From Arcadia, California,
the Carter Report presents
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"The Living
Word" around the world.
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Hello, I'm Dave Deno and
this is the Carter Report,
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with pastor and
evangelist John Carter.
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And this is where we talk
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about the issues
of the Christian life.
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Today we're gonna talk
about the issues that matter,
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perhaps the most to you
because we're going to take
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your questions and we're going
to answer them straight ahead.
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Don't go away.
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I wish you would come with me
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to a land of more
than a billion souls
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all in need of
hearing the Gospel of Christ.
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Did you know this my friend,
it is the duty of the Christian
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to take the Gospel of
Christ to our lost world.
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And the lost world I'm talking
about right now is India,
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land of millions and
millions of pagan gods
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but more than a
billion lost souls.
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India cries out for God.
We are now back on India TV.
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We're broadcasting
on prime time in India.
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We need your
prayers, we need your support.
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Is it easy in India?
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No, it's the hardest
place we have ever worked.
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Harder than
Russia? Harder than Russia.
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Harder than
America? Harder than America.
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Harder than Australia?
Harder than Australia.
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Because it is a land
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that's given over
almost totally to demonism.
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Now I can tell you
about those demons,
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I can tell you
about the false gods
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but what I want
to tell you today,
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is about the true
God and the true God
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who told us go
into all the world
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and preach the
gospel to every creature.
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We're back in India.
Yes, we are back in India.
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And by the grace of God
we're back in India to stay.
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We want you to come with us.
We want you to pray for India.
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We want you to give
for India and do it today.
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Please write to me, John Carter,
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Post Office Box 1900,
Thousand Oaks, California.
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Write to me at
Terrigal in Australia.
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Email me, contact me and say,
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yes, I'm going to stand with you
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in the preaching of the gospel
to the lost souls of India.
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Thank you in Jesus'
name and God bless you.
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Welcome to the Carter Report.
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Today, a program
that we are titling
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More Hot Potatoes.
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And that's because we
had a previous program
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called Hot Potatoes
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where we
answered viewer questions.
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Today more
questions from the mail bag.
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Real questions from real people
about the real issues of life.
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Before we get started,
I want you to know that
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many of the
questions that you will hear
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are also answered in
our magazine Ebenezer.
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I encourage you to
get a free copy of this.
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It's yours simply
by going to our website
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www.cartereport.org
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Some great and
fascinating articles in here
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and the section of
questions and answers today,
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very much like what
you're going to hear
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and see on the program.
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John, this is perhaps
the most exciting time
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that we can spend together
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because we're not
talking about the issues
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that you and I may perhaps
say, oh, let's cover this.
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We're talking
about real life questions
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from real life people
about real life dilemmas.
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And some of these questions,
Dave, are controversial.
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We could have said, we're
just going to put those aside.
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But we're going to answer them
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because we
believe they are important
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and not only are they
important to the people
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who are asking them,
they're probably important
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to millions of
other people as well.
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We're gonna cover
things like abortion, marriage,
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womanizing, near
death experiences,
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the age of the universe
and we've got several others.
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I want to begin with a question
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that was sent in
to us from Chisomo.
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She writes, "Is
there hope for me?
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My spiritual life
has become so bad lately.
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I know the truth but
it is not sanctifying me."
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We're gonna talk about
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that word
sanctifying in just a moment.
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She says, "I want to return
to the God of my childhood.
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I need to overcome.
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I need grace to
be a real Christian.
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I want to be a child of God."
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Where do we begin?
What would you say to her?
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I think she's a
very honest lady.
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She's opening up
her heart and I believe
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she's in a position
where God can bless her.
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I would say this to her,
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I've been a
pastor for few years now,
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Dave, for more than 50 years.
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Fifty years ago I made a
vow to God that every day
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I would spend time
reading the scriptures.
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By the grace of God
even when I've been traveling
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I've kept that vow.
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The Bible teaches
that we are sinners.
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We're born with
sinful human natures
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and we need the grace of God
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and the way
that the grace of God
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is bestowed upon us, given to us
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is largely through the
reading of the scriptures.
