan is 0:05:29.170 --> 0:05:32.650 so supportive of Hamas in response to the war between 0:05:32.650 --> 0:05:35.890 Israel and Hamas. Erdogan delivered an address to the Turkish 0:05:35.890 --> 0:05:39.460 parliament and he said Israel is a terrorist state that 0:05:39.460 --> 0:05:42.340 would soon be destroyed. In fact, a quote from him was, 0:05:42.339 --> 0:05:44.529 you can have as many nuclear bombs as you want, 0:05:44.529 --> 0:05:47.710 but you're on your way out now. While Hamas and 0:05:47.710 --> 0:05:51.549 Turkey represent Sunni Islamic fundamentalism, the other side of the 0:05:51.550 --> 0:05:55.210 theological coin is Iran, Hezbollah and the Houthis, who represent 0:05:55.210 --> 0:06:00.100 Shiite Islamic fundamentalism. The Shiites and Sunnis disagree on several 0:06:00.100 --> 0:06:03.339 major theological points, but they all agree that the Jewish 0:06:03.339 --> 0:06:07.120 state of Israel can't exist long term in the Middle East. Now, 0:06:07.120 --> 0:06:10.240 while Iran has helped Hamas, it's the main champion and 0:06:10.240 --> 0:06:13.360 sponsor of Hezbollah and the Houthis as they work to 0:06:13.360 --> 0:06:16.390 develop nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them, they're 0:06:16.390 --> 0:06:19.990 using Hezbollah, along with Hamas, to tie down Israel and 0:06:19.990 --> 0:06:23.860 drain its financial and military resources. All this can sound 0:06:23.860 --> 0:06:27.430 discouraging until you remember the promises God has made to Israel. 0:06:27.430 --> 0:06:30.490 In describing the events of the last days, God said 0:06:30.490 --> 0:06:33.070 in Zechariah 12, I'm going to make Jerusalem a cup 0:06:33.070 --> 0:06:36.340 that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be 0:06:36.339 --> 0:06:39.400 besieged as well as Jerusalem. But then he adds, I 0:06:39.400 --> 0:06:42.339 will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. 0:06:42.339 --> 0:06:45.190 All who try to move it will injure themselves. And 0:06:45.190 --> 0:06:47.620 he also says, there I will keep a watchful eye 0:06:47.620 --> 0:06:51.339 over the house of Judah. Israel might be outnumbered, but 0:06:51.339 --> 0:06:53.830 with God on their side, they're not outgunned. 0:06:54.100 --> 0:06:57.430 Well, it's now officially winter in Israel, and the Bible 0:06:57.430 --> 0:07:00.370 pictures reign as a blessing. So I have to ask, 0:07:00.370 --> 0:07:03.099 how much has Israel been blessed thus far? 0:07:03.910 --> 0:07:06.310 Actually, a fair amount. The first major storm of the 0:07:06.310 --> 0:07:08.979 season came through two weeks ago, and was followed this 0:07:08.980 --> 0:07:12.510 past Sunday and Monday by another, less powerful rain event. 0:07:12.520 --> 0:07:16.030 The first storm set records at some reporting locations in 0:07:16.030 --> 0:07:19.840 northern Israel. One spot broke a 73 year old record 0:07:19.840 --> 0:07:23.350 for rain intensity in a one hour period. Wow. Streets 0:07:23.500 --> 0:07:25.840 and some from Haifa all the way down to Jerusalem 0:07:25.840 --> 0:07:28.630 experienced flooding. Now, to give an idea of the strength 0:07:28.630 --> 0:07:32.679 of that first storm, Jerusalem ended up with 200% of 0:07:32.680 --> 0:07:36.940 their normal year to date rainfall and 14% of what 0:07:36.940 --> 0:07:40.210 they expect to receive during the entire winter season. Just 0:07:40.210 --> 0:07:43.780 in that one storm, Tel Aviv ended up at 28% 0:07:43.780 --> 0:07:46.030 of what they would expect in a normal winter season. 0:07:46.030 --> 0:07:49.330 From that one storm, the second storm dropped an additional 0:07:49.330 --> 0:07:51.700 quarter of an inch of rain in Jerusalem, and almost 0:07:51.700 --> 0:07:53.950 an inch and a quarter up on the Golan Heights, 0:07:53.950 --> 0:07:58.390 where they've received already over six inches of rain this winter. Now, 0:07:58.390 --> 0:08:01.090 last year, Israel experienced as a whole a normal amount 0:08:01.090 --> 0:08:03.280 of rainfall, but much of it fell in the southern 0:08:03.280 --> 0:08:06.190 part of the country. Ideally, they'd like to receive more 0:08:06.190 --> 0:08:08.500 rain in the north, where it can help fill the 0:08:08.500 --> 0:08:11.560 Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee. These first two 0:08:11.560 --> 0:08:15.070 storms provided a good soaking for northern Israel. Now that's 0:08:15.070 --> 0:08:18.970 not helpful for the soldiers up north protecting Israel against Hezbollah, 0:08:18.970 --> 0:08:21.610 but it is good for the country as a whole. 0:08:21.880 --> 0:08:24.670 Right now, the Sea of Galilee is about nine feet 0:08:24.670 --> 0:08:28.030 below its upper red line, which is when it's totally filled. 0:08:28.030 --> 0:08:31.410 It should now begin rising over the coming days and weeks. 0:08:31.420 --> 0:08:33.670 All in all, Jon, it's a promising start to the 0:08:33.670 --> 0:08:36.790 winter rainy season. Let's just hope it continues. 0:08:37.030 --> 0:08:41.050 Radiocarbon dating tests done at the site of Ancient Geyser 0:08:41.050 --> 0:08:44.230 are said to prove the biblical account of the city's history. 0:08:44.230 --> 0:08:47.349 What exactly did the testing show, and does it indeed 0:08:47.350 --> 0:08:49.210 match the biblical account? Charlie. 0:08:49.480 --> 0:08:52.370 Yeah, the basic answer is that it sort of matches. 0:08:52.390 --> 0:08:56.440 It also shows the limitations of carbon 14 dating. The 0:08:56.440 --> 0:09:00.250 excavators focused on one specific area excavated over a multi 0:09:00.280 --> 0:09:04.690 year period. They had collected organic matter, primarily burned olive 0:09:04.690 --> 0:09:09.069 pits found in specific archaeological layers. They sent those samples 0:09:09.070 --> 0:09:12.160 to be carbon 14 dated, and some items do seem 0:09:12.160 --> 0:09:15.280 to correspond to the biblical account. For example, they found 0:09:15.280 --> 0:09:18.939 a destruction layer roughly corresponding to the time the Bible 0:09:18.940 --> 0:09:22.329 says an Egyptian pharaoh destroyed geyser and gave it as 0:09:22.330 --> 0:09:25.030 a dowry for the marriage of his daughter to Solomon, 0:09:25.030 --> 0:09:29.560 and a subsequent destruction layer corresponds roughly to the destruction 0:09:29.559 --> 0:09:32.410 of the city by Pharaoh. Shaq, who's mentioned in the 0:09:32.410 --> 0:09:35.620 Bible in connection with the reign of Solomon's son, Rhea Boehm. 0:09:35.770 --> 0:09:38.650 But the authors of the study are very careful not 0:09:38.650 --> 0:09:42.010 to say the findings, quote, prove the Bible. In fact, 0:09:42.010 --> 0:09:45.250 they tend to see Egyptian monuments and texts as being 0:09:45.250 --> 0:09:48.429 more reliable. They see the biblical text as being written 0:09:48.429 --> 0:09:52.240 centuries later and thus less authentic. Now, for those of 0:09:52.240 --> 0:09:55.390 us who accept the reliability of the Bible, that's a 0:09:55.390 --> 0:09:59.199 serious flaw in the study. There are also other limitations. 0:09:59.200 --> 0:10:02.350 The data comes from a specific area within this rather 0:10:02.350 --> 0:10:04.690 large site. So I think we need to be cautious 0:10:04.690 --> 0:10:08.520 in drawing sweeping conclusions from. Just that one area. Also, 0:10:08.520 --> 0:10:11.850 carbon 14 dating can provide an approximate date, but it's 0:10:11.850 --> 0:10:14.970 not exact. A range of plus or -20 years can 0:10:14.970 --> 0:10:18.630 make a huge historical difference. The bottom line is the 0:10:18.630 --> 0:10:22.110 study is interesting and even helpful, but it can't really 0:10:22.110 --> 0:10:25.170 be used to prove or disprove the biblical account when 0:10:25.170 --> 0:10:26.250 it comes together. 