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Bob Enyart, co-founder of opentheism.org, continues his interview of Dr. Richard Rice, a leading advocate of Open Theism, just retired Loma Linda theology professor, and co-author of the famed 1994 book The Openness of God with Pinnock, Hasker, Basinger, and Sanders. The guys continue their relaxed yet compelling discussion.
* KGOV & Richard Rice:
- kgov.com/richard-rice (6/9/20)
- kgov.com/richard-rice-2 (10/20/20)
- kgov.com/richard-rice-3 (10/21/20 this program)
- And see Richard features on the homepage of opentheism.org.
Today's Resource: Open Theism Seminar
Open theism seminar with Bob Enyart on three DVDs!
BEL January 2007 Seminar Indianapolis, IN
Another fantastic BEL seminar, this time, on the topic of Open Theism, answering the question, is the future settled or open? The Open View teaches that God can change the future. He interacts with the flow of history and changes the outcome of the future as it unfolds by His decisions and actions.
Greetings to the brightest audience in the country, and welcome to Bob Enyart Live. Today, we're going back to a 2020 interview. This is Bob Enyart with Dr. Richard Rice.
Dr. Richard Rice, he's the person who coined the term open theism, right? Open theism is an idea that goes really far back, but open theism, those two words being added together, that only happened relatively recently, and that was coined by Dr. Richard Rice. So this is Bob's interview with Dr. Rice.
You do not want to miss such a fun interview. Now let's jump right in to the broadcast.
Greetings to the brightest audience in the country. Welcome to Bob Enyart Live. I'm the pastor of Denver Bible Church.
Today, we will broadcast the conclusion of our interview with the man who put two words together, Open Theism, Dr. Richard Rice, with his first book on the topic 40 years ago. His latest book is called The Future of Open Theism. If you'd like to listen to yesterday's broadcast, just go to our website, kgov.com/openhyphentheism.
You'll find the link there. Now, let's join the discussion in progress. Whenever there's an analogy, the Bible uses many analogies.
They're analogies. They're not direct. They're, as analogs, therefore, not literally, but to then argue that most of what the Bible says about God is metaphor, I think stretches beyond the breaking point, the Bible's claim itself, because the Bible presents God as good and holy and merciful and awesome, and he's the judge, he's the savior.
So overwhelmingly, it seems that what the Bible tells us about God is literal, even though it's often using metaphors or analogies to make the literal truth about God more clear from certain perspectives.
yes, we need to be careful about, in our description, our portrayal of biblical language, because as I've indicated, I think there's quite a range here. And I think if we were to say, okay, take the contrasting symbolic descriptions of God as shepherd and king. Now, how many characteristics does God have in common with shepherds that we see on hillsides?
And how many characteristics would God have in common with earthly monarchs? Well, we might say king gives us a little more about God than a shepherd does. A shepherd may communicate some perspectives on God.
Perhaps a king gives us a bit more. But then when it comes to the kingship of God, it's interesting how that symbol, when you look at the way that God exercises sovereignty in a sense, I would say turns that symbol inside out and says God is not just a sovereign, but God is a sovereign unlike any human sovereign. So to see what the sovereignty of God does not mean that God is an uncaring person totally committed to his own power over.
But God is a sovereign that is unlike the sovereigns that we see on earth. So there's a certain irony and a certain, you might call it deconstructive quality to the symbols when they're applied to God. And we see it's the difference between God, when we think of God in this way, to others.
For me, that is a way of saying, attributing fatherhood to God in view of some of the critiques of that as being sexist language and saying, okay, thinking of God as father, and we've got the Lord's Prayer, the address of God. When we think about the fatherhood of God, it's in some way similar to human fatherhood at its best, but different from human fatherhood. Because I think God is, and this is what I think happens with the story of the Prodigal Son, perhaps better described as Helmut Tiliki did, the story of the waiting father.
When you see that parable in light of the ones that preceded it in Luke 15, the lost sheep, the lost coin. Anyone losing a sheep and recovering it, losing a coin of great value and recovering it would rejoice. But here you've got this third point, a father whose son has gone away, disgracing the family perhaps, and wasting his portion of the family's inheritance and comes back.
You look at the father's response to that and you say, now wait a minute, that's not the way fathers typically respond.
It's more like a mother's response.
Well, I'm not sure mothers either would welcome him back, but you may be onto something. I mean, I can imagine the people hearing these stories instead of saying, well, of course, just like the shepherd, no, there's no rejoicing. This guy has disgraced your family's name.
He's abused the trust you placed in him. Get rid of him. In fact, the son himself thought it would be an example of grace and tolerance if he could just be a servant.
The father welcomes him and restores him. And you got to say, no, no, that's not like fathers ordinarily behave. It just lives by its irony in a way.
And you might say, well, wait a minute, them, if that's the kind of father God is, it's in a sense, it's the contrast between the fatherhood of God and human fatherhood that this parable so vividly illustrates to say, God is a father unlike anyone you've ever known, or been.
Wow. And I hate to refer back to this discussion with Dr. Lamerson, but he was saying that the New testament writers, specifically Hebrews, that it was heavily influenced by Greek philosophy because of shadows and types. And I responded back that shadows and types, that all predated Greek philosophy by a thousand years in the scriptures where God went to great lengths to provide types and shadows of what would come in the future.
And the Greeks, if anything, they're just borrowing the things that the creator who said, let there be light, they're borrowing these concepts from God. He's actually the originator. So even if we think of God as our father, if we think of them as Lord, the Lord's on earth and the father's on earth, they're actually the metaphors.
It's God who is the substance of these things, it seems.
That's a nice way to, I think, sort of flip the ultimate meaning of these words. It's God who perfectly exemplifies fatherhood, and not what we find here. God is the true king who cares and is dedicated to the welfare of God's subjects, and not the sort of tyrant and unquestioning, unquestionable source of power that we find in earthly monarchs.
Right. Writing about the early formulations of open theism in your book, The Future of Open Theism, you say this, God is unchanging, immutable in his essence, but not in his experience, knowledge and action. Could you expound on that?
There's something immutable about God, but not everything about him. So that God is unchanging, immutable in his essence, but not in his experience, knowledge and action.
That's right. I think what open theism gives us is a picture of God that affirms in some important ways, the classical concern for an ultimate source of reality that is unchanging, reliable, shall we say, that makes sense out of the temporal world. In other words, the world we experience is dynamic and changing.
And the more we come to understand it, the more we realize how radically temporal than reality is, down to the behavior of electrons and so on. And so what leads some people to believe in God is the fact there must be something holding this whole thing up, something that sustains it, something that's constant. And that ultimately from, certainly from a believer's standpoint, would be divine reality, an absolute, unchanging source of existence that sort of sustains this whole process.
However, the Bible gives us a view that, and others take the position too, but particularly in the Bible, that God is deeply involved and affected by and responsive to what goes on in the world. You cannot read the Bible without coming up with that view. And I think we just referred to the story of the waiting father or the prodigal son, deeply, you know, intensely responsive to his son's return, deeply committed to the welfare of his children and so on.
And the fact that he has a conversation with the older brother after the son has returned and the older brother is upset, I think we see the sensitivity of the father to others. So I think we do have a view of God as one who is absolutely changeless in certain respects, ultimately powerful, but brings into existence a world in which he is dynamically involved in the experience of the creatures that he loves and seeking by many different manifestations of his providence and resourcefulness to guide them to the fulfillment of his purposes. And this is a God who never gives up, but a God who along the way is deeply disappointed with some of the things that happen.
Yeah, our sin grieves him.
yes, that's right. And I think one of the interesting incidents in the book of Samuel is where the people are unhappy with the way things are about to go. Samuel's sons are not worthy successors to him.
And they say, give us a king. We need some, you know, we need some, what would you call it? Political stability in our system.
And Samuel says, oh no, you don't want to be like that. Look at what kings do. And God instructs Samuel to say, you know, let's go ahead and give the people what they want.
Let them establish a monarch. I agree, it's not going to go well. They won't be happy with the things that a monarch does.
But if that's the direction they insist on going, I'm willing to go ahead. And so you almost have God expressing a willingness to do things that he'd rather not do because he's trying to meet the people halfway.
Dr. Rice, we teach the same here on Bob Enyart Live, Denver Bible Church, with maybe one clarification, that it seems that it was the timing that God intended to introduce a monarch one generation later at the time of David, which when his throne was moved to Jerusalem, it was exactly 1,000 years before Christ's first coming. And you go back in the time of moses, and God predicted that there would be a king. And here are the rules that I want your king to follow.
It's right in the Book of Deuteronomy. But then the people were demanding a king out of due time, not when God wanted to introduce a king. And so then God does agree, although it wasn't his original plan.
A couple of moments ago, Dr. Rice, you mentioned electrons. I just want to make sure I caught what you said. Could you repeat that?
It was just in passing.
Well, what I intended was the more science tells us about the nature of reality, the more we see that time or temporal succession is involved and characterized even in the ultimate or the most infinitesimal parts of reality, atoms, electrons. There's temporal succession there. Electrons move at indescribable speeds and so on.
So you have temporal experience at what we would say the heart of physical reality. So some people have come to the conclusion, there must be something holding this whole process up. And that goes clear back to the cosmological argument as developed by Thomas Aquinas in a world of ongoing change, there must be something that supports this and keeps it going.
So that caught my attention because on Fridays, we air a science show for many years, Real Science Radio, and we've just concluded our series on quantum mechanics of all things.
Well, then you're more up to date on this than I am.
Well, as a Bible thumping pastor. But interestingly, of all the popular interpretations of quantum mechanics, four of them are deterministic, like the many worlds, multiverse. Eight are consistent with indeterminism, and then five others could go either way.
So it's interesting that for some centuries, theologians looked at Newtonian physics, and it all looked very deterministic, and they thought, hey, this supports our reformed theology. But now, in the last century of the era of quantum mechanics, and today even quantum computers, there is a lot of evidence from the physical world that indeterminism is in fact at the heart of God's physical creation.
Right. That's very interesting, and I would defer to your judgment on that. The contrast that I've sometimes made is that of the world being God's adventure and not just God's invention.
Now, if we say, did God invent the world? yes. But is it a machine or is it more like a dynamic relationship?
And I think God created a world that would, in a sense, enable God to have an adventure in relating to the contents of the world and not just lay it out. Now, I like things that do exactly what they're supposed to do. Computers, automobiles, things like that.
But at the same time, if everything were exactly determined, I think we'd have a less rewarding experience and a less rewarding world in which to live. And the idea that God is open is a way of affirming the fact that the world is open. And God is committed to it, pursuing God's objectives, but through a process of interaction.
And I think that takes a remarkable creativity on God's part.
In fact, perhaps the very favorite character in the science fiction Star Trek TV series and movies is Data and Data is not a person, he's a creation. And people have this natural love and wonder toward his character because here is a creation that he is conscious, self-aware, and he's autonomous. He could do things on his own.
And it seems that God, the omnipotent God being able to call things into existence and for God to bring into existence creatures that like him are self-aware, but also like him are autonomous, and they could do things of their own will, actually be truly creative, and actually think thoughts on their own. That would have to be the greatest achievement of anything that God could create. And indeed, that is what the Bible shows that God did create.
Thank you. I think that's a very nice way of putting what it means to be in the image of God. God could have created a world that in every respect did exactly what it was pre-designed to do.
There are certain satisfactions that such a relationship brings, but there are others that involve openness, delight, surprise, and even an element of risk and suspense. And that's the picture of God that the open view of God affirms. So there are things about God that never change, and there are things about God that change more than anything else that we can imagine.
It's a view of God that I think is rich and attractive, faithful to the Bible, philosophically defensible, and personally meaningful.
If we have the time, I have three last questions. One about omniscience, and the other two on the very foundations of open theism as a theology or an argument. You're writing about William Hasker and omniscience, and let me quote, God knows everything that is logically possible to know.
So this is common in open theism circles, that God knows everything that is logically possible to know. Like, he knows how many hairs are on our heads, but not how many hairs are on the boogeyman's head, because the boogeyman doesn't exist. But...
Well, yes, I think what we're trying to say there is that if in fact there is a difference between past and future, or present and future, and the future is in fact open, and it might go in different directions, well, God knows the possible is possible, and the actual is actual. So God knows reality as reality is, and that constitutes perfect knowledge. So the future from the standpoint of open theism is not settled and completely definite.
Their openness, their indefinite aspects to it, their possibilities there that may or may not be realized. God knows it as such. God knows the past is completely settled.
So God knows the past is past, the future is future. So his knowledge of reality is perfect. We could say God is omniscient.
The real difference between the open theist view is not the relative, the adequacy of God's knowledge, but the nature of what God knows. So that would be the difference there.
Those who their theology is founded almost completely on the omnis and ems and omniscience that God has all knowledge, they tend to deny him an entire category of knowledge, which is experiential knowledge. Surely God lacks the first hand knowledge to know what it's like to sin. jesus Christ on the cross, he took our sin upon himself, but he himself did not sin.
He paid the price for us. So I love how you distinguish that future knowledge versus present knowledge. God knows everything that is logically possible to know.
If the future does not exist, therefore, even if God knows everything knowable, that doesn't mean he knows the future decisions of free will agents, nor even his own future decisions. But could I challenge that a bit, Dr. Rice, just a bit, that God knows everything that is logically possible to know, talking about just present knowledge. Like that claim, when theologians make that claim, do they really mean it to be all inclusive and exhaustive?
For example, it seems to me to be a concession to God as though he were a computer database that had no will or no say in the matter, or he's a mathematical equation, or a divine bureaucrat who has no choice but to collect all conceivable knowledge. Like, as the Bible presents God as a person, if God is a person, he might decide what knowledge to retain, what to collect, what to discard. It seems more biblical remembering him as a person to say that God knows everything knowable that he wants to know.
And I could give one example, we could multiply it a thousand times. But let me give one example and then see if you have thoughts on this. If God doesn't care to keep track of which atoms on the earth have gone through the intestines of rodents from the creation until today, what would compel God to keep track of what seems to be meaningless data of all the atoms in the world?
You know, which ones were drank by which insects at which moment in time, and which ones were expelled from which insects. I mean, when theologians talk about God knowing everything, it seems to me, and we've been arguing this on the air since 1991, it seems that they actually don't take the time to ponder what would it mean to really know everything. And what they seem to be saying is that God knows everything that he wants to know.
That's what it seems.
Well, personally, I don't have a problem with the idea of God knowing absolutely everything, including the position of every atom in the universe, let's say a hundred years ago or something like that. If we're saying, though, what clearly is the focus of God's attention and primary concern, then I think we as Christians would say it has to do with God's relationship to human beings, sentient creatures and so on. So it's like you can have all this data in your mind and not necessarily have it detract from the focus of attention on other things.
And one of the things that is a challenge when we make a distinction between actuality and possibility is what sort of distinctions do those represent if we attribute to God's knowledge a full knowledge of each one. If a knowledge of a possibility is somehow exactly the same as God's knowledge of it as an actuality, well, then I think we've created some real problems.
Yeah, we've blurred reality if that were the case.
I think open theists, if you look at the way in which they try to deal with this, don't agree among themselves. They want to maintain a distinction and yet somehow attribute to God perfect knowledge. I like the expression perfect anticipation when it comes to God's knowledge of the future.
Now to anticipate that something perfectly would be to know what is definitely going to happen because of factors that are already here and what might happen. And an example that I use if you're going on a vacation and it's quite a distance away, you may say we will have to stop for gasoline or recharging our electric vehicle every so often and so on. You can anticipate that rather definitely.
But if you're going hiking in the mountains, you may take a first aid kit because you realize some things could happen. We hope they don't, but it is a possibility and we want to be prepared for it. So I know these are analogies, but I think there are differences between things that are definitely going to happen.
