Participants:
Series Code: CW
Program Code: CW000044S
|
00:00 (gentle music)
00:04 - Welcome everyone. 00:05 We're excited to share some country wisdom with you. 00:07 - King Solomon had a thing or two to say 00:09 about the path to wisdom. 00:11 In Proverbs 4, he wrote, 00:13 "Let your eyes look directly forward, 00:16 and your gaze be straight before you. 00:19 Keep straight the path of your feet 00:21 and all your ways will be sure." 00:23 - Join us now for Country Wisdom. 00:26 (gentle music) 00:35 I just can't hardly imagine in this time 00:37 and age in which we live, 00:39 that everyone who's watching this program right now, 00:42 isn't suffering in some way, or has some kind of problem 00:46 whether it's marriage or family or finances or health, 00:50 there's some kind of problem. 00:51 You feel like you're in a furnace, perhaps. 00:53 You're almost burning up, 00:54 you don't know where to find relief. 00:57 Today we have a program for you. 00:59 It's interesting. 01:00 "Dare to Be a Daniel," written by Dr. Philip Samaan. 01:03 Philip Samaan is a friend of mine. 01:05 Doctor, I appreciate you coming on with us today. 01:07 And you've got some great wisdom to share with us. 01:09 I know you do. 01:10 So thank you. 01:11 - [Philip] Thank you. 01:12 - Start in. 01:14 What is this book all about, and what's on your heart? 01:16 - Most of the books we have read about Daniel 01:18 is about prophecy, history, 01:22 but this book focused on his character, his lifestyle. 01:27 It's a book that shows the relationship we had with God 01:33 that applies to us today living in the last days, 01:37 to emulate his example. 01:39 And what happened to him is happening to us right now 01:42 and will happen to us in the future. 01:44 And he certainly faced his fiery furnaces and his trials, 01:50 but he stood like a rock. 01:51 We're surrounded by rocks here. 01:52 He stood like a rock, immovable. 01:55 Why? 01:57 Because he was anchored in the Rock of Ages, Jesus. 02:00 And if we don't want to be shaken in these last days, 02:02 be anchored in Jesus, the Rock. 02:05 - I've got to say we're on the campus 02:07 that you've taught religion and theology 02:10 for many years to a lot of students. 02:12 So we've got helicopters, we've got lawn mowers, 02:15 we've got all that going too, 02:16 just so the audience knows where we are. 02:17 - Yes, that's what makes it so interesting. 02:19 - But you picked this location 02:20 because you wanted to talk about Christ, the Rock. 02:23 - Yeah, Christ is the Rock, immovable. 02:25 - These are impressive rocks. 02:27 - Yes. 02:28 When you talk about the Rock, 02:30 Jesus said to the Pharisees and Sadducees, 02:36 "I'm the Rock, you got to deal with me. 02:39 You can't ignore me." 02:41 Either they have two choices. 02:43 Jesus always gives you choices. 02:45 Either you fall on me in repentance and contrition, 02:51 otherwise, eventually the Rock will fall on you in judgment. 02:55 That's interest, isn't? 02:57 Everybody in this world has to deal with Jesus. 02:59 You cannot escape Jesus. 03:00 You can escape many things except nobody can escape Jesus 03:03 'cause He's our creator, our savior. 03:05 And He says you have two choices. 03:06 "Please right now fall on me 03:12 and be bruised in contrition and repentance and restoration. 03:15 Otherwise, if you postpone this and wait and wait, 03:19 eventually the Rock is going to fall you in judgment." 03:24 Remember what people who haven't fallen on the Rock, 03:30 at the end when Jesus comes, Rock cut without human hands, 03:34 world against this world, 03:36 they say, "Please hide us from this Rock." 03:42 Instead of saying "Welcome, Jesus," 03:43 they say "Hide us from Jesus." 03:45 Now is the time to fall on the Rock. 03:48 - Now I've just got a feeling, many viewers out there 03:50 are just cut through saying 03:52 that this is gonna help them come out of the fire. 03:55 How does this help them come out of the fire? 03:57 How does a figure thousands of years old, Daniel, 04:00 how does that help anybody? 