I'm John Carter in Moscow. 00:00:02.13\00:00:04.67 In Havana, Cuba. 00:00:04.70\00:00:07.37 Now in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. 00:00:07.40\00:00:10.61 I'm John Carter in Petra. 00:00:10.64\00:00:13.51 Right here in Communist China. 00:00:13.54\00:00:16.48 Reporting from India. 00:00:16.51\00:00:18.58 Hi, I'm John Carter in the Solomon Islands. 00:00:18.61\00:00:21.55 I'm John Carter in Soweto. 00:00:21.58\00:00:24.09 From El Salvador. 00:00:24.12\00:00:26.35 I'm John Carter in Sydney, Australia. 00:00:26.39\00:00:29.42 John Carter will help you today in discovering God's will. 00:00:29.46\00:00:33.13 I've had lots of people 00:00:37.17\00:00:39.33 over my lifetime come to me and say, 00:00:39.37\00:00:42.70 "How can I really know 00:00:42.74\00:00:46.37 that I'm doing what God wants me to do?" 00:00:46.41\00:00:50.45 We're gonna talk today 00:00:50.48\00:00:51.81 about a really important question 00:00:51.85\00:00:53.45 in the lives of millions of people. 00:00:53.48\00:00:55.42 And that is 00:00:55.45\00:00:57.05 discovering God's will for your life. 00:00:57.09\00:01:00.42 Most people, 00:01:04.26\00:01:06.33 deep down inside, 00:01:06.36\00:01:08.23 really want to do what God wants them to do. 00:01:08.26\00:01:11.87 It's a very, very good question and wise people ask it 00:01:11.90\00:01:15.34 because it's not safe outside His will. 00:01:15.37\00:01:20.74 You know what I'm talking about. 00:01:20.78\00:01:23.14 If you get outside the will of God, 00:01:23.18\00:01:26.98 it's not safe at all. 00:01:27.02\00:01:28.95 Now there're some good stories in the Bible about this. 00:01:28.98\00:01:31.49 One is the story of Abraham and Sarah. 00:01:31.52\00:01:34.76 You all know the story of Abraham and Sarah. 00:01:34.79\00:01:38.36 Apparently even when she was getting old, 00:01:38.39\00:01:40.76 she was still a very beautiful woman. 00:01:40.80\00:01:44.50 And God told them to go down to the land of Egypt. 00:01:44.53\00:01:47.14 And so Abraham said, 00:01:47.17\00:01:51.24 and he got his wife in on this act, 00:01:51.27\00:01:53.94 "She's my sister." 00:01:53.98\00:01:55.31 When you think about it, 00:01:55.34\00:01:56.68 it's pretty dangerous thing to do. 00:01:56.71\00:01:59.58 And Sarah said, "Hey, that's right. 00:01:59.61\00:02:02.35 He's my brother." 00:02:02.38\00:02:04.39 And then you know the story in the Book of Genesis 00:02:04.42\00:02:07.89 how Sarah is seen by the Pharaoh, 00:02:07.92\00:02:12.16 she must have been a... 00:02:12.19\00:02:16.50 Well, I better not say, you know, 00:02:16.53\00:02:18.77 but she must have been 00:02:18.80\00:02:20.27 extraordinarily beautiful. 00:02:20.30\00:02:23.94 And she was not a girl 00:02:23.97\00:02:27.41 because Pharaoh got her and put her in the harem. 00:02:27.44\00:02:32.21 And then, 00:02:32.25\00:02:33.58 God sent along a message to Pharaoh. 00:02:33.62\00:02:35.95 And it turned out all right 00:02:35.98\00:02:38.09 but it could've turned out very bad. 00:02:38.12\00:02:41.32 Abraham could've been killed 00:02:41.36\00:02:44.19 and Sarah could've been violated. 00:02:44.23\00:02:48.06 It's not safe outside the will of God. 00:02:48.10\00:02:50.50 Some people say, 00:02:50.53\00:02:51.87 "They're not bothered by lying." 00:02:51.90\00:02:55.40 Abraham was a good man, 00:02:55.44\00:02:56.97 but he was not a perfect man. 00:02:57.01\00:03:01.14 And it doesn't matter who you are, 00:03:01.18\00:03:02.94 when you lie, 00:03:02.98\00:03:04.65 you go down the path of perdition. 00:03:04.68\00:03:09.15 God took a lifetime to teach Abraham 00:03:09.18\00:03:12.15 that lying is bad, 00:03:12.19\00:03:14.32 is bad, is bad. 00:03:14.36\00:03:18.76 And so if you're a person who lies, 00:03:18.79\00:03:20.96 then, my friend, you are in a very dangerous situation. 00:03:21.00\00:03:25.57 God never condones lying. 00:03:25.60\00:03:28.87 But Abraham was a slow learner. 00:03:28.90\00:03:31.21 You think he would've learned his lesson. 00:03:31.24\00:03:33.54 "She is my sister. He is my brother." 00:03:33.58\00:03:36.95 When you come to Genesis 20:2 and 3, 00:03:36.98\00:03:43.25 you read a sequel. 