You can get prepared for those things that might or might not happen. And I think of God's relation to the future in terms of perfect anticipation. God knows what is definitely going to happen.
A lot of what's going to happen is already in the cards, shall we say, because of present factors. But given the nature of the world God created, there is openness. But God is not taken totally unawares of what's going to happen, even though God is disappointed by what might happen.
Sure.
We know that, you know, in genesis 6, it says, given the way that human beings were going, God was sorry he had created them.
Yeah. He repented that he made man, and he destroyed them.
He was sorry with what had happened because it had such an effect on him and such a disappointing influence. So did God have no idea this was going to happen? I don't think so.
I think giving human beings freedom means that God knew this was a possibility. But I think God did everything God could to minimize the possibility that that would take place. A little like, well, we're both parents, or you've got younger children than I do.
But raising children, we know that there are some risks. We can't prevent the possibility of some mistakes being made, but we do everything we can to influence them, to avoid making these mistakes. But if they do, and sooner or later, sometimes they do, we will meet them and try to do what we can to overcome the consequences and get back on the right path.
I won't give you personal examples, but I'm sure we both had those experiences.
Oh, yeah. As to present knowledge, when we look at the Bible, there are only a couple of locations, but they surely are saying significant things, like with jesus in the Gospels, and God talking to Abraham in the Old testament, where God the Son became flesh through the Incarnation, became the man. The man, jesus Christ, is God the Son.
We have some whom we have debated, like Dr. james White, a reformed theologian, who insists that God the Son did not take on a human nature, which we think is just flat out heresy. It's denying the Incarnation, but he's concerned that if he admits that God the Son took on a human nature, then God changes and he has a greater commitment to this Greek immutability than he does to the Incarnation. So he refuses to admit that God the Son became flesh.
In fact, another theologian, the son of a theologian, RC. Sproul Jr. agreed with james White, and it was on the occasion of my debate with Dr. White, downtown at the Brown Palace in Denver, when this happened and it truly was stunning. But aside from those kinds of aberrations, Christianity has held firmly with amazing tenacity that jesus Christ is fully God.
Fully God, he became man, he's fully God and fully man. And that's true, right? Dr. Rice, I'm not exaggerating that, the position of the church.
No, I think that's where the early church came to that conclusion. And of course, there were, what should we say? Those who maintain he only appeared to be human, he was really a divine being.
Sure. Only participated in human activities, not because he ever got hungry, for example, but just to sort of continue the demonstration. And others maintain that he was essentially human and, you know, only was sort of elevated to the idea or to the status of divinity later on, adoptionism.
So there were extremes. And what the early church came to, Council of Nicaea, was fully God, fully human, fully man, and yet one personality. So they had to deal with this.
So I would say one center of consciousness. Now, this does require us to look carefully at what goes on in jesus' experience. My own view is that jesus' sort of conscious experience was that of a human being.
And that is he had moral struggles, shall we say. We think of the temptations and so on. I think he had consciousness of his divine power that he had access to.
If we think of the very first temptation of the devil in the wilderness, if you're the son of God, turn these stones into bread. Well, jesus had just heard the words, You are the son of God, my beloved son. Well, the devil is saying, You've got power then, just use it to satisfy your hunger now as a human being.
And jesus said, No, I'm going to live by the word of God, and not by some access to supernatural power I might have. That would have violated the conditions, shall we say, of his earthly life and earthly ministry. And so we can see that jesus had this, shall we say, awareness of the power he had access to, but his experience as a human being was that of trusting God, following God, taking God's love and care for him.
As I would say, we could even say a matter of faith. He trusted God.
As the pastor of Denver Bible Church, I would really like to clarify something. When you said jesus had moral struggles, the Bible goes out of its way to tell us that right before that temptation, jesus had fasted for 40 days in the wilderness. And so when Lucifer tempted him with food, that was a real temptation.
That was actually his body longing for nourishment. And here you could have it in a way that causes you to submit to me. So God the Son became flesh, and as a man, his body would have longings that are real.
And as Hebrews says, he therefore is better able to help us when we are tempted because he was tempted. But I would like to clarify that I don't think there's any sense in which we could see that jesus was actually tempted. Not that sinful ideas were not presented to him.
I'm sure they were every day of his life. But the Lord was never wrestling with whether or not to be sexually immoral, whether or not to betray the innocent, whether or not his struggles had to do with the physical aspect of the body that he took on. But I don't think there's any indication, and I would argue strongly, that the Lord never wrestled, for example, with sexual immorality, or with stealing, or betraying his father.
Well, we have to... I think we have to look carefully at what the issues were that jesus was dealing with. My own sense would be, and I might give a somewhat different reading of that first temptation.
I have heard, I've never been, I've never fasted for 40 days, but people have said that if you get in deep into a fast, you don't, you're not hungry anymore. You know, it's not, you know, missing lunch today makes me more hungry for supper. But you got to wonder that if the issue here was doubting what he had heard God say, in other words, this is my beloved son, he's in the wilderness now, it looks like he may be on the verge of perishing.
What does it mean to be God's son? If I can't somehow have demonstrative proof that I have divine power, wouldn't that settle the issue if I were really God's son? And so the issue there is, will I use the power that I may have, or rely on the word of God to give me the assurance I need?
So that's another way of looking at that first temptation, not appetite, but identity.
Well, certainly that's the deeper issue, but I think it's not for no reason that the Bible sets this up in the context of the Lord fasting. And I'm sure it's true. I've read it too.
I've not done it, that you could get to the point where you're not hungry. But once you start thinking about eating, then it's amazing how quickly people could realize, hey, I'm really hungry. It seems that the temptation had to do with the incarnation itself, that God, the Son, was making himself vulnerable by becoming flesh.
And so that was the first of the three avenues of attack that Lucifer brought on jesus. But that's, I think, a relatively minor issue. When I brought that up, it was to get to the Lord saying that speaking of his second coming of that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven nor the Son.
So he has a hierarchy. No man, no angel, not even the Son, but only the Father. And that's present knowledge.
The day that the Father plans to have his Son return. And so lacking that knowledge does not in any way diminish the Lord's divinity. He was fully God.
God was fully revealed in the person of jesus Christ. So when and there's other examples too, in the Bible of that. So when we theologians say that God knows everything that is logically possible to know, which is almost when you look, when you even look at the way God created the physical world.
I mean, inside of an atom, right, there's what, two septillion water molecules in a single drop of rain. And inside of every atom, inside the proton, there are three quarks, which are moving at like approaching the speed of light and quadrillions of interactions per second. And can God keep track of all that?
Absolutely, He can. But it seems that our theologians are imposing on God something that he's never claimed for himself. And they seem to be doing it to satisfy some kind of a mathematical equation of their theology about God, and not based on God as a person.
It seems.
I think you're on to something there. One of the, what should I say? One of the apparent inconsistencies of more traditional ways is the fact that people are willing to clarify the meaning of omnipotence, perfect power, when it comes to God, and say, well, that doesn't mean that God can do the logically impossible.
Right.
Can God add two and two and get five? Can God create married bachelors? And the response is, well, of course not.
But that doesn't, that's not a limitation of God's power. It's simply clarifying that what you're, what you verbally put together is not logically doable. And so, you know, that that's not something that makes any sense to do.
And so the parallel would be, when it comes to perfect knowledge, God knows everything logically knowable. does that include all future decisions and so on? Not if they don't exist at this time, not if they're possible objects of knowledge.
And so we're simply clarifying the nature of knowledge and along the lines of the nature of divine power. There's a parallel there.
yes, Dr. Rice, the author of The Future of Open Theism, I think that's a brilliant insight. And there's one that's very close to it. And that's how theologians treat God's knowledge inconsistently with how they treat his power in this way.
God being omniscient isn't claimed to mean that therefore God does everything. God doesn't have to do everything. God being omnipotent isn't claimed to mean that therefore God does everything.
Rather, he has the power to do anything doable that he wants to do. And likewise, if they were to be consistent, God's knowledge shouldn't mean that he knows everything, but rather he has the ability to know anything knowable that he wants to know. It seems like the two are very similar, but they're treated inconsistently.
I think you're right, and that's a problem. I guess the question we would ask is, can God create a world with creatures who have the ability to make decisions on their own and do things that would bring joy and delight to God because he looks forward to them and hopes they will do these things, or disappoint God? Is that the kind of world that's possible for God to create?
And if the answer is, well, no, God cannot create a world that is capable of surprising him. Well, then it sounds like there's something God can't do, or God decided not to create that kind of world. Well, then we've got the contrast between the world in which we live, which seems to be a kind of world where people do things on the basis of free choice and so on.
And that's not the kind of world that it looks like, according to classical theism, that God created. Well, wait a minute here. Can God create that kind of world if God wanted it?
And if God wants a world that has openness to it, a future where people in God's image make their own decisions, and those decisions enter God's knowledge as they're made, well, why couldn't God? Isn't that the kind of world that God created? So it looks like just looking at the kind of world in which we live, a drawing on personal experience, the fact that we make decisions, the fact that some things happen that are a source of delight, other things happen that are a source of disappointment and concern, that seems to be the kind of world that we live in.
And it seems to be the kind of world that the Bible describes God is creating. So it makes sense, I think, to say, yes, this is a logical possibility. In fact, it looks like the actual world that God made.
Dr. Rice, I have kept you way beyond our initial request for your time. You've been so generous. these two questions I have, I'm not going to ask them because we've gone too long, but if we end up doing another program, in addition to continuing to excerpt your book, I have two questions for you about the foundations of the argument or the position of open theism.
So perhaps we'll do another show if that works into your plans. But thank you so very much for taking this time with me and our audience. It truly is an honor.
Well, nice to be with you. Thank you for your interesting questions. Very provocative and for your interest in open theism.
I appreciate it a lot.
Well, you're very welcome. That is Dr. Richard Rice, one of the leading authors of the open theism movement. And of course, we will link to his latest book, The Future of Open Theism.
And if you go to opentheism.org and click on the timeline, you will see that it defaults to an entry for Dr. Rice. So it's a lot of fun. He's the man who put two words together and coined open theism.
This is Bob Enyart. May God bless you.
Hey, this is Dominic Enyart in studio. Thank you for joining us for that broadcast. A lot of fun, really insightful show.
Dr. Richard Rice and Bob Enyart, a power duo here on KGOV. Hope you really enjoyed that. If you want to support KGOV, the KGOV ministries, head to the store, kgov.com, click on the store, get any of Bob's vast library of products.
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In this enlightening episode, we delve into the formidable power of praise, especially during life's tumultuous storms. With heartfelt insights, Adrian Rogers draws from the narrative of King Jehoshaphat to illustrate the potent force that worship holds in overcoming adversities. As adversaries loom large, infusing intentional praise between strategic actions becomes a beacon of hope and a source of divine energy that confuses and defeats enemies.
SPEAKER 01 :
Pastor, teacher, and author Adrian Rogers has introduced people all over the world to the love of Jesus Christ and has impacted untold numbers of lives by presenting profound truth simply stated. Thanks for joining us for this message. Here's Adrian Rogers.
SPEAKER 02 :
Second Chronicles chapter 20. The message tonight is a serious message, but a helpful message, and it deals with praise. It deals with praising God IN THE TIME OF TROUBLE. THE TITLE OF THE MESSAGE, THE POWER OF PRAISE. NOW PRAISE IS A VERY POWERFUL THING. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN ENJOY THE CHRISTIAN LIFE WITHOUT PRAISE. IT'S PRAISE THAT JUST INFUSES THE JOY AND LETS THE JOY BEGIN TO FLOW. IF YOU'RE HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH JOY, IT IS PROBABLY BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT PRAISING THE LORD. NOW BE HONEST, HOW MANY FOLKS ENJOY SPORTS, FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? LET ME SEE YOUR HAND. THAT'S MOST OF US, MOST OF US. IF THAT'S A SIN, I PLEAD GUILTY. I REALLY DO, I ENJOY WATCHING SPORTS. I ENJOY WATCHING FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL, ESPECIALLY FOOTBALL. BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN MY FAVORITE TEAM IS PLAYING, AND, AND SOMETHING WONDERFUL HAPPENS, I MEAN, THERE'S A SPECTACULAR CATCH OR SOME INCREDIBLE PLAY, SOME, SOMETHING THAT IS JUST STUPENDOUS, I HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING. I MEAN, EVEN IF I'M WATCHING BY MYSELF, JOYCE CAN HEAR ME IN THE OTHER END OF THE HOUSE. I JUST HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING. UH, I, IF, IF, IF WE SCORE OR WHATEVER, I HAVE TO SAY, ALL RIGHT, OR THAT'S GOOD, OR WOW, OR, YEAH. YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LIKE, DON'T YOU DO THAT? DO YOU DO THAT? YOU JUST, AH. IF YOU DON'T SAY ANYTHING WHEN IT'S HAPPENING, YOUR ENJOYMENT OF THAT GAME IS GOING TO BE GREATLY DIMINISHED. TRY IT SOMETIME. JUST TRY SITTING THERE AND WATCHING A BALL GAME AND DON'T EXPRESS YOURSELF. JUST WATCH IT. DON'T SAY ANYTHING AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. YOUR JOY, YOUR ENJOYMENT OF THAT GAME WILL DIMINISH. SOME FOLKS SIT HERE IN CHURCH, BLESS ME IF YOU CAN. THEY DON'T GET ANYTHING OUT OF IT. IF THEY DO, IT'S GREATLY DIMINISHED. YOU GET INTO IT. BEGIN TO PRAISE. BEGIN TO LAUGH. BEGIN TO SAY AMEN. BEGIN TO NOD YOUR HEAD. PARTICIPATE. GIVE GOD THE GLORY. THE JOY WILL START TO FLOW. QUIT JUST BEING A NON-ENTITY IN A SERVICE LIKE THIS. YOU KNOW, IT, IT HELPS TO PRAISE IN TIME OF JOY AND, AND, UH, PRAISE BRINGS JOY. AND IT HELPS TO PRAISE IN TIME OF HELP. WHEN YOU'VE, WHEN SOMEBODY'S DONE SOMETHING FOR YOU, LEARN TO PRAISE THEM. GIVE HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE. THERE'S POWER IN THAT.
SPEAKER 1 :
HUH.