04:02 - What can we learn from Daniel that will help us today? 04:06 - Well, thank you for clarifying that. 04:09 - I have to interpret for him sometimes. 04:12 - Because Jesus is eternal. 04:16 He was there, He's here, He'll be here forever. 04:18 He was from eternity. 04:20 And people have common problems. 04:23 We all have problems one kind or the other. 04:26 And so how does this help us today? 04:28 Well, we need to be where Jesus is. 04:32 If we are where Jesus is, 04:34 if we have the relationship with Him, 04:35 if we're anchored in the Lord Jesus, 04:37 then He'll take care of us. 04:39 In other words, all I say to Jesus everyday when I pray, 04:42 "Lord, I know you have the best for me. 04:44 I avail myself totally whatever you want." 04:47 And leave it at that. 04:49 I mean, to make this simple for us to understand, 04:53 apply, if you have loving parents, 04:57 don't they want the best for their children? 05:00 And it makes total sense 05:01 if a child who is trusting of his parents says, 05:05 "Mom and dad, I know you know the best for me, 05:09 so I just open my heart to whatever you want to do." 05:12 And leave it at that. 05:13 If we do this with earthly parents who have shortcomings, 05:17 why not with the perfect Jesus? 05:20 People are worried about COVID and vaccine, all of that. 05:24 Well, we don't forget Jesus is the great physician. 05:27 He knows about COVID, doesn't He? 05:29 He knows about all the diseases perpetrated by Satan, 05:33 and He says, "I can take care of you." 05:36 I think especially during this COVID, 05:39 that's a hurdle to deal with, 05:42 to say, "Lord, help me not to forget about you. 05:46 I should take care of myself, make sure I'm careful, 05:49 but Lord, I wanted to play a big part in this crisis." 05:54 Why not? 05:55 - Let me ask you this. 05:56 I had some friends that they came to Christ. 05:59 We shared, and they eventually came to Christ, 06:02 and they became so disillusioned 06:03 because they still had all these problems. 06:06 Matter of fact, 06:07 it seemed like their problems increased, 06:08 and they got, "Jim, what happened? 06:10 This doesn't seem like what I signed up for." 06:13 What do you tell those people? 06:16 - You have a way of asking challenging questions. 06:18 Do you know that? 06:20 But they really go to the depth of everything. 06:25 This is such a good question. 06:27 Well, the way I can answer that question is that 06:31 we have this great controversy waging 06:36 from the time of Lucifer rebelling in heaven, 06:39 between good and evil, between Christ and Satan. 06:42 So Satan is not passive. 06:45 He's not sitting aside and saying, "I don't care." 06:48 Oh no, he is doing his best 06:50 to trip everybody not to be saved. 06:53 He wants everybody to join him, and he is miserable. 06:55 He knows the lake of fire is awaiting him, 06:57 and he doesn't want to be by himself. 06:58 He wants all the humans he can to be with him. 07:01 - Misery loves company. 07:02 - Misery loves company. 07:03 So he tries his best to do what? 07:05 When we give our lives to the Jesus, 07:06 when we want to be anchored in Jesus, 07:08 he then attacks us the most 07:10 to get us at that point of vulnerability. 07:14 The same thing with the three friends of Daniel. 07:17 Can you imagine, you know Nebuchadnezzar, 07:21 Daniel was used by God to help him to interpret dreams. 07:25 And that's why they said, "We don't need to answer you. 07:27 you know more than this. 07:30 You testified that God is the God of universe 07:32 and now you want to make yourself a God? 07:34 You want to be all gold? 07:37 The Christ kingdom will never end, 07:38 but you want to be all the statue, 07:42 to have permanent leadership. 07:45 And so the devil really tried hard. 07:50 First time, give them a second chance. 