¤[Theme music]¤
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¤[Theme music]¤
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¤[Soft music with road noise]¤
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>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw, and together
we are heading somewhere.
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Before we get
to our destination,
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let's go back in
time a little bit.
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2017 was a very active
year for natural disasters.
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Remember the hurricanes?
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What a hurricane season.
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¤[Dramatic music]¤
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Now, those were the storms.
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There were others besides.
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Then, came the fires.
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[Sound of fire]
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In California, fire
season comes every year,
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and there's
always a danger of fires.
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Always.
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In northern California,
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a swarm of fires affected
about six different counties.
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The worst fire of
them all: the Tubbs fire.
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And the Tubbs fire began burning
in the direction of Santa Rosa.
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That's where we're going now.
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In Santa Rosa, alone,
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43 people died as a
result of the Tubbs fire.
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That's 43 known
deaths; there may be more.
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Nine thousand
structures were destroyed,
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5,500 of them in Santa Rosa.
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Three thousand homes
were destroyed in Santa Rosa.
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Five percent of Santa
Rosa's houses were destroyed.
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The destruction was immense.
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We're on our way to Santa Rosa
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to talk to some
survivors of the Tubbs fire.
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Some victims of the
Tubbs fire, that is,
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people who lost everything.
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And, people who lost nothing.
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And we'll ask an
important question.
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And that
question: Where was God?
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Where was God
when the fires burned?
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Where was God
as people suffered?
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Where was God
while people were dying?
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Where was God in the
midst of the devastation?
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It's a very important question,
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not only in the context
of the fires in California,
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the hurricanes that
buffeted the United States,
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but our own lives.
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Everybody meets with tragedy,
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disaster, loss.
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And that
question is often asked.
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That question is, where was God?
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We're heading to Santa Rosa.
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By the grace of God, we'll
find an answer to that question.
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¤[Soft music]¤
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>>Marc Selivanoff:
So it was Sunday night.
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We went to bed, on October 8.
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And uh, about maybe
1:30 in the morning,
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the uh, my wife
got a phone call.
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And I could hear the voice
on the other end of the line,
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was very, uh,
tense, and very intense,
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maybe would be a better word.
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And she was basically screaming,
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"There's a fire; it's
massive; it's headed your way.
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You need to get
out, and get out now."
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>>John: So you get the warning,
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you get the phone
call, and so what do you do?
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>>Marc: So, of course,
at 1:30 in the morning,
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you know, I go
and I look outside,
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and I could smell the smoke.
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And, uh, so we knew
that, based on her phone call,
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this was something serious that
we needed to pay attention to.
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So we got up, very groggy,
started gathering our pets
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and our few
things that we could get,
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um, loaded them into the car.
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And the smoke was
very thick at that point,
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and, uh, just
headed out and, uh.
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So we ended up at a house
that we own that was vacant.
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We, uh, got settled there,
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and then Anthony, my son, said,
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"Hey, Dad, let's
go back up and see."
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And I said, "Well,
we'll go as far as we can,
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but I don't want
to put us in danger."
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>>John: So you came
back up here to the house.
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What did you find?
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>>Marc: Um, we came
back up, and the fire was,
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was raging, uh, down in
the residential community.
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It was on this hill
and on this hill as well.
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>>John: But the house?
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>>Marc: The house was
still standing at that point.
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So we, uh, we were fighting
the fire with the intention of
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obviously saving our home
and all of our possessions.
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>>Catherine Hamilton:
We got a call at two a.m.
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>>Alvin Hamilton:
Monday night, yeah.
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>>Catherine: At midnight, here.
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>>Alvin: It's, it's
like complete hopelessness,
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because you're gone,
except that you have God.
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And so the first thing
that you do is the only thing
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that you know you
can hang onto is God.
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I mean, everything else,
as what you physically can do,
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is not there.
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>>Catherine: After I hear
fire, I hear, in the background,
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"Get out!
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Get out!
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You're being evacuated.
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The fire is two to four
blocks away from your house."
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And I panicked.
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And so I told Alvin, I said,
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"Pray for me. Pray for me.
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Pray for my sanity, and so
that I can be able to pray."
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Because my mind, I felt
like my mind was just gone.
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>>Alvin: I sought the Lord,
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and he heard me and
delivered me from all my fears.
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>>Catherine: So the
minute he prayed for me,
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not for the fire,
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not for anything
that was happening,
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I just needed my
calmness and my sanity
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to be able to be
in tune with God.
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Because I knew
that if I had that,
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I had everything else.
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So I said, we started praying,
our prayers didn't last long.
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They were
desperate, they were, uh,
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they were rushed.
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There was a need, it was urgent,
it was very, very urgent.
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I said, "Please
save my children."
