It Is Written

Where Was God?

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants:

Series Code: IIW

00:09 ♪[Theme music]♪
00:18 ♪[Soft music with road noise]♪
00:22 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me on It Is Written.
00:25 I'm John Bradshaw, and together we are heading somewhere.
00:30 Before we get to our destination,
00:31 let's go back in time a little bit...
00:34 2017 was a very active year for natural disasters.
00:41 Remember the hurricanes?
00:43 What a hurricane season.
00:45 ♪[Dramatic music]♪
00:55 Now, those were the storms. There were others besides.
00:58 Then came the fires.
01:01 [Fire crackling]
01:02 In California, fire season comes every year,
01:05 and there's always a danger of fires, always.
01:08 In northern California,
01:10 a swarm of fires affected about six different counties.
01:14 The worst fire of them all: the Tubbs Fire.
01:17 And the Tubbs Fire began burning in the direction of Santa Rosa.
01:21 That's where we're going now.
01:23 In Santa Rosa alone,
01:25 43 people died as a result of the Tubbs Fire.
01:30 That's 43 known deaths; there may be more.
01:34 Nine thousand structures were destroyed,
01:37 5,500 of them in Santa Rosa.
01:40 Three thousand homes were destroyed in Santa Rosa.
01:44 Five percent of Santa Rosa's houses were destroyed.
01:48 The destruction was immense.
01:51 We're on our way to Santa Rosa
01:52 to talk to some survivors of the Tubbs Fire;
01:57 some victims of the Tubbs Fire, that is,
01:59 people who lost everything;
02:03 and people who lost nothing.
02:06 And we'll ask an important question.
02:08 And that question: Where was God?
02:12 Where was God when the fires burned?
02:13 Where was God as people suffered?
02:15 Where was God while people were dying?
02:18 Where was God in the midst of the devastation?
02:20 It's a very important question,
02:21 not only in the context of the fires in California,
02:24 the hurricanes that buffeted the United States,
02:26 but our own lives.
02:28 Everybody meets with tragedy, disaster, loss.
02:31 And that question is often asked.
02:33 That question is: Where was God?
02:36 We're heading to Santa Rosa.
02:38 By the grace of God, we'll find an answer to that question.
02:45 ♪[Soft music]♪
02:54 >>Marc Selivanoff: So it was, uh, Sunday night.
02:56 We went to bed, uh, October 8.
02:58 And, uh, about maybe 1:30 in the morning,
03:03 the, uh, my wife got a phone call.
03:07 And I could hear the voice on the other end of the line
03:10 was very, uh, tense, and very intense
03:14 maybe would be a better word.
03:15 And she was basically, uh, screaming,
03:18 "There's a fire; it's massive; it's headed your way.
03:21 You need to get out, and get out now."
03:23 >>John: So you get the warning,
03:24 you get the phone call, and so what do you do?
03:28 >>Marc: So, of course, at 1:30 in the morning,
03:30 you know, I go and I look outside,
03:31 and I could smell the smoke.
03:32 And, uh, so we knew that, based on her phone call,
03:37 this was something serious that we needed to pay attention to.
03:39 So we got up, very groggy, started gathering our pets
03:45 and our few things that we could get,
03:48 um, loaded them into the car.
03:51 And, uh, the smoke was very thick at that point,
03:54 and, uh, just headed out and, uh,
03:59 so we ended up at a house that we own that was vacant.
04:02 We, uh, got settled there,
04:06 and then Anthony, my son, said,
04:08 "Hey, Dad, let's go back up and see."
04:10 And I said, "We'll go as far as we can,
04:12 but I don't want to put us in danger."
04:14 >>John: So you came back up here to the house.
04:15 What did you find?
04:16 >>Marc: Um, we came back up, and the fire was,
04:18 was raging, uh, down in the residential community.
04:22 It was on this hill and on this hill as well.
04:25 >>John: But the house?
04:26 >>Marc: The house was still standing at that point.
04:28 So we, uh, we were fighting the fire with the intention
04:33 of obviously saving our home and all of our possessions.
04:36 >>Catherine Hamilton: We got a call at 2 a.m.
04:38 >>Alvin Hamilton: Monday night, yeah.
04:39 >>Catherine: At midnight, here.
04:42 >>Alvin: It's, it's like complete hopelessness,
04:45 because you're gone, except that you have God.
04:49 And so the first thing that you do is the only thing
04:52 that you know you can hang on to is God.
04:54 I mean, everything else, as what you physically can do,
04:57 is not there.