07:52 And all the music played, enticing music, 07:55 and the peer pressure, 07:58 all they had to do is just bow down a little bit. 08:00 In their hearts, "We are loyal to God, 08:02 but just to satisfy you King Nebuchadnezzar, 08:04 we'll just bow down a little bit. 08:06 That's it." 08:07 See how Satan attacked them so hard? 08:10 I know as a pastor, I baptize people 08:12 and I would pray for them so hard. 08:15 Why? 08:16 Cuz I knew the devil was going to discourage them. 08:19 Well, if you give tithe, the Lord will bless you, 08:23 will pour out blessing you don't know. 08:24 And then what happens? 08:26 You lose your job, no money even to pay tithe from. 08:29 That's the reality. 08:30 So I believe people who paint such a Rosey picture 08:34 are not pragmatic. 08:35 In fact, the devil uses them sometimes 08:38 to discourage people even more. 08:40 We have to be real with this, and be careful. 08:42 The devil is a roaring lion. 08:43 We have Jesus with us, of course, 08:45 but Satan is going to tempt you and discourage you. 08:48 Be careful. 08:49 Now is the time to really have 08:51 what I call the "If not" faith. 08:54 You know the "If not" faith in Daniel 3, 08:57 when Nebuchadnezzar challenged him and said, 08:59 "Nobody can save you from my hands." 09:02 And what did they say? 09:05 "He can. 09:06 We know He can, but even if He doesn't choose to, 09:13 we will obey Him without question 09:15 even if He doesn't save us." 09:17 That's what I call the "If not" faith, 09:18 and that's the kind of faith we need in these last days. 09:21 - So that when something awful happens, 09:24 I have some friends of friends who lost a child, 09:29 and one of them literally said, 09:34 "If God will do that, if God let my kid die, that's it." 09:41 - That's understandable. 09:42 But they need to have the long look. 09:44 They need to look in a broader way. 09:47 They need to put themselves in God's place. 09:50 God loves children. 09:52 He doesn't want any to perish, but He knows the future. 09:55 He knows the future, 09:56 and He knows that He might have been protecting this child 10:01 from going in the wrong way. 10:03 I don't know. 10:07 But the point is we have to look to say 10:09 this child is asleep in Jesus. 10:13 To Jesus, death is nothing. 10:16 When Mary and Martha 10:17 were so worried about Lazarus their brother, 10:19 they were all worked up and Jesus was calm. 10:21 And He said, "Well, our friend is sleeping. 10:23 Let's go and wake him up." 10:25 Why? 10:26 Because He is life and the resurrection. 10:27 So such parents need to anchor themselves 10:30 in more of who's Jesus, what He can do, 10:32 and His plans for the future. 10:34 And that if He knew the end from beginning, 10:37 we wouldn't have chosen any other way. 10:38 That's a fact. 10:45 And to share with these parents the blessed hope 10:47 to make it burn bright in the hearts, 10:49 why? 10:50 'cause Jesus is coming soon, 10:51 and they're going to see the son in perfection. 10:53 And maybe God allowed Him to rest in the grave 10:57 maybe was a big factor in saving. 11:01 I don't know. 11:02 I mean, I have many friends who've died of COVID, 11:04 and before they died, they told me, "God wants me to rest 11:08 because He doesn't want me 11:09 to go through all this time of trouble." 11:13 - I think of another Bible character, 11:16 even before Daniel's friends. 11:18 I love that speech they gave to Nebuchadnezzar where, 11:22 "Yeah, God can do it, but even if He doesn't, 11:25 I won't bow down." 11:26 And I think of Job who had more troubles than any of us. 11:32 And he could come to a point where in all faith, 11:36 he could say, "God gives and God takes away, 11:41 blessed be the name of the Lord." 11:43 - In all of that, he did not sin. 11:46 And, of course, we cannot all be Job. 11:49 - No, I'm the first one to be going, "Why me?" 11:52 And it's over stupid little things. 11:53 - But it was almost a very special case 11:56 where God was being challenged, He need to be vindicated. 12:00 Satan challenged Him. 12:01 He said, "Nobody serves you out of love. 12:02 They serve you because you... 12:03 Take the blessings away 12:04 and they'll curses you to your face." 12:06 So it was a challenge before the whole universe. 