Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW018174S
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00:19 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written.
00:20 I'm John Bradshaw. 00:22 Thanks for joining me. 00:23 What would it be like to live with danger on your doorstep? 00:27 ♪[Dramatic ominous music]♪ 00:37 People living under the shadow of a 12,500-feet-tall volcano, 00:41 25 miles outside Guatemala City, 00:44 know exactly what it's like. 00:47 Guatemala and its population of 16.5 million people 00:51 is located in Central America. 00:53 To its north and west is Mexico, Belize is to the northeast, 00:57 and to the east are both Honduras and El Salvador. 01:00 The country has two coasts; 01:02 in the northeast is the Caribbean, 01:05 and to the south, the Pacific Ocean. 01:09 Guatemala is the same size as Tennessee-- 01:11 or for that matter, the same size as the country of Iceland. 01:15 And for as long as anyone can remember, 01:18 volcanoes and earthquakes have been part 01:20 of the fabric of life here. 01:23 The capital of Guatemala has been moved twice-- 01:26 once because of volcanic mudflow, 01:29 and once because of an earthquake. 01:30 In fact, in 1976, 01:33 an earthquake here in Guatemala claimed 25,000 lives. 01:40 Guatemala is home to 37 volcanoes, 01:43 four of which are still active-- 01:45 Pacaya, Santiaguito, Tacaná, 01:49 and Volcán de Fuego, 01:51 which in English means, ominously, 01:54 "Volcano of Fire." 01:57 And in June of 2018, the Volcano of Fire 02:01 rained destruction onto surrounding communities. 02:05 It was the deadliest eruption in Guatemala in almost 100 years. 02:11 "Fuego" is well-known in these parts. 02:14 It's one of the most active volcanoes in the world. 02:17 It's been erupting almost constantly for many years. 02:20 An eruption in 2012 saw 33,000 people evacuate their homes. 02:26 Since then, the eruptions have been much smaller, 02:30 but they have been persistent. 02:32 The 54,000 people who live within six miles of Fuego 02:36 are constantly reminded that danger is never far away. 02:41 ♪[Solemn music]♪ 02:46 It was about the middle of the day on June the 3rd, 2018, 02:50 that Fuego erupted violently, 02:52 and continued to do so for about the next week or so. 02:56 A column of ash rose up above the mountain, 02:58 stretching nine miles high into the sky, 03:02 and rocks, many of them enormous, 03:04 rained down over a wide area. 03:06 Volcanic ash closed Guatemala City's main airport. 03:11 But it was the pyroclastic flows that did so much damage. 03:14 That's hot poisonous volcanic gas mixed with volcanic matter. 03:19 They can move quickly, easily 50 miles an hour, 03:22 sometimes much faster. 03:24 And when they come down a mountainside 03:26 toward a settlement of people, unless you move really quickly, 03:31 essentially, you don't have a chance. 03:37 As rescue workers tried to reach people the next day, 03:39 they were interrupted by fresh flows of mud, gas, and ash. 03:43 And because the pyroclastic flows are really hot, 03:48 most of the bodies recovered were unrecognizable. 03:53 Ash that fell to the ground was said 03:55 to be between 400 and 700 degrees Celsius-- 03:59 between 750 and 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit. 04:06 When Fuego erupted, 04:08 destruction engulfed community after community. 04:13 It seemed as though it happened in the blink of an eye. 04:16 It was like a nightmare, except this was all too real. 04:22 People lost their homes, completely swept away. 04:24 They lost their crops--gone. 04:26 They lost their possessions. 04:28 And many people lost their entire family. 04:31 And so today thousands of people mourn those losses, 04:34 and they're adjusting to a new way of life-- 04:37 without the past, 04:38 without their possessions, without their homes, 04:42 yes, in many cases, without their families. 04:45 In a moment I'm going to introduce you 04:47 to somebody who survived Fuego. 04:50 She lost all of her possessions, 04:52 but she considers herself especially blessed 04:54 because she and her family made it out in one piece. 04:59 They've lived to tell the story. 05:02 But Rosa's neighbors did not. 05:05 Many of them perished-- for one reason. 05:10 I'll tell you why in just a moment. 05:13 ♪[Music]♪ 05:22 >>John: Now, here's a question: Can God be trusted? 