- It was just a
single musical performance,
00:00:01.13\00:00:02.73
and it was
recorded, it wasn't even live,
00:00:02.73\00:00:05.57
but it did give me
a lot to think about.
00:00:05.57\00:00:07.64
So today I'm gonna
tell you what I witnessed
00:00:07.64\00:00:10.47
and why it seems to fly
in the face of this idea
00:00:10.47\00:00:13.04
that you and I arrived
on this planet by accident.
00:00:13.04\00:00:17.01
[upbeat ambient music]
00:00:17.01\00:00:20.28
I know this is
probably gonna make me sound
00:00:37.93\00:00:39.73
like something of a workaholic,
00:00:39.73\00:00:41.37
but recently,
when I was finally able
00:00:41.37\00:00:43.27
to carve a few free days outta
my schedule, what did I do?
00:00:43.27\00:00:46.98
I went to work for
another organization
00:00:46.98\00:00:48.84
because they had
this incredible workload
00:00:48.84\00:00:51.31
and really tight deadlines.
00:00:51.31\00:00:53.75
In fact, they
had to write, edit,
00:00:53.75\00:00:56.45
and publish a brand
new four color magazine
00:00:56.45\00:00:59.05
every single day of the week.
00:00:59.05\00:01:00.72
And so I offered to help
and they graciously accepted.
00:01:00.72\00:01:04.93
And during the
course of that week,
00:01:04.93\00:01:06.83
I was asked to write a story
00:01:06.83\00:01:08.60
about this
really remarkable guy,
00:01:08.60\00:01:11.47
a baritone singer from Korea
00:01:11.47\00:01:13.67
who was slated to perform
00:01:13.67\00:01:15.07
during an afternoon
concert in St. Louis.
00:01:15.07\00:01:18.81
The magazine editors
00:01:18.81\00:01:20.38
didn't know that I've got a
background in classical music,
00:01:20.38\00:01:23.01
so I got that story by
some kind of happy coincidence.
00:01:23.01\00:01:27.35
In order to write the story,
00:01:27.35\00:01:29.72
I had to correspond with
the singer's wife in Korea
00:01:29.72\00:01:32.29
because, well, this
singer was not in St. Louis,
00:01:32.29\00:01:35.92
but it submitted
00:01:35.92\00:01:37.33
a professionally
recorded video performance,
00:01:37.33\00:01:38.93
he produced at home
00:01:38.93\00:01:40.66
so that it could be
played on a big screen
00:01:40.66\00:01:42.80
in the convention
center where I was working.
00:01:42.80\00:01:45.87
And as you can imagine,
00:01:45.87\00:01:47.40
sending messages back
and forth across the Pacific
00:01:47.40\00:01:49.44
slowed things
down as I was writing
00:01:49.44\00:01:52.14
because of the
dramatic shift in time,
00:01:52.14\00:01:55.51
it was frustrating because
the deadline for the story
00:01:55.51\00:01:58.81
was that day.
00:01:58.81\00:02:00.52
When I was busy
looking for content
00:02:00.52\00:02:03.02
in the central time zone,
00:02:03.02\00:02:05.09
that family was busy sleeping
00:02:05.09\00:02:07.02
in the Korean central
time zone and vice versa.
00:02:07.02\00:02:10.93
But eventually, I managed
to get this story written.
00:02:10.93\00:02:13.63
And today I thought I'd share
00:02:13.63\00:02:15.06
just a little bit of it
with you, because in my mind,
00:02:15.06\00:02:18.53
it raised a couple of
really interesting points.
00:02:18.53\00:02:22.30
Now I should probably explain,
[tranquil ambient music]
00:02:22.30\00:02:24.27
I don't just like
music, I adore music.
00:02:24.27\00:02:28.04
And at one
point, when I was a kid,
00:02:28.04\00:02:29.61
I even hoped to
become a concert pianist
00:02:29.61\00:02:32.41
until I realized,
well, just how few people
00:02:32.41\00:02:35.38
actually managed
to make a go of that.
00:02:35.38\00:02:37.72
I mean, in my own humble
opinion, I was pretty good,
00:02:37.72\00:02:40.49
but I wasn't that
good if you understand,
00:02:40.49\00:02:43.63
I wasn't Carnegie good.
00:02:43.63\00:02:45.79
I wasn't one of the 1% or
whatever that percentage is
00:02:45.79\00:02:49.26
of people whose
talents are impressive enough
00:02:49.26\00:02:52.33
to place them on
the world's big stages.
00:02:52.33\00:02:55.17
Of course, that didn't
mean I didn't try because I did,
00:02:55.17\00:02:59.04
in fact, I practiced
three or four hours a day
00:02:59.04\00:03:01.18
when I was in high school.
00:03:01.18\00:03:02.71
But when I got to
college at the tender age of 17,
00:03:02.71\00:03:05.58
even though I
arrived with a determination
00:03:05.58\00:03:07.68
to keep on practicing
all those hours every day,
00:03:07.68\00:03:10.65
it didn't happen.
00:03:10.65\00:03:12.69
I mean, college being what
it is, I never found the time.
00:03:12.69\00:03:16.42
And the practice pianos
00:03:16.42\00:03:17.66
were all the way on
the other side of campus,
00:03:17.66\00:03:19.96
and the only open practice slots
00:03:19.96\00:03:21.73
were at five
o'clock in the morning.
00:03:21.73\00:03:23.67
So my commitment to
this idea of continuing,
00:03:23.67\00:03:27.80
well, it waned.
