I'm John Carter in Moscow. 00:00:02.10\00:00:04.57 In Havana, Cuba. 00:00:04.60\00:00:07.27 Now in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. 00:00:07.30\00:00:10.47 I'm John Carter in Petra. 00:00:10.51\00:00:13.51 Right here in Communist China. 00:00:13.54\00:00:16.38 Reporting from India. 00:00:16.41\00:00:18.51 Hi, I'm John Carter in the Solomon Islands. 00:00:18.55\00:00:21.45 I'm John Carter in Soweto. 00:00:21.48\00:00:24.09 From El Salvador. 00:00:24.12\00:00:26.32 I'm John Carter in Sydney, Australia. 00:00:26.35\00:00:29.56 My heroes and what they taught me, 00:00:29.59\00:00:32.93 a personal message from John Carter. 00:00:32.96\00:00:35.50 Hello, friend. 00:00:39.23\00:00:40.57 I'm John Carter 00:00:40.60\00:00:41.94 in the great city of Los Angeles. 00:00:41.97\00:00:43.51 Welcome today to the program. 00:00:43.54\00:00:45.91 Andrei Sakharov was one of my great heroes. 00:00:45.94\00:00:49.78 I'm going to tell you the story of the man 00:00:49.81\00:00:51.71 who created the greatest hydrogen bomb blast 00:00:51.75\00:00:55.28 in the history of the human race. 00:00:55.32\00:00:57.82 In spite of that, he became one of my great heroes. 00:00:57.85\00:01:01.12 Today, we're going to talk about heroes, 00:01:01.16\00:01:04.29 some of my heroes. 00:01:04.33\00:01:06.49 I've met some remarkable people. 00:01:06.53\00:01:08.80 And I'm going to tell you their stories, 00:01:08.83\00:01:11.00 what they taught me 00:01:11.03\00:01:12.37 and maybe what they can teach us together. 00:01:12.40\00:01:16.67 We went to the city of Gorky in the year 1992. 00:01:16.71\00:01:21.48 That was the city of Andrei Sakharov. 00:01:21.51\00:01:24.78 Why we went there and how we went there 00:01:24.81\00:01:26.88 is quite an interesting story. 00:01:26.92\00:01:28.95 I can't tell you the details, but I can tell you some things. 00:01:28.98\00:01:33.69 We had just run the first ever full evangelistic campaign 00:01:33.72\00:01:38.13 in the history of the Soviet Union. 00:01:38.16\00:01:40.83 That was in 1991. 00:01:40.86\00:01:43.77 And it took place 00:01:43.80\00:01:45.13 just down the road from the Kremlin, 00:01:45.17\00:01:48.60 in a place that was called the Palace of Culture. 00:01:48.64\00:01:52.97 And there we saw, I believe, the mighty power of God, 00:01:53.01\00:01:55.84 there we saw the glory of God. 00:01:55.88\00:02:00.25 By the grace of God, we had a tremendous breakthrough. 00:02:00.28\00:02:05.05 I even spoke one evening on Good Evening Moscow. 00:02:05.09\00:02:09.66 I mean, this was sort of astounding. 00:02:09.69\00:02:14.36 This is Andrei, the director, the producer, 00:02:14.40\00:02:18.37 went on the set of "Good Evening Moscow." 00:02:18.40\00:02:22.30 This is when the Communists were still in power. 00:02:22.34\00:02:26.34 One of the most amazing stories, 00:02:26.37\00:02:28.18 I still get goosebumps thinking about it, 00:02:28.21\00:02:31.55 because this was the time of atheism. 00:02:31.58\00:02:34.68 Andrei said to me, "Tell us about God? 00:02:34.72\00:02:37.62 We don't know anything about God. 00:02:37.65\00:02:39.62 And there on the set of Good Evening Moscow 00:02:39.65\00:02:43.22 that was broadcast from Moscow right across to Vladivostok. 00:02:43.26\00:02:47.60 Millions of people were watching. 00:02:47.63\00:02:49.43 He asked me, "Tell us about God?" 00:02:49.46\00:02:52.60 I talked to him about God. 00:02:52.63\00:02:55.20 And then on the set of Good Evening Moscow, 00:02:55.24\00:02:57.71 it's my privilege to talk to them about prayer. 00:02:57.74\00:03:00.74 I said, "Does anybody here know about prayer?" 00:03:00.78\00:03:02.94 "We don't know anything about prayer." 00:03:02.98\00:03:04.31 "Does anybody, do you know any?" 00:03:04.35\00:03:05.68 "No, we don't know anything about God." 00:03:05.71\00:03:09.12 I was talking to atheists, 00:03:09.15\00:03:12.32 at the heart of the evil 00:03:12.35\00:03:13.69 and at the heart of the evil empire, 00:03:13.72\00:03:15.16 right in Moscow. 00:03:15.19\00:03:17.46 And this is when the Soviet system 00:03:17.49\00:03:19.53 was still in charge. 00:03:19.56\00:03:22.30 So we had a tremendous breakthrough, 00:03:22.33\00:03:24.00 we had tremendous crowds. 00:03:24.03\00:03:25.73 We saw the power of God. 00:03:25.77\00:03:27.40 We saw professors coming from Moscow University. 