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Join Barbara and Darren as they explore the importance of seeking new opportunities and stepping out in faith. Listen to testimonies of individuals finding miracles on their journey and learn how changing your environment can lead to new beginnings and fulfillment in life. Through candid conversations, they emphasize the transformative power of prayer, the necessity to leave comfort zones, and trusting in God's perfect plan for our lives.
SPEAKER 01 :
Welcome to Call to Freedom with Barbara Carmack. This is Jimmy Lakey, and I'm delighted that you are joining us for this half hour. You can reach Call to Freedom at Box 370367, Denver, Colorado, 80237, or by going to the website at www.freedomstreet.org. If you want to leave a message or order a Word Power Daily Reading Bible Guide or a Freedom Street Express newsletter, you can call us toll free at 1-877-917-7256 and leave your name and address, including your zip code. If you want to talk to Barbara right now, she is expecting your call. You may call that same toll-free number, 1-877-917-7256 to speak to her. And now, let's join Barbara in the studio.
SPEAKER 02 :
You will be listening to a Darren Live broadcast today. By the amount of calls and emails I've received, you have enjoyed hearing shows from the past. On this program, Darren and I talk about the negative effect that fear has on a person's life. And we discuss the fact that God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind. Thank you for joining us today. approach it as an opportunity to see God at work in your life. As we join the broadcast, Darren is talking about our special friends, Jack and Nancy. Let's join this Encore Darren Live program now.
SPEAKER 06 :
And we've been doing those meetings there for over three years. And we probably should have kept a Tuesday miracle log because we've had so many. And people getting born again, set free, finding new friends. The list could go on and on. And, you know, even Jack was mentioned in the newspaper out in Strasburg.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah. Yes.
SPEAKER 06 :
Jack the meter man.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes. The meter reader.
SPEAKER 06 :
It was really, really a neat article about Jack. Jack and Nancy are frequent visitors to our class. In fact, not just visitors. They're kind of old timers. But we have a good time and we see people growing in the Lord. And that's so exciting to me to see people that are fighting that great big monster, the big main monster the devil throws against us as that monster called fear. And it's not just called a monster in scripture. It's called a spirit monster.
SPEAKER 02 :
That's right. And it is sin. When we give into those things, so many of us, we give into fear or we give into anxiety or worry. And I know some people don't believe those are sins, but those are sins. And it says God didn't give us the spirit of fear. And it's because it is so detrimental in our lives. God isn't that kind of God to give us that fear. But he gave us power and love and a sound mind. And Darren, that's such a reassurance. Praise God. I need to apologize. I need to apologize to you and the listening audience. You're speaking to me? Yes, I'm speaking to you. I need to apologize to all of you because yesterday Holy Spirit was nudging me saying, you know, you had a couple of prophetic words for people and he was saying ears, ears. and someone has a problem with their ears, and they just cannot hear. It's either a big vacuum, it's like they're inside of a drum, or it's ringing, or something like that. And I didn't say anything on the show. Of course, we had three calls, and half an hour just goes boom, boom, and it's gone. And so all afternoon, he kept... telling me about ears last night. We get to the meeting and we had such a great time. And I'll tell you, over 50 people came during that. It was windy and cold. I mean, and I'll tell you, I was amazed. We have some really true diehards in the Lord. I just, I love all of you. Praise God.
SPEAKER 06 :
What's your apology?
SPEAKER 02 :
So, and then I get there and during prayer, Holy Spirit is saying ears again. And I didn't do it. And I just ask your forgiveness because I got home and I started reading the envelopes. And one of the prayer requests was, please pray for my ears. I have ringing in my ears. So in Jesus name, I thank you, Father God, that if this person is listening or any of you that have problems with your ears this morning. Put your hand over your ears in Jesus name. I know Holy Spirit wants to heal you because he was nudging me all day yesterday. I asked his forgiveness and he is ready to heal you today. And in Jesus name, I thank you, Father, that you are going by the unction of Holy Spirit to everyone that has a problem in their ears so that they can open their ears, their natural ears in here. And Father God, I ask also that you open their spiritual ears. to hear the word of God. In Jesus' name, thank you for this healing. Hallelujah. Amen.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, we also had a marvelous miracle shared with us last night. A lady who received a tremendous miracle in the class probably two months ago has been coming alone by herself the last few weeks because her husband was working night shift. Well, he held up his hand last night. He said, I had a major miracle. I got a new job and twice the pay that I had before.
SPEAKER 05 :
Isn't that great?
SPEAKER 06 :
And, you know, we prayed for things like that, that God would just bring around the best employment possible But he's the type of guy that will go out and ask, make himself available for those openings. And, you know, you can pray and pray in your prayer closet, but some days you have to get out and go out and fill out a job application. You have to go out and make a move. And I have a letter in front of me here, and I'll let you put the name on this guy that you want to put on him. I mean, if you would describe this guy.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, we can just call him Single Guy.
SPEAKER 06 :
Single Guy. Okay. In fact, that's the way he signed his letter. Now, I'm not going to tell you whether he's in Garden City, Kansas, Georgetown, Colorado, Carr, Colorado, Otis, Joe's, Raton, New Mexico, down in Canadian, Texas. I'm not going to say where this guy's from, okay? But he's from a small town. Okay, here's what he says. Dear Darren, I'm writing to you because during your show I'm working. I don't always get a chance to listen to your show. I don't have a computer. Now here's my details. I'm 36 years old, a male. I've never been married. I have no kids. That's good. Darren, I'd like to be, well, I mean, you shouldn't probably have kids if you have never been married, right?
SPEAKER 05 :
That's true.
SPEAKER 06 :
I would like a miracle because I live in a small town and all the Christian women here are in high school. Well, he probably should draw a line through that option.
SPEAKER 02 :
I don't think that's the total truth, though, either. I think there are other single women who are Christians.
SPEAKER 06 :
He said, yes, I am a born-again Christian. I want to meet the soulmate of my life. Pray for me. Would you write to me and let me know? Well, instead of writing, I'm going to send him a copy of this tape. But here's what I'm going to say. You know, I've driven up and down I-25 for many, many thousands of miles. I've never seen anybody catch trout in the middle of I-25. Well, you say, how stupid an illustration. Well, no, it's not really stupid. The reason you don't catch trout in the middle of I-25 is there's no trout there.
SPEAKER 05 :
That's right.
SPEAKER 06 :
So if you want to find trout, you're probably going to have to get off the highway and drive up in the mountains and find a stream where there is some trout.
SPEAKER 02 :
And we're not saying there are no single Christian women there, but he just hasn't met them.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, it sounds like it. But here's my point. If I want to catch catfish and I'm fishing for catfish, I've just got to have catfish. Probably I'm going to have to maybe go to Kansas or down in Oklahoma or down into Texas. I'm going to go down where they have a lot of warm water. If I want catfish, if you're going to catch what you're after, you got to go where they are. That's my point. And I, you know, we have a lot of people talk to us and they give us, they give us, they just think they've got an impossible situation. No, you know, there are no borders there. keeping you from driving to Denver. And there are a lot of single, wonderful Christian ladies here in Denver.
SPEAKER 02 :
Job opportunities are absolutely wonderful. Job opportunities are wonderful. In fact, probably better than in this little town.
SPEAKER 06 :
In this little town. Okay. Also, I know a little bit about Tulsa, Oklahoma. I mean, there's an abundance of singles there, both men and women. And if you're not finding what you're looking for where you are, guess what? Get yourself in the vehicle and get going.
SPEAKER 02 :
That's right. There's Bible school there, and I'll tell you, there are people that are 45 and 50 going to that Bible school.
SPEAKER 06 :
And some older than that.
SPEAKER 02 :
And I know two men from this exact area where he's from. After graduating from high school, they went to Tulsa, and they found their wives in Tulsa. I mean, we just read here in Genesis, Darren, about Isaac. He didn't have a wife, and Abraham sent the servant to the foreign country, Haran, which was many days east of where they lived. to find a wife for him. Also, Jacob, he ran away from home for fear of his brother Esau, but he found a wife in another country also. So they left home and they found a wife. Now, if you say, well, I can't leave home, then you are limiting God because there's no such thing as I can't. I know I lived in the Greeley area for 40 years. And Darren, when you were talking about moving to Denver, I said, oh, this is home. I can't do that. And God almost had to kick me out of there. But he did. And praise God that he did, because our life has changed. And I'm so fulfilled and satisfied.
SPEAKER 06 :
And you like Denver.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, I love Denver. Yes. A lot of people in like city.
SPEAKER 06 :
We happen to like it.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I'm from the country. I was raised on a farm.
SPEAKER 06 :
Now, here's what we're saying, folks. Some of you are where you are, and you're complaining because there are just no opportunities. And I would agree with you. In some communities, there are very limited or no opportunities, maybe for marriage or for job, for employment, for advancement. Don't let fear keep you there. You may be in a very comfortable paralytic. Now, I want you to hear me, paralytic loop situation. Some of you are in a paralytic loop in the middle of Denver saying, oh, I just can't find a good church. Oh, I just can't find anybody to fellowship. I can't find anybody to lay hands on me and pray the prayer of faith and put their faith with mine so I can get healed. Or I could find a better job if somebody just agreed. Oh, I can't find any good friends. Hey, try Tuesday night. We have some delightful people on Tuesday night.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, or try so many times in these apartment complexes, there's community centers. Try getting out of your little four walls and meeting the person across the hall or meeting the person down the street. It does take effort on your part. You cannot sit at home, watch television and expect to find somebody or a job or be in fellowship. That is impossible. And so we encourage you. You must make a decision. God has the best for you, but you have to believe that if he sends you somewhere, it's the very best for you.
SPEAKER 06 :
You know, I've talked to quite a few people that were doing the loop, and they were paralyzed in their situation. And they said, oh, Brother Darren, would you pray for me? And they'd give me a request, something like this. You know, I need to find a wife, or I need to find a husband, or I need to find a better job. And I have a rather creative mind, so I'd stand there for a little bit, and I'd say, well, have you thought about it? Oh, no, I couldn't. No, no, that wouldn't work. And, you know, you go through six or eight or ten options. And then they got all the reasons why that wouldn't work. And then I walk away saying, well, guess I just found out why it just won't work for them. They're going to be locked in. Or I might tell somebody, you know, you could be healed. Oh, let me tell you about my family. They start giving me their family medical history. And I say, now I know why you're not healed. is you have accepted the limitations of your situation, and that's tragic. That is really, really tragic.
SPEAKER 05 :
It is.
SPEAKER 06 :
Don't allow the devil to get you in a corner and plaster up all the walls and do all that kind of stuff, and then you tell me, well, I just can't get out of here. Yes, you can. Mm-hmm. Yes, you can. And praise God, we still live in a free country. Bless God. And there are no fences across I-70 or I-25 or I-80. We flew this weekend down to Phoenix, and there weren't any doors on Phoenix keeping us out of there or out of Tucson. And when we got back to Denver, there were no barbed wire fences keeping us out of Denver.
SPEAKER 02 :
Praise God.
SPEAKER 06 :
Now, come on, folks. There's a way to change your circumstances, and it might be that you have to put down your pet little idol called fear. Now, I have been there. I know what it's like to feel fearful. I know what it's like to say, well, there's new territory. I mean, could I get a job? Yes, I've driven clear across the country and found a job in a brand-new city.
SPEAKER 02 :
I think it also involves laziness, too, because we get into a rut or we get into a schedule or a routine. And the very idea of getting out of that is just absolutely impossible for us to think about. And because we're so familiar with what we're doing, we can't possibly get into any new adventure or area. And I say, wow, that is that's tremendous to be able to think about. Hey, I'm going to do something brand new that I've never done before and get excited about it.
SPEAKER 06 :
And you've got to know this, that God is in your town, whether it's a little town, a big town, or a big city. He's there. But he's also down the road and around the bend and over the hill. He's there also. And if you give him a chance, and I look at it this way. When I drive through the farming communities, I look at a grain elevator, and sometimes I see these trucks that drive in for a load of grain. And you know that grain is not going to come out in the middle of the street. It's not going to be half a mile down the other end of town. You have to get under that spout in the elevator for that grain to drop in your truck. Some of you are trying to get God's glory where you are. And God says, look. My glory is going to be on your life and my blessing is going to be on your life 50 miles down the road. And you're going to have to move. If you're going to find that place of blessing, you're going to have to move.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, that's what he did with Abraham. That's what he did with Joseph. That's what he did with many, many.
SPEAKER 06 :
Abraham's father was an idol maker. They had to be very wealthy, but God says, Abraham, you're moving. And he didn't have a map. He didn't really know where he was going. He just believed God and went for it.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, and he had much more success than if he would have stayed there. Also, I have a verse from Genesis 28, verse 20 through 22, when Jacob had run away from home to go to his uncle Laban's house, his mother Rebecca's brother. And he saw a ladder going down from heaven and angels up and down the ladder. I think that was God telling him, I'm going to take care of you, Jacob. And Jacob said something to God. God, if you will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take and give me food to eat and garments to wear, and I can return to my father's house in safety, which he did many years later. Then this stone, which I have set up as an altar, as a pillar will be God's house. And of that thou does give me, I will give you a 10th of all that you give me. Now, this is the second time that this tide is mentioned once with Abraham meeting Melchizedek. Now with Jacob, I believe Darren, when we put God first and we say, God, I'm going to get to know you and you're going to bring all of my desires together. If this young man can say, Father God, I'm going to give you the first part of my day. I'm going to make sure that I tithe and I give you what is yours. And I'm going to make sure that my life is congruent, Lord, the way you asked me to do it. Then God will bring the woman in his life. I truly believe that.
SPEAKER 06 :
Now, I believe this too, Barbara, that many times God just gives us a choice. And let me give you an example. We talked to a lot of people are from North Dakota. So let me pick on North Dakota for a minute. If you don't like real cold winters and real hot summers, you probably shouldn't live in Bismarck, North Dakota. Now, I haven't lived there, but that's what they tell me. They have hot, hot summers and they have real cold winters. Well, guess what? You have a choice. And if you don't like cold weather, why don't you move south? And, you know, God may just be saying, you know, I don't care whether you live in Albuquerque or whether you live in Riverside, California, or whether you live in Tucson, Arizona. I don't really care. Or maybe you want to go down to Brownsville, Texas. I just don't care. But see, I believe that he gives us many times that choice.
SPEAKER 02 :
I know. I've always wondered when there's a great flood along a river or something and all their houses are absolutely flooded. And this doesn't happen just once in 100 years. This happens maybe every 25 or 30 years. Or every 10 years. They've got to rebuild. Or on the slopes of California and their house goes down to the sea and they build there again. I'm going... Are they stupid or something? I mean, I would get up on the shore far away, at least two or three miles away, if I knew that might happen again. And people are, what are they, creatures of habit? They have got to go and rebuild again.
SPEAKER 06 :
You know, many people tend their life, I should have, would have, could have, you know, I could have done better, I should have moved, and they didn't move.
SPEAKER 02 :
They didn't move.
SPEAKER 06 :
They didn't move.
SPEAKER 02 :
And they got destroyed, man.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, let's talk to, there's a lady on the phone, Pam in North Glen, how are you?
SPEAKER 04 :
Hi, Darren. Hi, Barbara. Hi. How are you? Doing good. Great. Last night when I left the meeting, and I was talking to you, Barbara, last night about my husband.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 04 :
And a ton of bricks fell on me as I was turning the corner into the driveway. My husband is a reasoner and a planner. And I know you're supposed to ponder. And that's a lot different than reasoning, isn't it?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 04 :
And... How do I go about praying that reasoning thing away from him?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I believe that Ephesians 1, 17 and 18 is really good. And I would really pray to know that he is, I mean, born again. I know sometimes it's really hard for a wife to sit down with a husband and Honey, do you really know that Jesus is Lord of your life? If you know that, then you can read Ephesians 1, 17 and 18 and pray that for him, that his eyes, the spiritual eyes would be open for him. Because I know you and I have talked about it, that he just doesn't believe in giving to the Lord. And that is a real important part of being a born again Christian. And so we need to ask God to change that mindset that he has, because it is really carnal. It is a carnal mindset that he has. So change those patterns of what he grew up thinking and hungering and thirsting. That's another thing you need to pray for him. Matthew five, six. Oh, good. Good. That's great.
SPEAKER 06 :
I would bless your husband with the thirst for righteousness. And Pam, let me say this to you. I spent several years in college. But if the colleges had the answers, you know, we'd be lined up from here to Boulder trying to break the doors down to get in there. And the answers for mankind are not really found at the mind and the reason level. They're found in the heart. And one reason we have so many metal breakdowns in the United States is we try to reason and we're trying to make the mind do something God didn't create it to do. The mind really needs to be a servant of the spirit. So can I read a little scripture to you? Sure. Okay, in Romans 8.6 it says, For it does not subject itself to the law of God. It's not even able to do so. And those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, that's good.
SPEAKER 06 :
And, you know, we try to get people to have a spiritual identity, and many people try to have a mental identity. They say, above all, I have to reason, I have to think, I have to figure things out, I have to deduct, I have to, you know, all that stuff. And that person is really bound that does that. So I suspect your husband is bound just because he's depending on his mind too much.
SPEAKER 04 :
That's what I see here more and more that I've been home. Right.
SPEAKER 06 :
So then fear, of course, is right there at the door to paralyze a person's thinking. And this is a scary world. If you don't really trust in God, this is a scary world. Because all you have to do is read just the headlines. If you didn't read the paper, just read the headlines. Just listen to a little CNN news. I mean, you'd freak out. And it's no wonder that there are a lot of people committing suicide today. And a lot of the younger people today are taking that option of suicide. They're saying, hey, the adults haven't figured this out. They've screwed up our world. And I just think I'm just going to check out. And a lot of them do. And that's because they're trying to reason it out, trying to figure it out. And there are a lot of things, very honestly, you just plain won't figure. Know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah. Now, he won't let you give your tithe, right?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, we go around and around about it. I'm trying to be a submissive wife, which is hard for me to do sometimes. But he's a money handler, and he does it really well. Except for that.
SPEAKER 02 :
Does he do it really well? Yes, he does. Do you have everything that you desire?
SPEAKER 04 :
Um...
SPEAKER 02 :
90% of it, yes. Do you? Okay. I'm saying if you would talk to him and say, could I take the money that I earn and give that 10%? You're not asking him to give you all the paycheck to God, all your paycheck to God. You're just asking for 10% of your paycheck. And let's do an experiment for 90 days.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay. I was going to suggest that, but. With me not working for the past couple of months, I know that's a lame excuse.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, but now you are working again, right?
SPEAKER 04 :
I'll be starting here at the end of the week. Okay.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, I would agree with Barbara there. I believe God will just do things for you.
SPEAKER 04 :
I do, too.
SPEAKER 06 :
Your husband needs to see something.
SPEAKER 04 :
That's right.
SPEAKER 06 :
God's not beyond being challenged there. In fact, this is one area and only area in Scripture where he says, test me. Try me out. Try me out.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay. Because I think he's a reasoner and he's overwhelmed by that fierce thing going on. We're not going to have enough money.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, I tell you what, when you pray for your husband, buy him the spirit of fear.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, and bless him with peace and with righteousness.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right, Pam.
SPEAKER 03 :
God bless you. God bless.
SPEAKER 06 :
We love you.
SPEAKER 03 :
Love you, too. Okay. Bye-bye.
SPEAKER 06 :
Let's talk to Seal and Greeley. How are you?
SPEAKER 03 :
I'm doing pretty good. Good. I've looked into you guys off and on for quite some time, but this is the first time I actually got through when you were actually there. Oh, well, good to know.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, we're glad you called.