00:03:27.80\00:03:29.27
And today, 35 years
later, I kind of regret that
00:03:29.27\00:03:32.14
because now it sounds like
00:03:32.14\00:03:33.48
I'm wearing mittens
when I play a piano.
00:03:33.48\00:03:36.11
But all that aside, my
love for music has never waned,
00:03:36.11\00:03:40.22
in fact, sometimes
when I'm writing this show,
00:03:40.22\00:03:43.55
I'll throw on a
decent set of headphones
00:03:43.55\00:03:45.62
and let either Beethoven
or Rachmaninoff inspire me
00:03:45.62\00:03:49.06
because, well, there's
something about great music
00:03:49.06\00:03:52.23
that really
boosts your creativity.
00:03:52.23\00:03:55.53
And I guess that's
what I want to talk about.
00:03:55.53\00:03:57.90
Here in the West, we became
a very materialistic people
00:03:57.90\00:04:01.47
after the industrial
and scientific revolutions,
00:04:01.47\00:04:04.21
and I'm not using
that word materialistic
00:04:04.21\00:04:06.71
like most people do.
00:04:06.71\00:04:08.18
I don't mean it in the
sense of shallow consumerism,
00:04:08.18\00:04:12.28
what I mean
00:04:12.28\00:04:13.68
is that we adopted a
material view of the universe.
00:04:13.68\00:04:17.25
We came away from the
enlightenment with this
00:04:17.25\00:04:20.02
understanding that the universe
kind of operates like a machine.
00:04:20.02\00:04:24.53
And it's a metaphor
that does work pretty nicely
00:04:24.53\00:04:27.83
most of the time.
00:04:27.83\00:04:29.53
During the 17th
and 18th centuries,
00:04:29.53\00:04:31.40
we taught ourselves to
think about the solar system
00:04:31.40\00:04:33.87
as if it was some
kind of pocket watch,
00:04:33.87\00:04:36.30
because of the
regular watch like movements
00:04:36.30\00:04:38.97
and the way that we can keep
accurate track of time on earth
00:04:38.97\00:04:43.01
by observing the
motion of the stars
00:04:43.01\00:04:45.15
and the planets above our heads.
00:04:45.15\00:04:47.55
I mean, our ancestors
00:04:47.55\00:04:48.95
always use the sky
as a type of calendar,
00:04:48.95\00:04:52.35
but now we began to think of it
00:04:52.35\00:04:54.56
in terms of wheels and gears.
00:04:54.56\00:04:57.09
And we also began to
think of the human body
00:04:57.09\00:04:59.49
as if it was a machine
00:04:59.49\00:05:01.00
with all the various organs
performing their isolated tasks
00:05:01.00\00:05:04.17
as if they were parts of
some kind of steam engine
00:05:04.17\00:05:07.44
or steam powered
loom in a factory.
00:05:07.44\00:05:10.81
Over time, with the
advent of personal computing,
00:05:10.81\00:05:13.54
we started to compare
our brains to hard drives,
00:05:13.54\00:05:16.44
which is also a
fairly useful metaphor,
00:05:16.44\00:05:19.21
even though it's
not entirely accurate.
00:05:19.21\00:05:22.35
But this materialistic
view of the universe
00:05:22.35\00:05:25.09
where everything is
supposed to have a purpose,
00:05:25.09\00:05:28.22
it begins to fall apart
00:05:28.22\00:05:29.96
when you try to apply it to
some of life's best experiences,
00:05:29.96\00:05:33.19
things like love
or beautiful art.
00:05:33.19\00:05:36.33
Since the 19th century,
00:05:36.33\00:05:38.50
we've taught ourselves
00:05:38.50\00:05:39.67
to think of our
human characteristics,
00:05:39.67\00:05:41.67
our traits as a species in
terms of natural selection,
00:05:41.67\00:05:46.44
useful random mutations,
00:05:46.44\00:05:48.88
mutations that gave us some
kind of advantage for survival.
00:05:48.88\00:05:53.15
Those mutations had a
way of sticking around,
00:05:53.15\00:05:55.48
but the non-useful mutations,
00:05:55.48\00:05:57.79
well, if they
weren't a disadvantage,
00:05:57.79\00:06:00.09
they might stick around, but
if they made your life harder,
00:06:00.09\00:06:03.36
well, according to
the prevalent theory,
00:06:03.36\00:06:06.06
those people just
died off rather quickly.
00:06:06.06\00:06:09.06
So in other words,
00:06:09.06\00:06:10.30
the theory says that
pretty much everything
00:06:10.30\00:06:12.17
that made it
into the human genome
00:06:12.17\00:06:13.90
had a reason for being there,
00:06:13.90\00:06:16.14
or at least a
reason for sticking around,
00:06:16.14\00:06:19.41
it was useful for
perpetuating the species.
00:06:19.41\00:06:21.98
But this is kind of
where the theory falls apart,
00:06:21.98\00:06:25.55
at least for me,
00:06:25.55\00:06:27.08
because it fails to explain
things like beauty or love.
00:06:27.08\00:06:31.35
I mean, where's the
real utility in music?
00:06:31.35\00:06:34.49
How does producing different
tones at various frequencies
00:06:34.49\00:06:37.56
and rhythms
benefit our survival?
00:06:37.56\00:06:40.06
Did music somehow
help some proto humans
00:06:40.06\00:06:42.66
suddenly run faster
when confronted by a tiger?