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>>Alvin: The angel of the
Lord encampeth round about them
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that fear Him
and delivered them.
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>>Catherine: So immediately
after we prayed that,
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and then we
couldn't pray anymore,
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and we started
saying verses in the Bible.
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And so we grasped, um,
Psalms 34 and Psalms 91,
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and we were
saying it back and forth,
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back and forth.
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>>Alvin: I will bless
the Lord at all times:
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His praise shall
continually be in my mouth.
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My soul shall make
her boast in the Lord.
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The humble shall
hear thereof and be glad.
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Oh, magnify the Lord of me,
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and let us exalt
His name together.
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>>Catherine: So what really
was the most amazing miracle
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about this home is that
the fire started miles east,
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behind us, and it
stopped right at my backyard,
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and do not proceed to
any other home beyond us.
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>>Courtney Asker: My
mom woke up at 11:45,
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and she smelled smoke.
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So she woke my dad up,
and he just pretty much said,
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"you know, you're freaking out;
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go to bed; we're fine."
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And so then she called 911
and they ended up telling her,
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"no, you're fine."
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Like, you have
nothing to worry about.
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You don't have to leave.
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There's a fire being contained.
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Then it was at 1:19 a.m.
was when her friend texted again
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that Paradise
Ridge Winery is on fire,
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and that's right
below where we are.
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And so that's when my
mom, like, started screaming,
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so that's how I woke up.
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But they still never
told me what was going on.
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So then I went in
and I helped my mom.
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And she had grabbed, like,
our metal box with our passports
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and birth
certificates and stuff.
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And then she grabbed
a couple photo albums,
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like, her and my dad
and my grandpa and stuff.
00:09:02.10\00:09:05.07
And so then I went
back to my room and I just,
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like, changed
into sweats real quick.
00:09:08.04\00:09:11.08
And I put on a pair of
flip flops and then I grabbed
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my school backpack and a
stuffed animal and one picture.
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And so, when we were
driving down the hill,
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like I just remember
seeing, like, red everywhere.
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Then I understood,
you know, like, okay,
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it's, like, the
mountain's on fire.
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¤[Ominous music]¤
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>>John: Now, here's a question.
00:09:35.27\00:09:36.67
Can God be trusted?
00:09:36.71\00:09:38.94
Either you've asked
that question yourself,
00:09:38.97\00:09:40.88
or you know somebody who has.
00:09:40.91\00:09:42.38
And I've got an answer for you.
00:09:42.41\00:09:44.41
I'd like you to
get today's free offer,
00:09:44.45\00:09:46.61
"Can God Be Trusted?"
00:09:46.65\00:09:48.75
To receive it,
call 800-253-3000,
00:09:48.78\00:09:52.19
write to the
address on your screen,
00:09:52.22\00:09:53.72
or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
00:09:53.76\00:09:57.46
"Can God Be Trusted?"
00:09:57.49\00:09:58.83
I have an answer for you.
00:09:58.86\00:10:00.20
800-253-3000,
00:10:00.23\00:10:02.03
or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
00:10:02.06\00:10:05.00
>>Announcer:
Have you ever wondered
00:10:05.37\00:10:06.37
if you're good
enough to be saved?
00:10:06.40\00:10:08.17
It's a common question that
has discouraged many people.
00:10:08.20\00:10:10.94
But it doesn't
have to discourage you.
00:10:10.97\00:10:13.04
“Taking a Stand”
00:10:13.07\00:10:14.01
is a powerful
five-part series presented by
00:10:14.04\00:10:15.91
Pastor John Bradshaw
00:10:15.94\00:10:17.11
that will help you discover
the assurance of salvation.
00:10:17.15\00:10:20.55
Call 1-888-664-5573
00:10:20.58\00:10:23.82
to order the
"Taking a Stand" DVD.
00:10:23.85\00:10:25.99
Or download it
from our webstore at
00:10:26.02\00:10:27.66
www.itiswritten.shop.
00:10:27.69\00:10:30.63
Jesus offers salvation
as a free gift to everyone,
00:10:30.66\00:10:33.56
including you.
00:10:33.60\00:10:35.06
¤[Music]¤
00:10:35.53\00:10:45.04
>>Marc: As the fire
came in the morning,
00:10:45.07\00:10:46.71
it basically, once
the house caught fire
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there was nothing that
we could do at that point.
00:10:48.84\00:10:51.05
>>John: So help me
get the picture of this.
00:10:51.08\00:10:52.38
Here's your
home, and everything.
00:10:52.41\00:10:55.55
So around here, there
was, stuff was on fire.
00:10:55.58\00:10:58.05
>>Marc: The back hill
behind our house was on fire,
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and the hill over there
behind you was on fire as well.