SPEAKER 03 :
I was... I was listening, and I just came out of an appointment and heard you talking about going and getting a job somewhere else and getting out of the four walls. Right. I just wanted to share with you an experience that my husband and I had. We were living in Minnesota, and we were planning our vacation to northern Minnesota. And the night before we left, we really felt like the Lord was telling us to come to Colorado to visit his mother. And so the next day, instead of going to northern Minnesota, we came to Colorado. While we were here, we had been thinking we'd always wanted to move back here so he could be by his mom. And it's been, it was, I think, like 10 years. And while we were here, all of a sudden we thought, you know, Oh, let's see if there's jobs. And we were here for a week. During that week, I called on a job position, got a job. My husband went back, or we all went back. I quit my job that I had. and we moved to colorado did your husband get a job here too yes he did actually he came here on the promise of a job oh and um he didn't even know for sure if he'd get it or not um but if you trust that god is faithful and he is telling you that that's where you need to be um all it's going to work out exactly so has he taken care has he taken care of you Oh, yes. I mean, it did take time for my husband to get here because we had to sell our other home. But we had time to see each other like we met in between for a couple months. But the good thing was within two weeks of my husband getting here, Here, we bought a new home.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, praise God.
SPEAKER 03 :
And I think it was just the timing, because the people whose home that we bought had been thinking about selling their home, and so God wanted to place us in the place where we were.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 03 :
And He didn't want us to get a different home, so there were other things that had to fall in line. So it's really been wonderful.
SPEAKER 05 :
Good.
SPEAKER 03 :
We've been working and doing... Well, actually, now I'm a stay-at-home mom, so... God's blessing us tremendously because we listen.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes, that's right. And you obeyed. You did more than listen. Shema. That word Shema is in Deuteronomy 6.4. And it's a Hebrew word meaning listen with the intent of obeying. That's what you did. That's what you did.
SPEAKER 03 :
You know, I was listening yesterday with Dr. Zodiati.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
It was so wonderful. And I had always wanted a Hebrew-Greek study Bible. I had Dr. Sodiatis, and I gave it to my pastor because he'd always wanted one, and I just gave it to him as a gift.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, you blessed your pastor.
SPEAKER 03 :
So do you have one? No. Well, I got a cheap one, and it wasn't the same one. I didn't realize that. I thought I was getting the same one, and I don't like it as much, but... It'll work until I can get a different one.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, we'll pray that you get a Dr. Zodiani's Hebrew-Greek study.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes, thank you. Yes, I'm going to be looking for the New Testament one that he was talking about. The Greek one.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes, the Greek one.
SPEAKER 06 :
You know, we were so honored to be able to interview a man of that stature on our show. I mean, that's like a dream for us. We've had his Bible for a number of years, and that was actually a rerun that we did on Monday. because we weren't able to get on the plane. All the planes were full coming back from Phoenix. So we did rerun that show, and so many people are blessed.
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, I'm glad you did because I would have missed it because I didn't get to hear it before that.
SPEAKER 02 :
God bless you. Listen, if you're not on our mailing list and you haven't gotten a devotional from us this year, we'd be happy to send you one if you give John your name and address. Okay. All right. Wonderful.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you so much.
SPEAKER 02 :
Delightful call. It was great.
SPEAKER 06 :
Thanks, Celia.
SPEAKER 02 :
Bye now. Bye. Wow, what a great praise report. Yeah.
SPEAKER 06 :
Amen. It's important. Amen. I'll tell you, we have just about a minute to go. And folks, we want to tell you, we absolutely love doing these radio shows. And more than that, we love watching our listeners grow in the Lord. Yes.
SPEAKER 1 :
877-917-7256
SPEAKER 01 :
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SPEAKER 1 :
Thank you.
A collection of messages about HEALING, Whether your need is phsyical healing, emotional healing, or any other part of your life where you need to be made WHOLE. If you have a prayer request or need, please don't hesitate to call us at 303.481.1800, or complete the form below and someone will reach back out according to your wishes.
Join Barbara and Darren as they explore the importance of seeking new opportunities and stepping out in faith. Listen to testimonies of individuals finding miracles on their journey and learn how changing your environment can lead to new beginnings and fulfillment in life. Through candid conversations, they emphasize the transformative power of prayer, the necessity to leave comfort zones, and trusting in God's perfect plan for our lives.
SPEAKER 01 :
Welcome to Call to Freedom with Barbara Carmack. This is Jimmy Lakey, and I'm delighted that you are joining us for this half hour. You can reach Call to Freedom at Box 370367, Denver, Colorado, 80237, or by going to the website at www.freedomstreet.org. If you want to leave a message or order a Word Power Daily Reading Bible Guide or a Freedom Street Express newsletter, you can call us toll free at 1-877-917-7256 and leave your name and address, including your zip code. If you want to talk to Barbara right now, she is expecting your call. You may call that same toll-free number, 1-877-917-7256 to speak to her. And now, let's join Barbara in the studio.
SPEAKER 02 :
You will be listening to a Darren Live broadcast today. By the amount of calls and emails I've received, you have enjoyed hearing shows from the past. On this program, Darren and I talk about the negative effect that fear has on a person's life. And we discuss the fact that God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind. Thank you for joining us today. approach it as an opportunity to see God at work in your life. As we join the broadcast, Darren is talking about our special friends, Jack and Nancy. Let's join this Encore Darren Live program now.
SPEAKER 06 :
And we've been doing those meetings there for over three years. And we probably should have kept a Tuesday miracle log because we've had so many. And people getting born again, set free, finding new friends. The list could go on and on. And, you know, even Jack was mentioned in the newspaper out in Strasburg.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah. Yes.
SPEAKER 06 :
Jack the meter man.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes. The meter reader.
SPEAKER 06 :
It was really, really a neat article about Jack. Jack and Nancy are frequent visitors to our class. In fact, not just visitors. They're kind of old timers. But we have a good time and we see people growing in the Lord. And that's so exciting to me to see people that are fighting that great big monster, the big main monster the devil throws against us as that monster called fear. And it's not just called a monster in scripture. It's called a spirit monster.
SPEAKER 02 :
That's right. And it is sin. When we give into those things, so many of us, we give into fear or we give into anxiety or worry. And I know some people don't believe those are sins, but those are sins. And it says God didn't give us the spirit of fear. And it's because it is so detrimental in our lives. God isn't that kind of God to give us that fear. But he gave us power and love and a sound mind. And Darren, that's such a reassurance. Praise God. I need to apologize. I need to apologize to you and the listening audience. You're speaking to me? Yes, I'm speaking to you. I need to apologize to all of you because yesterday Holy Spirit was nudging me saying, you know, you had a couple of prophetic words for people and he was saying ears, ears. and someone has a problem with their ears, and they just cannot hear. It's either a big vacuum, it's like they're inside of a drum, or it's ringing, or something like that. And I didn't say anything on the show. Of course, we had three calls, and half an hour just goes boom, boom, and it's gone. And so all afternoon, he kept... telling me about ears last night. We get to the meeting and we had such a great time. And I'll tell you, over 50 people came during that. It was windy and cold. I mean, and I'll tell you, I was amazed. We have some really true diehards in the Lord. I just, I love all of you. Praise God.
SPEAKER 06 :
What's your apology?
SPEAKER 02 :
So, and then I get there and during prayer, Holy Spirit is saying ears again. And I didn't do it. And I just ask your forgiveness because I got home and I started reading the envelopes. And one of the prayer requests was, please pray for my ears. I have ringing in my ears. So in Jesus name, I thank you, Father God, that if this person is listening or any of you that have problems with your ears this morning. Put your hand over your ears in Jesus name. I know Holy Spirit wants to heal you because he was nudging me all day yesterday. I asked his forgiveness and he is ready to heal you today. And in Jesus name, I thank you, Father, that you are going by the unction of Holy Spirit to everyone that has a problem in their ears so that they can open their ears, their natural ears in here. And Father God, I ask also that you open their spiritual ears. to hear the word of God. In Jesus' name, thank you for this healing. Hallelujah. Amen.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, we also had a marvelous miracle shared with us last night. A lady who received a tremendous miracle in the class probably two months ago has been coming alone by herself the last few weeks because her husband was working night shift. Well, he held up his hand last night. He said, I had a major miracle. I got a new job and twice the pay that I had before.
SPEAKER 05 :
Isn't that great?
SPEAKER 06 :
And, you know, we prayed for things like that, that God would just bring around the best employment possible But he's the type of guy that will go out and ask, make himself available for those openings. And, you know, you can pray and pray in your prayer closet, but some days you have to get out and go out and fill out a job application. You have to go out and make a move. And I have a letter in front of me here, and I'll let you put the name on this guy that you want to put on him. I mean, if you would describe this guy.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, we can just call him Single Guy.
SPEAKER 06 :
Single Guy. Okay. In fact, that's the way he signed his letter. Now, I'm not going to tell you whether he's in Garden City, Kansas, Georgetown, Colorado, Carr, Colorado, Otis, Joe's, Raton, New Mexico, down in Canadian, Texas. I'm not going to say where this guy's from, okay? But he's from a small town. Okay, here's what he says. Dear Darren, I'm writing to you because during your show I'm working. I don't always get a chance to listen to your show. I don't have a computer. Now here's my details. I'm 36 years old, a male. I've never been married. I have no kids. That's good. Darren, I'd like to be, well, I mean, you shouldn't probably have kids if you have never been married, right?
SPEAKER 05 :
That's true.
SPEAKER 06 :
I would like a miracle because I live in a small town and all the Christian women here are in high school. Well, he probably should draw a line through that option.
SPEAKER 02 :
I don't think that's the total truth, though, either. I think there are other single women who are Christians.
SPEAKER 06 :
He said, yes, I am a born-again Christian. I want to meet the soulmate of my life. Pray for me. Would you write to me and let me know? Well, instead of writing, I'm going to send him a copy of this tape. But here's what I'm going to say. You know, I've driven up and down I-25 for many, many thousands of miles. I've never seen anybody catch trout in the middle of I-25. Well, you say, how stupid an illustration. Well, no, it's not really stupid. The reason you don't catch trout in the middle of I-25 is there's no trout there.
SPEAKER 05 :
That's right.
SPEAKER 06 :
So if you want to find trout, you're probably going to have to get off the highway and drive up in the mountains and find a stream where there is some trout.
SPEAKER 02 :
And we're not saying there are no single Christian women there, but he just hasn't met them.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, it sounds like it. But here's my point. If I want to catch catfish and I'm fishing for catfish, I've just got to have catfish. Probably I'm going to have to maybe go to Kansas or down in Oklahoma or down into Texas. I'm going to go down where they have a lot of warm water. If I want catfish, if you're going to catch what you're after, you got to go where they are. That's my point. And I, you know, we have a lot of people talk to us and they give us, they give us, they just think they've got an impossible situation. No, you know, there are no borders there. keeping you from driving to Denver. And there are a lot of single, wonderful Christian ladies here in Denver.
SPEAKER 02 :
Job opportunities are absolutely wonderful. Job opportunities are wonderful. In fact, probably better than in this little town.
SPEAKER 06 :
In this little town. Okay. Also, I know a little bit about Tulsa, Oklahoma. I mean, there's an abundance of singles there, both men and women. And if you're not finding what you're looking for where you are, guess what? Get yourself in the vehicle and get going.
SPEAKER 02 :
That's right. There's Bible school there, and I'll tell you, there are people that are 45 and 50 going to that Bible school.
SPEAKER 06 :
And some older than that.
SPEAKER 02 :
And I know two men from this exact area where he's from. After graduating from high school, they went to Tulsa, and they found their wives in Tulsa. I mean, we just read here in Genesis, Darren, about Isaac. He didn't have a wife, and Abraham sent the servant to the foreign country, Haran, which was many days east of where they lived. to find a wife for him. Also, Jacob, he ran away from home for fear of his brother Esau, but he found a wife in another country also. So they left home and they found a wife. Now, if you say, well, I can't leave home, then you are limiting God because there's no such thing as I can't. I know I lived in the Greeley area for 40 years. And Darren, when you were talking about moving to Denver, I said, oh, this is home. I can't do that. And God almost had to kick me out of there. But he did. And praise God that he did, because our life has changed. And I'm so fulfilled and satisfied.
SPEAKER 06 :
And you like Denver.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, I love Denver. Yes. A lot of people in like city.
SPEAKER 06 :
We happen to like it.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I'm from the country. I was raised on a farm.
SPEAKER 06 :
Now, here's what we're saying, folks. Some of you are where you are, and you're complaining because there are just no opportunities. And I would agree with you. In some communities, there are very limited or no opportunities, maybe for marriage or for job, for employment, for advancement. Don't let fear keep you there. You may be in a very comfortable paralytic. Now, I want you to hear me, paralytic loop situation. Some of you are in a paralytic loop in the middle of Denver saying, oh, I just can't find a good church. Oh, I just can't find anybody to fellowship. I can't find anybody to lay hands on me and pray the prayer of faith and put their faith with mine so I can get healed. Or I could find a better job if somebody just agreed. Oh, I can't find any good friends. Hey, try Tuesday night. We have some delightful people on Tuesday night.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, or try so many times in these apartment complexes, there's community centers. Try getting out of your little four walls and meeting the person across the hall or meeting the person down the street. It does take effort on your part. You cannot sit at home, watch television and expect to find somebody or a job or be in fellowship. That is impossible. And so we encourage you. You must make a decision. God has the best for you, but you have to believe that if he sends you somewhere, it's the very best for you.
SPEAKER 06 :
You know, I've talked to quite a few people that were doing the loop, and they were paralyzed in their situation. And they said, oh, Brother Darren, would you pray for me? And they'd give me a request, something like this. You know, I need to find a wife, or I need to find a husband, or I need to find a better job. And I have a rather creative mind, so I'd stand there for a little bit, and I'd say, well, have you thought about it? Oh, no, I couldn't. No, no, that wouldn't work. And, you know, you go through six or eight or ten options. And then they got all the reasons why that wouldn't work. And then I walk away saying, well, guess I just found out why it just won't work for them. They're going to be locked in. Or I might tell somebody, you know, you could be healed. Oh, let me tell you about my family. They start giving me their family medical history. And I say, now I know why you're not healed. is you have accepted the limitations of your situation, and that's tragic. That is really, really tragic.
SPEAKER 05 :
It is.
SPEAKER 06 :
Don't allow the devil to get you in a corner and plaster up all the walls and do all that kind of stuff, and then you tell me, well, I just can't get out of here. Yes, you can. Mm-hmm. Yes, you can. And praise God, we still live in a free country. Bless God. And there are no fences across I-70 or I-25 or I-80. We flew this weekend down to Phoenix, and there weren't any doors on Phoenix keeping us out of there or out of Tucson. And when we got back to Denver, there were no barbed wire fences keeping us out of Denver.
SPEAKER 02 :
Praise God.
SPEAKER 06 :
Now, come on, folks. There's a way to change your circumstances, and it might be that you have to put down your pet little idol called fear. Now, I have been there. I know what it's like to feel fearful. I know what it's like to say, well, there's new territory. I mean, could I get a job? Yes, I've driven clear across the country and found a job in a brand-new city.
SPEAKER 02 :
I think it also involves laziness, too, because we get into a rut or we get into a schedule or a routine. And the very idea of getting out of that is just absolutely impossible for us to think about. And because we're so familiar with what we're doing, we can't possibly get into any new adventure or area. And I say, wow, that is that's tremendous to be able to think about. Hey, I'm going to do something brand new that I've never done before and get excited about it.
SPEAKER 06 :
And you've got to know this, that God is in your town, whether it's a little town, a big town, or a big city. He's there. But he's also down the road and around the bend and over the hill. He's there also. And if you give him a chance, and I look at it this way. When I drive through the farming communities, I look at a grain elevator, and sometimes I see these trucks that drive in for a load of grain. And you know that grain is not going to come out in the middle of the street. It's not going to be half a mile down the other end of town. You have to get under that spout in the elevator for that grain to drop in your truck. Some of you are trying to get God's glory where you are. And God says, look. My glory is going to be on your life and my blessing is going to be on your life 50 miles down the road. And you're going to have to move. If you're going to find that place of blessing, you're going to have to move.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, that's what he did with Abraham. That's what he did with Joseph. That's what he did with many, many.
SPEAKER 06 :
Abraham's father was an idol maker. They had to be very wealthy, but God says, Abraham, you're moving. And he didn't have a map. He didn't really know where he was going. He just believed God and went for it.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, and he had much more success than if he would have stayed there. Also, I have a verse from Genesis 28, verse 20 through 22, when Jacob had run away from home to go to his uncle Laban's house, his mother Rebecca's brother. And he saw a ladder going down from heaven and angels up and down the ladder. I think that was God telling him, I'm going to take care of you, Jacob. And Jacob said something to God. God, if you will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take and give me food to eat and garments to wear, and I can return to my father's house in safety, which he did many years later. Then this stone, which I have set up as an altar, as a pillar will be God's house. And of that thou does give me, I will give you a 10th of all that you give me. Now, this is the second time that this tide is mentioned once with Abraham meeting Melchizedek. Now with Jacob, I believe Darren, when we put God first and we say, God, I'm going to get to know you and you're going to bring all of my desires together. If this young man can say, Father God, I'm going to give you the first part of my day. I'm going to make sure that I tithe and I give you what is yours. And I'm going to make sure that my life is congruent, Lord, the way you asked me to do it. Then God will bring the woman in his life. I truly believe that.
SPEAKER 06 :
Now, I believe this too, Barbara, that many times God just gives us a choice. And let me give you an example. We talked to a lot of people are from North Dakota. So let me pick on North Dakota for a minute. If you don't like real cold winters and real hot summers, you probably shouldn't live in Bismarck, North Dakota. Now, I haven't lived there, but that's what they tell me. They have hot, hot summers and they have real cold winters. Well, guess what? You have a choice. And if you don't like cold weather, why don't you move south? And, you know, God may just be saying, you know, I don't care whether you live in Albuquerque or whether you live in Riverside, California, or whether you live in Tucson, Arizona. I don't really care. Or maybe you want to go down to Brownsville, Texas. I just don't care. But see, I believe that he gives us many times that choice.
SPEAKER 02 :
I know. I've always wondered when there's a great flood along a river or something and all their houses are absolutely flooded. And this doesn't happen just once in 100 years. This happens maybe every 25 or 30 years. Or every 10 years. They've got to rebuild. Or on the slopes of California and their house goes down to the sea and they build there again. I'm going... Are they stupid or something? I mean, I would get up on the shore far away, at least two or three miles away, if I knew that might happen again. And people are, what are they, creatures of habit? They have got to go and rebuild again.
SPEAKER 06 :
You know, many people tend their life, I should have, would have, could have, you know, I could have done better, I should have moved, and they didn't move.
SPEAKER 02 :
They didn't move.
SPEAKER 06 :
They didn't move.
SPEAKER 02 :
And they got destroyed, man.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, let's talk to, there's a lady on the phone, Pam in North Glen, how are you?
SPEAKER 04 :
Hi, Darren. Hi, Barbara. Hi. How are you? Doing good. Great. Last night when I left the meeting, and I was talking to you, Barbara, last night about my husband.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 04 :
And a ton of bricks fell on me as I was turning the corner into the driveway. My husband is a reasoner and a planner. And I know you're supposed to ponder. And that's a lot different than reasoning, isn't it?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 04 :
And... How do I go about praying that reasoning thing away from him?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I believe that Ephesians 1, 17 and 18 is really good. And I would really pray to know that he is, I mean, born again. I know sometimes it's really hard for a wife to sit down with a husband and Honey, do you really know that Jesus is Lord of your life? If you know that, then you can read Ephesians 1, 17 and 18 and pray that for him, that his eyes, the spiritual eyes would be open for him. Because I know you and I have talked about it, that he just doesn't believe in giving to the Lord. And that is a real important part of being a born again Christian. And so we need to ask God to change that mindset that he has, because it is really carnal. It is a carnal mindset that he has. So change those patterns of what he grew up thinking and hungering and thirsting. That's another thing you need to pray for him. Matthew five, six. Oh, good. Good. That's great.
SPEAKER 06 :
I would bless your husband with the thirst for righteousness. And Pam, let me say this to you. I spent several years in college. But if the colleges had the answers, you know, we'd be lined up from here to Boulder trying to break the doors down to get in there. And the answers for mankind are not really found at the mind and the reason level. They're found in the heart. And one reason we have so many metal breakdowns in the United States is we try to reason and we're trying to make the mind do something God didn't create it to do. The mind really needs to be a servant of the spirit. So can I read a little scripture to you? Sure. Okay, in Romans 8.6 it says, For it does not subject itself to the law of God. It's not even able to do so. And those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, that's good.