00:03:27.44\00:03:30.51 We saw people who were strong atheists, 00:03:30.54\00:03:35.64 finding God for the first time in their lives. 00:03:35.68\00:03:40.85 Then Pastor Kulakov, the president of our church, 00:03:40.88\00:03:44.65 asked us to come back the next year 1992, 00:03:44.69\00:03:48.22 and run a campaign in the Great Hall of Congress's 00:03:48.26\00:03:52.49 right in the very heart of the Kremlin, 00:03:52.53\00:03:57.23 the heart of the evil empire. 00:03:57.27\00:04:01.00 We were successful in booking this place. 00:04:01.04\00:04:05.87 Amazing, a miracle. 00:04:05.91\00:04:07.81 We raised the money, we got to deposit, 00:04:07.84\00:04:11.01 Danny Shelton helped me to raise the deposit. 00:04:11.05\00:04:13.62 And so we booked this place. 00:04:13.65\00:04:15.55 And I want to tell you, folk, something. 00:04:15.58\00:04:19.75 I want to tell you, folk, saying, 00:04:19.79\00:04:21.12 I thank God for Danny Sheldon, 00:04:21.16\00:04:22.49 how he stood by me in those days, still does. 00:04:22.52\00:04:25.86 But I want to tell you something. 00:04:25.89\00:04:27.60 I have seen the power of God. 00:04:27.63\00:04:31.03 I don't just talk about it. 00:04:31.07\00:04:32.50 But then something happened, and I can't tell you about it. 00:04:32.53\00:04:38.11 I can't tell you about it 00:04:38.14\00:04:39.47 because it's better to let some things 00:04:39.51\00:04:42.68 just be forgotten. 00:04:42.71\00:04:45.75 I believe in the text 00:04:45.78\00:04:47.12 that all things work together for good, 00:04:47.15\00:04:48.95 but something happened. 00:04:48.98\00:04:52.85 And we couldn't follow through with our plans 00:04:52.89\00:04:57.16 what the Russian church wanted us to do, 00:04:57.19\00:04:59.49 and preach in the Great Hall of Congress's. 00:04:59.53\00:05:02.56 We were told to go to the city of Gorky. 00:05:02.60\00:05:06.50 And that was the city of Andrei Sakharov. 00:05:06.53\00:05:11.57 And we went there 00:05:11.61\00:05:12.94 because God had something far better in store for us. 00:05:12.97\00:05:18.91 Our disappointments, my friend, are often God's appointments. 00:05:18.95\00:05:23.49 And we went to Nizhny Novgorod, 00:05:23.52\00:05:25.15 that's what it's called today or the city of Gorky, 00:05:25.19\00:05:28.22 the city of Andrei Sakharov, 00:05:28.26\00:05:30.29 and there we saw the mighty power of God. 00:05:30.33\00:05:35.06 It had been a closed city. 00:05:35.10\00:05:38.37 No foreigners were allowed to go to Gorky 00:05:38.40\00:05:41.90 since the days 00:05:41.94\00:05:43.71 of that evil man Stalin. 00:05:43.74\00:05:48.98 Sakharov, one of my heroes 00:05:49.01\00:05:51.51 had been sent there as a prisoner. 00:05:51.55\00:05:54.88 He was the father of the Soviet hydrogen bomb. 00:05:54.92\00:05:58.85 And yet he became one of my great heroes. 00:05:58.89\00:06:02.09 He was the leading 00:06:02.12\00:06:03.46 nuclear scientist in all of Russia. 00:06:03.49\00:06:06.36 He was brought up as a Christian. 00:06:06.39\00:06:11.13 And after he made this infernal monster, 00:06:11.17\00:06:13.84 the hydrogen bomb, 00:06:13.87\00:06:15.37 he became a conscientious objector, 00:06:15.40\00:06:18.41 a dissident who opposed 00:06:18.44\00:06:20.68 the totalitarian government of the Soviet Union. 00:06:20.71\00:06:24.51 That, my friend, 00:06:24.55\00:06:25.91 took an immense amount of courage. 00:06:25.95\00:06:30.55 Andrei Sakharov 00:06:30.59\00:06:33.82 then went on a great campaign for freedom. 00:06:33.86\00:06:38.03 He campaigned against war. 00:06:38.06\00:06:40.20 He said, "If we have a nuclear war, 00:06:40.23\00:06:42.63 we're all going to die." 00:06:42.66\00:06:44.77 He campaigned against nuclear weapons, 00:06:44.80\00:06:47.17 and racism, and pollution. 00:06:47.20\00:06:50.17 He campaigned for freedom of speech, 00:06:50.21\00:06:53.04 let freedom ring. 00:06:53.07\00:06:55.31 Freedom of speech, freedom of thought, 00:06:55.34\00:06:58.31 that a person's got the right to think 00:06:58.35\00:07:00.18 what he wants to think 00:07:00.22\00:07:01.55 and to say what he believes he should say. 00:07:01.58\00:07:04.12 He campaigned for freedom of the press. 00:07:04.15\00:07:07.92 He campaigned for an open society, 00:07:07.96\00:07:11.16 freedom of information, freedom of, listen to it, 00:07:11.19\00:07:15.70 freedom of conscience, 00:07:15.73\00:07:17.73 the right to travel and to live where you want to live. 00:07:17.77\00:07:21.34 And so he was branded a dangerous man. 00:07:21.37\00:07:25.94 He was branded a heretic, 00:07:25.97\00:07:30.65 and an enemy of the state. 