00:03:43.28\00:03:44.62 Genesis 20:2 and 3. 00:03:44.65\00:03:50.99 Genesis 20:2 and 3 in the scriptures. 00:03:51.03\00:03:56.50 "Now Abraham said of Sarah, his wife, 00:03:56.53\00:03:58.67 'She is my sister.'" 00:03:58.70\00:04:01.40 This is few years later. 00:04:01.44\00:04:03.54 "And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 00:04:03.57\00:04:06.68 And God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, 00:04:06.71\00:04:09.21 and said to him, 'Indeed you are a dead man 00:04:09.24\00:04:13.92 because of the woman whom you have taken 00:04:13.95\00:04:16.12 for she is a man's wife.'" 00:04:16.15\00:04:19.95 Therefore, apparently, it seems to me 00:04:19.99\00:04:23.83 that the Almighty God has a healthy respect 00:04:23.86\00:04:29.06 for the institution of marriage. 00:04:29.10\00:04:32.37 And God is dead opposed 00:04:32.40\00:04:35.50 to the dreadful sin of lying 00:04:35.54\00:04:39.94 which is such a dangerous thing. 00:04:39.97\00:04:43.35 Sarah could've been harmed. 00:04:43.38\00:04:45.01 Abraham could've been killed. 00:04:45.05\00:04:47.95 So we need to discover God's will for our lives. 00:04:47.98\00:04:53.46 It's never safe to walk outside the will of God 00:04:53.49\00:04:56.89 and it's good to ask, 00:04:56.93\00:04:59.09 "Lord, what do You want me to do?" 00:04:59.13\00:05:03.53 So today, we're here to ponder 00:05:03.57\00:05:05.53 and answer this profoundly important question, 00:05:05.57\00:05:09.34 which is, how does a person... 00:05:09.37\00:05:11.74 How does God show me His will? 00:05:11.77\00:05:14.94 And many have asked this question. 00:05:14.98\00:05:16.95 "Should I take this job? 00:05:16.98\00:05:18.78 But does God want me to have this job. 00:05:18.81\00:05:20.88 Should I get another job? 00:05:20.92\00:05:23.55 Should I sell my house?" 00:05:23.59\00:05:25.45 Beverley and I are thinking right now 00:05:25.49\00:05:28.49 selling our house in the Thousand Oak. 00:05:28.52\00:05:30.63 So we got some people coming 00:05:30.66\00:05:33.29 to spiffy it up a bit next week. 00:05:33.33\00:05:36.67 "Should I marry this person?" 00:05:36.70\00:05:39.57 That's a question I've ever been asked ever. 00:05:39.60\00:05:43.27 Because people, when you come to marriage, 00:05:43.30\00:05:45.97 know what the will of God is. 00:05:46.01\00:05:48.71 They know exactly what they're going to do 00:05:48.74\00:05:51.51 because how they feel is the will of God. 00:05:51.55\00:05:57.05 "Should I send my children to such and such a school?" 00:05:57.09\00:06:00.59 It is never safe outside the will of God. 00:06:00.62\00:06:04.33 It is always safe and secure, and secure inside His will. 00:06:04.36\00:06:08.93 Now come with me in the Bible 00:06:08.96\00:06:10.57 to Ephesians 5:15 down to 17. 00:06:10.60\00:06:14.87 Ephesians 5:15 and onwards. 00:06:14.90\00:06:18.57 "See then that you walk circumspectly, 00:06:18.61\00:06:22.18 not as fools but as wise, 00:06:22.21\00:06:25.78 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 00:06:25.81\00:06:29.72 Therefore do not be unwise, 00:06:29.75\00:06:32.35 but understand what the will of the Lord is," 00:06:32.39\00:06:36.02 so the Bible says. 00:06:36.06\00:06:37.83 And these are rather strong words, 00:06:37.86\00:06:40.13 the Bible doesn't pull it, it punches. 00:06:40.16\00:06:42.16 The Bible says, "Don't be a fool." 00:06:42.20\00:06:45.47 And the Bible says, 00:06:45.50\00:06:46.84 "Understand what the will of God is." 00:06:46.87\00:06:49.74 Now here is a great statement. 00:06:49.77\00:06:51.14 I wish you could just get this down 00:06:51.17\00:06:52.74 inside the molecules of your mind. 00:06:52.77\00:06:54.88 Here it is. 00:06:54.91\00:06:56.38 "The will of God will never take you 00:06:56.41\00:06:59.78 where the grace of God cannot keep you." 00:06:59.81\00:07:03.05 Want you to think of this. 00:07:03.08\00:07:04.42 "The will of God will never take you 00:07:04.45\00:07:06.42 where the grace of God cannot keep you." 00:07:06.45\00:07:09.56 And so, if you are in the will of God, 00:07:09.59\00:07:13.83 then the grace of God will keep you safe. 00:07:13.86\00:07:18.37 The will of God will never take you 00:07:18.40\00:07:19.90 where the grace of God cannot keep you. 00:07:19.93\00:07:21.67 But if you get outside the will of God, 00:07:21.70\00:07:24.21 my friend, you are not safe. 00:07:24.24\00:07:27.71 I had an old theology teacher. His name was Nelson Burns. 