04:59 >>Catherine: After I hear fire, I hear, in the background,
05:02 "Get out! Get out! You're being evacuated.
05:05 The fire is two to four blocks away from your house."
05:08 And I panicked.
05:09 And so I told Alvin, I said,
05:10 "Pray for me. Pray for me.
05:12 Pray for my sanity, and so that I can be able to pray."
05:15 Because my mind, I felt like my mind was just gone.
05:18 >>Alvin: "I sought the Lord,
05:19 and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears."
05:23 >>Catherine: So the minute he prayed for me,
05:25 not for the fire,
05:26 not for anything that was happening,
05:28 I just needed my calmness and my sanity
05:31 to be able to be in tune with God.
05:32 Because I knew that if I had that,
05:34 I had everything else.
05:36 So I said--we started praying; our prayers didn't last long.
05:39 They were desperate; they were, uh,
05:42 they were rushed.
05:43 There was a need; it was urgent; it was very, very urgent.
05:47 I said, "Please save my children."
05:50 >>Alvin: "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them
05:53 that fear Him and delivered them."
05:55 >>Catherine: So immediately after we prayed that,
05:58 and then we couldn't pray anymore,
06:00 and we started saying verses in the Bible.
06:02 And so we grasped, um, Psalms 34 and Psalms 91,
06:06 and we were saying it back and forth, back and forth.
06:10 >>Alvin: "I will bless the Lord at all times:
06:12 His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
06:14 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord.
06:16 The humble shall hear thereof and be glad.
06:19 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
06:21 and let us exalt His name together."
06:23 >>Catherine: So what really was the most amazing miracle
06:26 about this home is that the fire started miles east,
06:31 behind us, and it stopped right at my backyard,
06:35 and do not proceed to any other home beyond us.
06:41 >>Courtney Asker: My mom woke up at 11:45,
06:45 and she smelled smoke.
06:46 So she woke my dad up, and he just pretty much said,
06:49 "You know, you're freaking out; go to bed; we're fine."
06:53 And so then she called 911, and they ended up telling her,
06:56 "No, you're fine."
06:58 Like, "You have nothing to worry about.
07:00 You don't have to leave. There's a fire being contained."
07:02 Then it was at 1:19 a.m. was when her friend texted again
07:08 that Paradise Ridge Winery is on fire,
07:10 and that's right below where we are.
07:13 And so that's when my mom, like, started screaming,
07:17 so that's how I woke up.
07:19 But they still never told me what was going on.
07:22 So then I went in, and I helped my mom.
07:24 And she had grabbed, like, our metal box with our passports
07:27 and birth certificates and stuff.
07:29 And then she grabbed a couple photo albums,
07:31 like, her and my dad and my grandpa and stuff.
07:34 And so then I went back to my room, and I just,
07:37 like, changed into sweats real quick,
07:40 and I put on a pair of flip flops, and then I grabbed
07:43 my school backpack and a stuffed animal and one picture.
07:47 And so, when we were driving down the hill,
07:49 like I just remember seeing, like, red everywhere.
07:52 Then I understood, you know, like, okay,
07:54 it's, like, the mountain's on fire.
07:56 ♪[Ominous music]♪
08:04 >>John: Now, here's a question: Can God be trusted?
08:08 Either you've asked that question yourself,
08:10 or you know somebody who has.
08:11 And I've got an answer for you.
08:13 I'd like you to get today's free offer,
08:15 "Can God Be Trusted?"
08:18 To receive it, call 800-253-3000,
08:21 write to the address on your screen,
08:23 or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
08:26 Can God be trusted? I have an answer for you.
08:29 800-253-3000,
08:31 or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
08:34 >>Announcer 1: Have you ever wondered
08:35 if you're good enough to be saved?
08:37 It's a common question that has discouraged many people.
08:40 But it doesn't have to discourage you.
08:42 "Taking a Stand"
08:43 is a powerful five-part series presented by
08:45 Pastor John Bradshaw
08:46 that will help you discover the assurance of salvation.
08:49 >>Announcer 2: Call 1-888-664-5573
08:53 to order the "Taking a Stand" DVD.
08:55 Or download it from our webstore at
08:57 www.itiswritten.shop.
09:00 Jesus offers salvation as a free gift to everyone,
09:02 including you.
09:04 ♪[Music]♪
09:14 >>Marc Selivanoff: As the fire came in the morning,
09:16 it basically, once the house caught fire,
09:18 there was nothing that we could do at that point.