00:07:30.68\00:07:33.92 Now, while this was going on, 00:07:33.95\00:07:35.85 he was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975. 00:07:35.88\00:07:41.12 But he was not allowed to go to Oslo and pick it up. 00:07:41.16\00:07:43.83 His wife was allowed to go. 00:07:43.86\00:07:46.46 Then his three children rejected him, 00:07:46.49\00:07:49.06 because he was threatening their privileged lifestyles 00:07:49.10\00:07:53.37 because this man was such a big shot. 00:07:53.40\00:07:57.81 He was vilified as a traitor to the state 00:07:57.84\00:08:00.81 and that is always dangerous. 00:08:00.84\00:08:03.18 He was arrested in 1980 in White Fred. 00:08:03.21\00:08:06.75 He was sent to Gorky, the city where we were sent. 00:08:06.78\00:08:12.35 When we could no longer hold the great meetings, 00:08:12.39\00:08:15.09 because the meetings somehow were taken from us. 00:08:15.12\00:08:17.39 But I can't tell you that story. 00:08:17.43\00:08:19.46 The Great Hall of Congress's that we had booked, 00:08:19.49\00:08:22.16 we paid for it, all the rest of it. 00:08:22.20\00:08:24.97 Can't tell you that story. 00:08:25.00\00:08:26.63 But in the grace of God, 00:08:26.67\00:08:28.10 we were sent to the city of Nizhny Novgorod 00:08:28.14\00:08:32.91 or the city of Gorky. 00:08:32.94\00:08:35.94 And this was the best thing that had ever happened to us 00:08:35.98\00:08:38.71 because it was a God thing. 00:08:38.75\00:08:44.42 Sakharov had been sent there. 00:08:44.45\00:08:46.12 Placed in isolation in a small apartment, 00:08:46.15\00:08:48.96 not allowed to take any phone calls. 00:08:48.99\00:08:51.46 One of my heroes 00:08:51.49\00:08:52.83 because of his courage and his great integrity. 00:08:52.86\00:08:55.80 Oh, God, give us today men of courage, 00:08:55.83\00:09:00.37 give us men today of integrity, 00:09:00.40\00:09:03.30 who will stand up for the truth. 00:09:03.34\00:09:05.01 What do you say, my friend? 00:09:05.04\00:09:07.38 We need to have men like this. 00:09:07.41\00:09:10.65 Then another one of my heroes comes on the scene. 00:09:10.68\00:09:14.65 His name was and is Mikhail Gorbachev. 00:09:14.68\00:09:20.32 In 1986, 00:09:20.36\00:09:23.29 he called Sakharov in Gorky, 00:09:23.32\00:09:27.53 where we were sent 00:09:27.56\00:09:28.90 and said, "I want you to come back to Moscow. 00:09:28.93\00:09:32.83 And I want you 00:09:32.87\00:09:34.20 to become a member of our parliament." 00:09:34.24\00:09:36.94 Gorbachev, my friend was a real, real hero. 00:09:36.97\00:09:41.18 I respect him immensely. 00:09:41.21\00:09:42.84 He gave us glasnost, openness, and Perestroika, 00:09:42.88\00:09:47.12 a reorganization of the wicked communist system. 00:09:47.15\00:09:51.45 So with God's help, 00:09:51.49\00:09:52.82 because of Gorbachev and Sakharov, 00:09:52.85\00:09:57.33 we went to Gorky, 00:09:57.36\00:09:58.69 the city of the famous dissident. 00:09:58.73\00:10:00.83 The man who thought for himself, 00:10:00.86\00:10:03.03 the man who believed in freedom of conscience, 00:10:03.06\00:10:06.43 the man who believed in the individual. 00:10:06.47\00:10:10.24 One of the reasons 00:10:10.27\00:10:11.61 I love the United States of America 00:10:11.64\00:10:13.81 is because of the emphasis upon the individual 00:10:13.84\00:10:17.65 that all people are created equal. 00:10:17.68\00:10:20.68 And they have the right to freedom of speech. 00:10:20.72\00:10:24.45 And there in the city of Gorky, 00:10:24.49\00:10:25.89 we ran a great evangelistic campaign 00:10:25.92\00:10:28.19 that influenced the whole Russian nation. 00:10:28.22\00:10:30.19 Hallelujah. Amen. 00:10:30.23\00:10:32.26 And that's where I met 00:10:32.29\00:10:33.63 another great Russian hero, Boris Nemtsov. 00:10:33.66\00:10:37.07 He was the governor. 00:10:37.10\00:10:38.60 I just admired this man so much, 00:10:38.63\00:10:41.24 Governor Boris Nemtsov, a man with a PhD in physicists. 00:10:41.27\00:10:45.74 And when we started the meetings in Gorky, 00:10:45.77\00:10:48.64 firebombs were thrown on the stage. 