00:07:27.74\00:07:31.51 He taught us this. 00:07:31.55\00:07:32.88 "You are immortal until your work on earth is done." 00:07:32.91\00:07:38.32 This has been a great comfort to me down through the years. 00:07:38.35\00:07:41.22 You are immortal until your work on earth is done 00:07:41.26\00:07:46.63 because my work has taken me 00:07:46.66\00:07:48.73 into many, many dangerous places. 00:07:48.76\00:07:51.77 I remember when we were running a big evangelistic campaign 00:07:51.80\00:07:55.67 in Harare, Zimbabwe. 00:07:55.70\00:07:57.97 It used to be called Rhodesia. 00:07:58.01\00:08:01.14 But then, of course, 00:08:01.18\00:08:02.51 with independence it got changed, 00:08:02.54\00:08:04.28 Harare, Zimbabwe. 00:08:04.31\00:08:06.41 And I was invited up to the television station 00:08:06.45\00:08:09.48 out in the jungle. 00:08:09.52\00:08:10.85 And I went out there, innocence abroad, 00:08:10.89\00:08:14.16 only to walk into a trap 00:08:14.19\00:08:16.39 where my life was placed in danger. 00:08:16.42\00:08:20.03 And I was marched off in the jungle, 00:08:20.06\00:08:22.73 down a jungle road as the sun was going down 00:08:22.76\00:08:27.00 with these soldiers with their guns in my back. 00:08:27.04\00:08:31.41 It's a comfort to know that the will of God 00:08:31.44\00:08:33.61 is not going to take you 00:08:33.64\00:08:34.98 where the grace of God cannot keep you. 00:08:35.01\00:08:36.85 And you are immortal 00:08:36.88\00:08:38.71 until your work on earth is done. 00:08:38.75\00:08:40.92 So nothing can touch you. 00:08:40.95\00:08:43.49 Nothing can harm one hair of your head 00:08:43.52\00:08:48.99 until God says so. 00:08:49.02\00:08:52.73 And I could tell you the story about it. 00:08:52.76\00:08:55.80 As they marched me off down the jungle road, 00:08:55.83\00:08:59.33 and as this terrorist 00:08:59.37\00:09:00.94 who was escorting them in his Peugeot car 00:09:00.97\00:09:04.21 was saying, "Get rid of this man. 00:09:04.24\00:09:06.21 Get rid of this white man." 00:09:06.24\00:09:08.14 As he turned around 00:09:11.81\00:09:13.95 leaving it to the soldiers to kill me, 00:09:13.98\00:09:16.99 they cried out one by one, 00:09:17.02\00:09:18.45 "Pastor Carter, we come to your meetings. 00:09:18.49\00:09:22.72 We come to your meetings. You're safe with us." 00:09:22.76\00:09:25.79 They got me to the meetings on time. 00:09:25.83\00:09:30.10 So you are immortal 00:09:30.13\00:09:31.93 until your work on earth is done. 00:09:31.97\00:09:35.34 The thing we have to fear 00:09:35.37\00:09:37.31 more than anything else is fear. 00:09:37.34\00:09:41.64 You hear this? 00:09:41.68\00:09:44.05 You're safe in His will. 00:09:44.08\00:09:45.41 So how can I know God's will for my life? 00:09:45.45\00:09:47.35 I'm going to give you a number of points. 00:09:47.38\00:09:48.75 If you're taking notes, 00:09:48.78\00:09:50.12 this is the time to start taking notes. 00:09:50.15\00:09:51.49 Number one. 00:09:51.52\00:09:52.85 God never leads me to break His commandments. 00:09:52.89\00:09:56.76 And so you don't need to pray and say, 00:09:56.79\00:09:58.39 "Well, should I break the commandments of God?" 00:09:58.43\00:10:01.63 God never leads me contrary to His commandments. 00:10:01.66\00:10:04.27 Isaiah 48:17 and 18. 00:10:04.30\00:10:07.30 Isaiah 48:17, 00:10:07.34\00:10:09.24 "Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, 00:10:09.27\00:10:11.54 the Holy One of Israel, I am the Lord your God, 00:10:11.57\00:10:13.94 I'm Yahweh Elohim, 00:10:13.98\00:10:15.81 who teaches you to profit, 00:10:15.84\00:10:17.18 who leads you by the way you should go. 00:10:17.21\00:10:19.95 Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! 