0:10:26.370 --> 0:10:29.370 Thanks, Charlie. And that's a look at current events. Well, 0:10:29.370 --> 0:10:31.679 how would you respond if you were arrested by the 0:10:31.679 --> 0:10:34.710 religious police? They drag you away, beat you up and 0:10:34.710 --> 0:10:37.470 knock out not just 1 or 2 teeth, but 13. 0:10:37.470 --> 0:10:41.370 That actually happened to today's guest, Dr. Ahmed Yorktown. We'll 0:10:41.370 --> 0:10:44.309 talk to him and we'll enjoy answering your Bible questions 0:10:44.309 --> 0:10:47.430 in another segment. And Charlie's devotional is December 7th, a 0:10:47.429 --> 0:10:50.670 day of infamy. We're heading to Zachariah. All of that 0:10:50.670 --> 0:10:53.010 and a whole lot more on today's edition of The 0:10:53.010 --> 0:11:10.900 Land and the. How would you respond? You were arrested 0:11:10.900 --> 0:11:14.080 by the religious police. They drag you away, beat you 0:11:14.080 --> 0:11:17.650 bloody and knock out 13 of your teeth. It happened 0:11:17.650 --> 0:11:20.020 to our guest. And that was just the beginning of 0:11:20.020 --> 0:11:23.170 his torture. Why was he so hated? And how did 0:11:23.170 --> 0:11:26.920 he endure? We'll ask those questions and more. Coming up. 0:11:26.920 --> 0:11:29.500 This is the land and the book from Moody Radio. 0:11:29.500 --> 0:11:32.140 I'm John Geiger. Welcome you back to our program. And 0:11:32.140 --> 0:11:35.020 before we get started with today's guest, let's think about 0:11:35.020 --> 0:11:37.540 some creative ways that we can show the love of 0:11:37.540 --> 0:11:41.920 Christ to our Muslim friends. How do I start talking 0:11:41.920 --> 0:11:45.550 to a muslim? Fair question. Let's ask Stefano Fair, who's 0:11:45.550 --> 0:11:47.860 president of call of Hope? How do we start? 0:11:48.190 --> 0:11:51.040 Well, we start talking to a muslim as we would 0:11:51.040 --> 0:11:57.100 start talking to anybody else. We start off telling him 0:11:57.100 --> 0:12:00.819 about our life. Maybe we start off talking with him 0:12:00.820 --> 0:12:04.839 about the weather, about the storm coming. We just show 0:12:04.840 --> 0:12:07.870 him that we are interested in him and John. So 0:12:07.870 --> 0:12:10.750 many people tell me they come to the West and 0:12:10.750 --> 0:12:15.100 they feel these Americans, these Europeans, they are not interested 0:12:15.100 --> 0:12:18.760 in me. Tell them that you are interested in them 0:12:18.760 --> 0:12:22.730 and then they will ask you also about your faith. 0:12:22.750 --> 0:12:24.490 Just be open, okay? 0:12:24.490 --> 0:12:26.860 We're going to share life with them, and that's going 0:12:26.860 --> 0:12:28.990 to sort of share our love for them and then 0:12:28.990 --> 0:12:31.010 eventually maybe sharing Jesus with them. 0:12:31.030 --> 0:12:32.559 Absolutely. That's it. 0:12:33.070 --> 0:12:36.370 Stefano Ferris with call of Hope us great thoughts. Thanks 0:12:36.370 --> 0:12:41.309 for sharing. He was born in Mecca, raised in hate 0:12:41.309 --> 0:12:45.870 and trained for terror. Dr. Ahmed Jackson is a medical 0:12:45.870 --> 0:12:50.040 doctor who turned evangelist. His father is a mufti in Mecca, 0:12:50.040 --> 0:12:53.850 Saudi Arabia, and once set to bring jihad to the world, 0:12:53.850 --> 0:12:56.940 Ahmed came to know Jesus Christ as Savior and now 0:12:56.940 --> 0:12:59.910 works to bring true peace in Jesus to Muslims and 0:12:59.910 --> 0:13:03.059 lost people everywhere. It is a high honor to have 0:13:03.059 --> 0:13:05.340 you on the program today, Dr. Jackson. 0:13:05.640 --> 0:13:07.320 It's my honor to be with you today. 0:13:07.950 --> 0:13:10.290 You say your father was a mufti in Mecca. What 0:13:10.290 --> 0:13:12.420 does that mean? And how big a deal was that 0:13:12.420 --> 0:13:13.770 for you growing up? 0:13:14.280 --> 0:13:17.490 That is a big deal, because a mufti is someone 0:13:17.490 --> 0:13:23.730 who has a Islamic legal opinion to rule on people's life. 0:13:23.910 --> 0:13:27.300 I think of it as rabbi who tell people what's 0:13:27.300 --> 0:13:31.680 lawful and unlawful. Growing up, you know, I saw people's 0:13:31.679 --> 0:13:35.760 respect to my dad, and they follow exactly to the 0:13:35.760 --> 0:13:36.780 letter of what he's saying. 0:13:37.559 --> 0:13:41.040 By the age of 13, you could recite the entire 0:13:41.040 --> 0:13:43.859 Koran word perfect. But it wasn't so much a love 0:13:43.860 --> 0:13:46.320 for the book that drove you, as it was a 0:13:46.320 --> 0:13:49.050 fear of punishment described what happened to you as a 0:13:49.050 --> 0:13:53.069 young boy, when you may be made mistakes with your recitation? 0:13:53.160 --> 0:13:57.030 Yeah. It's really sad that, you know, growing up I 0:13:57.030 --> 0:14:01.320 had to memorize the entire Quran out of fear. So 0:14:01.320 --> 0:14:05.370 if you made a mistake, even the slightest mistake into 0:14:05.370 --> 0:14:09.240 the intonation of a word or pronunciation, they would take 0:14:09.240 --> 0:14:12.330 you to the front of the mosque. They took me there, 0:14:12.330 --> 0:14:15.150 and they placed me on the ground and my feet 0:14:15.150 --> 0:14:18.059 on a high chair, and they would lash the back 0:14:18.059 --> 0:14:21.830 of my feet until I can't even walk back home. 0:14:21.840 --> 0:14:25.770 I had to crawl that day. But now I memorized 0:14:25.770 --> 0:14:28.320 the Bible, the word of God. Because a man should 0:14:28.320 --> 0:14:31.320 not live by bread alone, but with every word comes 0:14:31.320 --> 0:14:32.160 out of the mouth of God. 0:14:32.700 --> 0:14:36.120 How did all of this frame your own assessment of Islam? 0:14:36.120 --> 0:14:39.270 Did you ever ask yourself, boy, isn't there another less 0:14:39.270 --> 0:14:41.820 stressful religion or way of life out there? 0:14:42.360 --> 0:14:46.020 Well, in Islam you can't question, so you have to 0:14:46.020 --> 0:14:49.410 follow exactly what you've been told, or else you will 0:14:49.410 --> 0:14:52.910 be punished and you will be taken away from the community. 0:14:52.920 --> 0:14:57.510 So I had not had the chance to question five times. 0:14:57.510 --> 0:15:00.330 He faced death, but God spared him so that he 0:15:00.330 --> 0:15:03.840 could tell Muslims and lost people worldwide about how Jesus 0:15:03.840 --> 0:15:07.170 is the way, the truth and the life. Dr. Ahmed 0:15:07.170 --> 0:15:10.210 Jackson is our guest today on the land and the book. 0:15:10.230 --> 0:15:14.130 You eventually experienced a vision of Jesus himself. How old 0:15:14.130 --> 0:15:17.370 were you when that happened and what were the circumstances? 0:15:18.120 --> 0:15:21.210 I was at the beginning of my 20s when that happened, 0:15:21.390 --> 0:15:25.260 and it was actually because of prayer. So I want 0:15:25.260 --> 0:15:28.140 to ask the audience today, are you praying for the 0:15:28.140 --> 0:15:31.040 loss that, you know, if you think that God cannot 0:15:31.050 --> 0:15:34.950 bring them to himself, then think of me, someone from 0:15:34.950 --> 0:15:39.000 Saudi Arabia. So the pastor of the Oakland Baptist Tabernacle, 0:15:39.000 --> 0:15:42.000 he prayed, you know, the Lord, you have sent us 0:15:42.000 --> 0:15:45.120 people from Iraq, Iran and other nations, but none from 0:15:45.120 --> 0:15:48.630 Saudi Arabia. Lord, we dare to pray today that you 0:15:48.630 --> 0:15:51.540 will send us someone from Saudi. And after two weeks 0:15:51.540 --> 0:15:54.479 from there, I had a dream and I showed up 0:15:54.480 --> 0:15:55.260 at that church. 