00:11:01.22\00:11:05.09
And there's actually
two houses that were there.
00:11:05.13\00:11:07.40
And while we were here,
those exploded and went up.
00:11:07.40\00:11:10.17
Probably a
hundred-foot wall of fire right,
00:11:10.20\00:11:12.43
just over there.
00:11:12.47\00:11:13.74
There's two houses over there on
that side of the property that,
00:11:13.77\00:11:17.24
while we were
here fighting the fire,
00:11:17.27\00:11:19.24
went up in smoke,
and you could hear them.
00:11:19.27\00:11:21.04
It was like a
747 just taking off,
00:11:21.08\00:11:23.61
and the popping of windows
and whatever else happens
00:11:23.65\00:11:26.82
when a house goes up in flame.
00:11:26.85\00:11:28.05
And my son actually went over
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to make sure that that
side of the property was okay.
00:11:29.48\00:11:32.89
So he was over
there fighting the fire.
00:11:32.92\00:11:34.46
I was here, and I
decided we should be together,
00:11:34.49\00:11:36.26
so I left this and
went to be with him.
00:11:36.29\00:11:38.43
But what ended up
happening then is that the wind
00:11:38.46\00:11:40.26
brought the fire up from
the residential community.
00:11:40.30\00:11:43.16
Um, it overcame,
and landed on the house,
00:11:43.20\00:11:47.67
and the house went up in flames.
00:11:47.70\00:11:49.07
And at that point we
had to leave as well.
00:11:49.10\00:11:51.14
¤[Quiet music]¤
00:11:51.17\00:11:53.44
>>Courtney: That Monday,
00:11:53.48\00:11:54.84
we still hadn't
known, like, what,
00:11:54.88\00:11:58.45
what anything looked like.
00:11:58.48\00:11:59.51
We didn't know if
anything had burnt down.
00:11:59.55\00:12:01.22
I couldn't eat or sleep at all
00:12:01.25\00:12:03.39
because I didn't know
if our house was okay.
00:12:03.42\00:12:06.76
And my mom
pretty much kept saying,
00:12:06.79\00:12:08.16
like, there's no way
that it could have survived.
00:12:08.19\00:12:10.36
I just kept saying,
like, no, it has to be there.
00:12:10.39\00:12:12.93
Like, there's no
way it can be gone.
00:12:12.96\00:12:15.33
And I think it was
about like that evening,
00:12:15.36\00:12:18.63
Monday, I have a
friend who was going,
00:12:18.67\00:12:21.54
and driving
around and taking videos.
00:12:21.57\00:12:24.07
And so I texted
him and I was, like,
00:12:24.11\00:12:25.57
go to this address.
00:12:25.61\00:12:26.64
And so he went there
and he took pictures,
00:12:26.68\00:12:28.78
and it was all gone.
00:12:28.81\00:12:31.15
And, like, I
just remember, like,
00:12:31.18\00:12:33.08
breaking down
completely and, like,
00:12:33.11\00:12:34.75
I couldn't even
stand because of it.
00:12:34.78\00:12:37.12
So we didn't find out
until, like, that evening,
00:12:37.15\00:12:39.75
the day after the fires.
00:12:39.79\00:12:42.69
>>John: When did you come back?
00:12:42.72\00:12:43.53
How soon could,
could you come back,
00:12:43.56\00:12:45.39
to have a look at your place?
00:12:45.43\00:12:46.63
>>Courtney: Um, we
didn't come here until,
00:12:46.66\00:12:50.53
like, two weeks after.
00:12:50.57\00:12:53.23
>>John: Tell me
what that was like.
00:12:53.27\00:12:55.17
>>Courtney: Um, well, the first
time it was only my parents
00:12:55.20\00:12:58.54
who came here,
because I was with a friend.
00:12:58.57\00:13:00.94
And then I think maybe a
little less than a week after,
00:13:00.98\00:13:05.25
that's when I came
here for the first time.
00:13:05.28\00:13:08.32
‘Cause that's when
they were finally, like,
00:13:08.35\00:13:10.05
letting people
come up and, like,
00:13:10.09\00:13:11.82
search for things,
you know, in their house.
00:13:11.85\00:13:14.62
Since, like, after we
had found out about it,
00:13:14.66\00:13:16.86
like, I wasn't necessarily,
like, that emotional.
00:13:16.89\00:13:21.70
And so I didn't
think that I would, like,
00:13:21.73\00:13:24.23
start crying when we
come, when we came up here.
00:13:24.27\00:13:26.67
But when we got here and, like,
I actually got out of the car,
00:13:26.70\00:13:29.44
like, that's when I just
started sobbing with my dad,
00:13:29.47\00:13:33.07
pretty much.
