WEBVTT - Karl and Crew Rewind- 4th of July 0:00:00.440 --> 0:00:04.360 Coming to you from the Morning Star Mission sponsored studio. 0:00:04.720 --> 0:00:08.080 This is Carl and crew on Moody Radio. 0:00:08.920 --> 0:00:12.119 Anyone that's been born of God is now a child 0:00:12.119 --> 0:00:15.000 of God. By the way, did we remember this little 0:00:15.040 --> 0:00:19.080 something for free here? Not everyone is a child of God. 0:00:19.120 --> 0:00:21.840 In fact, we're born with our backs to God and 0:00:21.880 --> 0:00:26.040 as enemies of the cross. So children of God are 0:00:26.040 --> 0:00:28.800 those that have come to faith to believe that Jesus 0:00:28.800 --> 0:00:32.120 Christ died for their sins, rose again, and gives us 0:00:32.120 --> 0:00:35.840 victory by relationship through Jesus Christ, filled with the Holy 0:00:35.840 --> 0:00:39.480 Spirit sealed in the Holy Spirit. Ephesians one. And that 0:00:39.479 --> 0:00:42.279 we will be gathered up together one day with God 0:00:42.680 --> 0:00:45.040 in this new Jerusalem. And that's going to be an 0:00:45.040 --> 0:00:52.639 incredible ride, man. Not cherubs and little clouds, no entrepreneurism, adventure. Um, 0:00:53.440 --> 0:00:56.400 all that was going on in the garden less sin 0:00:56.920 --> 0:00:58.440 is going to be there and more. And I think 0:00:58.440 --> 0:01:00.820 sometimes we'll look at the garden and we think, oh boy. 0:01:01.300 --> 0:01:03.020 Some of you, you know, think about a garden and 0:01:03.020 --> 0:01:04.220 you're like, I don't know if I want to hang 0:01:04.220 --> 0:01:06.060 out in a garden my whole life. Well, that's not 0:01:06.060 --> 0:01:09.180 the New Jerusalem, but the presence of God and the 0:01:09.180 --> 0:01:12.459 absence of sin is going to be an incredible ride. Now, 0:01:12.459 --> 0:01:15.500 you are children of God, but as children of God, 0:01:15.500 --> 0:01:18.780 we want to live in victory. We want to take 0:01:18.780 --> 0:01:22.459 hold of the abundant life that Jesus promises. And we 0:01:22.459 --> 0:01:25.020 want to have 30, 60, 100 fold. We want to 0:01:25.020 --> 0:01:27.459 produce fruit. We don't want to be holding on to 0:01:27.540 --> 0:01:30.179 talents that God gave us. We want to be investing 0:01:30.180 --> 0:01:33.780 those in a way. Right? So that when the metaphor 0:01:33.780 --> 0:01:35.580 is when we go to be with the Lord, he says, 0:01:35.860 --> 0:01:38.260 way to go. Well done, good and faithful servant. We 0:01:38.260 --> 0:01:41.500 all want to hear that. So the question is, how 0:01:41.500 --> 0:01:43.500 do we do that? And if we look at the 0:01:43.500 --> 0:01:46.380 Word of God, we find in Second Timothy that we're 0:01:46.380 --> 0:01:49.820 called to look at the totality of God's Word and 0:01:49.820 --> 0:01:52.980 to glean from those stories all kinds of lessons that 0:01:52.980 --> 0:01:56.180 we can take and apply to our life. We're going 0:01:56.220 --> 0:02:00.110 to talk about the need to emulate people from Scripture. 0:02:00.950 --> 0:02:03.390 Not all aspects of their life, but certain aspects of 0:02:03.430 --> 0:02:06.150 their life. So when you look at the life of Abraham, 0:02:06.150 --> 0:02:09.790 you find a man who is, wow. He's the father 0:02:09.790 --> 0:02:12.389 of all who believe. We find this in Romans. We 0:02:12.430 --> 0:02:15.710 find the apostle Paul hearkening back to Abraham over and 0:02:15.710 --> 0:02:19.190 over again. We have so much to owe to Abraham. 0:02:19.190 --> 0:02:22.829 He is the template for authentic faith. He believed God 0:02:22.830 --> 0:02:25.670 and it was credited to him as righteousness. And you 0:02:25.710 --> 0:02:27.230 got to ask the question, well, what in the world 0:02:27.230 --> 0:02:30.230 did Abraham believe God for? Well, remember this when he 0:02:30.230 --> 0:02:31.989 pulled him out of a tent, he said, hey there, 0:02:32.350 --> 0:02:36.510 look at these stars. And oh boy, I got to 0:02:36.510 --> 0:02:40.910 do a quick bunny trail here. There is more being discovered. 0:02:42.950 --> 0:02:48.109 They are now concluding that the density of some stars. 0:02:48.110 --> 0:02:52.550 You ready for this? They've underestimated the density. And they're 0:02:52.550 --> 0:02:59.930 estimating that some stars density creates such weightiness that a 0:02:59.970 --> 0:03:07.810 sugar cube. Of a certain mass of a star could 0:03:07.810 --> 0:03:14.450 be millions of tons. Wow. Millions of tons. 0:03:14.450 --> 0:03:16.610 That's hard to even get your mind around. 0:03:16.650 --> 0:03:22.330 You can't. You can't get your mind around that. I've 0:03:22.330 --> 0:03:25.130 been doing a deep dive. Just kind of hobbying around 0:03:25.130 --> 0:03:27.609 while I'm on my phone. Just checking out the wonders 0:03:27.610 --> 0:03:31.489 of creation. I mean, it's just mind boggling, so I digress. 0:03:32.010 --> 0:03:34.649 He shows Abraham all these stars. He says, count them 0:03:34.650 --> 0:03:39.050 if you can and you can't. And he said, so 0:03:39.050 --> 0:03:45.410 shall your offspring be. Now, could Abraham do that? Could he? 0:03:45.450 --> 0:03:46.570 Could he pull that off? 0:03:46.610 --> 0:03:47.970 Not in his own strength. 0:03:48.010 --> 0:03:51.250 No way could he even get his mind around it. 0:03:51.290 --> 0:03:51.730 No. 0:03:51.770 --> 0:03:54.770 No. No possible way. So he couldn't do it, and 0:03:54.770 --> 0:03:57.220 he couldn't get his mind around it. And he's the 0:03:57.220 --> 0:03:59.740 father of all who believe. So I want to give 0:03:59.740 --> 0:04:02.220 you a word of encouragement this morning. You might have 0:04:02.220 --> 0:04:06.660 gotten up this morning feeling like Carl Ali young thunder 0:04:06.940 --> 0:04:11.620 super day. It's the name of our team in here. Man, 0:04:11.620 --> 0:04:16.140 I'm against the wall. I'm really up against something. I 0:04:16.140 --> 0:04:20.539 can't do it. Great. You've never been more positioned for 0:04:20.540 --> 0:04:24.100 God to take over your life and transform you. Bottom line, 0:04:24.300 --> 0:04:26.100 till we come to the end of ourselves, we're not 0:04:26.100 --> 0:04:31.020 ready to have faith like Abraham. I can't even get 0:04:31.020 --> 0:04:34.220 my mind around what a new life would be. Carl. Good. 0:04:35.220 --> 0:04:40.219 Now you're positioned for something great. Because the life that 0:04:40.220 --> 0:04:44.540 God offers us through His son, Jesus Christ, is beyond imagination. 0:04:45.020 --> 0:04:47.700 You can't even get your mind around it. Reaffirmed, by 0:04:47.700 --> 0:04:53.820 the way, in Ephesians 320 and 21. And we certainly 0:04:53.880 --> 0:04:56.280 can't take hold of it ourselves. It's a gift from 0:04:56.279 --> 0:04:59.440 God so that no one can boast. In fact, I'm 0:04:59.440 --> 0:05:01.719 going to throw a net out here right now. Ali. 0:05:03.000 --> 0:05:06.440 Someone got up this morning feeling like you are so 0:05:06.440 --> 0:05:10.159 far from God. I'm telling you, you are not far 0:05:10.160 --> 0:05:12.680 from God. You just have your back to God. And 0:05:12.680 --> 0:05:15.640 you were born that way. And God wants to reach 0:05:15.640 --> 0:05:18.640 into your heart. Today I'll get back to another application 0:05:18.640 --> 0:05:20.640 from Abraham here in a moment, but we've got to 0:05:20.640 --> 0:05:24.159 do this for someone this morning. You need to know 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:27.440 that God loves you. You need to know that he 0:05:27.440 --> 0:05:30.840 cares and that he can transform your life. And I 0:05:30.839 --> 0:05:34.120 want you to know that much like Abraham, I know 0:05:34.120 --> 0:05:37.440 you feel this morning like, all right, all the promises 0:05:37.440 --> 0:05:40.440 of God. I can't even get my mind around them. 0:05:40.440 --> 0:05:44.680 I've heard that Jesus saves, and Jesus can transform and 0:05:44.680 --> 0:05:49.239 Jesus can set captives free. And, Carl, I've got chains 0:05:49.240 --> 0:05:56.370 around me. God can do what you can't. God can 0:05:56.370 --> 0:05:58.650 do in the 11th hour more than you can do 0:05:58.650 --> 0:06:02.570 in the prior ten. God can deliver you when you 0:06:02.570 --> 0:06:06.650 feel like you're absolutely beyond hope. That's the great news 0:06:06.650 --> 0:06:11.370 of the gospel. And so I'm just asking you, as 0:06:11.370 --> 0:06:15.850 Jesus told his disciples in John 14. Believe in God. 0:06:16.210 --> 0:06:21.650 Believe also in me. So let me tell you, the 0:06:21.650 --> 0:06:26.610 faith of Abraham is our model. Today is the day 0:06:26.610 --> 0:06:30.370 for you to believe that God can do what you 0:06:30.410 --> 0:06:36.250 cannot do in your life. And that it's beyond even 0:06:36.250 --> 0:06:39.289 getting your mind around how in the world could God 0:06:39.290 --> 0:06:42.130 do this? Your act of faith is to say, I 0:06:42.170 --> 0:06:48.250 give my life to God totally and completely. You might 0:06:48.290 --> 0:06:54.790 have believed in God. But you've never believed God to 0:06:54.830 --> 0:06:59.270 really change your life. It's the full surrender of everything 0:06:59.270 --> 0:07:01.590 that you are. Everything that you hope. Everything that you 0:07:01.589 --> 0:07:03.830 dream to God. And saying, God, you take my life, 0:07:03.830 --> 0:07:09.550 you take over. I'm done. And it's admission, isn't it, Ali? 0:07:09.550 --> 0:07:13.830 That I'm a sinner. I can't do this because I'm 0:07:13.830 --> 0:07:15.390 in the way of this thing. 0:07:15.430 --> 0:07:17.750 Yeah. I mean, it's getting to that place where you 0:07:17.750 --> 0:07:21.750 realize I have I. There's nothing good in me. I 0:07:21.750 --> 0:07:23.590 bring nothing to the table. 0:07:23.630 --> 0:07:29.150 Nothing to the table. And that Jesus came as the 0:07:29.190 --> 0:07:32.750 perfect sacrifice for our sin. And he died for us. 0:07:33.710 --> 0:07:38.190 Died for you. And it's believing that you're a problem. 0:07:38.710 --> 0:07:44.590 Jesus is the answer and that you're willing to turn 0:07:44.590 --> 0:07:48.590 around from this direction you've been walking and follow Jesus 0:07:48.590 --> 0:07:55.000 now the rest of your life. Leaving behind all that was. 0:07:55.680 --> 0:07:59.240 And taking hold of all that can be. That's what 0:07:59.280 --> 0:08:02.480 God wants for you today. And if that's your heart, 0:08:02.480 --> 0:08:04.040 I'm going to pray with you right now. And then 0:08:04.040 --> 0:08:06.560 we're going to give you a link. I want you 0:08:06.560 --> 0:08:08.960 to get a phone nearby right now. Get get it 0:08:08.960 --> 0:08:11.480 in your hand, because we're going to send you something 0:08:11.480 --> 0:08:13.120 that's going to help you. But today is your day 0:08:13.120 --> 0:08:16.520 of salvation. So I just got three questions for you. 0:08:16.560 --> 0:08:18.840 Number one, are you willing to admit today, for the 0:08:18.840 --> 0:08:21.400 first time in your life, at the end of the day, 0:08:21.800 --> 0:08:27.480 I'm the problem. I'm a sinner and I agree with God. 0:08:28.240 --> 0:08:33.320 That's true. Okay. That's awesome. That's a breakthrough and a 0:08:33.320 --> 0:08:36.439 half because you're done blaming everyone else or everything else. 0:08:36.440 --> 0:08:41.720 And now you're saying it's me. Great. Jesus is the answer. 