SPEAKER 06 :
And, you know, we try to get people to have a spiritual identity, and many people try to have a mental identity. They say, above all, I have to reason, I have to think, I have to figure things out, I have to deduct, I have to, you know, all that stuff. And that person is really bound that does that. So I suspect your husband is bound just because he's depending on his mind too much.
SPEAKER 04 :
That's what I see here more and more that I've been home. Right.
SPEAKER 06 :
So then fear, of course, is right there at the door to paralyze a person's thinking. And this is a scary world. If you don't really trust in God, this is a scary world. Because all you have to do is read just the headlines. If you didn't read the paper, just read the headlines. Just listen to a little CNN news. I mean, you'd freak out. And it's no wonder that there are a lot of people committing suicide today. And a lot of the younger people today are taking that option of suicide. They're saying, hey, the adults haven't figured this out. They've screwed up our world. And I just think I'm just going to check out. And a lot of them do. And that's because they're trying to reason it out, trying to figure it out. And there are a lot of things, very honestly, you just plain won't figure. Know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah. Now, he won't let you give your tithe, right?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, we go around and around about it. I'm trying to be a submissive wife, which is hard for me to do sometimes. But he's a money handler, and he does it really well. Except for that.
SPEAKER 02 :
Does he do it really well? Yes, he does. Do you have everything that you desire?
SPEAKER 04 :
Um...
SPEAKER 02 :
90% of it, yes. Do you? Okay. I'm saying if you would talk to him and say, could I take the money that I earn and give that 10%? You're not asking him to give you all the paycheck to God, all your paycheck to God. You're just asking for 10% of your paycheck. And let's do an experiment for 90 days.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay. I was going to suggest that, but. With me not working for the past couple of months, I know that's a lame excuse.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, but now you are working again, right?
SPEAKER 04 :
I'll be starting here at the end of the week. Okay.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, I would agree with Barbara there. I believe God will just do things for you.
SPEAKER 04 :
I do, too.
SPEAKER 06 :
Your husband needs to see something.
SPEAKER 04 :
That's right.
SPEAKER 06 :
God's not beyond being challenged there. In fact, this is one area and only area in Scripture where he says, test me. Try me out. Try me out.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay. Because I think he's a reasoner and he's overwhelmed by that fierce thing going on. We're not going to have enough money.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, I tell you what, when you pray for your husband, buy him the spirit of fear.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, and bless him with peace and with righteousness.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right, Pam.
SPEAKER 03 :
God bless you. God bless.
SPEAKER 06 :
We love you.
SPEAKER 03 :
Love you, too. Okay. Bye-bye.
SPEAKER 06 :
Let's talk to Seal and Greeley. How are you?
SPEAKER 03 :
I'm doing pretty good. Good. I've looked into you guys off and on for quite some time, but this is the first time I actually got through when you were actually there. Oh, well, good to know.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, we're glad you called.
SPEAKER 03 :
I was... I was listening, and I just came out of an appointment and heard you talking about going and getting a job somewhere else and getting out of the four walls. Right. I just wanted to share with you an experience that my husband and I had. We were living in Minnesota, and we were planning our vacation to northern Minnesota. And the night before we left, we really felt like the Lord was telling us to come to Colorado to visit his mother. And so the next day, instead of going to northern Minnesota, we came to Colorado. While we were here, we had been thinking we'd always wanted to move back here so he could be by his mom. And it's been, it was, I think, like 10 years. And while we were here, all of a sudden we thought, you know, Oh, let's see if there's jobs. And we were here for a week. During that week, I called on a job position, got a job. My husband went back, or we all went back. I quit my job that I had. and we moved to colorado did your husband get a job here too yes he did actually he came here on the promise of a job oh and um he didn't even know for sure if he'd get it or not um but if you trust that god is faithful and he is telling you that that's where you need to be um all it's going to work out exactly so has he taken care has he taken care of you Oh, yes. I mean, it did take time for my husband to get here because we had to sell our other home. But we had time to see each other like we met in between for a couple months. But the good thing was within two weeks of my husband getting here, Here, we bought a new home.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, praise God.
SPEAKER 03 :
And I think it was just the timing, because the people whose home that we bought had been thinking about selling their home, and so God wanted to place us in the place where we were.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 03 :
And He didn't want us to get a different home, so there were other things that had to fall in line. So it's really been wonderful.
SPEAKER 05 :
Good.
SPEAKER 03 :
We've been working and doing... Well, actually, now I'm a stay-at-home mom, so... God's blessing us tremendously because we listen.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes, that's right. And you obeyed. You did more than listen. Shema. That word Shema is in Deuteronomy 6.4. And it's a Hebrew word meaning listen with the intent of obeying. That's what you did. That's what you did.
SPEAKER 03 :
You know, I was listening yesterday with Dr. Zodiati.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
It was so wonderful. And I had always wanted a Hebrew-Greek study Bible. I had Dr. Sodiatis, and I gave it to my pastor because he'd always wanted one, and I just gave it to him as a gift.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, you blessed your pastor.
SPEAKER 03 :
So do you have one? No. Well, I got a cheap one, and it wasn't the same one. I didn't realize that. I thought I was getting the same one, and I don't like it as much, but... It'll work until I can get a different one.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, we'll pray that you get a Dr. Zodiani's Hebrew-Greek study.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes, thank you. Yes, I'm going to be looking for the New Testament one that he was talking about. The Greek one.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes, the Greek one.
SPEAKER 06 :
You know, we were so honored to be able to interview a man of that stature on our show. I mean, that's like a dream for us. We've had his Bible for a number of years, and that was actually a rerun that we did on Monday. because we weren't able to get on the plane. All the planes were full coming back from Phoenix. So we did rerun that show, and so many people are blessed.
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, I'm glad you did because I would have missed it because I didn't get to hear it before that.
SPEAKER 02 :
God bless you. Listen, if you're not on our mailing list and you haven't gotten a devotional from us this year, we'd be happy to send you one if you give John your name and address. Okay. All right. Wonderful.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you so much.
SPEAKER 02 :
Delightful call. It was great.
SPEAKER 06 :
Thanks, Celia.
SPEAKER 02 :
Bye now. Bye. Wow, what a great praise report. Yeah.
SPEAKER 06 :
Amen. It's important. Amen. I'll tell you, we have just about a minute to go. And folks, we want to tell you, we absolutely love doing these radio shows. And more than that, we love watching our listeners grow in the Lord. Yes.
SPEAKER 1 :
877-917-7256
SPEAKER 01 :
Call to Freedom is a listener-supported radio ministry. Barbara and her power partners invite you to come on board with us and become a network of hands holding up Call to Freedom ministry. Power partners support Call to Freedom with prayer and monthly financial support. You will be blessed supernaturally. We invite you to visit Call to Freedom's website, www.freedomstreet.org, where you can hear Barbara's daily radio broadcast 24 hours a day or order materials. You may share your praise reports and heart cries by mailing them to Call to Freedom, Box 370-367, Denver, Colorado, 80237. Or you may email us at barbracarmack at freedomstreet.org. Until next time, remember, Jesus loves you, Barbara loves you, and take joy.
SPEAKER 1 :
Thank you.
In this episode of Through the Bible, we delve into the powerful teachings of the book of Hosea as Dr. J. Vernon McGee guides us through the trials of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Ignoring God's word not only led to spiritual adultery but also brought about God's judgment in a dramatic and prophetic transition. As we reflect on the message shared by the evangelist D.L. Moody and stories from Dr. McGee's own ministry, we're prompted to consider the essential role of scripture in our everyday lives. Throughout Hosea chapter 4, we witness the consequences that befell Israel when they neglected their sacred texts. Dr. McGee draws parallels to modern times, illustrating how turning our backs on divine guidance can lead to moral decay and personal dissatisfaction. Whether through personal anecdotes or deep scriptural insights, this episode calls listeners to introspection and a return to God’s word. Join us as we uncover the inhibitors to spiritual fulfillment and the inevitable consequences of idolatry and sin. Whether you are a long-time believer, a part of our World Prayer Team, or someone in search of spiritual clarity, this study provides profound insights. Prepare to embark on this enlightening journey through Scripture with renewed understanding.
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The foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith.
SPEAKER 01 :
The evangelist D.L. Moody was right when he said, The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible. Listening to and obeying God's Word is a protection over our lives. And that's one reason that I'm so glad that you're here at Through the Bible, ready to get into God's Word with Dr. J. Verna McGee. And as you know, we're in the book of Hosea on our five-year journey through the whole word. And in this study, we're going to learn how the northern kingdom of Israel turned away from God because they forgot his word. Well, not only did they forget it, they wanted nothing to do with it. They completely turned their backs on God's ways. And you know, that's when God's man Hosea stepped up and said, my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge of God's word. And then he relayed God's chilling consequence. Because you forgot the law of your God, I will also forget your children. I will change your glory into shame. Wow. I don't know about you, but that sobering pronouncement makes me sit up and listen. We're in Hosea chapter four. So as you open your Bible, let's listen to Dr. McGee's introduction on why God will judge his people.
SPEAKER 03 :
Now God says that he must judge the nation. And he says that he will change their glory into shame. Now the glory of Israel was actually the temple with the Shekinah glory upon it and his visible presence with the nation and his definite leading of them. And they're witness to the world of that day of monotheism. In a world of polytheism, they worship the living and the true God. That was their glory. It brought the Queen of Sheba from the ends of the earth. Now what is happening is this. God says, I will remove my glory from you. I'll remove my blessing from you. And I will judge you. I'll let the enemy come in upon you and take you away. And of course, the enemy is going to be able to say, look, they said they were God's chosen people. And look what's happening to them. And apparently their God's not a very strong God. Friends, we're seeing today in this land of ours something very similar to that. God is judging many churches and he's closing many doors today. You can look about you in this land of ours and see that God is still judging. And we are inclined to say, isn't it a shame to see a decline in a certain church? Well, maybe God closed the door. We need to recognize that only God today can afford to judge his own people, and he does that.
SPEAKER 01 :
Before jumping into our study, I invite you to join our World Prayer Team. Together we pray for listeners like Nora in the Philippines who writes this. I heard your message and want to know if you will really be forgiven. I have sinned in the past and I have thought that I am unforgivable. I got involved with another man and our entire village knows. I'm hurting and crying right now, but your words in my language of Locano comfort me and give me hope. For the first time, I feel as if God might accept me as I am. Please tell me what to do next. Please tell me more about Jesus and how I can be redeemed. Are you ready to join us for the journey? Well, hop aboard as we pray for millions of listeners like this one all over the world by signing up at ttb.org forward slash pray. And let's do that now. Thank you, Heavenly Father. Thank you for the privilege of hearing your word. Help us to turn what distracts us and do what pleases you. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of sharing your word with the world. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. We're off to Hosea 4 on Through the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee.
SPEAKER 03 :
Now, we got down last time through the sixth verse of the fourth chapter of Hosea. And again, I'd like to say that this sixth verse here of this fourth chapter is considered one of the most familiar verses that we have. It's one that is quoted a great deal. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. And that's the way it opens. I went through it last time, and I'll not go any farther than that. But it was a lack of the knowledge of the Word of God that was the background of the sin of these people. The minute that Christian friend, you get away from the Word of God, you could not live a triumphant Christian life by any means. You could not live well-pleasing to the Lord. And I do not care how many of these method conferences you go to that have all these little gimmicks that if you do this and do that and do the other thing, that things are going to work all right for you in your home and in your place of business and in your social life, and everything will work out right. My friend, the Word of God makes it very clear that That's not by these little gimmicks, these little methods. It's by a knowledge of the Word of God. Now, that is as clear as the noonday sun in this book and certainly in other places. Now, will you notice as God continues to bring against the northern kingdom his judgment upon them, that is, he hands down a decision. He's going to judge them. And he has now proven that To them, his case, they broken the Ten Commandments. He went down the list and they had broken them. Now he says, as they were, verse 7, as they were increased, so they sinned against me. In other words, as the nation increased, God had promised to bless them by multiplying them. He told Abraham that. But all it did was just bring another sinner into the world. And after all, that's what happened when I came into the world. Just another sinner came into the world. But thank God, the grace of God reached down and somebody gave me the Word of God. And I was able to trust Christ as my Savior. But these people, they have an ignorance. They have no knowledge of the word of God. As they were increased, so they sinned against me. Therefore, will I change their glory into shame. God says, I'm going to turn your glory into shame. They eat up the sin of my people. They set their heart on their iniquity. They not only sin, but they like to brag about it. As a young fellow, ran with a pretty fast crowd in the bank I worked in. And we always like, especially on Monday morning, to brag about our weekend, what we did. And you know what it was, either to get drunk or... some adultery or something like that. That's what you brag about. And they not only sinned, they bragged about it. And there, verse 9 now, chapter 4 of Hosea, and there shall be like people, like priests. The unfortunate thing is that the priesthood had sunk down to the level of the congregation. Now, I have always believed, and as you've heard me say, that I started out in the ministry. I wore a Prince Albert coat and a wing collar. I look like a mule looking over a whitewash fence. But I soon gave that up. I dress just like the man sitting out in the pew. And I'm no different than that man in the pew. But I want to say this, that I want in the pulpit to give out the word of God so that I don't sink down to the level of that which is the man of the world. And today there are many ministers. They're the good guys. one man boasted to me he says you know he says my preacher says you know he says he comes out to our golf club he plays golf and i'm for that i do that i think it's great to mix with folk like that says after the game says he goes in the bar room with us has a drink with us says you know said he's just one of the fellas says i sure do like him well I wonder what God thinks about him. Like people, like priests. And I'll punish them for their ways and reward them for their doings, for they shall eat and not have enough. In other words, famine is coming to the land. And who would ever have believed that this great land of ours, just last year, a few years ago, that there would be no scarcity. Whoever heard of it, that you couldn't buy meat at the meat market, you couldn't buy bread, that there would be a scarcity of anything. May I say to you, I'm not sure. I think God judged us in the dust bowl many years ago. That's when I entered the ministry. And nobody listened to God then. Then we had to fight World War II. God judged us. And we didn't come back to God even World War II. So we've been fighting somewhere ever since. Just can't give it up. They shall eat, not have enough. They shall commit harlotry and shall not increase. You know, there's one thing, friends, about adultery. And I know today that I'm talking to a great many people that have had this in their mind and their heart because we're living in this day. And you can take it from a fellow that one time in his life before he's saved, you can never, never enjoy in a way in which God really wants you to until you can enjoy it in marriage. And when you can put your arms around the woman that you have been loving and you can say to her, I love you. above everything else in the world. Now, I say when you can say that, my friend, then there'll be an increase. And it'll be wonderful. Oh, they were committing adultery then, and they're doing it today. But actually, there's really no satisfaction in it. It's just a sort of a temporary release. And you hate yourself after that. And I know that. And some of you know that, my friend. And God knows that because that's what he's saying here. God's spelling it out for you. They shall eat and not have enough. They shall commit harlotry, adultery, and they shall not increase because they have ceased to take heed to the Lord. Harlotry and wine and new wine take away the heart. Last time we gave you all these statistics about liquor in this country today. And nobody, and I mean nobody today, is lifting a voice against this. And I don't think I've said very much about it. But I sure have said a whole lot the past couple of days. And from time to time, we do mention it. Arlatrin wine and new wine take away the heart, my friends. And part of our problem in Washington today are these two sins, harlotry, adultery, and liquor. They're the two problems in our government today. That's the reason that men lie. That's the reason that men will do crooked things. And that is not confined to one party or just one group. The whole crowd is guilty today. One writer said that in Washington, you don't know who to trust. May I say to you, what a sad commentary on our nation today. Don't tell me the new morality is working. It didn't work for Israel. They got away from the word of God and they said, we try something new. And they went in for it. The northern kingdom, you see, they had sin galore. They put up two golden calves. And with that worship of Baal, I was connected with it, the grossest forms of idolatry and the Verse 12, my people ask counsel of their idols, and their staff declareth unto them, for the spirit of harlotry hath caused them to err, and they have played the harlot departing from under their God. Now he's speaking here of the harlotry, spiritual adultery, which is turning from God. They went to inquire of idols. And today, we find people running after the gurus of India. Well, they haven't done much for India, by the way. But yet, we've had a crowd running after them. And someone has said that one of them that came over here, he said that very candidly, he came for the money. And that it was nothing in the world but a religious racket as far as he was concerned. Yet people went after him. People are going off into this type of thing today. And there's actually the worship of Satan today. I have here a clipping that comes from Daytona Beach, Florida. A group of Satan cultists tortured and beat a 17-year-old youth to death, believing he was an undercover narcotics agent, police said Wednesday. May I say to you that worship of Satan today is certainly not helping morality by any means. And these people going into idolatry, idolatry was leading them into gross immorality. Now, let me keep reading here. And They sacrifice, this is verse 13 now, chapter 4. They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains and burn incense upon the hills under oaks and poplars and elms because the shadow of them is good. That's where they put their idols, was on top of a hill under a grove. And you hear a great deal in scripture. And they found out today, archaeologists, that the center of worship of idolatry was in these groves. It was cool there, nice place to go. Therefore, your daughters shall commit harlotry and your spouses shall commit adultery. You see, the worship of idols, and we today have turned to idolatry, covetousness, All of this today, the greed of this country today has caused many a family to try to get on in the world. They want to move to a better neighborhood. They want a swimming pool. They want a boat to take down. And they say we're doing this for their children. And then all of a sudden their children take off and there are thousands. Thousands of young people today that are wandering up and down this country and all over the world. I saw them in Hawaiian Islands. I talked to three young people in Constitution Square in Athens, Greece. Two young men and a young lady. And I'm sure that none of them were beyond their teens. One of them could have been 20. And there they sat, and they were then under the influence of drugs. I tried to talk with them, and I tried to find out who they were. And they said, we're nobody. We don't count. We've dropped out. What's happened today, friends? What's taking place today? Why, the problem is back there in the home. We're idolaters. We're worshiping the almighty dollar. We've forgotten God. We've turned away from the living and true God, and we no longer worship him. And we've not turned to a savior that can redeem us and help us. Now, verse 14. He says, I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry, nor your spouses when they commit adultery, for they themselves are separated with harlots, and they sacrifice with harlots. Therefore, the people that doth not understand shall fall. God says ignorance, so the law excuses no one. And because these people have gone on, I'm not going to judge them for the sin they're committing right now. I'm going to judge them because they've turned from the living and true God and from his way. My friend, as I said to a man, and I met him on a golf course, by the way, and he said, joined our foursome he soon left us when he found out we were three preachers and this man made a statement well he said that he guessed that he was a sinner he'd done this that and the other said yes I guess I'll go to hell and I said brother you know you're not going to hell because you commit these sins he says what do you mean I'm not going to hell because I thought that's what you preachers said I said this preacher never said that I said you're going to hell because you've rejected Jesus Christ These people were being judged not because they had become harlots. They were judged because they've turned from the living and true God. Now, will you notice he says here, though thou Israel play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-Avon or swear the Lord liveth. God says, I'm going to hold Judah back. I'll not judge Judah yet. And Judah, don't come up and worship these calves that they put up here. Now we come to something that's quite interesting. Verse 16. For Israel slideth back like a backsliding heifer. Now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a large place. Now, friends, let's look at what really backsliding is. A great many people think backsliding means that you have become a Christian, joined the church, and then you drop back into sin, and that's backsliding. Now, may I say to you, that's not backsliding the way it's used here. And God illustrates it so you can't miss it. For Israel slideth back like a backsliding heifer. Now, I'm very happy the fact that as a boy, I had the privilege of living in the country and in a little town. And I think I've mentioned this before. There's a live next door to us in southern Oklahoma in a little town. We lived in a rancher. He had a big ranch and he had two boys and they were both about my age. And we three played together. We used to ride these heifers out in the lot and they would, you know, tie a rope around. As we said in that day, a belly band we'd put on them. We'd hold on to that. And then they'd buck us off. Now, every now and then, this rancher would load up. This was in the days before the automobile. In a wagon, he would load up these heifers to take them to market or take them out to the ranch. And he had a great big board. That is, it was a thing constructed out of boards that he put up at the back end of the wagon. It was a runway that you just try to run the heifer up back. Well, what they'd do, you'd put a rope around the heifer, and then you'd push her from the back. And as you'd get the heifer up, she'd go a part of the way, then she'd stiffen those front feet. She'd just put them out stiff. And you know what would happen? You couldn't pull her. She'd start sliding backwards. That's what backsliding is. Backsliding heifer. They were stiffening their front feet. And instead of being led of God, they were slipping backward all the time. And backsliding means when you turn your back on God and you step on that little neck of yours and that little mind of yours and you say, I'll have nothing to do with God. You're backsliding when you do that. You see, when you refuse to go the way God wants to lead you. Now he calls Israel here a backsliding heifer. There are a lot of backsliding heifers today and bulls also, by the way. Now, let me read the next verse. Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone. Now, we come to another word here. The word backsliding is mentioned three times in this book, and you'll recall it's only Jeremiah and Hosea, and they spoke to a nation ready to go into captivity, accused them of doing this, refusing to be led of God, refusing to come to God. Now, Ephraim, that name occurs 36 times. He picks out one of the tribes of the 10 tribes in the north and applies it to all 10 of the tribes. And I frankly have never been able to figure out just how God uses that term. Is he using it in a way that is the term of endearment or is it a term of ridicule? Now, this time through Hosea, I've come to the conclusion that it's a term of endearment. It's a pet name. You see, Israel in the north had really no name as a nation. Judah in the south was really the nation. And these 10 tribes had revolted, you see. And now God gives them, I think, a pet name. And you'll find all the way through, it'll occur 36 times, Ephraim. And he says this in, I would say, a longing sort of way, but with a note of finality. He says here, Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone. God says there comes a day in a man's life that if he keeps on being in a backslidden condition, refusing to listen to God, there'll come a day when God no longer can speak to that man. Now he says to them, your drink is sour. You'll become an alcoholic if you keep at it, brother. And it's not a disease. It's a sin. Their drink is sour. They have committed harlotry continually. Her rulers love shame more than glory. And the sad thing today is that we have men in government in high places instead of using a language that is clean. And chase. They love to cuss. And they love to drink. They love the shame more than glory. The wind hath bound her up in its wing. They're carried away by every wind of doctrine. And they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices. God says, I'm going to make them ashamed before it's over with. Well, that brings us to the conclusion of chapter 4. Begin chapter 5 next time. Until then, may God richly bless you, my beloved.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, Dr. McGee convinced me of the joy and peace found in living a quiet, righteous life before the Lord. How about you? We're midway through our study in Hosea now, so if you'd like to share these studies with a family member or friend, they're available on our app or at ttb.org. Or to purchase our Bible bus flash drive that conveniently holds all of Dr. McGee's five-year messages and also includes all of his notes and outlines for our studies and more than 100 of his booklets, you Shop our online store at ttb.org or call us at 1-865-BIBLE. And while you're at ttb.org, check out our new softcover Bible companions for the New Testament. Again, that's ttb.org or 1-865-BIBLE. And when you call us, please tell us how you listen. Is it by app or online? Is it YouTube, your local Christian radio station? There are so many different options. And you know, by sharing this little bit of information, you help us to be good stewards of the resources that God has so graciously provided through faithful listeners like you. Now, as we break for the weekend, join me for Dr. McGee's Sunday sermon. You can listen by app, online, or look at our radio station listing at ttb.org. I'm Steve Schwetz, and I'll meet you right back here next time as we continue to make our way through the Bible.