00:13:33.11\00:13:34.38
And, like, that's the first
time I've seen him cry in, like,
00:13:34.41\00:13:36.68
a really long time.
00:13:36.71\00:13:38.55
¤[Quiet music]¤
00:13:38.58\00:13:39.48
>>John: I hate to
ask you this question,
00:13:39.51\00:13:40.68
but if the firetrucks had
somehow arrived an hour earlier,
00:13:40.72\00:13:43.49
might your house
still be standing?
00:13:43.52\00:13:45.32
>>Marc: It would be
standing, but I don't,
00:13:45.35\00:13:47.36
I don't hold that
against the firemen.
00:13:47.39\00:13:49.09
>>John: Oh, yeah, sure.
00:13:49.12\00:13:50.16
>>Marc: Yeah, this fire
was so large and so, uh,
00:13:50.19\00:13:52.33
out of control, and so hot...
00:13:52.36\00:13:55.00
>>Marc: ...I think
the key priority then
00:13:55.03\00:13:56.26
was saving lives and
making sure that they could save
00:13:56.30\00:14:00.04
as many people as they could.
00:14:00.07\00:14:01.80
>>John: You were
kind of the last...
00:14:01.84\00:14:03.57
>>Marc: The last one.
00:14:03.61\00:14:05.54
Yeah.
00:14:05.57\00:14:06.57
And as we were
standing there watching,
00:14:06.61\00:14:08.78
the firetrucks arrived,
00:14:08.81\00:14:10.81
and that's part of the
reason why they survived,
00:14:10.85\00:14:12.98
is three firetrucks arrived
on the street on the other side,
00:14:13.01\00:14:16.65
and ended up, uh, able to save.
00:14:16.69\00:14:18.85
And the winds,
you know, cooperated.
00:14:18.89\00:14:20.36
But the firemen
were able to save,
00:14:20.39\00:14:22.66
uh, those houses there.
00:14:22.69\00:14:23.99
Which I'm grateful for.
00:14:24.03\00:14:24.86
I'm happy that
they have their home.
00:14:24.89\00:14:26.29
¤[Ominous music]¤
00:14:26.33\00:14:35.64
>>Announcer: In Matthew
4:4, the Word of God says,
00:14:39.17\00:14:41.78
"It is Written,
00:14:41.81\00:14:42.61
'Man shall not
live by bread alone,
00:14:42.64\00:14:44.91
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:14:44.95\00:14:48.75
"Every Word"
00:14:48.78\00:14:49.72
is a one-minute,
Bible-based daily devotional
00:14:49.75\00:14:52.02
presented by
Pastor John Bradshaw,
00:14:52.05\00:14:54.06
and designed especially
for busy people like you.
00:14:54.09\00:14:57.09
Look for Every Word
on selected networks,
00:14:57.13\00:15:00.06
or watch it online
every day on our website,
00:15:00.10\00:15:02.40
itiswritten.com.
00:15:02.43\00:15:04.43
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:15:04.47\00:15:06.67
Watch "Every Word."
00:15:06.70\00:15:08.07
You'll be glad you did.
00:15:08.10\00:15:11.37
>>John: I'm John
Bradshaw from It Is Written,
00:15:12.87\00:15:15.04
inviting you to
join me for "500,"
00:15:15.08\00:15:18.65
nine programs
produced by It Is Written,
00:15:18.68\00:15:20.95
taking you deep
into the Reformation.
00:15:20.98\00:15:24.12
This is the 500th anniversary
00:15:24.15\00:15:26.59
of the beginning
of the Reformation,
00:15:26.62\00:15:28.29
when Martin Luther
nailed his 95 Theses
00:15:28.32\00:15:30.79
to the door of the Castle
Church in Wittenburg, Germany.
00:15:30.83\00:15:33.60
We'll take you to Wittenberg,
00:15:33.63\00:15:35.10
and to Belgium,
00:15:35.13\00:15:36.00
to England,
00:15:36.03\00:15:37.07
to Ireland,
00:15:37.10\00:15:38.27
to Rome,
00:15:38.30\00:15:39.20
to the Vatican City,
00:15:39.23\00:15:40.44
and introduce you to the people
who created the Reformation,
00:15:40.47\00:15:43.51
who pushed the
Reformation forward.
00:15:43.54\00:15:45.41
We'll take you to
sites all throughout Europe
00:15:45.44\00:15:47.28
where the reformers
lived and, in some cases, died.
00:15:47.31\00:15:50.18
We'll bring you
back to the United States
00:15:50.21\00:15:51.85
and take you to a little
farm in upstate New York,
00:15:51.88\00:15:54.75
and show you how God
spread the Reformation here.
00:15:54.78\00:15:57.75
Don't miss "500."