0:08:41.720 --> 0:08:44.359 Do you believe that he died for your sins, truly, 0:08:44.840 --> 0:08:48.080 and that his sacrifice is the only thing that could 0:08:48.080 --> 0:08:51.780 pay the price to give you this free gift of salvation. 0:08:52.380 --> 0:08:58.699 Is that true of you? Good. And are you today 0:08:58.740 --> 0:09:05.380 turning around and following Jesus, saying all that I dreamed, 0:09:05.380 --> 0:09:08.340 all that I imagined, all that I was working on. 0:09:08.620 --> 0:09:13.140 I'm leaving that all behind to follow Jesus Christ. Today 0:09:14.300 --> 0:09:17.340 I'm giving my whole life to him for the first 0:09:17.340 --> 0:09:22.580 time in my life today. Is that you? Good. You see, 0:09:22.580 --> 0:09:24.900 this prayer of salvation is really a cry of the soul. 0:09:24.900 --> 0:09:28.340 It's a cry of faith that says I'm done. Jesus 0:09:28.340 --> 0:09:33.460 is my answer. Today I follow him. And get your 0:09:33.460 --> 0:09:35.340 phone ready. I'm going to pray for you right now 0:09:35.340 --> 0:09:37.340 while you're getting your phone ready. And if you're driving, 0:09:37.340 --> 0:09:39.420 get to the side of the road right now. Jesus. 0:09:39.420 --> 0:09:42.380 Thank you that you took this moment here today to 0:09:42.420 --> 0:09:46.339 prompt us to invite our friends to follow Jesus for 0:09:46.340 --> 0:09:53.150 the first time ever. God, just like Abraham, they can't 0:09:53.150 --> 0:09:58.030 imagine how this is all going to work out. But 0:09:58.030 --> 0:10:01.350 by faith, they're believing that you can do what they 0:10:01.350 --> 0:10:06.189 can't do. And I give you thanks today, in Jesus name, Amen. 0:10:07.429 --> 0:10:10.150 If that's you, we want to send you something that's 0:10:10.150 --> 0:10:12.990 going to give you some encouragement, some next steps. Just 0:10:12.990 --> 0:10:19.750 text the word new to 800 555 7898. Text new 0:10:20.230 --> 0:10:25.350 E to 800 555 7898. You're going to get an 0:10:25.350 --> 0:10:28.790 auto reply that has some hyperlinks. Click on each one 0:10:28.790 --> 0:10:31.230 of them. How to what to look for in a church. 0:10:31.270 --> 0:10:34.230 How do I buy and read the Bible? Text new 0:10:34.230 --> 0:10:38.829 to 800 555 7898. Welcome to the family. 0:10:38.870 --> 0:10:44.990 Yeah, welcome to the family. Okay. What a great person 0:10:44.990 --> 0:10:50.650 to emulate. You're emulating Abraham, who by faith believed God 0:10:51.570 --> 0:10:56.010 for something that he could not do, and that faith 0:10:56.010 --> 0:10:59.210 was counted to him as righteousness. Way to go. 0:11:00.450 --> 0:11:04.210 Your spiritual pit stop to keep you going in the race. 0:11:04.370 --> 0:11:06.570 You're listening to Carl and crew. 0:11:07.170 --> 0:11:10.410 What attribute of a person in Scripture would you most 0:11:10.410 --> 0:11:14.490 want to emulate? Got a couple text messages. This one 0:11:14.490 --> 0:11:16.770 says Elihu from job. 0:11:16.809 --> 0:11:18.330 Yeah. Yeah. 0:11:18.370 --> 0:11:20.929 Huh? Is that his boldness to deliver the heart on 0:11:20.929 --> 0:11:24.290 popular truth to job and his friends? He was considerably younger. Uh, 0:11:24.330 --> 0:11:26.929 very young in comparison. But he knew and admitted he 0:11:26.929 --> 0:11:29.610 was not on their level, but in their culture. He 0:11:29.610 --> 0:11:31.370 was risking his very life to do what he did. 0:11:31.370 --> 0:11:33.170 But he boldly gave them the truth anyway. 0:11:33.170 --> 0:11:35.530 He gave it to him straight up. He cuts to 0:11:35.530 --> 0:11:39.530 the chase and all the bravado of job's friends and 0:11:39.530 --> 0:11:42.370 all the junk that was going on. He was a 0:11:42.370 --> 0:11:43.210 voice of reason. 0:11:43.250 --> 0:11:43.890 I love that. 0:11:43.929 --> 0:11:45.100 That's a It's a great character. 0:11:45.980 --> 0:11:50.339 You know, for me, I think the faith of Peter 0:11:50.940 --> 0:11:54.420 is what I want to emulate. I the the first 0:11:54.420 --> 0:11:56.900 set of verses that came to my mind were John 0:11:56.900 --> 0:12:00.939 67 through 69, where Jesus says to the disciples, do 0:12:00.940 --> 0:12:03.220 you want to go away as well? After all, these 0:12:03.220 --> 0:12:06.100 crowds just left him because of some difficult teaching he gave. 0:12:06.100 --> 0:12:09.820 And Peter said, Lord, to whom shall we go? You 0:12:09.820 --> 0:12:12.219 have the words of eternal life, and we have believed 0:12:12.220 --> 0:12:14.339 and have come to know that you are the Holy 0:12:14.340 --> 0:12:18.740 One of God. That even after all these people are like, nope, 0:12:18.740 --> 0:12:22.620 we're done, we're out of here. That Peter is like, no, 0:12:22.620 --> 0:12:25.660 we believe you're you're the Messiah. You have the words 0:12:25.660 --> 0:12:27.179 of life and we're going to stick with you. I mean, 0:12:27.179 --> 0:12:29.020 that would have been hard to do. Yeah. And I 0:12:29.020 --> 0:12:29.819 want that faith, too. 0:12:29.860 --> 0:12:33.059 Yeah. That's beautiful. I mean, he was he was a 0:12:33.059 --> 0:12:39.179 pistol man. Peter. Something else, a biblical character that I 0:12:39.500 --> 0:12:43.200 really drilled deep on was Abraham. And there's an aspect 0:12:43.200 --> 0:12:47.480 of Abraham that I've never discussed before on radio. And 0:12:47.480 --> 0:12:50.280 I think it's often overlooked because we look at Abraham 0:12:50.280 --> 0:12:52.800 as the father of all who believe. Yes. And we 0:12:52.800 --> 0:12:57.160 look at his belief that is coined in Genesis 15, 0:12:57.400 --> 0:13:01.680 verses one through three, I believe. And then it's repeated 0:13:01.679 --> 0:13:05.160 by the apostle Paul in Romans and then again in 0:13:05.160 --> 0:13:09.000 the other letters. It's he's a champion of authentic faith. 0:13:09.040 --> 0:13:11.400 And by the way, if Abraham is the father of 0:13:11.400 --> 0:13:13.760 all who believe his life and what he believed God 0:13:13.760 --> 0:13:16.120 for is a template for us to follow, and I 0:13:16.120 --> 0:13:19.640 think it's the best biblical template you can possibly have. 0:13:20.000 --> 0:13:23.320 Just take everyone back to that aspect of his life. 0:13:23.640 --> 0:13:26.520 But the other thing that's often overlooked is his humble 0:13:26.559 --> 0:13:30.920 dependence on God. Think about it. Genesis 12 one through four. 0:13:33.240 --> 0:13:37.360 He not only believed God, he immediately left his home 0:13:38.080 --> 0:13:41.000 and his family, and he sojourned away to a place 0:13:41.000 --> 0:13:44.770 that he did not even know. You look at Genesis 13. 0:13:45.490 --> 0:13:51.290 Deference in conflicts. His nephew lot. He let him get 0:13:51.290 --> 0:13:55.210 the prime land while they were sojourning, and he didn't 0:13:55.210 --> 0:13:57.570 need to. He could have pulled rank and said, no, 0:13:58.210 --> 0:14:01.170 get him behind me, young man. But he didn't. Sodom 0:14:01.170 --> 0:14:03.810 and Gomorrah. He appealed to God. God, if there's just 0:14:03.809 --> 0:14:06.610 a few righteous here, would you spare this city? Right? 0:14:06.650 --> 0:14:12.170 Just humbly yielded to God. Acknowledgement of God's role. He consistently. 0:14:12.170 --> 0:14:17.689 This is Genesis 1422 through 23, gave credit to God 0:14:17.690 --> 0:14:21.890 for the blessings and successes that he had. He even 0:14:21.890 --> 0:14:24.410 told the king of Sodom, don't tip me, man, this 0:14:24.410 --> 0:14:27.890 is all from God. He's a this is big stuff. 0:14:28.210 --> 0:14:34.970 Willingness to sacrifice Isaac. That's humble dependence, man. Humility and 0:14:34.970 --> 0:14:39.729 relationship with God. Seen over and over again. Ongoing prayer. Worship. 0:14:39.730 --> 0:14:44.430 Building altars to honor God. His life characterized humble dependence 0:14:44.430 --> 0:14:46.150 in a big way, and I think what gets overlooked 0:14:46.150 --> 0:14:48.110 is he's the father of all who believe. So we 0:14:48.110 --> 0:14:51.430 look at him as a template of of belief, but 0:14:51.430 --> 0:14:56.950 he's a template of humble dependence, like on steroids. This 0:14:56.950 --> 0:15:01.470 guy was he clung to God. And I think one 0:15:01.470 --> 0:15:05.030 of the biggest things is his deference to lot. You know, 0:15:05.070 --> 0:15:09.790 lot was a reckless guy, and he could have said, 0:15:10.150 --> 0:15:14.830 sit down, young man. I'm your senior. No, you're not 0:15:14.830 --> 0:15:19.390 getting the prime land. And by the way, God's already 0:15:19.390 --> 0:15:21.790 spoken to me. Every time you try to pull this 0:15:21.790 --> 0:15:23.710 kind of stuff, you're going to get your turkey in 0:15:23.710 --> 0:15:25.670 a squisher. No, he let him go out and taste 0:15:25.670 --> 0:15:27.390 it himself. He was quite a guy. 0:15:27.430 --> 0:15:30.510 And you and you think about Abraham. Was he was 0:15:30.510 --> 0:15:33.910 he perfect? No. Certainly not. And he had moments of 0:15:34.470 --> 0:15:35.310 of doubt. 0:15:35.510 --> 0:15:36.310 Unbelief. 0:15:36.350 --> 0:15:40.360 Unbelief where he, you know, tried to kind of maneuver 0:15:40.360 --> 0:15:43.720 things and to try to speed up what God was, 0:15:43.760 --> 0:15:45.400 had promised him. Yeah. 0:15:46.320 --> 0:15:48.560 I mean, there were a lot of aspects of Abraham, 0:15:48.560 --> 0:15:50.400 as with any human being that you can look at 0:15:50.400 --> 0:15:54.760 and go, ooh, that wasn't so great. But repeatedly, you 0:15:54.760 --> 0:16:00.040 see a humble dependence at critical moments that are unbelievable. 0:16:00.360 --> 0:16:04.680 Really cool. So think about it today. Who are you emulating? 0:16:04.680 --> 0:16:08.680 And why don't you grab Abraham's humble dependence today? Just 0:16:08.680 --> 0:16:11.200 think about that. Yes, he's the father of all who 0:16:11.200 --> 0:16:13.800 believe his faith is a template. And by the way, 0:16:13.800 --> 0:16:16.320 you might be wondering, well, what did he believe God for? 0:16:16.360 --> 0:16:18.760 Because that's what you got to ask. You believe? Well, 0:16:18.760 --> 0:16:22.040 what what's the content of his belief? He believed God 0:16:22.040 --> 0:16:27.800 for something that was beyond imagination. He couldn't get his 0:16:27.800 --> 0:16:30.400 head around it. And there's no way he could have 0:16:30.400 --> 0:16:33.320 pulled that promise down from heaven to earth. It was. 0:16:33.360 --> 0:16:37.660 It was humanly impossible. And oftentimes we're wanting to kind 0:16:37.660 --> 0:16:39.580 of add a little guide to our life, but from 0:16:39.580 --> 0:16:43.060 the life of Abraham, we see that Abraham believed God, 0:16:43.060 --> 0:16:46.620 and what that meant was a total and complete surrender 0:16:46.620 --> 0:16:49.820 to a sovereign God, and only he he alone could 0:16:49.820 --> 0:16:52.740 give him the very gifts that he promised him. It's 0:16:52.740 --> 0:16:56.940 a beautiful picture. Look at these characters in Scripture and 0:16:56.940 --> 0:17:01.180 you find evidence after evidence of someone that we can emulate, 0:17:01.180 --> 0:17:03.340 or an aspect of their life that we can emulate. 