SPEAKER 02 :
We're grateful for the faithful and generous support of Through the Bible's partners, whom God uses to take the whole word to the whole world.
In this captivating episode, Liz Franzel sits down with Nick Vujicic, a motivational speaker and founder of Nick V Ministries, to explore the profound impact of human trafficking in America. With his personal triumph over physical and mental obstacles as a backdrop, Nick calls upon listeners to recognize and combat the insidious issue of modern slavery. Discover how you can contribute to protecting vulnerable communities as we reveal the frightening truth behind the statistics, and learn tangible steps you can take to make a difference.
SPEAKER 02 :
This is Liz Franzel with Crawford Media Group, and today we are privileged to have Nick Vujicic with us today. He is the founder and CEO of Nick V Ministries, renowned speaker around the world and best-selling author. This month is National Human Trafficking Month, and we'll be talking about his mission to end this horrific crime against humanity. Nick, it's an honor to have you here with us today.
SPEAKER 01 :
Liz, thank you so much for having me on.
SPEAKER 02 :
Nick, you have such an amazing testimony and for our listeners that might not know, you were born with no arms or legs and you have overcome what some would say are impossible circumstances, but we know that all things are possible with God and you are a testament to that. Can you tell us a little bit about your story and how you overcame incredible challenges?
SPEAKER 01 :
Look, thank you so much for asking. I am so blessed at 42 years of age to be able to always let everyone know that first and foremost, having no limbs sounds pretty difficult. But I always tell people that it's not about the physical difficulties as much as the disabilities of the heart and the mind. And for me, you know, people could look at me at school and judge me or decide if they interact with me, isolate themselves from me or even bully me. And I think it was around age six that I knew that I was different than everyone else. And for the first time, I thought, well, that might be an issue. I was raised in a beautiful, loving home, went to church every week. My dad was a pastor, and I was asked by many people, why were you born this way? I did not know why. My brother and sister were born with limbs. People then asked me, what do you want to be when you grow up? I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. And I really felt like I was a burden to my parents. I had ups and downs at school as any student, but obviously had a lot of unwanted attention and definitely fears about my future. The Bible says that God has a hope, plan, and future, and I didn't understand if that verse would really be for me ever. I thought I'd be a burden to everyone around me, never get married, never be happy, never have children, never even get a job. And so I premeditated and planned a suicide attempt at age 10. I attempted in my bathtub and tried to drown myself because all I could see were broken pieces. And by the grace of God, I was stopped by one thought, imagining my parents at my grave wishing they could have done something more. And I didn't want to leave them with that pain. And I just am so glad I decided to stay by His grace. Age 15, I read John chapter 9, a man was born blind. No one knew why he was born that way. And Jesus was asked, why was he born with his disability? And I very much, as you can imagine, related to that story. The blind man gets the fingers of Jesus that are sticky and icky from the mud, and then he sees. And the blind man didn't ask any questions. And I realized, God, if you had a plan for a blind man, And you have a plan for me. And the blind man didn't ask for your plan, but he trusted you. And so, God, today I trust you with my greatest disability of death, of sin, that both you conquered on the cross, Jesus. And so I gave my life to Jesus at 15. At 17, I became vice president of my high school. I did a speech. And the janitor pulled me aside later, and he said, God's going to use you to go around the world. and share your story. And I actually said, I have no story. I don't know what you're talking about. And by the grace of God, started ministry at age 19. I've now gone to 84 countries, met 34 presidents and prime ministers. A billion people in China know who I am, and a billion people in India know who I am. And then out of the story, obviously not preaching, preaching. But then outside of those two closed countries, We've been in many others preaching the gospel to 10% of the whole world.
SPEAKER 02 :
That is absolutely an amazing testimony and I thank you for sharing that. I know who you are and that's why it's such a privilege to be able to talk with you today and I'm so thrilled that we can share you with our listeners. Today we are talking about human trafficking because this month is National Human Trafficking. You know, it's getting more attention but it's still not really being acknowledged a lot by the media. Give us some insight on what it is and how this even happens.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yeah, look, there's so many different things that I needed to learn. I really want people to go to nickveeministries.org, find out the champions for the Brokenhearted series, click on human trafficking. For two years, we've been actually interviewing experts in different fields, including human trafficking, to really understand where this really is in our own backyard and For about two decades, everyone thought that this was more of an international problem. But more so, people are realizing it's actually happening in our own schools, in front of our own children. They don't need to be as violent kidnapping people for sex slavery in our own backyard. They just get lured in from social media, actually, by peers of their school now. People don't understand that a lot of media attention is not really going down to the root issue. People don't still know that there are $100 million worth of lobbying money for bills to pass continually pornographic material in our country. People don't understand that 67% of all teenagers are actually producing sexual images of themselves on their cell phones. People don't understand that one in three girls by age 17 have been raped in America. One out of five boys by age 17 raped in America. What's devious of all these things and other things that, I mean, it's very dark, very heavy to also understand the CPS and foster care system. I have had many friends in the foster care, incredible opportunity to help these children. and they ask these three siblings who are two, four, and six, hey, let's take a photo together as a family. And one of them says, okay, and comes back naked. And so there's a ton, ton, ton of foster kids waiting to go into a loving, protected home. There's a lot of corruption in our country, a lot of fragmented systems between county to county, and it's pretty disgusting as we learn these things. But What's most devious is no one who actually is being trafficked will say that they're being trafficked because they don't think they're being trafficked because they actually get brainwashed. And so what's crazy is, well, that's just what we do. This is who we are. And this is my new circle. It's unbelievable. And this is actually infiltrated to coaches, teachers and even parents in America.
SPEAKER 02 :
When you say infiltrated, what do you mean by that?
SPEAKER 01 :
Actually, softball coaches, basketball coaches, teachers of different tutorials, and even parents actually being part of the pimping and sexual acts. And more of that is going to be revealed here in America. Yaku Boyens is the tip of the spearhead of this issue. And as a church, you know, as a Christian... We need to go to what we really—I mean, no one's really talking about this in the church at all. No one's really bringing this in in education. Louisiana's done a great job in bringing education for adoption and helping unexpected pregnancies with teenagers to know about adoption on just the precipice. It's the first of its kind. It really needs to be mandated. That needs to be mandated. What also needs to be mandated is the real danger to parents as well to warn what human trafficking really is, to know the signs of your own child going through that. But what's crazy is this. There are surveys out there that say that one in five men who go to church on a weekly basis are actually addicted to pornography. And we're not talking about pornography. We're not talking about, you know, just to Gen Z to keep your pants on. to understand the sexualization of a generation. And when we now look at, I mean, even Christian schools, go to the football little team there and hear their conversations. And if you overhear some conversations, you'll actually probably hear someone asking their peers, how many trophies do you have? And that actually means how many girls have you slept with? And so the whole way that the enemy has come in and infiltrated and sexualized and debilitated our young people and attacking them without any buffer because they're on their phone seven hours straight a day. And this is now, this is real. And there is a lot of work to do, a lot of work to do. And I think the church needs to be aware of it. educate their schools, every charter school, every Christian school, every public school, every home, but also in the church to start talking about this as, hey, how many foster kids can we get out of that risk?
SPEAKER 02 :
You had mentioned some of the training you do. What are some of the signs that we can look for that would kind of alert us to something that's off?
SPEAKER 01 :
Yeah, look, it's really peer-to-peer and really isolation and even some emojis. If you actually do some audits on your teenagers, as far as I'm concerned, everyone has their own house rules. But there are expert curriculum and signs of the types of emojis that pimps use, how they go trolling. You know, they're meeting people that they've never met before or they're being coerced in the school. There are signs of isolation. There are signs of even eye contact when they're lying. And just to have an atmosphere at home of saying, don't do this, don't do that, don't meet strangers, to actually sit down and have discussions with your family about what this really is. It is absolutely not surprising to me that 330,000 children are missing, with 3 million that have come over the border completely missing. But even before the border crisis that we have had in recent years, there's hundreds of thousands of people. In DFW alone, there are estimated 400. I'm from Dallas-Fort Worth. estimated 400 active slaves being pimped every single night in Dallas. And it's really interesting to know that those clienteles are normally people who earn more than $150,000, who have two children, and who are aged between 45 and 55 years of age. And you just would never believe that those are the people that are having sex with minors, And so even Native Americans, people don't understand right now, Native Americans are seen as exotic. And so we've been to Native American reservations, and they're taking, the Mexican cartels in Montana are taking daily children and women. And because of the jurisdictions, guess what? The federal government still has not been able to stop this kidnapping right in front of their eyes. And as soon as they get off the reservation, they actually can get away with it. It's happening on a daily basis. Tons of missing kids from Native Americans. People have no clue what's really going on.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, that is tragic news. And such, you know, the statistics are so, so huge. We're visiting with Nick Vujicic, founder and CEO of Nick V Ministries. renowned speaker and best-selling author, and we've been talking about the work his ministry is doing to help end human trafficking. Nick, would you tell our listeners where they can go to find out more about your ministries and actually get involved in this tragic crime against humanity?
SPEAKER 01 :
Please, thank you very much. nickveenministries.org is where you go. Go click the tab of Champions for the Brokenhearted. you will see then 12 topics that we've chosen, and one of them that we deep dive into is human trafficking. We have been doing that intentionally for two years. Check out Jacob Boyan's ministry. Check out A21, Christine Kane. Check out other people out there that we have shown free resources for all churches, all families, and teenagers alike to just Help them understand we need to address this. We need to address this now and do all that we can and not rest until it's done.
SPEAKER 02 :
Absolutely. Thank you for bringing this to light, Nick, and so much for joining us today.
SPEAKER 01 :
I love you so much. Thank you so much.
Discover the transformative principle of learning to be content in all situations as discussed in today's podcast. Charles Stanley delves into the profound implications of Philippians chapter 4, explaining Paul's wisdom on finding true contentment and inner peace amidst life's chaos. This episode is an invitation to understand and apply the biblical approach to bringing God's unlimited power into personal struggles, enabling listeners to emerge stronger, more resilient, and deeply fulfilled.
SPEAKER 01 :
Welcome to the In Touch Podcast with Charles Stanley for Friday, January 31st. Does your life resemble a roller coaster? Well, the good news is we don't have to be at the mercy of circumstances. Today, you'll hear a simple principle from the Bible that can help you overcome the ups and downs of life.
SPEAKER 02 :
I'm afraid that for most of us and most Christians, the idea of living a roller coaster up and down life, off and on, hot and cold, in and out, has been accepted as the normal Christian life. This is just the normal Christian life. But I don't believe that's what Jesus taught. It's certainly not what the Apostle Paul taught. It is not the teaching of the Word of God. Does this mean that somehow we'll be able to stretch it all out and balance it all out? No. Does it mean that things will ultimately get better? No. Could get worse. But you see, here's the difference between the believer and the unbeliever, that you and I have tapped into the inexhaustible resource of a supernatural somebody who is God in the person of Jesus Christ to make it possible for us to live in the midst of these ever-changing circumstances without that. So Paul says, here's the secret. So I want to say, first of all, that overcoming these ups and downs of life is a learning process. Paul said it was true for him. It's true for us. Secondly, it is a learning process that will ultimately lead us to peace and contentment in our life when we learn to respond in the right fashion. And the apostle Paul is saying, I've learned the secret. He says the secret is very simple. In fact, it's so simple, most folks are going to just trip right over it. So I want to give you that as a little warning right now that when I show you and when I share with you what Paul is saying, don't say, oh, It can't be that simple. Let me ask you a question. Why would God want to make it hard? Why would God want to make it difficult? It's amazing to me how many principles people think they've tried because they've heard. Listen, because you've heard something doesn't mean you've applied it. And because you've applied it once doesn't mean it works or it doesn't work. Listen, there are many spiritual lessons that we go through over and over and over again before we really grasp the truth. Because we listen to them against the grid of our own thinking. Well, you know, I know some folks who've tried that. That's mind over matter. That's just confession. And, you know, life just isn't that simple. You don't know my circumstances. You don't know where I'm coming from. And if you lived in what I lived in, if you'd been where I'd been, and you'd faced what I faced, then you wouldn't say it's so simple. Well, you don't know what I faced. You don't know where I've been. And you don't know what God's had to work in my own life. But I can tell you this, that Philippians chapter 4, Verses 10 through 13. And what I want to share with you today, I'm here to tell you it works. The reason I know it works is that God has thrown me in the fire enough in my life that I know it works. And he had to bring me to the place where I had to say, God, it looks like my circumstance is not going to change. No matter what I do and how hard I try, they're not going to change. And so I had to come to the conclusion of God, all right, if you never change anything, if nothing ever changes and the circumstances remain the same, it's okay. It's all right. And that's what Paul is talking about. Writing out of a prison, he says, I want to tell you, it works. Now, what is it? Well, look, if you will, to what he says again. I want to keep reading these verses because I want you to get familiar with the idea. Listen. Verse 11. Not that I speak from want, for I've learned to be content in whatever circumstance I am. I know how to get along with humble means. I also know how to live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance, I've learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. Now, how many of you can say this? I'm content with being weak. I'm content when I'm insulted. I'm content when I am rejected. I'm content when I'm falsely accused. I'm content when I'm persecuted. I'm content when I'm misunderstood. I'm content when I don't have all my desires fulfilled. I'm content when I don't have all my needs met. Can you say that? Listen to what Paul says now. Verse 13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Look at that. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Now, I want you to see what he does not say. He does not say I can do all things. Paul would never boast of that. This sounds like a very arrogant statement, especially when in his own epistle in Romans chapter 12, you remember what Paul said in the 12th chapter? He said, for through the grace given to me, I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. That sounds rather prideful and arrogant to me. Then you recall what Jesus said. He said, apart from me, you can do nothing. Paul says, I can, he says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Now, is Paul just boasting or is he giving us a secret? Here's the secret. The secret to facing all of those up and down ever-changing circumstances of life is this. I want to just state it and then I want to explain it. Here's the secret. Learning to bring God's power into my weakness. That's the whole key. Learning to bring God's power into my weakness enables me to be content and With weaknesses, persecutions, insults, trials, difficulties, hardships, rejection, bringing God's power into my weakness. Now, I want you to learn a simple little phrase that's right here in the scripture. You can't miss it. Here is probably one of the simplest and most profound secrets, principles to be learned in the whole Christian life. It's four words. I can through Christ. Now, that's very simple. Here's what Paul says. We can bring the power of God into our ever-changing circumstances that seem to absolute overwhelm us and defeat us. He says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And to narrow it down, the whole key here is I can through Christ. Now, what is he saying? Here's what he's saying. Remember, before Jesus left, he said to his apostles, it is expedient for you that I go away. But if I go, I'll send the Holy Spirit. He'll be in you, with you, and upon you. So the Holy Spirit is living within us. And Jesus Christ is residing within you and me through the Holy Spirit. He says, I'm abiding in you and you're in me. So we have the life of Christ within us. Absolutely essential for everything that God wants for our lives. And here's the key. Bringing God's power into my weakness enables me to function out of the power of God, not out of my weakness. And what Paul is saying in this passage here, that his presence in us enables equals His power through us. His presence in us equals His power through us. His presence in us equals His power for us. His presence within our personality means His power for our problems. Paul said, I have learned this simple principle. I can through Christ. That is based on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, whereby we receive him as our personal savior and whereby he begins to live his life in us. We begin to respond to life circumstances on the base of truth, not on the basis of my feelings. Listen, we learn to respond to life circumstances based on the truth. What is the truth? The truth is that Christ is living within us. The truth is that God intervenes, that God releases His power in you and me to face every single circumstance of life, no exception. The promise is that God will enable you and me in our deepest, most trying times, when we feel the very weakest in our life. When we think that God we cannot handle anymore, he says that we have the privilege of bringing God's supernatural power into our weakness. And the moment we bring his power into our weakness, God enables us to face, to stand, to be quiet, to be true, to be strong, to be established. to be patient, to be confident, to be bold, to be conquering, to be victorious over any and every single circumstance of life, no exception. Listen, if there were a single one that could defeat us, If there were a single circumstance for which God is not sufficient and will not provide adequate power for us to overcome, then God is not omnipotent. God cannot be trusted. He is not faithful. He is not reliable. And therefore, our faith is in vain. There is not a single one. Now, this is why Paul says, look. Verse 11, not that I speak from one, for I have learned to be content. The next phrase is very important. I have learned to be content in whatever circumstance I am. You say, but wait a minute, Paul never went through what I went through. Then my friend, all you need to do is to read the 11th chapter of 2 Corinthians. When this man says, I have learned to be content in whatever circumstance I'm in, here's the man who's speaking from experience. He knows it works. Paul says, I've learned the secret of bringing his power into my ever-changing circumstance. And therefore, no matter what's going on, he says, I have learned to be content. Now, how do we do that? That is, how is it that you and I, in these circumstances that we can't control and can't change, how is it that you and I can be quiet and How can we be quiet and strong and stable and immovable and at peace and confident when everything around you is blowing sky high? And you are being attacked verbally from every direction imaginable. Paul says, I have learned to be content in whatever circumstance I'm in. You see, here's the problem. We don't understand the biblical basis. Here's the biblical basis. Here's the foundation truth. When you receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, He came to live in your life. The Son of God is living within you in the person of the Holy Spirit. So you have the power of God in you. So it's not a matter of having to get something you don't have. It's a matter of learning to to use what you have. It's a matter of learning to respond to life on the basis of your position in Him. Now, think about this. Paul says, I've learned the secret, but how is it that I get the power of God in a matter of changing circumstances? Two very simple words sum it all up. Number one, first requirement is I must submit my will to His will. And friend, what that means is, listen, not that you give up to your circumstances, but that you give in to Christ. You don't give up on your circumstances, you give in to Him. You say, well, why submission, the first step? For this reason, now listen carefully. If it is, and it is the plan and purpose of God to conform us to the likeness of His Son, Then some of my ever-changing circumstances may be sent to me straight from God. Some of them will come from the devil. Some from others. But you see, when I submit to him and say, Lord, I yield my life to you. Whatever you choose to send is all right. Now listen, you say, but let me tell you something. You don't know what I've been through. Hasn't got anything to do with it. Has nothing to do with it. If you want contentment, the first step is surrender. You say, you mean to surrender to my circumstances? I didn't say a thing in the world about surrendering to your circumstances. I said, surrender your life to him. Lord, I yield to you. Whatever you choose to allow is all right. Now, what's your alternative? Your alternative is to fight your circumstances. Your alternative is to resist and to be anxious and upset and worried and fretful and hostile and angry and bitter and resentful and manipulative and maneuvering and weaseling your way around, none of which is going to work. So, you see, God sometimes gives us what is difficult, but when you compare it with the other, it's the easiest. Just go ahead and surrender to him, Lord. I yield to you. Whatever you choose to send is all right. The second step is just as simple. And now, Lord, I'm going to trust you. I'm going to trust you to control all these circumstances in my life for your purpose. Now, think about it. You know what's happened? You've stopped fighting. You've stopped resisting. You've stopped running. You've stopped manipulating. You've stopped maneuvering. You've stopped weaseling around. You have laid down the old attitude of bitterness and resentment and hostility and anger and defending yourself. And you know what you've done? You've said, Lord, I just turn it all over to you. And now I'm going to rest in you. Now, let me ask you a question. Last night when you went to bed, how many of you kept one leg off the bed and your foot on the floor? Well, if you had, I don't think you would have rested. You may have slept a little bit, but you probably wouldn't have rested very well. How many of you loaded a gun and laid it by your bedside and all night long you heard something in the hallway and downstairs and upstairs that you didn't rest very well? But last night if you went to bed and you lay down and stretched out and covered up and just relaxed, what did you do? You just rested. You trusted the bed to hold you up. You trusted God to take care of you through the night, and you slept good all night long. Am I saying to you that life is like a good night's rest? No. But I am saying this, that our heavenly Father, who's living on the inside of us, has enabled every single one of us by His indwelling, available power to face every single circumstance, not in our weakness, but in his power. When we learn to get God's power into our circumstances, then what happens? We were able to rest in him. And we do that by trusting him. Lord, listen, I get on my face before God and remind him of how weak I know I am, how incapable and inadequate I know that I am. How insufficient to do what He's called me to do and to remind Him that it is only by His power and His strength, by His wisdom and by His will, I yield to Him. Lord, if making a mistake is part of building me up, then I'm willing to make one. Lord, whatever You choose to do, I choose Your will and Your way. I can walk out here, not only in the presence of God, but in a relationship with Him whereby the power of the Spirit of God is within me to enable me to do what I know I could never do. Now listen, that isn't limited to a pulpit. It isn't limited, thank God, to anything. Paul says, I've learned the secret. What's the secret? I've learned to get his power in on my weakness. And where does that begin? It begins with submitting my will to him that no matter what, it's all right. And then trusting him to supply the power, the energy, whatever's necessary to face that circumstance without wringing my hands and fretting and fuming and blaming and becoming hostile and angry and bitter and resentful and all the rest. Paul says, here's the secret. He says, I learned it. He didn't say I've always known it. He said, I learned. You know how he learned it? By being defeated. You know how he learned it? By coming to his wits end. You know how he learned it? He learned it the same way many of us learn spiritual principles. When we fail and fail and fail and fail and fail and we don't know the answer. And finally, God shows us. Here's the answer. Now, listen, one of the purposes of a pastor is to teach the word of God. And my goal for you is that God would teach me the truth in order to share it with you. Now, my sharing it with you doesn't make it work in your life. My sharing it with you makes it possible for you to pick up on it maybe earlier in life. And then you have to decide whether it's going to work or not. It's not going to work unless you apply it. I wish somebody had told me that a long time ago, that I don't have to fret and theme and live on a roller coaster and live like a sailboat in a storm. that God will enable me to walk moment by moment, day by day, in the inner quietness and peace and stability of His presence in such a fashion by faith that I can get His power in on whatever is going on in my life, every moment, every day, no matter what, if I'm willing to submit and willing to trust Him.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you for listening to part two of Overcoming the Ups and Downs of Life. If you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley or InTouch Ministries, stop by InTouch.org. This podcast is a presentation of InTouch Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia.