05:26 Either you've asked that question yourself, 05:28 or you know somebody who has, and I've got an answer for you. 05:31 I'd like you to get today's free offer, 05:33 "Can God Be Trusted?" 05:36 To receive it, call 800-253-3000, 05:39 write to the address on your screen, 05:41 or visit us at iiwoffer.com. 05:44 Can God be trusted? 05:46 I have an answer for you: 800-253-3000 05:49 or visit us at iiwoffer.com. 05:52 ♪[Music]♪ 05:54 >>Announcer: Planning for your financial future 05:56 is a vital aspect of Christian stewardship. 06:00 For this reason, It Is Written is pleased to offer 06:03 free planned giving and estate services. 06:06 For information on how we can help you, 06:08 please call 800-992-2219. 06:13 Call today or visit our website, 06:15 hislegacy.com. 06:17 Call 800-992-2219. 06:23 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me today 06:24 on It Is Written. 06:26 Government statistics said, following the dramatic 06:30 and devastating volcano in southern Guatemala, 06:34 that 120 people lost their lives, 06:36 and another 200 were officially missing. 06:39 Locals tell another story. 06:41 One man told us that he himself lost 06:43 at least 70 extended family members. 06:47 Another individual said that there is no question 06:49 that there are at least 1,500 people missing 06:53 in the wake of the volcano. 06:55 In Escuintla, Guatemala, Rosa Chacón works as a volunteer 07:00 for the government's emergency alert services. 07:04 It's her responsibility to warn local residents 07:07 when Fuego puts them in danger. 07:10 [Rosa speaking Spanish] 07:12 >>Interpreter: We had been doing simulations for two months 07:15 before this situation 07:17 because we had calculated that the volcano erupts 07:21 every 35 to 40 years, 07:25 and we were getting to the 40-year mark. 07:28 So we were already preparing ourselves for another eruption, 07:32 but we didn't think that the eruption would be 07:35 as big as it was. 07:37 At 9 in the morning, we took some photos and saw 07:41 that there was no problem for our area at that moment. 07:46 When 11 in the morning came, we heard a very loud boom, 07:52 and I started running from one community to another, 07:57 from one community to another, warning people, 08:00 alerting them to prepare themselves. 08:04 It is very difficult for me... 08:07 because I lived at the epicenter of that place, 08:10 in the very place where that big monster was coming. 08:15 I was trying to save the people that were on the bridge. 08:18 My granddaughter and I yelled-- 08:20 and two other people that were from the same CONRED community-- 08:26 we yelled to them to leave, to clear the area, 08:32 but the people were taking videos. 08:35 It was something they had never seen before. 08:39 The heat of it even got to me. 08:43 Like this, like there were big waves coming down 08:50 that came with a terrible speed. 08:53 It came crashing, 08:56 and when we saw that it gained speed, we ran. 09:00 We ran. We ran to save ourselves. 09:04 We continued in a car. 09:06 They picked us up, and we were yelling, 09:08 "Come, come! That thing is coming over!" 09:12 I lived through an experience. 09:17 >>John: There are so many people who have been 09:18 through so much and who have lost so much. 09:22 What have you heard about the experiences of other people? 09:26 [Rosa speaking Spanish] 09:28 >>Interpreter: That whole first week was very hard. 09:32 They would approach me, they would hug me, 09:34 and they would tell me, "Mrs. Rosita, 09:36 they've already delivered my first dead loved one. 09:40 I found my son." 09:42 Others said, "I found my dad." 09:45 "They are helping me bury them." 09:47 I have encountered grief. 09:51 Here we have cried together with all of these people. 09:56 Although I've had to hold it in at times 10:00 and close myself off somewhere very quiet and vent-- 10:05 because here I have been trying to give people a smile. 10:09 To the people here I offer a hug, 10:13 because for this reason the Lord has sent me here, 10:16 to hug them and give them smiles, to all these people. 10:21 >>John: How did people respond when you alerted them 10:25 to the, to the danger? 10:27 [Rosa speaking Spanish] 10:29 >>Interpreter: Some people told me, "We're coming." 10:32 Some didn't respond. 10:34 This happened mainly at ground zero, 10:36 which is where we've lost so many people. 