SPEAKER 02 :
A WOMAN TOLD A PREACHER, SHE SAID, THAT WAS A WONDERFUL SERMON. He said, well, praise the Lord. She said it wasn't that wonderful. Just praise one another. And praise God when God has done something for you. Give Him thanks. But one of the ways and things we need to do, one of the things we need to do and one of the ways that we need to praise is to praise in time of trouble. AND I WANT YOU TO SEE HERE IN A CLASSIC PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE THAT FROM TIME TO TIME WE'VE LOOKED AT, BUT WE MUST NEED TO LOOK AT IT AGAIN, SECOND CHRONICLES CHAPTER 20, SECOND CHRONICLES CHAPTER 20. AND I, FIRST THING I WANT YOU TO SEE IS WHAT I'M GOING TO CALL A POWERFUL FOE, A POWERFUL FOE. LOOK, VERSES ONE AND TWO, AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THIS ALSO THAT THE CHILDREN OF MOAB, and the children of Ammon, with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. And there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side, Syria, AND BEHOLD, THEY THAT BE IN HAZARZON, HAZARZONTAMON, WHICH IS ANGEDDON." NOW HERE IS KING JEHOSHAPHAT, A GOOD KING. HE LOVES THE LORD AND HE'S TOLD, YOU'VE GOT SOME ENEMIES OUT THERE. THERE ARE THREE POWERFUL KINGS THAT ARE COMING AGAINST YOU. THE INHABITANTS THERE OF AMAM AND MOAB AND MOUNT SEIR HAVE COME AGAINST YOU. WE MIGHT AS WELL MAKE UP OUR MIND AND REAFFIRM THE, THE TRUTH THAT WE HAVE THREE MIGHTY KINGS THAT COME AGAINST US ON A REGULAR BASIS, SIN, SORROW, AND DEATH. THESE ARE THE CHRISTIANS' THREE GREAT FOES, THE WORLD'S THREE GREAT FOES, SIN, SORROW, AND DEATH. AND WE'RE FACED WITH THEM TIME AND TIME AGAIN. SO NUMBER ONE, A POWERFUL FOE. EVERY ONE OF US WHO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE WILL MEET OPPOSITION FROM TIME TO TIME, AND SOMETIMES THE OPPOSITION WILL BE FIERCE. NUMBER TWO, NOT ONLY WAS THERE A POWERFUL FOE, BUT THANK GOD KING JEHOSHAPHAT MADE A POSITIVE FOCUS. LOOK IN VERSE THREE, AND JEHOSHAPHAT FEARED AND SET HIMSELF TO SEEK THE LORD AND PROCLAIM TO FAST THROUGHOUT ALL JUDAH. HE SET HIMSELF TO SEEK THE LORD." NOW GOD FOR JEHOSHAPHAT WAS HIS FIRST THOUGHT, NOT HIS LAST RESORT. JEHOSHAPHAT SAID, THE ENEMY'S OUT THERE, BUT GOD IS UP HERE, AND I AM GOING TO SEEK THE LORD WITH ALL OF MY HEART. A POWERFUL FOE CAUSED HIM TO HAVE A POSITIVE FOCUS. HE SET HIMSELF TO SEEK THE LORD. AND NOT ONLY WAS THERE A POSITIVE FOCUS, BUT THERE WAS A PROCLAIMED FAST. LOOK IF YOU WILL IN VERSE THREE, THE LAST PART, AND HE PROCLAIMED A FAST THROUGHOUT ALL JUDAH. AMERICA IS SICK. IT IS TIME FOR THE CHURCH OF THE LORD GOD TO SHARPEN HER FOCUS and proclaim a fast to seek God. It is not that by fasting we buy God's blessings. God's blessings are always by grace, but yet God does business with those that mean business. And when we have a positive focus, fasting just simply sharpens the focus. It causes us to think about God in a way that nothing else that I know of does. NOW THE NEXT THING I WANT YOU TO SEE IS A, A PURPOSEFUL FELLOWSHIP. LOOK IF YOU WILL IN VERSE FOUR, AND JUDAH GATHERED THEMSELVES TOGETHER TO ASK HELP OF THE LORD. EVEN OUT OF ALL OF THE CITIES OF JUDAH THEY CAME TO SEEK THE LORD. EVERYBODY CAME TOGETHER TO SEEK GOD. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN AMERICA IF IN ALL OF THE CITIES OF AMERICA PEOPLE JUST GOT TOGETHER TO SEEK THE LORD, BLACK AND WHITE, BAPTISTS, ASSEMBLY OF GOD, METHODISTS, PRESBYTERIAN, LUTHERAN, PENTECOSTAL, WHOMEVER WANTS TO, WHOMEVER WILL, TO COME TO SEEK THE LORD, A PURPOSEFUL FELLOWSHIP. AND WHEN WE COME TO SEEK THE LORD, HE SHOWS UP. FOR OUR LORD SAID, WHERE TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED IN MY NAME, THERE AM I IN THE MIDST OF THEM. AND WHEN WE COME TOGETHER, NOT TO TRY TO HEAL RACISM, NOT TO TRY TO SOLVE POVERTY, NOT TO ENTERTAIN OURSELVES, NOT TO, UH, GET AMERICA DELIVERED FROM HER ENEMIES, BUT WHEN WE COME TO SEEK THE LORD, TO SEEK THE LORD, TO SEEK THE LORD, WE WILL BE IN ONE ACCORD AND THEN WE WILL BE FAR ABLE, FAR BETTER ABLE TO ATTACK ALL OF THESE OTHER PROBLEMS THAT NEED TO BE DEALT WITH. BUT WE CANNOT BYPASS THE ONE THING THAT WE MUST DO AND GOD HELP US THAT WE WILL DO IS TO COME TOGETHER TO SEEK THE LORD, TO SEEK THE LORD. LOOK AT IT, LOOK AT IT. VERSE THREE, AND JEHOSHAPHAT FEARED AND SET HIMSELF TO SEEK THE LORD. THE LAST PART OF VERSE FOUR, THEY CAME TO SEEK THE LORD. IT WAS A PURPOSEFUL FELLOWSHIP TO SEEK THE LORD. NOT POLITICAL, NOT SOCIAL, NOT RACIAL, BUT SPIRITUAL, COMING TO SEEK THE LORD, A PURPOSEFUL FELLOWSHIP, VERSE FOUR. AND THEN THERE WAS A, A PRAYERFUL FAITH. AND NOW I WANT TO READ ON THROUGH VERSE 13, LOOK AT IT. AND JEHOSHAPHAT STOOD IN THE CONGREGATION OF JUDAH AND JERUSALEM IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD BEFORE THE NEW COURT, AND SAID, AND I WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO THIS PRAYER. BEFORE I READ THIS PRAYER, I WANT TO SAY THIS. THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, WHEN I HAVE A PROBLEM, IT IS VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PUT YOUR EYES UPON GOD, THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE CHARACTER AND THE NATURE OF GOD. AND IN THIS PRAYER THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE, WE'RE GOING TO FIND FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NATURE OF GOD. AND WHEN A PROBLEM COMES, YOU NEED TO GLANCE AT YOUR PROBLEMS AND GAZE AT YOUR GOD. I WANT YOU TO SEE THE PRAYER THAT JEHOSHAPHAT PRAYED. NOW DON'T JUST GLANCE OVER THIS. DON'T JUST GLAZE OVER THIS. DON'T JUST GO THROUGH THIS CARELESSLY. BECAUSE THERE ARE FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NATURE OF GOD THAT ARE IN THIS PRAYER THAT GREATLY ENCOURAGED ME WHEN I LOOKED AT IT. FIRST OF ALL, JEHOSHAPHAT SAW GOD AS A SOVEREIGN GOD. LOOK IN VERSE SIX AND SAID, O LORD GOD OF OUR FATHERS, NOW LISTEN TO THIS, ART THOU NOT GOD IN HEAVEN? AND RULEST NOT THOU OVER ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE HEATHEN? AND IN THINE HAND IS THERE NOT POWER AND MIGHT, SO THAT NONE IS ABLE TO WITHSTAND THEE? QUESTION, CAN THE PORNOGRAPHERS WITHSTAND GOD? CAN THE LIQUOR DEALERS WITHSTAND GOD? CAN THE BABY BUTCHERS WITHSTAND GOD? CAN THE SODOMITES WITHSTAND GOD? NO. THERE IS NONE. THIS IS WHAT HE SAYS, YOU RULE OVERALL. THERE IS NOT POWER AND MIGHT SO THAT NONE IS ABLE TO WITHSTAND THEE. AND IT'S ABOUT TIME WE BELIEVE THAT. PEOPLE GOING AROUND WRINGING THEIR HANDS, SAYING, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? WELL, I CAN TELL YOU THERE'S NO PANIC IN HEAVEN. AND I CAN TELL YOU ALSO THAT THE HOLY TRINITY NEVER MEETS AN EMERGENCY SESSION. YOU SAY, WELL, PASTOR, I HAVE A BIG PROBLEM, ALL RIGHT? I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THE BIGGEST PROBLEM YOU HAVE. I MEAN THE VERY BIGGEST. THEN I WANT YOU TO DOUBLE IT. THEN I WANT YOU TO DOUBLE IT AGAIN. THEN I WANT YOU TO CO, COMPARE IT TO ALMIGHTY GOD AND TELL ME THAT YOUR PROBLEM IS TOO BIG FOR GOD. LISTEN, JEHOSHAPHAT BEGAN TO PRAY, AND FIRST OF ALL, HIS PRAYER WAS ADDRESSED TO A SOVEREIGN GOD. SECONDLY, VERSE SEVEN, IT WAS ADDRESSED TO A STEADFAST GOD. NOW LOOK AT VERSE SEVEN, ART NOT THOU OUR GOD, WHO DIDST DRIVE OUT THE INHABITANTS OF THIS LAND BEFORE THY PEOPLE ISRAEL, AND GAVEST IT TO THE SEED OF ABRAHAM THY FRIEND FOREVER? WHAT DOES HE SAY? HE SAID, GOD, YOU MADE A PROMISE TO ABRAHAM. YOU SAID TO ABRAHAM, I AM GOING TO GIVE YOU THIS LAND AND IT IS YOURS AND IT IS YOURS FOREVER. AND NOW, LORD, THIS BUNCH IS COMING TO TAKE AWAY FROM US THAT WHICH YOU GAVE US. AND, LORD, WE ARE STANDING ON YOUR WORD AND WE'RE PRAYING ON THE BASIS OF YOUR PROMISE. YOU ARE A STEADFAST GOD. YOU DON'T CHANGE WHAT YOU SAID TO ABRAHAM. YOU'RE SAYING TO US AND WE'RE STANDING ON YOUR WORD. GOD IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND FOREVERMORE. AND THE GOD WHO HAS WORKED MIRACLES IN THE PAST IS THE GOD WHO CAN WORK MIRACLES TODAY. AND DON'T YOU INSULT GOD BY SAYING, WE CANNOT HAVE REVIVAL IN THIS DAY AND IN THIS AGE. IT'S AN INSULT TO GOD BECAUSE GOD IS STILL POWERFUL. HE STILL HAS POWER TO SAVE MULTITUDES, TO SHAKE CITIES, AND TO SEND REVIVAL. STUDY THE HISTORY OF REVIVAL. AND GOD HAS SENT REVIVAL IN DARK DAYS BEFORE, AND GOD CAN AND GOD WILL, IF WE WILL TRUST HIM, SEND REVIVAL TODAY. HE IS A SOVEREIGN GOD, HE IS A STEADFAST GOD, AND HE IS A SYMPATHETIC GOD. LOOK IN VERSES EIGHT AND NINE AS WE CONTINUE TO READ, AND THEY DWELT THEREIN, AND HAVE BUILT THEIR SANCTUARY THEREIN FOR THY NAME, SAYING, IF, WHEN EVIL COMETH UPON US, AS THE SWORD, JUDGMENT, AND BY THE WAY, AMERICA IS UNDER JUDGMENT, JUDGMENT OR PESTILENCE, AMERICA HAS PESTILENCE, IT'S THE AGE PESTILENCE, OR FAMINE, WE STAND BEFORE THIS HOUSE AND IN THY PRESENCE, FOR THY NAME IS IN THIS HOUSE, THAT IS, THEY'RE PRAYING ON THE BASIS OF GOD'S GLORY, AND CRY UNTO THEE IN OUR AFFLICTION, THEN THOU WILL HEAR AND HELP. IS THAT UNDERSCORED IN YOUR BIBLE? IT IS IN MINE. THEN THOU WILL HEAR AND HELP. I LOVE THAT. THE GOD WHO HEARS AND THE GOD WHO HELPS. HE IS A SYMPATHETIC GOD. IF WE CRY TO HIM, HE WILL HEAR AND HE WILL HELP. HE WILL HEAR, HE WILL HELP. HE IS A SOVEREIGN GOD. HE IS A STEADFAST GOD. HE IS A SYMPATHETIC GOD. THE BIBLE SAYS IN ALL THEIR AFFLICTIONS HE WAS AFFLICTED. HE'S TOUCHED WITH THE FEELING OF OUR INFIRMITY. Then next, He is a seeing God. Look, if you will, in verse 10, "'Now behold,' that is, Lord, take a look. "'Now behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, "'whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, "'these, Lord, that you protected "'when they came out of the land of Egypt, "'but they turned from them and destroyed them not. "'That is, we showed mercy to them. "'Behold,' I say, how they reward us.' TO COME TO CAST US OUT OF THY POSSESSION WHICH THOU HAST GIVEN US TO INHERIT." NOW WHAT'S HE SAYING? HE'S SAYING, GOD, TAKE A LOOK AT ALL OF THIS. JUST BEHOLD IT. YOU SAY, DO I HAVE TO TELL GOD TO LOOK AT WHAT HE ALREADY SEES? YES. DO I HAVE TO ASK GOD FOR WHAT HE KNOWS I ALREADY NEED? YES. BUT THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT OUR PRAYER THAT GETS GOD'S ATTENTION AND CAUSES HIM IN A VERY SPECIAL WAY TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE FOCUS ON. HE IS A SEEING GOD. AND TWICE, GOD IS ASKED TO BEHOLD THIS. VERSE 10, AND NOW BEHOLD. VERSE 11, BEHOLD I SAY. HE IS THE SEEING GOD. GOD KNOWS YOUR SITUATION. HE KNOWS YOUR ENEMY. HE KNOWS YOUR DANGER. HE KNOWS WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW. HE KNOWS WHAT YOU'RE THINKING THIS VERY MOMENT. AND THAT HELPS US WHEN WE PRAY. THERE'S NOTHING THAT ESCAPES HIS NOTICE. NOT ONLY IS HE A SEEING GOD, BUT HE IS THE SAVING GOD. LOOK, IF YOU WILL, IN VERSES 12 AND 13, O OUR GOD. BY THE WAY, THESE ARE TWO OF THE GREATEST VERSES IN THE CHAPTER. O OUR GOD, WILT THOU NOT JUDGE THEM? FOR WE HAVE NO MIGHT AGAINST THIS GREAT COMPANY THAT COMETH AGAINST US, NEITHER KNOW WE WHAT TO DO. BUT OUR EYES ARE UPON THEE. AND ALL JUDAH STOOD BEFORE THE LORD WITH THEIR LITTLE ONES, THEIR WIVES, AND THEIR CHILDREN. OH, GOD, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. WE DON'T HAVE ANY STRENGTH. BUT, LORD, OUR EYES ARE ON YOU. HERE ARE OUR WIVES. HERE ARE OUR CHILDREN. HERE ARE OUR LITTLE BABIES. LORD, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. THEY'RE COMING AGAINST US. GOD, WE DON'T HAVE ANY MIGHT. WE DON'T HAVE ANY STRENGTH. HOLLYWOOD IS GREATER THAN WE ARE. THE LIQUOR PEOPLE HAVE MORE MONEY THAN WE HAVE. THE MEDIA SEEMS TO BE AGAINST US. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. BUT GOD, OUR EYES ARE ON YOU. HMM. IF WE GO DOWN, WE'RE GOING DOWN WITH OUR EYES ON YOU. IF THEY KILL US, THEY'RE GONNA KILL US WITH OUR EYES ON YOU. LORD, YOU ARE THE GOD WHO CAN DELIVER US. YOU ARE THE SOVEREIGN GOD. You are the steadfast God. You are the sympathetic God. You are the seeing God. You are the saving God. AND SO WHAT THEY DID, FRIEND, THEY JUST CAME TO A PRAYERFUL FAITH AND BEGAN TO PRAY, NOT ON THE BASIS OF WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, BUT ON WHO GOD IS. NEXT THING, NOT ONLY A PRAYERFUL FAITH, BUT A PROPHETIC FACT. NOW THEY'RE PRAYING, AND WHEN THEY PRAY, GOD BEGINS TO SPEAK AND ANSWER. BEGIN NOW IN VERSE 14. And upon Jehaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation. And the Lord said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou King Jehoshaphat. Thus saith the Lord unto you, BE NOT AFRAID NOR DISMAYED BY REASON OF THIS GREAT MULTITUDE, THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS BUT GOD'S. OH! OH! THAT'S IT! THAT'S IT! THAT'S IT! THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS BUT GOD, A PROPHETIC FACT. NOW THEY'RE PRAYING. THEY'RE SEEKING GOD. THEY'RE SAYING, GOD, WE HAVE NO MIGHT. WE HAVE NO UNDERSTANDING. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. BUT WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE SET OURSELVES TO SEEK YOU. WE'VE GATHERED TOGETHER TO SEEK YOU. WE'VE PROCLAIMED TO FAST TO SEEK YOU. AND GOD THEN BEGINS TO MOVE. AND GOD BEGINS TO SPEAK. AND GOD TAKES A SPIRIT ANOINTED PREACHER TO BRING A MESSAGE. THANK GOD THAT THE SPIRIT OF GOD DOES ANOINT. THANK GOD FOR SPIRIT-FILLED MESSENGERS. AND THE MESSENGER SAID, HERE'S THE MESSAGE FROM GOD. HERE IS THE PROPHETIC FACT THAT WE NEED TO SEE ONE MORE TIME. VICTORY BELONGS TO GOD. THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS, BUT GOD'S. NOW, THE PROPHETIC FACT BRINGS US TO THE POTENT FORCE. AND WHAT IS THE POTENT FORCE? WELL, BEGIN NOW IN VERSE 16 AND READ THROUGH VERSE 22. HERE'S WHAT THE MAN OF GOD SAID. HERE IS WHAT THE PROPHET SAID. TOMORROW GO YE DOWN AGAINST THEM. BEHOLD, THEY COME UP BY THE CLIFF OF ZIZ, AND YE SHALL FIND THEM AT THE END OF THE BROOK BEFORE THE WILDERNESS OF JAPAN. Ruel, and ye shall not need to fight in this battle. Set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem, FEAR NOT, NOR BE DISMAYED. TOMORROW GO OUT AGAINST THEM, FOR THE LORD WILL BE WITH YOU.' AND JEHOSHAPHAT BOWED HIS HEAD WITH HIS FACE TO THE GROUND. AND ALL JUDAH AND THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM FELL BEFORE THE LORD, WORSHIPING THE LORD. AND THE LEVITES OF THE CHILDREN OF THE KOTHITES AND OF THE CHILDREN OF THE KORHITES STOOD UP TO PRAISE THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL WITH A LOUD VOICE ON HIGH. BY THE WAY, IF YOU DON'T LIKE LOUD MUSIC, YOU WOULDN'T LIKE IT HERE. THEY BEGAN TO PRAISE THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL WITH A LOUD VOICE ON HIGH. AND THEY ROSE EARLY IN THE MORNING, AND WENT FORTH INTO THE WILDERNESS OF TO, UH, TECHOA. AND AS THEY WENT FORTH, JEHOSHAPHAT STOOD AND SAID, HEAR ME, O JUDAH, YE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM, BELIEVE IN THE LORD YOUR GOD. AND BOY, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE OF THESE GREAT STATEMENTS IN HERE. BELIEVE IN THE LORD YOUR GOD, SO SHALL YOU BE ESTABLISHED. BELIEVE HIS PROPHETS. SO SHALL YE PROSPER. GOD RAISED UP A PROPHET AND GOD SAID, BELIEVE HIM IF YOU WANT TO PROSPER. AND WHEN HE HAD CONSULTED WITH THE PEOPLE, HE APPOINTED SINGERS UNTO THE LORD, THAT THEY SHOULD PRAISE THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. AND THERE'S ANOTHER GREAT PHRASE. SINGERS UNTO THE LORD, THAT THEY SHOULD PRAISE THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS, AS THEY WENT OUT BEFORE THE LORD, AND TO SAY, PRAISE THE LORD, FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER. AND WHEN THEY BEGAN TO SING AND TO PRAISE, THE LORD SET AMBUSHMENTS AGAINST THE CHILDREN OF AMMON, MOAB, AND MOUNT SEIR, WHICH WERE COME AGAINST JUDAH, AND THEY WERE SMITTEN. FOR THE CHILDREN OF AMMON AND MOAB STOOD UP AGAINST THE INHABITANTS OF MOUNT SEIR, UTTERLY TO SLAY AND TO DESTROY THEM. AND WHEN THEY'D MADE AN END OF THE INHABITANTS OF SEIR, EVERY ONE HELPED TO DESTROY ANOTHER. AND WHEN JUDAH CAME TOWARD THE WATCH TOWER IN THE WILDERNESS, THEY LOOKED UNTO THE MULTITUDE, AND, BEHOLD, THERE WERE DEAD BODIES FALLEN TO THE EARTH, AND NONE ESCAPED." NOW WHAT IS THE POTENT FORCE? THE POTENT FORCE IS PRAISE. NOW, THE PROPHET OF GOD SAID, THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS, BUT THE LORD'S, BUT YOU HAVE A PART, AND YOUR PART IS PRAISE, AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HIDE UNTIL IT'S ALL OVER. NOW A LOT OF US WOULD HAVE SAID, NOW GOD, WHEN IT'S ALL OVER, HUH, WHEN WE HAVE THE VICTORY, THEN WE'RE GOING TO PRAISE YOU FOR THE VICTORY. BUT GOD SAYS, OH NO, THE BATTLE IS MINE, THE BATTLE IS, IS NOT YOURS, BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HIDE UNTIL IT'S OVER, AND, AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PRAISE, ON THE FRONT END, NOT AT THE REAR END. BUT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PRAISE AT THE BEGINNING, NOT AT THE CONCLUSION. YOU CAN'T PRAISE AFTER IT'S OVER, BECAUSE IT WON'T BE OVER UNTIL YOU BEGAN TO PRAISE. I WONDER, HAVE YOU LEARNED TO PRAISE GOD IN YOUR PROBLEMS? YOU SAY, I CAN'T PRAISE GOD IN THE MIDST OF MY PROBLEMS. WELL, THEN GO AHEAD AND LIVE WITH HIM. LET'S GO AHEAD AND LIVE WITH HIM. BUT FRIEND, IF YOU WILL DO WHAT THIS WONDERFUL TWENTYTH CHAPTER OF SECOND CHRONICLES TEACHES US TO DO, YOU CAN PRAISE AND SEE GOD MOVE. DID YOU KNOW WHAT PRAISE IS? PRAISE IS FAITH EXPRESSING ITSELF. THAT'S ALL PRAISE IS. PRAISE IS JUST FAITH TURNED INSIDE OUT. NOW, WE, WE COME TO GOD, WE MUST ASK GOD. THAT'S WHAT THESE PEOPLE DID. THEY CAME AND THEY ASKED GOD, THEY SAID, GOD DELIVER US, OUR EYES ARE ON YOU, HELP US. THAT'S PETITION. BUT PETITION MUST BE MARRIED TO PRAISE. PETITION SAYS PLEASE, PRAISE SAYS THANK YOU. BUT PRAISE SAYS THANK YOU ON THE FRONT END. SEE, PRAISE BRINGS GOD INTO IT. DO YOU REMEMBER THAT PASSAGE OVER THERE IN PSALM 22 VERSE 3, WHERE GOD OCCUPIES THE PRAISE OF HIS PEOPLE? WHAT IS GOD'S ADDRESS? WHERE DOES GOD LIVE? PRAISE IS GOD'S ADDRESS. WHEREVER THERE'S PRAISE, GOD SHOWS UP. GOD OCCUPIES THE PRAISE OF HIS PEOPLE. THE TWO WINGS OF POWER ARE PETITION AND PRAISE. NOW, LET ME TELL YOU TWO THINGS PRAISE WILL DO. I LOVE IT. AND IT'S RIGHT HERE IN VERSES 16 THROUGH 22. HERE'S TWO THINGS PRAISE WILL DO. PRAISE INFUSES THE ENERGY OF GOD. NUMBER TWO, PRAISE CONFUSES THE ENEMIES OF GOD. PRAISE INFUSES THE ENERGY OF GOD. PRAISE CONFUSES THE ENEMY OF GOD. WHEN YOU BEGIN TO PRAISE, GOD'S ENERGY JUST BEGINS TO FILL YOU. IT INFUSES YOU WITH ENERGY AND POWER BECAUSE GOD IS IN THAT PRAISE. AND WHEN YOU BEGIN TO PRAISE, NOT ONLY IS THAT PRAISE VERY HEALTHY FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT, IT IS THE AMBIENCE, THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT OCCUPIES, BUT SATAN IS ALLERGIC TO IT. SATAN BREAKS OUT WITH HIVES. When you begin to praise God, Satan gets confused. Now here are these enemies. Here are the inhabitants of Ammon and Moab, Mount Seir. And they're all coming against one enemy, against Israel. And here goes the army of God. And they're just going against the enemy. And they're singing the battle hymn of the Republic. And they're singing victory in Jesus. And they're singing what a mighty God we serve. AND SATAN GOES BANANAS. I MEAN, THEY TURNED ON EACH OTHER. THEY BEGAN TO KILL ONE ANOTHER AND DESTROY ONE ANOTHER. THEY GOT IN ABSOLUTE CONFUSION. PRAISE FRACTURES THE UNITY OF THE ENEMY. AND PRAISE FORMULATES THE UNITY OF THE BELIEVER. Oh, how we need to be bound together, praising the Lord God. What a potent force is praise. It infuses the energy of God. It confuses the enemy of God. And so there's a potent force. And now what happens? Well, look, if you will, in verse 25. There is a provided fortune. And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, THEY FOUND AMONG THEM IN ABUNDANCE BOTH RICHES WITH THE DEAD BODIES, AND PRECIOUS JEWELS, WHICH THEY HAD STRIPPED OFF FOR THEMSELVES MORE THAN THEY COULD CARRY AWAY. AND THEY WERE THREE DAYS IN GATHERING OF THE SPOIL." IT WAS SO MUCH. NOW HOW ABOUT THAT FOR A SWITCH? HERE THEY HAVE AN ENEMY. THIS ENEMY LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO DESTROY THEM. YOU SAY, OH GOD, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO. THEN GOD, AS THEY SEEK THE LORD IN FASTING AND PRAYER, GOD SENDS THEM A MESSAGE. THEY OBEY THE MESSAGE. THEY BEGAN TO BELIEVE GOD AND PRAISE GOD. THE ENEMY IS PUT INTO CONFUSION. AND NOW THEY'RE LEFT WITH ALL THIS BOUNTY, THESE SPOILS. TREASURE. FOR THREE DAYS THEY'RE TRYING TO LOAD IT UP AND CARRY IT OFF. IS GOD'S MESSENGER BOY. YOU SAY, WHY DOESN'T GOD KILL THE DEVIL? DID YOU KNOW THAT GOD USES THE DEVIL? IF WE WILL BEGIN TO PRAISE THE LORD, THE DEVIL WILL BECOME OUR SERVANT TO ENRICH US. I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THE TIMES THAT I'VE BEEN IN SPIRITUAL BATTLE, AND I GUESS I'VE BEEN IN SPIRITUAL BATTLE ALL MY LIFE. SOMEBODY ASKED ME THE OTHER DAY, HE SAID, ARE YOU UNDER PRESSURE? I SAID, I DON'T KNOW. I don't know, I've never been any other way. It's like the woman didn't know her husband was drinking until one day he came home sober. I mean, I've just been under pressure, I guess. I don't know whether it's pressure or not. I just live this way. I'll tell you one thing. There have been some times when I've been under pressure, pressure. There have been some times when, I mean, it's really, really, really been tough. EVERY ONE OF THOSE TIMES WHEN I'VE TURNED TO THE LORD, NOT ONLY HAS HE BROUGHT ME THROUGH, BUT HE'S MADE ME RICH EVERY TIME, EVERY TIME. I HAVE COME OUT WITH BOTH HANDS FULL OF RUBIES AND DIAMONDS AND EMERALDS AND GOLD. AND THOUGH I WOULDN'T CHOOSE IT, I WOULDN'T TAKE ANYTHING FOR IT, For the way that what the enemy meant for evil, God used for good. And David cut Goliath's head off with Goliath's sword. And God takes that which the enemy means against us for evil. AND GOD USES IT FOR HIS GLORY AND HIS GOOD. GOD WANTS TO DO THAT FOR BIBLE BELIEVERS IN AMERICA. AND WHAT WE THINK ARE CALAMITOUS THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THESE DAYS, IF WE WILL SET OURSELVES, SET OURSELVES, SET OURSELVES TO SEEK GOD IN FASTING AND PRAYER AND PRAISE, WE'LL SEE GOD DO A MIRACLE IN AMERICA. AND I'M, FOR ONE, I'M HUNGRY TO SEE IT HAPPEN. AND WHEN IT HAPPENS, HUH, NOBODY'S GONNA GET THE PRAISE BUT JESUS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, YOU'LL HAVE TO GET TO PRAISE BEFORE IT HAPPENS. AND IT'S JUST, IT, IT'S A PROVIDED FORTUNE. VERSE 25, AND THEN VERSES 26 THROUGH 30, A PEACEFUL FUTURE. LOOK IF YOU WILL IN VERSE 26 HERE, AND ON THE FOURTH DAY THEY ASSEMBLED THEMSELVES IN THE VALLEY OF BARAKA, FOR THERE THEY BLESSED THE LORD. THEREFORE THE NAME OF THE SAME PLACE WAS CALLED THE VALLEY OF BARAKA UNTIL THIS DAY. THEN THEY RETURNED EVERY MAN TO JUDAH AND JERUSALEM, AND JEHOSHAPHAT IN THE FOREFRONT OF THEM, TO GO AGAIN TO JERUSALEM WITH JOY. FOR THE LORD HAD MADE THEM TO REJOICE OVER THEIR ENEMIES. AND THEY CAME TO JERUSALEM WITH SALTRIES AND HARPS AND TRUMPETS UNTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD." WHAT A DAY THAT MUST HAVE BEEN. AND THE FEAR OF GOD WAS ON ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THOSE COUNTRIES. WHEN THEY HAD HEARD THAT THE LORD HAD FOUGHT AGAINST THE ENEMIES OF ISRAEL. SO THE REALM OF JEHOSHAPHAT WAS QUIET, FOR HIS GOD GAVE HIM REST." ROUND ABOUT, A PEACEFUL FUTURE. DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE ENEMIES LOVED HIM, THEY STILL HATED HIM. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS? THE BIBLE SAYS, WHEN A MAN'S WAYS PLEASE THE LORD, EVEN HIS ENEMIES WILL BE AT PEACE WITH HIM. DOESN'T MEAN THEY'LL LOVE HIM, THEY'RE JUST AFRAID OF HIM, JUST AFRAID OF HIM. WOULDN'T IT BE WONDERFUL AGAIN IF, IF, IF THIS WORLD WERE AFRAID OF THE PRAYERS OF GOD'S PEOPLE? WOULDN'T IT BE WONDERFUL AGAIN IF THEY SAY, DON'T TOUCH THEM, THEY'RE HOLY PEOPLE. DON'T MESS WITH THEM, GOD IS WITH THOSE FOLKS. THEY DON'T HAVE ANY RESPECT FOR US TODAY, THEY LAUGH AT US, THEY MOCK AT US, AND WELL THEY OUGHT BECAUSE WE DESERVE IT. BUT FRIEND, I WANT US TO COME TO A PLACE WHERE THEY SAY, DON'T, DON'T MESS WITH THEM, GOD IS WITH THEM. AND WHEN A MAN'S WAYS PLEASE THE LORD, HE MAKES EVEN HIS ENEMIES TO BE AT PEACE WITH HIM. WELL, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED A LONG TIME AGO. WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO SEE IT HAPPEN AGAIN? I WOULD. NOW, I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO GET FRIGHTENED NOW, BUT I WANT TO GIVE YOU TEN FACTS. I KNOW THAT'S A LOT. I'M JUST GOING TO, THEY'RE GOING TO BE SHORT. BUT IF YOU'VE GOT SOME PROBLEMS, HERE'S WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO. LISTEN TO ME NOW. NUMBER ONE, YOU NEED TO LEARN TO SEE ALL SATANIC OPPOSITION AS OPPORTUNITY. GOT IT? SEE ALL SATANIC OPPOSITION AS OPPORTUNITY. THAT'LL PUT A DIFFERENT FOCUS ON IT. NUMBER TWO, SEEK GOD, SET YOURSELF TO SEEK GOD BEFORE YOU TAKE ANY ACTION. NUMBER THREE, REMEMBER THOSE TIMES WHEN YOU SEEK GOD THAT HE HAS SHOWN HIMSELF FAITHFUL IN THE PAST AS JEHOSHAPHAT DID. THINK BACK ON OTHER TIMES WHEN HE DELIVERED YOU. NUMBER FOUR, BEGIN TO STUDY THE WORD OF GOD FOR A PROMISE ON WHICH TO STAND. NUMBER FIVE, LET THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD MAKE THAT PROMISE REAL AND LIVE IN YOUR HEART. NUMBER SIX, REFUSE ANY CONFIDENCE WHATSOEVER IN THE FLESH. NUMBER SEVEN, GIVE YOURSELF TO FULL, FREE, UNRESTRAINED, OPEN WORSHIP AND PRAISE OF THE ALMIGHTY. NUMBER EIGHT, BEGIN TO PRAISE GOD IN THE FACE OF OPPOSITION AND IN THE FACE OF THE ENEMY. NUMBER NINE, EXPECT GOD TO SEND CONFUSION TO YOUR ENEMIES. NUMBER TEN, GET READY FOR A BLESSING. GET READY FOR A BLESSING. THAT'S WHAT THIS CHAPTER IS TELLING US.