12:08 So God is to the credit of Job that God trusted him so much, 12:13 that He was willing to take that twist, 12:15 and Job came through with it and nobody supported Job. 12:19 When you're in trouble, 12:21 you go to your spouse to get some encouragement. 12:23 Your friends leave you, 12:25 and your miserable comforters condemn you, 12:29 so you go to your wife. 12:32 - Yeah, she dropped the ball. 12:33 - And I don't blame her, 12:34 she lost her children, she lost her house. 12:37 Women like to have a house, she lost her resources. 12:41 She had nothing left. 12:44 And he came to her for comfort, and she said, 12:48 "Just curse God and die." 12:49 It wasn't encouraging. 12:51 But I don't blame her, she was very discouraged. 12:53 He said, "How can we receive blessings from God, 12:57 but when things go bad, we don't? 12:59 He is the same God." 13:01 And he said this famous statement, 13:03 "Though He slay me, yet I will trust Him." 13:05 That's the "If not" faith. 13:07 And I believe, as I told Jim earlier, 13:09 I believe that this is the kind of faith we need 13:11 in the last days. 13:13 There are many people who will give up on their faith. 13:15 They'll be tested with this and that, 13:18 and obeying God, obeying man, 13:20 and if people are not anchored in Jesus, they will give up. 13:24 Why would they persist in being faithful 13:27 if it's the easier the other choice? 13:29 And the devil will make it so much easier 13:32 for them not to face the difficulty. 13:36 It's normal for every human being. 13:38 I mean, that's how we're all made, 13:40 but there are special people, 13:42 and I don't know if I'm ever worthy to be one of them, 13:44 but we have them as an example, 13:46 special people like Daniel and his friends, and Job, 13:51 and people like that. 13:54 Abraham also. 13:55 Abraham; "Though you slay me, I will trust in you, 13:59 though you slay my son." 14:01 Can you imagine being asked to slay your son? 14:04 Somebody else slays him, but you slay your son, 14:07 the promised son, and you already lost Ishmael. 14:13 You only have one at home that you waited for, 14:16 and he's a teenager. 14:18 "Though you slay me, though you ask me to slay my son, 14:21 I will still trust you anyway." 14:23 And God said enough. 14:25 Why did God do this? 14:28 To give an illustration of the plan of salvation. 14:31 Because God the Father, and our father Abraham, 14:38 Abraham was a type of god. 14:42 God had one son and Abraham had one son. 14:45 And He was telling him and the whole world, 14:48 "Someday I'm going to allow my son to be sacrificed 14:54 to save the world. 14:56 Now, Abraham, I want you to follow my example. 14:58 Are you willing to sacrifice your only son?" 15:00 And the reason He didn't allow him to sacrifice 15:02 is because the death of Isaac wouldn't have been salvific. 15:08 It wouldn't have saved anybody. 15:10 "So no, don't do it. 15:11 But to remind you, someday I will give my son, 15:13 I'm identifying with you." 15:15 Maybe I said too much about that, but you know- 15:17 - No, not at all. 15:19 It seems like there's a thread that runs through the Bible 15:21 with those who are really seeking a friendship 15:24 and relationship with God, 15:26 have some big troubles, but God gets them through them. 15:30 - You can think of Paul as well, you can think of Peter. 15:33 In other words, I don't think everybody is like that, 15:37 every Christian is like that, 15:39 but I think these are prime examples to keep us going, 15:42 to encourage us along the way to look at these people. 15:45 Another one; John the Baptist. 15:48 "Though you slay me, come on, I'm related to you. 15:52 Jesus, look, I introduced you to the world. 15:56 I was faithful to the end. 15:58 And now I want to participate in your ministry." 16:01 Wouldn't he have been a great assistant? 16:03 He certainly would have been better 16:04 than some of the disciples. 16:06 - His faith did waiver for just a moment though, 16:08 when he pressed his nose against the bars 16:11 and asked the disciples, 16:12 "Is He the one or do we go look for another one?" 16:15 - Which is so helpful. 