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Before you read the scripture,
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you've used the
word the grace of God.
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How do you define that?
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The grace of God, well,
of course the old saying
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is that grace is God's
unmerited favor toward us.
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A grace is God's mercy
in dealing with our sinners.
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It's how God gets us from
this place into His place.
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And Jesus said this in
Matthew 4:4, "It is written,
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'Man shall not
live on bread alone,
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but on every word that
comes from the mouth of God.'"
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Jesus said, we needed
to feed on the Word of God
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because it is, the Word
of God is the bread of life.
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If I don't feed
on the bread of life,
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I'm going to just in my soul,
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Dave, I'm going to
shrivel up and die.
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We live in a world
where we are bombarded
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by carnality
left, right and center.
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We turn on the television,
most of it is just carnality,
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it is sin, it is pouring
out and it goes into our souls
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and we've got to
have some defenses
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against the
world in which we live.
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And therefore we need to
have some time everyday for God
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and for Christ and to
feed on the Word of God.
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Dave, in every Christian
soul there are two natures
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that are
striving for the mastery.
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That is the own
nature of self and sin
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and we're born with it, Dave.
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And then there is a
new spiritual nature
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that God puts into our hearts
when we become born again.
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The nature that
you feed is the nature
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that is going to win
the battle in your life.
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If you feed on carnality,
if you feed on the gunk
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that comes out of
the television tube,
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if you feed on
sensuality and violence,
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you become sensual and violent.
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By beholding we're
changed, people say,
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it doesn't
matter what you look at.
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That's nonsense.
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What you look at turns you
into what you're looking at.
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But if you feed on God's word,
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30 minutes a day,
if you feed on Christ
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then the word of
God will get inside you
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and this lady will find that
she will become a new person.
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What you said
sparks a thought for me.
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So many of us are
into physical fitness.
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You know, 30 minutes a day
of exercise is so good for us.
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Yeah, got to.
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How about 30 minutes
of spiritual exercise?
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Dave-- Dave, you
are absolutely correct.
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I'm into physical
exercise and you are too,
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because I want to stay strong
as I can for as long as I can.
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You've got to do
the same spiritually.
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You've got a spiritual nature.
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You got to feed it,
you got to exercise it,
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you've got to feed
it on the Word of God,
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you've got to share your faith,
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you need to go to
church, you need to pray
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and if this lady will do this
and stop walking by emotion,
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most people just
go by their emotions,
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by their gut feelings,
your can't trust your emotions.
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You've got to
learn to walk by faith.
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And if you walk
by faith with Jesus
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you're going to become strong
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and you're going
to win the battle.
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Her one question
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could be a whole
program but we're gonna--
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Oh, absolutely.
We're gonna move along.
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This comes form Maggie.
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It's a bit of a
long question. Yes.
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"Pastor Carter,
first, thank you for all
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that you do in the
name of Jesus Christ.
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I want you to
answer me this question.
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Why does the
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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continue with a
pro-choice policy
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and allow their SDA hospitals
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to perform abortion on
the scale of holocaust?
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I'm 100 percent against abortion
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and I take issue
with the churches policy,
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what I cannot
understand is why pastors
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such as yourself
are not calling out
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the church
leaders on this issue.
00:10:10.77\00:10:13.22
I believe that God gave us
the commandment not to murder
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and that we should obey it.
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Please tell me Pastor Carter,
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because I believe
you're a real man of God.
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How can I be part of this church
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when it goes
against what I believe
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God has commanded of us?
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I love Catholicism.
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When I saw the
light of its paganism
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and ungodly practices
and at first it was hard
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because I was so indoctrinated
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through 12 years of
catholic school and church.
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However, I want
to be for Christ,
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I want to be in
Christ and do His will.
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Please tell me why
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the Seventh-day
Adventist Church's pastors
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have not stood up
against this issue
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and changed its policy?"
00:10:57.73\00:11:00.71
That's a tough question. Yeah.
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Maggie, I hope
that I can help you.