10:40 They would say, "We're going to put ourselves in our houses." 10:44 And that's where all the families would gather. 10:48 And us with the cars, buses, national police, 10:53 telling people to get in the cars, 10:56 and we would call them, "Come up, come up!" 10:58 But what the people did instead was to lock themselves 11:01 in their houses. 11:03 >>John: So the people who've been through something 11:04 like this-- 11:06 how do you understand their attitude towards God? 11:12 Has that been affected one way or another? 11:15 [Rosa speaking Spanish] 11:17 >>Interpreter: Today, all the people have come closer to God, 11:20 seeking God, especially if we pray with them. 11:25 They may have come from different churches, 11:28 but today when you approach someone and tell them, 11:31 "We want to pray for you," they cry, 11:35 they repent, 11:38 and they come close to God. 11:40 That is the attitude that the people now have. 11:45 >>John: After the Volcano of Fire erupted, 11:48 rescue efforts were hindered by the clouds of toxic gas 11:53 that hung heavy in the air. 11:55 The ground was so hot that the soles of the boots 11:59 worn by rescuers melted while on their feet. 12:03 And then heavy rain fell, 12:04 making rescue and recovery just that much more difficult. 12:08 But rescuers, many of them volunteers, 12:10 flocked to the area to see what they could do to help. 12:13 One of them was Ricardo Carrillo, a local church pastor, 12:17 among the first to arrive on the scene in Escuintla. 12:22 Pastor, I understand you were one 12:23 of the very first church workers 12:26 to get to the site of the disaster. 12:29 Tell me what went through your mind when you heard 12:33 that the volcano had erupted. 12:35 [Ricardo speaking Spanish] 12:37 >>Interpreter: In that moment I thought-- 12:38 the volcano had been active every day before this-- 12:40 and in that moment, the first thing that came into my mind was 12:44 the volcanic activity that was happening 12:46 the days before the eruption. 12:47 And I said, "Wow, what must have happened?" 12:50 If the volcano erupted, that means it would have devastated 12:53 several of the communities that I actually knew. 12:56 When we arrived at the location of the disaster, 12:58 what we were looking at--well, it was definitely shocking. 13:02 In that moment, in my mind, I said to myself, 13:06 how many people must have been killed? 13:09 >>John: When you made it to the volcano area, 13:12 to that area that was affected, what did you see? 13:16 What did you experience when you got there? 13:18 [Ricardo speaking Spanish] 13:20 >>Interpreter: It is difficult to explain with words 13:22 because my heart, it sank in that moment. 13:25 When I got there, 13:26 I saw a community that I'd seen many times 13:29 because I used to pass by that area all the time. 13:32 Now a person would end up getting lost out there 13:34 because the land there has become unrecognizable. 13:38 So, in that moment, my heart sank so much; 13:43 there was so much sadness in my heart. 13:45 >>John: With everything that you've seen and experienced, 13:48 and the people that you've spoken to, 13:50 and the stories that you've heard, 13:52 what has impacted you the most throughout this process? 13:58 [Ricardo speaking Spanish] 14:01 >>Interpreter: Seeing the kids-- 14:03 to see the bodies of the children 14:06 that were being taken out of this place. 14:10 Some of the kids who died hugging each other-- 14:13 seeing that part, 14:16 the physical reaction that some of these kids had 14:19 when this was happening. 14:21 Some of them ended up with their arms up, 14:26 like in a defensive position, 14:28 trying to protect themselves from what was happening. 14:31 So, when they were taking them out, 14:34 their arms were still up in that defensive position. 14:38 That was one of the things that impacted me the most. 14:42 >>John: We've read in the news that 120 people died; 14:48 200 people are missing. 14:50 But we're told by people in the area 14:53 there's maybe 1,500 people that are unaccounted for. 14:57 Maybe we'll never know. 14:59 Why was it that so many people weren't able to get out 15:04 or didn't get out in time? 15:05 [Ricardo speaking Spanish] 15:07 >>Interpreter: Because of the number of people 15:09 that were in that place, because it was a Sunday-- 15:13 Sunday usually isn't a working day. 15:15 Many people were in their houses, 15:18 and the children weren't at school. 