00:10:19.98\00:10:22.65 Then your peace would have been like a river, 00:10:22.68\00:10:25.95 and your righteousness like the waves of the sea." 00:10:25.99\00:10:29.09 If you walk in God's commandments, 00:10:29.12\00:10:31.43 you are going to be in the will of God. 00:10:31.46\00:10:36.50 Let me read you this statement 00:10:36.53\00:10:37.87 from a famous German theologian. 00:10:37.90\00:10:42.27 "The moral laws are just as stable 00:10:42.30\00:10:45.14 as the law of gravitation. 00:10:45.17\00:10:47.84 Every fuzzy human chicken 00:10:47.88\00:10:52.01 that is hatched into this world 00:10:52.05\00:10:54.12 tries to fool with those laws. 00:10:54.15\00:10:56.55 Some grow wiser in the process and some do not. 00:10:56.58\00:10:59.15 We talk about breaking God's laws. 00:10:59.19\00:11:01.52 But after those laws have been broken several billion times 00:11:01.56\00:11:04.89 since Adam first tried to play with them, 00:11:04.93\00:11:07.66 those laws are still intact 00:11:07.70\00:11:10.27 and no seam or fracture is visible in them, 00:11:10.30\00:11:13.97 not even a scratch on the enamel. 00:11:14.00\00:11:18.74 But the lawbreakers, that is another story. 00:11:18.77\00:11:21.94 If you want to find their fragments, 00:11:21.98\00:11:23.51 go to the ruins of Egypt, 00:11:23.55\00:11:25.71 of Babylon, of Jerusalem, 00:11:25.75\00:11:28.22 study statistics, read faces, 00:11:28.25\00:11:31.95 keep your eyes open, visit Blackwell's Island, 00:11:31.99\00:11:37.46 walk through the graveyard 00:11:37.49\00:11:38.93 and read the invisible inscriptions 00:11:38.96\00:11:42.10 left by the Angel of Judgment, for instance, 00:11:42.13\00:11:45.70 'Here lie the fragments of John Smith, 00:11:45.73\00:11:49.00 who contradicted his Maker, 00:11:49.04\00:11:51.37 played football with the Ten Commandments, 00:11:51.41\00:11:54.54 and departed this life at the age of thirty-five. 00:11:54.58\00:11:58.21 His mother and wife, they weep for him. 00:11:58.25\00:12:01.48 Nobody else does. 00:12:01.52\00:12:03.89 May he rest in peace!' 00:12:03.92\00:12:05.25 "Professor Walter Rauschenbusch. 00:12:05.29\00:12:09.86 So God never leads you to violate 00:12:09.89\00:12:13.90 the commandments of God. 00:12:13.93\00:12:16.53 If you are thinking of leaving your wife 00:12:16.56\00:12:20.84 for another woman, 00:12:20.87\00:12:22.50 you don't need to pray about it. 00:12:22.54\00:12:24.17 You know the story of David with Bathsheba? 00:12:30.51\00:12:33.65 Huh? 00:12:33.68\00:12:35.38 A beautiful, voluptuous woman, 00:12:35.42\00:12:40.19 and the king who had tremendous power. 00:12:40.22\00:12:44.69 And she was taking a bask on the top of her house 00:12:44.73\00:12:50.07 just below the king's window. 00:12:50.10\00:12:52.40 Don't tell me she was innocence abroad. 00:12:52.43\00:12:57.01 Have you thought of the consequences 00:12:57.04\00:12:58.71 of what happened here? 00:12:58.74\00:13:01.48 Amnon 00:13:01.51\00:13:03.71 who raped his sister Tamar 00:13:03.75\00:13:08.05 and Absalom who killed him in response, 00:13:08.08\00:13:13.52 and then, there was a general mutiny and rebellion. 00:13:13.56\00:13:18.03 And the end was two dead, 00:13:18.06\00:13:21.56 Amnon, Absolom. 00:13:21.60\00:13:23.33 One woman raped and left a desolate woman 00:13:23.37\00:13:28.04 and thousands and thousands, 00:13:28.07\00:13:30.81 tens of thousands of dead soldiers. 00:13:30.84\00:13:35.44 Why? 00:13:35.48\00:13:39.91 Because the king didn't keep the commandments of God. 00:13:39.95\00:13:43.08 He gave into his lust. 00:13:43.12\00:13:44.75 He got outside the will of God. 00:13:49.76\00:13:51.86 He got outside the safety zone. 00:13:51.89\00:13:53.83 As soon as he got outside the Ten Commandments. 00:13:53.86\00:13:57.23 Look at 2 Corinthians 6:14 and 15. 00:13:57.27\00:14:01.17 Here's another why people get outside the commandments 00:14:01.20\00:14:05.27 and outside the will of God. 00:14:05.31\00:14:06.64 2 Corinthians 6:14 and 15. 00:14:06.68\00:14:09.54 Now I'm almost scared to read it to you 00:14:09.58\00:14:12.15 because not many people here believe this anymore. 00:14:12.18\00:14:15.35 "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. 00:14:15.38\00:14:20.22 For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? 