Explore the liberating notion of spiritual freedom as we examine the apostle Paul's message to choose righteousness over the dominion of sin. As we analyze Romans, discover how being alive in Christ offers a transformative perspective, granting believers strength to resist temptations. We delve into the ongoing battle within, how faith influences our choices, and the hope of peace found in Christ's victorious kingdom. Embark on this journey of faith and uplift your spirit with eternal truths that redefine our earthly existence.
SPEAKER 01 :
So then we're beginning to see the wide range of thought that Paul is floating in, thinking in, when he tells us, Likewise, you also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. We don't look inside and say, are we dead indeed to sin? We look outside to the kingdom of God and say, whose kingdom is victorious? Is it Christ's or is it Satan's? Well, obviously, Satan has been defeated. He was defeated in heaven before Christ, before he was ever sent to the earth, if you're in doubt about that, read Revelation 12, and he was defeated at the cross. And this is all beautiful to us as Christians because we have to keep our faith alive by reckoning ourselves in the right kingdom. Likewise, you also then reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin. That is, you are no longer alive to the sin kingdom of Adam. Now I grant you. that we're very much embroiled in the sin kingdom of Adam. We live in it. We experience its weakness, its brokenness, the death that it brings, the sorrow, the suffering, and so on. But as Christians, by faith, we recognize that Christ has beaten that kingdom, has defeated it, and we now live in the victorious kingdom of Christ. So our faith is telling us one thing, even though our bodies may be telling us another. So then Paul, to drive this home, brings verse 12, which is really interesting, and I'll tell you what the interest is in a minute. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey it in its lusts. Now, as far as I can recall, as far as I understand the book of Romans, this is the first time Paul is talking now about what goes on inside of us. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts. But notice how he teaches what goes on inside of us. He's not saying what's going on inside psychologically, but he's saying what is going on outside of us which affects us psychologically. Why do I say that and how do I know that? Because he says do not let sin reign inside You see, this truth about reigning again is so very, very important and vital. Paul is talking about kingdoms. He never uses the word kingdom, but he uses phraseology that only belongs to the kingdom, reigning and dominion. Sin shall not reign, or the law doesn't reign, or wrath doesn't reign, all of these statements. Why is he doing that? because he's recognizing that Jesus Christ is the second Adam who has brought a new kingdom into the reality of our experience by faith alone. That kingdom will, of course, reign ultimately in the world. But he says, do not let it reign. Well, now that says something, doesn't it? Do not let it, that is, do not allow it. In other words, the kingdom of Adam still exists, but we have the liberty of faith to determine whether it shall command or demand our minds. No, we're not going to let it. Well, we do let it often, don't we? We just get fed up and we want to sin or we fall or we're sick and tired of the situation of this world and we go into the kingdom of Adam because we're just lackadaisical or we're just fed up with the situation. But then our faith kicks in and we say, now, wait a minute. I am allowing right now the kingdom of Adam to reign. Well, I am now a new kingdom, rather a prince of a new kingdom. I belong to the kingdom of Christ, and I have power to shut this kingdom down. That is the kingdom of Adam. What a thought that is. You see, Paul has introduced the idea that we are in bondage to sin. Sin isn't, as I have said many times, simply something we do. It's something that does us. King Sin reigns. Sin is a power, a dominion, a force over us. Now then, here we are being told, don't let it be over us. Well, that's saying something, isn't it? It's implying that the you, the you who says don't let it, is the person who is in dominion of the kingdom of Adam's dominion. That is in charge, somebody who is over the kingdom of Adam. Well, Christ is over the kingdom of Adam, but we live and operate in Christ. And so we are free to say, I will not allow you to have dominion. Now this, again, let's go to the issue of addiction. Let's take the alcoholic who feels utterly overthrown by alcoholism, defeated by it, and each day he has to face whether he'll have another drink. But instead of facing it on the basis of, shall I do this or not, an action, he's now asking, shall I live in this kingdom or not, because I am free as a prince in Jesus Christ to say no to the kingdom. So while he's tempted to drink, and even has the wine or the beer in the mug, he's free to say, I am not going to let this kingdom reign. Now that doesn't guarantee that he will not take the drink. But it guarantees that he will not come under the identity and judgment of the kingdom of Adam. You say, well, what's the difference, Colin, if he drinks anyway? The difference is the reaction that follows. Because when you have the earthly perception of things without a knowledge of the kingdom of Christ, then a drink will bring you to judgment, depression, grief. fear that you will ruin your life. But if you, by faith, know that that kingdom is broken, your reaction is less traumatic. Oh yes, I failed, but I praise God that the kingdom is finished. I don't belong in it, I don't belong to it, and I assert my relationship with the kingdom of Christ in which I am a prince or princess. This is how we think in a different way. This is how faith operates. People have belittled faith because they have never understood its real power in the mind of a Christian. But we do, because we have heard of what Christ has done. We have seen him break the power of death. We have seen him rise from the dead. Before that, we saw him on the cross, never believing that his father had left him, even though he said, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Remember the thing that he said before he died, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. Jesus knew. that his life with the Father, innocent, pure, not having come under the power of sin, had defeated the power of Satan. We live in him. We cannot defeat the power of Satan, but we live in him, and our faith is training itself and growing every day, seeking to operate in this way. Yes, defeats will follow, but victories will too, and calmness of soul. and freedom from this endless depression after a failure, so that we know how to bounce back, because the kingdom that we live in is not the kingdom of Adam where there is judgment, but the kingdom of Christ where there is freedom from judgment. So this is, you see, all part of this chapter on dead to sin. It's a totally different way of looking at things and thinking of it all if you are not a man or woman of faith. So Paul having said, therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lust, then says, and do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin. What he's saying here is, do not present your body and all its parts as a member of Adam's kingdom. So when you're facing a temptation, It's really nice and good to be able to say, sorry, I don't belong to your kingdom. I'm not presenting my members to your kingdom. I'm not presenting myself at the door of the kingdom of Adam and saying, at your service, sir. No, I'm not. I'm presenting my body in the service of Jesus Christ. Now, look, don't think of this in terms of you do it. perfectly forever afterwards, or you are defeated perfectly forever afterwards. You're doing it right one time, and you're doing it wrong the next time. But each time you do it, that is, each time you express your faith in the right way, you strengthen that ability. You know, I'm rereading a little book that I ordered from Amazon the other day called Power in Praise. Some of you may know it. Is it Merlin Carruthers? I don't think it's Merlin, but anyway, it's Carruthers by Carruthers. You can find it on Amazon for $9. And it's reminding me all over again what the implications of the Book of Romans are. He doesn't talk about the Book of Romans all that much, but I knew the Book of Romans before I knew this Power and Praise book, and when I got a hold of this book 30 or 40 years ago, I said to myself, oh yes, this is the natural consequence, that is praise, giving thanks to God for the truth and the reality that the book of Romans teaches. You see, in Romans 5 and 6 that we've studied so far, freedom from wrath and freedom from the power of sin, We are talking about what God has done for us, not what we try to do for ourselves, not how we practice. trying to overcome this or that. But what God has done, he's taken away his wrath, taken away his judgment from us so that we have peace of heart and we are reconciled to the heart of the Father and we can enter his throne room without any judgment. And he has broken the power of sin, taken away the sin kingdom of Adam by giving and introducing us to the kingdom of Christ where there is righteousness and life and peace. Well, doesn't that lead your heart to be thankful? Isn't that the first response that we give to God? Oh, thank you, dear God. Well, that's what we need to be practicing, you see, every day. To be able to thank God in the midst of all the foibles and brokenness of this world, in the midst of the disappointments and the depressions, to be able to say, now look, all I'm going through, dear God, all that you take me through that seems to be in the kingdom of Adam is actually in the kingdom of Christ, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death thou art with me. That verse in Psalm 23, the first part, the valley of the shadow of death is Adam's kingdom, and the second part, thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me, is the kingdom of Christ. And so, you see, I am walking in the kingdom of darkness in my natural body, but in my spirit, in my faith in Christ, I am walking with God, whose staff and rod comfort me. They guide me on the road. Though I can't see the path, Jesus can, and he holds up a lantern for me. This is how it is, you see. This is what faith is. Take it. Believe it. Grow with it. It's more powerful than the atom. Thank you for joining me today. Colin Cook here, and you've been listening to my program, How It Happens. This is listener-supported radio, which means that the listener who appreciates the program pays for it, makes a donation. You don't have to, of course. Don't feel guilty if you don't do it. But if you'd like to, and if it cheers your heart to do so, please send your donation to FaithQuest, P.O. Box 366, Littleton, Colorado, 80160, or make your donation online at faithquestradio.com. Thanks so much. I'll see you next time. Cheerio and God bless.
Join us as we delve into Job 42, the final chapter that wraps up our 30-day venture through the compelling story of Job. Witness the restoration of Job's fortune and the renewal of his life after unspeakable trials. Job's sparking repentance and acknowledgment of God's sovereignty serve as eternal lessons for us to remain steadfast in our own life challenges. As we explore reflections from over three decades of journaling, gain valuable insights into maintaining faith and trust in the divine, even when life's trials feel insurmountable.
SPEAKER 01 :
Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. Alan J. Huth shares a Bible passage with comments from over 35 years of his personal Bible reading journals and applies the Word of God to our daily lives.
SPEAKER 02 :
Today we reach Job chapter 42, the last chapter of the book of Job, and the last of our 30-day adventure through this book. We'll see Job respond to God one more time, we'll see God speak, and we'll see God restore everything to Job. Let's listen in to the last chapter of the book of Job, chapter 42. Job 42
SPEAKER 04 :
Then Job answered the Lord and said, I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me which I did not know. Hear and I will speak. I will question you and you make it known to me. I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.
SPEAKER 05 :
After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite,
SPEAKER 03 :
My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right as my servant Job has. Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly." for you have not spoken of me what is right as my servant Job has.
SPEAKER 05 :
So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them. And the Lord accepted Job's prayer. And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold. And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. He had also seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first daughter, Jemima, and the name of the second, Keziah, and the name of the third, Karenhapik. And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. And after this Job lived 140 years and saw his sons and his sons' sons four generations. And Job died an old man and full of days.
SPEAKER 02 :
We'll take a look for the last time at those journals I've been using through the book of Job. We'll begin with 1984 as I finished the book of Job with chapters 41 and 42. And I wrote, Job repents. God restores him. 41.11 says, Who has given to me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine. And 42.2 says, I know that thou can do all things. Thirteen years later, in 1997, I finished the book of Job. With chapters 35 through 42 on the last day, I wrote, God speaks to Job and his friends. Prepare yourself like a man. I will question you and you shall answer me. God puts Job in perspective. He never ever addresses Job's issues but declares his sovereignty. Everything under heaven is mine. When Job has a chance to answer, he laid his hand over his mouth. I will not answer. There is no answer or question to God. He simply repented for ever questioning God. Lord, forgive me for whining or ever questioning you. Give me strength to live in your sovereignty. And 18 years later, in 2015, I finished the book of Job by reading chapters 40 through 42 on the same day. And I wrote, God calls those who question him fault finders. Job desired, waited for the opportunity to present his case before God. He now has the chance to do so and he says nothing. We are so small before God, our articulation is babbling. Doubtful if any of us are going to question God or present our futile case before him. God never answers Job. He never explains what happened to Job. He reminds Job of how big he is. Job responds, God restores the fortunes of Job. after he prayed for his friends. Job lives 140 years, so his suffering may have been a very short trial in his life. How am I handling my trials? In this last chapter of the book of Job, Job does speak to God. Let's go back and see what he had to say. In verse 2, I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. In verse 3, he says, Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes. Job never argues his case before God, does he? Nor will we. Job understands he has no case before God, nor do we. So Job never does understand what happened back in chapter 1, in the book that carries his own name. God does not need to explain himself. After Job successfully faces his trial, this test from God Almighty, Then the Lord restores everything back to Job. Verse 10, And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends, and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Verse 12, And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. Verse 16, And after this Job lived 140 years. And verse 17, And Job died an old man and full of days. Notice too, the restoration of Job only came after he was restored to his friends. He had to pray for them, and God said he would hear that prayer from Job. How do you feel after completing the book of Job? Do you feel a little let down that God never tells Job what really happened? Do you feel challenged by your own personal trials and how Job was handled his and he remained faithful? And are you questioning whether you can remain faithful during the trial that God has you in? Or do you feel like you're on the way out of a trial and that you will be restored? Has Job helped build your faith and trust in God? Do you feel sorry for your questioning of God through your life? And do you feel like repenting? Like Job did. Again, look at verse 6. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes. Job repented. Do you need to? When we started Job, we said the theme of Job is can God be trusted? It responds to our heart's desire to question God, to wonder about our faith in a sovereign God when things don't appear to be going right. We said Job questioned God, but while demonstrating unshakable faith... Has our journey through Job given you unshakable faith? Let's close out our journey through the book of Job in prayer. Father, we thank you for this book, a book of despair, a book of trial, a book of trouble, a recap of a life much like our own. Job suffered. He lost it all, but his faith never wavered. As you put us through the tests of life, may we be like Job. May our faith never waver. Thank you for strengthening us through this book. Thank you for reminding us the trials will come in our lives. Thank you for reminding us of who you are. You're bigger than any trial we will ever face. And thank you for the promise of restoration. You restored Job. May you restore us as well. Thank you for the lessons of life in the book of Job. Holy Spirit, apply them to each of our journeys. as we continue our sojourn on the earth. Job had many more years to live after this trial. We may too. So thank you for the promise of restoring us. We give you all the praise and the glory. Amen. Thanks for listening to AdBible today. Our radio programming is set for 2025. We will cover 44 of the 66 books of the Bible using the Ezra Project day by day through the Bible 11 book series. We start at January 1 with the writings of the Old Testament historical books beginning with Job. We will cover seven more historical books until spring when we jump into the New Testament writings of Mark, Peter, James, Jude, and Hebrews. By summer, we will go back to the Old Testament writings of all 13 of the minor prophets. We'll finish 2025 with the writings of Paul. Maybe you don't want to follow the Ad Bible Radio programming in your daily quiet time. Okay, I offer you an alternative plan. Read the Bible chronologically starting any day you want. The Bible is not organized the way things occurred. You can order an Ezra Project Chronological Bible Reading Journal and experience an amazing journey through the Bible in the order things actually occurred. The first time I read the Bible chronologically, it was an aha experience. While reading Kings and Chronicles, I read the prophets who were alive at the time. In the New Testament, you read about a miracle or a parable by all four gospel writers on the same day. It was a very educational and inspiring way to read the Bible. One user said this about our chronological Bible reading journal. Some years ago, I used a couple of spiral notebooks for my journaling. I've attached pictures of the book, the first edition of the Ezra Project Bible Reading Chronological Journal. That was the picture he sent. I live in Phoenix now, and I cannot find any place that has this type of journal. I've used many types of journals recently, but this seems to work the best for my needs. Please let me know if these are still available. Yes, they are. In fact, it is our number one best-selling product of all time. Visit azureproject.net and order a chronological Bible reading journal today and start your chronological journey through the Bible. I know you're going to enjoy it and want to share it with others. To support AddBible, visit EzraProject.net, the donate button. For a one-time gift of $39 or more, we will send you a free copy of one of our day-by-day through the Bible books. And for a gift of $100 a month, we will send you the entire 11-volume series covering all 66 books of the Bible, chapter by chapter. You will get a book a month for the first 11 months of your $100 a month contribution. So support the Ezra Project today by going online and hitting the donate button at ezraproject.net.