00:11:03.26\00:11:07.27
Firstly, let me say this,
00:11:07.30\00:11:09.48
I'm not a
spokesperson for the church.
00:11:09.51\00:11:12.97
So I'm not authorized to
say the church ought to do this
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and the church ought to do that.
00:11:18.20\00:11:21.42
Let me read you a statement
00:11:21.45\00:11:25.34
from the Adventist
Church on abortion.
00:11:25.37\00:11:28.20
This is an official statement.
00:11:28.23\00:11:32.08
"The church does not serve
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his conscience for individuals."
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That's pretty important.
00:11:35.66\00:11:38.19
The church doesn't
serve as my conscience.
00:11:38.22\00:11:42.22
God is my, is the person
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who dictates my
conscience, not the church.
00:11:44.69\00:11:48.22
But some might say that
the church is instrument here.
00:11:48.25\00:11:52.07
Well, that's a good point, Dave,
00:11:52.10\00:11:56.33
but I would counter by saying,
we're not saved by the church
00:11:56.36\00:12:00.66
because the
church needs salvation.
00:12:00.69\00:12:03.25
The church needs to be saved
so how can the church save me.
00:12:03.28\00:12:07.40
That God has raised up
His church on the earth,
00:12:07.43\00:12:11.50
you and I believe this.
00:12:11.53\00:12:14.60
But I'm saved not by
looking to the church
00:12:14.63\00:12:17.12
or the leaders of the church,
but by looking to Christ.
00:12:17.15\00:12:21.26
"There's no other name
under heaven given among men
00:12:21.29\00:12:23.50
where by we must
be saved," Acts 4:12
00:12:23.53\00:12:27.53
and let me read
you the statement.
00:12:27.56\00:12:29.81
"The church does not serve
his conscience for individuals,"
00:12:29.84\00:12:32.63
this is from the
church leadership.
00:12:32.66\00:12:35.37
"However, it should
provide moral guidance.
00:12:35.40\00:12:38.90
Abortions for
reasons of birth control,
00:12:38.93\00:12:42.67
gender selection or convenience
00:12:42.70\00:12:45.97
are not condoned by the church."
00:12:46.00\00:12:49.61
So the Adventist
Church does not believe
00:12:49.64\00:12:51.63
in abortion on demand.
00:12:51.66\00:12:55.76
Women, at times,
00:12:55.79\00:12:56.88
however, may face
exceptional circumstances
00:12:56.91\00:13:00.39
that present serious
moral or medical dilemmas
00:13:00.42\00:13:05.05
such as significant threats
to the pregnant woman's life,
00:13:05.08\00:13:09.14
serious jeopardy to her health,
severe congenital defects,
00:13:09.17\00:13:14.76
carefully diagnosed in the fetus
00:13:14.79\00:13:17.97
and pregnancy
resulting from rape or incest.
00:13:18.00\00:13:22.72
The final decision
whether to terminate
00:13:22.75\00:13:24.80
the pregnancy or
not should be made
00:13:24.83\00:13:26.99
by the pregnant woman
after appropriate consultation.
00:13:27.02\00:13:32.08
She should be
aided in her decision
00:13:32.11\00:13:33.98
by accurate
information, biblical principles
00:13:34.01\00:13:37.72
and the guidance
of the Holy Spirit.
00:13:37.75\00:13:40.55
Moreover these
decisions are best made
00:13:40.58\00:13:42.94
within the context of
healthy family relationships."
00:13:42.97\00:13:47.42
Therefore I would say to Maggie,
00:13:47.45\00:13:50.98
Maggie, I'm not a, an authority
00:13:51.01\00:13:55.08
on the teachings of
the church leadership.
00:13:55.11\00:14:00.32
I'm not here to be
an authority on that
00:14:00.35\00:14:03.58
but the church does not
teach abortion on demand,
00:14:03.61\00:14:07.99
that is very plain.
00:14:08.02\00:14:09.55
But let me tell
you, she said now
00:14:09.58\00:14:13.69
why don't you do more?