SPEAKER 01 :
If you would like to learn more about how you can know Jesus or deepen your relationship with Him, simply click the Discover Jesus link on our website, lwf.org. For a copy of this message or additional resources, visit our online store at lwf.org or call 1-800-274-5683. Thank you.
Join us as we dive deep into the climate change debate with expert Mark Morano. Explore the real causes behind the recent wildfires in California and unravel the myths surrounding climate emergencies. With insights from renowned reports and debunking common misconceptions, this episode challenges the mainstream narrative on climate change's role in natural disasters. Mark discusses the political landscape of climate policies, addressing how human influence, rather than climate change, is a major player in natural disasters. He highlights the importance of understanding the actual data trends in climate science and cautions against the alarming headlines often propagated by the media. As we examine the historical context of climate variations, we learn that many claims, like those of the hottest years on record, are statistically manipulated for political gain. Furthermore, we explore President Trump's significant actions regarding the Paris Climate Agreement and the broader implications of climate politics in America. From insights into Trump's enduring commitment to an America-first agenda to the ideological battles within the political sphere, this episode provides a comprehensive look at the stakes involved in the ongoing climate debate.
SPEAKER 05 :
Is climate change responsible for the LA fires? Was it a good idea for President Trump to take us out of the Paris Climate Agreement? Stay tuned for one of the world's foremost experts and best-selling authors on the ongoing climate debate that affects all of us in many ways real and imagined.
SPEAKER 04 :
Intelligent Design and DNA
SPEAKER 03 :
Explain it all away. Get ready to be awed by the handiwork of God.
SPEAKER 1 :
Tune into Real Science Radio. Turn up the Real Science Radio.
SPEAKER 04 :
Keeping it real.
SPEAKER 05 :
Joining us to answer these questions is none other than Mark Morano of Climate Depot. That's climatedepot.org. Welcome to Real Science Radio, Mr. Morano.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you, Fred. Thank you, Doug. Happy to be here. It's climatedepot.com.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, .com. Gotcha. climatedepot.com. Thank you.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes, I should have caught that, Mr. Morano, because I've used your material for years. Just a fountainhead of good climate information at ClimateDepot.com. Amazing. So glad to have you on. Thank you. By the way, Mr. Morano has appeared on numerous TV shows, including Fox News, CNN, if that's worth mentioning. He was with Bill Nye, the fake science guy. And so, Mark... Is climate change responsible for the fires in Los Angeles?
SPEAKER 01 :
Wow. Great question. If you ask Governor Newsom, absolutely. He wants to blame this all on climate change. If you ask the mayor of Los Angeles, absolutely. But here's the thing. You know, if you look at even the United Nations is forced to concede, even the National Climate Assessment under Joe Biden's administration was forced to concede that extreme weather events, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, wildfires, droughts, are either no trend or declining trends on climate timescales of 30, 50, 100 years. So you can always find an extreme weather event if you say like Southwest California or the coast of Florida or this region of Australia. Your chance of winning the lottery, very low. The chance of someone somewhere winning the lottery is very high. So what the media does is with all the extreme weather, including wildfires, shows it all like it's happening, unprecedented, we've never seen it, all nonsense. You know, the same way if you believe more and more people are winning the lottery and everyone's winning and you can see the winners that are featured on TV and look at this, we're covering it. In the case of wildfires, among all the extreme weather events I mentioned, they're probably the least climate influenced. And what I mean by that is they are the most man, human policy influenced on terms of the ground. And I'll get to that in a second. But before I get to just that influence of wildfires is that wildfires themselves are in these UN and all these reports with the extreme weather events, wildfires are down dramatically over the last hundred years. You can go back to 1920s, and this is both globally and in the United States. Precipitous drop, like 80% drop in the incidence and severity. One thing we've learned to do is deal with wildfires as we've developed. Now, What happened in California, in general with wildfires, you're dealing with land use, water diversion, trees, forestry practices, shrub management, emergency response, training of emergency response, early warning systems. Nothing I just mentioned has to do with climate change. So what happened in California, and we have it documented now, 45 minutes. delay for the first fire, which was crucial. We have now the top U.S. Geological Survey scientist came out two weeks ago and said this is not a climate change fire. And it was actually citing a study from 2001 showing that almost 100% of the fires are started by humans. So this was not sparked by lightning. And also California had Record precipitation in recent days. So the idea that it was all dried out and just ready to go isn't accurate either. So that's the situation. This is not a climate change fire. It is a man-made disaster. It is man-made by the misplaced priorities of California. Water diversions, blowing up dams, worried about endangered species, trying to return California to a Garden of Eden. We're not going to develop. Any of these lands, we're going to keep them pristine and pre-human settlement. Well, you have a lot of human settlement, and what happens is you end up screwing the humans there.
SPEAKER 02 :
That's so true. There are too many humans settling outside of houses in California. The homeless is a huge problem. And just to prove the point that you just made, in San Diego County just a couple days ago, three fires broke out in the middle of the night. Winds were up in the 60 to 100 mile an hour range, but the firemen put the fires out immediately because San Diego County is not Los Angeles.
SPEAKER 01 :
I was in San Diego and that was actually non-woke run and there was no homeless people. I had a friend, I think it was Santa Monica or somewhere just recently, and they're like, I don't understand the big deal about California. The city was, there were no homeless, there was no graffiti, there was no drug use, there was no one. So I said, what city was it? I looked it up. I don't want to get partisan here, but it's just the idea. It's not a woke Democrat. The entire city council was 100% Republican. The mayor was 100% Republican. And I had people marveling like, well, California is not as bad as I heard. This city was beautiful. You know, it really is a mind virus, this idea of woke. It's not necessarily all Democrats. You have people like Michael Schellenberger, who ran for governor. He was a former Democrat. I mean, it's not I'm not making this partisan. It is an ideology, though.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes, it's it's running sane people versus insane people makes a big difference. Absolutely.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, you know, maybe people do cause climate change. You know, wasn't there a Democratic donor that started the Yosemite fire a couple years ago? That's right.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yes. And that was a whole thing they tried to blame on that. It turned out a lot of them are budding eco-terrorists. A lot of them are homeless that start these fires. And you have careless campers and hikers and that as well. But this is just, it's maddening to try to link any kind of climate change. There's so many scientists. I have a whole dissection of a chapter in my book, Politically Incorrect Guide to Climate Change, just on wildfires. There's no there there. And it's amazing to see how desperate they are to blame this On climate change, Justin Trudeau did the same thing when they had the Canadian wildfires in 2003. One thing to understand about California is, and this was in the San Jose Mercury News a couple years ago, California droughts, which they always say, unprecedented droughts, no global droughts, no trend, declining trends. Centuries ago, 300 years ago, California had droughts much, much worse than anything they're experiencing today. So if you just look at anything from a geological perspective, if you go back to the first United Nations climate report, the medieval warm period was much warmer than current temperatures. And there was actually a systematic campaign. I worked for the U.S. Senate Environment Public Works Committee. We had a scientist come testify. that back in the 1990s, they said they basically, UN scientists reached out to each other and said, we have to get rid of the medieval warm period. How can we sell a climate crisis when it was warmer without SUVs and coal plants? And lo and behold, by 2001, they literally went back and erased the past. Now, and they made it so that the medieval war period was erased. And now you just had a flat line and suddenly the 20th century because of mankind's SUVs and our appliances that we went through the roof. This is how they play the game. And think of it like an accounting firm accused of financial fraud. They go, no, no, no. Believe me, we don't need anyone to go to jail. We're not going to dissolve. We hired a new accountant. We redid all the books. We have record profits now. We're doing great. No problem here. Nothing to see. Move along. That's what the UN did with temperature data.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, and you know, that that brings to mind a question I wanted to ask. How is it that 2024 is being sold as the warmest year ever?
SPEAKER 01 :
I have a whole chapter in my book on that. I worked in the U.S. Senate. We dealt with all this firsthand. This is statistical bulls**t. Now, just think for a second. Remember COVID, the case counts? They wanted to get everyone tested and they had all these ridiculous tests that even if you had no symptoms, somehow you were positive. And then, of course, the death rate if you died. We had coroners testifying from Colorado that motorcycle gunshot accident victims were listed as dying from COVID. The same kind of statistics. where they then tie that to mask mandates and lockdowns. We had one professor who actually said it brilliantly. Tying COVID lockdowns or mask mandates to COVID case counts is similar to tying them to phases of the moon. There's just no there there. What they've done in the same topic with the global average temperature. It's based on in part thermometer data, but in part on thermostats that don't exist and filling in the gaps and the statistical averaging, which sort of smooths everything out and they can literally adjust as they want to. Before I answer directly, I just wanted to say with this temperature data, thermometers didn't come on. online basically until 1870, 1880. When was that, historically speaking? That was at the end of the Little Ice Age when the New York Harbor was frozen over, the Thames River was frozen over, we had brutal cold. So thermometers coincidentally went online with a warm-up since the end of the Little Ice Age. So that's an important point to make. What they've done, and they began this around 2005, 2006, around the time of Al Gore's film and the UN report and the whole cap and trade and all that stuff is all weaponized. They've claimed that we've had the hottest year on record. Then we went for like 18 and a half years with no warming whatsoever, according to the data. And that freaked them out. So what did they do then? They did the same thing the UN did. They went back and adjusted the data and said, yeah, global warming pause no longer exists. What they've done with these hottest year declarations, they claim hottest year from year to year difference of hundreds of a degree Fahrenheit. That is within the margin of error for adjustments of tenths of a degree. It's a political way of saying basically the temperature hasn't changed much at all, but we're going to highlight these imperceptible statistical differences and claim it's an unprecedented climate emergency. It's bulls**t. Even the head of NASA, James Hansen, at one point said, these aren't really particularly important, but... scientifically, but they're important politically because the idea is they time them as well to these UN summits. And I just got back in November from Baku, Azerbaijan to the United Nations summit. 23 hours of traveling, by the way, to go. There's only about four dissenters there, four climate skeptics bothered to even show up.
SPEAKER 05 :
Do they cancel your carbon credit card? Do they cut you off?
SPEAKER 01 :
Actually, what they were doing was the first day of the conference, multiple speakers featured calling for the end of meat consumption, global meat taxes. So I did a series of videos that went viral at the UN summit in the restaurants and food court. They were serving hot dogs, chickens, beef, and the lines were huge. They had a vegan booth, and there were two people in it, this huge empty booth. So they weren't even following their own advice about meat consumption. It was a fraud.
SPEAKER 02 :
That's real reporting, Mr. Moreno. I saw that. That was brilliant. That was well done.
SPEAKER 01 :
On the ground, yeah. I've been to 21 out of the last 23 of these UN summits. And I'm going this year is going to be in Belim, Brazil, which is in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. So I may have to get some bug spray. Again, I've been there before for different conferences, and this is, I've done an Amazon documentary. Amazon pre-climate change was the exact same thing. 90% of the forest was intact. They claimed using computer models and all this nonsense, X amount of football fields a minute are disappearing from the Amazon. It's going to disappear. They had all the footage of like bulldozers and the sad animals. I interviewed the environmentalist down there who threw down the travel book saying, bull, this is back in the 90s. Bull. that's not happening and it turns out by 2005 the sting rainforest concert stopped with all the hollywood celebrities it's actually where i first met and interviewed donald trump was at a sting rainforest concert in 19 either 98 or 99 he just went as a new york you know yeah figure it wasn't really involved in the issue but he just showed up and i interviewed him as he's walking in but The gist of it is by 2005, the New York Times reported that the Amazon and rainforest in general were now becoming least endangered because of sustainable forestry practices. They can now log a forest and within five to seven years, you can't distinguish log forest from the original forest and plant and animal species. And because of big reason, people are leaving the jungle, moving to cities, they're going to urban areas. And so the jungle is reverting back. So that whole scare campaign that went for decades, faded away and was replaced in mass by climate change.
SPEAKER 05 :
So speaking of Trump, what's your thoughts on his withdrawal of the US from the Paris Climate Agreement?
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, interesting. It's the greatest thing he could do, but he's got to do more than he did last time. What I don't want to see is a yin-yang. From Obama, Trump. Trump, Biden. Biden, Trump. We can't keep doing that. So there's a way out for this. First of all, it's fantastic. You know why you know it's good? Big oil. People always say, oh, I'm funded by big oil. My answer is, what oil company is going to want to fund me? I trash ExxonMobil. I trash all of the big ones because they're all in on the climate agenda. They all want carbon capture. They want government subsidies. Just today, it was Bloomberg. I think it was Reuters. News came out. All of the big oil is upset that Trump's pulling us out of the U.N.-Paris agreement. Why? Because they want a seat at the table. Yeah, no, the table needs to be upended. Oh, I don't want to sit at the table. But this just goes to show you, you know what else big oil wants? I went to the American Petroleum Institute meeting last week just as a... freak show to watch it and people, oh, you're an oil lobbyist. Believe me, they wouldn't give me a cent. I was actually treated rudely. People who I'd known for decades gave me like the brush off because they know I'm against their agenda. But their vice president of operations told me, well, we don't want a repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act, the greatest boondoggle in U.S. spending history. We need surgical repeals. Why? Because they're going to suck down the government teat of carbon capture. So, and of course, when Donald Trump 1.0, his first term, had Rex Tillerson, the former Exxon CEO, first action is to go up to the Arctic and sign a UN climate declaration. He's the one that urged Trump to stay in the UN Paris Agreement back then, and Trump got out. What Trump needs to do is, he's already withdrawn formally, but he needs now to submit the UN Paris Agreement to the United States Senate as a treaty. It should be rejected, and even the Democrats will have to reject it because it's not good for America. They've never been tested. And then it gets kicked out of the system. The next president can't just put us back in. They're going to have to have a Senate vote. This will get us out of the mess that the pathetic Republican President George H.W. Bush got us into in September 1992 when he flew down to the Rio Earth Summit a month or two months before losing to Bill Clinton. So the Republican Party would appear green and he signed the Rio Earth Summit Treaty, which led to the Change Network, which led to sustainable development. All of this usually starts with bad Republicans. And that's kind of redundant because other than Trump, they're pretty much all bad Republicans. Sorry. Don't expect anything from Speaker Johnson. He's a pathetic uniparty toady. If he wants to be the boy for Donald Trump and just take orders. Great. We'll take him. But don't let him off any kind of a leash. He will go straight uniparty every single time.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes, and he's already proven that. Thank you for pointing that out.