0:15:55.530 --> 0:15:58.770 And what was your reaction to what you heard and saw? 0:15:59.250 --> 0:16:03.180 I was afraid at the same time it was inviting 0:16:03.180 --> 0:16:08.040 for me to follow each step. I did not have 0:16:08.160 --> 0:16:12.720 a chance to even fathom the momentum of what happened 0:16:12.720 --> 0:16:16.230 to me, but it was God's planning and guidance from 0:16:16.230 --> 0:16:17.280 the start to finish. 0:16:17.460 --> 0:16:20.700 In your book, From Mecca to Christ, you reference the 0:16:20.700 --> 0:16:22.770 time when the pastor invited you to his home for 0:16:22.770 --> 0:16:26.490 dinner and initially you turned him down, but then you 0:16:26.490 --> 0:16:29.790 did go and you were pretty sure you were going 0:16:29.790 --> 0:16:32.910 to be poisoned to death. That seems a little bit shocking, 0:16:32.910 --> 0:16:36.030 but from your own admission, you said, well, that's maybe 0:16:36.030 --> 0:16:38.730 what our side would do in a situation if it 0:16:38.730 --> 0:16:40.470 were reversed. A talk about. 0:16:40.470 --> 0:16:40.890 That. 0:16:41.430 --> 0:16:47.220 Yeah. It's unfortunate in the fundamental Islamic teaching, which thankfully 0:16:47.220 --> 0:16:52.830 not practiced by many Muslims today, fundamentalists believe that we 0:16:52.830 --> 0:16:55.620 are going to heaven by the blood of someone. That's 0:16:55.620 --> 0:17:00.150 why 911 happened. It's, you know, based on chapter number 0:17:00.360 --> 0:17:05.129 nine of the Quran, verse 111, which you are going 0:17:05.130 --> 0:17:08.790 to heaven only by the blood of someone else. Thankfully, 0:17:08.790 --> 0:17:12.060 now I know that I am redeemed by the blood 0:17:12.060 --> 0:17:15.840 of Jesus. But I was hesitant, thinking that he is 0:17:15.840 --> 0:17:19.260 in his old age and he is going to indwell 0:17:19.260 --> 0:17:22.800 by killing me so he can get to heaven by 0:17:22.800 --> 0:17:26.490 my blood. Thankfully, later on I heard that Jesus said, 0:17:26.490 --> 0:17:27.570 love your enemies. 0:17:28.230 --> 0:17:31.979 You became a Christian under this pastor. What was that 0:17:31.980 --> 0:17:32.970 experience like? 0:17:34.109 --> 0:17:38.920 It was wonderful because this pastor understood. The words back 0:17:38.920 --> 0:17:42.160 and forth, and he also knew how to speak to 0:17:42.160 --> 0:17:46.120 someone like me from Islam. So he began where I 0:17:46.119 --> 0:17:50.230 was and took me in a journey to know Jesus. 0:17:50.230 --> 0:17:52.750 And this is where I am now. I am here 0:17:52.750 --> 0:17:55.240 now to know Christ and make him known and help 0:17:55.240 --> 0:17:56.109 others do the same. 0:17:56.680 --> 0:17:59.800 Armed with a Green New Testament, you return to your 0:17:59.800 --> 0:18:02.770 home in Saudi Arabia full of hope. But then that 0:18:02.770 --> 0:18:06.520 Bible was discovered. What happened next with your brothers? 0:18:08.359 --> 0:18:12.650 At that time in Saudi, we still had the religious 0:18:12.650 --> 0:18:17.750 beliefs and it was not allowed to have Bibles in Saudi. 0:18:17.780 --> 0:18:22.250 They were deeply ashamed and dishonored for me to bring 0:18:22.250 --> 0:18:27.230 the Bible into Saudi Arabia. And they took it. They 0:18:27.230 --> 0:18:31.580 beat me and they later on they disowned me because 0:18:31.580 --> 0:18:32.510 of my faith in Christ. 0:18:32.960 --> 0:18:35.449 How difficult was it for you to later discover it 0:18:35.450 --> 0:18:38.210 was your own mother who ordered the attack? 0:18:38.910 --> 0:18:42.360 It was very difficult, but at the same time verses 0:18:42.359 --> 0:18:46.530 from the Quran came back to me where she had 0:18:46.530 --> 0:18:50.939 to do it. Otherwise she will not be faithful to Allah, 0:18:50.940 --> 0:18:51.900 the God of the Quran. 0:18:52.530 --> 0:18:54.990 This is the land in the book I'm John Geiger, 0:18:54.990 --> 0:18:59.520 joined by Dr. Ahmed Jackson, and we're hearing the unfolding 0:18:59.520 --> 0:19:02.909 story of his remarkable journey toward Jesus today on the 0:19:02.910 --> 0:19:06.810 land in the book. Ultimately, the situation got more tense 0:19:06.810 --> 0:19:09.480 with your family, to the point that your father shoved 0:19:09.480 --> 0:19:13.770 an AK 47 assault rifle at your face and shouted, quote, 0:19:13.770 --> 0:19:15.899 do you think you can shame me in front of 0:19:15.900 --> 0:19:19.590 our family? If you don't recant, I'll put these 30 0:19:19.590 --> 0:19:22.740 bullets into your head. How did you respond? 0:19:23.190 --> 0:19:26.730 I was terrified, you know. Here's an AK 47 I 0:19:26.730 --> 0:19:30.960 am new to. I'm a baby in Christ, fellow in Jesus. 0:19:30.960 --> 0:19:34.290 And I told him I'll do whatever he wants. You know, 0:19:34.290 --> 0:19:38.310 an AK 47 to my head, thankfully, that I know 0:19:38.310 --> 0:19:42.240 now that nobody can take me from Jesus hand or 0:19:42.240 --> 0:19:43.170 the father's hand. 0:19:43.770 --> 0:19:46.500 Kicked out of your home. That was next. You shared 0:19:46.500 --> 0:19:50.610 your faith with a man who faked interest in your testimony. 0:19:50.609 --> 0:19:53.580 But then after he called the religious police, you were 0:19:53.580 --> 0:19:57.869 hauled away and severely beaten, 13 teeth bashed out of 0:19:57.869 --> 0:20:01.109 your mouth. How did you manage to endure all of that? 0:20:01.970 --> 0:20:06.540 I couldn't endure all of that without my faith and 0:20:06.540 --> 0:20:09.540 trust in Christ Jesus and the Word of God that 0:20:09.540 --> 0:20:13.560 I treasure in my heart, and that kept me sane 0:20:13.560 --> 0:20:18.330 through the whole process. It was sad, but it's expected 0:20:18.330 --> 0:20:22.650 from those who follow the darkness and under the the 0:20:22.650 --> 0:20:26.220 curtain that Satan is blinded their their eyes. They would 0:20:26.220 --> 0:20:33.030 go to such measures to basically quiet the voice of truth. 0:20:33.119 --> 0:20:36.120 But I'm thankful that the Lord was with me through 0:20:36.119 --> 0:20:36.600 it all. 0:20:36.990 --> 0:20:39.990 Yeah, 13 teeth bashed out of your mouth was just 0:20:39.990 --> 0:20:45.030 the beginning. You experienced many beatings and whippings, and then 0:20:45.030 --> 0:20:48.930 they jammed salt into your bloody wounds. At a point, 0:20:48.930 --> 0:20:51.030 you just wanted to go home and be with Jesus. 0:20:51.030 --> 0:20:52.859 So what got you through? 0:20:53.460 --> 0:20:58.080 What got me through is remembering. Paul also endured all 0:20:58.080 --> 0:21:00.750 those suffering as well for the sake of the gospel, 0:21:00.750 --> 0:21:04.650 and he took delight knowing that whatever we have now 0:21:04.680 --> 0:21:08.909 is is not going to last. And you know, those 0:21:08.910 --> 0:21:13.500 verses from Second Corinthians four made me focus my eyes 0:21:13.590 --> 0:21:15.750 on what is going to last forever. 0:21:16.200 --> 0:21:18.840 You know, I wonder, why don't stories like yours and 0:21:18.840 --> 0:21:21.210 you've written in a book, you share it, I'm sure, 0:21:21.210 --> 0:21:24.300 in many different forums and places. Why don't stories like 0:21:24.300 --> 0:21:28.730 yours change the American media's perception of Islam being a, quote, 0:21:28.800 --> 0:21:30.240 religion of peace? 