09:20 >>John Bradshaw: So help me get the picture of this.
09:21 Here's your home and, and everything.
09:24 So around here, there was, the stuff was on fire.
09:27 >>Marc: The back hill behind our house was on fire,
09:30 and the hill over there behind you was on fire as well.
09:34 And there's actually two houses that were there.
09:36 And while we were here, those exploded and went up.
09:39 Probably 100-foot wall of fire right just over there.
09:43 There's two houses over there on that side of the property that,
09:46 while we were here fighting the fire,
09:48 went up in smoke, and you could hear them.
09:50 It was like a 747 just taking off,
09:52 and the popping of windows and whatever else happens
09:56 when a house goes up in flame.
09:57 And my son actually went over
09:58 to make sure that that side of the property was okay.
10:02 So he was over there fighting the fire.
10:03 I was here, and I decided we should be together,
10:05 so I left this and went to be with him.
10:07 But what ended up happening then is that the wind
10:09 brought the fire up from the residential community.
10:12 Um, it overcame, and landed on the house,
10:16 and the house went up in flames.
10:18 And at that point we had to leave as well.
10:20 ♪[Soft sad music]♪
10:22 >>Courtney Asker: That Monday,
10:24 we still hadn't known, like, what,
10:27 what anything looked like.
10:28 We didn't know if anything had burnt down.
10:30 I couldn't eat or sleep at all
10:32 because I didn't know if our house was okay.
10:35 And my mom pretty much kept saying, like,
10:37 "There's no way that it could have survived."
10:39 I just kept saying, like, "No, it has to be there.
10:42 Like, there's no way it can be gone."
10:44 And I think it was about, like, that evening,
10:47 Monday--I have a friend who was going,
10:50 and driving around and taking videos.
10:53 And so I texted him, and I was, like,
10:54 "Go to this address."
10:55 And so he went there, and he took pictures,
10:57 and it was all gone.
11:00 And, like, I just remember, like,
11:02 breaking down completely and, like,
11:03 I couldn't even stand because of it.
11:06 So we didn't find out until, like, that evening,
11:08 the day after the fires.
11:11 >>John: When did you come back?
11:12 How soon could you, could you come back,
11:14 to have a look at your place?
11:15 >>Courtney: Um, we didn't come here until,
11:19 like, two weeks after.
11:22 >>John: Tell me what that was like.
11:24 >>Courtney: Um, well, the first time it was only my parents
11:27 who came here because I was with a friend.
11:30 And then I think maybe a little less than a week after,
11:34 that's when I came here for the first time.
11:37 'Cause that's when they were finally, like,
11:39 letting people come up and, like,
11:40 search for things, you know, in their house.
11:43 Since, like, after we had found out about it,
11:45 like, I wasn't necessarily, like, that emotional.
11:50 And so I didn't think that I would, like,
11:53 start crying when we come, when we came up here.
11:55 But when we got here and, like, I actually got out of the car,
11:58 like, that's when I just started sobbing with my dad,
12:02 pretty much.
12:03 And, like, that's the first time I've seen him cry in, like,
12:05 a really long time.
12:07 >>John: I hate to ask you this question,
12:09 but if the firetrucks had somehow arrived an hour earlier,
12:12 might your house still be standing?
12:14 >>Marc: It would be standing, but I don't,
12:16 I don't hold that against the firemen.
12:18 >>John: Oh, yeah, sure.
12:19 >>Marc: Yeah, this fire was so large and so, uh,
12:21 out of control and so hot...
12:24 I think the key priority then
12:25 was saving lives and making sure that they could save
12:29 as many people as they could.
12:30 >>John: You were kind of the last--
12:32 >>Marc: The last, the last one.
12:34 Yeah.
12:35 And as we were standing there watching,
12:37 the firetrucks arrived,
12:39 and that's part of the reason why they survived
12:42 is three firetrucks arrived on the street on the other side
12:45 and ended up, uh, able to save--
12:47 and the winds, you know, cooperated,
12:49 but the firemen were able to save, uh, those houses there,
12:53 which I'm grateful for.
12:53 I'm happy that they have their home.
12:57 ♪[Ominous music]♪
13:08 >>Announcer 3: In Matthew 4:4, the Word of God says,
13:10 "It is Written,
13:11 'Man shall not live by bread alone,
13:14 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"
13:17 "Every Word" is a one-minute Bible-based daily devotional
13:20 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw
13:23 and designed especially for busy people like you.
13:26 Look for "Every Word" on selected networks,
13:29 or watch it online every day on our website,
13:31 itiswritten.com.