00:10:48.68\00:10:51.08 As I was preaching, they were out to get me. 00:10:51.11\00:10:54.08 It's often dangerous to preach the Word of God 00:10:54.12\00:10:57.19 and Boris Nemtsov came to our aid. 00:10:57.22\00:11:00.96 He sent the militia and delivered us 00:11:00.99\00:11:03.56 out of the hands of the mouths of the lions. 00:11:03.59\00:11:08.96 I met him '92. 00:11:09.00\00:11:12.23 I think I touched his life and he touched mine. 00:11:12.27\00:11:15.74 He was a great defender of freedom. 00:11:15.77\00:11:18.91 I met him at the Kremlin. 00:11:18.94\00:11:22.48 We were invited to go up to the Kremlin, 00:11:22.51\00:11:24.71 and meet the governor. 00:11:24.75\00:11:27.42 It was quite just an amazing and astounding meeting. 00:11:27.45\00:11:33.02 More recently Boris was murdered on the bridge, 00:11:33.05\00:11:36.06 next to the Kremlin, 00:11:36.09\00:11:38.99 a hero and a fighter for freedom. 00:11:39.03\00:11:42.73 Now, today, we're talking about my heroes. 00:11:42.76\00:11:45.60 But you've got heroes too. 00:11:45.63\00:11:47.14 But I'm talking about the people 00:11:47.17\00:11:49.27 that I personally knew. 00:11:49.30\00:11:51.07 This is Dr. Julia, Dr. Julia Outkina, 00:11:51.11\00:11:54.34 she was there at the funeral of her brother in Moscow. 00:11:54.38\00:11:58.91 I want to read a text now. 00:11:58.95\00:12:00.68 I want to come over here to Hebrews 12:1. 00:12:00.72\00:12:05.39 Hebrews 12:1. 00:12:05.42\00:12:09.79 And Hebrews Chapter 12, 00:12:09.82\00:12:11.83 as some of you will know, is a chapter on Hebrews. 00:12:11.86\00:12:17.63 Hebrews 11, the chapter on the Hebrews, 00:12:17.67\00:12:21.37 on the Hebrew heroes, the great heroes of faith, 00:12:21.40\00:12:25.21 but Chapter 12, is a bit of a summary. 00:12:25.24\00:12:28.51 And I want to read verse 1. 00:12:28.54\00:12:30.28 It says, "Therefore we also, 00:12:30.31\00:12:34.58 since we are surrounded 00:12:34.62\00:12:35.95 by so great a cloud of witnesses, 00:12:35.98\00:12:39.79 let us lay aside every weight, 00:12:39.82\00:12:41.79 and the sin which so easily ensnares us, 00:12:41.82\00:12:44.93 and let us run with endurance 00:12:44.96\00:12:47.93 the race that is set before us." 00:12:47.96\00:12:50.33 The Bible says, "We're surrounded 00:12:50.37\00:12:51.87 by a tremendous crowd of witnesses." 00:12:51.90\00:12:56.54 And it's talking about the great witnesses of faith, 00:12:56.57\00:13:01.31 these great heroes. 00:13:01.34\00:13:04.35 It's talking about the heroes, 00:13:04.38\00:13:05.95 the Hebrew heroes of Hebrews 11. 00:13:05.98\00:13:10.49 It talks about Abel, it talks about Enoch. 00:13:10.52\00:13:13.86 Look at Hebrews 11:5. 00:13:13.89\00:13:16.36 Hebrews 11:5 says, 00:13:16.39\00:13:19.69 "By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, 00:13:19.73\00:13:25.13 'and was not found, because God had taken him, 00:13:25.17\00:13:28.20 for before he was taken he had this testimony, 00:13:28.24\00:13:31.87 that he pleased God." 00:13:31.91\00:13:34.94 He was one of God's Mighty heroes, 00:13:34.98\00:13:38.25 Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, 00:13:38.28\00:13:44.75 Joseph, Moses, mighty heroes. 00:13:44.79\00:13:48.72 And today we're talking about 00:13:48.76\00:13:50.09 some of the great unsung heroes, 00:13:50.13\00:13:52.06 not so much the heroes of the Bible. 00:13:52.09\00:13:55.26 But heroes that nobody, almost nobody knows about. 00:13:55.30\00:13:59.00 I want you to notice Hebrews 11:32- 33, 00:13:59.03\00:14:04.61 "What more shall I say? 00:14:04.64\00:14:07.44 For the time would fail me 00:14:07.48\00:14:09.28 to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson, Jephthah, 00:14:09.31\00:14:14.45 also David and Samuel and the prophets, 00:14:14.48\00:14:17.72 who through faith subdued kingdoms, 00:14:17.75\00:14:21.39 worked righteousness, obtained promises, 00:14:21.42\00:14:25.09 stopped the mouths of lions." 00:14:25.13\00:14:27.80 You listening to me, friend? 00:14:27.83\00:14:29.66 We're talking today about ordinary people, 00:14:29.70\00:14:32.40 but ordinary people who did extraordinary things. 00:14:32.43\00:14:39.04 I'm talking today about some of the heroes 00:14:39.07\00:14:41.48 that I've known. 00:14:41.51\00:14:43.24 Men and women whose faith, 00:14:43.28\00:14:46.51 whose actions changed the course of history. 00:14:46.55\00:14:50.05 Now, the heroes I'm talking about today 00:14:50.09\00:14:52.49 are not written down in the Bible. 