0:21:30.869 --> 0:21:36.030 I think our voices are being squished nowadays and we 0:21:36.030 --> 0:21:42.209 are not allowed to share our insights of what true 0:21:42.270 --> 0:21:47.880 Islam is in favor of other movements in the US. 0:21:47.880 --> 0:21:51.689 But you know, the light shines in the darkness and 0:21:51.780 --> 0:21:54.480 nothing can make that light go away. Yeah. 0:21:54.780 --> 0:21:56.760 Thanks for being with us today on the land in 0:21:56.760 --> 0:22:00.600 the book, I'm John Geiger, our guest, Dr. Ahmed Jackson, 0:22:00.600 --> 0:22:03.960 who is from Saudi Arabia. You know, as you look 0:22:03.960 --> 0:22:06.630 at the passage of time, I'm curious, have you had 0:22:06.630 --> 0:22:10.650 any communication in the years following all of this turn 0:22:10.650 --> 0:22:13.919 of events with your family, your brothers, for example, your mother, 0:22:13.920 --> 0:22:16.800 your father, any communication at all? And if so, how 0:22:16.800 --> 0:22:17.880 would you describe that? 0:22:18.300 --> 0:22:22.920 Unfortunately, there was none after they took it, as I 0:22:22.920 --> 0:22:27.330 have ashamed them and they cut me off completely in 0:22:27.330 --> 0:22:30.570 obedience to a large commandments in the Quran, but. 0:22:30.570 --> 0:22:34.770 Nothing even on Facebook or text or an email or 0:22:34.770 --> 0:22:36.149 a quick phone call. Nothing. 0:22:36.480 --> 0:22:38.940 Nothing at all like I have never existed. 0:22:39.600 --> 0:22:42.750 So talk about your ministry today. How would you describe that? 0:22:43.170 --> 0:22:47.220 Today we share the gospel of Jesus Christ with Muslims 0:22:47.220 --> 0:22:50.430 here in the United States and across the world, especially 0:22:50.430 --> 0:22:54.090 in Saudi Arabia and Mecca, Saudi Arabia. We helped to 0:22:54.090 --> 0:22:58.889 mobilize believers to go and share the gospel because, you know, 0:22:58.890 --> 0:23:01.980 this is God's plan from the beginning. God has plan A, 0:23:01.980 --> 0:23:04.500 there is no plan B which go ye and make 0:23:04.500 --> 0:23:07.679 disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name of the father, 0:23:07.680 --> 0:23:10.440 the son, and the Holy Spirit and teach them. So 0:23:10.530 --> 0:23:14.790 we teach nowadays online, we, you know, evangelize on the 0:23:14.790 --> 0:23:17.880 streets in the US and one on one as well. 0:23:18.180 --> 0:23:20.760 Do you ever go to Saudi Arabia and minister there? 0:23:21.869 --> 0:23:24.899 They would love to have me cut to pieces. Not yet, 0:23:24.900 --> 0:23:26.280 but in God's timing I will. 0:23:26.400 --> 0:23:28.500 So what kind of a response are you getting from 0:23:28.500 --> 0:23:31.230 this online teaching from those who are in Saudi Arabia 0:23:31.230 --> 0:23:34.230 and other rather fundamentalist Islamic nations? 0:23:34.770 --> 0:23:38.280 You know, they have been told the Bible was corrupt and. 0:23:38.600 --> 0:23:41.389 We were able to show them that the Bible is 0:23:41.390 --> 0:23:45.110 true and it's never been corrupted. It's the Word of God. 0:23:45.380 --> 0:23:48.689 And God is able, more than able to keep his words. 0:23:48.710 --> 0:23:54.050 Some angry responses and many were amazed by John 316. 0:23:54.410 --> 0:23:57.290 For God so loved the world that he gave his 0:23:57.290 --> 0:23:59.570 only son. They have never heard that before. 0:24:00.170 --> 0:24:03.080 How can listeners be more effective in caring about Muslims 0:24:03.080 --> 0:24:05.659 in this country? What are we doing? Maybe that we 0:24:05.660 --> 0:24:07.940 should stop? I mean, you've been here for some years now. 0:24:07.940 --> 0:24:12.669 You've observed how followers of Jesus typically relate to Muslims. 0:24:12.680 --> 0:24:15.270 What should we stop doing or what should we start doing? 0:24:15.290 --> 0:24:16.280 What are your thoughts? 0:24:16.730 --> 0:24:20.240 I would say we should start praying. You know, this 0:24:20.240 --> 0:24:23.100 is how I came to the Lord Jesus is through prayer. 0:24:23.119 --> 0:24:26.300 So we should start with a prayer for the Muslims, 0:24:26.300 --> 0:24:29.960 friends and families. But then that should not stop us 0:24:29.960 --> 0:24:35.090 from going across the road to a muslim friend or 0:24:35.300 --> 0:24:38.780 across the table and share the gospel with them. And 0:24:38.780 --> 0:24:40.700 I think the best way is to meet them where 0:24:40.700 --> 0:24:44.390 they are, and to build on their with the Word 0:24:44.390 --> 0:24:44.840 of God. 0:24:45.410 --> 0:24:47.810 I want to invite you to pray a prayer in 0:24:47.810 --> 0:24:51.290 Arabic for someone who is listening right now, who doesn't 0:24:51.290 --> 0:24:55.010 know Jesus. All kinds of reasons that people tune in 0:24:55.010 --> 0:24:56.629 and all of that. Of course, by the hand of 0:24:56.630 --> 0:24:59.510 God Himself. Would you pray a brief prayer for them 0:24:59.510 --> 0:25:03.159 that they would come to know Isa sure about? 0:25:03.470 --> 0:25:08.600 A man had a bad last summer in Europe, possibly, 0:25:08.840 --> 0:25:21.399 and may as well. And yet in the. Arab and. Europe. 0:25:21.740 --> 0:25:30.020 Let me go ahead and allow Arab and to mean 0:25:30.540 --> 0:25:34.760 some of them. And what I mean. Amen. 0:25:35.500 --> 0:25:39.400 Well, thank you for this conversation. The book is fantastic 0:25:39.400 --> 0:25:42.130 from Mecca to Christ. I tried to scan it but 0:25:42.130 --> 0:25:45.429 was unable to actually read it. And you'll enjoy it 0:25:45.430 --> 0:25:47.320 as well. It's a great journey. A link to the 0:25:47.320 --> 0:25:51.430 book at our website. The land and the book. Org. 0:25:51.490 --> 0:25:54.730 Stick around Bible questions and answers. Next on the land 0:25:54.730 --> 0:26:13.470 and the book. Hey, thanks for your company today at 0:26:13.470 --> 0:26:16.230 the land. In the book, I'm John Geiger. You know, 0:26:16.230 --> 0:26:18.629 we do what we do for the glory of God, obviously, 0:26:18.630 --> 0:26:22.109 but it's for your edification, for your growth as a believer. 0:26:22.109 --> 0:26:24.840 And unless you and I are regularly in the word, 0:26:24.840 --> 0:26:27.629 exploring the word and understanding it properly, well, we'll go 0:26:27.630 --> 0:26:31.230 a hundred different directions. All of them wrong, right? That's 0:26:31.230 --> 0:26:33.570 why it's a great idea when you have a question 0:26:33.570 --> 0:26:35.909 to dig deep and maybe share that with us here 0:26:35.910 --> 0:26:38.910 at The Land and the book again, I'm John Geiger, 0:26:38.910 --> 0:26:41.580 our host, Dr. Charlie Dyer. Charlie, I see your Bibles 0:26:41.580 --> 0:26:45.420 open and a rather generous sized stack of questions. There's 0:26:45.420 --> 0:26:46.470 never a shortage. 0:26:46.470 --> 0:26:48.900 There's never a shortage. And that is terrific because I 0:26:48.900 --> 0:26:51.120 love questions. They let us know where our listeners are, 0:26:51.119 --> 0:26:53.129 and frankly, they're fun to answer. 0:26:53.130 --> 0:26:56.010 Okay, well, before we get to the first question this 0:26:56.010 --> 0:26:58.740 quick thought, Israel has been on all of our minds 0:26:58.740 --> 0:27:01.410 these past months. Many of us have been struggling with 0:27:01.410 --> 0:27:03.990 questions of what to think and feel. And in the 0:27:03.990 --> 0:27:06.300 midst of all this, God's heart for the Jewish people 0:27:06.300 --> 0:27:10.770 remains unchanged. He is faithful to his chosen people. 