15:21 The few who were saved at the time 15:23 were saved because they had gone out 15:25 to do something outside of their houses, 15:29 something that wasn't routine. 15:32 The people were too accustomed to the volcanic activity-- 15:35 too accustomed, I would say. 15:38 They thought this volcanic activity was the same 15:40 as what had always happened. 15:43 So many of them thought that the column of smoke 15:45 that was coming through was the only thing they needed 15:48 to be concerned about. 15:50 So they decided to close themselves in their houses 15:54 to avoid being harmed by the smoke column, 15:56 because, by being inside their homes, 15:59 they didn't realize what was coming 16:01 behind the column of smoke, the danger that was there. 16:06 >>John: You know, there are people all around the world 16:07 that are suffering. 16:09 Just a few meters away from where we're sitting 16:12 is a young man who lost his entire family 16:15 in this volcanic disaster. 16:18 All around the world, people are going through suffering 16:20 of many, many different kinds. 16:23 As a pastor, what do you say to people? 16:27 >>Interpreter: I would tell them what Paul said. 16:32 You have the right to feel sad, 16:35 but not like those who don't have hope. 16:39 We as Christians, and as the people who believe in Jesus 16:43 and understand that Jesus will come again, 16:45 have the right to be saddened-- 16:48 but in a different way because there is hope. 16:51 And as long as we have hope, our sadness is different 16:56 because we know that the hope sustains us 16:58 with a certain positivity that we'll be able to see 17:02 our loved ones again when Jesus Christ comes on high. 17:06 >>John: I'll be back with more in just a moment. 17:09 ♪[Music]♪ 17:19 >>John: Thank you for remembering 17:20 that It Is Written exists 17:21 because of the kindness of people just like you. 17:24 To support this international life-changing ministry, 17:27 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 17:32 You can send your tax-deductible gift 17:33 to the address on your screen, 17:35 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 17:39 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 17:41 Our number again is 800-253-3000. 17:45 Or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 17:49 [Fire crackling] 17:50 >>Girl: My mom woke up at 11:45, and she smelled smoke. 17:55 [Sirens wailing] 17:56 >>Man: About maybe 1:30 in the morning, 17:58 the, uh, my wife got a phone call, 18:01 and I could hear the voice on the other end of the line, 18:04 and she was basically, uh, screaming, 18:07 "There's a fire! It's massive! It's headed your way! 18:09 You need to get out and get out now!" 18:12 >>Woman: After I hear "Fire!" I hear in the background, 18:15 "The fire is two to four blocks away from your house." 18:17 And I panicked. 18:19 We started praying. Our prayers didn't last long. 18:21 They were desperate; they were, they were rushed. 18:26 There was a need; it was urgent; 18:27 it was very, very urgent. 18:28 I said, "Please save my children." 18:32 ♪[Solemn music]♪ 18:34 >>John Bradshaw: Where was God when the fires burned? 18:36 Where was God as people suffered? 18:38 Where was God while people were dying? 18:41 Where was God in the midst of the devastation? 18:43 [Fire crackling] 18:50 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me today 18:51 on It Is Written. 18:52 I'm in San Miguel Los Lotes, Guatemala-- 18:56 or what's left of it-- 18:58 following the devastating eruption of Volcán de Fuego 19:02 just three weeks ago, as I speak to you. 19:06 And you may wonder why people stay 19:09 when there's danger on the doorstep. 19:14 So why do people stay? 19:15 Well, there's a couple of reasons. 19:17 One is economics. 19:19 This is where they live; it's where their homes are. 19:21 This is where land is; this is jobs; it's survival. 19:24 It's not that easy just to take off and pick up again. 19:28 And the second one is related to the first: It's logistics. 19:32 So this is a danger zone; it's a well-known danger zone. 19:35 But to leave, to gather up your family, 19:37 when you don't have much of anything, 19:39 to go to another part of the country, find new work-- 19:42 it's just difficult. 