00:14:20.26\00:14:24.36 And what communion has light with darkness? 00:14:24.39\00:14:27.46 And what accord has Christ with Belial?" 00:14:27.50\00:14:30.63 Now look at this. 00:14:30.67\00:14:32.00 "Or what part has a believer 00:14:32.03\00:14:34.47 with an unbeliever?" 00:14:34.50\00:14:39.31 The Bible says, who believe it says... 00:14:39.34\00:14:42.71 The Bible says, 00:14:42.74\00:14:44.08 "Believers should not get connected 00:14:44.11\00:14:46.61 and tied up with unbelievers." 00:14:46.65\00:14:49.95 There was one person I greatly respected 00:14:49.98\00:14:53.59 even though we would not agree on every bit of theology. 00:14:53.62\00:14:57.46 And that was Dr. Billy Graham. 00:14:57.49\00:15:00.60 And I heard him preach with a Bible in his hand. 00:15:00.63\00:15:04.17 A preacher of God, 00:15:04.20\00:15:06.67 not a whispering hope, 00:15:06.70\00:15:08.47 not a wimp, 00:15:08.50\00:15:10.31 not a coward. 00:15:10.34\00:15:12.94 Not a compromising, ecclesiastical politician. 00:15:12.97\00:15:19.65 The church today is full of those individuals. 00:15:19.68\00:15:22.62 Billy preaching said, 00:15:22.65\00:15:24.65 "If you're going with an unbeliever, 00:15:24.69\00:15:28.46 young lady, drop him and drop him quick." 00:15:28.49\00:15:33.73 And, of course, Billy was right. 00:15:33.76\00:15:37.37 But we don't preach these things today 00:15:37.40\00:15:39.50 because these things will offend the congregation. 00:15:39.53\00:15:43.27 I say, "Offend them." 00:15:43.30\00:15:46.14 Where are the preachers today? 00:15:46.17\00:15:47.84 We don't need to pray about 00:15:47.88\00:15:49.21 what God has already revealed in His Word. 00:15:49.24\00:15:51.41 A man came to me, a businessman. 00:15:51.45\00:15:53.42 He said, "Pastor Carter, pray for me." 00:15:53.45\00:15:55.78 I thought he's going to give a big donation. 00:15:55.82\00:15:57.39 I said, "Certainly. 00:15:57.42\00:15:59.19 How long do you want the prayer to be?" 00:15:59.22\00:16:03.66 Now let me be serious. 00:16:03.69\00:16:05.16 He said to me, "My business partner..." 00:16:05.19\00:16:08.13 He said, "I shouldn't have joined up with this man 00:16:08.16\00:16:11.20 because he is a complete unbeliever 00:16:11.23\00:16:14.17 and he's robbed me of $60,000." 00:16:14.20\00:16:19.67 I said, "I will certainly pray for you. 00:16:19.71\00:16:21.68 Of course, I will that you'll get the money back. 00:16:21.71\00:16:25.01 But you violated the law of God. 00:16:25.05\00:16:27.18 How can you expect God to bless you?" 00:16:27.22\00:16:29.72 God says, "Don't be unequally 00:16:29.75\00:16:31.35 yoked together with unbelievers." 00:16:31.39\00:16:33.69 You don't need to pray about a situation 00:16:33.72\00:16:36.02 that will involve us in lying, cheating, stealing, 00:16:36.06\00:16:40.73 committing adultery, et cetera, et cetera. 00:16:40.76\00:16:45.50 So the first point is this. 00:16:45.53\00:16:47.27 God never leads me in a situation 00:16:47.30\00:16:49.87 where I will be breaking His commandments. 00:16:49.90\00:16:55.11 Number one. Number two. 00:16:55.14\00:16:57.68 God reveals His will to us by opening and closing doors. 00:16:57.71\00:17:03.12 This is something that is very precious 00:17:03.15\00:17:04.95 to the early Americans. 00:17:04.99\00:17:06.32 It is called the providence of God. 00:17:06.35\00:17:09.09 I believe in the providence of God. 00:17:09.12\00:17:11.79 I believe God leads us by opening and closing doors. 00:17:11.83\00:17:16.06 Let me give you a story. 00:17:16.10\00:17:18.23 You know the story of Abraham. 00:17:18.27\00:17:21.24 And he had a son by the name of Isaac. 00:17:21.27\00:17:24.67 He said, "I do not want my son to marry a daughter 00:17:24.71\00:17:29.71 of an unbeliever." 00:17:29.74\00:17:32.45 Because marriage between believers and unbelievers 00:17:32.48\00:17:36.08 is forbidden in the Word of God. 00:17:36.12\00:17:38.35 If you don't believe this, 00:17:38.39\00:17:39.72 it's because you don't believe the Bible. 00:17:39.75\00:17:43.26 So Abraham said to his servant, 00:17:43.29\00:17:45.79 "I want you to go back to my father's house 00:17:45.83\00:17:48.76 and find a girl 00:17:48.80\00:17:51.03 who'll be suitable for my son, Isaac." 