Participants: Pr. John Carter
Series Code: CR
Program Code: CR001402
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00:08 From Arcadia, California
00:09 the Carter Report presents 00:12 "The Living Word" around the world. 01:12 Lord, I run to You 01:21 No one else will do 01:29 Lord, in trouble times 01:34 I will run straight to You 01:38 Though my heart and flesh may fail 01:43 Your my very present help 01:47 My tower of strength 01:52 My portion evermore 01:58 Lord, I run to You 02:06 No one else will do 02:15 Lord, You said 02:17 we'd face trouble, pain, and fears 02:24 But to be of good cheer 02:28 Lord, to be of good cheer 02:32 For You have overcome 02:37 You have overcome the world 02:44 And I lift mine eyes up 02:49 to the mountains 02:53 Where does my help come from 02:58 It comes from You, Lord 03:02 You are the maker 03:06 of earth and heaven 03:10 And there is nothing that is too hard for You 03:17 Oh Lord, 03:19 I lift mine eyes up 03:24 to the mountains Where does, 03:27 where does my help come from 03:32 It comes from You, oh Lord 03:36 You are the maker 03:40 of earth and heaven 03:44 And there is nothing that is too hard for You 03:57 Nothing is too hard for You, God 04:02 Nothing is impossible for God 04:06 we know You can do all things 04:10 Yes, yes, yes,yes 04:14 So Lord, we run to You 04:23 And no one else will do 04:32 Lord, You said we'd face 04:37 Trouble, pain, and fears 04:43 Oh, but to be 04:45 Of good cheer Lord 04:52 To be of good cheer 04:58 For You have overcome 05:06 You have overcome the world 05:18 So Lord, we run to You 05:36 Our topic today is how to study and understand the Bible. 05:39 I could have called it the Bible in the Outhouse. 05:43 How the Bible was put out in an outhouse or bit of it 05:49 and a person's soul was saved 05:52 that's the sermon today. 05:54 The amazing story of how prisoner 05:56 in a communist prison was saved by finding 06:00 a bit of scripture in a bucket of human excrement. 06:06 The Bible is unlike any other book in the world. 06:12 It has withstood campaigns for its destruction. 06:18 It is not an ordinary book because it has the power of God. 06:21 Explain this to me if you can. 06:23 I preached in Russia, I have been to Russia 42 times. 06:27 I was there at the height of communism 06:30 and when communism fell-- tell this, explain this to me 06:35 how you're gonna have a vast audience of communist, atheist, 06:39 people like Richard Dawkins, KGB 06:43 at 6 o'clock in the evening with their eyes downcast. 06:47 No belief in God and after the Word of God 06:50 has been preached in the power of the Holy Spirit at 7 o'clock 06:54 you can have 10,000 people 06:56 in that great auditorium praising God. 06:58 Explain that to me. 07:00 I will tell you what it is. 07:01 It is the power of God. 07:03 We're going to talk today about how 07:05 ordinary people like you and me 07:07 can understand its powerful message. 07:10 Today we're going to discover secrets of divine 07:13 secrets of health and prosperity and wisdom. 07:18 Example, how to chose the right husband 07:21 or the right wife, secrets of successful living. 07:25 Please take your Bible 07:26 and turn with me to the Book of Hebrews. 07:29 Hebrews 4:12, 13, 07:33 Hebrews 4:12, 13, 07:37 I want every person to turn to the text 07:40 because we are turning to the living word 07:43 of the living God. 07:44 Hebrews 4:12, 13. 07:48 Are you ready to go, folks? 07:50 Tell me are you ready to go? 07:52 "For the word of God is living and active." 07:55 This is not a dead word. This is a living word. 08:00 It is living and active. 08:02 "Sharper than any double- edged sword, 08:05 it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, 08:09 joints and marrows, it judges the thoughts 08:12 and attitudes of the heart. 08:14 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God sight 08:18 everything is uncovered and laid bare 08:21 before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." 08:24 The Bible tells me, God tells me that 08:27 His word is living and powerful and active. 08:33 And if you and I can get the Word of God into our hearts 08:36 we are going to get the power of God in our souls. 08:40 Listen, not gonna talk about this much now 08:44 because I don't have time. 08:46 I don't believe in the attitude of faith in faith. 08:53 I believe that we ought to have faith in the truth. 08:56 I don't believe that we ought to believe the Bible 08:59 just because we want to believe the Bible. 09:02 But in more than 50 years of ministry 09:04 involved with archeology and astronomy 09:07 I have come to the conclusion 09:09 that the Bible is historically accurate. 