00:06:42.66\00:06:46.50
I mean, maybe, maybe
because you still see people
00:06:46.50\00:06:50.67
motivate themselves at the gym
00:06:50.67\00:06:52.17
by listening to aggressive
music while they're running
00:06:52.17\00:06:54.41
or lifting weights, maybe,
00:06:54.41\00:06:56.31
but it seems a
little unlikely to me.
00:06:56.31\00:07:00.22
And I wanna be
careful how I say this
00:07:00.22\00:07:02.32
because I'm not an
evolutionary biologist
00:07:02.32\00:07:04.82
by any stretch
of the imagination,
00:07:04.82\00:07:06.62
and I'm well aware of my limits
00:07:06.62\00:07:08.29
when it does
come to that subject.
00:07:08.29\00:07:10.39
But you know, I did
take some biology in college
00:07:10.39\00:07:13.60
and the way I
understand the theory,
00:07:13.60\00:07:15.63
there's no conscious
entity out there in the universe
00:07:15.63\00:07:19.20
driving this
process in the background,
00:07:19.20\00:07:21.57
pushing life upward and making
sure there are improvements
00:07:21.57\00:07:24.94
and some measure of progress
00:07:24.94\00:07:26.51
with each succeeding generation.
00:07:26.51\00:07:29.11
Instead, we're told that
evolution is a blind process
00:07:29.11\00:07:32.55
where the
upgrades to human beings
00:07:32.55\00:07:34.18
and other species
happen quite by accident.
00:07:34.18\00:07:38.05
Not that someone like Richard
Dawkins would agree with that
00:07:38.05\00:07:40.92
because he rejects the
notion of blind chance.
00:07:40.92\00:07:44.69
When he attempted
to refute the notion
00:07:44.69\00:07:46.29
that our universe
was designed by someone,
00:07:46.29\00:07:48.66
he argued that
Darwinian evolution
00:07:48.66\00:07:51.33
is not a matter
of chance at all.
00:07:51.33\00:07:53.60
He writes,
"Since living complexity
00:07:53.60\00:07:56.14
embodies the very
antithesis of chance,
00:07:56.14\00:07:59.04
if you think that Darwinism
is tantamount to chance,
00:07:59.04\00:08:02.01
you'll obviously find it
easy to refute Darwinism!"
00:08:02.01\00:08:05.88
And of course, Mr.
Dawkins is motivated
00:08:05.88\00:08:08.25
to reject the notion of chance
00:08:08.25\00:08:10.19
when most people
observe the world around us
00:08:10.19\00:08:12.82
and notice how
incredibly complex life is,
00:08:12.82\00:08:16.26
we somehow instinctively realize
00:08:16.26\00:08:18.59
that the odds of all of this
00:08:18.59\00:08:20.13
just appearing by chance in
a cold, impersonal universe,
00:08:20.13\00:08:24.10
well, it's highly
improbable to say the least,
00:08:24.10\00:08:28.07
which is one of the
reasons that our current theory
00:08:28.07\00:08:30.51
includes
impossibly long time spans
00:08:30.51\00:08:33.58
placing the
origin of our universe,
00:08:33.58\00:08:35.81
something like 13 or
14 billion years ago.
00:08:35.81\00:08:40.22
And I'm somewhat
convinced that one of the things
00:08:40.22\00:08:43.12
that makes those incredibly
long epox of time necessary
00:08:43.12\00:08:47.39
is the discovery that
our universe had a beginning.
00:08:47.39\00:08:51.43
Back in 1929,
Edwin Hubble announced
00:08:51.43\00:08:54.00
that the universe
was clearly expanding,
00:08:54.00\00:08:56.43
and he figured that out
by measuring the red shift of
00:08:56.43\00:09:00.47
light, other galaxies
are moving away from us
00:09:00.47\00:09:02.80
and they're picking
up speed as they go.
00:09:02.80\00:09:05.01
And of course,
the implication is
00:09:05.01\00:09:07.31
that they all had a
common starting point.
00:09:07.31\00:09:10.01
Something happened
in the distant past
00:09:10.01\00:09:11.98
that pushed them apart,
and they continue to drift.
00:09:11.98\00:09:15.08
Of course, what that means,
the universe had a beginning.
00:09:15.08\00:09:19.75
Now,
00:09:19.75\00:09:21.39
we suddenly knew that
the universe hasn't been here
00:09:21.39\00:09:23.59
forever, which flew
in the face of Aristotle,
00:09:23.59\00:09:25.69
who argued that
00:09:25.69\00:09:26.90
because something
cannot come out of nothing,
00:09:26.90\00:09:28.70
the universe must
have always been there.
00:09:28.70\00:09:31.43
But now,
00:09:31.43\00:09:32.70
with an obvious origin,
[tranquil ambient music]
00:09:32.70\00:09:34.40
we needed vast expanses of time
00:09:34.40\00:09:36.84
to explain how
inorganic material particles
00:09:36.84\00:09:40.34
bouncing around in space
00:09:40.34\00:09:41.78
somehow managed to
gradually morph into you and me.
00:09:41.78\00:09:46.72
Of course, I'm simplifying this
00:09:47.58\00:09:48.75
almost to the
point of absurdity,
00:09:48.75\00:09:50.32
and there were
obviously other reasons
00:09:50.32\00:09:51.99
for suspecting billions of
years, but you get my drift.
00:09:51.99\00:09:56.36
And speaking of drift,
00:09:56.36\00:09:57.93
I've drifted more than
a little bit off topic.