0:17:03.380 --> 0:17:04.260 Pretty cool, isn't it? 0:17:04.500 --> 0:17:06.780 It is. And so as you're reading Scripture today, that's 0:17:06.820 --> 0:17:09.380 a little that's a little challenging challenge for you. Who 0:17:09.380 --> 0:17:11.660 are you reading about and what can you pull out 0:17:11.660 --> 0:17:16.419 from their life and go, yes, Lord, today, give me this. 0:17:17.340 --> 0:17:20.340 This is Curl and Crew on Moody Radio. 0:17:20.859 --> 0:17:21.980 Think about it. Who's that. 0:17:21.980 --> 0:17:22.660 Person from. 0:17:22.660 --> 0:17:25.180 Scripture that you would love to emulate? Maybe not all 0:17:25.220 --> 0:17:27.660 their life, but at least a portion of it. You go, man, 0:17:27.660 --> 0:17:30.420 that one right there. Let's go to the phones. Nikki 0:17:30.420 --> 0:17:32.300 in Lockport, Illinois. What do you say? 0:17:33.900 --> 0:17:38.880 Hi. I, I thought of Esther because of her. Her 0:17:39.040 --> 0:17:43.320 amazing courage and her gumption to stand up for her people, 0:17:43.320 --> 0:17:46.240 for such, you know, such a time as this. 0:17:46.520 --> 0:17:50.560 Yeah. Hadassah was her Hebrew name. Esther. You're right on. What? 0:17:50.600 --> 0:17:56.760 A woman became queen and saved the Jewish people from annihilation. Quite. Can't. 0:17:56.800 --> 0:17:59.399 I bet you're looking forward to meeting Esther in the 0:17:59.400 --> 0:18:01.159 New Jerusalem. Nikki? 0:18:01.640 --> 0:18:03.320 Yes, yes I am. 0:18:03.560 --> 0:18:04.320 That's so cool. 0:18:04.359 --> 0:18:06.840 One of my favorites. I love that whole story. 0:18:06.840 --> 0:18:09.840 The whole story is epic. It's the whole book named that. Guys, 0:18:09.840 --> 0:18:12.240 check it out. Esther. What a woman. 0:18:12.400 --> 0:18:15.879 Let's go to Randy. First time caller from Illinois. Tell 0:18:15.880 --> 0:18:18.080 us who's the person and what attribute. 0:18:18.359 --> 0:18:21.919 Yes. Uh, my my person would be Caleb. I'm a 0:18:21.920 --> 0:18:25.480 pastor in my 60s, and I really want to be 0:18:25.480 --> 0:18:28.120 a Caleb. That when I'm in my 80s, there's still 0:18:28.119 --> 0:18:29.439 some hill country to take. 0:18:30.119 --> 0:18:30.919 I love that. 0:18:31.119 --> 0:18:34.280 Isn't that great? You're with me, Randy. I can ask 0:18:34.280 --> 0:18:37.170 you this because you've been a pastor a while, haven't you, Randy? 0:18:37.570 --> 0:18:38.090 Yes. 0:18:38.369 --> 0:18:39.210 How old are you? 0:18:39.609 --> 0:18:40.409 64. 0:18:40.570 --> 0:18:43.489 You're my age on the button. But let me go 0:18:43.490 --> 0:18:46.730 back to this. This observation of Caleb. Isn't it funny 0:18:46.770 --> 0:18:48.969 how when we get older, we start looking at different 0:18:48.970 --> 0:18:51.930 attributes of people? Because you didn't think about Caleb when 0:18:51.930 --> 0:18:52.650 you were 40? 0:18:54.770 --> 0:18:56.010 No, I didn't. Yeah. 0:18:56.450 --> 0:18:59.610 It's a cool thing. How long have you been pastoring? Since, uh, 0:18:59.609 --> 0:19:00.370 early on. 0:19:00.770 --> 0:19:03.930 I've been preaching every Sunday since I was 20 years old. 0:19:03.970 --> 0:19:07.690 Oh, my goodness, faithful man. Way to go, Randy. I'm 0:19:07.690 --> 0:19:10.290 proud of you. Thank you. Thank you for being so faithful. 0:19:10.330 --> 0:19:12.090 May God bless you this year, bro. 0:19:12.450 --> 0:19:14.290 Yeah. Thank you. God bless you guys. 0:19:14.970 --> 0:19:17.770 Uh, Rick in right here in Illinois. What do you say? 0:19:17.770 --> 0:19:20.290 Who's that biblical character you look at and go, I 0:19:20.330 --> 0:19:22.210 want to be like that. 0:19:22.250 --> 0:19:25.770 Oh, the woman at the well, man, you know, it's, uh, 0:19:25.770 --> 0:19:28.970 her life was a train wreck. Jesus comes to her, 0:19:29.130 --> 0:19:33.470 she's transformed. She goes, tells her whole village about Jesus, 0:19:33.470 --> 0:19:39.070 they get transformed. And and historically biblical history, you know, 0:19:39.109 --> 0:19:41.230 tells us that her name was Photina and she was 0:19:41.230 --> 0:19:45.750 considered on par with the apostles. She was a powerful 0:19:45.750 --> 0:19:48.430 woman of God, and she was a train wreck. And 0:19:48.430 --> 0:19:49.790 she became an a seller. 0:19:50.590 --> 0:19:53.390 You know, that's a great word. Yeah, I did I 0:19:53.430 --> 0:19:55.430 saw that you called in and I heard that you 0:19:55.710 --> 0:19:58.670 I didn't know who in the world identified her name. 0:19:58.670 --> 0:20:03.710 But in Eastern Orthodox tradition, Photina is her name, and 0:20:03.710 --> 0:20:07.190 it means enlightened one. And again, we don't have any inspired, 0:20:07.190 --> 0:20:10.709 canonized word of God that says that. But the early 0:20:10.710 --> 0:20:13.629 church saw her as a rock star of a hero. 0:20:13.830 --> 0:20:16.630 And she was. I mean, this is a woman that 0:20:16.869 --> 0:20:21.310 her testimony is Randy, Rick just said, turned a whole 0:20:21.310 --> 0:20:23.030 city on to Jesus. 0:20:23.030 --> 0:20:24.070 It's unbelievable. 0:20:24.070 --> 0:20:28.550 It's unbelievable. You know what's great about her story? Although 0:20:28.590 --> 0:20:31.710 her life was a train wreck when Jesus spoke into 0:20:31.710 --> 0:20:36.960 her life. She's like, I got no more shame. Let 0:20:36.960 --> 0:20:39.399 me tell you. The real skinny on this thing. It's powerful. 0:20:39.440 --> 0:20:42.200 Bernadette in Indiana. What do you say, Bernadette? 0:20:42.680 --> 0:20:46.200 Um. Joshua, do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. 0:20:47.160 --> 0:20:50.560 Yeah. And give us your thoughts on that one. He 0:20:50.560 --> 0:20:53.600 was not only told that, but he did that, didn't he? 0:20:54.400 --> 0:20:57.760 He did. He did? Yeah. It's just it's so challenging 0:20:57.800 --> 0:21:00.680 to do what God says to do it. There's no question, 0:21:00.720 --> 0:21:04.280 no hesitation. Just do it. And I wish that I 0:21:04.320 --> 0:21:06.880 could just do that in life, the way the world 0:21:06.880 --> 0:21:09.639 is right now with little kids. Everything is just very 0:21:09.920 --> 0:21:12.320 hard to have that strength, not be afraid and not 0:21:12.320 --> 0:21:13.120 be discouraged. 0:21:13.160 --> 0:21:17.720 Yeah. Right on. Bernadette. Way to go from Indiana. Um, awesome. 0:21:17.720 --> 0:21:21.520 Because he did. I mean, why did God tell Joshua 0:21:21.560 --> 0:21:24.399 not to be afraid or discouraged? 0:21:24.440 --> 0:21:27.080 Because the tendency was going to be to be afraid 0:21:27.080 --> 0:21:27.880 and discouraged. 0:21:27.920 --> 0:21:30.160 The giants were still there. Yeah. 0:21:30.220 --> 0:21:30.580 Yeah. 0:21:31.340 --> 0:21:35.140 And it's funny because he and Caleb were they were 0:21:35.140 --> 0:21:38.220 the two guys that came back and said, look, there's giants, 0:21:38.220 --> 0:21:43.939 but have you seen the fruit and the the scarcity 0:21:43.940 --> 0:21:47.100 mindset dudes want out cost them 40 years in the wilderness. 0:21:47.100 --> 0:21:48.860 That was a big decision. 0:21:48.900 --> 0:21:49.300 Yeah. 0:21:50.540 --> 0:21:54.220 So the Giants were still there. And that's why God 0:21:54.220 --> 0:21:57.260 had to breathe some courage into him. But Joshua ultimately 0:21:57.260 --> 0:21:57.859 went for it. 0:21:57.900 --> 0:21:59.980 Yeah. And I mean, he was 40 years older than 0:21:59.980 --> 0:22:02.220 when he went into the towns as a spy the 0:22:02.220 --> 0:22:04.980 first time. And and so that may have been a factor. 0:22:04.980 --> 0:22:07.780 And then you spent 40 years in the wilderness, which 0:22:07.820 --> 0:22:09.939 is can get kind of comfortable. Hey, at least out 0:22:09.940 --> 0:22:13.060 here I'm not being attacked, you know. So there are 0:22:13.060 --> 0:22:15.980 plenty of reasons we have to feel comfortable and get 0:22:15.980 --> 0:22:18.420 afraid of the change that God's bringing into our lives. 0:22:18.420 --> 0:22:19.820 But we can be courageous. 0:22:20.100 --> 0:22:22.220 Yeah, they had battles in the wilderness, for sure. But, 0:22:22.260 --> 0:22:24.459 I mean, it wasn't anything like they were going to 0:22:24.460 --> 0:22:28.139 face when they crossed the Jordan. But the interesting thing 0:22:28.180 --> 0:22:31.350 is that You're right. I hadn't even thought about that. 0:22:31.390 --> 0:22:34.390 What a great layer to this thing. He's 40 years older. Yeah. 0:22:34.430 --> 0:22:36.470 All that vim and vigor of his youth is now 0:22:36.510 --> 0:22:40.909 worn off. And he's like, hey, boy, that fruit looked good. Caleb. 0:22:40.910 --> 0:22:44.070 It was good fruit, right? Yeah, it was Joshua. Promise 0:22:44.109 --> 0:22:46.990 you it was great because. Have you seen those guys? 0:22:47.190 --> 0:22:50.750 Suckers are huge. Yeah, and they're mean. You see what 0:22:50.750 --> 0:22:52.270 they do to their own people. 0:22:52.350 --> 0:22:52.949 Mhm. 0:22:53.670 --> 0:22:57.630 Yeah Joshua I do, but we can do this I 0:22:57.630 --> 0:23:00.669 promise you. I'm not sure anymore bro. That was 40 0:23:00.670 --> 0:23:04.190 years ago I mean think about these conversations. 0:23:05.950 --> 0:23:09.110 Get to know the team behind the scenes. Follow Carl 0:23:09.109 --> 0:23:11.350 and crew on Facebook and Instagram. 0:23:12.510 --> 0:23:14.149 Who's your hero as a kid growing up? 0:23:14.230 --> 0:23:18.109 Ellie that's a good question. Honestly. My hero was my 0:23:18.109 --> 0:23:18.910 older sister. 0:23:18.950 --> 0:23:20.510 Yeah, yeah, that's right. 0:23:20.550 --> 0:23:22.510 I'd forgotten that. You know, she was two years older 0:23:22.510 --> 0:23:25.270 than me and in my mind, she was everything that 0:23:25.270 --> 0:23:26.510 I felt like I wasn't. 0:23:26.869 --> 0:23:29.930 Can I do a dad moment? Give me permission. 0:23:29.970 --> 0:23:31.850 Well, wait. Okay, sure. Go ahead. 0:23:32.410 --> 0:23:36.130 Alli's sister, Erica, was Miss America. 0:23:37.090 --> 0:23:38.290 Yes, that is true. 0:23:38.330 --> 0:23:39.209 She was Miss America. 0:23:39.250 --> 0:23:41.369 She was. But this was even before. 0:23:41.570 --> 0:23:44.090 I met her. Not that I'm name dropping or anything, 0:23:44.090 --> 0:23:44.970 but I've met Erica. 0:23:45.010 --> 0:23:47.170 And this was well before. Yes, she won this big 0:23:47.170 --> 0:23:48.370 pageant a while ago. 0:23:48.410 --> 0:23:49.129 But this was. 0:23:49.170 --> 0:23:50.490 Well before that. 0:23:50.690 --> 0:23:51.609 Isn't she an attorney? 