00:14:13.72\00:14:16.37
Well, firstly Maggie,
let me say this to you,
00:14:16.40\00:14:18.85
let me look at you, Maggie,
let me look you in the eye,
00:14:18.88\00:14:22.56
I'm not
associated with any hospital,
00:14:22.59\00:14:26.24
I have no
influence upon any hospital.
00:14:26.27\00:14:29.95
I don't sit on
any hospital boards,
00:14:29.98\00:14:32.49
I do not know what
goes on in hospitals.
00:14:32.52\00:14:37.50
I just don't have
anything to do with it
00:14:37.53\00:14:39.56
but let me tell you now
personally what I believe.
00:14:39.59\00:14:45.21
I believe in the sacredness
of human life and I think
00:14:45.24\00:14:50.34
the Adventist church
believes that also but--
00:14:50.37\00:14:53.65
Before you go to that,
00:14:53.68\00:14:55.43
I want to come back
to that in just a moment
00:14:55.46\00:14:57.73
and I want people to
understand your view personally
00:14:57.76\00:15:01.66
and how the
Bible do answer this.
00:15:01.69\00:15:03.45
We're gonna take a
break for just a moment
00:15:03.48\00:15:04.87
to catch our breath
because this is quite a topic.
00:15:04.90\00:15:07.55
We'll be back in
just a moment here
00:15:07.58\00:15:09.50
on The Carter Report.
00:15:09.53\00:15:10.70
Did you ever have
a sense of destiny?
00:15:13.56\00:15:17.14
Did you ever feel that
God has put His hand upon you
00:15:17.17\00:15:19.84
for some tremendous task
that you really got a purpose
00:15:19.87\00:15:24.31
that God has called you
for such a time as this?
00:15:24.34\00:15:28.32
I have that sense,
that conviction today
00:15:28.35\00:15:31.79
because God is opening up
doors for us in Latin America.
00:15:31.82\00:15:37.07
And in Latin
America my good friend,
00:15:37.10\00:15:39.99
there's a revolution going on.
00:15:40.02\00:15:42.65
It's not a
revolution in the streets,
00:15:42.68\00:15:45.29
it is a revolution in
the hearts of men and women.
00:15:45.32\00:15:51.44
That's why The Carter Report
is going to go to El Salvador.
00:15:51.47\00:15:56.49
We're renting an outdoor stadium
00:15:56.52\00:15:58.62
with room for
more than 60,000 souls
00:15:58.65\00:16:03.77
and we're
planning a baptism in the--
00:16:03.80\00:16:05.79
on the Sabbath afternoon
00:16:05.82\00:16:07.27
of more than
5,000 born-again souls.
00:16:07.30\00:16:12.72
In El Salvador,
in Latin America,
00:16:12.75\00:16:16.81
where there's a
revolution going on,
00:16:16.84\00:16:18.76
where the Holy
Spirit is being poured at.
00:16:18.79\00:16:21.30
Don't you want to be a
part of this great purpose,
00:16:21.33\00:16:27.17
this great task,
00:16:27.20\00:16:28.98
this God designed
outreach to Latin America.
00:16:29.01\00:16:34.88
Would you please write to me
00:16:34.91\00:16:35.99
John Carter, PO Box 1900,
Thousand Oaks, California.
00:16:36.02\00:16:39.90
Tell me, I'm
going to support you.
00:16:39.93\00:16:42.54
Write to me in Australia.
00:16:42.57\00:16:43.65
Tell me I'm gonna support
the preaching of the gospel.
00:16:43.68\00:16:47.62
Write to me today,
and support the preaching
00:16:47.65\00:16:51.07
of the Word of
God, around the world
00:16:51.10\00:16:54.37
and right now
into Latin America.
00:16:54.40\00:16:57.68
Thank you and God bless you.
00:16:57.71\00:16:59.17
Welcome back to
the Carter Report
00:17:14.40\00:17:16.00
with pastor and
evangelist John Carter.
00:17:16.03\00:17:18.03
I'm Dave Deno and
today we're talking
00:17:18.06\00:17:20.19
about Hot
Potatoes, More Hot Potatoes.