0:27:10.770 --> 0:27:12.990 Yes, and as this year is drawing to a close, 0:27:12.990 --> 0:27:15.240 our friends at Life in Messiah would like to help 0:27:15.240 --> 0:27:18.720 you better connect with this crucial aspect of God's character. 0:27:18.720 --> 0:27:22.109 They're offering their new book, Sharing God's Heart to Land. 0:27:22.109 --> 0:27:25.889 In the book listeners, this 30 day guided reflection will 0:27:25.890 --> 0:27:29.100 help connect you with God's heart for his precious people. 0:27:29.100 --> 0:27:32.760 The articles written by Life and Messiah staff provide insight 0:27:32.760 --> 0:27:35.880 into Jewish life and culture. They can help prepare you 0:27:35.880 --> 0:27:38.730 to share with your friends the peace of Messiah they 0:27:38.730 --> 0:27:41.640 so desperately need. If you'd like one of these insightful 0:27:41.640 --> 0:27:44.340 books for yourself or as a gift for someone else, 0:27:44.340 --> 0:27:47.580 visit Life in Messiah org and click on the Moody 0:27:47.580 --> 0:27:50.700 Radio button to find out how you can receive your copy. 0:27:50.700 --> 0:27:53.700 That's life in messiah.org. 0:27:53.730 --> 0:27:56.760 All right, let's dig right into our questions for the day, 0:27:56.760 --> 0:28:00.240 starting with James who asks is the time from Abraham 0:28:00.240 --> 0:28:03.900 to the Lord Jesus, approximately the same time as from 0:28:03.900 --> 0:28:08.580 the Lord Jesus to now in years, meaning approximately 2000 years? 0:28:08.850 --> 0:28:13.830 And that's generally true. Abraham was born about 2166 BC 0:28:13.830 --> 0:28:16.440 and entered Canaan when he was 75 years old. So 0:28:16.440 --> 0:28:21.389 about 2091 BC, Jesus was born sometime around 6 to 0:28:21.390 --> 0:28:25.170 4 BC, and the crucifixion and resurrection likely took place 0:28:25.170 --> 0:28:27.840 in AD 33. So from the time of the birth 0:28:27.840 --> 0:28:32.280 of Abraham to the birth of Jesus, it's about 2160 years, 0:28:32.280 --> 0:28:34.770 and from the birth of Jesus till today is about 0:28:34.770 --> 0:28:36.480 2030 years. 0:28:36.840 --> 0:28:40.290 Another question. Is it true that the Hebrew letter vav, 0:28:40.290 --> 0:28:43.500 which has the sound of W, has the numeric value 0:28:43.500 --> 0:28:48.690 of six, and if so, would then mean 666? 0:28:48.810 --> 0:28:52.110 Well, Hebrew numbers are written using the letters of the alphabet, 0:28:52.110 --> 0:28:55.680 so the number six was the sixth letter of the alphabet, 0:28:55.680 --> 0:28:58.500 which is vav. Now, while some have pronounced this with 0:28:58.500 --> 0:29:01.830 a w sound, most believe the letter was pronounced with 0:29:01.830 --> 0:29:04.470 a v sound rather than a w, and as a 0:29:04.470 --> 0:29:07.970 result I don't see a connection between the w WW 0:29:07.980 --> 0:29:11.400 of the World Wide Web and 666. Since the Hebrew 0:29:11.400 --> 0:29:14.400 letter being written three times would more likely be pronounced 0:29:14.400 --> 0:29:16.200 like VA VA VA. 0:29:16.500 --> 0:29:20.130 All right, interesting this question from Bob, and he wants 0:29:20.130 --> 0:29:23.550 to understand the proper scope of interpretation. He says, I 0:29:23.550 --> 0:29:27.420 used to read Matthew 518 and second Timothy 316, second 0:29:27.420 --> 0:29:31.260 Peter 120 and 21 as basically saying the same thing 0:29:31.260 --> 0:29:34.920 about the inspiration of the Hebrew Scriptures. But am I wrong? 0:29:34.920 --> 0:29:38.490 Is Second Timothy 316. Evidence that Paul identified a list 0:29:38.490 --> 0:29:42.150 of authorized scrolls? Is Second Peter one related only to 0:29:42.150 --> 0:29:43.740 Hebrew prophecy. What do you think? 0:29:43.770 --> 0:29:45.750 Yeah, and these are crucial passages. So let me go 0:29:45.750 --> 0:29:49.110 through each one separately and try and help here. Matthew 0:29:49.110 --> 0:29:52.410 518 I believe Jesus's reference there to the law should 0:29:52.410 --> 0:29:54.390 be understood in light of what he just said in 0:29:54.390 --> 0:29:56.910 the previous verse. He said, don't think I've come to 0:29:56.910 --> 0:29:59.700 abolish the law or the prophets. I've not come to 0:29:59.700 --> 0:30:02.010 abolish them, but to fulfill them. And then when he 0:30:02.010 --> 0:30:04.920 references the law in verse 18, it's just simply a 0:30:04.920 --> 0:30:06.960 summary of what he was just saying. That is, it's 0:30:06.960 --> 0:30:10.200 intended to include the prophets. And that also makes sense, 0:30:10.200 --> 0:30:13.200 since he's describing his role there as fulfilling the word 0:30:13.200 --> 0:30:15.480 in verse 17. And then he says, it's all going 0:30:15.480 --> 0:30:17.820 to be accomplished or come to be in verse 18. 0:30:17.820 --> 0:30:20.400 So I think that verse, what he's really giving in 0:30:20.400 --> 0:30:23.130 the larger context, you can't limit it to simply saying 0:30:23.130 --> 0:30:26.580 he's only saying the first five books of Moses are 0:30:26.580 --> 0:30:29.790 the ones that are inspired. Now it's second Timothy 316. 0:30:29.820 --> 0:30:33.300 The word scripture there does indeed refer to the authoritative 0:30:33.300 --> 0:30:35.489 books of the Old Testament, and a good way to 0:30:35.490 --> 0:30:38.010 test that is to see how the word Scripture is 0:30:38.010 --> 0:30:42.120 used throughout the New Testament. For example, in Luke 2427 0:30:42.120 --> 0:30:45.450 it says, and beginning with Moses and all the prophets, 0:30:45.450 --> 0:30:47.550 he explained to them what was said in all the 0:30:47.550 --> 0:30:51.780 scriptures concerning himself. So the scriptures are parallel to Moses 0:30:51.780 --> 0:30:54.240 and the prophets, which is the way they would describe 0:30:54.240 --> 0:30:57.660 the Old Testament in that day. The second Peter 119 0:30:57.660 --> 0:31:01.050 to 21 passage. Peter is referring there primarily to the 0:31:01.050 --> 0:31:04.710 Old Testament prophetic messages. And that doesn't mean, however, that 0:31:04.710 --> 0:31:07.710 he's only limiting inspiration to what the Old Testament prophets 0:31:07.710 --> 0:31:12.070 spoke or wrote. Again, Peter connects these. Prophecies to Scripture, 0:31:12.070 --> 0:31:14.920 and he later uses that same word in connection with 0:31:14.920 --> 0:31:18.430 the writings of Paul in that same book, Second Peter 0:31:18.430 --> 0:31:21.430 chapter three, verse 16. Now, all that to say, I 0:31:21.430 --> 0:31:24.550 don't see any of these passages limiting God's inspiration of 0:31:24.550 --> 0:31:27.830 the Bible to just a specific portion of His Word. 0:31:27.850 --> 0:31:29.860 All of God's Word was inspired. 0:31:30.070 --> 0:31:32.770 If you just joined us, that's Dr. Charlie Dyer, I'm 0:31:32.770 --> 0:31:35.350 John Geiger. This is the land and the book. We're 0:31:35.350 --> 0:31:38.260 glad you're on board for our question and answer segment. 