16:18 So then, when our faith waivers, we know there's hope. 16:22 Even his faith waivers, you know why? 16:24 Because he's a middle Eastern. 16:26 Friends are very loyal to each other. 16:28 - Explain this because you're Middle Eastern. 16:29 What I mean, they're very people oriented, family oriented, 16:33 they're not so much into task oriented. 16:35 In America, it's a task to accomplish. 16:37 We're not so much into people, and Jesus was. 16:41 Jesus did not accomplish the task telling the leper 16:45 "Be healed, job done, bye." 16:49 No, He was moved with compassion, 16:52 and He stretched for His hand and He touched him 16:55 before He healed him. 16:56 He was people oriented, and He was task oriented, 16:58 but He was people oriented first. 17:01 So that's the kind of culture I come from, 17:03 and the Bible came from that culture. 17:05 And the point I'm trying to make is this. 17:09 "Jesus, you're my best friend. 17:11 I don't mind being in jail, 17:14 but I sure would have enjoyed participating in ministry. 17:17 It's normal. 17:18 Why am I kept away from it? 17:21 And they might kill me now 17:22 and I haven't heard from you." 17:25 This is when God is silent. 17:27 God is testing us and testing our faith 17:30 because He believes we are faithful. 17:32 How do you deal with that? 17:34 "I haven't heard from you. 17:36 Have you forgotten me?" 17:37 It's a normal human reaction. 17:38 Even though John the Baptist had faith in Jesus, 17:41 but yet he's just checking 17:42 like a friend would check with friend. 17:44 "How come you haven't called me for a while? 17:47 Have you forgotten about me?" 17:48 Because you care 17:50 and you still have faith in that relationship. 17:52 And Jesus said, "Tell him what's happening. 17:55 Tell him what's happening. 17:57 Miracles have performed, and I'm truly the Messiah, 18:00 and the good news is here." 18:03 Now it's still a mystery, this "If not" faith, 18:06 because if I were Jesus I would've said, 18:09 "I need this John the Baptist, 18:10 I want him to be with me." 18:12 But this is what I read in a book, Desire of Ages, 18:16 a wonderful book about the life of Jesus, 18:18 and it says that Jesus trusted in Daniel's faith, 18:24 that he would come through for Him 18:26 like He believed Job would come through for Him, 18:29 like He believed Daniel would come for Him. 18:31 So that's a compliment from God. 18:32 "I trust you so much 18:34 that I'm willing to let you take this risk. 18:36 Abraham, I trust you so much, you'll come through from me." 18:39 That's a great compliment. 18:40 Why? 18:41 Because all the thousands of Martyrs to follow 18:46 will look at this example and be encouraged. 18:49 - But I look at John, 18:52 when you're talking about John the Baptist there in prison, 18:58 it's like the Lord said to the Bible writer, 18:59 "Don't forget to include that part, 19:01 because there's someone out there 19:02 who's gonna be discouraged, 19:04 and I want them to know I haven't forgotten them." 19:05 - That's true. 19:07 But look at the faith Jesus showed in John the Baptist, 19:10 that he would not give up, he would not get discouraged, 19:12 he'll stay faithful until the edge of the story. 19:16 It's amazing trust He had 19:17 and do put an example to the universe. 19:20 Jesus trusted John under the most severe circumstances 19:23 and John came through. 19:26 - Back to Daniel's friends. 19:29 Standing there, 19:31 they didn't know whether God would come through 19:34 at that moment- - Did not know. 19:37 How do you get to that point 19:40 where God has chosen not to test me quite that much, 19:43 and I am very grateful for that. 19:46 I don't know, I couldn't predict until it happens 19:50 how I would react. 19:52 I would hope I would be like that, 19:54 I would hope I would think of those stories. 