00:14:52.52\00:14:55.66 I'm talking today about unsung heroes. 00:14:55.69\00:14:58.63 Perhaps you've never heard of them, 00:14:58.66\00:15:00.76 largely unknown, unrecognized, not famous, 00:15:00.80\00:15:05.73 but heroes just the same, 00:15:05.77\00:15:07.37 people I personally knew or met 00:15:07.40\00:15:11.11 who touched my life in a powerful way. 00:15:11.14\00:15:16.68 One of these unsung heroes or two of these unsung heroes, 00:15:16.71\00:15:22.08 Pastor and Mrs. Murga. 00:15:22.12\00:15:26.52 You say to me, "Who on earth are these people? 00:15:26.55\00:15:28.69 We've never heard of Pastor and Mrs. Murga." 00:15:28.72\00:15:32.33 Well, they've worked in the city of Kiev in Ukraine. 00:15:32.36\00:15:36.77 Pastor Murga was imprisoned by the communists. 00:15:36.80\00:15:42.10 Why was he imprisoned? 00:15:42.14\00:15:43.47 Because, my friend, 00:15:43.51\00:15:44.84 he wouldn't inform on his church members. 00:15:44.87\00:15:48.54 Now back in those dreadful days, 00:15:48.58\00:15:50.25 they were informers 00:15:50.28\00:15:52.31 who used to tell the government about the sheep of the flock. 00:15:52.35\00:15:56.89 What a disgrace. 00:15:56.92\00:15:58.32 But Pastor Murga 00:15:58.35\00:16:00.06 was one of the great soldiers of the cross, 00:16:00.09\00:16:03.49 there he is with his wife with Beverley and me. 00:16:03.53\00:16:07.50 One of the greatest people I've ever met. 00:16:07.53\00:16:10.17 I want to tell you 00:16:10.20\00:16:11.53 just a little bit about Pastor Murga. 00:16:11.57\00:16:14.17 He was thrown into prison, he was beaten up, 00:16:14.20\00:16:17.21 he was mistreated. 00:16:17.24\00:16:18.87 He was there for years. 00:16:18.91\00:16:20.84 And the communist guards would say this to him, 00:16:20.88\00:16:23.61 "Just tell us about your church members. 00:16:23.65\00:16:26.68 Tell us everything about them. 00:16:26.72\00:16:28.72 Just tell us what they do and their friends, 00:16:28.75\00:16:31.59 and we're going to let you out. 00:16:31.62\00:16:33.52 And we're going to make you an officer in the KGB. 00:16:33.56\00:16:37.16 We'll make you a colonel. 00:16:37.19\00:16:39.33 And you'll get special rewards." 00:16:39.36\00:16:41.16 This is what the communist did, tried to do to the Christians. 00:16:41.20\00:16:45.37 But Pastor Murga said, "Nyet, nyet, nyet, 00:16:45.40\00:16:48.60 never, never, never." 00:16:48.64\00:16:51.01 He was there in prison for years. 00:16:51.04\00:16:54.88 I got to know him. 00:16:54.91\00:16:57.25 He's one of my great heroes. 00:16:57.28\00:16:59.95 When I was threatened 00:16:59.98\00:17:01.32 by the state authorities in 1995, 00:17:01.35\00:17:03.35 in the city of Kiev, in order to go to town hall, 00:17:03.39\00:17:07.09 he stood by me. 00:17:07.12\00:17:10.09 What happened? 00:17:10.13\00:17:11.46 We were running these meetings, 00:17:11.49\00:17:12.83 the Spirit of God was being poured out, 00:17:12.86\00:17:14.20 tens of thousands of people were coming to the meetings. 00:17:14.23\00:17:16.90 You say that doesn't happen anymore? 00:17:16.93\00:17:18.40 Yes, it does. 00:17:18.43\00:17:21.00 I've seen the power of God. 00:17:21.04\00:17:22.44 I'm not an armchair theologian. 00:17:22.47\00:17:24.31 I'm not just talking about stuff banging up. 00:17:24.34\00:17:26.54 This is the truth. 00:17:26.57\00:17:28.04 And so the city authorities are so afraid 00:17:28.08\00:17:31.01 of the success of the meetings, that I was called to city hall, 00:17:31.05\00:17:35.22 and interrogated and threatened. 00:17:35.25\00:17:38.95 Even threatened me with my life. 00:17:38.99\00:17:41.89 But Pastor Murga was waiting outside the door. 00:17:41.92\00:17:45.66 And when I came out, 00:17:45.69\00:17:47.03 and he was there with his colleagues, 00:17:47.06\00:17:48.90 he said to me, "What happened? 00:17:48.93\00:17:51.13 Did you surrender?" 00:17:51.17\00:17:52.60 I said, "By the grace of God, we did not surrender." 00:17:52.63\00:17:55.70 You know what he said to me? 00:17:55.74\00:17:57.07 I'm embarrassed to tell you, you want to hear? 00:17:57.11\00:18:00.58 He said, "I was afraid 00:18:00.61\00:18:03.35 that because you were living in the West, 00:18:03.38\00:18:06.61 you would have surrendered. 00:18:06.65\00:18:08.58 Because I know that they were threatening you." 00:18:08.62\00:18:11.35 So he said, "We've been out here praying to God, 00:18:11.39\00:18:14.29 that God will give you courage not to deny Christ." 