00:09:57.93\00:10:00.56
So I'm gonna take a quick break
00:10:00.56\00:10:02.20
and then I'll come right back
00:10:02.20\00:10:03.67
to tell you what happened in
St. Louis that really forced me
00:10:03.67\00:10:06.63
to do a little bit
of serious thinking.
00:10:06.63\00:10:09.50
[intense ambient
music] - Dragons, beasts,
00:10:09.50\00:10:14.51
cryptic statues,
00:10:15.11\00:10:16.48
Bible prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:10:16.48\00:10:21.08
If you've ever
read Daniel a revelation
00:10:21.08\00:10:23.69
and come away scratching
your head, you are not alone.
00:10:23.69\00:10:26.76
Our free Focus
on Prophecy guides
00:10:26.76\00:10:29.12
are designed to help you unlock
the mysteries of the Bible
00:10:29.12\00:10:31.93
and deepen your understanding
00:10:31.93\00:10:33.53
of God's plan for
you and our world.
00:10:33.53\00:10:36.00
Study online or
request them by mail
00:10:36.00\00:10:38.47
and start bringing
prophecy into focus today.
00:10:38.47\00:10:41.34
- So the question we
really need to ask ourselves
00:10:42.74\00:10:44.67
isn't complicated,
why do human beings sing?
00:10:44.67\00:10:48.14
I mean, at what point did
we become musical and why?
00:10:48.14\00:10:51.51
And I know birds also sing,
00:10:51.51\00:10:53.18
but it's pretty hard
to compare birds singing
00:10:53.18\00:10:55.58
to the musical genius of
the 18th and 19th centuries.
00:10:55.58\00:10:59.45
Why would a blind
process of random mutation
00:10:59.45\00:11:02.69
produce a phenomenon
that moves people so deeply?
00:11:02.69\00:11:06.09
It was a Monday
00:11:06.09\00:11:07.60
and there was a concert
scheduled for a convention
00:11:07.60\00:11:10.67
[tranquil ambient music]
at 13:30 in the afternoon
00:11:10.67\00:11:12.73
right after lunch.
00:11:12.73\00:11:13.77
And of course,
00:11:13.77\00:11:15.04
if you put on something
music right after lunch
00:11:15.04\00:11:16.71
and dim the lights a little bit,
00:11:16.71\00:11:18.14
everybody's gonna be
fighting the urge to nap.
00:11:18.14\00:11:20.51
But I'll tell you this,
00:11:20.51\00:11:22.01
I was not napping
after the second performance.
00:11:22.01\00:11:25.78
It was a major
religious convention
00:11:25.78\00:11:27.58
with delegates
from all over the world
00:11:27.58\00:11:29.48
representing more
than 200 countries,
00:11:29.48\00:11:32.12
and it had been delayed two
years because of the pandemic.
00:11:32.12\00:11:35.42
And for the same reason
most of the musical selections
00:11:35.42\00:11:38.36
were pre-recorded overseas
00:11:38.36\00:11:40.03
because there
was just no guarantee
00:11:40.03\00:11:42.00
that the musicians
would be able to travel
00:11:42.00\00:11:44.20
across international boundaries.
00:11:44.20\00:11:46.53
And if one member
of your musical group
00:11:46.53\00:11:48.90
suddenly tested
positive for Covid,
00:11:48.90\00:11:51.01
well, then your
performance is canceled.
00:11:51.01\00:11:53.88
So the first number was
a rather creative coral bit
00:11:55.38\00:11:57.48
performed by young
singers from the South Pacific
00:11:57.48\00:12:00.05
who all recorded
their individual parts
00:12:00.05\00:12:02.12
in front of a webcam at home.
00:12:02.12\00:12:04.35
And then an editor
cleverly assembled them
00:12:04.35\00:12:06.59
into a virtual choir
00:12:06.59\00:12:08.09
that looked a little
like a musical Zoom meeting,
00:12:08.09\00:12:10.46
or depending on your age,
00:12:10.46\00:12:11.89
like the opening
sequence of the Brady Bunch.
00:12:11.89\00:12:14.86
I don't know if you're familiar
00:12:14.86\00:12:16.60
with the work of Eric Whitaker,
00:12:16.60\00:12:18.20
but this was a lot like
00:12:18.20\00:12:20.20
what he does with
online global choirs.
00:12:20.20\00:12:23.87
And then came
the big performance,
00:12:23.87\00:12:26.64
a performance by the
Korean baritone Daebum Lee,
00:12:26.64\00:12:30.25
who sang the Lord's Prayer
00:12:30.25\00:12:32.08
accompanied by
piano, violin, and cello.
00:12:32.08\00:12:34.78
Not only was it
visually attractive,
00:12:34.78\00:12:36.62
and not only was his
performance really good,
00:12:36.62\00:12:39.45
it was breathtaking
00:12:39.45\00:12:40.69
for the simple reason
that Mr. Lee was singing
00:12:40.69\00:12:43.29
when he shouldn't
have been able to.
00:12:43.29\00:12:45.29
It turns out he was
working in the city of Milan
00:12:45.29\00:12:48.13
as a freelance opera singer,
00:12:48.13\00:12:49.76
and his career was
taking off really nicely
00:12:49.76\00:12:52.23
when disaster struck.
00:12:52.23\00:12:54.74
Most of you will
probably remember
00:12:54.74\00:12:56.34
that Italy was one of the
hardest hit nations in the world
00:12:56.34\00:12:59.11
when Covid first
started spreading.