13:33 Receive a daily spiritual boost.
13:35 Watch "Every Word." You'll be glad you did.
13:41 >>John Bradshaw: I'm John Bradshaw from It Is Written,
13:44 inviting you to join me for "500,"
13:47 nine programs produced by It Is Written,
13:49 taking you deep into the Reformation.
13:53 This is the 500th anniversary
13:55 of the beginning of the Reformation,
13:57 when Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses
13:59 to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg, Germany.
14:02 We'll take you to Wittenberg,
14:04 and to Belgium, to England, to Ireland,
14:07 to Rome, to the Vatican City,
14:09 and introduce you to the people who created the Reformation,
14:12 who pushed the Reformation forward.
14:14 We'll take you to sites all throughout Europe
14:16 where the reformers lived and, in some cases, died.
14:19 We'll bring you back to the United States
14:20 and take you to a little farm in upstate New York
14:23 and show you how God spread the Reformation here.
14:26 Don't miss "500."
14:28 You can own the "500" series on DVD.
14:31 Call us on 888-664-5573,
14:36 or visit us online at itiswritten.shop.
14:42 ♪[Soft sad music]♪
14:44 >>Catherine Hamilton: I'm not sure what God is trying
14:46 to tell us, but I know that God spoke in Santa Rosa.
14:50 >>Marc Selivanoff: You know, even now there's times when
14:53 I'll be talking on my phone, or at the end of the day,
14:55 and I'll just start driving here,
14:58 and realize, wait a second, what am I doing?
15:00 I don't live here; [chuckles] I live over there.
15:03 And, uh, so, you know, it's been a challenge,
15:06 and every day there's new emotions and new,
15:08 uh, decisions and new challenges that come up.
15:12 But, uh, you know, we're confident that God
15:15 has not forgotten about us,
15:17 that He has provided for us,
15:19 and that He is walking with us each step of the way.
15:23 >>Courtney Asker: I don't think I ever, like, got angry at Him,
15:25 but I think I was just kind of, almost let down, you know.
15:31 When we, when me and my mom were driving down the hill, um,
15:35 so there's, like, a little pond that's right there.
15:37 You can kind of see it, like, a little lake.
15:38 >>John Bradshaw: Yeah.
15:39 >>Courtney: I remember, like, she was just praying,
15:41 like, "Use that lake."
15:43 You know, just use that tiny little thing just to shield,
15:45 like, our house.
15:47 And, like, I actually thought that it would work.
15:51 You know, I thought that He would,
15:53 like, actually protect, like, all of our houses and stuff.
15:56 So I think, I just felt like, you know,
15:58 kind of let down by Him a bit.
16:01 >>Alvin Hamilton: I, I felt a heavy load of responsibility
16:06 that--why, God?
16:08 You picked me. You picked our home.
16:11 You saved our family.
16:13 I just felt a heavy load.
16:14 Lord, I'm going to have to do a lot more.
16:17 I'm going to have to do a lot better
16:18 because this is just incredible, you know.
16:21 And, you know, what happened is this home next to us that,
16:26 that burned down was one of the only homes
16:29 that people could actually drive up and see
16:31 because the military and the police
16:33 had blocked off so many areas.
16:35 So we had car after car driving into our cul-de-sac.
16:39 Some people stopped, and they would come,
16:41 and they would talk to us,
16:42 and we would tell them what God had did for us.
16:44 People would come in and go, like,
16:46 "Man, you guys were lucky."
16:47 You know, we weren't lucky.
16:48 God did this for us. It was outrageous.
16:52 "Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
16:55 but the Lord delivereth him out of them all."
16:58 >>Catherine: So what I learned from it is that
17:00 you can depend on God's words like this.
17:02 It has ears, so it hears when you pray.
17:05 It has hands, so it can stop things from happening.
17:09 It has legs; it can actually move and just do stuff for you.
17:14 So it is really actually actively a life.
17:17 It does stuff.
17:19 >>Alvin: "O taste and see that the Lord is good:
17:23 blessed is the man that trusteth in Him."
17:26 >>Catherine: So this Word, in times of danger,
17:29 in the future, I know that I can depend on it.
17:31 I know I can go to it. I know I can tell it, ask it.
17:36 I know that it will hear.
17:37 It will see.
17:38 It has a mouth; it can speak.
17:41 It can say, "Wind, time to turn around.
17:44 Don't touch that house."
17:46 And it actually obeys and does stuff like that.