19:57 Where does that kind of faith come from? 19:59 Where no matter what, you've lost, your job, 20:03 a friend or a relative has died or had an accident, 20:07 whatever, 20:08 what is it you're clinging to, 20:10 and how do you make sure that you've got that to cling to? 20:13 - The only answer, 20:15 the best answer you can have about that 20:18 is that Abraham has such a solid 20:22 unshakeable relationship with God ahead of time. 20:25 He had that what I call the reservoir of spirituality, 20:31 a spiritual bank where he deposited this spirituality 20:35 that came in handy at the time of need. 20:36 That's why Daniel and his friends, 20:39 when they were tempted to eat the Kings food, 20:41 he said, "We have resolved already to obey God. 20:47 It is a done deal." 20:49 I counsel some of my students, 20:50 they say, "Oh, I got myself in trouble on the weekend." 20:53 "Why?" 20:54 "I just wanted to party, 20:56 and some temptation came and I fell for it." 20:58 Well, did you resolve it? 20:59 No, I never thought about that. 21:01 You see? 21:02 So Daniel is our example, his friends are our example. 21:04 And to be very specific to your question, 21:06 if you have such an intimate close friendship with Jesus, 21:12 solid friendship, 21:13 you're not going to give up on Jesus for any reason. 21:16 Though He slay me, I will trust in Him. 21:19 He's a good God, He loves me, I trust His plan. 21:22 And I avail myself, 21:24 whatever He has in store for me, I know I'll be okay 21:26 through life and death. 21:28 But that takes an anchoring in Jesus. 21:29 And that's why it behooves us today, 21:32 as we await the big time of trouble, 21:34 to be ready to spend time with Jesus every day, 21:37 to go out of our way to build that reservoir, 21:42 so that when something comes our way, some big trouble, 21:47 we say, "I know know in whom I have believed, 21:49 and I'm persuaded that nothing can shake that." 21:52 Like Paul said, "Death or life or tribulation or whatever, 21:58 it's not going to shake my faith. 21:59 My love to Christ is solid. 22:02 That come what may." 22:04 So that's the only answer, 22:05 but that's a challenging thing 22:07 because many people don't have time, or are busy with work 22:11 and they're stressed out. 22:12 That takes time. 22:14 It's just like when you prepare a good meal. 22:16 You could go to a drive-in and get a quick sandwich, 22:19 but if you want to make a good meal, a Middle Eastern meal, 22:22 you take a whole day, half a day to prepare it. 22:25 It's healthy and tasty. 22:27 They say that Jesus we have to invest time. 22:29 And why is it investment of time is the best? 22:33 Because that's all we'll take with us. 22:35 I'm not gonna take anything with me. 22:37 When you get old like me, 22:41 you have to leave everything behind. 22:43 Isn't it something? 22:44 If people can think about their houses, riches, resources, 22:48 left behind. 22:49 The only thing I'll take with me is my salvation with Jesus. 22:52 That's all, and the people I helped to know Jesus. 22:56 - I felt like Satan was constantly nipping at my heels 23:00 and I just couldn't catch my breath. 23:02 I was grieving. 23:03 I felt scared, confused, anxious, and depressed. 23:08 My life was literally turned upside down and falling apart. 23:12 I didn't know what to do, but I knew who had the answers. 23:16 Can you relate? 23:17 This amazing study guide changed my life. 23:22 Are you ready for a dramatic change in your life? 23:25 This 12-week study guide 23:27 will guide you on your journey of transformation. 23:31 This study is packed with powerful content 23:34 to lead you on an encounter with Jesus. 23:38 Jesus will use this study as a tool to change your life 23:42 as He did mine. 23:44 Order your copy today to experience your transformation. 23:48 Log on to talkingdonkeyinternational.org. 23:54 - Doctor, I've got it real quickly. 23:55 We've only got a couple minutes left, 23:57 but I wanted to, 23:58 I look forward to Jesus in the garden, 24:00 and a young man in his early thirties, 24:02 He didn't wanna die either as He's a God-man. 24:04 - Excuse me, let me correct you. 24:06 Did you refer to yourself as somebody who's 30? 24:09 - Yes. 24:10 - Did I hear you correctly? 