Join us on a reflective journey through Job chapters 25 and 26 where Bildad questions the righteousness of man before the divine presence of God. Witness Job's magnificent recognition of God's unsearchable majesty. Delve into personal insights from years of Bible reading, exploring the timeless questions of purity and the humility in understanding God's omnipotence.
Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. Alan J. Huth shares a Bible passage with comments from over 35 years of his personal Bible reading journals and applies the Word of God to our daily lives.
Today we come upon Job chapter 25 and 26. We haven't heard from Bildad in a while, so he has something to say about Job concerning righteousness. Then Job gives us his reply that God's majesty is unsearchable. So let's listen to Bildad in chapter 25 and Job in chapter 26. Job 25
Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said, "'Dominion and fear are with God.
He makes peace in His high heaven. Is there any number to His armies? Upon whom does His light not arise? How then can man be in the right before God? How can he who was born of woman be pure?' Behold, even the moon is not bright, and the stars are not pure in his eyes. How much less man who is a maggot, and the son of man who is a worm!
Job 26 Then Job answered and said, How you have helped him who has no power!
How you have saved the arm that has no strength! How you have counseled him who has no wisdom, and plentifully declared sound knowledge! With whose help have you uttered words, and with whose breath has come out from you? The dead tremble under the waters and their inhabitants. Sheol is naked before God, and Abaddon has no covering. He stretches out the north over the void, and hangs the earth on nothing. He binds up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not split open under them. He covers the face of the full moon and spreads over it his cloud. He has inscribed a circle on the face of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness. The pillars of heaven tremble and are astounded at his rebuke. By his power he stilled the sea. By his understanding he shattered Rahab. By his wind the heavens were made fair. His hand pierced the fleeing serpent. Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him. But the thunder of his power, who can understand?
In 1984, I read Job chapters 24 through 28 on the same day. And concerning chapter 25, I wrote, How can a man be right before God? In 1997, I read Job 22 through 28 on the same day, and part of my journal entry is, Man cannot figure out God or His ways, yet we try in our limited wisdom to do so. And in 2015, I read Job 24 and 25 on one day, and 26 and 27 on the next day. Concerning chapter 25, I wrote, Bildad reminds us that none are pure before God. True. True. None righteous. No, not one. Concerning chapter 26, I wrote, Though his friends speak, Job is unsure they are hearing from God. And I was referencing verse 4 of chapter 26. Job offers some amazing science as he credits God with hanging the earth on nothing. 26, verse 7. He credits God with so much that his majesty is not understandable by men.
26, 14.
Let's take a look at Job 25 and 26. In chapter 25, Bildad speaks. Verse 4 is the key to this short chapter. He says, "...how then can man be in the right before God? How can he who is born of woman be pure?" I'd like to refer to my English Standard Version Study Bible footnote concerning this question. My footnote says this question is repeated several times throughout the dialogue between Job and his friends in slightly different forms. It is asked originally by Eliphaz, recast and used by Job in his second speech, repeated and reinforced by Eliphaz, and returned to again here by Bildad in the final speech of the friends. So let's go back and see where this question has already appeared in our study of the book of Job. It was first raised in chapter 4, verse 17 by Eliphaz. That time it was phrased this way. Can mortal man be in the right before God? Can a man be pure before his maker? Next, Job refers to this thought in chapter 9, verse 2. He says it this way, Truly I know that it is so, but how can a man be in the right before God? Eliphaz again repeats this thought in chapter 15, verse 14. He says it this way, What is man that he can be pure, or he who is born of a woman that he can be righteous? And that brings us here to chapter 25, where Bildad states it this way, How then can man be in the right before God? How can he who is born of a woman be pure? However the question is cast, the answer is the same. Man cannot be righteous before God. We have a sinful nature. God is holy. That is the great divide bridged by the cross of Jesus. If you expect to stand before God in your purity or your righteousness, you will fail. Good is not good enough before a holy God. These questions in their various forms remind us of this. But praise God, there is an answer. It's in the New Testament. Jesus bridges the gap between sinful people and a holy God. My prayer as we go through Ad Bible is that you understand this concept. It is vital to your eternity. Jesus says in John 14, 6, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. That's not religion. That's not theology. That's the words of Jesus himself. I pray you've made such a decision to accept Jesus as your Savior, allowing him to bridge the gap between your sinful nature and the holiness of our Almighty God. Now let's look at chapter 26, where Job declares the majesty of this Almighty God. let's begin with verse seven he stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing he binds up the waters in his thick clouds and the cloud is not split open under them he covers the face of the full moon and spreads over it his cloud he has inscribed a circle on the face of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness The pillars of heaven tremble and are astounded at his rebuke. By his power he stilled the sea, by his understanding he shattered Rahab. By his wind the heavens were made fair, his hand pierced the fleeing serpent. Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him, but the thunder of his power, who can understand? Yes, God's majesty is unsearchable. That's why man cannot stand before a God like this. Father, we thank you that in our humanity, we try to understand you, but we cannot. Your majesty is unsearchable. It is unfathomable to the human mind. So often we are guilty of putting you in a small box. It's our attempt to somehow grasp who you are, to understand your attributes. Forgive us, Lord. Thanks for reminding us in Job chapter 26. that you are majestic, you are glorious, you are holy. Thank you for reaching down from your heavenly throne and providing Jesus, your Son, to bridge the gap between sinful humanity and you, a holy, majestic God. What a gift. We accept it. In Jesus' name, amen. Thanks for listening to AdBible today. You know, sometimes we need a plumb line, a true north, a solid basis of truth to live life. We're not going to find it in the media or in social media or Google or your friends, but it is available right at your fingertips. Pilate asked Jesus in John 18, 38, what is truth? The chapter before, Jesus had answered the question in his prayer to God for his disciples. In the 17th verse, Jesus pleads with the Father, Sanctify them in the truth. Thy word is truth. So what would it be like if everyone, everywhere, read the Bible every day? Wow, it might be heaven on earth. What would it be like if every Christian read the Bible every day? Would we be better ambassadors for Christ? What would it be like if everyone in your community read the Bible every day? Would we have greater impact in our communities? And what would it be like if you personally read the Bible every day? Could you use a closer walk with Jesus? Could you use a light unto your path and a lamp unto your feet to walk through this life? Could you use a spiritual power surge in your life? Matthew 22, 29, Jesus speaking to the Sadducees said, You are mistaken not understanding the scriptures or the power of God. Yes, the scriptures can give us power to live this life. So I'm going to give you three easy action steps to make the Bible worth your time each and every day. Number one, commit to daily Bible reading. Commit to seek God and His Word daily, every day. And if you miss a day, start again the next day. Change your belief about God's Word to behavior in God's Word. Use any of our Ezra Project resources to help you. Visit EzraProject.net to get an Ezra Project Bible reading journal or one of our day-by-day through the Bible books. Commit today and visit EzraProject.net for easy-to-use resources for your daily time in God's Word. Number two, be intentional. Decide what you want out of your Bible reading. I got to visit the headquarters of Back to the Bible once in Lincoln, Nebraska, and in one hallway down one side, they had scribbled all the reasons people say they don't read the Bible. On the other side were all the reasons people do read the Bible. And I want to give you some of those to encourage you. On that wall, it said, God wants me to. Yes, God wants you to read the Bible. Do you want to meet with Him daily? Because He'll meet with you every day through His Word. Number two, it changes me. Where could you be in one year with more Bible reading in your life? Number three, it improves my outlook on life. Yeah, turn out the bad news and saturate yourself with good news from the Word of God. Number four, it keeps me grounded. Yes, when the storms of life come, and they will, can you stand? Yes, you'll stand better and more solid because you're in the Word of God. Next, it keeps my heart soft. Yeah, Nehemiah 8, when people heard the Word, they wept and they worshipped. You will do the same as the Word softens your heart. Lastly, on the wall, it said, it keeps my daily focus on God. Yeah, that's a great reason to read the Bible. You'll gain the spiritual power to live life in our secular world. And then thirdly and lastly, feed your soul. Let God minister to your soul. Hebrews 4.12 says the Word of God pierces between your soul and your spirit, between joints and marrow, and is the discerner of the thoughts and intents of your heart. Nothing else goes that deep. I don't know where the place is between my soul and my spirit, but I want to put the Word of God there each and every day of my life. I hope you do too. God bless you as you spend time in God's Word.
Join Roger Marsh in an enlightening conversation with Gary Bauer on Family Talk, as they unpack the current political climate following the Inauguration Day of 2025. Amidst a new presidential term and changing policies, the dialogue flows around maintaining Christian principles while engaging in today's societal debates. Reflecting on the previous administration, they analyze how political decisions affect cultural values and discuss the necessary involvement of faith communities in shaping moral standards.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, hello, everyone. I'm James Dobson, and you're listening to Family Talk, a listener-supported ministry. In fact, thank you so much for being part of that support for James Dobson Family Institute.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, welcome to Family Talk, the broadcast ministry of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. I'm Roger Marsh, and today here on the program, a very, very special installment of Family Talk. Today is Inauguration Day 2025, and who better than to join me in studio to have a conversation about what we're anticipating with a brand new presidential administration than Gary Bauer. Gary is our Senior Vice President of Public Policy here at the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute and And he knows, he's been around Washington a little bit. He knows a little bit about what happens on Capitol Hill. Gary, Happy New Year and welcome back to the broadcast.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you, Roger. It's an exciting day in Washington, D.C. You know, this is one of the little things that happens every four years here. We inaugurate a president, but this year seems particularly profound. And it's also historic, as you know, because we're inaugurating a president who was Wow, wow. We've already made some history today. Yeah.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yeah, I love the fact that we do have this history. It does seem like the Trump administration is now going into its third term because the last four years were somewhat tumultuous. I think first and foremost, we are giving glory to God, not because we here at the JDFI were backing any particular candidate, but I know the work that you did and Dr. Dobson did and we did with our Countdown to Decision 2024 program. The whole name of the game there was to encourage people to vote biblically, if you're a Christian, especially to vote for your biblical values. But secondly, to get Christians who typically sit on their hands to get engaged. And I think we saw a huge turnout of people who ordinarily don't engage get engaged.
SPEAKER 02 :
You're absolutely right, Roger. This is something that's been dear to the heart of Dr. Dobbs in his entire career. He and I, over the years, over the decades, have been complaining about Christians not being good Christian citizens. It seems like for about 100 years we've been complaining about that. But in fact, in recent years, and particularly in this last election, there has been a more encouraging turnout. of men and women that believe the Bible and believe that our liberty comes from God, not from government. And they made a difference. And, of course, it needs to be mentioned. You know this, Roger, but I know a lot of Christians are still confused about it. We hear over and over again from people that say, look, I'm just going to go to church on Sunday. I'm going to worship God. I'm going to leave all that noise outside of the church. It has nothing to do with me. Well, that's really flawed thinking. This is a country whose founders believed that it could only exist, it could only survive if the population were moral people. Everything they built was was based on that idea. It's also a country that has sent more missionaries around the world to bring the good news about our Savior Jesus Christ than any country in the history of the world. So America is deeply intertwined with our Christian faith. So that means today on Inauguration Day, the battle really begins in a very profound way. And one of the things we want to do at JDFI is keep people informed and let them know when they're going to need to weigh in on legislation that's pending or something that the president is or isn't doing as we deal with these great issues that will determine the future of our country.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, you know, it's interesting, Gary, because I appreciate the position that you have with us here at the JDFI as the senior vice president of public policy, because a lot of people don't realize. They think, well, that's politics and those are laws and that's not my lane, if you will. And realizing that as Christians, that's absolutely something that we should be concerned with. The policy decisions that are made by an administration have huge ramifications in the culture. And then this year, we also launched, brought in Dr. Owen Strand as our senior director of the Dobson Culture Center to help us understand the policies, kind of set the agenda for what the administration is going to do. And then the cultural impact causes us as believers to head back to Scripture and say, wait, is this forcing me to compromise my values or not? Maybe one of the black eyes, if you will, of the Biden administration has been the fact that they have sought so aggressively to to seek out ways to basically undermine biblical and traditional values that, beyond the fact that they're an offense to God, but they really do bring havoc in society. Talk about, from your vantage point, what we've seen over the past four years and why Donald Trump being in the White House means we're going to see a shift in those policies.
SPEAKER 02 :
It's a great question, Roger. And I think all of us here at JDFI, we get a little nervous. Maybe that's not the right word, but we don't want to come across as being political partisans or tied to one political party or whatever. But there is a certain reality in American political life and public life right now. And one of the ways we've addressed this is to look at the platforms of the two parties. And nobody in the Democrat Party is going to disagree with what I'm getting ready to say. The Democrat Party platform is all in on abortion on demand, to give you just one example. And it's all in on the political demands of the LGBTQ community or special interest group, however you want to refer to it. And because of that, the Biden years have been four years where our religious liberty, our rights of conscience, have been under constant attack. It's not just that the president promoted abortion and promoted LGBTQ issues. President Biden did that at the expense of our right to not be involved in those things. That's good. So, in fact, right now we're part of a lawsuit against the outgoing Biden administration over regulations they issued to try to make Christian ministries and Christian businesses – violate our conscience by promoting abortion or paying for abortions or promoting LGBTQ issues or being implicated in the whole transgender movement and all that's going on with that that threatens our children. All that ends, all those things that were coming out of Washington, all that ends today on Inauguration Day.
SPEAKER 01 :
Amen. You know, Gary, you brought up an excellent point in the fact that there are a lot of people who don't see the interrelativity, if you will, the interconnectivity of the things that the previous administration, the outgoing one, thank the Lord that we've survived four years of that. But isn't that a testament to the great American system that we have here, Gary Bauer? I mean, let's face it. There are a lot of people every four years who say, I'm so glad that person's not president anymore. Other people who say, thank the Lord they are. But the system still works. I mean, it really does. It's a testament to the Constitution and to God's hand of providence on our nation that even a fascist dictatorial type and maybe fascist is a bit too strong. But the Biden administration really did have those tendencies in terms of saying, look, we're going to push abortion rights. We're going to push transgender ideologies at the expense of religious liberty. I mean, if it weren't a zero sum game like that. There's no way you can do one without the other, and yet they keep saying, no, no, no, everybody can be accepted. Everybody's welcome. But as you duly noted, that's a place where Christians have to stand in the gap and say, wait a minute, not only is that not morally right, it's also unconstitutional.
SPEAKER 02 :
That's a great summary, Roger. You know, to stay on the LGBTQ part of this, and I don't know if any new letters have been added since our show began, it seems to be a growing phenomena. But early on in that movement, the appeal that it made to the American public and, quite frankly, to Christians was – look, we know you don't agree with us, but we're not asking you to marry somebody of the same sex. We're not asking you to have an abortion. We're just saying, let us live our lives the way we want to. If we love someone, who are you to question our love? And that was a very effective argument. And I think, quite frankly, there's a lot of evidence that particularly younger Christians believe Found it persuasive and said, well, yeah, why are you being so mean-spirited and not letting those people have the same rights that we do? Well, now that that movement got traction, the LGBTQ movement got traction, it was no longer a live and let live movement. It was an iron fist movement. You will participate and bake cakes for our weddings. Right, right. And all the rest of it, you will not preach about this in your churches or we will sue you for denying us our constitutional rights. So it's been very, I think, instructive to see the live and let live argument really doesn't play out. And there's no society that's neutral. Right. Every society will have a set of things that it admires, that it looks up to, that it wants to teach its children to follow and to be committed to. And it will have a series of things, of ideas and ways of living that that society will say, no, don't do that. That is not right. That is wrong. Somebody always wins in a society. in our society over these sorts of things. And thank God for JDFI, and thank God for Dr. Dobson's voice over the decades, because we have said that the things to look up to here in America are faith, family, and freedom. That's what the country was built on, and that's what we remain committed to following and to defending.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, today here on Inauguration Day, Gary Bauer is with us here in studio on Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk. I'm Roger Marsh, and we're talking about what this new administration, we used to call President Trump President 45, now he's also President 47, which is kind of interesting, hasn't happened in this country in well over 100 years. But as I was just thinking, Gary, of the image as Donald Trump placing his hand, left hand on the Bible, right hand in the air to take the oath of office, I could hear the border closing. You know, I could hear the gates, the doors shutting up. And not only that, but I could hear Homeland Security under the capable direction of former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem coming in and saying, OK, we're shutting things down now. That open border issue, I think that's a hand that the Democrat Party horribly overplayed in the election as kind of downplaying the fact that, well, it's really not that important to American families. And yet the open border has put so many families at risk. So many communities are being overwhelmed. We think about right even here in Colorado, you know, I mean, the gang activity moving into taking over apartment complexes and things of that nature. A lot of Christians are going to say, but Gary, you know what, though? It's not right. People are coming here. And they need a place to flee their homeland and they need a safe place to land. Why is it good and godly for us to close the borders and have not keep people out necessarily, but have a better way of filtering those who come in?
SPEAKER 02 :
Roger, you're absolutely right. This is another one of those issues that there's been division in the church about. Although when you do polling on it, Americans overwhelmingly are against what they watched the last four years. And that goes for men and women of faith, men and women who are in church every Sunday. Just their common sense told them you can't have 8, 10, 12 million people walk into America without having a profound impact on the country. And now some of it might be a positive impact, but a lot of it is a very negative impact. If a good person can walk across the border and now go wherever they want and never leave, even if a court demands that they leave, well, then what would stop a bad person from walking across the border?
SPEAKER 01 :
Exactly.
SPEAKER 02 :
Or a terrorist from walking across the border. And in fact, we know that that has happened. And the reason we know it is that American citizens – The people that our government has the first responsibility to defend and protect have been raped and killed and robbed. That's unacceptable. There's nothing Christian about that. I will often hear someone, usually a progressive, self-identified progressive in the church, who thinks that the argument is over if that person simply says, Jesus loves migrants. Well, Jesus loves all human beings. He sent his son to die for our salvation as the perfect lamb. The fact that Jesus loves men and women that he created does not in any way settle the argument about what a nation's border policy should be. Jesus loves taxpayers. Jesus loves American citizens. So you've got to bring a more— well-thought-out moral mindset to deal with these sorts of issues.
SPEAKER 01 :
I remember one theologian one night, the guy was trying to do the open border thing with him, and his response was, well, do you lock your door before you go to bed?
SPEAKER 02 :
Exactly right, yes.
SPEAKER 01 :
I mean, of course we do. So that's the thing, and last time I checked too, heaven does have a gate and does have a narrow way in, and there is a way that people can get in, but there's also... provisions for keeping people out. That's a godly principle.
SPEAKER 02 :
You know, there's a half million children we shouldn't forget about. That's the number of children during the Biden years that crossed our border, many of them unaccompanied by an adult. And those children were given to other adults in the United States that claimed they were a relative or claimed that they were somebody that there had been a prearrangement made with the family in the home country. child comes from to take care of that child. And we found out in the closing months of the Biden administration that we were no longer able to locate the great majority of those children. There is absolutely no doubt that some of those children are being abused. They've been trafficked. Others are no doubt working in sweatshop factories as illegal minor workers for businesses that are off the grid. So this is a human tragedy. No country can legitimately allow something like that to happen, and yet that's exactly what happened over the last four years. And I know that the Trump administration – has said all during the transition period, they're going to do everything they can to find those children and rescue them wherever they are. That is something that Jesus would be smiling about.