00:17:20.22\00:17:22.97
It's a program
where we're picking up
00:17:23.00\00:17:24.90
some of our listeners letters
and answering their questions.
00:17:24.93\00:17:28.68
And we're right in
the middle of perhaps
00:17:28.71\00:17:30.59
one of the most controversial
issues of our day and age
00:17:30.62\00:17:34.54
and that is the
issue of abortion.
00:17:34.57\00:17:37.22
And the question is
coming from Maggie, pastor,
00:17:37.25\00:17:39.63
about why do
Seventh-day Adventist Churches
00:17:39.66\00:17:42.84
allow abortion when it is
so anathema to us as Christians
00:17:42.87\00:17:47.98
and you were about to
share your own personal view
00:17:48.01\00:17:50.80
and take a look at scripture.
00:17:50.83\00:17:52.88
Once again I'd say
to the TV audience,
00:17:52.91\00:17:55.37
Dave, the Adventist Church
00:17:55.40\00:17:57.16
does not believe officially
in abortion on demand.
00:17:57.19\00:18:02.18
What is done in
hospitals, I don't know.
00:18:02.21\00:18:05.34
I have no association with
them but I will tell Maggie
00:18:05.37\00:18:09.77
what I personally
believe on this subject.
00:18:09.80\00:18:12.70
I'll turn to Jeremiah 1:4-5,
00:18:12.73\00:18:16.75
"The word of the
Lord came to me, saying,
00:18:16.78\00:18:18.75
'Before I formed you
in the womb I knew you,
00:18:18.78\00:18:23.52
before you were
born I set you apart,
00:18:23.55\00:18:27.76
I appointed you as a
prophet to the nations.'
00:18:27.79\00:18:31.13
Our Sovereign Lord, I said,
00:18:31.16\00:18:33.79
'I do not know how to
speak, I am only a child.'"
00:18:33.82\00:18:37.26
Now some people will
come and say to me well,
00:18:37.29\00:18:39.36
that which is in
the mother's womb
00:18:39.39\00:18:43.30
is not very important.
00:18:43.33\00:18:46.39
It is not a human
being, it is a fetus.
00:18:46.42\00:18:52.21
God says right
there, I knew you.
00:18:52.24\00:18:56.52
God knew me before I was born.
00:18:56.55\00:19:02.19
And, Dave, this one big
problem in our world today,
00:19:02.22\00:19:05.18
the world is got
so much influence
00:19:05.21\00:19:07.89
and secularism is so strong here
00:19:07.92\00:19:11.36
in North America
and in Australia,
00:19:11.39\00:19:13.99
that secularism
is even influencing
00:19:14.02\00:19:17.85
conservative Christians
to go the way of the world.
00:19:17.88\00:19:22.47
Let me say it to you, Maggie,
00:19:22.50\00:19:23.64
you need to put
your eyes on Jesus
00:19:23.67\00:19:25.39
and you need to follow Christ.
00:19:25.42\00:19:27.99
Christ saves you.
00:19:28.02\00:19:30.52
Another question and this gets
right down into the heart of,
00:19:30.55\00:19:34.28
"How do I know
that I'm a Christian?"
00:19:34.31\00:19:37.59
It comes from Isaac,
00:19:37.62\00:19:40.56
"How can I be sure
I am a part of Christ?
00:19:40.59\00:19:44.62
Does my behavior have anything
to do with my salvation?"
00:19:44.65\00:19:51.65
Somebody said, Dave,
00:19:51.68\00:19:52.93
as I turn up a
text in Matthew 7,
00:19:52.96\00:19:55.51
you don't have to be saved,
00:19:55.54\00:19:58.03
you don't have to
be good to be saved,
00:19:58.06\00:20:01.17
but you do need to
be saved to be good.
00:20:01.20\00:20:05.62
And so you don't have
to be good to be saved,
00:20:05.65\00:20:07.96
but you do need to
be saved to be good.