09:14 And astronomy shows the power of the God 09:17 who made the world and who gave us the scriptures. 09:20 This is not a case of saying to you just believe 09:24 and check your minds in at the door. 09:26 We're talking today about evidence 09:28 why you can believe in the Word of God. 09:32 And the Bible tells us that 09:33 the Word of God is active and powerful. 09:39 It is the living Word of God. 09:42 It is living and powerful. 09:44 It has God's life and nobody can kill it. 09:47 In Ukraine some years ago I stood in a tremendous theatre 09:53 packed out with thousands and thousands of people 09:57 and I stood on the very spot and I preached from this Bible, 10:02 this Bible, the Word of God. 10:06 And I stood on the very spot 10:10 where Chairman Chris Chafe the leader of the Soviet Union 10:13 has stood and made the deliberate announcement 10:17 he said within 20 years 10:19 the name of Christ will not be known in the world. 10:24 He said we have a great experiment and 10:28 we are going to get rid of God in the Soviet Union 10:32 and then we'll get rid of God in the world. 10:36 The Chris Chafe has gone but God is still there. 10:39 And the Word of God was being preached in the very place 10:42 where he said "we're going to get rid of the Word of God." 10:45 I want you to know the Word of God is powerful. 10:49 It contains the power that made the universe. 10:55 There are 200 billion suns in our galaxy 10:59 and 200 billion plus galaxies in the universe. 11:04 And the Bible says "by the word of the Lord 11:08 were the heavens made." 11:10 How big is God? 11:12 You think you got a problem, my friend. 11:15 You think something is too big for you. 11:17 I want you to know that the Word of God is mighty and powerful 11:23 if we could only get this word 11:25 into our souls and into our hearts. 11:29 I'm going to read you a little story 11:33 out of our latest magazine that is called Ebenezer 11:39 and if you'll write to me we'll try to send you a copy 11:42 if we've still got them. 11:45 "Never Alone. 11:46 He found salvation in a bucket of human excrement. 11:49 Here's how it happened. 11:51 A Christian in Vietnam was imprisoned by the communist 11:54 because he was not ashamed of his faith in Christ. 11:58 He was beaten, starved and locked up in a filthy cage. 12:03 The atheist kept him away for days on end, 12:07 have roped fastened to the roof rafters 12:09 was tied around his neck 12:11 so that he was forced to stand on his toes. 12:15 As he would collapse into unconsciousness 12:17 the rope would bite into his neck jerk him awake. 12:23 All the while his captors asked him where is your God, 12:28 why didn't He answer His servant's prayers. 12:31 Give up your foolish ideas they shouted 12:34 and we will let you go.' 12:37 Finally, beaten and broken with hope almost gone 12:42 he was sent to work in the stinking outhouses. 12:47 His job was to carry huge buckets of human excrement. 12:51 In his weakening condition, he found it almost impossible 12:54 to hoist the heavy buckets on to this shoulder. 12:57 He staggered beneath the load. 13:00 The foul smelling stuff sloshed over him 13:04 and in his heart he asked 13:08 'If God loves me, why doesn't he help me?' 13:11 " You think you got a problem, friend? 13:15 "Then one day he saw a floating on top of 13:17 one of the buckets a small piece of paper. 13:22 It was a page from His Bible, His Bible. 13:27 The camp commandant has confiscated 13:31 his precious little holy book 13:33 and later used it as toilet paper. 13:37 Quickly the prisoners scooped cooped it up 13:40 and hid it beneath his rotten clothing. 13:44 That evening late at night when all was quite 13:46 he read the words 'never will I leave you, 13:52 never will I forsake you.' 13:55 Hebrews 13:5. 13:56 God had spoken. 13:58 How could he doubt again? 14:00 Within a few weeks, a new camp commandant 14:03 was appointed and the Christian was released." 14:08 I want you to know 14:12 a word of scripture is more powerful and pertinent 14:19 than every word in ordinary magazine. 14:26 It is living it is powerful. 14:29 God's word is more powerful than man's word. 14:35 Often in history 14:37 people who tried to get rid of the Bible 14:41 in the Dark Ages you can read about this in the encyclopedia. 14:44 They destroyed the printing presses, 14:46 they burned the printers. 14:51 During an awful time in Europe 14:54 it was a crime to own a Bible, it was a crime to read a Bible. 15:00 Millions died because they read the Bible. 