00:17:51.07\00:17:56.00 And you know the story. 00:17:56.04\00:17:57.37 The man who would be Isaac's servant one day, 00:18:01.48\00:18:05.95 or Abraham's present servant 00:18:05.98\00:18:08.42 sets out for the land of Mesopotamia. 00:18:08.45\00:18:13.25 It's a great story. 00:18:13.29\00:18:14.62 If you look at Genesis 24:27, 00:18:14.66\00:18:19.76 dear hearts and gentle people, 00:18:19.79\00:18:21.83 Genesis 24:27. 00:18:21.86\00:18:24.53 "And he said, 00:18:24.57\00:18:25.90 'Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, 00:18:25.93\00:18:29.64 who has not forsaken His mercy 00:18:29.67\00:18:31.87 and His truth towards my master. 00:18:31.91\00:18:34.41 As for me, being on the way, 00:18:34.44\00:18:37.48 the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren.'" 00:18:37.51\00:18:41.25 So he sets out and he says, 00:18:41.28\00:18:43.25 "God, I don't know what to do. 00:18:43.28\00:18:46.32 But I just pray that You're going to lead me. 00:18:46.35\00:18:49.19 I pray that you're going to guide me." 00:18:49.22\00:18:51.66 And he gets there at the time of the day. 00:18:51.69\00:18:53.83 He gets to the village well and all the women, 00:18:53.86\00:18:57.23 and all of the young women 00:18:57.27\00:18:58.93 are coming there to draw water. 00:18:58.97\00:19:02.54 You know the story. 00:19:02.57\00:19:04.71 He says, "God, what am I going to do? 00:19:04.74\00:19:07.68 What am I going to do?" 00:19:07.71\00:19:09.04 He says, "God, could You lead me, 00:19:09.08\00:19:11.05 could You open a door, could You close a door." 00:19:11.08\00:19:13.82 Could it be that the maiden who says, 00:19:13.85\00:19:16.52 "Would you like a drink?" 00:19:16.55\00:19:18.29 And I'll pour some water for your camels? 00:19:18.32\00:19:22.22 Might it be that this is a sign? 00:19:22.26\00:19:24.79 This will be an opening providence. 00:19:24.83\00:19:28.46 You read about this in Genesis 24:12 to 14. 00:19:28.50\00:19:34.44 It is a great and wonderful story. 00:19:34.47\00:19:38.51 Genesis 24:12 to 14. 00:19:38.54\00:19:43.58 "Then he said, 00:19:43.61\00:19:44.95 'O Lord God, Yahweh Elohim of my master Abraham, 00:19:44.98\00:19:49.18 please give me success this day, 00:19:49.22\00:19:51.72 show kindness to my master Abraham. 00:19:51.75\00:19:54.92 Behold, here I stand by the well of water, 00:19:54.96\00:19:59.19 and the daughters of the men of the city 00:19:59.23\00:20:01.00 are coming out to draw water. 00:20:01.03\00:20:04.07 Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, 00:20:04.10\00:20:06.67 'Please let down your pitcher 00:20:06.70\00:20:09.00 that I may drink, and she says, 00:20:09.04\00:20:10.91 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink,' 00:20:10.94\00:20:14.51 let her be the one 00:20:14.54\00:20:16.95 You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. 00:20:16.98\00:20:19.78 And by this I will know 00:20:19.81\00:20:21.72 that You have shown kindness to my master.'" 00:20:21.75\00:20:25.35 And you know exactly what happens. 00:20:25.39\00:20:29.42 The girl comes out. Her name is Rebecca. 00:20:29.46\00:20:33.76 Listen carefully to this 00:20:33.80\00:20:35.50 because those of you who are spiritually minded 00:20:35.53\00:20:39.53 will understand this. 00:20:39.57\00:20:42.60 The servant of Abraham, 00:20:42.64\00:20:46.04 a believer in Yahweh Elohim, 00:20:46.07\00:20:49.81 was in the right place 00:20:49.84\00:20:53.55 at the right time 00:20:53.58\00:20:56.32 for the right person. 00:20:56.35\00:20:59.39 So God was opening doors, 00:20:59.42\00:21:02.32 and God was closing doors. 00:21:02.36\00:21:04.99 Therefore, I say to you, 00:21:05.03\00:21:06.90 "Watch for the providences of God." 00:21:06.93\00:21:09.43 Let me tell you some stories. 00:21:09.46\00:21:12.63 We're shortly going to the great city of Manila. 00:21:12.67\00:21:14.84 By the grace of God, 00:21:14.87\00:21:16.20 it has been tremendously difficult 00:21:16.24\00:21:18.54 working in the Philippines. 00:21:18.57\00:21:20.21 Why are we going to Manila? 