00:18:14.32\00:18:19.43 I told him by the grace of God. 00:18:19.46\00:18:21.80 I said to them, one word. 00:18:21.83\00:18:25.43 And I said it over and over, 00:18:25.47\00:18:27.44 and I said it over and over again. 00:18:27.47\00:18:29.47 I said, "Nyet, nyet, nyet, no." 00:18:29.50\00:18:33.54 I said, "You can lock me up, you can throw me in prison, 00:18:33.58\00:18:35.84 but by the grace of God, 00:18:35.88\00:18:37.21 we are not going to close down the meetings, 00:18:37.25\00:18:41.35 we will not forsake Christ." 00:18:41.38\00:18:45.45 And the man who was standing by my side is Pastor Murga. 00:18:45.49\00:18:51.43 Later, I stood beside the commanding officer 00:18:51.46\00:18:54.60 at a military march-past. 00:18:54.63\00:18:57.13 I've had some amazing experiences. 00:18:57.17\00:19:00.90 I've just been amazed. 00:19:00.94\00:19:02.27 I was asked to go and stand up beside the General. 00:19:02.30\00:19:05.21 And he said, "Would you like to take the salute?" 00:19:05.24\00:19:07.44 I said, "Look, really, I'm not into too much of that stuff. 00:19:07.48\00:19:10.51 I'm just a beaten-up old pastor." 00:19:10.55\00:19:12.91 He said, "We want you to come up here 00:19:12.95\00:19:14.65 and the troops marched past." 00:19:14.68\00:19:16.82 This, my friend, was in Kiev. 00:19:16.85\00:19:19.39 People say, "We can't believe these things." 00:19:19.42\00:19:21.36 Of course, you can't if you don't have faith. 00:19:21.39\00:19:25.29 But, my friend, without faith, it's impossible to please God. 00:19:25.33\00:19:30.27 But Jesus said, "If we have faith in God, 00:19:30.30\00:19:32.73 everything will be possible." 00:19:32.77\00:19:35.30 But what am I telling you about the story, 00:19:35.34\00:19:37.17 the story here about the soldiers for? 00:19:37.21\00:19:40.64 Because after I had spoken 00:19:40.68\00:19:42.18 to a vast number of these soldiers 00:19:42.21\00:19:47.02 that I had inspected on parade. 00:19:47.05\00:19:51.29 The General said to me, 00:19:51.32\00:19:52.69 "These people here need to have Bibles 00:19:52.72\00:19:55.86 and they need to hear the Word of God." 00:19:55.89\00:19:57.66 And so I preached to them a sermon. 00:19:57.69\00:20:02.03 But this is not the end of it. 00:20:02.06\00:20:04.80 There was someone who stepped forward 00:20:04.83\00:20:06.47 like an apostle to preach and teach to the soldiers, 00:20:06.50\00:20:11.07 and to the general and the colonels 00:20:11.11\00:20:12.81 and all the rest of them. 00:20:12.84\00:20:14.18 That was Mrs. Murga. 00:20:14.21\00:20:16.75 Pastor Murga came along with his wife. 00:20:16.78\00:20:18.98 He said, "I'm giving, I'm preaching here, 00:20:19.01\00:20:21.28 I'm preaching there. 00:20:21.32\00:20:22.65 We don't have any more preachers, 00:20:22.68\00:20:24.15 but we've got someone here, 00:20:24.19\00:20:25.65 who's prepared to come and stand in the breach 00:20:25.69\00:20:30.16 and answer the call. 00:20:30.19\00:20:32.69 That was Mrs. Murga. 00:20:32.73\00:20:35.50 I just want you to know, I get a lump in my throat 00:20:35.53\00:20:39.67 when I think about these people. 00:20:39.70\00:20:42.97 These are my heroes. 00:20:43.00\00:20:45.27 Another great hero, Pastor Mikhail Kulakov. 00:20:45.31\00:20:51.11 He became the president of our church, 00:20:51.15\00:20:53.28 and he was the person who asked me 00:20:53.31\00:20:55.22 to go to the Hall of Congress's. 00:20:55.25\00:20:58.59 I felt so bad about this, 00:20:58.62\00:21:01.02 but it was just taken out of our hands. 00:21:01.06\00:21:03.43 But we can't tell you that story. 00:21:03.46\00:21:05.99 It's best to let some things just die 00:21:06.03\00:21:09.36 and realize that God is bigger than men, 00:21:09.40\00:21:14.40 and God can overthrow the crafty council of men. 00:21:14.44\00:21:18.97 And if we trust in God, it's going to be okay. 00:21:19.01\00:21:22.81 But when Pastor Kulakov was a young man. 00:21:22.84\00:21:27.05 He used to go along to church with his father. 00:21:27.08\00:21:30.75 His father was preaching one day in the pulpit. 00:21:30.79\00:21:33.96 And the communists came, the KGB came, 00:21:33.99\00:21:36.73 and they took him away, and he never saw his dad again. 00:21:36.76\00:21:41.26 You know what this man did? 00:21:41.30\00:21:43.13 This is almost too hard to believe. 