15:04 They were sent to the stake and they were put on the rack. 15:10 The devil has tried the 100s of years 15:15 to get the rid of the Bible but he can't do it. 15:22 I think of the communist and atheist 15:25 in Russia and China. 15:30 I have stood in a building, 15:35 the same building where I spoke 15:36 where Chris Chafe had spoken but I spoke 15:39 I went downstairs to the communist dungeons 15:45 were tens of thousands were tortured for their faith 15:50 and the blood oozed its way out between the great stones 15:56 and ran down the streets of Kiev. 16:00 I have been to places in Siberia. 16:03 I tell you in the name of God 16:07 where millions have died for their faith, 16:10 butchered for their faith. 16:15 But communism has gone 16:17 but Christ is still alive in Russia. 16:22 It is the living word of the living God. 16:25 Listen "The word of God is living and active. 16:29 Sharper than any double-edged sword" 16:32 like the Roman used. 16:33 "It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, 16:37 joints and marrows, 16:39 it judges the thoughts and the attitudes of the heart." 16:42 You can't get away from it. 16:45 "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. 16:48 Everything is uncovered and laid bare 16:51 before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." 16:55 Hebrews Chapter 4. 16:58 Let me talk a little bit with you my friends 17:02 in this beautiful church 17:04 on a great benefits of prayerfully 17:08 with an open honest heart studying the scriptures. 17:12 Listen carefully because this is gonna help you. 17:17 Wherever the Word of God goes 17:20 it brings prosperity cleanliness, 17:25 health and freedom. 17:29 It'll do the same for you if you let it. 17:32 Come over here to 2 Timothy 3:15 and onwards. 17:37 Dear hearts and general people, 17:39 2 Timothy 3:15 17:43 "And how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, 17:47 which are able to make you wise for salvation 17:50 through faith in Christ Jesus. 17:52 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, 17:57 rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 18:00 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped 18:03 for every good work." 18:05 Come down to 2 Timothy 4:1 and onwards. 18:09 "In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus 18:13 who will judge the living and the dead 18:15 and in view of His appearing and His kingdom 18:19 I give you this charge, preach the word, 18:23 be prepared in season and out of season, 18:26 correct, rebuke and encourage 18:28 with patience and careful instruction." 18:33 Look at me, the Bible says that the word of God 18:40 the Bible is God-breathed. 18:45 It says something similar about the stars. 18:48 It says, He spoke, He has done, 18:51 He spoke the universe into existence. 18:55 We are not the results of a cosmic accident. 18:58 God spoke and a universe appeared 19:05 and the Bible tells me that when God gave us the scriptures 19:08 He took frail human beings 19:11 and He breathes the word of God into them. 19:15 The book that we are holding into our hands 19:17 is completely unique it is God-breathed. 19:21 Come over here with me to 1 Peter Chapter 1. 19:24 We are a Bible reading, Bible believing church here. 19:28 1 Peter 1:23 and onwards. 19:32 1 Peter 1:23 "For you have been born again, 19:37 not a perishable seed, but of imperishable, 19:40 through the living and enduring word of God." 19:43 The living and enduring word of God 19:45 you can't get rid of the word of God. 19:48 For 'All men are like grass, 19:50 and all their glory is like the flowers of field, 19:54 the grass withers and the flowers fall, 19:57 but the word of the Lord stands forever.' 20:01 And this is the word that was preached to you." 20:07 The Bible tells us that a person is born again 20:15 through the Word of God. 20:19 When we come into this world in the normal way 20:22 we come in with our sinful human natures. 20:27 But the Bible tells me when I come to Christ 20:31 and when I receive the word of the living God 20:35 a tremendous change takes place in my life 20:40 and I'm born again. 20:44 The old person dies you say 20:48 you don't know what my life is like. 20:51 I do know that God can change any life. 20:56 God can change our lives, He can take a drunkard 20:59 and He can make him sober. 21:03 He can take a blasphemer and give Him a sweet 21:08 and holy tongue. 21:09 Would you come over here to Matthew 4:1-4? 21:13 And those of who are watching right across this great country 21:17 on this great network I want you to listen to this. 21:20 May be go get your Bible Matthew 4:1 and onwards 21:24 "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert 21:29 to be tempted by the devil. 