0:23:51.650 --> 0:23:54.530 She's an attorney. And so. But growing up, she just. 0:23:54.530 --> 0:23:58.410 She was so bold and so confident, and. 0:23:58.450 --> 0:23:59.890 She just went for it in. 0:23:59.890 --> 0:24:01.930 Life. And so she was such a leader. And I 0:24:01.930 --> 0:24:05.890 was naturally really quiet and shy. But I always wanted 0:24:05.890 --> 0:24:09.330 to be the bold one. And so I would just 0:24:09.330 --> 0:24:10.730 watch what she did. 0:24:10.770 --> 0:24:11.650 And try to emulate. 0:24:11.650 --> 0:24:14.290 It was very gracious in trying to kind of bring 0:24:14.290 --> 0:24:16.330 me along. So I was like this little kid in 0:24:16.330 --> 0:24:18.650 the shadow of my older sister, but she was always 0:24:18.650 --> 0:24:21.369 trying to kind of push me out to, to be 0:24:21.369 --> 0:24:22.370 my own person. 0:24:22.410 --> 0:24:23.130 That's cool. 0:24:23.170 --> 0:24:24.609 But she was my hero. 0:24:25.650 --> 0:24:27.180 Young Thunder, who Thunder. Who is your hero? 0:24:27.740 --> 0:24:29.500 It's a good question. I don't. 0:24:29.820 --> 0:24:31.619 I was just to let you off the hook. I 0:24:31.619 --> 0:24:35.820 was cogitating on this one, too. Yeah. And my heroes 0:24:35.859 --> 0:24:39.900 were probably Jerry rice. 0:24:40.100 --> 0:24:40.500 Yeah. 0:24:40.940 --> 0:24:44.179 Uh, because he was a phenomenal wideout. And so I 0:24:44.180 --> 0:24:46.260 would have these seasonal heroes. I never had one of 0:24:46.260 --> 0:24:48.700 these superhero heroes. I always thought that was weird. 0:24:48.740 --> 0:24:49.460 Yeah. No, I. 0:24:49.460 --> 0:24:53.100 Mean, why would you idolize Superman? He's a fictitious character. 0:24:53.100 --> 0:24:56.020 A fictitious character. I think there's qualities that you admire. 0:24:56.020 --> 0:24:57.459 You want to be a hero. You want to. You 0:24:57.460 --> 0:24:58.859 want to be a hero yourself. 0:24:58.940 --> 0:25:01.860 You never threw on a cape as a kid. No, really? 0:25:01.900 --> 0:25:04.540 Oh, I totally did that. I was big on Batman. Yeah. 0:25:04.540 --> 0:25:07.420 When I, when I, when I, when I got dressed up, I. 0:25:07.420 --> 0:25:10.500 The craziest thing I ever did was I went as 0:25:10.500 --> 0:25:15.060 a fur trader trapper. And I talk about how things 0:25:15.060 --> 0:25:19.659 used to be. No joking. I took in I took in, 0:25:19.700 --> 0:25:23.139 I had pelts that my dad had because he had 0:25:23.180 --> 0:25:26.080 he had tanned some game that he had gone and hunted. 0:25:26.080 --> 0:25:30.920 So I went into I went into O'Malley Elementary School 0:25:30.920 --> 0:25:34.000 for the kind of the the Halloween dress up thingy, 0:25:34.359 --> 0:25:36.760 and I had pelts all over me. 0:25:36.800 --> 0:25:37.399 Real fur. 0:25:37.440 --> 0:25:41.040 Real fur. Wow. And, uh, and I had, you know, 0:25:41.080 --> 0:25:43.240 cords wrapped around for a belt. And then I had 0:25:43.280 --> 0:25:48.240 traps dangling off my belt, which were traps. They were 0:25:48.240 --> 0:25:49.359 iron traps. 0:25:49.400 --> 0:25:52.960 This feels very Alaska. Yeah, very, very Alaska. 0:25:52.960 --> 0:25:55.600 And the only thing the teacher told me is then 0:25:55.640 --> 0:25:57.080 don't set the traps. 0:25:58.080 --> 0:25:59.800 Otherwise, the only thing. 0:26:00.359 --> 0:26:03.080 They didn't tell me to check him at the front desk. 0:26:03.119 --> 0:26:05.200 They just said, don't set the traps. 0:26:05.400 --> 0:26:09.120 Interesting. Okay. So you. That would mean you at least 0:26:09.119 --> 0:26:09.960 looked up to. 0:26:10.000 --> 0:26:12.640 Well, I looked up to adventurers. Oh, okay. 0:26:12.640 --> 0:26:13.440 That makes sense. 0:26:13.560 --> 0:26:17.639 So I think that was, you know. What about you? Superdog? 0:26:17.680 --> 0:26:20.680 I'm trying to think, too. Yeah. They weren't like, you know, 0:26:20.720 --> 0:26:21.680 animated characters. 0:26:21.680 --> 0:26:23.040 So some Greek scholar. 0:26:24.369 --> 0:26:25.090 Socrates. 0:26:25.130 --> 0:26:27.770 I think it was because I was so into music, 0:26:27.770 --> 0:26:32.770 even very young. So it had to be like musicians, dancers, Nureyev, 0:26:33.410 --> 0:26:36.969 Mikhail Baryshnikov, things like that. That that would be to 0:26:37.010 --> 0:26:39.010 me what would be the people that were running through 0:26:39.010 --> 0:26:41.850 my mind? Like I said, musicians, people heard on the radio, 0:26:42.250 --> 0:26:43.010 that kind of thing. 0:26:43.050 --> 0:26:47.290 Coming up, we've got a real group of heroes here, 0:26:47.609 --> 0:26:50.050 and it's found in acts 17, so I don't leave 0:26:50.050 --> 0:26:54.010 you dangling here. But in acts 17, verse ten through 15, 0:26:54.010 --> 0:26:57.650 we get a picture of some real heroes, and they're 0:26:57.650 --> 0:27:01.250 kind of like surprising heroes, right? Isn't that a good 0:27:01.250 --> 0:27:01.729 way to say it? 0:27:01.890 --> 0:27:02.490 Yeah. For sure. 0:27:02.530 --> 0:27:05.210 Because you might go, well, what's heroic about them? We'll 0:27:05.210 --> 0:27:32.590 break it down. Coming up. Wasilla, Alaska. One theater, one showing. 0:27:32.990 --> 0:27:34.550 Is this the Star Wars theme? 0:27:34.590 --> 0:27:35.070 Yeah, man. 0:27:35.270 --> 0:27:36.390 No, it's a Superman. 0:27:36.430 --> 0:27:37.270 Oh, Superman. 0:27:37.310 --> 0:27:37.869 This is Superman. 0:27:37.910 --> 0:27:41.550 I'm sorry. You see, I don't know my superheroes really well. 0:27:42.030 --> 0:27:43.510 I thought that was Star Wars. 0:27:43.550 --> 0:27:45.710 No. It's close. It kind of sounds a little Indiana 0:27:45.710 --> 0:27:46.230 Jones y. 0:27:46.550 --> 0:27:47.990 Yeah. Yeah, that's what I was thinking. 0:27:47.990 --> 0:27:49.750 But, man, maybe the. 0:27:50.350 --> 0:27:50.629 Star. 0:27:50.630 --> 0:27:52.430 Wars. You want some Star Wars? Yeah. All right, give 0:27:52.430 --> 0:27:53.670 me a Star Wars. 0:27:54.470 --> 0:27:56.030 I don't know that stuff, but, I mean, it has. 0:27:56.270 --> 0:27:56.950 It does have. 0:27:57.150 --> 0:27:57.430 Stuff. 0:27:57.910 --> 0:27:59.870 I've never seen it, but it does have a very 0:27:59.910 --> 0:28:00.869 hero vibe to it. 0:28:01.030 --> 0:28:03.150 She's never seen Star Wars. 0:28:03.190 --> 0:28:03.630 Yeah. 0:28:03.670 --> 0:28:04.390 Back it up. 0:28:04.430 --> 0:28:05.510 You need to change that. 0:28:05.550 --> 0:28:06.750 Not one. One of them. 0:28:06.750 --> 0:28:09.350 And you're getting on him for never watching Mary Poppins 0:28:09.350 --> 0:28:10.070 or whatever it is. 0:28:10.070 --> 0:28:10.310 Sound of. 0:28:10.310 --> 0:28:11.229 Music. Sound of music? 0:28:11.230 --> 0:28:11.510 Yeah. 0:28:11.550 --> 0:28:12.230 Classic. 0:28:13.670 --> 0:28:14.790 So is Star Wars. 0:28:15.710 --> 0:28:19.110 I think. Yes. That would fall into the classic category. 0:28:19.150 --> 0:28:19.950 This is Star Wars. 0:28:20.030 --> 0:28:21.280 Oh, they do sound very. 0:28:21.320 --> 0:28:22.120 They're very close. 0:28:22.800 --> 0:28:24.199 Somebody ripped someone off. 0:28:25.320 --> 0:28:27.600 You know what? I bet they're the same composer. I'm 0:28:27.600 --> 0:28:31.800 gonna check. Because I feel like composers often have kind 0:28:31.800 --> 0:28:34.800 of the same sound or theme. Yeah, yeah. 0:28:35.040 --> 0:28:38.320 You know, all this stuff. I mean, there's something about. 0:28:39.440 --> 0:28:43.920 I mean, what? Remember the mean Joe Green Coke commercial? 0:28:43.960 --> 0:28:45.640 Oh, that was so good. 0:28:45.680 --> 0:28:46.800 Hey, kid. Catch. 0:28:47.000 --> 0:28:47.440 Yes. 0:28:47.720 --> 0:28:50.960 I mean, the kid was just changed for the rest 0:28:50.960 --> 0:28:53.160 of his life. Now, the kid was fictitious. 0:28:53.200 --> 0:28:53.880 And he got paid. 0:28:53.920 --> 0:28:56.920 An actor, but whatever. But it was a great story. 0:28:57.360 --> 0:28:58.320 I mean, there's something. 0:28:58.360 --> 0:29:02.600 Powerful about looking to someone else who's doing something that 0:29:02.600 --> 0:29:07.320 you think. Man, if only I could be like that someday. 0:29:07.440 --> 0:29:09.640 We got it for you. Take it away, Ali. 0:29:09.680 --> 0:29:12.760 Acts 17. Starting with verse ten, the brothers immediately sent 0:29:12.760 --> 0:29:15.360 Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. And when 0:29:15.360 --> 0:29:18.120 they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now, these 0:29:18.120 --> 0:29:21.060 Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica. They received 0:29:21.060 --> 0:29:25.020 the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to 0:29:25.060 --> 0:29:26.980 see if these things are so. 0:29:27.020 --> 0:29:31.860 Boom! Okay. Eagerness. Reception. Checking it out. It was kind 0:29:31.860 --> 0:29:35.300 of reaganesque. Trust but verify. And we know because of. 0:29:35.340 --> 0:29:37.180 And this is where when you begin to read the 0:29:37.180 --> 0:29:40.780 scriptures in context, you discover stuff that's really cool. So 0:29:40.780 --> 0:29:44.860 Paul and Silas came to Berea on the second missionary journey, 0:29:45.060 --> 0:29:49.459 and he actually kept Silas on and called Timothy in. 0:29:49.740 --> 0:29:53.620 And here's why they were so hungry for the Word 0:29:53.620 --> 0:29:56.100 of God. They brought more teachers in to say, all right, 0:29:56.100 --> 0:29:58.100 let's break it down for you. So we don't know 0:29:58.100 --> 0:30:00.100 how long they were there, but we know that this 0:30:00.100 --> 0:30:04.380 church grew mightily in the Lord. Why? Because they were 0:30:04.380 --> 0:30:09.300 checking it out for themselves. What a heroic thing to emulate. 0:30:09.340 --> 0:30:12.300 And when you think about your time taking in or 0:30:12.300 --> 0:30:15.260 radio shows or podcasts or a sermon on a Sunday, 0:30:15.460 --> 0:30:18.350 this is a great practice to receive the word with 0:30:18.350 --> 0:30:22.070 all eagerness, and then go examine the scriptures to see 0:30:22.070 --> 0:30:24.310 if what you're hearing lines up with the Word of God. 0:30:24.350 --> 0:30:26.350 Not only is it just a great way to make 0:30:26.390 --> 0:30:29.070 sure that you're hearing truth, but it also enriches you 0:30:29.070 --> 0:30:31.790 personally when you don't just hear somebody else say what 0:30:31.790 --> 0:30:34.550 the Bible says, but you actually see those words jump 0:30:34.550 --> 0:30:35.510 off the page to you. 0:30:35.550 --> 0:30:39.510 You're right on. And that is absolutely true. This is 0:30:39.510 --> 0:30:42.390 why doubling down and taking the time to either revisit 0:30:42.430 --> 0:30:45.150 a message from Sunday, or to have the Bible open 0:30:45.150 --> 0:30:49.510 and see along with them. Okay, this does jive. There's 0:30:49.510 --> 0:30:53.470 something it takes it from auditory to some new kind 0:30:53.470 --> 0:30:57.310 of tactile thing that you're doing that gets that thing 0:30:57.350 --> 0:31:00.870 embedded in your soul. It's worth it, guys. So let's 0:31:00.870 --> 0:31:02.150 make them our heroes today. 0:31:02.190 --> 0:31:03.270 Be like the Bereans. 0:31:03.270 --> 0:31:05.230 Yeah, be like the Bereans. 