0:31:38.410 --> 0:31:41.740 Renee says in a recent conversation about Jonah, the question 0:31:41.740 --> 0:31:44.920 was raised how could he possibly have survived inside that 0:31:44.920 --> 0:31:49.540 huge fish without oxygen for three days? So since Jesus 0:31:49.540 --> 0:31:52.570 refers to Jonah as a sign about his own time 0:31:52.570 --> 0:31:55.630 in the tomb, does it actually mean Jonah really died 0:31:55.630 --> 0:31:58.510 and the Lord resurrected him? Or did that great fish 0:31:58.510 --> 0:32:01.660 have an oxygen chamber in which Jonah was entombed for 0:32:01.660 --> 0:32:02.590 three days? 0:32:02.590 --> 0:32:04.780 Yeah. You know, it's interesting, John, we actually had another 0:32:04.780 --> 0:32:08.710 question almost identical by another listener. So I'm answering Renee 0:32:08.710 --> 0:32:11.020 and this other listener at the same time. And what 0:32:11.020 --> 0:32:13.570 I'd say is, while some have suggested Jonah might have 0:32:13.570 --> 0:32:16.570 died and been resurrected, I don't believe that's required from 0:32:16.570 --> 0:32:19.720 the statement by Jesus. You know, Jesus is comparison. There 0:32:19.720 --> 0:32:22.690 focuses on the length of time for each event, not 0:32:22.690 --> 0:32:25.180 on the issue of physical death. He said. As Jonah 0:32:25.180 --> 0:32:26.880 was three days and three nights in the belly of 0:32:26.890 --> 0:32:28.750 a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be 0:32:28.750 --> 0:32:30.820 three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 0:32:31.090 --> 0:32:33.700 The fact that Jonah prayed from inside the fish in 0:32:33.700 --> 0:32:36.910 chapter two that suggests he was still alive and conscious 0:32:36.910 --> 0:32:39.430 during that time. Now, in terms of how he could 0:32:39.430 --> 0:32:42.070 survive that length of time, what we're just not told. 0:32:42.070 --> 0:32:44.530 But I do see two details in chapter one that 0:32:44.530 --> 0:32:48.220 are helpful. First, it says God appointed the animal that 0:32:48.220 --> 0:32:51.370 swallowed Jonah. That suggests, I think, a special work on 0:32:51.370 --> 0:32:54.790 God's part. In fact, in chapter four, that same word 0:32:54.790 --> 0:32:57.550 is used three more times. God appointed a vine to 0:32:57.550 --> 0:33:00.220 grow up. God appointed a worm to destroy the vine, 0:33:00.220 --> 0:33:03.250 and he appointed a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. 0:33:03.250 --> 0:33:07.330 And each of those focuses on God's direct intervention. And 0:33:07.330 --> 0:33:10.300 then second, the animal in 117 is described as a 0:33:10.300 --> 0:33:13.990 great fish. Now that word can refer to anything that 0:33:13.990 --> 0:33:16.690 swims in the sea. In Genesis one, the animals are 0:33:16.690 --> 0:33:20.830 divided into four broad categories fish, birds, cattle, and animals 0:33:20.830 --> 0:33:23.440 that creep on the ground. So the fish that swallowed 0:33:23.440 --> 0:33:25.840 Jonah could have been a large whale, or it could 0:33:25.840 --> 0:33:29.470 have been some special large fish specifically prepared by God. 0:33:29.470 --> 0:33:33.160 But whatever it was, I believe Jonah was kept alive inside. 0:33:33.310 --> 0:33:35.680 In a recent sermon series on the book of Jonah, 0:33:35.680 --> 0:33:40.060 our pastor showed a PowerPoint slide with a beautiful image 0:33:40.060 --> 0:33:42.520 of a oh, just in the last ten, 15 years, 0:33:42.520 --> 0:33:45.640 a man who was actually swallowed by a whale. You 0:33:45.640 --> 0:33:48.760 see the guy in his mouth. It's very disturbing. And 0:33:48.760 --> 0:33:52.570 the guy survived. So all of that to say, God 0:33:52.570 --> 0:33:55.810 has his ways, but it's not unheard of. All right. 0:33:55.810 --> 0:33:57.760 Let's get to this question from Libby, who says, I 0:33:57.760 --> 0:34:00.370 have a friend very interested in history as I am. 0:34:00.370 --> 0:34:02.590 We have the Bible, of course, but I'm wondering about 0:34:02.590 --> 0:34:06.940 the nation's history. That's Israel throughout Scripture. And and when 0:34:06.940 --> 0:34:10.810 Scripture ends, maybe one book wouldn't contain all this information. 0:34:10.810 --> 0:34:14.710 Could you please recommend a book or books for us? Yeah. 0:34:14.710 --> 0:34:16.870 And I don't know, one book that covers all the history, 0:34:16.870 --> 0:34:19.390 but I can recommend two books and then I'll add 0:34:19.390 --> 0:34:22.240 a third for a bonus. The first book is Kingdom 0:34:22.239 --> 0:34:26.259 of Priests by Eugene Merrill. He does an excellent job 0:34:26.260 --> 0:34:30.670 of tracing Israel's history from Abraham through the post excellent period. 0:34:30.700 --> 0:34:33.339 The second is a book called Who Owns the Land Now? 0:34:33.340 --> 0:34:36.490 It was written originally by Stanley Ellison, and then I 0:34:36.489 --> 0:34:39.010 had the privilege of updating and revising it for Tyndale 0:34:39.010 --> 0:34:42.640 back 20 years ago, in 2003. Now, sadly, both versions 0:34:42.640 --> 0:34:43.990 of the book are out of print, but you can 0:34:43.989 --> 0:34:47.680 usually find them for sale online. The book traces the 0:34:47.680 --> 0:34:50.830 history of Israel's involvement with the land, from the fall 0:34:50.830 --> 0:34:54.730 of Jerusalem in AD 70 through the early 2000, and 0:34:54.730 --> 0:34:57.220 the third book, the bonus Book, is also worth exploring 0:34:57.219 --> 0:35:01.900 its volume one of the Expository Bible Commentary series. Now, 0:35:01.900 --> 0:35:05.650 this first volume has introductory articles that are very helpful. 0:35:05.830 --> 0:35:08.830 It talks about the cultural setting of the New Testament 0:35:08.950 --> 0:35:12.460 between the Testaments, chronology of the Old Testament, the chronology 0:35:12.460 --> 0:35:15.730 of the New Testament, each articles about 20 to 30 0:35:15.730 --> 0:35:19.870 pages long and contains a good summary of appropriate historical material. 0:35:20.260 --> 0:35:22.180 All right. Judy wants to know, can you please tell 0:35:22.180 --> 0:35:25.780 me what Matthew six verse 20 means when Jesus tells 0:35:25.780 --> 0:35:28.660 us to lay up your treasures in heaven? I don't 0:35:28.660 --> 0:35:31.629 understand what this means or how we lay up treasures 0:35:31.630 --> 0:35:34.900 in heaven. Your kindness, your help is greatly appreciated. 0:35:35.200 --> 0:35:37.569 Well, I think Jesus answers the what of that question 0:35:37.570 --> 0:35:40.720 in verse 19? And then the why in verse 21. 0:35:41.050 --> 0:35:43.870 Laying up treasures in heaven is the opposite of verse 19, 0:35:43.870 --> 0:35:46.390 where he says, do not store up for yourselves treasures 0:35:46.390 --> 0:35:48.549 on earth. And then he talks about where moths and 0:35:48.550 --> 0:35:52.000 vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. Most 0:35:52.000 --> 0:35:56.049 people think security comes from amassing wealth and possessions here 0:35:56.050 --> 0:35:58.420 on earth, but anything we store up can be destroyed 0:35:58.420 --> 0:36:00.940 or stolen, he says. We ought to focus instead our 0:36:00.940 --> 0:36:03.100 rewards that we're going to get in heaven. And it 0:36:03.100 --> 0:36:05.890 leads to two practical points. First, how do we do that? 0:36:05.890 --> 0:36:09.600 And he provides a potential answer in Matthew 1921 you 0:36:09.610 --> 0:36:11.920 are rich in. Came and said, what do I need 0:36:11.920 --> 0:36:14.620 to do to receive eternal life? And Jesus talks about 0:36:14.620 --> 0:36:16.930 following God's law. And the man says, oh, I do that. 0:36:16.930 --> 0:36:19.510 And then Jesus said, well, sell your possessions and give 0:36:19.510 --> 0:36:21.430 them to the poor. And the problem was, the man 0:36:21.430 --> 0:36:23.380 was very rich and didn't want to do that. He 0:36:23.380 --> 0:36:26.040 he cared more for his possessions than he did for others. 0:36:26.050 --> 0:36:29.770 The bottom line is, working hard, accumulating wealth aren't wrong, 0:36:29.770 --> 0:36:31.660 but we need to remember God wants us to use 0:36:31.660 --> 0:36:34.570 those resources to also meet the physical and spiritual needs 0:36:34.570 --> 0:36:35.270 of others. 