00:12:59.11\00:13:01.81
And the pandemic meant
that his wife who was pregnant
00:13:01.81\00:13:05.31
and their three year old son
had to go back to South Korea,
00:13:05.31\00:13:08.72
leaving him alone in
Italy for five months.
00:13:08.72\00:13:12.42
And that's when it
happened, he had a stroke.
00:13:12.42\00:13:16.16
His wife tried to come
back as quickly as possible,
00:13:16.16\00:13:18.33
but she hit roadblocks because
she was seven months pregnant
00:13:18.33\00:13:21.43
and moving across
international borders
00:13:21.43\00:13:23.50
at the beginning of the
pandemic was all but impossible.
00:13:23.50\00:13:27.57
So she prayed
about him, she told me,
00:13:27.57\00:13:29.37
and the door suddenly opened
00:13:29.37\00:13:31.04
after a couple of
days of frustration,
00:13:31.04\00:13:32.97
and she found herself beside
her husband's bed in the ICU.
00:13:32.97\00:13:37.15
"My husband", she said,
00:13:37.15\00:13:38.65
"barely recognized me due
to right hemiplegia, aphasia,
00:13:38.65\00:13:42.62
swallowing disorder
and cognitive loss."
00:13:42.62\00:13:46.19
She waited and she
prayed for 50 days,
00:13:46.19\00:13:48.89
which if you're doing the math,
00:13:48.89\00:13:50.39
would've brought her
right up to her due date.
00:13:50.39\00:13:53.90
Finally, Daebum Lee
00:13:53.90\00:13:55.60
started to show some
signs of improvement,
00:13:55.60\00:13:57.77
at least enough
to make it possible
00:13:57.77\00:13:59.47
for him to fly back home.
00:13:59.47\00:14:01.77
But he still couldn't speak.
00:14:01.77\00:14:03.47
Now I want you
to think about this
00:14:03.47\00:14:05.21
because maybe you've experienced
00:14:05.21\00:14:06.57
some heartbreaking
disappointment in your life,
00:14:06.57\00:14:09.14
maybe you've also lost
everything you hoped for.
00:14:09.14\00:14:12.61
Here was an aspiring musician,
00:14:12.61\00:14:14.42
a man of considerable
talent who it seemed
00:14:14.42\00:14:17.15
was destined to sing
00:14:17.15\00:14:18.39
on some of the
biggest stages in the world.
00:14:18.39\00:14:20.22
It was everything to him.
00:14:20.22\00:14:22.46
His whole life ambition,
and now he couldn't even speak.
00:14:22.46\00:14:27.00
And if he can't speak,
how are you gonna sing?
00:14:27.00\00:14:30.27
That's when it happened.
00:14:31.10\00:14:32.93
One day Mrs. Lee
told me his lips moved
00:14:32.93\00:14:35.27
and melody began to flow.
00:14:35.27\00:14:37.27
He still couldn't speak,
but somehow he was able to sing.
00:14:37.27\00:14:40.78
And so there was suddenly hope
00:14:40.78\00:14:42.28
that he could still perform
in St. Louis where I was.
00:14:42.28\00:14:46.18
But that's when bad
suddenly went to worse,
00:14:46.18\00:14:49.55
and he started experiencing
epileptic like seizures.
00:14:49.55\00:14:53.39
Yet, in spite of all that,
Daebum Lee took to the studio
00:14:53.39\00:14:57.16
to record his performance
of the Lord's Prayer,
00:14:57.16\00:15:00.06
and to watch the video,
00:15:00.06\00:15:01.80
well, his impairment
was barely discernible.
00:15:01.80\00:15:05.10
In fact, I grabbed a
copy of the performance
00:15:05.10\00:15:07.77
so that you can witness this.
00:15:07.77\00:15:09.97
Let's cue the tape.
00:15:09.97\00:15:11.17
[tranquil ambient music]
00:15:13.41\00:15:16.81
¤ Our Father
00:15:19.88\00:15:24.89
¤ Which art in heaven
00:15:29.42\00:15:32.59
¤ Hallowed be
00:15:39.43\00:15:44.44
¤ Thy name
00:15:48.94\00:15:53.95
¤ Thy kingdom come
00:15:58.52\00:16:03.53
¤ Thy will be done
00:16:05.76\00:16:10.73
¤ On Earth
00:16:11.60\00:16:15.74
¤ As it is in heaven
00:16:15.74\00:16:18.84
¤ Give us this day
00:16:42.60\00:16:46.80
¤ Our daily bread
00:16:46.80\00:16:51.81
¤ And forgive us our debts
00:16:52.71\00:16:57.11
¤ As we forgive our debtors
00:16:58.01\00:17:01.15
¤ And lead us
not into temptation ¤
00:17:08.92\00:17:13.93
¤ But deliver us from evil
00:17:16.03\00:17:21.04
¤ For Thine is the kingdom
00:17:21.94\00:17:26.57
¤ And the power, and the glory
00:17:28.34\00:17:33.35
¤ Forever
00:17:35.78\00:17:37.95
¤ Amen
00:17:45.83\00:17:47.73
- Pretty impressive.
00:18:06.25\00:18:07.58
I'll be right back after this.
00:18:07.58\00:18:09.78
[tranquil ambient music] -
Life can throw a lot at us.
00:18:12.85\00:18:15.89
Sometimes we don't
have all the answers,
00:18:15.89\00:18:18.89
but that's where
the Bible comes in.