0:31:06.790 --> 0:31:10.750 Walking closer to Jesus every day. You're listening to Carl 0:31:10.750 --> 0:31:11.390 and crew. 0:31:12.310 --> 0:31:18.770 We're talking about emulating people and events in Scripture, and 0:31:18.770 --> 0:31:21.290 the tendency is to look at some events in Scripture 0:31:21.290 --> 0:31:22.850 and some of the truths that we find in God's 0:31:22.850 --> 0:31:26.530 Word and actually believe. Oh, isn't that great that that 0:31:26.530 --> 0:31:27.490 happened then? 0:31:27.530 --> 0:31:32.650 Yes. As if somehow there's a we serve a different God, 0:31:32.650 --> 0:31:35.210 or I mean, we can even chalk it up to, well, 0:31:35.210 --> 0:31:38.010 we just live in a different time. And so therefore 0:31:38.050 --> 0:31:40.410 maybe the expectations a little different now. 0:31:40.690 --> 0:31:43.450 Yeah. We're in the Age of Enlightenment. That's what we 0:31:43.450 --> 0:31:47.810 are in the West. And enlightenment has put the construct 0:31:47.810 --> 0:31:50.490 of God in a box by virtue of the fact 0:31:50.490 --> 0:31:53.450 that it is a closed system by which we operate 0:31:53.450 --> 0:31:57.490 in it. This is why all self-help books leave no 0:31:57.490 --> 0:32:02.050 room for anything supernatural. It's about grinding and chunking in 0:32:02.050 --> 0:32:05.130 this little box that we have right here. And it 0:32:05.130 --> 0:32:07.610 felt prompted. Boom crew of the spirit yesterday when I 0:32:07.610 --> 0:32:10.450 was walking out of here and I just felt deeply prompted, 0:32:10.450 --> 0:32:14.450 I got to get Ahold of Doctor Samuel Niemann, and 0:32:14.450 --> 0:32:16.910 I think we need some back story here. Thank you, brother, 0:32:16.910 --> 0:32:17.750 for coming in today. 0:32:17.750 --> 0:32:18.590 You're welcome. Carl. 0:32:19.070 --> 0:32:22.630 I think we need some back story here, because it's 0:32:22.630 --> 0:32:26.510 almost as if we need to be challenged deeply in 0:32:26.510 --> 0:32:30.510 the West. Not that we don't have enough resources, but 0:32:30.510 --> 0:32:33.470 that we've diminished the God of all resources. We need 0:32:33.470 --> 0:32:35.870 to be challenged to look at what God is doing 0:32:35.870 --> 0:32:38.430 around the world. So I want you to back up 0:32:38.430 --> 0:32:40.950 for those that are new to you. Doctor Damon, a 0:32:40.950 --> 0:32:44.910 great professor here at Moody Bible Institute, has a phenomenal 0:32:44.950 --> 0:32:49.470 outreach center right here in Chicagoland to people primarily from 0:32:49.470 --> 0:32:52.190 the Middle East. But give us your heart as a 0:32:52.190 --> 0:32:57.950 kid growing up, from from being raised and really steeped 0:32:57.950 --> 0:33:01.590 in Islam, at least your daddy was. And in Pakistan. 0:33:01.630 --> 0:33:02.830 Tell us, tell us your story. 0:33:02.870 --> 0:33:06.070 Yeah. I was born and raised in Pakistan. My dad 0:33:06.270 --> 0:33:08.870 was a former Muslim. He came to Christ. So thank 0:33:08.870 --> 0:33:11.990 God I was raised in a Christian home, accepted Christ 0:33:11.990 --> 0:33:16.080 as a nine year old kid in a devotional and 0:33:16.640 --> 0:33:19.440 serve the Lord with crew and an Om. And then 0:33:19.440 --> 0:33:23.920 my younger brother was martyred, shot and killed by Muslim extremists. 0:33:23.920 --> 0:33:28.120 But even at that early age, Carl, I saw God's 0:33:28.120 --> 0:33:31.680 hand in many situations. I remember coming, we were coming from, 0:33:31.720 --> 0:33:35.719 from from a village after an evening meeting and we 0:33:35.800 --> 0:33:39.080 crossed a bridge. And my dad, it was kind of 0:33:39.120 --> 0:33:41.200 getting chilly. He said, you know what, I'll just close 0:33:41.200 --> 0:33:45.040 this window of the car. And three seconds later the 0:33:45.080 --> 0:33:50.120 glass just shattered. Someone had shot us. Someone had shot 0:33:50.160 --> 0:33:55.680 at our vehicle. And somehow, by God's grace, he, you know, 0:33:55.720 --> 0:33:59.520 the Lord prompted him to just close the window and, uh. 0:33:59.800 --> 0:34:00.400 It protected. 0:34:00.400 --> 0:34:02.840 Your life. It protected us. I mean, I, I have 0:34:02.840 --> 0:34:07.360 seen God's hand in many situations in Pakistan, in many 0:34:07.360 --> 0:34:11.520 other countries. I've met many people who have seen God 0:34:11.560 --> 0:34:14.899 work and who are seeing God work even now in 0:34:14.900 --> 0:34:15.540 their life. 0:34:15.580 --> 0:34:17.980 You know, it's interesting, the central passage I was going 0:34:17.980 --> 0:34:20.020 to use. Ali knows that this is one of my favorites. 0:34:20.060 --> 0:34:23.100 It's it's a story out of Second Kings, and it's 0:34:23.100 --> 0:34:27.060 about four lepers, and it's about a city that was 0:34:27.060 --> 0:34:31.900 under siege by Ben-hadad, a Syrian king. And these four 0:34:31.900 --> 0:34:35.540 lepers begin to shuffle their feet, knowing we're dying here. 0:34:35.580 --> 0:34:38.140 Let's just go to the Syrians. Just. We'll just go 0:34:38.140 --> 0:34:42.180 over there. And as they walk there, God supercharged the 0:34:42.180 --> 0:34:47.380 sound of their feet to sound like armies and cause 0:34:47.380 --> 0:34:51.420 them to flee. Now that's a miracle. Yes. And a miracle. 0:34:51.420 --> 0:34:53.379 I want to give a definition here. Boom! Crew, before 0:34:53.380 --> 0:34:58.259 we go on with Doctor Samuel Naaman. A definition that 0:34:58.260 --> 0:35:01.180 I felt prompted to write down is this. It's it's 0:35:01.180 --> 0:35:07.020 an interruption of natural law and common expectations to bring 0:35:07.020 --> 0:35:15.310 validation to God's transcendence. Confirmation of Jesus's deity and salvation 0:35:15.310 --> 0:35:19.870 to the lost. So as we think about miracles, it 0:35:19.870 --> 0:35:24.750 is truly God intervening in our system for which he 0:35:24.790 --> 0:35:29.069 set up the system to move extraordinarily and uncommonly, and 0:35:29.070 --> 0:35:33.430 in ways we might not expect. And what a tremendous 0:35:33.550 --> 0:35:35.550 discussion we get to have this morning. 0:35:35.590 --> 0:35:39.069 Doctor Norman, you mentioned your brother, and I know many 0:35:39.070 --> 0:35:41.149 people listening for the first time are going to hear 0:35:41.150 --> 0:35:44.150 that and go, whoa, wait. What do you mean? Your 0:35:44.190 --> 0:35:47.629 your brother was martyred for his Christian faith. Uh, tell 0:35:47.630 --> 0:35:50.830 us a little bit more about what happened and what 0:35:50.830 --> 0:35:52.430 that did to your faith. 0:35:52.469 --> 0:35:54.989 Yeah, yeah. So, you know, we were very active in 0:35:54.989 --> 0:35:58.990 our ministry in Pakistan, and my father started getting threatening 0:35:58.989 --> 0:36:03.390 letters from the underground Muslim movement that, uh, and many 0:36:03.390 --> 0:36:06.670 people came to Christ from the, from the majority religion. 0:36:07.070 --> 0:36:09.890 So he was warned that he should stop the work 0:36:09.890 --> 0:36:12.930 and leave the city. And if that doesn't happen, they'll 0:36:12.930 --> 0:36:15.370 kill their son. Because they knew that I was studying 0:36:15.370 --> 0:36:19.130 in South Korea. And of course, my father himself, who 0:36:19.130 --> 0:36:22.970 was a former extremist, didn't budge. And he said, no, 0:36:23.010 --> 0:36:25.370 I will continue to serve the Lord. And then they 0:36:25.410 --> 0:36:29.050 carried out that threat. Now I had two options, right. 0:36:29.090 --> 0:36:31.930 Either we will be exactly. Either we will be very 0:36:31.930 --> 0:36:35.130 bitter or I will be very bitter and angry and quit. 0:36:35.370 --> 0:36:39.010 I had finished my team was accepted for my doctoral work, 0:36:39.410 --> 0:36:43.529 but I, I believe, I firmly believe that the martyrdom 0:36:43.530 --> 0:36:47.770 of my brother gave me a new zeal and passion 0:36:48.410 --> 0:36:53.450 to hands off evangelism. You know, just gloves off. Whatever happens, 0:36:53.450 --> 0:36:57.569 happens because there is nothing else to offer. Now. There's 0:36:57.570 --> 0:37:00.330 nothing else to give. I mean, what worse can it? 0:37:00.530 --> 0:37:03.169 What worse can happen to me, you know? But God 0:37:03.170 --> 0:37:05.930 has been I mean, he passed away in 1990. I mean, 0:37:05.969 --> 0:37:09.620 it's 2024 and the Lord has taken me to crazy 0:37:09.620 --> 0:37:14.620 places in strange situations. And I firmly believe that when 0:37:14.620 --> 0:37:16.779 the time will come, yes, I'll go home to be 0:37:16.780 --> 0:37:20.259 with him. But till that happens, I'm not going to stop. 0:37:20.420 --> 0:37:21.300 I'm not going to stop. 0:37:21.340 --> 0:37:24.140 The interesting thing about that is that that could have 0:37:24.140 --> 0:37:27.820 been a point in time when you saw God's hand 0:37:28.020 --> 0:37:33.259 not choose to intervene and block that bullet. But the 0:37:33.260 --> 0:37:37.060 bullet took your brother? Yes. But you did not stop 0:37:37.060 --> 0:37:39.900 believing the God of miracles. No. Why? 0:37:40.260 --> 0:37:43.459 Why? Because he. You know, I have seen his his 0:37:43.460 --> 0:37:47.140 blessings so many times, Carl. And even after that, even 0:37:47.140 --> 0:37:51.620 after that, I have seen his his amazing power in 0:37:51.620 --> 0:37:54.620 so many ways. Praying over people. And I'm not a, 0:37:54.660 --> 0:37:58.460 you know, divine healer or TV. God is, God is. 0:37:58.500 --> 0:38:01.420 And you know, I also believe that as we were 0:38:01.420 --> 0:38:04.820 having conversation before we came on air, he chooses to 0:38:04.940 --> 0:38:07.800 act where he chooses to act, and he will, regardless 0:38:07.800 --> 0:38:11.120 of our understanding or not, he will. And I believe 0:38:11.120 --> 0:38:15.000 that that in the non-Western world, when when we quote unquote. 0:38:15.040 --> 0:38:19.160 Are not enlightened. Thank God, if in enlightenment takes us 0:38:19.160 --> 0:38:21.360 away from the. From the God of the Bible, we 0:38:21.400 --> 0:38:23.920 don't need that kind of enlightenment, believe me. With due 0:38:23.960 --> 0:38:28.520 respect to my Western friends, people believe when they pray, 0:38:28.520 --> 0:38:32.080 they believe that God will intervene and he does intervene. 0:38:32.400 --> 0:38:36.320 He does intervene. He does protect and he does heal 0:38:36.320 --> 0:38:40.760 in many different. And he does saves people in gospel 0:38:40.760 --> 0:38:43.280 proclamation ministry globally wherever we go. 0:38:43.920 --> 0:38:49.560 Uh, it's interesting because Craig. Craig Keener, great theologian, phenomenal scholar, 0:38:50.040 --> 0:38:53.240 a highly respected man of God, has written in his 0:38:53.239 --> 0:39:00.920 book Miracles Today. Full citation of modern day miracles. Even 0:39:00.920 --> 0:39:05.040 the raising of the dead. Sure. What is it that 0:39:05.040 --> 0:39:11.450 we're going to need to do here? To kick this 0:39:11.450 --> 0:39:15.610 box open of the incredible shrinking God that we have 0:39:15.610 --> 0:39:21.170 in American Christianity in. The irony is we have everything 0:39:21.330 --> 0:39:26.089 resource wise, and yet we limit the God of all things. 