00:21:20.24\00:21:21.94 Let me tell my Australian friends, 00:21:21.98\00:21:24.35 let me tell my American friends. 00:21:24.38\00:21:26.51 We are going to Manila because I still believe. 00:21:26.55\00:21:31.79 I'm a pastor who still believes that Jesus said, 00:21:31.82\00:21:36.69 "Go into all the world and preach the gospel." 00:21:36.73\00:21:38.46 I believe this. 00:21:38.49\00:21:41.03 I can't see in my conscience. 00:21:41.06\00:21:43.53 I can't compromise my conscience. 00:21:43.57\00:21:46.03 I believe this. 00:21:46.07\00:21:48.67 David, my son, and I went there in January. 00:21:48.70\00:21:52.54 We went there for a week. 00:21:52.57\00:21:54.34 We were butting our heads up. 00:21:54.38\00:21:56.04 It seemed against every war, it was difficult. 00:21:56.08\00:21:59.11 We couldn't get a place. 00:21:59.15\00:22:01.12 And then later on, 00:22:01.15\00:22:02.48 we decided that we would try to get 00:22:02.52\00:22:04.02 this great and famous place not as big as we wanted. 00:22:04.05\00:22:06.69 It is called 00:22:06.72\00:22:08.06 the Philippine International Convention Center. 00:22:08.09\00:22:10.56 I've run meetings there before. 00:22:10.59\00:22:12.06 It is magnificent, and it is the premium theater 00:22:12.09\00:22:15.83 in that part of the world. 00:22:15.86\00:22:17.53 But we couldn't get the bookings made. 00:22:17.57\00:22:20.04 Blocked every way. 00:22:20.07\00:22:22.24 Is it available? Well, may be. 00:22:22.27\00:22:24.57 Can we get it? Well, may be. 00:22:24.61\00:22:26.14 So I sent Pastor Harker 00:22:26.17\00:22:28.11 and even though he was recovering 00:22:28.14\00:22:29.98 from a serious operation, 00:22:30.01\00:22:31.95 he got on a plane and flew from Sydney 00:22:31.98\00:22:34.32 eight hours up to Manila 00:22:34.35\00:22:35.68 even though he was suffering. 00:22:35.72\00:22:37.15 And he spent a week there. 00:22:37.19\00:22:39.25 And he made some progress 00:22:39.29\00:22:40.89 and we saw doors start to open a little bit more. 00:22:40.92\00:22:44.96 And then I sent 00:22:44.99\00:22:46.43 Dr. John Hammond from Australia. 00:22:46.46\00:22:49.06 These are my great friends. 00:22:49.10\00:22:50.47 This is a providence of God that I have these friends. 00:22:50.50\00:22:53.54 And he met up there in Manila with a pastor, 00:22:53.57\00:22:56.37 whose name is Pastor June 00:22:56.40\00:22:58.27 and they worked together. 00:22:58.31\00:22:59.71 And after months and months of frustration, 00:22:59.74\00:23:02.98 we finally signed a contract and we got it. 00:23:03.01\00:23:07.82 This is not for the faint of heart. 00:23:07.85\00:23:10.49 You've gotta believe 00:23:10.52\00:23:12.52 that God is with you and God is opening doors. 00:23:12.55\00:23:15.52 Now, this is true in our lives. 00:23:19.09\00:23:21.43 In Moscow, 1991, we ran a very successful campaign 00:23:21.46\00:23:25.13 in the city of Moscow. 00:23:25.17\00:23:27.57 The first ever public evangelistic campaign 00:23:27.60\00:23:31.74 by a foreigner in the history of Russia, 00:23:31.77\00:23:35.44 the Soviet Union. 00:23:35.48\00:23:37.75 And after that campaign, the Russian people came to me 00:23:37.78\00:23:40.58 and they said, "Would you have enough faith to rent 00:23:40.62\00:23:45.29 the whole of congresses in the Kremlin?" 00:23:45.32\00:23:49.82 These were heady high days. Revolution was going on. 00:23:49.86\00:23:54.53 So we put a booking on it. 00:23:54.56\00:23:56.50 And we secured the Kremlin Auditorium 00:23:56.53\00:24:01.14 for a great evangelistic series. 00:24:01.17\00:24:06.27 But it never happened. 00:24:06.31\00:24:07.64 I'm not gonna tell you the story, 00:24:11.05\00:24:14.08 but was taken from us. 00:24:14.12\00:24:15.62 This was a bit of disappointment for me, 00:24:19.45\00:24:22.52 but was good for me 00:24:22.56\00:24:23.99 because it taught me not to trust in people 00:24:24.03\00:24:27.83 but to trust in God. 00:24:27.86\00:24:30.67 Because people even those who profess godliness 00:24:30.70\00:24:36.04 will let you down. 00:24:36.07\00:24:37.41 In 1992, 00:24:37.44\00:24:38.77 because we were not allowed to go to the Kremlin 00:24:38.81\00:24:40.68 after we paid all this money, 00:24:40.71\00:24:42.58 we were sent to Nizhny Novgorod. 