21:33 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 21:36 The tempter came to him and said 'If you are the Son of God, 21:39 tell these stones to become bread.' 21:41 Jesus answered, 'It is written.' 21:44 " It is written. 21:46 "Man does not live on bread alone 21:50 but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." 21:57 Listen in our hearts there is hunger. 22:01 Saint Augustine said, our souls were made for God 22:04 and they cannot rest until they rest in Him. 22:07 But when you take Christ into your life 22:09 and you take the Word of God into your life 22:12 the Bible tells us we are fed and we are changed. 22:18 Let me give you some forgotten history. 22:23 After Christ came the Dark Ages 22:26 the Bible was buried in an unknown language, 22:33 the world became filled 22:34 talking particularly about your superstition poverty, 22:38 ignorance, great spiritual darkness. 22:42 The Word of God was chained in the cathedrals. 22:48 Then came Bible preachers, Martin Luther 22:54 who translated the Bible into the tongue of his own people, 22:58 over there in England Wycliffe Tyndale 23:02 and then in 1611 23:05 we had the birth of the King James Version. 23:11 Like a mighty army, like a mighty wave, 23:17 it was a mighty wave of spiritual power 23:23 unleashed by God filled with the Holy Spirit 23:29 soaked in the Word of God that rolled around the world. 23:35 Listen, the nations that accepted 23:39 the teachings of the Bible we call it the reformation, 23:42 became the most prosperous at enlightened nations 23:46 on the face of the earth and they got liberty. 23:51 The chains were broken those that rejected the gospel and 23:57 the Word of God became places of darkness, poverty, 24:01 disease, ignorance, superstition, 24:04 death and no liberty. 24:06 Bondage, bondage. 24:09 We sometimes ask the question what made America great 24:17 because America has been great. 24:20 What made America great? 24:22 And many today are forgetting 24:25 the secret of America's success. 24:29 Not her armaments, not her great banks 24:35 but what made America great? 24:39 The founding fathers and the people 24:42 who came to this country came driven by the Spirit of God 24:47 and the preaching of the Word of God. 24:51 One president spoke of America 24:54 as a shining city on a hill. 24:57 America became the greatest nation in the world 25:02 not because of atheism 25:06 and not because of communism and not because of Marxism 25:13 I tell you 25:17 but because of the Word of God. 25:25 And I'm going to continue this in our next program 25:31 when I'm going to tell you 25:34 how you can choose the right wife. 25:46 Hello friend, I'm John Carter in Columbia. 25:50 Behind me is the great city of Bogota 25:53 the capital of this amazing country. 25:57 This city is a city of more than eight million souls. 26:04 It's up more 26:05 than eight thousand feet in the Andes. 26:09 And we've come here today with one purpose in mind, 26:12 to preach the everlasting gospel 26:15 of our Lord Jesus Christ. 26:17 We're here because we have a commission from God. 26:21 Jesus said "Go into all of the world 26:25 and preach the everlasting gospel, 26:28 baptizing them in the name of a Father 26:30 and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." 26:33 The people here need the gospel of Christ. 26:38 And I'm asking you today come with us 26:40 if not body but come with us in spirit. 26:44 This is been a very, very dangerous city. 26:47 A very dangerous part of the world 26:50 but we believe that we are safe 26:52 when we are in the hands of God. 26:55 Therefore, I'm beseeching you in the name of Christ 26:59 and in the names of these eight million plus inhabitants 27:04 in the city of Bogota to come 27:07 and help us to preach the Word of God. 27:10 Please, support the preaching 27:12 of the Word of God in Columbia. 27:14 Please write to me John Carter, 27:16 Post Office Box 1900, Thousand Oaks California 91358. 27:22 In Australia write to me at the address 27:25 Terrigal, New South Wales, Australia. 27:29 Jesus said "Work while it is day 27:33 the night is coming when no man can work." 27:36 Please write to me today. 27:38 Thank you and God bless you. 27:59 I stand amazed in the presence 28:07 Of Jesus the Nazarene 28:13 And wonder how He could love me 28:20 A sinner, condemned, unclean 28:26 Singing how marvelous! 28:31 How wonderful! 28:34 And my song shall ever be 28:41 How marvelous! 28:44 How wonderful! 28:48 Is my Savior's love 28:52 for me! |
Revised 2014-12-17