0:36:35.290 --> 0:36:37.810 If you didn't hear your question today, it's time you 0:36:37.810 --> 0:36:40.810 got that thing emailed to us at The Land and 0:36:40.810 --> 0:36:59.220 the book@moody.edu. We're back with Charlie's devotional next. Living in 0:36:59.219 --> 0:37:02.580 the United States. You know what? December 7th is in 0:37:02.580 --> 0:37:06.870 Franklin Delano Roosevelt's own words, a day of infamy. But 0:37:06.870 --> 0:37:10.350 if we travel to Zechariah chapter seven, there's a different 0:37:10.350 --> 0:37:12.270 day of infamy. Is that right, Charlie? 0:37:12.510 --> 0:37:13.410 That's right. John. 0:37:13.410 --> 0:37:15.989 And that's the focus I understand of your devotional coming up. 0:37:15.989 --> 0:37:18.840 We'll get to that after this Holy Land experience. It's 0:37:18.840 --> 0:37:21.900 a testimony from somebody who's traveled to Israel and would 0:37:21.900 --> 0:37:24.210 like to share this reflection with you and me. 0:37:28.469 --> 0:37:31.950 Hi, I'm Jennifer and this is my Holy Land experience. 0:37:32.250 --> 0:37:36.780 And the part that stands out for me is we 0:37:36.780 --> 0:37:39.899 went to see the Judean wilderness, which is totally not 0:37:39.900 --> 0:37:43.590 what I expected. Just the rough terrain in the hills. 0:37:43.590 --> 0:37:48.360 And and then we went to an Getty. And then 0:37:48.810 --> 0:37:52.320 Charlie had mentioned that that might be where Naomi and 0:37:52.320 --> 0:37:56.160 Ruth made their trek up and over, and then had 0:37:56.160 --> 0:37:59.190 to go clear across the wilderness to Jerusalem. And I 0:37:59.190 --> 0:38:03.930 just thought how overwhelming that is, and had no idea 0:38:03.930 --> 0:38:06.810 what they faced. And it gave me such an appreciation 0:38:06.810 --> 0:38:11.160 for what they went through. But also, you know, they 0:38:11.160 --> 0:38:15.089 had those obstacles and that adversity, but they look to 0:38:15.090 --> 0:38:18.870 God and he brought them through. And it's just it 0:38:18.900 --> 0:38:21.270 was such a lesson to me. Like, if they can 0:38:21.270 --> 0:38:24.360 face that, you know, there's nothing I can't face with God. 0:38:26.520 --> 0:38:29.160 Well, we're quite familiar with our own day of infamy 0:38:29.160 --> 0:38:31.740 here in the United States. I'm intrigued, though, that the 0:38:31.739 --> 0:38:33.839 Israelis have their own version. If we go back in 0:38:33.840 --> 0:38:35.670 ancient history, Charlie, they do. 0:38:35.670 --> 0:38:38.940 And I want to start, actually, where you began. Monday, 0:38:38.940 --> 0:38:43.500 December 8th, 1941 Franklin Delano Roosevelt addressed a joint session 0:38:43.500 --> 0:38:46.560 of Congress to request a state of war be declared 0:38:46.560 --> 0:38:49.350 between the United States and Japan. And he began that 0:38:49.350 --> 0:38:54.000 message by saying yesterday, December 7th, 1941, a day which 0:38:54.000 --> 0:38:57.090 will live in infamy. The United States was suddenly and 0:38:57.090 --> 0:39:00.600 deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire 0:39:00.600 --> 0:39:05.130 of Japan, and since his speech, December 7th continues to 0:39:05.130 --> 0:39:08.130 be known as a day that lives in infamy. But 0:39:08.130 --> 0:39:10.620 most people don't know. There's another event that took place 0:39:10.620 --> 0:39:14.910 on December 7th that also lived in infamy. This event 0:39:14.910 --> 0:39:20.910 happened 2458 years before the attack on Pearl Harbor. It's 0:39:20.910 --> 0:39:24.300 not as well known today, though. It's centered around God 0:39:24.300 --> 0:39:27.480 and the prophet Zachariah, but I'm getting ahead of myself. 0:39:27.480 --> 0:39:32.790 So let's head to Jerusalem on December 7th 518 BC. 0:39:33.090 --> 0:39:36.630 December in Jerusalem can be cold and blustery, and the 0:39:36.630 --> 0:39:40.080 dark clouds scudding across the sky suggest rain might be 0:39:40.080 --> 0:39:43.740 on the way. The temple is finally being rebuilt, though 0:39:43.739 --> 0:39:46.680 it will still be another 15 months until the work 0:39:46.680 --> 0:39:49.980 is completed. In the first few verses of chapter seven, 0:39:49.980 --> 0:39:54.300 Zechariah introduces us to his December 7th, the day about 0:39:54.300 --> 0:39:57.330 to live in infamy. It was, he says, the fourth 0:39:57.330 --> 0:40:00.060 year of King Darius, on the fourth day of the 0:40:00.060 --> 0:40:05.340 ninth month, the month Kislev. That's December 7th five, 18 BC. 0:40:05.370 --> 0:40:08.399 On that very day, the inhabitants of Bethel, about 11 0:40:08.400 --> 0:40:11.730 miles north of Jerusalem, sent a delegation to ask a 0:40:11.730 --> 0:40:14.730 question of the Lord should I mourn? And fast? In 0:40:14.730 --> 0:40:18.420 the fifth month, as I've done for so many years now, 0:40:18.420 --> 0:40:20.880 that's usually the point in the account where our eyes 0:40:20.880 --> 0:40:23.430 start to glaze over and we try to push on 0:40:23.430 --> 0:40:27.630 in the text to seek firmer footing for our chronologically, historically, 0:40:27.630 --> 0:40:31.350 and geographically challenged minds. We don't know the names of 0:40:31.350 --> 0:40:33.660 the months in the Hebrew calendar, nor do we know 0:40:33.660 --> 0:40:36.660 much about the Jewish days of fasting. In fact, in 0:40:36.660 --> 0:40:39.960 the next chapter, God has Zachariah remind the people that 0:40:39.960 --> 0:40:43.560 they had actually set up four specific days in four 0:40:43.560 --> 0:40:46.830 different months when they were to fast. In chapter eight, 0:40:46.830 --> 0:40:49.799 verse 19, God referred to them as the fast of 0:40:49.800 --> 0:40:53.370 the fourth, fifth, seventh and 10th months. Now bear with 0:40:53.370 --> 0:40:56.190 me on this. The fast in the seventh month is 0:40:56.190 --> 0:40:59.489 the one fast God had commanded in His Word. That 0:40:59.489 --> 0:41:02.640 was the fast on the Day of Atonement. Apparently the 0:41:02.640 --> 0:41:05.819 people had also connected that fast to another event that 0:41:05.820 --> 0:41:09.180 had occurred about a year following the destruction of Jerusalem. 0:41:09.330 --> 0:41:12.779 Nebuchadnezzar had installed get Elijah as governor of the land 0:41:12.780 --> 0:41:16.200 and established his capital at Mizpah, just north of Jerusalem. 0:41:16.200 --> 0:41:18.960 But in the seventh month, a man named Ishmael killed 0:41:18.960 --> 0:41:22.680 both get Elijah and his Babylonian guards. The next day, 0:41:22.710 --> 0:41:25.890 Ishmael's forces killed an additional 80 men on their way 0:41:25.890 --> 0:41:29.040 to Jerusalem. They'd shaved off their beards and torn their 0:41:29.040 --> 0:41:32.160 clothes and cut themselves as a sign of mourning, either 0:41:32.160 --> 0:41:34.529 for the Day of Atonement or because of the destruction 0:41:34.530 --> 0:41:37.259 of the temple. They were on their way to Jerusalem 0:41:37.260 --> 0:41:40.500 to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, so fasting on the 0:41:40.500 --> 0:41:43.890 seventh month made sense. But why were they also fasting 0:41:43.890 --> 0:41:48.420 on the fourth, fifth, and 10th months? According to Jeremiah 39, 0:41:48.420 --> 0:41:52.950 Nebuchadnezzar's forces finally breached Jerusalem's walls on the ninth day 0:41:52.950 --> 0:41:55.500 of the fourth month, and it was in the fifth month, 0:41:55.500 --> 0:41:58.560 the month of when the temple was set ablaze. But 0:41:58.560 --> 0:42:01.170 what about the 10th month? Well, that particular date is 0:42:01.170 --> 0:42:05.190 mentioned four separate times by the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel, 