00:20:07.99\00:20:13.23
If a person's
life is no different
00:20:13.26\00:20:16.22
after he came to
"Christ" than before
00:20:16.25\00:20:20.33
than he really
hasn't come to Christ.
00:20:20.36\00:20:22.50
Because coming to Christ
makes a tremendous difference.
00:20:22.53\00:20:26.05
Matthew 7:21 and onwards,
"Not everyone who says to me,
00:20:26.08\00:20:31.08
'Lord, Lord,' will
enter the kingdom of heaven,
00:20:31.11\00:20:34.60
but only he who does the will
of my Father who is in heaven.
00:20:34.63\00:20:39.15
Many will say to me
on that day, 'Lord, Lord,
00:20:39.18\00:20:41.98
did we not prophesy in your name
00:20:42.01\00:20:44.05
and in your
name drive out demons
00:20:44.08\00:20:46.21
and perform many miracles?'
00:20:46.24\00:20:48.42
Then I will tell them
plainly, 'I never knew You.
00:20:48.45\00:20:51.84
Away from me, you evildoers!'"
00:20:51.87\00:20:55.58
He's not just doing the
talk, He's walking the walk.
00:20:55.61\00:21:00.54
And when a
person comes to Christ,
00:21:00.57\00:21:02.26
John Chapter 3, Jesus said,
"You got to be born again."
00:21:02.29\00:21:05.91
So when a person,
Dave, is actually born again
00:21:05.94\00:21:08.80
by the Holy Spirit,
he becomes a new person.
00:21:08.83\00:21:12.99
Oh, no, he's not
a perfect person.
00:21:13.02\00:21:14.64
He's gonna make mistakes,
he's gonna stumble and fall
00:21:14.67\00:21:17.19
but he's going
to be a new person.
00:21:17.22\00:21:19.50
There is a new
trend in the life.
00:21:19.53\00:21:21.79
So remember you don't
have to be good to be saved,
00:21:21.82\00:21:24.95
but you do need to
be saved to be good.
00:21:24.98\00:21:27.19
Let's go over to
James for just a moment,
00:21:27.22\00:21:28.90
I have marked this in my Bible
00:21:28.93\00:21:30.56
for this very
question and this discussion
00:21:30.59\00:21:33.05
because we're talking
about faith and works here.
00:21:33.08\00:21:36.27
Yes, yes, yes.
00:21:36.30\00:21:37.34
And so for many, many Christians
00:21:37.37\00:21:39.06
this is a very
difficult balance to understand.
00:21:39.09\00:21:44.21
Over in James in
Chapter 2 beginning in verse 14,
00:21:44.24\00:21:50.78
I'll just take two of the
verses that deal with this.
00:21:50.81\00:21:52.74
Verse 14, "What use is
it, my brother, if a man says
00:21:52.77\00:21:57.68
he has faith
but he has no works?
00:21:57.71\00:22:00.75
Can that faith save him?"
00:22:00.78\00:22:03.47
And then later in
verse 17, "Even so faith,
00:22:03.50\00:22:06.75
if it has no works, is
dead, being by itself."
00:22:06.78\00:22:11.66
That's quite a text, isn't it?
00:22:11.69\00:22:12.76
It is. Yeah.
00:22:12.79\00:22:14.98
So what are we to believe about
00:22:15.01\00:22:17.36
the relationship
between faith and works.
00:22:17.39\00:22:20.14
We read in Ephesians,
we are not saved by works,
00:22:20.17\00:22:24.53
we are saved by faith
00:22:24.56\00:22:25.87
and even that faith
is given to us by God.
00:22:25.90\00:22:27.89
Yes, it is.
00:22:27.92\00:22:28.95
We are not saved by faith,
we are saved through faith.
00:22:28.98\00:22:32.53
Okay.
00:22:32.56\00:22:35.39
I'm not saved by faith and works
00:22:35.42\00:22:38.19
but I'm saved by
a faith that works.
00:22:38.22\00:22:42.53
A genuine faith
will demonstrate itself
00:22:42.56\00:22:45.44
in obedience to God.