19:45 There's another reason people stay. 19:46 It's the same reason that people move to the coast of Florida, 19:49 even though it will certainly be hit 19:51 by another major hurricane, 19:52 or why people build homes on the banks of rivers that flood, 19:55 or why people live in earthquake country in California. 19:58 Danger tends to be predictable to a degree. 20:01 You can see a hurricane coming, so you can prepare. 20:03 If floodwaters begin to rise, you can get out-- 20:06 or at least you hope you can. 20:07 And most people survive earthquakes, 20:09 so you hope you're going to be lucky. 20:11 It's like driving without a seatbelt. 20:13 Most people who do it are going to be okay. 20:15 But those who aren't okay are going to be really not okay. 20:19 If you have to pay the price for your decision, 20:22 it's usually an incredibly high price. 20:24 And then there's another reason: familiarity. 20:27 You live around danger, and you think, 20:30 "It's never going to happen to me. 20:32 It's happened before, and I got away with it. 20:34 If it happens again, I'll get away with it then." 20:37 And you will--unless, of course, you don't. 20:44 Now, here's a question: 20:45 Why do people go on living where they do, or how they do, 20:51 when there's danger at their doorstep spiritually? 20:55 It's like people play a sort of spiritual Russian roulette, 20:58 taking spiritual risks when they ought to be minimizing risk 21:03 and maximizing safety. 21:05 There are people waiting for a better time 21:08 to come to faith in God. 21:10 But what if, in the interim, that volcano blows? 21:13 What if, what if your life comes to an end? 21:16 What if Jesus were to return? 21:18 What if you were simply to never get around 21:21 to giving your heart to God? 21:23 People dabble with sin. 21:25 A little "harmless flirting" turns into an attraction, 21:29 which leads to bad decisions and regret and a broken home 21:32 and ruined relationships and with children as the casualties 21:36 all because, well, 21:37 no one expected it to turn out like this. 21:39 But that's how it turns out. 21:41 When there's danger on your doorstep, 21:43 when you live on a fault line, you really can't be surprised 21:46 when the ground shifts beneath your feet. 21:49 You know, you just can't afford to take risks 21:52 with your spiritual life. 21:53 It's dangerous. 21:55 Life is unpredictable. 21:57 And while you put God on hold, don't forget, 22:00 you're spurning, 22:01 you are saying "no" to the love of God for you. 22:03 You're telling God you don't want Him in your life. 22:07 But here's what happens. 22:08 You wait. 22:09 "I'll pray another day." 22:10 You wait. 22:11 "I'll read my Bible another day." 22:13 And another day comes, and your heart has gone cold. 22:16 That desire has all just bled away. 22:19 And now you don't even want to come to God at all. 22:25 Or there are those who are putting God on hold 22:27 because they're pursuing the things of this world. 22:30 They're saying in their hearts, "You know, it's okay. 22:33 I know Jesus said it's easier for a camel to get 22:35 through the eye of a needle than for a rich man 22:37 to enter into heaven. 22:38 But it's going to be okay for me. I'll be fine. 22:41 I can pursue that exclusive home I don't need, 22:44 that expensive car I can't afford." 22:47 You hang in there doing that, and one day you become 22:49 living proof that what Paul told Timothy is true: 22:52 "The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil." 22:57 We just can't afford to wait. 22:59 We can't afford to put anything in front of God. 23:01 God calls us to come to Him now. 23:04 To do anything other than to do that-- 23:06 well, that's like living on the side of a volcano 23:08 and failing to take action when the warnings come. 23:13 The reason Lot got himself into so much trouble 23:16 in Sodom and Gomorrah is that he made 23:18 a very risky spiritual decision. 23:21 Thinking he'd be okay, 23:23 he chose to live near those very wicked cities. 23:27 The Bible says in Genesis 13 and verse 12, 23:30 "Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, 23:32 and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, 23:35 and pitched his tent toward Sodom." 