17:49 It is a miracle!
17:51 "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High
17:53 shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
17:56 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress:
17:59 my God; in Him will I trust.
18:01 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night;
18:04 nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
18:06 nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness;
18:09 nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday."
18:14 >>John: So let me ask you a question.
18:16 You're a Christian. You're a believer.
18:18 You're in it with God, boots and all.
18:22 Where was God in the middle of this?
18:24 Your, your home has been destroyed.
18:27 Your possessions are being obliterated.
18:30 Not everything, the things you hold most precious are safe.
18:33 >>Marc: Yes.
18:34 >>John: All this other stuff, which is precious,
18:37 is going up in smoke literally.
18:39 >>Marc: Yeah.
18:40 >>John: And, and the loss is astronomical.
18:41 Where is God?
18:42 >>Marc: You know, that's a fair question,
18:44 and it's something that I think you do wrestle with
18:47 because we know that God could prevent this.
18:50 >>John: Sure.
18:51 >>Marc: And, you know, it says in Scripture that
18:54 "before you call, I will answer."
18:56 And in our case,
18:57 what gave me hope and encouragement
19:00 and a confidence that God was with us,
19:03 in spite of what just happened to us,
19:05 was we had, uh, been, uh, had acquired a property.
19:11 So we had picked this up back in April.
19:14 And, uh, the plan was just simply to fix it and flip it.
19:18 But we made a decision around July
19:19 that maybe we should keep it as a rental.
19:22 And that turned out to be a very important decision.
19:26 And we were literally two days away
19:28 from renting it when the fire happened.
19:31 And so for us, the blessing was that we had a place to go.
19:36 It had just been rehabbed. No one had ever lived there.
19:38 And we were able to, at 2 in the morning when we left here,
19:41 all in a panic, we were able to go there
19:44 to a place of safety and a place of quiet.
19:46 And so for me, when I feel overwhelmed about that,
19:49 I, I know without a doubt that God had prepared a place for us,
19:54 and that He was watching out for us,
19:56 and that we would be okay.
19:58 >>Courtney: Before the fires when I was meeting
20:00 with my youth pastor, um, when I told her that I was,
20:04 like, "Okay, I'm ready; like, I want to do it.
20:06 I want to get baptized."
20:08 It was about a week and a half before the fires,
20:10 and that's when she had told me.
20:12 And she had said that Satan is pretty much going to test me.
20:18 She said, "It doesn't happen to everyone
20:20 who's going to get baptized, but I have had situations where,
20:24 you know, I've had kids who have had stuff happen to them
20:27 right before they get baptized,
20:29 and that makes them lose a little bit of faith in God,
20:32 or not trust Him, or, you know, get angry at Him or whatever."
20:37 And so she said, you know, "Just be aware."
20:40 Like, there's probably going to be something happen.
20:42 And then a week and a half later,
20:43 that's when the fires happened.
20:46 >>John: So you weren't tempted just to give up on God?
20:48 >>Courtney: Umh-umm.
20:50 >>John: Good for you.
20:58 You know, it really does make you wonder.
21:01 If you've not been through a loss like this--
21:05 the vast majority of us have not--
21:09 it's kind of hard to put yourself
21:11 into somebody else's shoes.
21:12 What must it be like to go through?
21:16 Well, of course, while not everybody has had their home
21:19 burn or been through Hurricane Irma or some such thing,
21:25 we all suffer loss on some level.
21:29 And it tends to shake our faith somehow.
21:34 Sometimes it's a seismic shake, sometimes a little, small shake.
21:40 But that question comes to you: Where was God?
21:45 Where was God when my child got desperately ill?
21:49 Where was God when my spouse...ruined the marriage?
21:55 Where was God when the fire burned?
21:58 You know.
21:59 Where was God?
22:01 The place you find answers to that sort of question
22:04 is the Bible,
22:05 the only reliable place that you can find an answer.
22:09 So let me read to you from 2 Corinthians chapter 4,
22:13 from verse 16.
22:15 Here's what the Bible says:
22:18 "Therefore we do not lose heart.
22:20 Even though our outward man is perishing,
22:22 yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
22:26 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,
22:30 is working for us a far more exceeding
22:32 and eternal weight of glory,
22:35 while we do not look not at the things which are seen,
22:37 but at the things which are not seen.
22:41 For the things which are seen are temporary,
22:44 but the things which are not seen are eternal."
22:49 So how about that?
22:50 The Bible talks about our "light affliction."
22:52 Now, I don't want to meet any of these householders
22:55 and tell them, "You lost everything.