00:21:43.16\00:21:45.53 This man, Mikhail Kulakov, 00:21:45.57\00:21:48.90 he said, "I'm going to be in the pulpit next Sabbath." 00:21:48.94\00:21:53.51 And so next Sabbath, he was there in the pulpit, 00:21:53.54\00:21:56.71 and he was preaching the Word of God, 00:21:56.75\00:21:58.61 that takes a lot of courage. 00:21:58.65\00:21:59.98 What would you do? 00:22:00.02\00:22:02.52 If the government says you're not allowed to do it, 00:22:02.55\00:22:04.35 what are you going to do? 00:22:04.39\00:22:05.89 Let me tell you, my friend, 00:22:05.92\00:22:07.26 something, I want you to hear this loud and clear. 00:22:07.29\00:22:09.22 God is our first authority, not the government. 00:22:09.26\00:22:14.23 God, it's better to obey God than it is to obey men, 00:22:14.26\00:22:17.63 the Bible says. 00:22:17.67\00:22:19.17 So this man, Pastor Kulakov, he was sent to Siberia. 00:22:19.20\00:22:23.71 I've been to Siberia many times, 00:22:23.74\00:22:25.94 it gets terribly, terribly cold. 00:22:25.97\00:22:28.48 I've been in Siberia when it's minus 40 00:22:28.51\00:22:31.61 without the wind chill factor. 00:22:31.65\00:22:33.28 It's cold. 00:22:33.31\00:22:35.65 If you spit, the spit hits the ground as ice. 00:22:35.68\00:22:38.49 You say that's the story. 00:22:38.52\00:22:39.95 Yeah, but it's a true one. 00:22:39.99\00:22:42.19 So he was thrown into prison, 00:22:42.22\00:22:44.49 and he had to work in the daytime 00:22:44.53\00:22:47.00 had to go out in the forest and cut down trees. 00:22:47.03\00:22:50.77 Down the road from this prison, 00:22:50.80\00:22:52.67 there was a little village 00:22:52.70\00:22:54.97 and there was a Christian family, 00:22:55.00\00:22:57.47 Adventist Christians, beautiful young woman, 00:22:57.51\00:23:01.01 and she was praying that God would send her a husband. 00:23:01.04\00:23:04.18 Where do you find a husband in that part of the world? 00:23:04.21\00:23:08.12 Then you heard about this young man in prison. 00:23:08.15\00:23:11.15 And he was hungry. 00:23:11.19\00:23:12.52 And so they used to take him food, 00:23:12.55\00:23:15.66 bosch, hot Russian bread, 00:23:15.69\00:23:20.33 they fell in love, she became Mrs. Kulakov. 00:23:20.36\00:23:23.97 When I went there to Moscow, by the grace of God, 00:23:24.00\00:23:26.50 when communism is still ruling, 00:23:26.53\00:23:28.74 this man became my translator. 00:23:28.77\00:23:33.98 I want to tell you, folk, 00:23:34.01\00:23:35.34 something, I salute these people. 00:23:35.38\00:23:38.48 Look, we are simply, 00:23:38.51\00:23:40.72 we're babies compared with these people. 00:23:40.75\00:23:42.48 We don't know how, what suffering is like. 00:23:42.52\00:23:45.85 But some of these people 00:23:45.89\00:23:47.22 have been through absolute hell. 00:23:47.26\00:23:51.29 And they've stood for Christ. 00:23:51.33\00:23:54.40 What can I learn? 00:23:54.43\00:23:56.16 I can learn many, many lessons and one lesson is courage. 00:23:56.20\00:24:02.54 Like Paul, the prisoner had. 00:24:02.57\00:24:06.07 Paul the prisoner. 00:24:06.11\00:24:08.81 Goodness me, Paul, the prisoner. 00:24:08.84\00:24:10.81 There he is. 00:24:10.85\00:24:13.68 Became one of my great friends. 00:24:13.72\00:24:15.38 Why do we call him Paul the prisoner? 00:24:15.42\00:24:18.15 Because he was thrown into prison. 00:24:18.19\00:24:20.46 Why was he thrown into prison? 00:24:20.49\00:24:22.72 He was thrown into prison, 00:24:22.76\00:24:24.69 because he was running in secret 00:24:24.73\00:24:26.59 a little printing press. 00:24:26.63\00:24:27.96 That was a big no, no, 00:24:28.00\00:24:29.33 because once you start putting stuff out, 00:24:29.36\00:24:30.73 people may find out about God. 00:24:30.77\00:24:34.00 He was turned in by a leader of the church. 00:24:34.04\00:24:36.54 You say, "Those things don't happen." 00:24:36.57\00:24:38.07 Of course, they happen. 00:24:38.11\00:24:40.61 Back in those days, 00:24:40.64\00:24:41.98 there were people who were betraying each other. 00:24:42.01\00:24:44.78 People in the church 00:24:44.81\00:24:46.15 were betraying their brothers and their sisters. 00:24:46.18\00:24:48.65 There's a text about this, Luke 21:16-17. 00:24:48.68\00:24:52.65 And I'm going to read this text and then I'm going to tell you 00:24:52.69\00:24:55.36 a little bit more about Paul, the prisoner. 