00:22:45.47\00:22:47.89
Now the false
prophets were great
00:22:47.92\00:22:49.49
and many people today are great,
00:22:49.52\00:22:51.13
talking about Jesus,
hallelujah, praise the Lord.
00:22:51.16\00:22:54.90
Lof of them talk about Jesus
00:22:54.93\00:22:56.91
but there's no walking the walk.
00:22:56.94\00:22:59.52
So what's you've read there,
00:22:59.55\00:23:00.65
you know, it's
so pertinent, Dave.
00:23:00.68\00:23:03.44
True Christianity changes me
and makes me a better person.
00:23:03.47\00:23:08.27
It gets down to the whole
issue in this faith and works.
00:23:08.30\00:23:13.29
It gets back
over to fruit as well.
00:23:13.32\00:23:16.75
It is one thing to say I believe
00:23:16.78\00:23:19.47
but if your life has no fruit
00:23:19.50\00:23:23.47
then perhaps not
so much to others,
00:23:23.50\00:23:26.02
should they
believe you're a Christian
00:23:26.05\00:23:27.16
but perhaps you need to
take a look at that yourself.
00:23:27.19\00:23:30.16
Absolutely.
00:23:30.19\00:23:31.48
Somebody said, I don't
know who said it but an apple
00:23:31.51\00:23:34.88
it doesn't make an apple tree,
and apple tree makes apples.
00:23:34.91\00:23:38.83
So if you're once the
pair of God comes inside you
00:23:38.86\00:23:42.37
then the apples are
going to come on the tree.
00:23:42.40\00:23:45.83
We have just a moment left
00:23:45.86\00:23:46.90
and I want to
cover one more question.
00:23:46.93\00:23:48.53
We have about two minutes or
so left in our time together.
00:23:48.56\00:23:51.74
This comes from Sam, "Dear
sir, the Bible clearly teaches
00:23:51.77\00:23:55.57
that liars will
not go to heaven,
00:23:55.60\00:23:58.99
verses like Revelation 21:8,
why then, do so many Christians
00:23:59.02\00:24:06.19
seem to not worry
about being untruthful?"
00:24:06.22\00:24:10.89
Well, we're getting
some tough ones today.
00:24:10.92\00:24:13.04
I mean-- Yeah, I know.
00:24:13.07\00:24:19.20
I live in, I've
worked in Los Angeles
00:24:19.23\00:24:21.35
for 25 or 26 years
00:24:21.38\00:24:24.99
it has a name
for being a culture
00:24:25.02\00:24:27.96
that does a lot of lying
00:24:27.99\00:24:30.43
but some of the
most honest people
00:24:30.46\00:24:31.89
I've met in my
life are in Los Angeles.
00:24:31.92\00:24:35.64
Willy Jordan, the
Fred Jordan Mission
00:24:35.67\00:24:38.80
straight as a gun
barrel, yes is yes and no is no.
00:24:38.83\00:24:44.75
The text he quoted
in Revelation 21 says,
00:24:44.78\00:24:47.76
there'll be no liars
in the kingdom of God.
00:24:47.79\00:24:50.96
I think the answer, Dave,
is this we live in a culture
00:24:50.99\00:24:55.11
that is predisposed to lying,
people lie about everything.
00:24:55.14\00:25:00.10
But when Christ comes into
your heart the liar goes out.
00:25:00.13\00:25:06.66
When Christ comes
in the liar goes out.
00:25:06.69\00:25:10.44
Jesus said let your yes
be yes and your no be no.
00:25:10.47\00:25:14.75
Anything more than this
comes from the evil one.
00:25:14.78\00:25:18.39
I believe there's
an answer to this,
00:25:18.42\00:25:20.23
Dave, it is the integrity
00:25:20.26\00:25:23.74
that is found by
genuine Christianity
00:25:23.77\00:25:28.16
that comes by the grace of
God through the Holy Scriptures.
00:25:28.19\00:25:33.44
And that is why for
years as a pastor I've said,
00:25:33.47\00:25:37.34
read your Bible every day.