SPEAKER 01 :
But I don't know about replacing him because you're going to replace him with the same crap anyway. If you can control the guy, I guess he can stay. Let's put it that way.
SPEAKER 02 :
If anyone can, probably Donald Trump can now. So since... I remember with Obama, the seas were supposed to recede and the temperatures were supposed to decline. And somehow that did not happen. But somehow nobody blames Obama for that. Oddly enough, it still goes on. So can we expect or let me just put it this way. Do you expect. that Donald Trump actually has some sincere beliefs about the climate bamboozle and that he'll do something solid to disassemble it.
SPEAKER 01 :
Oh, absolutely. You can go back to the night. I think it was 1989 when he was on Oprah Winfrey. The core values of Donald Trump have always been America first against globalism. against this idea that we are going to be beholden to international bureaucrats. And the climate agenda just screams at Donald Trump's strengths. He does not want to be beholden to the World Health Organization, which declares climate change an existential threat to the World Economic Forum, to the United Nations. And he has every action he's taking is dismantling it. I'm just looking for permanence this time. He's got to have make it so that it's extremely difficult for the next president, should they be Republican or Democrat, to try to get us back into this. And that was the failing first time around Donald Trump's first term. He just didn't go far enough. He pulled us out of U.N. by the time we actually formally got out. There was like two weeks left or maybe there was like six weeks left. in his presidency. This time, again, he's got to do stuff with permanence, and it's hard. And I like what he's doing, you know, with trying to cut budgets, but, you know, a Republican Congress, I'd say last time around, Donald Trump had a one-third cut in the EPA budget. The first time he submitted it, it was dead on arrival in the Republican Congress. So the real problem Donald Trump's going to face is the uniparty, and it's Republicans and Democrats who don't want to, and I'll even go a shocking step further. And I have to be careful how I say this, but his three picks in climate energy, Chris Wright, who's an awesome CEO of Liberty Energy from Colorado for Energy Department, Doug Burgum for Interior, and Lee Zeldin for EPA. All three, under Senate questioning, caved and gave into the narrative of climate change. You know, climate's a problem. We need a global solution. And it was vomit-inspiring. And why? Because if we're going to defeat this climate scam once and for all, you've got to be able to go to the country club. You've got to be able to go to the cocktail parties. You've got to be able to go to the PTA meetings. You've got to be able to say it in school, at university. You've got to be able to say it in the grocery store aisles. You can't pay lip service because that means you're still supporting it intellectually and morally and everything else if you're afraid to say it. Which tells me, not so much Chris Wright, but Doug Burgum, personal friend of Bill Gates. Bill Gates was his first campaign contribution. He's a former Microsoft executive. He's praised Bill Gates' work publicly. He's all in on net zero. He loves carbon capture from North Dakota where he's a governor. Lee Zeldin is a very weak Republican on climate, New York Republican. He's on footage, a film, I believe it was Showtime, it's called Years of Living Dangerously, as caving in to the climate activists on camera in his office and joining the Republicans Coalition Climate Solutions Club. I'm not saying they won't work out, but what I'm saying is they have not renounced their past. They're very politically expedient. and they're going along right now and they're afraid they're thinking of their future viability within the uniparty that's what i say and that worries me because that tells me right off the bat epa and interior are not going to be that activist they're going to do the very minimum which is what you would expect among uniparty under trump and it brings me back to my main thesis is this is a time of great caution we should be celebrating and i am but I was a volunteer in Ronald Reagan's campaign in 1980. My older brother worked on the campaign inaugural committee, and I would volunteer every Saturday doing Governor Reagan's audio clips. It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it. Anyway, throughout the 80s, I witnessed all these great allies of Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bob Dole, Howard Baker, and it turned out none of them were conservative. None of them were like Ronald Reagan. They all proved themselves to be establishment, uniparty members. We are witnessing potentially that now. I've already mentioned three cabinet members, but I'll even go so far as to say J.D. Vance has to be watched. Five years ago, he was all in on the climate scam. He was all in on solar wind subsidies. He called Donald Trump Hitler not that long ago. Now, hey, he's all with it because it's popular and it raises money and everyone's happy. Vivek Ramaswamy, same way. I don't know if I trust him. Elon Musk, I've never really trusted, but I appreciate what he's done for free speech. So I'm just saying to people, Don't let the blinders take over. Donald Trump, I believe we can trust. Past that, I'm struggling to give you names of who we can trust.
SPEAKER 02 :
Okay, well, I'm encouraged to hear that we can trust Donald Trump to be against the climate hysteria.
SPEAKER 01 :
because he's been assassination attempts, because he's been FBI raids, because he's been threatened with jail. I truly believe the man's sincere. You can see it in the change in his behavior. He seems like he's matured and grown up. He's not the same Donald Trump as even six months ago. He just seems so commanding and presidential. It's like, wow. I mean, this is I like this new Donald Trump.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. So where, you know, this climate hysteria.
SPEAKER 01 :
Sorry, I got off track on a lot of different topics there. Oh, no problem. Good stuff.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. So, you know, you get this climate brainwashing that's happened. They start with our youth. Do you have any recommendations or anything we can do about it? Because, you know, everybody I know who's like under the age of 30 is like, oh, yeah, climate change. We've got to do something about it. You hear from everybody.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yes. And that's go back to his three top climate energy picks. Now you have your liberal professor, your second-grade teacher. Well, even Trump's nominees say climate's a problem that needs a global solution, and they're not deniers. So, of course we're going to teach the kids, even the Trump. That's what I'm saying. It's so corrosive to have these guys at the top of their game, terrified to stand up to the climate narrative. Anyway, having said all that, with kids. They're indoctrinated from kindergarten through college, and it's unbelievable insidious. It's permeated in the textbooks. It's permeated in all the Hollywood and the videos. It's permeated in the whole teen online culture, although there's been a great rise in recent skepticism on Instagram and these different social media platforms that TikTok and other things that kids can watch. So I think... It's shown that when you have a strong leader like Donald Trump, first of all, that calls it climate change scam and says it was invented to benefit China and we have all this fun. It has a huge impact. There was this whole idea that the young, it's been overstated, first of all, the impact of all that propaganda, because at some point you just tune it out. The exit polling showed that the climate youth that they were expecting to show up didn't show up for Kamala Harris. And that actually among that age group, it split pretty evenly. So there is no brainwashed, at least let me rephrase it. The extent of the brainwashed youth movement was nowhere near as much as we had feared or the other side had hoped because youth broke. And I think a lot of that was the UFC and Dana White and Joe Rogan getting a lot of the males and young men involved in the campaign. It's a great question. And I think parents, that's why I wrote the book, Politically Incorrect Guide to Climate Change. It's an A to Z compendium. And I actually have a whole chapter devoted to that. But there's also groups out there now that are doing alternative textbooks, or I shouldn't say textbook. They're alternative curriculum for parents, particularly for private school, homeschool, that stuff. It's not going to fly in almost every public school. Teachers unions aren't going to allow anything that challenges that. I've testified at the Common Core curriculums. In different states, most notably West Virginia, where they were going to say there's no dissent. We actually had small victories there where the state of West Virginia would only allow core curriculum to teach certain things and ban some other stuff they considered propaganda. So the biggest thing is parents have to be engaged in the education of their kids and scour those textbooks because they're usually just absolute drivel.
SPEAKER 05 :
I've heard you recommend. The best thing to do is take them out of the public schools.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yeah, you can. Yeah, absolutely. Yes. I mean, not anyone can afford private school. It's not practical always to do homeschooling, but it's.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, I don't let anybody off that easy. No, my wife came from Japan. She didn't even speak English. We homeschooled all three of our kids. Not nearly as hard. You have no excuse to put your kids in the government schools. I'm sorry. I don't let anyone get by with that. And so and Mr. Moreno, I want to I appreciate the fact that you've given us. A yardstick. How can we judge this? And a stick. We need a yardstick and we need a stick and we need to keep these people in line. It's a scam. It's hysteria. It's communism dressed up in green. That's all. And the fact that we have a president that's willing to say that, hopefully that's a step in the right direction that we finally have some bureaucrats who he can drag along with him. And we appreciate you helping us understand how to recognize if what's happening is real or not.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, let me just say final thing is I wrote the book, The Great Reset, Global Leaks and the Permanent Lockdown. That was just two years ago, just came out. And the gist of it is this is the global community trying to ration our energy, ration our foods production. They're coming after particularly meat, high yield agriculture. They want to ration it, raise the price. due to the climate, and John Kerry said it was coming here to the U.S. Donald Trump stopped that. And then also our freedom of movement, France banning short-haul flights, CNN proposing carbon passports for our travel, the ban on gas-powered cars. This was the great reset. Food, transportation, energy, and of course our free speech. Donald Trump's election, it could be the most consequential election in our lifetime, surpassing Ronald Reagan or whatever, if you're on the left, maybe you were enamored with Bill Clinton or Obama. This is huge because we are fighting back on all of those fronts, particularly just free speech alone and national sovereignty. And it's unbelievable. I expect a cultural change. And that's what was disappointing about the three picks not standing up on climate. But within a couple of years, look at the 1970s versus 1980s and what Reagan was able to usher in. I think we're seeing the end of. Transgender cult, the critical race theory, diversity, equity, inclusion, and hopefully the climate as well. Culturally, I mean, I'm watching Saturday Night Live is doing unbelievable skits, making fun. They're doing lesbian jokes about Rachel Maddow. I mean, I don't think you would have seen that a month ago or two months ago. Stalking stuff. That's what I mean by cultural stuff. We might actually return to a culture that appreciates free speech and cancel culture can go away. So this is just huge is all I can say is Donald Trump's presidency. Let's just hope he continues to success and the pace at which he's been going. It's phenomenal.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, thank you for mentioning The Great Reset. I highly recommend that book to everybody. You've got quite a few books that really point to this issue of climate change hysteria, man-made climate change, and just how important it is for our listeners who are not aware of this. This is serious stuff. They want to control the steak dinner you have. Down in Florida, if you want to go on vacation, all of these things, they're a totalitarian worldview thing. And they want to control our lives and all in the name of climate change, man-made climate change that is based on a lot of fake science. You know, Mark, I'd love to have you on again sometime in the future. We can go into a little bit more detail on the science behind all of this. But I thought it was important for our listeners to find out just how serious this issue is. and how important it is to fight climate change. And Mark, you just don't know how greatly I appreciate what you've done. You're a tireless warrior for this. And now you've come on to our show, shared with our audience what's going on. And for decades now, you've been fighting this fake science of man-made climate change.
SPEAKER 01 :
So thank you very much. Thank you, Fred. Thank you, Doug. Thanks a lot.
SPEAKER 02 :
Absolutely. We'll keep in touch, Mr. Moreno. God bless you.
SPEAKER 01 :
All right.
SPEAKER 02 :
I'd love to come back.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thanks.
SPEAKER 05 :
All righty, so for Mark Burano and my co-host Doug McBurney, I'm Fred Williams of Real Science Radio. May God bless you.
SPEAKER 03 :
Can't explain it all away.
SPEAKER 1 :
Get ready to be awed by the handiwork of God. Tune in to Real Science Radio. Turn up the Real Science Radio. Keeping it real.
Listen as Dr. James Dobson and Mary Crowley discuss the challenges women face, such as low self-esteem and the quest for self-fulfillment in a world full of distractions. Mary emphasizes the importance of confidence and a supportive community, sharing insights on finding personal success beyond societal norms. Through personal anecdotes and scripture-based wisdom, this episode aims to inspire women to discover God's plan for them and to thrive in every area of life.
SPEAKER 03 :
Welcome everyone to Family Talk. It's a ministry of the James Dobson Family Institute supported by listeners just like you. I'm Dr. James Dobson and I'm thrilled that you've joined us.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, welcome to Family Talk, the broadcast division of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. I'm Roger Marsh. And whether you're listening at home or on the go, you are in for something special today. We are bringing you a classic conversation featuring Mary Crowley, author of the book Women Who Win, Who We'll be right back. $400 million in business, powered by thousands of women working from their homes. The company became so successful that when they held a celebration, they filled an arena with 10,000 of their top saleswomen, and they featured Bob Hope and Billy Graham as special guests. But Mary's secret wasn't just business savvy. It was putting priorities in the right order. Mary started every company meeting by reading Scripture, often turning to the Proverbs for wisdom about leadership. And here's an interesting connection. Mary Kay Ash, who co-founded Mary Kay Cosmetics with a similar home party business model, was actually Mary Crowley's sister-in-law. Now, in her book, Women Who Win, Mary addresses a challenge many women still face today, and that is a lack of self-confidence. Her message is both simple and powerful. You are designed for fulfillment, and God has a plan for your life. Mary Crowley believed that by honoring God and serving others, women could find success both at home and in business. So let's listen now as Mary talks about those timeless principles with our own Dr. James Dobson on this special edition of Family Talk.
SPEAKER 03 :
I would like to say this is one of the most generous women I have ever met. She supports Christian causes all across this country. And your generosity is legendary, Mary. So you have taken what God has given you and shared it with so many causes that you believe in. But where did all that start? How did you get into business?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I got in business 27 years ago. Actually, I'd been in direct selling business before that, but now my kids were grown and I saw a need. There was a need for American women to decorate their homes with excitement and with care. And from a coordinated line of accessories, I found that women were not sure what to do. And I'd worked for furniture companies before. And so we started the business to give women an opportunity to work from their homes, be there when the kids got home from school, and still use their creative genius, which God gave every woman. Every woman is a genius. Some just don't know it yet or haven't developed yet. And this is the idea of the business, and we had twin goals. One was to honor God, because I knew by then that if we didn't honor Him, we would not be successful. Now, that doesn't mean that people who do not belong to the Lord, and there are lots of successful people, quote, in the world, they can be successful. But if I've made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and my Master, that I cannot be successful if I do not honor Him. Somehow along the line, he'll let me fall flat on my face. And I've done that a few times, too. I believe that's true. Absolutely. So it had to honor him. And then it had to bless and serve people. The whole world wants service. They can buy products. They can buy merchandise. They can buy lots of things. but we want genuine, caring, personal service. And that was our goal, to do that. And in so doing, to help the woman who was showing and selling our accessories to find fulfillment in herself and to have a fellowship of her sisters. You know, America needs places where people can go to belong, to find a support team. When our great-grandmothers came across the prairies, They had quilting bees and canning bees, and they had support teams for one another in their difficult times and in their joyous times. So we have built support teams all across America. And the fellowship is as important as the salesmanship. And so that's how we started. We started from our garage, very, very small. My son and my daughter and myself and a few friends, people that invested and believed in us. And it's grown beyond my wildest imagination, and it's pretty wild.
SPEAKER 03 :
Let's address some comments to the woman who is at home, where you were when you started. I don't know what your circumstances were, but let's suppose that she feels somewhat unfulfilled and somewhat frustrated. She wants to do something significant with her life. Maybe the kids now are in the teen years, and she knows they're going to be gone before too long, and she's wondering what now. What do you say to her? How does she begin to put it all together and find out who she is? Does that necessarily mean she's got to be successful in business like you are in order to find yourself?