22:56 That's a 'light affliction.'"
22:58 But if you look for God in the flames,
23:01 there's a chance you might not be able to see Him.
23:03 But if you keep on looking, God will come into view.
23:05 He'll come into focus.
23:07 If you're trying to hear the voice of God
23:08 while the fire engines are wailing,
23:10 it might be right then you can't discern
23:12 the voice of God.
23:13 It may be that you can.
23:15 But if you hang in there, God's leading will become clear.
23:18 And whatever you're going through right now,
23:20 whatever you have faced or will face,
23:22 you can know that God is right there with you, too.
23:26 ♪[Ominous music]♪
23:34 >>John: Now, here's a question: Can God be trusted?
23:38 Either you've asked that question yourself,
23:40 or you know somebody who has.
23:42 And I've got an answer for you.
23:44 I'd like you to get today's free offer,
23:46 "Can God Be Trusted?"
23:48 To receive it, call 800-253-3000,
23:52 write to the address on your screen,
23:53 or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
23:57 Can God be trusted? I have an answer for you.
24:00 800-253-3000,
24:02 or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
24:05 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written
24:07 exists because of the kindness of people just like you.
24:10 To support this international life-changing ministry,
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24:18 You can send your tax-deductible gift
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24:24 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support.
24:27 Our number again is 800-253-3000.
24:31 Or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com.
24:35 ♪[Soft piano music]♪
24:45 ♪[Soft piano music]♪
24:54 >>John Bradshaw: The chainsaws are whirring in the background.
24:57 The construction--or maybe the destruction--equipment
25:00 is working behind us because great tragedy has taken place.
25:04 Real loss.
25:05 Where was God?
25:07 Let Jesus tell you.
25:09 We're going to settle it right now.
25:10 Matthew chapter 28 and the second part of verse 20.
25:14 Jesus said, "...and lo, I am with you always,
25:19 even to the end of the age."
25:23 And then Matthew wrote, "Amen."
25:25 So that settles it.
25:26 Where was God?
25:27 He was with those who were suffering.
25:30 Where was God?
25:31 He was with you in your own personal hell.
25:34 Where was God?
25:36 He was walking beside you.
25:37 You know what He was doing? He was carrying you.
25:41 Because it's the grace of God that enables us
25:43 to accomplish or do or endure anything at all.
25:47 If we look at circumstances, our faith might be shaken.
25:51 If you'll look at the Word of God,
25:52 look to the cross on which Jesus died for you.
25:56 If you look to God's promises,
25:58 you will know, and you will be certain.
26:00 He never leaves you;
26:01 He's always with you, no matter what.
26:07 And best of all,
26:08 one day soon Jesus will return and gather us together
26:11 and take us home,
26:14 to a land where there'll be no loss, no death,
26:18 no devastation, no disaster.
26:20 We'll never wonder, "Where was God?"
26:22 For we will be there in God's presence forever.
26:24 You want to be there?
26:26 I know you do.
26:28 Let's pray together now.
26:30 Father in heaven,
26:31 we thank You for the assurance that You are with us.
26:34 You never abandon us.
26:36 In our darkest moments, You are there.
26:38 In our struggles, You are there.
26:40 In times of loss, grief, despair, difficulty,
26:43 You are there.
26:45 And in times of joy and celebration,
26:48 in times of gladness, You are there.
26:51 Lord, we thank You today.
26:52 Though we don't always understand what You allow,
26:56 we understand enough of You to know that You are good,
26:58 that You are God.
27:00 We look forward to the day when Jesus returns,
27:03 and the sadnesses and the sufferings of this earth
27:05 will be gone forever.
27:06 Let that day come soon.
27:07 Friend, you want to be ready then.
27:10 You want to be ready now.
27:11 Would you open your heart to God now and say,
27:13 "Lord, I want you to be my Lord.
27:16 I want the God of heaven to be my God.
27:18 I want Jesus to be my Savior"?
27:20 If that's your prayer, pray it in your heart now.
27:23 And, Lord, hear the cry of our heart.
27:26 We look forward to seeing Jesus soon
27:28 and spending eternity with You.
27:29 We thank You for it.
27:31 And we pray, and we trust,
27:34 in Jesus' name. Amen.
27:37 Thanks so much for joining me today.
27:38 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time.
27:41 Until then, remember:
27:43 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone,
27:47 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"
27:52 ♪[Theme music]♪
28:02 ♪[Theme music]♪

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Revised 2021-04-29