00:25:37.37\00:25:39.41
And if we will read
our Bibles every day
00:25:39.44\00:25:42.38
the Word of God changes us.
00:25:42.41\00:25:45.93
I work in a world of advertising
00:25:45.96\00:25:49.17
for a good part of my day.
00:25:49.20\00:25:51.73
We have a little
saying WIFM, W-I-F-M.
00:25:51.76\00:25:57.42
We live in a
culture that lives by WIFM,
00:25:57.45\00:26:00.07
what's in it for me?
00:26:00.10\00:26:02.16
Yeah.
00:26:02.19\00:26:03.22
And as Christians
we're not immune from that.
00:26:03.25\00:26:06.13
No, we're not.
00:26:06.16\00:26:07.84
And therefore we may
not, we would say not lie,
00:26:07.87\00:26:13.39
we may say that we would simply
00:26:13.42\00:26:17.76
you know, be more
convenient in what we say.
00:26:17.79\00:26:19.72
Yes, yes.
00:26:19.75\00:26:20.78
We come up with all
kinds of ways of excusing,
00:26:20.81\00:26:25.34
being less than truthful.
00:26:25.37\00:26:27.62
We live in a culture
that is all in it for them
00:26:27.65\00:26:31.04
and it touches us in our lives.
00:26:31.07\00:26:34.37
How do we fight against that
and take that out of our lives?
00:26:34.40\00:26:40.25
Paul said in Romans and I think
00:26:40.28\00:26:42.67
it's Philips
translation, Romans 12, he said,
00:26:42.70\00:26:46.49
don't let the world around you
00:26:46.52\00:26:50.11
squeeze you into its own mould.
00:26:50.14\00:26:57.20
We have a pagan
culture. Hey, is it you?
00:26:57.23\00:26:59.75
No, what about the apostles,
00:26:59.78\00:27:01.37
and the early Christians
in the Pagan Roman Empire?
00:27:01.40\00:27:05.03
What about
Christians in Russia, India,
00:27:05.06\00:27:08.88
and Saudi Arabia and
some of these countries
00:27:08.91\00:27:11.91
which are quite
opposed to Christ?
00:27:11.94\00:27:17.35
One must make a
conscious decision,
00:27:17.38\00:27:20.57
I'm not going to
allow the world around me
00:27:20.60\00:27:24.93
squeeze me into
its way of thinking.
00:27:24.96\00:27:27.29
I'm not going to be conformed
to the ways of the world.
00:27:27.32\00:27:29.62
I'm not going to be conformed
00:27:29.65\00:27:31.89
but I'm going to be transformed.
00:27:31.92\00:27:34.49
And unfortunately we could talk
for another program about this.
00:27:34.52\00:27:38.51
And we've come to the
end of our time together
00:27:38.54\00:27:40.09
but I think that's a
good place for us to stop
00:27:40.12\00:27:43.46
and let people think about that.
00:27:43.49\00:27:45.46
Now, we would love
to hear from you as well
00:27:45.49\00:27:47.38
and your support is what
makes this program possible.
00:27:47.41\00:27:52.05
You can write to us here
00:27:52.08\00:27:53.26
at The Carter
Report at PO Box 1900,
00:27:53.29\00:27:57.45
Thousand Oaks,
California, 91358.
00:27:57.48\00:28:02.80
Elsewhere in the
world you can reach us at
00:28:02.83\00:28:04.85
PO Box 861, Terrigal,
00:28:04.88\00:28:08.11
NSW 2260, Australia.
00:28:08.14\00:28:13.58
You can email us at
info@cartereport.org
00:28:13.61\00:28:17.78
and take a look at our
website www.cartereport.org
00:28:17.81\00:28:23.87
This has been such a
great moment to be with you
00:28:23.90\00:28:26.87
and we hope it has
been very helpful for you.
00:28:26.90\00:28:29.22
John, thank you so
much. Thank you, Dave.
00:28:29.25\00:28:31.26
Thank you for joining us.
00:28:31.29\00:28:32.32