00:24:42.61\00:24:45.45 And that was a close city. 00:24:45.48\00:24:47.15 We went from the whole of congresses to this place. 00:24:47.18\00:24:51.75 But there we saw as never before 00:24:51.79\00:24:55.06 in the history of Russia, 00:24:55.09\00:24:57.23 the power of God. 00:24:57.26\00:24:59.39 Thousands, thousands, 00:24:59.43\00:25:01.50 tens of thousands coming to God. 00:25:01.53\00:25:03.53 Russia had never seen anything like it before. 00:25:03.57\00:25:06.97 And because of these meetings, 00:25:07.00\00:25:12.64 Danny Shelton came with me to support me 00:25:12.67\00:25:15.11 and to stand with me. 00:25:15.14\00:25:16.64 It's good to have a friend. 00:25:16.68\00:25:19.08 These are pictures of the baptisms. 00:25:19.11\00:25:21.22 Thousands are being baptized. 00:25:21.25\00:25:24.75 History. And then Danny got the vision. 00:25:24.79\00:25:28.52 And the Spirit of God came upon him. 00:25:28.56\00:25:30.39 And he established this 3ABN center 00:25:30.43\00:25:36.20 in Nizhny Novgorod, 00:25:36.23\00:25:38.07 which is the largest Protestant building in all of Russia. 00:25:38.10\00:25:43.27 You say, "Never heard of it." You will. 00:25:43.30\00:25:44.91 And I'll be back soon 00:25:49.71\00:25:52.25 with more amazing stories. 00:25:52.28\00:25:55.35 Finding the providence of God, 00:25:55.38\00:25:58.02 walking in the will of God, 00:25:58.05\00:25:59.75 and knowing that you are safe. 00:25:59.79\00:26:02.56 Hello, friend. 00:26:21.58\00:26:23.01 I'm John Carter. 00:26:23.04\00:26:24.38 Behind me is the great city of Manila, 00:26:24.41\00:26:28.25 the capital of the Philippines. 00:26:28.28\00:26:30.49 Did you know, this is quite amazing. 00:26:30.52\00:26:32.35 There are more people living in this area 00:26:32.39\00:26:34.59 than in New York City. 00:26:34.62\00:26:36.56 And Christ died for these people. 00:26:36.59\00:26:39.36 We came here, oh, long time ago back in 1984. 00:26:39.39\00:26:45.37 What's that, 34, 35 years ago, 00:26:45.40\00:26:48.34 and we came here with a team of young people 00:26:48.37\00:26:50.71 and we came to the PICC. 00:26:50.74\00:26:53.78 It is our intent to come here, 00:26:53.81\00:26:56.18 hire the biggest hall that's available, 00:26:56.21\00:26:58.35 the greatest outdoor stadium, whatever it takes. 00:26:58.38\00:27:02.62 You've got more than 20 million souls out here. 00:27:02.65\00:27:07.62 And I say it again. 00:27:07.66\00:27:08.99 These are people for whom Christ died. 00:27:09.02\00:27:11.73 I'm asking you to pray 00:27:11.76\00:27:13.09 for the people of the Philippines. 00:27:13.13\00:27:15.30 Please pray for the people here in Metro Manila. 00:27:15.33\00:27:19.17 And please write to me, John Carter, P.O. Box 1900, 00:27:19.20\00:27:23.71 Thousand Oaks, California 91358. 00:27:23.74\00:27:27.08 In Australia, 00:27:27.11\00:27:28.44 write to me at Terrigal, at the address 00:27:28.48\00:27:30.48 that is now showing on the screen. 00:27:30.51\00:27:35.25 We're back in Manila, 00:27:35.28\00:27:37.32 and we're back with a message from God, 00:27:37.35\00:27:40.02 that message is, 00:27:40.06\00:27:41.66 Christ died for you. 00:27:41.69\00:27:45.23 And Christ is coming again soon. 00:27:45.26\00:27:50.63 Please support us. 00:27:50.67\00:27:52.00 Write to me today, P.O. Box 1900, 00:27:52.03\00:27:55.00 Thousand Oaks, California. 00:27:55.04\00:27:56.91 And also write to me at Terrigal in Australia. 00:27:56.94\00:28:00.88 Thank you for your support. 00:28:00.91\00:28:03.45 And God bless you. 00:28:03.48\00:28:04.81 For a copy of today's program, 00:28:19.59\00:28:21.70 please contact us at P.O. Box 1900, 00:28:21.73\00:28:25.13 Thousand Oaks, California 91358. 00:28:25.17\00:28:29.40 Or in Australia, contact us at P.O. Box 861, 00:28:29.44\00:28:34.41 Terrigal, New South Wales 2260. 00:28:34.44\00:28:38.75 This program is made possible 00:28:38.78\00:28:40.58 through the generous support of viewers like you. 00:28:40.62\00:28:43.52 We thank you for your continued support. 00:28:43.55\00:28:46.59 May God richly bless you. 00:28:46.62\00:28:48.46