SPEAKER 01 :
Amen. Well, we're smiling about it here at Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk in the JDFI. Gary Bauer is our Senior Vice President of Public Policy. He's the host of the Defending Faith, Family, and Freedom podcast and a regular contributor, of course. to the Family Talk program. And today here on Inauguration Day, Gary, also having served in the Reagan White House for many years, and also you served President Trump in a capacity. I didn't want to make you a cabinet member or anything like that at that point if it wasn't more to give you that promotion. But you served the last couple of years of his first term working in an area that I know a lot of people think is kind of an anomaly. Donald Trump and religious liberty, especially as it pertains to Christians, And yet he's got to look at all his foreign policy decisions. Look at the Christians that he's picked to cabinet posts and ambassadorships and things of that nature. It's a very exciting time for Americans, again, to see men and women of faith put in these positions.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes. Well, it's an old saying in Washington that personnel is policy. A president brings six, seven, 8,000 people with him to all these posts. There are Christians everywhere. all over the Trump administration. There wasn't his first term. You mentioned the assignment I had. It was not a paid assignment, but he nominated me to be one of the nine members of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. And our job was to look at every nation in the world and rate them on whether they were allowing the citizens of their country to enjoy the most fundamental right that all human beings should have, which is to seek God and worship God as they see fit. And President Trump was very committed to that issue, remains committed to it.
SPEAKER 01 :
Did I read this correctly, Gary? There's a new faith office that's going to be coming in as part of the Trump 47 administration? Yes.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes, there is going to be a faith office. Now, he had an office in the administration in his first term, and it was very effective. But it still had to deal with bureaucracy and so forth, like all these departments and commissions and agencies do. This faith office is going to report directly to the president. And there's going to be an individual in each government cabinet agency that is part of that faith office and will represent it in each of those agencies around Washington, D.C. For years, Donald Trump has had a faith advisory board— He had that in his first term, and Dr. Dobson is a member of that faith advisory board, continues to be a member of it today. And it will this time report directly to the president, this faith office. So I think it's another example of how seriously Donald Trump is committed to religious liberty. One other thing on this, Roger, that I think a lot of Christians forget – Religious liberty right now at the Supreme Court is in a stronger position than it's been in in 50 years. And the reason for that is that in his first term, Donald Trump had three Supreme Court vacancies that he was able to fill. And that gave us, depending on the issue, somewhere between a five or six vote margin. majority on the Supreme Court in defense of religious liberty. We don't know what's going to happen in the next four years. I believe there could be another vacancy of another one of the liberal justices. And if that happens, I have no doubt that Donald Trump will appoint somebody that is committed to the First Amendment. and its guarantee of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, what we call the first freedoms that are part of our Constitution.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, it's an exciting time. It's an exciting day, Inauguration Day 2025. We've been having this conversation with Gary Bauer, who's the Senior Vice President of Public Policy here at the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute, former Undersecretary of Education, and served on the advisory board for the—I always get the lettering wrong—the
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, it's USURF is the alphabet name, but it's U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom. And by the way, Roger, the most persecuted group in the world, we found at the commission, and this won't surprise anybody, are followers of Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER 01 :
It's come to that point. So this is the world we live in. For such a time as this, we are very hopeful and anticipating that the next four years are going to be years of not necessarily just easy-feasy for Christians, but rather to see the biblical worldview carried out from the highest level of government here in the United States. Gary, thank you for handicapping that with us. Would you take the final moments of our time together and just offer a prayer for the incoming administration, for our nation, and also for maybe believers who are kind of scratching their heads saying, wait a minute, why would God put this man? As our president, how is that a good thing from God, if you would be so kind?
SPEAKER 02 :
Of course, Roger. Well, Father God, we just thank you for the incredible blessing we received when you allowed us to be born or to immigrate legally to the United States of America. Of all the places in the world that someone could be born in, to be born here is an unbelievable blessing. This is a nation built on the idea that liberty comes from you. You weren't surprised by the fact that we were born in America. You knew exactly where we were going to be born. And so because of this gift you gave us, Father God, we have an obligation to preserve it, to take care of it, to protect it. Otherwise, we would be ingrates. Nobody would want to abuse or ignore a wonderful gift given to them. And you've given us this gift to be citizens in the United States. So thank you for that blessing. Give us the courage as Christian citizens to speak up for our faith and to stand for faith, family, and freedom. And Father God, for some who still don't understand why Christians voted by massive margins for Donald Trump, help them to have the wisdom to know that the Bible is full of stories of heroes and heroines, often unlikely and fallen men and women. who you used for your purposes in ways that helped the world of the time they lived in. Father God, we pray for your protection on President Trump and the members of his administration, that you would keep them safe. We would pray, Father, that all those in the administration, followers of Jesus Christ, would be strengthened in their faith, but also members of the administration that may not yet understand you and your message of salvation to us that may be during their time of public service. This will be when they find Jesus and being even better in the jobs that they've given us. Father God, finally, we ask that this great country that has done so many good things, we're a flawed nation, as all nations are, but we pray, Father, that you would continue to help America follow your will to make us a nation that, in fact, is a shining city on a hill. Father God, we know that America can't be great again until it's godly again. We ask these things in Christ's name and for his sake. Amen.
SPEAKER 01 :
Amen. Gary Bauer, thank you so much for helping us to get the proper spiritual perspective on Inauguration Day 2025 here on Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk. Gary, it's always a pleasure to be with you.
SPEAKER 02 :
Always great to be with you, Roger.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, you've been listening to Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk, featuring an insightful conversation about Inauguration Day 2025 with our own Gary Bauer, our Senior Vice President of Public Policy here at the Dr. James Dobson Policy Center. Now, if you missed any portion of today's historic broadcast, or if you'd like to share it with others, go to drjamesdobson.org forward slash Family Talk, or you can also access this audio through the Family Talk app. And speaking of apps, you can now follow JDFI on the Bible app, the YouVersion Bible app, which is utilized by millions of people worldwide. You can join the nearly 100,000 people who have subscribed to three-day devotional plans with practical biblical insights to strengthen marriages and equip others. parents. For example, you can get started with one of these popular plans, Dr. Dobson's three-day marriage plan for improving communication skills or finding true love in your marriage. You'll also benefit from Dr. Dobson's three-day parenting plan for a mother's impact on her children and opting for effective discipline. You can follow JDFI when you access the YouVersion Bible app, and you'll find that information in Google Play or the App Store. Well, I'm Roger Marsh, thanking you so much for listening to the broadcast today. Be sure to join us again next time for another edition of Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk, the voice you trust for the family you love. This has been a presentation of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.
Join Pastor Jack Hibbs in this transformative episode focusing on the importance of submitting to God's will amidst personal and relational struggles. With topics ranging from overcoming past sins to navigating the complexities of marriage and divorce, Pastor Jack provides a biblical perspective on how to press forward in faith. This episode offers a chance to explore how prioritizing God's guidance can lead to true freedom and fulfillment in life's many facets.
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Today on Real Life Radio.
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Don't settle for not only the condemnation that the enemy would heap upon you, but if you've sinned and erred from God, then repent of it and come back to God and start all over again. That's the amazing thing about our God. No matter how messed up you've made your life, our God, when we repent, grants us a new start.
SPEAKER 01 :
This is Real Life. Welcome to Real Life Radio with Pastor Jack Hibbs. I'm David Jay, thanking you for joining us today as we listen, learn, and are challenged by God's Word, the Bible.
SPEAKER 02 :
Hey everybody, something that you should know, that in our church and in our media community, in the social media community, we have for decades, as a church, started every year off with the reading of the one-year Bible all the way through. So I'm encouraging you to join us and do the same. If you are not one of the tens of thousands of people that are actually on the same page with me, with my wife, Lisa, with the church and beyond, the entire Real Life audience and beyond, get a copy of the One Year Bible and get started with us on January 1st. You can get a copy for yourself at jackhibbs.com, but by all means, please do this. And listen, get one for your friends or maybe a son or a daughter or a mom or a dad who The one-year Bible, through the Bible, in one year together. Join us.
SPEAKER 01 :
That's the one-year Bible, and it's available for a gift of any amount at jackhibbs.com slash real radio. That's jackhibbs.com slash real radio. On today's edition of Real Life Radio, Pastor Jack continues his series now called Life and Bible with a message titled, Being a Christian is Obedience to God. The Bible tells us that obedience to God is better than sacrifice. This means that we've really got to be willing to submit to the Lord and to put an end to our own agendas. You see, our selfish desires and sinful imaginations will destroy us. But we can live an obedient life by letting go of the past and by putting God first in every single area of our lives. So today, Pastor Jack teaches that obeying God, well, it's just not an option. We've got to be willing to give him our all no matter what. Sounds radical, but we need to remember that God is for us and he's not against us. It's a love relationship, one that sets us free from the pain and sorrow of the past. Now, with his message called, Being a Christian is Obedience to God, here's pastor and Bible teacher, Jack Hibbs.
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We have been inundated with emails and questions. The pain and the heartfelt torture of divorce has been made so crystal clear with the responses from many of you. That your hearts are broken and that for you, now you're single and you're afraid to ever get married again and you're... search the scriptures, and you are able to be married again, yet you don't want to ever do that again, and you don't want to ever love again. You don't want to ever be near somebody, even possibly being that person again. These are real heartfelt issues. What does a Christian do about something like that? Then there are some of you who said, I got married, I thought I shouldn't have, it didn't work out, and come to find out I've wanted and I've enjoyed being single all my life. And that's rare, but that happens. And we've heard about it in these last few weeks. Some of you have written me and you've said things that I have been set free by these teachings. I didn't know this, I didn't know that about the situation, and I've been set free. And then some of you have written me and said, now Pastor Jack, it seems to me that you're telling me that I'm living in sin because I divorced my wife for this other woman and in fact that didn't work out so I went and married this other girl and you make me feel that I'm not right with God. Listen, you're not right with God. I didn't make you feel anything. I read you the verses and you didn't like them. Your beef is not with me. And I told you that when I was giving you the Bible study. Your beef's not gonna be with me. It's gonna be with God. Listen, tonight, if you have mustered up the strength to come back to this evening, understand something. If God is speaking to you, Christian, at this late hour of our Christian existence here on earth before the Lord comes back, if he's speaking to you and you now find yourself or you have been aroused to the place of I'm in the wrong spot with God, then change it tonight. Please change it tonight. Listen, we want you in heaven with us. We want you growing with us. We want you being strong with us. We want you being used by God now. Don't settle for not only the condemnation that the enemy would heap upon you, but if you've sinned and erred from God, then repent of it and come back to God and start all over again. That's the amazing thing about our God. No matter how messed up you've made your life, our God, when we repent, grants us a new start. And you need to keep that in mind. I'm gonna run through some things that is a little bit of a throw together of these last few weeks. Being a Christian in obedience to God, that is the ultimate answer. Church, listen carefully as I run through these points. Being a Christian in obedience to God is not an option. It's not an option. Yes, yes, you can be a Christian and walk in disobedience to God, but the Bible makes it very clear that when you get to heaven, you're going to suffer loss. Did you know that? And not only heaven, that you'll suffer loss based upon 1 Corinthians. Bible's very clear about that. But if you're a Christian tonight, you need to understand something that we don't often think about. As believers, when do you stop and think that... When the rapture does happen, or when we do die and go be with Jesus, that we are coming back with him. You've all read Revelation chapter 19? The Bible says we're coming back with him to earth. He's going to set up his kingdom on earth for how long? Anybody remember? A thousand years. The Bible says that we will be the bride of Christ, but we will rule and reign with him. The Bible makes it very clear regarding our faithfulness to God now, it will matter in that thousand year reign of Christ, our responsibilities and our status, our place in the kingdom life. That is very clear in the Bible. So I want to ask you something right now. As a Christian, as we talk about obedience, I want you to be thinking tonight that from this moment on, You are going to vow to pour yourself into following the Lord Jesus Christ at all costs. The hour is late, the stakes are great, and the Lord is coming back, and you and I need to actually bless him or make him proud, if that's okay with you. I wanna make him proud when he comes. And these are serious issues, and we're talking about these things regarding marriage, regarding life, in relationships, and divorce. Being a Christian is obedience to God, and number one thing I want you to think about tonight is this. You have got to be willing to submit to the Lord. If you're a Christian tonight, from this moment on, well, pastor, I'm married or I'm not married. I'm single, I'm divorced, I'm going through a divorce. I don't care where you're at tonight. This is true for every one of us. From the weakest, brand new, little baby, brand new Christian now to the most seasoned, experienced saint in here tonight. Right now, you and I need to determine to be submitted to the will of God in all things. God is our God, and we are to submit to him completely and fully. And that is all about a love relationship. It's got to happen. Number one, this way. You and I have got to bury the past day by day. Bury the past. The Bible says in Philippians 3.13, Brethren, I do not count myself as to have apprehended... But one thing I do, I forget those things which are behind and I reach forward to those things that are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. That's Paul the Apostle, Philippians 3, 13 and 14. Paul is saying, I have not yet been apprehended for that reason for which Christ has apprehended me. I love that statement. See, Jack, what does that mean? Paul said, I have not fulfilled everything that God has called me to do. The reason why Jesus captured me, that reason has not been yet fulfilled in my life. I don't know about you personally, but I feel like that all the time. And I think that's healthy. I've read enough books in the lives of other Christian workers to find out that that's a healthy thing. Do you feel like God's done with you in this life? Man, if you feel like God's done with you in this life, then you better just make out a will now because you're gonna be taken home soon. Now that could happen to anyone at any time, but I don't know about you, but I know that what has happened yet in my life is not the full extent of God's plan for my life. I don't know what's coming, but I know because it comes from him, it's gonna be awesome. And so I wanna be submitted to God completely. Well, my husband and I are not getting along. Then both of you submit to God. Okay, by the way, if you're a non-Christian tonight visiting, just enjoy tonight because I'm really gonna be beating up the Christian tonight. The non-Christian, you take a break. You can have a good, you can look at all these people and say, you know, you listen to him. But I'm telling you right now, well, you know what? She doesn't give me enough sex. Well, you know what? He doesn't open my door enough or he shuts the door halfway where I'm at. Hey. Hey. Because one thing I've learned these last four weeks and people writing me notes is he says, she says, and then there's this rocket launch and this mortar round and then this bazooka and there's a nuclear blast. Listen, stop right now. Whoever you are and wherever you're at, stop. Are you a Christian? Yep, then submit to God. Just do it and it will translate into everything else in your life being effective. God is Lord, not you and I. We need to bury the past And I wanna cover a few things. Number one, if you have a great marriage, you know why you have a great marriage? Because you have a tendency to do what the Bible says, bury the past. You keep looking to the call of Christ. The past, let it go. The pain, let it go. Did she hurt you? Let it go. You say, Jack, that's denial. That's not denial. Denial says it never happened. The power of Christ in our lives to put things behind us in the past is to say, this thing affected me. I'm taking it and I'm putting it behind me. I'm looking to Christ and I'm not looking back at it. I am not going to let that thing, that event control my life anymore. And I'm not... I'm not talking about a person, I'm not saying I'm not gonna let him control or her control, I'm talking about that thing. That thing that they hurt you by. All of us have experienced hurt and pain. I did a wedding vow, yeah, an anniversary renewing of the wedding vows last Saturday, right here. A couple been married 30 years. And it was amazing because they have grown kids now. So I asked the kids before the service, I said, how are your parents really? And the son and the daughter, I don't know, 25 and 27 years of age, something like that, I'm not sure. They just said, my parents, when we get married, we want to have a marriage just like our parents. You guys, that's the way it's supposed to be. That's the way it's supposed to be. And the awesome thing is that those parents, you could tell they loved the Lord Jesus more than they loved each other. That's the key. That's the key. Burying the past is something that every one of us have got to apply right now. And let me tell you something right now. If you are divorced and you're living in that world and the past is eating you alive, you have got to, as a Christian, say, Lord, it's killing me. Lord, I am taking those memories, those thoughts, those things, those dates, those calendar holidays, whatever it brings up the pain, Lord, I'm taking it to you and I'm leaving it with you and I'm gonna go ahead. I'm gonna follow you, Jesus. And notice the target. He moves, Paul says, I press towards. He presses into Christ. He presses into God. He presses into the word. He is eating up the things he ought to be eating up so he can have success over the past. Christians, you must decide to do the same thing. You cannot press into other things, no matter how wonderful they might be. You name it. If you're pursuing, going after something other than Christ, you'll not find victory in this area. You will not find it. Yeah, but I'm working out more. Not going to find it. Yeah, but I got a new red sports car. Now I'm unbuttoning my shirt down to my navel and I've got a gold chain around. That's not gonna do it. You need Jesus. You say, well, I'm a Christian. You need to press into him. Remember John, John's laying on Jesus' chest at the upper room at the communion service of Passover. John's leaning, John is leaning. Man, that's amazing. John is leaning on Jesus' chest, because you know, by the way, those tables, they're about 17, 18 inches off the ground, and there's no chairs. You lean down with pillows, and you lean like this, and you eat like this, okay? So somehow, and during worship time or what, John's ear is somewhere near the heart of Christ. Wow. Can you imagine hearing the heartbeat of God in his chest? Amazing. That's pressing in. Getting so close to Jesus to determine it. Now look, watch this. Let's be honest. Can you guys be honest? I'm going to ask you again. That's excellent. Can you guys be honest? Yes. Okay, how many of you have had or are having or expect to have troubles? Raise your hand. Okay, only a couple liars. Good. Okay, listen. There's only one way to have victory over those troubles that you're having now or that trouble you have in the past or that you're going to have. And that's drawing nearer to Christ and staying there. And you guys, what I'm saying right now sounds insane because we live in the 21st century. And if it's not in neon, if it's not in super duper pixel, if it's not HD, if it's not mega speaker box, ear busting, then it just doesn't do anything for you. Well, you know what? You ought to pick up a book and read it. Well, man, how low tech is that? Try it sometime. I found out the younger generation can't do it. Only us old people know how to do it. It's the only thing we know how to do. My kids can fix my computer, but man, sit down and read a book. Read a book. How do you do that? You just sit there. You actually sit there. And you read, man, I can't do that. Well, you need to do it. God will speak to you. It's amazing. Bury the past.
SPEAKER 01 :
You're listening to Real Life with Pastor Jack Hibbs. You know, to hear more episodes and maybe catch up in the series, just go to jackhibbs.com. That's jackhibbs.com. And for now, let's get back to our teaching. Once again, here's Pastor Jack.