00:18:18.89\00:18:21.63
It's our guide to a
more fulfilling life.
00:18:21.63\00:18:24.70
Here at The Voice of Prophecy,
00:18:24.70\00:18:26.27
we've created the
Discover Bible Guides
00:18:26.27\00:18:28.44
to be your guide to the Bible.
00:18:28.44\00:18:30.01
They're designed to
be simple, easy to use,
00:18:30.01\00:18:32.51
and provide answers to many
of life's toughest questions,
00:18:32.51\00:18:35.54
and they're absolutely free.
00:18:35.54\00:18:37.58
So jump online
now or give us a call
00:18:37.58\00:18:39.91
and start your
journey of discovery.
00:18:39.91\00:18:42.15
- Okay, here's what I
really want you to think about,
00:18:43.55\00:18:45.45
obviously the Lees are
calling this a miracle,
00:18:45.45\00:18:48.42
and I happen to
agree with them because,
00:18:48.42\00:18:50.39
well, I believe in a
personal God who answers prayer.
00:18:50.39\00:18:54.73
But all the same, it does raise
some really good questions.
00:18:54.73\00:18:58.60
I mean, here's a
man in a hospital bed
00:18:58.60\00:19:00.67
who suffered a brutal stroke
00:19:00.67\00:19:02.07
that caused considerable damage,
00:19:02.07\00:19:04.07
and then he suffers
a traumatic seizure,
00:19:04.07\00:19:06.44
which makes his
impairment even worse.
00:19:06.44\00:19:09.08
But then miraculously,
00:19:09.08\00:19:10.31
he's able to sing
for a major convention
00:19:10.31\00:19:13.01
and it looks like
an answer to prayer.
00:19:13.01\00:19:15.95
But of course,
you do have to wonder,
00:19:15.95\00:19:17.75
[tranquil ambient
music] why does this guy
00:19:17.75\00:19:19.25
get an answer to prayer,
but so many people don't?
00:19:19.25\00:19:22.22
I can tell you firsthand,
00:19:22.22\00:19:23.49
I've asked God for a
lot of things I didn't get,
00:19:23.49\00:19:27.13
and I know other people
who also ended up in the ICU
00:19:27.13\00:19:30.37
and their families also prayed,
00:19:30.37\00:19:32.50
but they didn't get
what they were asking for.
00:19:32.50\00:19:35.30
So why would God answer
the prayers of one family
00:19:36.74\00:19:38.97
and not the other?
00:19:38.97\00:19:40.54
It's one of those questions
00:19:40.54\00:19:41.74
that makes me a
little bit skittish
00:19:41.74\00:19:43.35
when some churches
call for testimony time
00:19:43.35\00:19:46.18
during the church service,
and people talk about the time
00:19:46.18\00:19:48.68
God miraculously
answered their prayers,
00:19:48.68\00:19:52.05
and I honestly enjoy that
00:19:52.05\00:19:53.72
because I believe
God does answer prayers.
00:19:53.72\00:19:56.52
But what about the
people also sitting in church
00:19:56.52\00:19:59.09
who also prayed and they didn't
get the answer they wanted?
00:19:59.09\00:20:03.23
Of course, there's no
way I'm gonna be able to
00:20:03.23\00:20:05.70
adequately tackle that topic
00:20:05.70\00:20:07.60
with the time
that I've got left,
00:20:07.60\00:20:08.97
but I will make
one important point
00:20:08.97\00:20:11.27
because some people assume
when they don't get an answer
00:20:11.27\00:20:14.44
that God must be
somehow against them.
00:20:14.44\00:20:17.45
But you know, the
Bible does not build a case
00:20:17.45\00:20:19.91
for belief in God
based on miracles.
00:20:19.91\00:20:22.48
I know, it's popular
in 21st century America
00:20:22.48\00:20:25.49
to emphasize the miraculous,
00:20:25.49\00:20:27.22
especially if
you're a TV preacher
00:20:27.22\00:20:29.62
who specializes in performing
so-called miracles in stadiums
00:20:29.62\00:20:33.83
in front of 1000s of people.
00:20:33.83\00:20:36.83
But an authentic Christian
faith is not built on spectacle.
00:20:36.83\00:20:41.80
I mean, to be honest,
00:20:42.57\00:20:44.07
when you tally up all
the miracles of the Bible
00:20:44.07\00:20:46.07
and put them on a
timeline, you suddenly discover
00:20:46.07\00:20:49.04
that they were
relatively few and far between.
00:20:49.04\00:20:53.11
And then you'll also
discover that the Bible warns us
00:20:53.11\00:20:56.02
that we can't take a
miraculous occurrence
00:20:56.02\00:20:58.49
as proof that God is working.
00:20:58.49\00:21:00.82
And after all, if you
read the Book of Revelation,
00:21:00.82\00:21:03.32
you quickly discover
that signs and wonders
00:21:03.32\00:21:05.36
have a way of turning
up in all the wrong places.
00:21:05.36\00:21:09.63
So if you happen to
be one of those people
00:21:09.63\00:21:12.07
who has prayed in earnest
00:21:12.07\00:21:13.50
and you didn't
get what you wanted,
00:21:13.50\00:21:15.97
take heart in the fact
that that's true for most of us.
00:21:15.97\00:21:19.24
Over the years,
00:21:19.24\00:21:20.78
I've asked God for lots
of things that didn't happen,
00:21:20.78\00:21:23.58
but my faith isn't built
on what God can do for me,
00:21:23.58\00:21:27.65
any more than I got married
so that gene can wait on me,
00:21:27.65\00:21:31.25
it's the
relationship that matters.