00:15:57.79\00:15:59.79
You can own the
"500" series on DVD.
00:15:59.82\00:16:02.99
Call us on 888-664-5573,
00:16:03.02\00:16:07.73
or visit us online
at itiswritten.shop.
00:16:07.76\00:16:12.23
¤[Quiet music]¤
00:16:13.34\00:16:16.24
>>Catherine: I'm not sure
what God is trying to tell us,
00:16:16.27\00:16:17.71
but I know that God
spoke in Santa Rosa.
00:16:17.74\00:16:21.81
>>Marc: You know, even now
00:16:21.84\00:16:22.88
there's times when
I'll be talking on my phone,
00:16:22.91\00:16:25.58
or at the end of the day,
00:16:25.61\00:16:26.45
and I'll just
start driving here,
00:16:26.48\00:16:29.18
and realize, wait a
second, what am I doing?
00:16:29.22\00:16:31.75
I don't live here
[chuckles]; I live over there.
00:16:31.79\00:16:34.09
And so, you know,
it's been a challenge,
00:16:34.12\00:16:37.29
and every day
there's new emotions and new,
00:16:37.33\00:16:39.83
uh, decisions and new
challenges that come up.
00:16:39.86\00:16:43.83
But, you know,
we're confident that God
00:16:43.87\00:16:46.47
has not forgotten about us,
00:16:46.50\00:16:48.57
that He has provided for us,
00:16:48.60\00:16:50.14
and that He is walking
with us each step of the way.
00:16:50.17\00:16:52.51
>>Courtney: I
don't think I ever, like,
00:16:54.38\00:16:55.41
got angry at Him, but I
think I was just kind of,
00:16:55.44\00:16:59.15
almost let down, you know.
00:16:59.18\00:17:02.35
When we, when me and my
mom were driving down the hill,
00:17:02.38\00:17:05.89
um, so there's like a
little pond that's right there.
00:17:05.92\00:17:08.36
You can kind of see it.
00:17:08.39\00:17:09.06
Like a little lake.
00:17:09.09\00:17:09.96
>>John: Yeah.
00:17:09.99\00:17:11.06
>>Courtney: I remember,
like, she was just praying,
00:17:11.09\00:17:12.19
like, use that lake.
00:17:12.23\00:17:14.23
You know, just use that tiny
little thing just to shield,
00:17:14.30\00:17:16.70
like, our house.
00:17:16.73\00:17:18.47
And, like, I actually
thought that it would work.
00:17:18.50\00:17:22.64
You know, I
thought that He would,
00:17:22.67\00:17:24.27
like, actually protect, like,
all of our houses and stuff.
00:17:24.31\00:17:27.51
So I think, I just
felt like, you know,
00:17:27.54\00:17:29.68
kind of let down by Him a bit.
00:17:29.71\00:17:32.38
>>Alvin: I, I felt a heavy
load of responsibility that,
00:17:32.41\00:17:39.12
why, God?
00:17:39.15\00:17:39.89
You picked me.
00:17:39.92\00:17:41.29
You picked our home.
00:17:41.32\00:17:42.49
You saved our family.
00:17:42.52\00:17:44.33
I just felt a heavy load.
00:17:44.36\00:17:45.63
Lord, I'm going to
have to do a lot more.
00:17:45.66\00:17:48.56
I'm going to have
to do a lot better,
00:17:48.60\00:17:49.96
because this is just
incredible, you know.
00:17:50.00\00:17:53.00
And, you know, what happened
is this home next to us that,
00:17:53.03\00:17:57.64
that burned down was
one of the only homes
00:17:57.67\00:18:00.48
that people could
actually drive up and see,
00:18:00.51\00:18:02.44
because the
military and the police
00:18:02.48\00:18:04.88
had blocked off so many areas.
00:18:04.91\00:18:06.68
So we had car after car
driving into our cul-de-sac.
00:18:06.72\00:18:10.39
Some people
stopped, and they would come,
00:18:10.42\00:18:12.52
and they would talk to us,
00:18:12.55\00:18:13.79
and we would tell them
what God had did for us.
00:18:13.82\00:18:16.06
People would come
in and go, like, man,
00:18:16.09\00:18:17.26
you guys were lucky.
00:18:17.29\00:18:18.59
You know, we weren't lucky.
00:18:18.63\00:18:20.16
God did this for us.
00:18:20.20\00:18:21.40
It was outrageous.
00:18:21.43\00:18:23.37
"Many are the
afflictions of the righteous,
00:18:23.40\00:18:26.60
but the Lord
delivereth him out of them all."
00:18:26.63\00:18:29.54
>>Catherine: So what I
learned from it is that
00:18:29.57\00:18:31.44
you can depend on
God's words like this.