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Also this, you've got to resign to die to your demands. Whoever you are tonight, whatever the situation you're in tonight, whatever the case might be, you've got to right now tonight resign to dying. I am going to die to my demands. A willingness to submit to the Lord means you're gonna resign your life. You say, man, I don't like the way that sounds. Well, it's the only way you're ever gonna live. And some of you are sitting here right now, you go, man, this is nuts. I can't believe I came here. Listen, listen, listen. Let's think in the reverse for a minute. Put yourself number one. Do everything, anything that comes to your mind, whatever pleases you and you only, you do it. You think about yourself and no one else. You get the bigger piece of the pie. You get to be the first one in line. You look out for good old number one. You know, there's a whole bunch of loonies that are about 30, 40 miles from here that do that. It's called Hollywood. And are they happy? How long do their marriages last? Okay, they got all the money in the world, and all the fame in the world, and they're committing suicide. So don't tell me that that's the answer. I think Jesus knows the answer. Jesus said, if you seek to save your life, that is, live it for you, you're gonna lose it. But if you give it up, then you'll find it. I want you to think about that. For some of you who don't know that that's a verse of the Bible spoken by Jesus, I want you to think about that for a second. True happiness is found in forgetting and losing everything. the reality of who you are, and letting God take care of you. It's amazing. It's true freedom. It's true freedom. You need to resign to your own demands. In Mark 9, 35, the Bible says that Jesus sat down, he called the 12 together, and he said to them, if anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and be servant of all. That's true freedom. Mark 9, 35. Also this, this willingness to submit to the Lord means this, that you and I have got to elevate the Lord in every area of our lives. Are you going through a divorce tonight? Are you thinking about it? Stop. Stop. You have no authority to pursue that. Oh, Jackie Carter cheating. You still don't have the authority to do that. I thought the Bible said I can divorce my wife for sexual immorality. It does say that, but that's only second best. First best is reconciliation, is making up, getting it back together. That's the first thing. Church, listen. This is not in my notes, so I don't know how it's gonna come out. So that's my disclaimer right there. It's easy for us to catch somebody in a situation because we can physically point to them. I caught you! And I understand that. And I'm not putting it down. There's a lot of power in that. It's evidence. It's admissible in court. It all depends on what court you're talking about, though. Cannot God... Look down into my heart or your heart and point the finger at us and say, wait a minute, Jack, as you point to that person right there, have you not in your own life thought these thoughts? But God, they were just thoughts. And he said, well, you know, with the court where I preside over, thoughts, we have those entered into our courtroom. Jesus said if a man or a woman, it goes either way, looks at a man or a woman and lusts after them in their heart for sexual dominance, fulfillment, pleasure. What did Jesus say? You've already committed adultery. That's in the courtroom of God. So if you caught him or you caught her, are you willing tonight to say, you know what, the marriage is over, that's it, it's over. It's just done. The reason why you're saying that is because, honestly, I don't mean to pour insult on injury here, but the reason why you're saying that is because you have nothing else in your well to grab from. You are scraping the rocks, dude. I understand that, but there's more. I'm leaving her. I caught her. Listen, stop for a moment. The reason why you feel that way is because you have got nothing to grab onto. You're grabbing sand and you're pulling it up in your hands and you are responding in the most basic response possible. I understand that. But what if God were to say to you, I want you to love her like I love you. I want you to forgive her like I have forgiven you. I want you to understand that the thoughts you've had, sir, in your life or that little peek you took on that website is equal to in my courtroom in relation to what she did. See, you don't want to think that way. You want to think that God grades on a curve, and he doesn't. He's perfectly holy. Amen. And what you do in secret, the Bible says, in the day of judgment, that thing will be shouted from the housetops for the world to see. So I want to stress to you tonight, before you throw your marriage away, you need to stop and calm down and realize that God's indictments, if you'll listen, against you are far greater. Because my sin is my sin. And it looks horrible. And my sin put Jesus on the cross. So did yours. So now when I turn and I look at somebody who's in error or in sin or got caught or the woman caught in the act of adultery as all of those Pharisees wanted to kill her, Jesus said, okay, you can kill her. You can let those rocks fly. Let's just start with the person who's without sin. So you guys get ready, start throwing your rocks. Just the first guy to throw rocks has got to be the guy that's without sin. Go for it. Then they all left. Boy, you see that movie, Stoning of Sariam, did she not need Jesus at that moment, huh? If Jesus wouldn't have been in that chapter of John's gospel, that's exactly what would have happened to her, what you saw in that movie. Every person, every one of us needs Jesus. And if you think that your husband's a greater sinner than you are, or your wife is a greater sinner than you are, then you've missed a complete definition and understanding of atonement and the redemption that comes through Jesus Christ. I put Christ on the cross. And it's a tremendous thing. You say, Jack, what do you mean so hard about that for? Because you know what? When I find out how much he has forgiven me, it's easy to elevate him as my Lord. I don't have to muster it up and conjure it up I don't have to play games about it. He's amazing. In 1 Corinthians 6, 20, it says, for you have been bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. We were bought at a price. See, it's easy to elevate Jesus if we understand that the price that he paid for us was his own life and his own blood and the temptation for you and I tonight is to say, yeah, life, blood. I mean, we live in a A bloody culture. We live in a violent world. I mean, so what's the big deal? And starting with me first, I have no concept or idea of the innocence of Christ. Can you imagine the innocence of Jesus? There's something about him. When you saw him, you knew that you're in the... It didn't even Judas confess, I've betrayed innocent blood. Satan, having possessed him, confesses it. Amazing. It's glorious to elevate him. My point is this. I want you to exercise a willing submission to the Lord Jesus Christ because he should be elevated in the everyday aspects of our lives. You guys, is Jesus here in this church right now? Is he gonna be going home with you in your car tonight? When you pull up and arrive at your house or your apartment, is he already there? He's everywhere. He's in every thought I think. He's listening, he's there, he's seeing everything. And apply that power. and that reality to your marriage.
SPEAKER 01 :
Pastor and Bible teacher, Jack Hibbs, here on Real Life Radio with his message called Being a Christian is Obedience to God. Thanks for being with us today. You know, this message is part of Pastor Jack's series called Life and Bible. It's a series on how to apply God's Word in the everyday challenges of the Christian life. And we'll continue on the next edition of Real Life Radio. Hey, if you're struggling in your marriage or maybe you're getting ready to tie the knot and want some practical spiritual advice, check out Pastor Jack's YouTube channel called Real Life with Jack Hibbs. Once you're there, look for the interviews I did with Pastor Jack and his wife, Lisa. It's called Real Marriage, Real Life. We talk about some pretty important subjects like dealing with our families in marriage and dealing with forgiveness in marriage. Jack and Lisa talk about the ways they put God first in every situation, especially in handling sensitive issues. Again, the series is called Real Marriage, Real Life, and it's on Pastor Jack's YouTube channel called Real Life with Jack Hibbs. You can access his channel on YouTube or at our website, jackhibbs.com. That's jackhibbs.com. This program is made possible by the generous contributions of you, our listeners. Visit us at jackhibbs.com. That's jackhibbs.com. Until next time, Pastor Jack Hibbs and all of us here at Real Life Radio wish for you solid and steady growth in Christ and in His Word. We'll see you next time here on Real Life Radio.
In this compelling episode of Born to Win, Ronald L. Dart takes listeners on an extraordinary journey through the vision of the Holy Jerusalem as described in the Book of Revelation. Delving into its breathtaking dimensions and architectural grandeur, Dart explores the significance of the twelve tribes and apostles, revealing how ancient prophecies find their fulfillment in this divine city descending from heaven. As we ponder the vastness of God's creation, the discussion challenges us to consider the cosmic scale of His plans and our role within them.
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The CEM Network is pleased to present Ronald L. Dart and Born to Win.
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And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come here, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great high mountain, and he showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. Now this great city is not like anything you and I might imagine. No artist has ever come close to capturing the image of this city. And of course anyone who's visited the old city of Jerusalem as it now is can dismiss that out of hand. One wonders how anyone could refer to Jerusalem as beautiful or Jerusalem the golden when one visits the city on the ground. But what's there now is not what was and certainly not what will be. Not even John who saw this vision can really do it justice. The vision is found in Revelation 21, and we're beginning along about verse 9. And this is a part of the final vision of John in the book of Revelation. We have to remember that this is a vision, yet it was very vivid and very real to John. Also remember that no man had ever seen anything like this. All John can do is tell us what he saw in terms of what he had previously seen in his lifetime. I mean, after all, he had his language, he had his vocabulary, he had his imagery. That's all he had to work with. And what he was seeing, well, he must have felt totally inadequate to the task. But he continued. He says, He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and He showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. And her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, as clear as crystal. And it had a wall great and high, and it had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon. Now what would be the names written thereon? on the twelve gates of the New Jerusalem. Well, they were the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. On the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Now, it strikes me, perhaps it strikes you the same way, as a little odd, how often the twelve tribes of Israel come into play in a prophecy dealing with the very end of time. You would have thought that something so Old Testament would have long since faded from the scene and would no longer be relevant, but here they are. You have 12 gates. Every gate has the name of one of the 12 tribes. You have 12 foundations, and the names of the apostles are on those 12 foundations. And Jesus said that the 12 apostles would sit on 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel in his kingdom. Well, I guess what we have to conclude is that when all is said and done, God is not yet finished with the 12 tribes. Where are they? Who are they? How are they going to come back into play on this? Well, it's beyond the scope of this broadcast, but drop me a line and I'll tell you where you can get some information on it. Verse 15, And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lies four square. The length is as large as the breadth. And he measured the city with the reed twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. Now, do you have any idea how long twelve thousand furlongs is or are, if we want to get our English right? Well, according to the New American Standard Bible, it is 1500 miles long and wide and high. 1500 miles is something like the distance between Houston and Los Angeles. It is that big, this city is, squared on the ground. And that's like, something like, if my math is right, two and a quarter million square miles on the ground for this city. It's big. Now, Jesus told his disciples when he was preparing to leave this earth that he was going to prepare a place for them. In John 14, verse 1, he said this, Don't let your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also. Now, other translations say, in my Father's house there are many rooms or many offices, many places. And he says, I'm going to prepare a place for you, and I'm going to come back. Come back where? Here. That where I am, and when he comes back, where will he be? Here. So that where I am, you may be also. Here. And John gives us a vision, not so much of our going off to heaven someplace, but but of a holy Jerusalem, which is something like what we imagine heaven to be, coming here with Christ. And so he says, I'm preparing in this place a place for you. Now, how many places do you suppose he could prepare in a city like this? Well, my office suite is about 1,700 square feet. but that would be way too small for a son of God. Supposing that God gave each of us, what shall we say, three acres. That would leave room on the ground floor of this holy Jerusalem, once it's come back to the earth and been planted here, for something in the neighborhood of 500 million of us. On the ground floor. Alone. Now, that's plenty of room, I would say, but you go up about half a mile, you put in another floor, and the number of places prepared runs to something like... One billion. But remember, this city is 1,500 miles high. We've still got 1,499 and a half miles to go up. Now, they tell us this. I don't think you have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out that all the Christians who have ever lived are not going to use up much of this city. Right? Right. In fact, all the people who have ever lived on this planet would not use up much of this place. Well, what's the rest of it for? I don't know. Some of us have minds that run this way, I suppose, but sometimes I lie awake at night contemplating the universe, the age of the universe, the scope of what God has built here, and I ponder what he is doing. They tell me that the universe is something in the neighborhood of 15 billion years old. God, of course, is rather older than that. Now, there aren't enough zeros to count the number of stars in the universe, and nobody believes that the planets around our sun are the only planets. The astronomers have gotten so excited about finding the possibility around a star that they can see with a telescope somewhere that might have some planets or some planets being born, but they know nothing. that they're going to find planets. Their problem is that everything is so far away, and planets are so small, you just can't see them, and we'll be old people and die, and generations could come and go on this planet, and we would never adopt the technology that's going to find planets in other galaxies. There's no chance. But when you look around you and you consider nature and you consider the way things are, there just is no chance that we are all the planets that there are in the universe around our little sun. If there aren't enough zeros to count the number of stars in the universe, you're surely not going to be able to count the number of planets. Now, consider what we know about God. If you've read your Bible, you surely have got a vision in your mind, an image in your mind of what kind of a being, what kind of a person that God is. Well, if you wanted to try somehow to describe God in human terms, it's fair to say, wouldn't you say, that God is creative. I was tempted to say highly creative, but highly is an inadequate adjective to describe creative where God is concerned. He is creative. He is energetic. The Bible tells us he never sleeps. It tells us he's wide awake all the time. It tells us that he really has enormous power. Translate that as energy, and you've got someone who is highly creative, terribly energetic, who is a worker who has no interest in idle time. Seeing God sitting on his throne, bored stiff, with a television clicker in his hand, just doesn't work, does it? Now, I said all that to ask you this question. Are you prepared to believe that in 15 billion years, not counting whatever time there may have been before or now, are you prepared to believe that this is the first time God has ever done this? Are you prepared to believe that if the universe could go on again another 15 billion years, that this would be the last time he will ever do it? Well, God has not told us much of his long-range plans and activities. There is nothing in the future of man that qualifies really as long-range on God's scale of time. Everything here is super short. But he goes on forever. And could a creative, active, energetic person stop creating? Stay with me. I'll be back in just a moment.
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Join us online at borntowin.net. That's borntowin.net. Read essays by Ronald Dart. Listen to Born to Win radio programs every day, past weekend Bible studies, plus recent sermons, as well as sermons from the CEM Vault. Drop us an email and visit our online store for CDs, DVDs, literature, and books. That's borntowin.net.
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Here we are, walking up to one of the gates of this New Jerusalem, a city that is so splendid that it would put out your eyes almost, with gorgeous foundations and humongous gates put up that are actually, every gate is a solid pearl, we're told. And so we are ready to walk into the city. What do we expect to find there? There's an isolated scripture back in Hebrews 12 and verse 18 that I thought was interesting in this context. I won't read the whole passage, but portions of it, because without even necessarily meaning to, he opens up a little glimpse or a little door into this question that I've been asking. The writer of Hebrews says this in verse 18. For you are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest. This is a reference to Mount Sinai, when the children of Israel assembled before the mountain, and they were going to get the Ten Commandments handed down to them from God, and they were all standing there trembling with their knees knocking together. He says, that's not what we've come to. In verse 22 he says this, But you are come unto Mount Sinai, unto the city of the living God. Uh-huh, that's what we've been talking about, the city of God. You come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God, the judge of all. And then there's one more category of people. that he says, we have come to, as we come to the city of God, the heavenly Jerusalem, a company of angels, the church of the firstborn written in heaven, and to God, it then says, we have come to the spirits of just men made perfect. Now, we can't know in this life. There's no revelation to this effect. There are only these little hints that God drops on us from time to time to let us think about it. But is it possible that the great city will already be populated with men and women of other worlds and other times, with more to come later, along with us? But perhaps we shouldn't speculate on these things. I don't know. But it's hard not to. When God gives you glimpses of things which make no sense from our narrow perspective, it is almost as though he is tempting us to look ahead and outward beyond our experience, that he's challenging us to think outside of what we know, to think outside of what we have heard, and to reach for him and to try to grope for him as people will grope in the dark and to understand him. and His greatness, and what He is doing. Oh, I think sometimes for many of us, references to the greatness and the glory and the power of God are just so many words we gathered out of the Bible and we use again because it sounds good. But when you begin to get hints of how great He really is, how can you not speculate? How can you not reach out But then there's Deuteronomy 29 and verse 29 that says this, The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. Well, I can live with that. That's satisfactory to me because what it tells me is and what he has hinted at is that there is so much more than I even begin to grasp right now And there is a way of life that I should walk in so that when the time comes that he can tell us all what it is, I'll be there. I'll know. I'll grasp it. And I'll shout with joy when I understand what really he is doing, which is far greater than anything I can grasp or explain. But back to John in Revelation 21, verse 17. And he measured the wall thereof, 144 cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. And the building of the wall of it was jasper. And the city was pure gold, like clear glass. Now, wait a minute, wait a minute. 1,500 miles square at the bottom, 1,500 miles high, pure gold. How many floors it has, we have no idea. Do you understand the mass, the weight of this thing? Well, if it were regular gold... What's being described here, of course, is physically impossible. It would spin the Earth off of its orbit and who knows where we would go as a result of that kind of weight being placed on the planet. But this is not physical gold. This is spiritual gold, if you will. This is a vision in the first place. But there is a reality to what John is describing. But the real world is one that could be sitting here on top of us right now, coming and going by with people passing through us, and let's never know it's here. Because it's the spirit world, not the physical world. Now, the New Jerusalem isn't here, but it could be. And we, us grub worms down here struggling with the earth, would not even know that it's here. The foundations of the wall were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth an emerald. The middle of this sandwich is a gorgeous emerald green. The fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth a topaz, the tenth a chrysoprisus, the eleventh a jacinth, the twelfth an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls. Every several gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold as it was of transparent glass. Well, what does that mean? Gold's not transparent. Well, a glass in biblical parlance really oftentimes means a mirror. And what it's telling you is that this gold, streets, walls, whatever it is you're looking at, is so polished that that is like a mirror, like glass. Now, when you really consider what we're seeing here, Remember what I told you earlier? John has only his experience. John has only his life to draw on. He can't really tell you what it is he is seeing. He can only tell you what it looks like to him. Take a gate made out of one pearl, for example. Why do you want a round ball of a pearl that's 16 feet high and wide being a gate? But really what it's probably describing is something that looks like Mother of Pearl. It's kind of translucent in a way and with a shimmering quality of Mother of Pearl. The varied colors that change as you might step from side to side looking into the gate makes it a thing of incredible beauty. Nations? Kings? Well, the Greek word for nations is the word often translated Gentiles, and it's really a rather broad word. It means peoples. So what he's just simply saying that the peoples of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it. The kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it, that those of those who have been rulers upon this planet are now bringing every piece of glory, everything they might have ever had of honor to this city. The gates of it will not be shut at all by day, but then there's no night there. And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations or the peoples into it. No night there. For in fact, the beings who live there need no sleep. They need no rest. They are the children of God. They are like Him with His creativity, His energy, His drive. And He and they lighten the whole environment, in fact, the whole world. There's much more to come in this. I'll be back in just a moment to really wrap this up for you.
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28.
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Write to Born to Win, Post Office Box 560, White House, Texas 75791. Or call toll free 1-888- Bible 44. And tell us the call letters of this radio station.
SPEAKER 03 :
And so we stand outside the gate of this enormous city, this incredibly beautiful city. And the words of John in verse 27 ring in our ears. And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defiles, neither whatsoever works abomination, means detestable or filthy thing, or makes a lie, only they who are written in the Lamb's book of life. It makes sense, doesn't it? Why would God allow anyone in this place whose spirit and heart were corrupt? Well, how does one get written into the Lamb's book of life? I'd like to be sure my name is there. The fact that it is the Lamb's book of life is a hint. It is not the book of the warrior Messiah, the one riding upon a white horse. It's the book of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. One is written into that book by repentance, by coming to the Lamb for mercy, accepting the Lamb of God as your own sacrifice for sin. Baptism must follow, and one must make an effort to live a life of holiness before God, but it is the blood of the Lamb applied for you that writes your name in that book. And he showed me a pure river of water of life. John continues in chapter 22, verse 1, "...clear as crystal proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb." In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, there was the tree of life which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the peoples. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it. And His servants shall serve Him. And they shall see His face, and His name shall be written in their foreheads. Read that, His name will be written in their minds. And there shall be no night there. There shall be no need of a candle nor light of the sun, for the Lord gives them light, and they shall reign forever and ever. And he said to me, The sayings that I have given you are faithful and true. And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show to his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he that keeps the sayings of the prophecy of this book. And I, John... saw these things, and I heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel that showed me these things. As well he might. Then he said to me, Don't do that. I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of them that keep the saying of this book, You worship God, not me. And he said to me, Don't seal the sayings of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. This is not a time for dawdling. Don't sew this up to where people can't see it. Lay it out before them. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still. And he which is filthy, let him be filthy still. And he that is righteous, let him be righteous still. And he that is holy, let him be holy still. You know, without getting technical about this passage, there's something to think about. There comes a time when it is too late to turn around. The time to set your life right is now. If you don't do it now, then the chances are you never will, not even when the world is coming down around your ears. So when the words of the prophecy began to be given and when they really began to come to pass, he says, well, if you're unjust, you might as well go on. Let him that is holy be holy. Let him that is righteous be righteous. And in verse 12, behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give to every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they who do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates of the city. Now let me deal with one small problem. In the light of what we know about salvation, salvation is by grace, not of works, and there is nothing we can do to save ourselves, then why does he tell me that in doing God's commandments I gain access to the tree of life? I'll try to explain. How can you possibly be washed clean while you are still playing in the mud? On the day of Pentecost, when Peter had convicted his audience of their sins, they asked him, Well, men and brethren, what do we do? He answered, Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. To repent is to be sorry for your sins and to stop sinning, at least to the best of your strength. Get up out of the mud so God can wash you clean, and don't go back in the mud again. Now how hard is that to understand? Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates of the city. For on the outside are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, idolaters, and whoever loves a lie and makes a lie. I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the spirit and the bride say, Come. Let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is athirst, Come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely. For I testify to every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If any man shall add unto these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of this book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy city and from the things that are written in this book. He that testifies these things says, Surely I come quickly. Amen, says John. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. And so ends the great book of Revelation. It's been an even greater inspiration than I thought it would be. We've been 28 broadcasts in working our way through the book. If you'd like to know how to get the whole series, give us a call or drop us a line at the address we'll give you in a moment. And don't forget to tune in next time for a new series. Same station, same time. And remember, God does not intend to spend eternity with a bunch of losers.
SPEAKER 02 :
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