0:39:26.770 --> 0:39:29.290 I think the problem, Carl, I feel, is that, as 0:39:29.290 --> 0:39:32.569 you just said, as we have everything, we feel that 0:39:32.570 --> 0:39:36.370 we don't need God's intervention. We can resolve, we can 0:39:36.370 --> 0:39:39.690 resolve it. We can go to a doctor. We our technology, 0:39:39.690 --> 0:39:43.250 and we can solve every problem. But I think for 0:39:43.250 --> 0:39:46.169 us in the West, the basic the first thing is 0:39:46.210 --> 0:39:48.850 this we come to the throne of grace, to Calvary 0:39:49.050 --> 0:39:53.129 in all humility and say, Lord, we are helpless and 0:39:53.130 --> 0:39:56.850 hopeless without you, and we need you in a fresh way. 0:39:56.850 --> 0:40:00.569 It happened, it happened. Great awakenings, you know. So it's 0:40:00.570 --> 0:40:03.489 not that it cannot happen again. The revival cannot come again. 0:40:03.770 --> 0:40:07.670 I believe that when we humble ourselves, go before the Lord. Lord, 0:40:07.910 --> 0:40:10.430 these are all my gifts. I bring it to you. 0:40:10.710 --> 0:40:13.109 I need you in a fresh way. He will meet us, 0:40:13.110 --> 0:40:15.469 I firmly. And by the way, things happen in the 0:40:15.469 --> 0:40:18.589 West also. I mean things happen in our do. Things 0:40:18.630 --> 0:40:21.109 happen for the last 30 years that we have our 0:40:21.150 --> 0:40:25.270 South Asian Friendship Center in Chicago. And amazingly, things happen 0:40:25.270 --> 0:40:30.430 among the Muslims and Hindus. We when we had our bookstore, 0:40:30.469 --> 0:40:33.109 you know, for 20 years on the street, people used 0:40:33.110 --> 0:40:35.750 to come to us for prayer and there was a 0:40:35.750 --> 0:40:39.670 common understanding in our neighborhood. You go to SFC and 0:40:39.670 --> 0:40:40.469 things change. 0:40:40.750 --> 0:40:41.070 Oh. 0:40:41.430 --> 0:40:42.469 Right. Here in Chicago. 0:40:42.670 --> 0:40:42.910 That's. 0:40:42.910 --> 0:40:46.270 The expectation right here or right here in Chicago. And 0:40:46.270 --> 0:40:49.950 we saw happening we saw God healing marriages. That's a miracle. 0:40:50.190 --> 0:40:55.069 We saw healing physically. Yes. We saw people coming out 0:40:55.070 --> 0:41:00.469 of trauma. We saw abuse going away. Of course, in 0:41:00.469 --> 0:41:04.760 many situations we saw God, God intervening. Right here in Chicago. 0:41:05.040 --> 0:41:07.040 And I can give you example after example. 0:41:07.760 --> 0:41:11.239 You know, when you think about a miracle coming up, 0:41:11.239 --> 0:41:14.440 let's talk about what what should our expectation be. Because 0:41:14.440 --> 0:41:17.000 some would say every morning that you wake up and 0:41:17.000 --> 0:41:19.799 take a breath is a miracle, that when you see 0:41:19.800 --> 0:41:23.839 a sunrise or a baby born or snowfall or there 0:41:23.880 --> 0:41:26.120 are so many miracles that happen every day. So what 0:41:26.120 --> 0:41:30.400 should our expectation be? Should we be satisfied with those miracles? 0:41:30.400 --> 0:41:33.799 Or should we actually expect more? Coming up, we've got 0:41:33.800 --> 0:41:35.920 more with our special guest, Doctor Samuel Naaman. 0:41:36.400 --> 0:41:40.560 Tune in whenever you like. Check out the podcast wherever 0:41:40.560 --> 0:41:41.799 you like to stream. 0:41:42.520 --> 0:41:44.359 You know, I think back to a time where I 0:41:44.400 --> 0:41:47.120 had a cousin who was very ill and who was 0:41:47.120 --> 0:41:51.879 told had hours to live. And of course, we did 0:41:51.880 --> 0:41:54.560 what we're supposed to do as Christians. We were praying. 0:41:55.480 --> 0:42:00.400 But if I'm honest, the prayer was perfunctory. We we thought, 0:42:00.400 --> 0:42:01.320 this is his time. 0:42:01.420 --> 0:42:01.780 Sure. 0:42:01.980 --> 0:42:05.100 And then I got a phone call that miraculously, he 0:42:05.100 --> 0:42:07.779 was sitting up in bed. He was talking. He was 0:42:07.780 --> 0:42:10.180 drinking orange juice. And my daughter, who was about four 0:42:10.219 --> 0:42:16.020 at the time, she's sitting there listening to me go. What? No. No. Really? 0:42:16.300 --> 0:42:18.140 So I get off the phone and she's excited. She goes, 0:42:18.140 --> 0:42:21.460 what happened? What happened? And I told her and she goes, well, 0:42:21.980 --> 0:42:25.860 but we prayed. Why are you surprised? And her question 0:42:25.860 --> 0:42:30.259 was so honest. It was convicting to me because her 0:42:30.260 --> 0:42:33.940 thought we prayed. So of course. Yeah, but now you're shocked. 0:42:34.100 --> 0:42:37.380 And it challenged my faith doctrine. Our guest this morning. 0:42:37.700 --> 0:42:43.500 Oftentimes we pray but don't necessarily expect God to answer. 0:42:43.540 --> 0:42:46.660 We don't Ali. And see the faith of a four 0:42:46.660 --> 0:42:51.500 year old child. Your daughter. She knew in her childhood 0:42:51.500 --> 0:42:54.100 that when we pray, the Lord will respond and God 0:42:54.100 --> 0:42:57.900 will answer. And she's asking, mom, mom, why are you surprised? 0:42:57.940 --> 0:42:58.580 We prayed. 0:42:58.620 --> 0:42:59.300 We prayed. 0:42:59.340 --> 0:43:02.790 We prayed. pray? I mean, I believe that this is 0:43:02.830 --> 0:43:04.870 this is, you know, Carl was asking, you know, what 0:43:04.870 --> 0:43:08.270 do we need? I believe that we we need a 0:43:08.310 --> 0:43:12.990 childlike faith. Like your daughter simply said, when we pray, Lord, 0:43:12.989 --> 0:43:16.430 you will not. You may or you wish you will 0:43:16.430 --> 0:43:19.790 according to your will, though you will. But we need 0:43:19.790 --> 0:43:23.870 to pray with expectation. But for that to happen, I 0:43:23.870 --> 0:43:25.950 think our walk with the Lord is has to be 0:43:25.950 --> 0:43:30.109 very clear and very strong and solid. I believe that 0:43:30.150 --> 0:43:33.830 in many parts of the non-Western world, people have no 0:43:33.830 --> 0:43:36.270 one to go to. All they know is the Lord 0:43:36.270 --> 0:43:40.190 Jesus Christ, their local church, or the local pastor. And 0:43:40.230 --> 0:43:43.830 they gather and they pray with expectations. And the Lord 0:43:43.830 --> 0:43:46.069 shows up in a in a mighty way. The Lord 0:43:46.070 --> 0:43:48.629 protects God's people in a mighty way. I have seen 0:43:48.630 --> 0:43:52.510 that happening in my life. You know, somehow the attack 0:43:52.510 --> 0:43:56.469 or the blast or fighting or whatever happened before us. 0:43:56.510 --> 0:43:59.490 And when you call, email me yesterday, I said, so 0:43:59.530 --> 0:44:02.570 what will I share? I remember our team in Afghanistan, 0:44:03.170 --> 0:44:05.529 you know, a few years ago, and we were there 0:44:05.530 --> 0:44:10.210 for a month of medical missions, and somehow the Lord 0:44:10.410 --> 0:44:13.089 was with us in a mighty way. And the Lord 0:44:13.090 --> 0:44:18.410 protected us many times, multiple places. The attack happened. The 0:44:18.410 --> 0:44:23.490 suicide bombing happened before us or after us. And the Lord, 0:44:23.489 --> 0:44:27.610 somehow in his own sovereignty, protected us in many different ways. Yeah. 0:44:27.650 --> 0:44:31.209 And I mean, I have seen this happening in many 0:44:31.210 --> 0:44:34.569 other parts, many other parts of the world where he intervenes, 0:44:34.850 --> 0:44:35.810 where he intervenes. 0:44:36.170 --> 0:44:38.410 You know, I want to undergird this for you guys. 0:44:38.410 --> 0:44:40.730 What we're talking about here this morning. Boom. Crews, you're 0:44:40.730 --> 0:44:44.450 listening in. We're talking about miracles and having the faith 0:44:44.450 --> 0:44:48.209 to emulate what we see all over in Scripture. But 0:44:48.210 --> 0:44:53.050 this issue of childlikeness is spiked in Matthew 11. So 0:44:53.050 --> 0:44:55.690 when you were mentioning this about your daughter, I thought 0:44:55.730 --> 0:44:59.100 immediately about this, And this is what Jesus says, I 0:44:59.140 --> 0:45:02.260 declare to you, I thank you, father, Lord of heaven 0:45:02.260 --> 0:45:04.980 and earth, that you have hidden these things of the kingdom, 0:45:05.780 --> 0:45:08.379 that you have hidden these things from the wise and 0:45:08.380 --> 0:45:12.739 understanding the enlightened Western world. Could we add that in 0:45:12.739 --> 0:45:16.660 parenthetically easily and revealed them to little children? Now, those 0:45:16.660 --> 0:45:19.020 two words in the English little children are one word 0:45:19.020 --> 0:45:22.100 in the Greek, and it's nepos, and it means one 0:45:22.100 --> 0:45:27.180 without words. It means infant or baby. And the irony is, 0:45:27.180 --> 0:45:28.980 you know what an infant or a baby or one 0:45:28.980 --> 0:45:34.460 without words can bring to God nothing. Isn't that something? 0:45:36.660 --> 0:45:38.780 And then he goes on to say that classic passage 0:45:38.780 --> 0:45:41.220 come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden. 0:45:41.219 --> 0:45:44.020 In fact, the parenthetically, you might feel like, oh, I 0:45:44.060 --> 0:45:46.540 don't have anything to bring to God today. Did you 0:45:46.540 --> 0:45:49.980 know that that's exactly how God wants you? Yeah. And 0:45:49.980 --> 0:45:58.400 then Scripture. Scripture said cites something that undergirds the really 0:45:58.400 --> 0:46:00.840 the answer to this question is it okay to pray 0:46:00.840 --> 0:46:04.080 for miracles? Well, that's a fair question, don't you think? 0:46:04.120 --> 0:46:04.600 Yes. 0:46:05.120 --> 0:46:09.880 Well, look at this. This is acts chapter four. So 0:46:10.640 --> 0:46:15.640 there had been a a big movement of God in 0:46:15.640 --> 0:46:19.279 the early followers of Christ were being persecuted. And they 0:46:19.280 --> 0:46:25.600 came back together to meet and to pray, and they 0:46:25.600 --> 0:46:28.399 began to pray. Oh, God. Peter and John have just 0:46:28.400 --> 0:46:32.719 been released. But we got to keep this gospel going forward, right? 0:46:32.760 --> 0:46:35.480 And this is what they say, among other things, that 0:46:35.480 --> 0:46:39.600 they prayed and then they prayed. And now, Lord, look 0:46:39.600 --> 0:46:43.319 upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue 0:46:43.320 --> 0:46:48.600 to speak your word with all boldness while you stretch 0:46:48.600 --> 0:46:53.560 out your hand to heal. And signs and wonders are 0:46:53.560 --> 0:46:59.129 performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus. Well, 0:46:59.130 --> 0:47:01.729 what we find in the acts account is that there 0:47:01.730 --> 0:47:09.810 was prayer for miracles and miracles of the interruption. Of 0:47:10.010 --> 0:47:16.530 natural law and common expectations to bring God's supernatural transcendence 0:47:16.530 --> 0:47:20.490 into a situation. So we've we've seen God move. Sure, 0:47:20.770 --> 0:47:26.810 we believe God can move. As we're talking about this 0:47:26.810 --> 0:47:31.009 right now. What what is it that needs to break 0:47:31.010 --> 0:47:36.009 free inside of us? That we might see God move? 0:47:36.410 --> 0:47:39.290 Not for our entertainment or for our glory, but for 0:47:39.290 --> 0:47:40.290 his glory. 