00:18:31.47\00:18:33.94
It has ears, so it
hears when you pray.
00:18:33.98\00:18:36.58
It has hands, so it can
stop things from happening.
00:18:36.61\00:18:41.02
It has legs; it can actually
move and just do stuff for you.
00:18:41.05\00:18:46.09
So it is really
actually actively a life.
00:18:46.12\00:18:48.79
It does stuff.
00:18:48.82\00:18:50.29
>>Alvin: "Oh, taste and
see that the Lord is good:
00:18:50.33\00:18:54.23
blessed is the man
that trusteth in him."
00:18:54.30\00:18:57.73
>>Catherine: So this
word, in times of danger,
00:18:57.77\00:19:00.44
in the future,
00:19:00.47\00:19:01.60
I know that I can depend on it.
00:19:01.64\00:19:03.07
I know I can go to it.
00:19:03.10\00:19:04.17
I know I can tell it, ask it.
00:19:04.21\00:19:07.64
I know that it will hear.
00:19:07.68\00:19:09.11
It will see.
00:19:09.14\00:19:10.21
It has a mouth; it can speak.
00:19:10.25\00:19:12.35
It can say "wind,
time to turn around.
00:19:12.38\00:19:15.65
Don't touch that house."
00:19:15.68\00:19:17.49
And it actually obeys
and does stuff like that.
00:19:17.52\00:19:20.42
It is a miracle!
00:19:20.46\00:19:22.69
"He that dwelleth in the
secret place of the most High
00:19:22.72\00:19:25.03
shall abide under the
shadow of the Almighty.
00:19:25.06\00:19:27.46
I will say of the Lord, He
is my refuge and my fortress:
00:19:27.50\00:19:30.97
my God; in Him will I trust.
00:19:31.00\00:19:33.13
Thou shalt not be
afraid for the terror by night;
00:19:33.17\00:19:35.77
nor for the arrow
that flieth by day;
00:19:35.80\00:19:38.14
nor for the pestilence
that walketh in darkness;
00:19:38.17\00:19:40.81
nor for the destruction
that wasteth at noonday."
00:19:40.84\00:19:44.71
>>John: So let me
ask you a question.
00:19:45.75\00:19:47.42
You're a Christian.
00:19:47.45\00:19:48.22
You're a believer.
00:19:48.25\00:19:49.68
You're in it with
God, boots and all.
00:19:49.72\00:19:53.92
Where was God in
the middle of this?
00:19:53.96\00:19:56.22
Your, your home
is being destroyed.
00:19:56.26\00:19:59.13
Your possessions
are being obliterated.
00:19:59.16\00:20:02.16
Not everything, the things
you hold most precious are safe.
00:20:02.20\00:20:05.03
>>Marc: Yes.
00:20:05.07\00:20:06.10
>>John: All this other
stuff, which is precious,
00:20:06.13\00:20:08.77
is going up in smoke literally.
00:20:08.80\00:20:10.44
>>Marc: Yeah.
00:20:10.47\00:20:11.41
>>John: And, and the
loss is astronomical.
00:20:11.44\00:20:13.11
Where is God?
00:20:13.14\00:20:14.18
>>Marc: You know,
that's a fair question,
00:20:14.21\00:20:15.64
and it's something I
think you do wrestle with.
00:20:15.68\00:20:18.75
Because we know that
God could prevent this.
00:20:18.78\00:20:22.05
>>John: Sure.
00:20:22.08\00:20:23.08
>>Marc: And, you know,
it says in scripture that
00:20:23.12\00:20:25.29
"before you
call, I will answer."
00:20:25.32\00:20:27.26
And in our case,
00:20:27.29\00:20:29.19
what gave me hope
and encouragement,
00:20:29.22\00:20:31.53
and a confidence
that God was with us
00:20:31.56\00:20:34.23
in spite of what
just happened to us,
00:20:34.30\00:20:36.87
was we had, uh, been,
uh, had acquired a property.
00:20:36.90\00:20:43.10
So we had picked
this up back in April.
00:20:43.14\00:20:45.87
And, uh, the plan was just
simply to fix it and flip it.
00:20:45.91\00:20:49.38
But we made a
decision around July
00:20:49.41\00:20:51.11
that maybe we
should keep it as a rental.
00:20:51.15\00:20:53.48
And that turned out to be
a very important decision.
00:20:53.52\00:20:57.52
And we were
literally two days away
00:20:57.55\00:21:00.09
from renting it
when the fire happened.
00:21:00.12\00:21:02.49
And so for us, the blessing
was that we had a place to go.
00:21:02.52\00:21:07.60
It had just been rehabbed.
00:21:07.60\00:21:08.76
No one had ever lived there.