00:21:31.25\00:21:33.59
And the longer
I've been a Christian,
00:21:33.59\00:21:35.26
the more I'm realizing
00:21:35.26\00:21:36.73
just how valuable that
personal relationship is,
00:21:36.73\00:21:40.40
now to be sure,
00:21:40.40\00:21:41.83
I've got a few amazing
stories that do seem miraculous,
00:21:41.83\00:21:45.47
but those are still not
the foundation of my faith.
00:21:45.47\00:21:49.37
And if I'm
really honest about it,
00:21:49.37\00:21:50.87
I'm glad that I didn't get
everything I've ever asked for,
00:21:50.87\00:21:53.54
because well, I've
come to realize over time
00:21:53.54\00:21:56.41
that God loves me too
much to do things my way.
00:21:56.41\00:22:00.12
In the long run, I've discovered
that what God did give me
00:22:00.12\00:22:03.72
was far better
than what I asked for,
00:22:03.72\00:22:06.19
and I've come to
realize, I can trust him.
00:22:06.19\00:22:10.33
You know, there's
this intriguing scene
00:22:10.33\00:22:12.33
in the Book of Daniel,
00:22:12.33\00:22:13.60
and we get a peak
at the final judgment.
00:22:13.60\00:22:16.13
"I watched till
thrones were put in place,
00:22:16.13\00:22:18.47
and the ancient
of days was seated.
00:22:18.47\00:22:20.97
His garment was white as snow,
00:22:20.97\00:22:22.87
and the hair of his
head was like pure wool.
00:22:22.87\00:22:25.97
His throne was a fiery flame,
it's wheels a burning fire.
00:22:25.97\00:22:29.98
A fiery stream issued and
came forth from before him.
00:22:29.98\00:22:32.61
A 1000 1000s ministered to him,
00:22:32.61\00:22:35.55
10,000 times,
10,000 stood before him.
00:22:35.55\00:22:38.95
The court was seated,
and the books were opened."
00:22:38.95\00:22:43.36
Now just think about this,
00:22:43.36\00:22:45.36
it's a
description of an omnipotent
00:22:45.36\00:22:47.73
and more
importantly, omniscient God.
00:22:47.73\00:22:50.97
He's described as
the ancient of days,
00:22:50.97\00:22:53.07
a being who
already knows everything.
00:22:53.07\00:22:55.97
And yet when the judgment
commences, they open the books.
00:22:55.97\00:23:00.48
So why in the world
would God need books?
00:23:00.48\00:23:04.75
Well, the answer is he doesn't,
00:23:04.75\00:23:06.45
but he's not the only
sentient being at that judgment
00:23:06.45\00:23:09.48
and the others
are not all knowing.
00:23:09.48\00:23:11.85
What it's telling us
00:23:11.85\00:23:13.09
is that eventually
God shows us everything,
00:23:13.09\00:23:15.56
and you will have an
opportunity to ask him
00:23:15.56\00:23:18.33
why he didn't answer you
when you thought he should have.
00:23:18.33\00:23:21.53
And what we all
discover at that moment
00:23:21.53\00:23:24.20
is that God has never
made a mistake, not even once.
00:23:24.20\00:23:26.90
I mean, listen to the
crowd in Revelation chapter 15,
00:23:26.90\00:23:29.57
it says,
00:23:29.57\00:23:31.04
"They sing the song of
Moses, the servant of God,
00:23:31.04\00:23:33.91
and the Song of the Lamb saying,
00:23:33.91\00:23:35.38
'Great and marvelous are
your works, Lord God Almighty!
00:23:35.38\00:23:38.51
Just and true are your
ways, O, king of the saints.
00:23:38.51\00:23:42.35
Who shall not fear you, O Lord,
00:23:42.35\00:23:44.05
and glorify your name
for you alone are holy.
00:23:44.05\00:23:47.89
For all nations shall
come and worship before you,
00:23:47.89\00:23:50.09
for your judgements
have been manifested.'"
00:23:50.09\00:23:54.36
All right, I gotta
take another quick break
00:23:54.36\00:23:55.86
and then I'll
bring one more question
00:23:55.86\00:23:58.50
about miracles and prayer.
00:23:58.50\00:24:00.20
I'll be right back after this.
00:24:00.20\00:24:02.27
[tranquil ambient music] - Here
00:24:03.91\00:24:05.67
at The Voice of Prophecy,
00:24:05.67\00:24:07.14
we're committed to
creating top quality programming
00:24:07.14\00:24:09.41
for the whole family, like
our audio adventure series,
00:24:09.41\00:24:12.31
Discovery Mountain.
00:24:12.31\00:24:14.08
Discovery Mountain
is a bible based program
00:24:14.08\00:24:16.52
for kids of all
ages and backgrounds.
00:24:16.52\00:24:18.89
Your family will enjoy
the faith building stories
00:24:18.89\00:24:21.62
from this small
mountain summer camp and town.
00:24:21.62\00:24:24.53
With 24 seasonal
episodes every year
00:24:24.53\00:24:27.00
and fresh content every week,
00:24:27.00\00:24:29.10
there's always a new
adventure just on the horizon.
00:24:29.10\00:24:32.30
- Before the break, I
said I had another question,
00:24:35.14\00:24:38.14
but it's really
more of an observation.
00:24:38.14\00:24:40.78
Even though Mr. Lee couldn't
speak, he was able to sing.