0:47:40.330 --> 0:47:40.850 Yes. 0:47:41.010 --> 0:47:41.850 What do you believe? 0:47:42.050 --> 0:47:47.969 I feel, Carl, that we pray with expectations. We we 0:47:48.010 --> 0:47:49.570 go back. And probably. 0:47:49.610 --> 0:47:50.250 I love that. 0:47:50.250 --> 0:47:53.270 Probably it will be helpful for us to see About 0:47:53.310 --> 0:47:55.630 and and have a little bit of study about the 0:47:55.630 --> 0:47:59.390 early church, how they prayed and the Lord intervened and 0:47:59.390 --> 0:48:04.029 maybe get connected more with the non-Western. What the Lord 0:48:04.030 --> 0:48:06.709 is doing, I feel that. Yeah. And you you can 0:48:06.750 --> 0:48:10.870 I mean, there are snippets, there are news and believe that, wow, 0:48:10.910 --> 0:48:14.029 if God can do this in China or in Brazil 0:48:14.230 --> 0:48:18.310 or in Nigeria, we worship the same God and plead 0:48:18.310 --> 0:48:22.630 before the Lord to bring a fresh awakening of himself, 0:48:23.350 --> 0:48:24.550 and the Lord will meet us. 0:48:24.550 --> 0:48:26.750 I don't know if I shared this on mic or off, 0:48:26.750 --> 0:48:29.230 so I might be sharing it again, but Craig Keener, 0:48:29.230 --> 0:48:33.310 in his study of his phenomenal work, the title of 0:48:33.310 --> 0:48:39.549 which is Miracles Today, great theologian, phenomenal scholar, and he 0:48:39.550 --> 0:48:42.430 did a deep dive on what's God doing today. You. 0:48:42.469 --> 0:48:48.670 Here's a shocking stat 90% of Chinese disciples of Christ 0:48:48.670 --> 0:48:55.049 today have witnessed and seen God heal and move in 0:48:55.050 --> 0:49:00.370 miracle power 90%. It's an expectation they have and they've 0:49:00.370 --> 0:49:06.210 seen that personally. The other 10% have witnessed it. But 0:49:06.210 --> 0:49:09.689 we're talking about people that have experienced it personally, you know. 0:49:10.570 --> 0:49:15.969 Where does this leave us? Well. We can't let the 0:49:15.969 --> 0:49:22.890 enlightenment of the West dictate our understanding of God. Is 0:49:22.890 --> 0:49:23.490 that fair? 0:49:23.530 --> 0:49:24.569 I will say so, yes. 0:49:24.610 --> 0:49:26.730 Okay, so let's just break this down. We just can't 0:49:26.730 --> 0:49:29.290 let that happen. And we need to start praying and believing. 0:49:29.489 --> 0:49:32.689 And I think we also can't let our common experience 0:49:33.130 --> 0:49:37.690 dictate the expectation because, you know, we you can't get 0:49:37.690 --> 0:49:40.569 past the fact that some people can't get past the fact. Well, 0:49:40.570 --> 0:49:44.450 I prayed for that miracle X, Y or Z. And 0:49:44.450 --> 0:49:46.969 a lot of times it's related to the healing of 0:49:46.969 --> 0:49:50.090 a loved one and the, the thing that people will 0:49:50.219 --> 0:49:54.020 kind of push back. I didn't see it. I prayed 0:49:54.020 --> 0:49:57.180 I had faith in scripture. When someone prayed with faith, 0:49:57.180 --> 0:50:00.419 they saw the miracle. And so how do we kind 0:50:00.420 --> 0:50:03.540 of bridge that gap between what often we do experience, 0:50:03.540 --> 0:50:08.859 which is sometimes disappointment and and maintaining that expectation that God, 0:50:08.900 --> 0:50:12.140 maybe you didn't move where I wanted you to here, 0:50:12.420 --> 0:50:15.339 but nothing changes about what I believe to be true 0:50:15.340 --> 0:50:16.140 about you. 0:50:17.100 --> 0:50:19.460 I will say that these are selfish prayers, right? I mean, 0:50:19.500 --> 0:50:22.540 it's okay. It's okay to pray. But we also cannot 0:50:22.540 --> 0:50:25.820 dictate what God should do and what God cannot do 0:50:25.860 --> 0:50:29.060 and not do. Wherever the Lord showed up, he showed 0:50:29.060 --> 0:50:32.540 up to have his glory, not my glory. And yes, 0:50:32.540 --> 0:50:35.380 he responds to our prayers according to his will. You see, 0:50:35.380 --> 0:50:37.819 this is where I always pray. I said, we will 0:50:37.820 --> 0:50:40.140 continue to pray for healing, for I mean, I pray 0:50:40.140 --> 0:50:43.180 every day in my classes. I ask students to give 0:50:43.219 --> 0:50:44.060 us and. 0:50:44.100 --> 0:50:44.540 Good for. 0:50:44.540 --> 0:50:44.700 You. 0:50:44.739 --> 0:50:46.100 And here also in our classes. 0:50:46.700 --> 0:50:47.340 Good for you. 0:50:47.380 --> 0:50:51.160 When we have seen the Lord intervene in the lives 0:50:51.160 --> 0:50:54.880 of aunts and uncles and grandmas. Believe me when we 0:50:54.920 --> 0:50:58.879 simply said, guys, when we pray, listen when we pray 0:50:58.920 --> 0:51:01.000 is a small community. At 8 a.m. in the morning, 0:51:01.000 --> 0:51:04.720 you're half asleep. The Lord will hear. But one caution 0:51:04.719 --> 0:51:08.239 is this we plead before the Lord. Lord, may your 0:51:08.239 --> 0:51:12.040 will be done according to your will. He will show 0:51:12.040 --> 0:51:14.680 his glory. And Ali, he's showing his glory in the 0:51:14.680 --> 0:51:18.320 lives of many young people here at Moody Bible Institute also. 0:51:18.360 --> 0:51:21.839 You know, it's fascinating because one other thing, on my 0:51:21.840 --> 0:51:23.960 deep dive last night on this, I was reading something 0:51:23.960 --> 0:51:26.600 by Piper, and he has two segments because he's asked 0:51:26.600 --> 0:51:30.560 the question, Does God still do miracles today? And he said, 0:51:31.280 --> 0:51:33.720 we got to remember that in the New Testament they 0:51:33.719 --> 0:51:38.680 were far and few is how he titled it in between. 0:51:39.160 --> 0:51:44.839 But he said even to this day, they happen far 0:51:44.920 --> 0:51:47.890 more often than we might imagine. And you know what's funny? 0:51:47.930 --> 0:51:51.490 We put healings in this category here, but we neglect 0:51:51.489 --> 0:51:55.690 to remember. We pray for relational healing, and God doesn't 0:51:55.690 --> 0:51:59.410 always do it right. There's going to be some relationships 0:51:59.410 --> 0:52:01.730 that go all the way out of this natural realm, 0:52:01.730 --> 0:52:07.489 into the into the spiritual realm beyond, and never be healed. 0:52:07.489 --> 0:52:11.290 And yet God does heal relationships, and God does heal, 0:52:11.489 --> 0:52:14.049 and God does move in power, and he rolls up 0:52:14.050 --> 0:52:19.730 windows and God prompts my dad. My dad still hangs 0:52:19.730 --> 0:52:23.690 on this one. He there's a there's a street in 0:52:23.690 --> 0:52:27.970 Alaska called Braga. And when the lake goes green on Braga, 0:52:28.010 --> 0:52:32.969 there's another street that comes in just perpendicular or. Excuse me. 0:52:33.010 --> 0:52:35.850 It just cuts across grain at a weird kind of angle. 0:52:36.530 --> 0:52:41.210 And my dad said the light went green and he 0:52:41.210 --> 0:52:46.549 felt absolutely prompted by the spirit. Don't move. He said 0:52:46.550 --> 0:52:49.950 I almost couldn't put my foot on the gas. This 0:52:49.950 --> 0:52:52.870 is not common for my dad. And he came home 0:52:52.870 --> 0:52:54.630 and he told I was a little guy and he 0:52:54.630 --> 0:52:57.270 told my mom, he called her Eva. He said, Eva. 0:52:58.390 --> 0:53:00.709 I didn't put my foot on the gas. It must 0:53:00.750 --> 0:53:04.710 have been for four seconds I couldn't get my foot to. 0:53:05.430 --> 0:53:09.750 And then a car came through that intersection, ran a 0:53:09.750 --> 0:53:13.750 red and was moving at 70, 80 miles an hour. 0:53:14.510 --> 0:53:19.149 And he said, I would have absolutely been killed. We 0:53:19.190 --> 0:53:24.870 got to remember that God is bigger than the box 0:53:24.870 --> 0:53:30.790 we put him in. Be expectant without being demanding, right? Yeah. 0:53:30.830 --> 0:53:33.190 And open to what God might do. You know, I 0:53:33.190 --> 0:53:34.790 feel prompted. Would you pray for us? 0:53:34.830 --> 0:53:35.190 Sure. 0:53:35.790 --> 0:53:39.910 Heavenly father, we come before you. Give us humility. Bring 0:53:39.910 --> 0:53:42.950 us to your throne. And, Lord, we do pray that 0:53:42.950 --> 0:53:45.920 you may intervene in the lives of many of our listeners. 0:53:45.960 --> 0:53:46.320 Yes. 0:53:46.360 --> 0:53:50.640 And allow them to pray with expectations according to your will. Father, 0:53:50.640 --> 0:53:53.560 show us. Meet us in a special way in this 0:53:53.560 --> 0:53:57.360 country and beyond, and allow us to love you more 0:53:57.360 --> 0:54:01.440 and more, and expect that you are our God of many, many, 0:54:01.440 --> 0:54:04.799 many miracles in our lives and helpless. Help us to 0:54:04.840 --> 0:54:07.840 rejoice in those things. Yes, we love you, Lord Jesus. 0:54:07.840 --> 0:54:09.320 In your precious name we pray. 0:54:09.640 --> 0:54:10.000 Amen. 0:54:10.040 --> 0:54:12.840 Amen. And let it be. Thank you brother. 0:54:12.880 --> 0:54:13.399 Thank you. 0:54:13.800 --> 0:54:16.520 Doctor Samuel Lehman. Always a treat in here, right, Ali? 0:54:16.560 --> 0:54:18.400 Oh, boy. Rich and faith. 0:54:19.680 --> 0:54:23.359 Start your day moving closer to Jesus. You're listening to 0:54:23.400 --> 0:54:24.560 Carl and crew. 0:54:25.320 --> 0:54:29.320 Talking miracles today. And it's a discussion that we don't 0:54:29.320 --> 0:54:33.719 have possibly enough. It's an expectation that God is going 0:54:33.760 --> 0:54:39.680 to move. Enlightenment is the age that we live in now, 0:54:39.680 --> 0:54:43.860 and enlightenment has caused us, inadvertently, to put a box around. 0:54:43.860 --> 0:54:48.740 God don't need a lot of fanfare around that, because 0:54:48.739 --> 0:54:51.219 when you look at the amount of miracles that we 0:54:51.260 --> 0:54:53.899 find in the scriptures, for which I've got a little 0:54:53.900 --> 0:54:56.340 list here, could I read a few? Ali? 0:54:56.380 --> 0:54:56.860 Sure. 0:54:57.739 --> 0:55:00.100 So we go through some of these. Just look from 0:55:00.100 --> 0:55:03.739 creation of the universe, the flood, Noah's Ark, confusion of 0:55:03.739 --> 0:55:12.219 languages at Babel, plagues in Egypt, water to blood, frogs, gnats. Flies. Livestock. Disease. Boils. Hail. 0:55:12.260 --> 0:55:17.180 Locust darkness. Death of the firstborn. Parting of the Red sea. 0:55:17.219 --> 0:55:24.180 Bitter water made sweet manna. Quail provided. It goes on 0:55:24.180 --> 0:55:28.460 and on and on. I'm just going to firehose you here, guys. 0:55:28.460 --> 0:55:33.060 Just going to fire hose you. Victory over the Amalekites! 0:55:34.540 --> 0:55:39.660 Fire and smoke on Mount Sinai. Aaron's staff buds. Earth 0:55:39.660 --> 0:55:45.430 swallows cause rebels. That's a heavy duty one. Balaam's. Donkey speaks. 