00:21:08.80\00:21:10.17
And we were able, at two in
the morning when we left here,
00:21:10.20\00:21:12.60
all in a panic, we
were able to go there
00:21:12.63\00:21:15.77
to a place of safety
and a place of quiet.
00:21:15.80\00:21:17.94
And so for me, when I
feel overwhelmed about that,
00:21:17.97\00:21:20.84
I, I know without a doubt that
God had prepared a place for us,
00:21:20.88\00:21:25.35
and that He was
watching out for us,
00:21:25.38\00:21:27.85
and that we would be okay.
00:21:27.88\00:21:30.15
>>Courtney: Before the
fires and I was meeting
00:21:30.19\00:21:31.99
with my youth pastor, um,
when I told her that I was,
00:21:32.02\00:21:35.96
like, okay, I'm ready.
00:21:35.99\00:21:37.09
Like, I want to do it.
00:21:37.13\00:21:38.26
I want to get baptized.
00:21:38.29\00:21:39.33
It was about a week and
a half before the fires,
00:21:39.36\00:21:41.76
and that's when she had told me.
00:21:41.80\00:21:43.77
And she had said that Satan
is pretty much going to test me.
00:21:43.80\00:21:49.37
She said, "It
doesn't happen to everyone
00:21:49.40\00:21:51.61
who's going to get baptized,
but I have had situations where,
00:21:51.64\00:21:55.88
you know, I've had kids who
have had stuff happen to them
00:21:55.91\00:21:59.18
right before they get baptized.
00:21:59.21\00:22:01.12
And that makes them lose a
little bit of faith in God,
00:22:01.15\00:22:04.42
or not trust Him, or, you know,
get angry at Him or whatever."
00:22:04.45\00:22:08.86
And so she said, you
know, "Just be aware."
00:22:08.89\00:22:11.96
Like, there's probably
going to be something happen.
00:22:11.99\00:22:14.20
And then a week
and a half later,
00:22:14.20\00:22:15.40
that's when the fires happened.
00:22:15.43\00:22:17.60
>>John: So you weren't
tempted just to give up on God?
00:22:17.63\00:22:19.70
>>Courtney: Umh-umm.
00:22:19.73\00:22:21.87
>>John: Good for you.
00:22:21.90\00:22:23.10
>>John: You know, it
really does make you wonder.
00:22:29.58\00:22:33.15
If you've not been
through a loss like this,
00:22:33.18\00:22:37.09
the vast
majority of us have not,
00:22:37.12\00:22:41.69
it's kind of
hard to put yourself
00:22:41.72\00:22:42.79
into somebody else's shoes.
00:22:42.82\00:22:44.16
What must it be
like to go through?
00:22:44.19\00:22:47.40
Well, of course, while not
everybody has had their home
00:22:47.46\00:22:51.23
burn or been through Hurricane
Irma or some such thing,
00:22:51.27\00:22:56.71
we all suffer
loss on some level.
00:22:56.74\00:23:01.38
And it tends to
shake our faith somehow.
00:23:01.41\00:23:06.35
Sometimes its a seismic shake,
sometimes a little small shake.
00:23:06.38\00:23:12.22
But that question
comes to you: where was God?
00:23:12.25\00:23:16.69
Where was God when my
child got desperately ill?
00:23:16.73\00:23:20.80
Where was God when my
spouse ruined the marriage?
00:23:20.83\00:23:26.87
Where was God
when the fire burned?
00:23:26.90\00:23:29.74
You know.
00:23:29.77\00:23:30.84
Where was God?
00:23:30.87\00:23:33.38
The place you find
answers to that sort of question
00:23:33.41\00:23:36.31
is the Bible,
00:23:36.34\00:23:37.41
the only reliable place
that you can find an answer.
00:23:37.45\00:23:40.58
So let me read to
you from 2 Corinthians,
00:23:40.62\00:23:43.59
chapter 4, from verse 16.
00:23:43.62\00:23:46.96
Here's what the Bible says:
00:23:46.99\00:23:49.62
"Therefore, we
do not lose heart.
00:23:49.66\00:23:51.96
Even though our
outward man is perishing,
00:23:51.99\00:23:54.10
yet the inward man is
being renewed day by day.
00:23:54.13\00:23:58.50
For our light affliction,
which is but for a moment,
00:23:58.53\00:24:01.84
is working for us
a far more exceeding
00:24:01.87\00:24:04.21
and eternal weight of glory,
00:24:04.24\00:24:06.68
while we do not look not
at the things which are seen,
00:24:06.71\00:24:09.28
but at the things
which are not seen.
00:24:09.31\00:24:12.68
For the things which
are seen are temporary,
00:24:12.71\00:24:16.48
but the things which
are not seen are eternal."
00:24:16.52\00:24:20.89
So, how about that?