24:12 Did you refer to yourself as 30, 24:14 or you're you talking about Jesus? 24:15 - Jesus. 24:16 - Oh, I get it better now. 24:17 - Thank you. 24:19 But here He is at that age, and He says, 24:21 "Lord, if it's possible, let this cup pass from me. 24:24 I don't want to do this." 24:25 And there's no word from the Father. 24:27 No word from God either. 24:28 - No, just sealed Himself from His Father with darkness. 24:34 That's an excellent example. 24:35 That's the best example of the "If not" faith really. 24:39 And that is, 24:40 He didn't know if there was light 24:42 beyond the portals of the tomb. 24:46 And in a way Jesus said, "Even if you don't rescue me, 24:50 I'll still love you and trust you anyway." 24:54 That's why He said, "Not my will, but your will be done." 24:57 The reason He was willing to submit to His Father, 25:00 "Into your hands, I submit my Spirit." 25:02 Why? 25:03 Because He knew God was good. 25:05 He was well acquainted with God, 25:06 and He knew that God will have the answer to everything. 25:15 May I say one more thing? 25:17 - Yes, go ahead. 25:18 - You know, 25:19 often we're tempted in these last days 25:22 to focus on the storms everywhere. 25:26 I got a call from my pastor's wife, 25:29 that "Samaan, you are my teacher, my professor. 25:32 I'm depressed, I don't know what to do with myself, 25:35 with this COVID and vaccine, I'm just so depressed." 25:40 So I had to tell her, 25:42 "Look at the story of Jesus during the storm 25:44 on the sea of Galilee." 25:46 I mean, we have a choice. 25:47 Do we focus on the storm where there're many of them, 25:51 or do we focus on our captain? 25:55 And He can handle the storm, can't He? 25:56 - Amen. 25:57 - And even if He doesn't deal with the storm, 25:59 He'll be with us facing the storm with us, 26:02 facing COVID with us. 26:04 The other thing I want say is, 26:05 we focus on the hungry lions attacking us, 26:08 but why not focus on Jesus, the Lion of Judah 26:11 who can subdue even hungry lions? 26:13 That should be our focus. 26:15 We recognize they're hungry lions, 26:17 but don't forget about the captain of our lives. 26:21 Don't forget about the Lion of Judah. 26:25 And the last thing I want to say is this, 26:27 one time I heard some preacher talk in a camp meeting, 26:31 about the time of trouble. 26:34 Every evening sermon was about the time of trouble. 26:37 And he worked so eloquent about this. 26:40 And people really were so troubled. 26:44 They went home troubled 26:46 because he talked about the time of trouble. 26:47 But you've got to talk about the Jesus 26:50 who will take us through the time of trouble. 26:52 So instead of focusing on the crisis, focus on Christ, 26:56 who will take us through the time of crisis. 26:58 - Amen, there it is. 26:59 That's the key to everything. 27:01 - Janice, what do you think of that idea 27:03 in the right focus? 27:06 - I wish that I were a lot younger, 27:09 and could be in your classes. 27:11 - Well, you were in my class today. 27:13 You want me to give you a grade at the end 27:15 like give you an A? 27:16 - I was always in the front row when I was in class too, 27:19 I was one of the A students. 27:20 - From my heart, I give you an A, 27:21 and Jim, I include you too. 27:23 - Thank you. 27:24 - Because really, it's a matter of focus really. 27:27 By beholding we become changed, 27:30 you focus on trouble you become trouble. 27:31 We have no reason. 27:33 Why should we focus on trouble if Jesus work with us? 27:35 He knows how to deal with trouble, 27:37 but we forget about that focus. 27:38 - Doctor, I hate to stop this, 27:40 but we've run out of time, 27:42 but maybe you'll back for another episode sometime. 27:45 - Well, I mean, 27:46 you wait and see if my presentation was good enough, 27:49 and you'll decide if you can invite me or not. 27:51 (Janice laughs) 27:52 - Thank you so much. 27:54 Thank you for watching. 27:55 Join us again for another exciting Country Wisdom. 27:57 - See you next time. |
Revised 2022-04-21