SPEAKER 02 :
No. Again, I come back to the measure of success for each person. Success is a moving target. When you've got little kids at home, sometimes it's just getting through the day. You know, and then as they go into school and you begin to have other time, and then it may be reading good books and getting yourself, your mind activated again. Maybe it's starting an exercise program, whatever it is, that the measure of success that makes you feel fulfilled, it's different for everybody. And each person has to learn to define their own. Otherwise, they are always trying to
SPEAKER 03 :
Why do you think that moving target is so difficult for American women to hit? Why do you think so many American women are frustrated?
SPEAKER 02 :
Because they are trying to find their measure of fulfillment in what they're hearing, either on TV or maybe radio or reading in some magazine, instead of trying to find out what God's game plan is for them. I heard a wonderful interview with Walter Payton not long ago, and he defined something that was so great. The interviewer asked him, is your measure of success 100 yards gained in a game, as is the measure of success for a ball game for a running back? And he said, no, my measure of success is following the game plan consistently. designed for that game to the very best of my ability. And I thought that was a wonderful way to illustrate what everybody, God has a game plan for my life, for your life, for every woman out there with little kids or big kids or no kids. And if somebody tried to just copy mine, they might get very frustrated. I have a high energy level, and I can do a lot of things. Others might not. We're all made differently. Okay.
SPEAKER 03 :
Could it be that God's game plan for a particular woman would be to stay home and take care of three little kids under six years of age for this period of her life? Society is telling her that that's nobody's game plan. Could that be God's game plan for some people?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, he says that in his word, and then he also says that older women should help the younger women. And I think this is where, again, I was talking about a support team. A lot of young women with little children are feeling so alienated and so unsupported because maybe her parents or his parents do not live close. Society has not built a support team around them in our today's world. that's where they need to find a support team. They have to have fellowship with other women, and maybe it's a Bible class, maybe it's a home interior show, maybe it's coming in part-time, or maybe it's simply finding other group of women who have uplifting, motivating things to do. put in their hours otherwise sometimes we do recruit mothers with young kids because she's sitting there watching the daytime dramas and living in a fantasy world and that is no good for her and so if we can enlighten her and lift her up and give her something to do part-time that will fulfill her desires and create you know we try to develop her creative talents women want to be accepted understood and developed They don't want to stay static. They want to be developed. So whatever. If you're sitting out there and you're thinking, well, I'm not being developed, then you find something that develops your mind, your spirit, your being. And don't sit there and get caught in that daytime drama trap of fantasy world. That's the worst thing.
SPEAKER 03 :
You're talking about soap opera.
SPEAKER 02 :
I am, I am. Well, that's terrible.
SPEAKER 03 :
It really is.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, but that's what happens to a lot of women who are home with little kids, Dr. Dobson. That's what happens to them. And so then just being at home with the children does not minister to their spirit or does not even help them to be good mothers unless they must have a plan to be a successful mother and a successful wife and woman.
SPEAKER 03 :
Mary, what do you say to the person who is very frustrated in their present job? Do you have any advice to a person who just feels they're in a dead-end trap? Change it. Absolutely. But it costs money. I'm making more money than I could make someplace else. Yeah, but it's not making you happy, so what good is it? But I've got to feed my family.
SPEAKER 02 :
Find another way to feed them. No, it isn't really worth it if people are frustrated in their jobs unless there is a real way that they can change the frustration in that job. If it's their attitude, then they better change the attitude. But if it's the job itself and there is no hope of fulfillment, then change the job. Life's too short and too wonderful to waste it on frustration. Now, we'll have frustrations in all jobs. People need to realize that. There are days of frustration in any job, and you can't expect a frustration-free job. But at the end of the day, there must be something that you feel that you've accomplished in the lives of other people. or in going forward in your measure of success or something that you have done that is an accomplishment at the end of every day. Oh, there'll be days you think, well, what did I accomplish today? I've just not even gotten through the mail. I didn't get through the dishes. I didn't get through there too many. You know, we live in the day of distractomania. But you can find something, some life that you touched, something that you did that made the doing worthwhile.
SPEAKER 03 :
I think you've put your finger on really the critical issue having to do with the support team. I've tried to write and talk about that because I find many women know they need that but don't know how to go and get it. I was counseling with a young mother just the other day in my office, and she said, I don't have anybody. I don't have any close friends. The one I had turned her back on me. And this is a very bright woman who's a schoolteacher and is very capable, very verbal, very able to get out and meet the world. Oh, I need to recruit her. And yet I find many women like that don't know how to take the first step. There is a lack of confidence perhaps to go outside that front door and maybe somebody will hurt me or reject me and it's just easier or seems easier to pull in and let the four walls collapse. I guess you're really addressing that problem.
SPEAKER 02 :
We do. We address that problem a great deal. And you hit it when you said lack of confidence. One time I took a poll all across America from thousands of women, asked them what were their three greatest problems personality-wise, society-wise, business-wise, or family-wise. And north, south, east, and west, there was no names on the papers. It was lack of self-confidence, low esteem. I was just floored. Here's the greatest nation in the earth, the highest educational level for all women, the greatest opportunities. So I set about my goal is to help every woman I meet or that hear the sound of my voice to feel better about herself, to realize you are designed for life. God has a plan for your life, but I fully believe that they cannot find it till they find that absolute, till they realize that God is their creator, he is their maker, and then they begin to understand what is the character of God. He loves, he cares, he's just, he's fair, he has great things for us. And once you find that, you see, people often say to me, well, haven't you been discriminated against as a woman? Well, maybe I just didn't have sense enough to know it. But you see, if somebody tries to put me down, it diminishes them, not me. My self-worth is tied up in the character of God himself. And once any woman finds that out, she's redeemed. She's free to be herself and then free to have the confidence to say to somebody, look, I need some help. I want to get to know some people. And how do you turn people with low self-esteem into good salespeople? Well, first of all, they have to learn what selling really is. They have an idea that selling is going out and talking and convincing people. No, it is not. True selling is serving a need in that person. And women are very good at understanding that once you find what this person needs and help them fill the need. Women are in the habit of filling needs of children, of husbands, of You know, they're nurturers by very nature. And once they realize that it's a natural for them to be able to find the need and to fill it and to help the person in a serving way, they realize that it isn't something big out there that they have to learn, but it's something that they already have, a natural opportunity. ability to do. We just need to develop that ability and help them see what it really is. It's a matter of learning what selling really is. Most people think of it as something that you talk and that you convince. No, it's finding out person to person what her needs and desires and likes are, what she needs in her life, what she needs in her home, and then I can help you find that. I can help you Express your love for your family on the wall or in the figurines or the way that you even arrange a bouquet of flowers. And women are natural nurturers and natural helpers in this area. So once she finds out that she already has the natural ability, we just help her develop it.
SPEAKER 03 :
You know, my book, What Wives Wish Their Husbands Knew About Women, is based on this same thing we're talking about here, where I ask over 10,000 women to rank order the sources of depression in their lives. And it blew me away, too, that the number one source of depression in young, middle-class, seemingly happily married Christian women was low self-esteem, 50%. of the original test group that I based this little study on put that number one, and 80% put it in the top five. So this pervasive lack of confidence, lack of self-worth, is extremely widespread in our culture. And I think, again, it comes back to television to some degree, where every woman feels like she's got to be beautiful and young and successful and the object of somebody's great romantic love and attention in order to feel acceptable and to feel the confidence necessary to cope with life. And unfortunately, that support system just often isn't there.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, and not everybody is young and slim and gorgeous.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, unfortunately. What do you do, Mary, when you're looking eye to eye with a very powerful male corporate executive who has the authority to move great numbers of people and so on? You being a woman, do you look eye to eye with him?
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, absolutely. Oh, I thoroughly enjoy him. I'm on lots of boards where I'm the only woman. But I don't come in and try to be a pushy female. Let me be sure that I do say that. I am there to make a contribution, not to compete. And with that complete positive attitude, I never have any difficulty there. Because God made us to have special roles and special talents and special abilities. And I can greet and meet and deal with people Corporate executives are presidents. Well, that's now.
SPEAKER 03 :
You've got 39,000 people on your staff. What about when you had one? What about when you were beginning? Did you have that kind of confidence, or did it grow through the years?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, part of it has grown through the years, but I always had a lot of confidence. Well, the good Lord born me on April Fool's Day. That was wonderful, because most people worry about making a fool of themselves, and they won't do things that are going to make a fool. I didn't have to worry about that. You'd already gotten the title. I'd already gotten the title, yeah. So... But part of it comes from the fact that, well, my grandparents taught me to... place the bible as one of you know our priorities not long ago i gave a speech to young people and i took a tv guide and a bible with me and i held them up i said all of you have these two books in your home which one do you refer to the most next week dr alan redpath from england recently spoke and he said in england we used to base our morality on the bible now we base it on tv And I thought, you know, that's exactly what's happening in America, really. And so in looking at the Bible, God is who he says he is in his book. I am who he says I am in his book. And since he's who he is and I'm who he says I am, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
SPEAKER 03 :
Who does he say you are, Mary?
SPEAKER 02 :
He says that I am a child of his. If I believe in Jesus Christ, I'm joint heirs with him. Wow! Wow! What kind of a promise that is. And then, oh, you know, many, many places he says, you talk about giving. Over in Thessalonians where he says, if you will give and share that all grace will be given in all situations and all your needs will be met. Now, that is a pretty powerful promise. And I've been claiming those for years. Tithing to me is the secret of it. You see, what I can make is not for me to be hoarding. It's a channel. It's a channel. It's kind of like forgiveness. Forgiveness is not given to us in a cup. It's given to us in a pipeline. So what I receive is to be given. You can't out-give God. He just multiplies it. I am just amazed at Him.
SPEAKER 03 :
What do you say to the people who just feel like they can't tithe? Mary, they just can't pay their bills now, and they are $75 short every week, and just isn't enough to go around, and the kids need shoes, and there's a hole in the roof, and we're trying to put our oldest boy into Christian schools. How in the world am I going to give any money to the Lord's kingdom?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I go back to when I started tithing, and it was about 40 years ago. And I was in just that same situation. I had two kids. I was a single parent. I was raising two kids. The war was on. I was working for an insurance company. My income had not risen like other people's had. It was pledge time at the First Baptist Church in Dallas, and I always pledged and gave, but I didn't think I could tithe. So, particularly night, though, the kids were asleep, and I was wrestling with that, and I was telling the Lord all the reasons I could not tithe. Hmm. And I thought of that verse in Proverbs, you know, but is the Lord convinced? He speaks to us through our creative genius mind that he gives us. Well, Mary, you're not doing such a hot job of it yourself. Why don't you give me a chance? I said, okay, Lord, I check tithe. It's your problem. It's your management of my life. I'm going to bed. So then I had to explain to our housekeeper and the kids, you know, we had to take it out first because if you don't take it out first, it won't be there. And we ate oatmeal quite a bit there in the beginning, and some of them would grumble and everything. Something happens. I can't explain it. I don't understand God's mathematics. But within two months' time, I was able to get out of debt. Behind the eight ball wasn't debt per se, but just get caught up. From that day till this, we didn't suddenly have a lot of money. But something did happen. And I can guarantee that if you give God's management of your money, he has management of your life. Things change. It really is true. I cannot explain it. It really is true. I challenge people. I've challenged. I teach classes. I told you of people, 150 people single by death or divorced. A lot of them have aging parents and a lot of problems. I challenge them every year. I say, okay, you tithe for six months. And at the end of six months, if you're not better off than you are now, I'll pick up the tab for the difference.
SPEAKER 03 :
You just said that to three million people.
SPEAKER 02 :
That's right. And I have never yet anybody take me up on it.
SPEAKER 03 :
Jesus spoke more about money than any other subject. So it must be extremely important to our spiritual welfare as well as to our financial welfare.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, it's exciting.
SPEAKER 03 :
Mary, we have a great deal of love for you, as I've said, for the kind of person you are, what you represent, not what you give, but who you are. You love the Lord, and it shows in everything that you do. And it's been a pleasure meeting your staff. Some of your people came with you today, and they're sitting in the gallery over there watching us broadcast today. And I just hope that you'll come back, continue doing the great work that you're doing. And I just trust the Lord will be very close to you in this coming year.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you. It's been a joy to be here. And I guess I would like to say to every person out there, trust Him, try Him, prove Him. He will never let you down.
SPEAKER 03 :
You really mean that?
SPEAKER 02 :
I really mean that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Have you found that true of your entire lifetime?
SPEAKER 02 :
Absolutely. See, I've learned that Christianity is not a way of doing certain things. It's a certain way of doing all things. And I can absolutely say, without any doubt at all, if you really trust Him... He has a better plan for your life than you can have for yourself. And I am amazed at what he's done with one little orphan gal.
SPEAKER 03 :
Bless you, Mary. Our prayers and our thoughts will be with you. Thank you.
SPEAKER 01 :
Christianity is not a way of doing certain things. It's a certain way of doing all things. What a great thought to wrap up today's classic program featuring the late Mary Crowley here on Family Talk. Now, you've been listening to Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk and a timeless conversation between Dr. Dobson and his guest, Mary Crowley, about finding purpose, building confidence, and trusting God's plan for your life. Mary's remarkable journey from a single mother to building a multi-million dollar business, all while putting God first, continues to inspire women even today. By the way, if you missed any part of this classic program, or if you'd like to share it with someone who really needs a word of encouragement today, visit drjamesdobson.org, or you can find the program easily on the Family Talk app. Here at the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute, we are committed to helping you and your family grow closer to God and each other. But these daily broadcasts and resources are only made possible through the generous support of friends like you who share our vision for strong, faith-filled families. Your tax-deductible donation today will help us continue broadcasting messages of hope and practical wisdom to millions of listeners in America and all over the world. To make a secure donation online, go to drjamesdobson.org. Or if you prefer, you can send your donation through the mail. Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk, P.O. Box 39000, Colorado Springs, Colorado, the zip code 80949. And for more daily inspiration and biblical guidance, I encourage you to explore our reading plans in the Bible app by YouVersion. You can choose from 48 different plans, 24 on marriage and 24 on parenting. Each one contains three lessons to encourage growth in your relationships. These brief devotionals are perfect for busy parents or couples who want to grow together in their faith. Just open the Bible app on your phone or mobile device, search for Dr. James Dobson, and start your first reading plan today. Well, I'm Roger Marsh and from all of us here at Family Talk, we are so grateful that you've joined us for today's classic program. Be sure to join us again next time for another edition of Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk. This has been a presentation of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.
Join us as Rabbi Schneider delves into the trustworthiness of the New Testament, examining criteria that historians have used to judge ancient documents. Discover how the words and testimonies of those who walked alongside Jesus offer solid ground for faith and understanding. Whether you're seeking to deepen your faith or exploring these enduring works, this episode is a chance to feel the historical and personal weight of Jesus’ presence, and to consider the transformative power His words have over our lives today.
SPEAKER 03 :
Welcome to Discovering the Jewish Jesus. I'm your host, Dustin Roberts. And for the next 25 minutes, we're going to be looking at life's most important questions. Sometimes we can feel like just another face in the crowd. But what if I told you that you're not just a statistic, you're a unique individual with a purpose and your purpose goes beyond your daily routine. It's true. Today, Rabbi Schneider, he's going to explain why God's not just interested in humanity as a whole, but in you individually. This message is called The Accuracy of Scripture. And if you'd like to learn more about Rabbi or this ministry, go online to our website, discoveringthejewishjesus.com. And now here's Rabbi Schneider.