00:24:40.78\00:24:44.85
Now all I have to go on
here is anecdotal evidence,
00:24:44.85\00:24:47.38
so you're gonna want to
check this out for yourself.
00:24:47.38\00:24:49.92
But quite a few years ago,
00:24:49.92\00:24:51.35
I noticed that when
horrible diseases like dementia
00:24:51.35\00:24:54.16
or Alzheimer's begin
to destroy someone's life,
00:24:54.16\00:24:57.49
it seems like parts of the
brain are somehow protected
00:24:57.49\00:25:00.66
from the damage that's
taking place in other parts.
00:25:00.66\00:25:04.30
I've seen elderly
people [tranquil ambient music]
00:25:04.30\00:25:05.73
who have suffered
horrible cognitive impairment
00:25:05.73\00:25:08.30
to the point where they
don't know what year it is
00:25:08.30\00:25:10.61
and they have no idea who
you are, even if you're family.
00:25:10.61\00:25:14.51
Some of them begin to
relive their earliest years,
00:25:14.51\00:25:17.18
convinced that
the people around them
00:25:17.18\00:25:19.15
are actually
characters from their childhood.
00:25:19.15\00:25:21.68
Many of them struggle to
remember names and places,
00:25:21.68\00:25:24.89
and over time,
00:25:24.89\00:25:26.32
they actually lose the
ability to communicate verbally.
00:25:26.32\00:25:29.62
But somehow the
scripture they've memorized
00:25:29.62\00:25:32.19
and the songs they've learned,
somehow that's all intact.
00:25:32.19\00:25:36.80
I've heard people, I was
pretty sure were completely gone
00:25:36.80\00:25:40.24
suddenly start singing
00:25:40.24\00:25:42.14
and they get every note and
every lyric completely right.
00:25:42.14\00:25:45.87
As a minister,
00:25:45.87\00:25:47.31
I've started reading the
Bible to some of these people
00:25:47.31\00:25:48.98
because well, real conversations
aren't possible anymore,
00:25:48.98\00:25:52.95
and then suddenly
00:25:52.95\00:25:54.18
they start to recite
the Bible passage with me
00:25:54.18\00:25:56.72
and without a single mistake.
00:25:56.72\00:25:59.32
And I've
discussed this with friends
00:25:59.32\00:26:01.09
who have witnessed the same
thing with their loved ones.
00:26:01.09\00:26:03.79
So is it possible that somehow
00:26:03.79\00:26:06.46
God designed the human brain
such that the memory of him
00:26:06.46\00:26:10.27
is never wiped out even when
the rest of your mind fails?
00:26:10.27\00:26:15.27
Over in the book of Jeremiah,
00:26:15.27\00:26:16.84
there's a famous line
where God tells the prophet,
00:26:16.84\00:26:19.47
"Before I formed you
in the womb, I knew you",
00:26:19.47\00:26:22.78
which means that as
far as God is concerned,
00:26:22.78\00:26:24.91
you and I
already had an identity
00:26:24.91\00:26:26.85
before we took our first breath.
00:26:26.85\00:26:28.78
And before we form some of
our first mental impressions,
00:26:28.78\00:26:32.55
it seems that we don't
have to be completely cognitive
00:26:32.55\00:26:36.19
in order to have a
relationship with the creator.
00:26:36.19\00:26:38.93
And later in life, when
our brains begin to malfunction
00:26:38.93\00:26:41.60
and pull away from reality,
00:26:41.60\00:26:43.06
somehow we still
have a tie to God.
00:26:43.06\00:26:46.47
It seems that he's our
first relationship and our last,
00:26:46.47\00:26:50.44
because one of the best
preserved parts of the mind,
00:26:50.44\00:26:52.77
even after trauma is
the part that enables you
00:26:52.77\00:26:55.84
to relate to a supreme being.
00:26:55.84\00:26:57.85
I mean, think about it,
00:26:57.85\00:26:59.31
maybe there's a good
reason that 95% of human beings
00:26:59.31\00:27:02.72
have an intrinsic sense
00:27:02.72\00:27:04.52
that there's got to be
something or somebody out there.
00:27:04.52\00:27:07.96
Most people still
believe God exists,
00:27:07.96\00:27:10.33
although there's a
huge variety of opinions
00:27:10.33\00:27:12.69
when it comes to
what God really is.
00:27:12.69\00:27:15.90
We've had more than
two centuries since the
00:27:15.90\00:27:18.53
Enlightenment, and more
than two centuries since Darwin,
00:27:18.53\00:27:20.67
and somehow the vast majority
of us still believe in God.
00:27:20.67\00:27:25.17
And maybe just,
maybe that's because
00:27:25.17\00:27:27.31
before our fully sentient
existence begins and when it
00:27:27.31\00:27:32.31
ends, there's somebody out there
00:27:33.18\00:27:34.45
who makes sure
that we know he's there.
00:27:34.45\00:27:36.45
It kind of sheds new
light on Jesus' statement
00:27:36.45\00:27:38.85
that he will never
leave us or forsake us.
00:27:38.85\00:27:41.99
Is there a reason
that our first thoughts
00:27:41.99\00:27:43.86
and our last
appear to be about God?
00:27:43.86\00:27:47.86
Thank you for joining me.
00:27:47.86\00:27:49.20
I'm Sean Boostrum, and
this has been Authentic.
00:27:49.20\00:27:53.37
[upbeat ambient music]
00:27:53.37\00:27:56.64