0:55:46.190 --> 0:55:50.190 Jordan River parts. Walls of Jericho. Fall. Sun and moon. 0:55:50.190 --> 0:55:56.830 Stand still. Gideon's fleece. Samson's strength. Lion killing thousand men 0:55:56.830 --> 0:56:04.030 with jawbone. Killing. Bringing down the temple. Widow's oil and flour. 0:56:04.830 --> 0:56:09.029 Raising the widow's son. Fire in Heaven from Mount Carmel Elijah. 0:56:09.070 --> 0:56:14.390 Taken to Heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha's miracles. Healing Jericho's waters. 0:56:14.390 --> 0:56:20.550 Multiplying the widow's oil. Raising the Shunammite son. Purifying poison stew. 0:56:21.110 --> 0:56:26.109 Multiplying loaves to feed 100 men. Floating axe head. That 0:56:26.110 --> 0:56:31.710 was a good one. Healing of leprosy. Daniel in the 0:56:31.710 --> 0:56:35.030 lion's den. Fiery furnace. New Testament. Let's go to this. 0:56:35.150 --> 0:56:37.989 Turning water to wine. Healing the official son. Healing a 0:56:37.989 --> 0:56:40.669 man with an unclean spirit. Healing Peter's mother in law. 0:56:40.810 --> 0:56:45.330 Cleansing a leper. Healing a paralytic, calming a storm. Feeding 5000. 0:56:45.530 --> 0:56:51.770 Walking on water. Feeding 4000. Jarius daughter raised from the dead. 0:56:52.090 --> 0:56:54.410 Healing a woman with an issue of blood healing. A 0:56:54.410 --> 0:56:59.410 man blind at Bethsaida. Healing a mute and demon possessed man. 0:56:59.410 --> 0:57:04.009 Raising Lazarus. I could go on and on just in. Jesus. 0:57:04.370 --> 0:57:09.170 I'll move to the apostles. Healing a lame beggar. Peter 0:57:09.170 --> 0:57:15.250 heals many. Paul heals a crippled man. Paul and Silas 0:57:15.250 --> 0:57:25.010 freed from prison. Raising Eutychus from the dead. Most theologians 0:57:25.010 --> 0:57:28.490 agree that there's about 150 that are direct miracles, but 0:57:28.490 --> 0:57:31.770 there's so many more subplots, like the four lepers that 0:57:31.770 --> 0:57:34.890 are wandering off to see if they might find some 0:57:34.890 --> 0:57:37.290 food in the Syrian army that has the city of 0:57:37.290 --> 0:57:42.180 Samaria under siege and God miraculously made their feet sound 0:57:42.180 --> 0:57:46.580 like the armies of Egypt, and they were certain that 0:57:46.860 --> 0:57:49.900 they had been conspired against. And they ran for their lives, 0:57:49.900 --> 0:57:55.820 leaving behind everything. And that ultimately changed the entire economy 0:57:55.820 --> 0:57:59.580 and the opportunity for Samaria to get out from under 0:57:59.580 --> 0:58:06.980 the clutches of evil King Ben Hadad of Syria. They 0:58:06.980 --> 0:58:13.300 go on and on. Craig Keener, scholar, phenomenal author, has 0:58:13.300 --> 0:58:17.300 written extensively on this. It's called Miracles Today. It's a 0:58:17.300 --> 0:58:23.620 book that came out in 2021. Amazing citations of every 0:58:23.620 --> 0:58:26.860 kind of miracle you can imagine, including raising from the dead. 0:58:28.620 --> 0:58:32.140 And you might say a couple of things. One is, 0:58:32.140 --> 0:58:34.740 why don't we see these today? Probably because we live 0:58:34.740 --> 0:58:37.620 in a post-enlightenment kind of culture where we've put God 0:58:37.620 --> 0:58:40.200 into a box, we got resources out the wazoo. We've 0:58:40.200 --> 0:58:43.280 got them all over here. All kinds of resources, all 0:58:43.280 --> 0:58:47.600 kinds of tools. But have we stopped believing God for 0:58:47.600 --> 0:58:53.240 things that are outside natural law and outside of common expectations? 0:58:53.480 --> 0:58:55.080 And what a danger it would be if we were 0:58:55.080 --> 0:58:56.200 stuck there, right, Ali? 0:58:56.240 --> 0:59:01.800 Oh, yeah. And and when you think about miracles, you go, okay, well, 0:59:01.840 --> 0:59:04.600 I mean, the the the miracle of a baby being 0:59:04.600 --> 0:59:07.880 born or the the miracle. Sometimes I think we want 0:59:07.920 --> 0:59:12.920 so badly to see a miracle that we are willing to. 0:59:13.320 --> 0:59:15.480 I don't want to say lower the bar, but I 0:59:15.480 --> 0:59:19.479 think sometimes I've seen this happen in, in church where 0:59:19.480 --> 0:59:22.480 we were desperate to see a miracle. So we kind 0:59:22.480 --> 0:59:28.800 of make the expected miraculous. 0:59:30.240 --> 0:59:31.480 So explain that to me. 0:59:31.880 --> 0:59:36.320 So, you know, when you we want to see the miraculous, right? Like, 0:59:36.410 --> 0:59:37.130 we we. 0:59:37.170 --> 0:59:42.610 Maybe I think I think I think for some, yes. 0:59:42.770 --> 0:59:46.530 But for many listening, maybe the expectation that God would 0:59:46.530 --> 0:59:48.650 move miraculously is not on their radar. 0:59:48.690 --> 0:59:49.810 Okay, so then. 0:59:49.850 --> 0:59:50.090 But. 0:59:50.130 --> 0:59:50.370 But. 0:59:50.370 --> 0:59:50.690 Stop. 0:59:51.290 --> 0:59:53.250 The. So you disagree with the premise? 0:59:53.290 --> 0:59:55.690 Well, no. I think for some you're right. I think 0:59:55.690 --> 0:59:57.330 we want to see it. And I think what you're 0:59:57.330 --> 1:00:02.290 saying is that sometimes you read things into what is natural, supernatural, right. 1:00:02.290 --> 1:00:05.370 Because we think because there feels like there's this disconnect 1:00:05.370 --> 1:00:09.170 between I read this scripture, I believe that God can, 1:00:09.210 --> 1:00:13.130 but I don't see much of that anymore. So it's like, well, well, 1:00:13.130 --> 1:00:15.330 this is a miracle. I saw that, you know, we can. 1:00:15.370 --> 1:00:18.570 All see what you're saying. Yeah. So we we almost 1:00:19.290 --> 1:00:22.610 reduce God by trying to look at the natural and go, oh, 1:00:22.650 --> 1:00:26.810 well we ascribe. Oh well something happened there. Both can 1:00:26.810 --> 1:00:29.850 be true. So what if we though believed God not 1:00:29.890 --> 1:00:33.850 with our needs being met, but for the glory of God? 1:00:33.850 --> 1:00:36.750 I wrote a definition down here of miracles that I 1:00:36.750 --> 1:00:41.390 believe captures. I stole a phrase of this from Craig Keener. Again, 1:00:41.390 --> 1:00:46.950 phenomenal scholar and theologian. But here's a working definition I 1:00:46.950 --> 1:00:51.950 have for this morning an interruption of natural law and 1:00:51.950 --> 1:00:55.990 common expectations. That's the keener ism right there to bring 1:00:55.990 --> 1:01:03.590 validation to God's transcendence. Confirmation of Jesus's deity. That's in fact, 1:01:03.630 --> 1:01:07.830 he said that's why they were done. And salvation to 1:01:07.870 --> 1:01:12.310 the lost in the early church did pray this God, 1:01:13.270 --> 1:01:16.710 look at the threats that we're having from all the 1:01:16.710 --> 1:01:20.430 people around us, and grant to your servants continued power 1:01:20.430 --> 1:01:24.230 to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch 1:01:24.230 --> 1:01:27.030 out your hand to heal. And signs and wonders are 1:01:27.030 --> 1:01:31.030 performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus. And 1:01:31.030 --> 1:01:33.310 when they prayed, that place in which they were gathered 1:01:33.310 --> 1:01:36.200 together was shaken, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. 1:01:36.640 --> 1:01:39.919 A keener in his book. Fascinating to me. I was 1:01:39.920 --> 1:01:44.880 just like, whoa, really? Their study, and this is in 1:01:44.880 --> 1:01:47.160 the last few years, their study of what's going on 1:01:47.160 --> 1:01:51.120 in the church in China, the underground church in China, 90% 1:01:51.120 --> 1:01:55.160 of disciples, our brothers and sisters in China have personally 1:01:55.160 --> 1:01:57.640 witnessed a miracle touch from the Lord. 1:01:58.240 --> 1:02:02.440 That's amazing. I don't even know how to comprehend that 90%. 1:02:03.240 --> 1:02:07.080 So I think you're right, Ali. There's a tendency to 1:02:07.120 --> 1:02:09.160 want to see this God of miracles. And so we 1:02:09.160 --> 1:02:12.600 ascribe miracles when it's just the natural providence and goodness 1:02:12.600 --> 1:02:17.960 of God in everyday life. And then we're left with 1:02:18.080 --> 1:02:22.720 can God move outside the natural realm in a supernatural 1:02:22.720 --> 1:02:26.280 way that upsets our common expectations in a way that 1:02:26.280 --> 1:02:29.400 we see God move? And every indication that we have 1:02:29.400 --> 1:02:34.620 all throughout Scripture is that although Miracles are far and 1:02:34.660 --> 1:02:38.860 few between. They are happening all over the place today 1:02:38.860 --> 1:02:41.660 as we speak. God's showing up to people in the 1:02:41.660 --> 1:02:43.780 Middle East in visions in the middle of the night, 1:02:43.820 --> 1:02:47.700 revealing to people who are far from God that Jesus 1:02:47.700 --> 1:02:51.540 is real. And then some have said, well, you know, 1:02:51.780 --> 1:02:54.340 the gospel is going forward into those places because they're 1:02:54.340 --> 1:02:56.780 unreached people. We're unreached people here. 1:02:57.060 --> 1:02:57.980 Very much so. 1:02:59.700 --> 1:03:03.300 And so it could be that we simply need to 1:03:03.340 --> 1:03:05.940 believe that God is a God of miracles. By the way, 1:03:06.820 --> 1:03:09.660 do we trust in miracles? No, we trust in God. 1:03:11.100 --> 1:03:13.780 But part of trusting in God is believing that God 1:03:13.780 --> 1:03:18.860 works outside the realm of natural and common expectations, and 1:03:18.860 --> 1:03:22.500 he moves in power. Why? For his glory and to 1:03:22.540 --> 1:03:25.500 show his providence and his power. And the deity of 1:03:25.500 --> 1:03:29.860 Jesus Christ is confirmed and souls are saved. What an 1:03:29.860 --> 1:03:33.470 awesome thing. Something. And this is not presuming upon God, 1:03:33.470 --> 1:03:36.550 but it's believing that God can move. And you might ask, 1:03:36.550 --> 1:03:39.150 maybe you would ask of me, Carl, have you ever 1:03:39.150 --> 1:03:43.870 seen a miracle? I have, I've seen God move miraculously. 1:03:44.630 --> 1:03:47.190 I shared here a few minutes ago about my dad. And, 1:03:47.230 --> 1:03:49.270 you know, it's interesting how that's etched in my heart 1:03:49.270 --> 1:03:53.910 as a little boy. How God saw God's hand keep 1:03:53.910 --> 1:03:56.550 him from putting a foot on the accelerator when he 1:03:56.550 --> 1:03:59.830 normally would have just gone right through that street, and 1:04:00.550 --> 1:04:02.630 he would have been T-boned by a car because my 1:04:02.630 --> 1:04:05.910 dad believed that God intervened in that moment. Absolutely. There's 1:04:05.910 --> 1:04:09.950 no question. And can we dare to believe that God 1:04:09.950 --> 1:04:14.350 can intervene in marriages in the lives of wayward kids, 1:04:15.310 --> 1:04:20.230 miraculously show up in someone's dreams? Yes, he's doing it 1:04:20.230 --> 1:04:23.350 all around the world, and one of the great dangers 1:04:23.350 --> 1:04:25.830 with the post enlightened world that we live in is 1:04:25.830 --> 1:04:28.150 that we put God in a box, and we ought 1:04:28.150 --> 1:04:30.470 not do that. There's so much more.