0:42:05.190 --> 0:42:08.550 and by the compiler of Second Kings. The 10th day 0:42:08.550 --> 0:42:12.060 of the 10th month was the day Nebuchadnezzar's army arrived 0:42:12.060 --> 0:42:15.900 outside Jerusalem, bent on conquest. It marked the beginning of 0:42:15.900 --> 0:42:20.219 the end for Judah and Jerusalem. All four dates commemorated 0:42:20.219 --> 0:42:25.080 bitter milestones in Jerusalem's rebellion against Babylon. The seventh month 0:42:25.080 --> 0:42:28.379 also included the one fast ordained by God, but now 0:42:28.380 --> 0:42:32.130 the people were perplexed. The fifth month especially commemorated the 0:42:32.130 --> 0:42:35.399 month the temple was burned and destroyed. However, a new 0:42:35.400 --> 0:42:38.490 temple was being erected should they continue to look back 0:42:38.489 --> 0:42:40.979 and mourn the events of the past? Or was this 0:42:40.980 --> 0:42:43.590 the time to bring closure to those events and instead 0:42:43.590 --> 0:42:45.690 look forward to a new temple and a new time 0:42:45.690 --> 0:42:49.200 of blessing? Though the delegation from Bethel only mentioned the 0:42:49.200 --> 0:42:52.469 fasts of the fifth month in chapter seven, the larger 0:42:52.469 --> 0:42:55.680 context lets us know they had the entire year long 0:42:55.680 --> 0:43:00.180 cycle of fasts in mind. God's response through Zechariah involved 0:43:00.180 --> 0:43:04.290 both a rebuke and a promise blessing. First, the rebuke 0:43:04.469 --> 0:43:08.130 when you fasted and mourn for the past 70 years, 0:43:08.130 --> 0:43:10.770 was it really for me that you fasted and when 0:43:10.770 --> 0:43:12.989 you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting 0:43:12.989 --> 0:43:16.200 for yourselves? God peered into the hearts and minds of 0:43:16.200 --> 0:43:19.410 the people to uncover the real motives for their actions. 0:43:19.410 --> 0:43:22.500 Though they claimed that both their fasts and their feasts 0:43:22.500 --> 0:43:25.200 were done to honor God, they had really been done 0:43:25.200 --> 0:43:28.989 for the benefit of. The people themselves. Their attitude needed 0:43:28.989 --> 0:43:32.620 an adjustment from God's original message to the people prior 0:43:32.620 --> 0:43:35.200 to the Babylonian captivity, all the way up to the 0:43:35.200 --> 0:43:38.150 message from Zechariah and the other prophets in his day. 0:43:38.170 --> 0:43:42.520 God's expectations hadn't changed. This is what the Lord Almighty 0:43:42.520 --> 0:43:48.030 says administer true justice. Show mercy and compassion to one another. 0:43:48.040 --> 0:43:50.920 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien 0:43:50.920 --> 0:43:53.440 or the poor in your hearts. Do not think evil 0:43:53.440 --> 0:43:56.650 of each other. A person's attitude of obedience to God 0:43:56.650 --> 0:43:59.589 will show up in how they treat those around them, 0:43:59.590 --> 0:44:03.040 especially those who are struggling and needy. God says that 0:44:03.040 --> 0:44:06.250 when he called to the earlier generation, they did not listen. 0:44:06.250 --> 0:44:09.250 So when they called, I would not listen. I scattered 0:44:09.250 --> 0:44:12.550 them with a whirlwind among all the nations where they 0:44:12.550 --> 0:44:15.910 were strangers. The message to the people in Zechariah's day 0:44:15.910 --> 0:44:19.750 was obvious don't go down the same road as your ancestors. 0:44:20.110 --> 0:44:23.440 God's rebuke is then followed by his promised blessing. I 0:44:23.440 --> 0:44:26.620 will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem 0:44:26.620 --> 0:44:28.840 will be called the city of truth, and the mountain 0:44:28.870 --> 0:44:31.510 of the Lord Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain. 0:44:31.510 --> 0:44:33.940 I will save my people from the countries of the 0:44:33.940 --> 0:44:36.310 East and the West. I will bring them back to 0:44:36.310 --> 0:44:39.130 live in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I 0:44:39.130 --> 0:44:41.890 will be faithful and righteous to them as their God. 0:44:42.219 --> 0:44:45.430 And what about the different months with fasts? The fast 0:44:45.430 --> 0:44:47.950 of the fourth, fifth, seventh and 10th months will become 0:44:47.950 --> 0:44:53.710 joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love, truth, 0:44:53.710 --> 0:44:57.879 and peace. God promises that Judah's days of infamy will 0:44:57.880 --> 0:45:01.419 someday become days of joy and gladness. But what does 0:45:01.420 --> 0:45:03.910 any of this have to do with us today? Well, 0:45:03.910 --> 0:45:06.460 we're coming into our own time of celebration when we 0:45:06.460 --> 0:45:09.460 focus on the birth of Jesus. But sadly, this can 0:45:09.460 --> 0:45:13.840 be a time of family stress, financial pressures, unfulfilled expectations, 0:45:13.840 --> 0:45:17.530 and even sadness and loneliness. We can get so busy 0:45:17.530 --> 0:45:21.880 focusing on the mechanics of the season decorations, parties, cards 0:45:21.880 --> 0:45:24.670 and gifts that we lose sight of, the one whose 0:45:24.670 --> 0:45:27.759 birth were celebrating and the attitude that he wants us 0:45:27.760 --> 0:45:31.240 to display toward others. Paul said it best in Philippians 0:45:31.239 --> 0:45:34.480 to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, 0:45:34.480 --> 0:45:38.170 but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of 0:45:38.170 --> 0:45:40.660 you should look not to your own interests, but also 0:45:40.660 --> 0:45:43.150 to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the 0:45:43.150 --> 0:45:45.580 same as that of Christ Jesus, who, being in the 0:45:45.580 --> 0:45:48.490 very nature of God, did not consider equality with God 0:45:48.489 --> 0:45:51.910 something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the 0:45:51.910 --> 0:45:55.360 very nature of a servant being made in human likeness 0:45:55.360 --> 0:45:58.090 and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled 0:45:58.090 --> 0:46:02.230 himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. 0:46:02.380 --> 0:46:06.160 This December, let's focus less on all the activities and 0:46:06.160 --> 0:46:10.330 more on demonstrating mercy, compassion and joy to others. Smile 0:46:10.330 --> 0:46:12.520 at the harried store workers and wish them a heartfelt 0:46:12.520 --> 0:46:16.330 Merry Christmas. Put something in the Salvation Army collection kettle 0:46:16.330 --> 0:46:19.450 and thank the volunteers for giving of their time. Turn 0:46:19.450 --> 0:46:22.270 your stress on its head by deliberately focusing on being 0:46:22.270 --> 0:46:26.350 a blessing to others, rather than satisfying yourself. Over the 0:46:26.350 --> 0:46:29.140 next three weeks, work to make each day one that 0:46:29.140 --> 0:46:31.420 will be remembered by those you meet as a time 0:46:31.420 --> 0:46:34.719 of blessing, rather than a day that lives on in infamy. 0:46:35.200 --> 0:46:38.739 Great passage and great application. Thank you Charlie. Let's hang 0:46:38.739 --> 0:46:42.130 on to that all season long. Our time is gone, 0:46:42.130 --> 0:46:43.660 but we want to say thank you to you for 0:46:43.660 --> 0:46:45.340 listening to the land of the book. Thank you to 0:46:45.340 --> 0:46:49.029 this station for providing airtime. I'm John Geiger for our host, 0:46:49.030 --> 0:46:51.250 Charlie Dyer. The land in the book is a production 0:46:51.250 --> 0:46:54.730 of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.