SPEAKER 02 :
Father, we bless you today. Lord Jesus, our Messiah, we bless you today. And we pray that you will use this broadcast to bring people to salvation and to cause us to become greater soul winners for you. And all God's people spoke Hebrew and said, Amen and Amen. We began to say that the most profound questions in life are these. Who am I? Where did I come from? How did I get here? What's going to happen to me when I die? And what am I on earth for? We said that these questions can really only be answered in the light of eternity. I pointed out the fallacies in getting our identity from this world or in living for the things of this world, because all that's in this world is passing away. But Jesus said, if you build your house on me, it's like a man that built this house on a rock. and your house is going to stand, even when the waves come and the storm blows, you're going to stand because you built your house in the eternal. We talked about that. But I want to move on today, beloved, to dwelling deeper into a subject that I touched on in the earlier broadcast that answers these questions and helps answer these questions, and that is this. Do the words of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament really give us the answers to life's greatest questions? Does the Bible, the Word of God, really answer the questions, who am I? Why am I here? And what happens to me when I die? Well, we know the Bible begins with these words in the book of Genesis. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Beloved, there is no other way to answer the existence of the universe and the reality of our existence other than the fact that there was a first cause. The Big Bang does not answer the problem of first cause. It had to start somewhere. It had to start with the cause that had no cause, and that first cause is God. The second area that we need to dwell and that I want to dwell in more deeply today is, but does the Bible really accurately record for us what Jesus said? In other words, does Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, when they record for us the words of Jesus, is the Bible an accurate record of what Jesus really said? Can it really be trusted? As I said on an earlier broadcast, no one doubts The literal historical personage of Jesus of Nazareth. Everybody knows, all historians, secular, religious alike, know that there was a literal historical person that walked upon the earth, Jesus of Nazareth. The question was, who was he? And we talked about that. The greatest amount of information that we have on who this Jesus was is the New Testament. But the question is, can the New Testament be trusted? And does it accurately record for us what Jesus did and what He said? Now I alluded to the fact earlier that Ancient historical documents were judged by certain criteria that historians agreed upon. And the New Testament writings, beloved, have the highest credibility in terms of the tests that they passed for being considered a valid, authentic, historical document. Why? Because number one, the New Testament was written by people that actually lived during Jesus' lifetime. It wasn't written by people that lived hundreds of years after his death. Alexander the Great, the records that we have of him, were written by people that lived more than 100 years after his life, yet no one doubts the accuracy of them. How much better the New Testament that wasn't written by people that lived 100 years after Jesus died, but rather the New Testament was written by people that walked with Jesus, that heard what he said, that touched him. In fact, Paul documented the people that Jesus appeared to after he had risen from the dead. And Paul starts out at the grave that Jesus appeared after he had risen from the dead, first to the two women at the tomb. And then Jesus appeared to the disciples, his apostles. And then Paul said this, not only did he appear to the apostles, Not only did he appear to the two women at the grave, he's not saying this is only symbolic. He's saying this is real. He really appeared to these people. He said, not only that, Paul said, but he appeared to me. I was on the road to Damascus to arrest, Paul said, any Jew that was believing in Jesus. And while I was on the road, Jesus appeared to me and he blinded me and knocked me off my horse. And I was on the ground blind and I couldn't see. And I spoke to the one that had blinded me. And I said, who are you? And he said, I'm Jesus who you are persecuting. Now get up and it will be told what you must do for me. So Paul says, he's alive. He's real. He appeared to me and the words that I'm giving you, these aren't fairy tales. These aren't myths. We're not making these up. I met Jesus. He spoke to me. But I love what Paul said next. Paul said, not only that, But this Jesus appeared to 500 people that were gathered together in one place all at the same time. And Paul said this, and most of those of the 500 that he appeared to at the same time, he said, are still alive today. And so Paul's making this historical argument that, no, this Jesus of Nazareth, He's not a figment of somebody's imagination. He's a real historical reality. He's the God of the universe that became flesh, who entered into space and time and revealed Himself to us. And John said, and of His glory we all received and we all saw. And so, This Jesus, beloved, it's not the Jesus that we think of when we think of Easter bunnies and fairy tales. No, Jesus is God. And He's alive, He's here, He really came, and He's making a demand on your life and in my life. And He's saying, unless you repent, you shall perish. He said, unless you believe, Jesus said, that I am He. Who is He? God in the flesh that died for your sin that died for your sin and made a way for you to come into relationship with God and go to heaven. Jesus said, unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sin.
SPEAKER 03 :
You're listening to Discovering the Jewish Jesus with Rabbi Schneider. He's going to be right back. But first, I want to let you know that you can watch full episodes of Discovering the Jewish Jesus on Roku television. We have episodes that are filmed in the Holy Land and outreach events from Nigeria and Gulu, Uganda, all sorts of places. Every episode is available to help deepen your understanding of scripture and the Jewish roots of your faith. So search for Discovering the Jewish Jesus on Roku today. Did you know that this ministry is all about preparing the way for the inevitable return of King Jesus? Well, it's true. And we'd love for you to partner with us in this life-changing mission today. Together, we will change lives, not just locally, but all over the world. To support this team, call 800-777-7835. That's 800-777-7835. Or you can visit us online at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. And now here's Rabbi Schneider.
SPEAKER 02 :
Jesus said, unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sin. Now again, how do we know that? Because the New Testament tells us this, but can the New Testament be trusted? And that's what I was making the point of, that according to the standards of historians, the New Testament passed all the tests in flying colors of that which can be trusted as an ancient historical document, because it was written by people, listen, that were alive during Jesus's own lifetime. not people that lived 100 years after he died, people that walked with him, people that talked with him while he walked on earth, people that he appeared to after he had risen from the dead. And not only that, beloved, we have a multiplicity of witnesses, not only Peter, James, Paul, and all the writers of the New Testament, but others, beloved, that Paul was speaking of the 500 people at the same time, as well as people like myself and some of you today that Jesus has supernaturally appeared to. So we do well to pay attention to the words of Jesus in the New Testament, that they could be trusted, that this is a reliable, historical, accurate document telling us what Jesus said. And what did Jesus say? He didn't teach the doctrine of political correctness today. He didn't say all roads lead to the same place. He didn't say that as long as you're a good person, you can go to heaven. He didn't say that it doesn't matter if you don't believe in me, as long as you believe in God, you're a good person. No, Jesus said, unless you believe that I am He, you'll die in your sins. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to God but by me. You see, beloved one, it's not going to be long before you and I die. And when we do, it's going to be too late. Because the Bible said it's appointed for man once to die and then comes the judgment. That when you and I die, it's over. We'll have made our decision. And some of you are listening to this broadcast and God is knocking at the door of your heart. The Bible says, if today you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. Because what happens is, when the Holy Spirit is knocking on the door of our heart, when God is beckoning us, come. When we feel the weight of the Holy Spirit on us, nudging us to humble ourselves, to ask God, forgive me, forgive me. I've sinned. I need to turn my life over to you. I want this to be a new beginning for me. When we feel God doing that, beloved, if we open our heart and invite him in, Jesus said, behold, I stand at the door of your heart and knock. If you open the door, I'm going to come into you and we're going to be in relationship together and you're going to be saved. But Jesus said, unless we open the door of our heart, if we feel him knocking and we don't respond, if we keep our heart hard, if we don't yield to the voice of the Holy Spirit, if we don't soften ourselves to the presence of God and open up and let him in and say, yes, what happens, the Bible says, is that God begins to withdraw himself from us. so that we don't have an opportunity anymore. In other words, the Bible says God will not strive with man forever. But when men refuse, listen now, to receive a love of the truth, when it's being offered to them, There comes a point where God will stop offering, He'll withdraw Himself, and He'll let that person that resisted permanently become hardened. And the result of that, according to the Word of God, if the Word of God is true, that person will spend the rest of their life, the rest of eternity in hell. Now, I know today hell is not a popular doctrine, but do you know that the Bible actually talks more about hell than about heaven? And as I said earlier, Jesus said straight and narrow is the way that leads to life and few there be that find it. But broad and wide is the way that leads to destruction and many there be that take it. You see, there's thousands of ways to be wrong, but there's only one way to be right. You can be wrong by giving your life over to entertainment. You can be wrong by giving your life over to sex. You can be wrong by giving your life over to careers. You can be wrong by giving your life over to another person. You can be wrong by living your life trying to please other people. You can be wrong a thousand different ways, but there's only one way to be right, and that's to live your life and for me to live my life for Jesus. So right now, I want to give you an opportunity, if God's knocking at your heart, just to say, Jesus, I feel you. This is true. Forgive me of my sin. I receive you. Come into me and save me now. So if you'd like to repeat after me now, let's just do that. Lord Jesus, I sense that this is your Holy Spirit speaking to me. I turn to you now. I ask you to forgive me of my sins. Thank you for dying for me. I acknowledge you died in my place on the cross and I receive your gift of forgiveness, your gift of salvation. Please forgive me now. Wash me of my sins by your blood. Come into my life by your Holy Spirit and save me. Thank you, Lord. Amen. Now, if you just prayed that prayer, beloved one, I want to encourage you to call a pastor somewhere, look in the phone book under evangelical churches or Bible-believing churches, call some churches up, say, do you believe that the Bible is literally the Word of God? Look for a Bible-believing church. Make an appointment with the pastor. Tell that pastor what you did. Tell that pastor that you want to start living your life as a committed Christian, or if you have friends or family members that are committed Christians, call them and start following Jesus. Do something immediately to begin to put into practice the commitment that you just made to the Lord. Start attending church on a regular basis. Start giving your finances to God. Start serving God's people in the church. Start living your life as a Christian. Start reading the Bible. I want to encourage you to start reading in the Gospel of John and just read straight through. I don't know if it's a chapter a day, two chapters a day, whether you're going to be so hungry you'll read the whole book at once. But read the Bible at least a couple chapters every single day. Start moving, beloved, into this new life and old things are going to pass away for you and all things are going to become new and Jesus is going to bless you. He said, seek first the kingdom of God and everything else shall be added unto you. Oh, my goodness gracious. Father God, we that know you repent of not being greater soul winners. Father God, of letting loved ones that we know that don't know you, letting them, Father God, go to hell without ever witnessing to them. So, Father, I pray that you would put a great spirit of courage on your people that are watching this broadcast right now, that they would begin to tell their friends and neighbors and loved ones about you, Lord Jesus. Amen and amen. What do you think of Jesus? I got this concept, beloved, from a dream that God gave me that he was showing me how we need to be witnessing to people and how imperative it is. In this dream, I found myself in a room. And in the room, beloved, was a simple couch. I was sitting on the couch. There was a lady sitting next to me. I couldn't see her face. And the next to the lady on the other side of the couch was this big guy about probably 6'3", 200-something pounds. And I had my head leaning on this lady next to me. And I felt like after the dream was over, the Lord was telling me it was just a symbol of being secure in relationship. You know, David said in one of his Psalms that he had stilled his soul like a child at rest on his mama's knee. You know, God is predominantly obviously revealed in the New Testament as Father, but within God's nature are also the feminine attributes. In fact, in some of God's Hebrew titles, we have him revealing himself to us in the feminine. For example, when he revealed himself to Moses, and all God's goodness passed by, and the Lord proclaimed his name to Moses, and the Lord said, I am Yahweh God, compassionate. And that word for compassionate, which is the first word that the Lord used in describing himself to Moses, actually comes from the Hebrew word rachum, which is a feminine word. It means mercy. And so predominantly, we refer to him as our father. But within God is both the male and female natures. So in this dream, getting back to the dream, I had my head leaning on this woman. I couldn't even see her face. I think it just meant securing the relationship the way a young infant is secure in its mother's arms. And then I turned to the man that was sitting on the couch and I asked him this simple question. What do you think of Jesus. Immediately, the dream shifted. I found myself in a second room. I'm sitting on a couch, and there's a young woman in the room, about 23 years old. And I say to this woman, listen, beloved ones, the same question. I believe that God Himself, by the Holy Spirit, gave me the question. I said to her this, what do you think of Jesus. And she answered and said this, well, I know he said a lot to the church, but he never said anything to me like about being boyfriend, girlfriend. And I know that sounds strange when I say that to you. And then the dream was over. And I knew when it was over that it was too strange. The whole thing was too strange. What are you saying? And the Lord was saying to me, what was happening in that second phase of the dream is that I was showing you that there are so many people out there, they've heard that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. but they never heard, the Lord was showing me, that I love them uniquely, especially, and individually. And that's what that girl was saying in the dream. Well, I know he said he loved the church. I know that he loves the world generically, but I never heard him say anything to me about being boyfriend, girlfriend. You see, she was wanting an intimate relationship. In fact, it's a type of relationship that Jesus is calling us to. He's calling to us, beloved ones, to Revelation 19, to the marriage supper of the Lamb. So God was telling me, when you witness to people, my church, don't just witness to them generally. Don't just say that God so loved the world. But when you witness to people, witness to them in such a way that you tell them that I love them. that, for example, if their name is Bill or Mary, you say, Bill, Mary, God loves you so specifically, personally. Bill, Mary, He knows everything that's going on in your life. And Bill, He's got a special plan for you. Mary, He's got a special destiny for you. Mary, God created you for Himself. Bill, God loves you more than you could ever realize. But the only way you're going to know His love The only way you're going to fulfill his purpose for your life, Bill Murray, is when you invite him into your life and make him the center of your life. God loves you today. He loves you individually, specifically, and specially. Would you receive him right now? He's knocking at the door of your heart. Beloved, the Bible speaks of there being a famine on the earth, not for food, but for the Word of God. You know, we're living in a time where there truly is a famine on the earth for the Word of God. So much teaching and preaching today is based on just making people feel good. But the truth oftentimes is not being taught. I want to ask you, beloved, to support me and to support this ministry. We're committed to teaching the truth and supporting this ministry, beloved. It ensures that I'm going to continue to be a blessing to you and that you're going to be used of God and rewarded for building his kingdom on the earth. Beloved, just do what the Holy Spirit tells you to do. That's all I've ever asked. If you sense him leading you to financially support me in this ministry, just obey him immediately. If you don't, don't do it. Just obey him, beloved, and you're going to be blessed. There always is a blessing. Now, Dustin, can you share with our listeners how they can support us and give?
SPEAKER 03 :
I'd be happy to, Rabbi. If you sense the Lord knocking on the door of your heart and leading you to financially support discovering the Jewish Jesus with a gift of any amount, then please reach out to us today. Call us at 800-777-7835. And if it's easier, you can give online at our website, discoveringthejewishjesus.com. And for those of you who feel called to support this ministry even further, I want you to know about a great resource and our partnership with Freewill. Freewill is an online and intuitive platform that simplifies the process of creating a will. It's free and it's user-friendly. And when you use free will, you can ensure that your earthly blessings continue to further the kingdom's work even after your days here on this earth are done. If you'd like to discover more about free will, I want to encourage you visit DiscoveringTheJewishJesus.com. Click on the resources tab and then need a will. You'll find all the details. It's free and it's easy. Once again, thanks so much for helping us extend our message and bring the hope and the healing of the Jewish Jesus to so many people all over the entire world. Once again, our address is Discovering the Jewish Jesus, P.O. Box 777 Blissfield, Michigan 49228. And many people, sometimes they don't remember that you can also text in your donation. Just type the keyword rabbi to the phone number 45777. We look forward to hearing from you soon. And now let's wrap up today's message on the accuracy of Scripture with God's sacred and special blessing. Rabbi.
SPEAKER 02 :
What I love about the Aaronic blessing is that it did not originate with man. The words actually proceeded from the very essence of God himself. The blessing comes from the book of Numbers, chapter six. So listen to these words and receive the blessing of the Lord into your life today.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yevarechech Yahweh, vayishmarecha. Yair Yahweh, penavelecha, vichunecha. Shalom.
SPEAKER 02 :
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift you up with His countenance. And the Lord give you, beloved one, His peace. God bless you and shalom.
SPEAKER 03 :
This program is produced and sponsored by Discovering the Jewish Jesus. And I'm Dustin Roberts. Come back next week when Rabbi Schneider gives us some deep revelation from the book of Ephesians. That's Monday on Discovering the Jewish Jesus.