23:38 Yes, it's true Lot made it out of Sodom alive, 23:41 but his wife didn't. 23:42 His sons-in-law didn't. 23:44 And while his daughters came out of Sodom, 23:48 it's pretty obvious that the spirit of Sodom 23:51 didn't come out of them. 23:53 James 4:7 says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. 23:57 Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." 24:01 "Resist" is what James wrote. 24:03 In other words, make some good decisions. 24:06 Be proactive in order to safeguard 24:08 your spiritual well-being. 24:10 You do that in other areas of your life. 24:12 People make decisions proactively to safeguard 24:15 and preserve their health. 24:17 We do that to preserve our well-being, our homes, 24:19 our possessions. 24:21 That's why you lock your car. It's why you lock your house. 24:25 But what decisions are you making proactively 24:28 to guard yourself spiritually? 24:31 Now, let's make sure we're not getting the cart 24:33 before the horse. 24:34 James wrote, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." 24:39 But where do you get the power to resist? 24:41 Where does that strength come from? 24:43 Right before he wrote that, he said, 24:47 "Submit yourself therefore to God." 24:50 Submit. 24:51 That's to surrender. That's to yield. 24:55 And when you submit yourself to God, 24:57 God moves into your life, 24:59 and He occupies your whole heart. 25:01 Angels become your attendants, your helpers, 25:04 and the Holy Spirit provides the power that you need 25:07 to keep from evil and to remain in the will 25:11 and in the heart of God. 25:13 First John 5 and verse 12 says, 25:15 "He [or she] that hath the Son of God hath life." 25:18 That's where the strength is-- when you have Jesus. 25:21 How do you have Jesus? 25:23 You surrender. You yield. 25:25 You offer your heart to him, 25:27 and He takes it, and He makes it yours. 25:31 Surrender. 25:32 Have you surrendered? 25:34 If you haven't, can you do it now? 25:37 I know you can. 25:38 God calls you to submit your life to Him. 25:42 He takes your life in His hands, and He makes your old life new. 25:48 And that's when you're really living, walking with Jesus, 25:52 looking forward to an eternal future. 25:57 >>John: Now, here's a question: Can God be trusted? 26:01 Either you've asked that question yourself, 26:03 or you know somebody who has, and I've got an answer for you. 26:06 I'd like you to get today's free offer, 26:08 "Can God Be Trusted?" 26:10 To receive it, call 800-253-3000, 26:14 write to the address on your screen, 26:16 or visit us at iiwoffer.com. 26:19 Can God be trusted? 26:21 I have an answer for you: 800-253-3000 26:24 or visit us at iiwoffer.com. 26:28 >>John Bradshaw: Friend, whatever you're doing right now, 26:29 I'd like you to pause and pray with me. 26:33 And if you've not done so, 26:35 take the opportunity to surrender your life to Jesus. 26:37 Let's pray. 26:39 Our Father in heaven, 26:40 we live in the midst of great spiritual danger. 26:42 But we thank You today there is spiritual safety in Jesus. 26:47 We thank You that when this world had gone astray, 26:50 Jesus came to this earth and died for lost men and women 26:53 and now offers all of us the gift of eternal life. 26:58 Friend, have you accepted that gift? 27:00 We live with danger on our doorstep, 27:02 but you can find safety in Jesus. 27:05 Have you offered your heart to Him? 27:07 If you haven't, do it now. 27:09 Lord, take that heart. 27:10 Friend, reach out to Jesus by faith. 27:11 Lord, take that heart. 27:13 Friend, offer Jesus your heart. Tell Him, "It's Yours; have it. 27:16 Give me a new life, Lord. Take that heart." 27:19 And we thank You today for safety in Jesus, 27:22 security in Jesus, certainty in Jesus. 27:25 When the world is moving around us, 27:27 and the sands are shifting under our feet, 27:30 we thank You for safety, for security, 27:33 and for salvation in Christ. 27:35 Have you claimed it, friend? 27:36 He gives it to you if you accept it. 27:38 Have you accepted it? 27:39 Lord, we accept it. 27:41 And we thank You for it. 27:42 And we pray in Jesus' name. 27:46 Amen. 27:48 Thanks so much for joining me. 27:49 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:52 Until then, remember: 27:53 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:58 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 28:03 ♪[Theme music]♪ |
Revised 2020-02-17