00:24:20.92\00:24:21.86
The Bible talks
about our light affliction.
00:24:21.89\00:24:24.56
Yeah, I don't want to
meet any of these householders
00:24:24.59\00:24:27.40
and tell them,
"You lost everything.
00:24:27.40\00:24:28.50
That's a 'light affliction.'"
00:24:28.53\00:24:30.17
But if you look
for God in the flames,
00:24:30.20\00:24:33.27
there's a chance you
might not be able to see Him.
00:24:33.30\00:24:35.27
But if you keep on looking,
God will come into view.
00:24:35.30\00:24:37.21
He'll come into focus.
00:24:37.24\00:24:38.64
If you're trying to
hear the voice of God
00:24:38.67\00:24:40.24
while the fire
engines are wailing,
00:24:40.28\00:24:42.48
it might be right
00:24:42.51\00:24:43.45
then you can't
discern the voice of God.
00:24:43.48\00:24:44.91
It may be that you can.
00:24:44.95\00:24:47.05
But if you hang in there,
God's leading will become clear.
00:24:47.08\00:24:50.19
And whatever you're
going through right now,
00:24:50.22\00:24:52.15
whatever you have
faced or will face,
00:24:52.19\00:24:54.32
you can know that God is
right there with you too.
00:24:54.36\00:24:58.23
[Ominous music]
00:24:58.26\00:25:05.50
>>John: Now, here's a question.
00:25:06.70\00:25:08.17
Can God be trusted?
00:25:08.20\00:25:10.37
Either you've asked
that question yourself,
00:25:10.41\00:25:12.24
or you know somebody who has.
00:25:12.27\00:25:14.01
And I've got an answer for you.
00:25:14.04\00:25:15.88
I'd like you to
get today's free offer,
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"Can God Be Trusted?"
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write to the
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or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
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"Can God Be Trusted?"
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I have an answer for you.
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800-253-3000,
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or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
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>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
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exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
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To support this international
life-changing ministry,
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please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
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You can send your
tax-deductible gift
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to the address on your screen,
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or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
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Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
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Our number
again is 800-253-3000.
00:25:59.45\00:26:03.66
Or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
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¤[Piano music]¤
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¤[Piano music]¤
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>>John: The chainsaws are
whirring in the background.
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The construction, or
maybe the destruction equipment
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is working behind us, because
great tragedy has taken place.
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Real loss.
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Where was God?
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Let Jesus tell you.
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We're going to
settle it right now.
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Matthew, chapter 28, and
the second part of verse 20.
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Jesus said, "...and
lo, I am with you always,
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even to the end of the age."
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And then Matthew wrote, "Amen."
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So that settles it.
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Where was God?
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He was with those
who were suffering.
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Where was God?
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He was with you in
your own personal hell.
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Where was God?
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He was walking beside you.
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You know what He was doing?
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He was carrying you.
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Because it's the
grace of God that enables us
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to accomplish or do or
endure anything at all.
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If we look at circumstances,
our faith might be shaken.
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If you'll look
at the Word of God,
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look to the cross on
which Jesus died for you.
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If you look to God's promises,
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you will know and
you will be certain.
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He never leaves you;
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He's always with
you, no matter what.
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And best of all,
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one day soon Jesus will
return and gather us together,
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and take us home,
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to a land where
there'll be no loss,
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no death,
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no devastation,
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no disaster.
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We'll never
wonder, "where was God?"
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For we will be there
in God's presence forever.
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You want to be there?
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I know you do.
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Let's pray together now.
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Father in Heaven,
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we thank You for the
assurance that You are with us.
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You never abandon us.
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In our darkest
moments You are there.
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In our struggles, You are there.
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In times of loss,
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grief,
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despair,
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difficulty,
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You are there.
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And in times of
joy and celebration,
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in times of
gladness, You are there.
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Lord, we thank You today.
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Though we don't always
understand what You allow
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we understand enough of
you to know that You are good,
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that You are God.
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We look forward to the
day when Jesus returns,
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and the sadnesses and
the sufferings of this earth
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will be gone forever.
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Let that day come soon.
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Friend, you want
to be ready then.
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You want to be ready now.
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Would you open your
heart to God now and say,
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"Lord, I want you to be my Lord.
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I want the God of
Heaven to be my God.
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I want Jesus to be my Savior."
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If that's your prayer,
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pray it in your heart now.
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Lord, hear the cry of our heart.
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We look forward
to seeing Jesus soon
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and spending eternity with You.
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We thank you
for it, and we pray,
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and we trust, in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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>>John: Thanks so
much for joining me today.
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I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
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Until then, remember:
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"It is written:
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'Man shall not
live by bread alone,
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but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
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¤[Theme music]¤
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