00:24:55.39\00:24:58.69 Okay, are you still with me? 00:24:58.73\00:25:00.06 Are you listening? 00:25:00.10\00:25:01.76 "You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, 00:25:01.80\00:25:07.47 relatives and friends, 00:25:07.50\00:25:10.57 and they will put some of you to death. 00:25:10.61\00:25:13.51 And you will be hated by all for My name's sake." 00:25:13.54\00:25:18.05 You say, "I can't believe this." 00:25:18.08\00:25:19.98 What Jesus said it's going to happen. 00:25:20.02\00:25:21.98 Even your loved ones are going to be betray you. 00:25:22.02\00:25:24.99 But Jesus said, now listen to me. 00:25:25.02\00:25:27.66 Jesus said, "Be faithful unto death. 00:25:27.69\00:25:29.82 And I'm going to give you a crown of life." 00:25:29.86\00:25:32.76 I want you to know this. 00:25:32.79\00:25:34.13 We are living in the time of the apocalypse. 00:25:34.16\00:25:38.03 Now I'm going to tell you the story of Paul the prisoner, 00:25:38.07\00:25:40.74 how he was thrown into a refrigerator cell. 00:25:40.77\00:25:44.94 How they freeze him up, and throw him out, 00:25:44.97\00:25:47.98 freeze him up, throw him out, then beat him up, 00:25:48.01\00:25:52.15 and knock his teeth out. 00:25:52.18\00:25:53.72 All this is coming up in the next segment. 00:25:53.75\00:25:56.45 I've got so much to share with you. 00:25:56.48\00:25:58.59 I'm talking today about God's mighty heroes. 00:25:58.62\00:26:03.89 Stay with me please. 00:26:03.93\00:26:05.76 I'll be back with you just a moment. 00:26:05.79\00:26:07.56 The Carter Report is now streaming 00:26:20.91\00:26:22.71 on demand for you. 00:26:22.74\00:26:25.05 Now you can have the teachings of John Carter anytime, 00:26:25.08\00:26:28.25 day or night. 00:26:28.28\00:26:30.12 By streaming the Carter Report, 00:26:30.15\00:26:32.72 there is more content for you to choose from, 00:26:32.75\00:26:35.26 and it's easy. 00:26:35.29\00:26:37.79 If you are new to streaming, 00:26:37.83\00:26:39.33 all you need to do is purchase a streaming device. 00:26:39.36\00:26:42.30 It doesn't really matter which one, 00:26:42.33\00:26:44.63 you can buy a Roku, 00:26:44.67\00:26:46.13 Amazon Fire or Apple TV from any major retailer. 00:26:46.17\00:26:50.71 You or a family member 00:26:50.74\00:26:53.21 can plug the device into your TV 00:26:53.24\00:26:55.71 and sign in to your internet connection. 00:26:55.74\00:26:58.05 Do a search for the Carter Report 00:26:58.08\00:27:00.08 and download the app to your device. 00:27:00.12\00:27:02.65 From then on, your device and the Carter Report app 00:27:02.68\00:27:06.25 can provide you with hundreds of on demand programs. 00:27:06.29\00:27:10.33 You can also take the Carter Report with you 00:27:10.36\00:27:12.63 wherever you go. 00:27:12.66\00:27:14.20 The official free Carter Report mobile app 00:27:14.23\00:27:16.56 can be downloaded to your phone or tablet. 00:27:16.60\00:27:19.87 Go to the App Store or Google Play Store 00:27:19.90\00:27:22.54 and download the app. 00:27:22.57\00:27:24.84 Additionally, you can find Carter Report programs 00:27:24.87\00:27:27.91 on your favorite podcast. 00:27:27.94\00:27:30.18 You can also watch us on Vimeo or YouTube. 00:27:30.21\00:27:34.28 Type the Carter Report in the search box. 00:27:34.32\00:27:38.72 You can watch 00:27:38.75\00:27:40.09 hundreds of uninterrupted John Carter teachings 00:27:40.12\00:27:42.42 whenever you want, for as many hours as you want. 00:27:42.46\00:27:46.26 Travel with John Carter as he circles the globe 00:27:46.29\00:27:48.80 to bring the gospel to millions of people. 00:27:48.83\00:27:51.60 Watch the Carter Classics from over 50 years of ministry 00:27:51.63\00:27:55.37 and gain knowledge from stimulating interviews 00:27:55.40\00:27:57.67 with Christian leaders. 00:27:57.71\00:28:00.48 You now have multiple ways to watch the Carter Report. 00:28:00.51\00:28:03.85 And once you start streaming, 00:28:03.88\00:28:05.31 you'll find comfort in having these teachings 00:28:05.35\00:28:07.25 readily available to you 00:28:07.28\00:28:09.12 whenever and wherever you want for free. 00:28:09.15\00:28:13.79 Welcome to the inspirational world 00:28:13.82\00:28:16.42 of John Carter. 00:28:16.46\00:28:17.79 For a copy of today's program, 00:28:22.20\00:28:24.30 please contact us at P.O. 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