¤[Theme music]¤
00:00:09.94\00:00:17.15
¤[Soft music with road noise]¤
00:00:18.78\00:00:22.65
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
00:00:22.68\00:00:25.82
I'm John Bradshaw, and together
we are heading somewhere.
00:00:25.85\00:00:30.26
Before we get
to our destination,
00:00:30.29\00:00:31.59
let's go back in
time a little bit...
00:00:31.63\00:00:34.83
2017 was a very active
year for natural disasters.
00:00:34.83\00:00:41.84
Remember the hurricanes?
00:00:41.87\00:00:43.54
What a hurricane season.
00:00:43.57\00:00:45.24
¤[Dramatic music]¤
00:00:45.27\00:00:55.75
Now, those were the storms.
There were others besides.
00:00:55.78\00:00:58.82
Then came the fires.
00:00:58.85\00:01:01.02
[Fire crackling]
00:01:01.06\00:01:01.99
In California, fire
season comes every year,
00:01:02.02\00:01:05.46
and there's always a
danger of fires, always.
00:01:05.49\00:01:08.60
In northern California,
00:01:08.63\00:01:10.00
a swarm of fires affected
about six different counties.
00:01:10.03\00:01:14.30
The worst fire of
them all: the Tubbs Fire.
00:01:14.34\00:01:17.47
And the Tubbs Fire began burning
in the direction of Santa Rosa.
00:01:17.51\00:01:21.48
That's where we're going now.
00:01:21.51\00:01:23.24
In Santa Rosa alone,
00:01:23.28\00:01:25.65
43 people died as a
result of the Tubbs Fire.
00:01:25.68\00:01:30.35
That's 43 known
deaths; there may be more.
00:01:30.39\00:01:34.56
Nine thousand
structures were destroyed,
00:01:34.59\00:01:37.26
5,500 of them in Santa Rosa.
00:01:37.29\00:01:40.73
Three thousand homes
were destroyed in Santa Rosa.
00:01:40.76\00:01:44.07
Five percent of Santa
Rosa's houses were destroyed.
00:01:44.10\00:01:48.74
The destruction was immense.
00:01:48.77\00:01:51.17
We're on our way to Santa Rosa
00:01:51.21\00:01:52.54
to talk to some
survivors of the Tubbs Fire;
00:01:52.57\00:01:57.28
some victims of the
Tubbs Fire, that is,
00:01:57.31\00:01:59.25
people who lost everything;
00:01:59.28\00:02:03.02
and people who lost nothing.
00:02:03.05\00:02:06.52
And we'll ask an
important question.
00:02:06.55\00:02:08.69
And that
question: Where was God?
00:02:08.72\00:02:12.26
Where was God
when the fires burned?
00:02:12.29\00:02:13.63
Where was God
as people suffered?
00:02:13.66\00:02:15.46
Where was God
while people were dying?
00:02:15.50\00:02:18.20
Where was God in the
midst of the devastation?
00:02:18.23\00:02:20.34
It's a very important question,
00:02:20.37\00:02:21.74
not only in the context
of the fires in California,
00:02:21.77\00:02:24.27
the hurricanes that
buffeted the United States,
00:02:24.31\00:02:26.57
but our own lives.
00:02:26.61\00:02:28.04
Everybody meets with
tragedy, disaster, loss.
00:02:28.08\00:02:31.38
And that
question is often asked.
00:02:31.41\00:02:33.28
That question is: Where was God?
00:02:33.31\00:02:36.85
We're heading to Santa Rosa.
00:02:36.89\00:02:38.92
By the grace of God, we'll
find an answer to that question.
00:02:38.95\00:02:44.23
¤[Soft music]¤
00:02:45.53\00:02:54.37
>>Marc Selivanoff: So
it was, uh, Sunday night.
00:02:54.40\00:02:56.64
We went to bed, uh, October 8.
00:02:56.67\00:02:58.77
And, uh, about
maybe 1:30 in the morning,
00:02:58.81\00:03:03.55
the, uh, my wife
got a phone call.
00:03:03.58\00:03:07.32
And I could hear the voice
on the other end of the line
00:03:07.35\00:03:10.49
was very, uh,
tense, and very intense
00:03:10.52\00:03:14.06
maybe would be a better word.
00:03:14.09\00:03:15.29
And she was
basically, uh, screaming,
00:03:15.32\00:03:18.13
"There's a fire; it's
massive; it's headed your way.
00:03:18.16\00:03:21.16
You need to get
out, and get out now."
00:03:21.20\00:03:23.26
>>John: So you get the warning,
00:03:23.30\00:03:24.87
you get the phone
call, and so what do you do?
00:03:24.90\00:03:28.04
>>Marc: So, of course,
at 1:30 in the morning,
00:03:28.07\00:03:30.04
you know, I go
and I look outside,
00:03:30.07\00:03:31.31
and I could smell the smoke.
00:03:31.34\00:03:32.91
And, uh, so we knew
that, based on her phone call,
00:03:32.94\00:03:36.98
this was something serious that
we needed to pay attention to.
00:03:37.01\00:03:39.55
So we got up, very groggy,
started gathering our pets
00:03:39.58\00:03:45.35
and our few
things that we could get,
00:03:45.39\00:03:48.69
um, loaded them into the car.
00:03:48.72\00:03:51.39
And, uh, the smoke was
very thick at that point,
00:03:51.43\00:03:54.36
and, uh, just
headed out and, uh,
00:03:54.40\00:03:59.10
so we ended up at a house
that we own that was vacant.
00:03:59.13\00:04:02.67
We, uh, got settled there,
00:04:02.70\00:04:06.11
and then Anthony, my son, said,
00:04:06.14\00:04:08.88
"Hey, Dad, let's
go back up and see."
00:04:08.91\00:04:10.41
And I said, "We'll
go as far as we can,
00:04:10.45\00:04:12.25
but I don't want
to put us in danger."
00:04:12.28\00:04:14.05
>>John: So you came
back up here to the house.
00:04:14.08\00:04:15.42
What did you find?
00:04:15.45\00:04:16.45
>>Marc: Um, we came
back up, and the fire was,
00:04:16.48\00:04:18.89
was raging, uh, down in
the residential community.
00:04:18.92\00:04:22.92
It was on this hill
and on this hill as well.
00:04:22.96\00:04:25.69
>>John: But the house?
00:04:25.73\00:04:26.80
>>Marc: The house was
still standing at that point.
00:04:26.83\00:04:27.96
So we, uh, we were fighting
the fire with the intention
00:04:28.00\00:04:33.54
of obviously saving our
home and all of our possessions.
00:04:33.57\00:04:36.71
>>Catherine Hamilton:
We got a call at 2 a.m.
00:04:36.74\00:04:38.14
>>Alvin Hamilton:
Monday night, yeah.
00:04:38.17\00:04:39.27
>>Catherine: At midnight, here.
00:04:39.31\00:04:42.91
>>Alvin: It's, it's
like complete hopelessness,
00:04:42.94\00:04:45.85
because you're gone,
except that you have God.
00:04:45.88\00:04:49.75
And so the first thing
that you do is the only thing
00:04:49.78\00:04:52.15
that you know you
can hang on to is God.
00:04:52.19\00:04:54.79
I mean, everything else,
as what you physically can do,
00:04:54.82\00:04:57.46
is not there.
00:04:57.49\00:04:59.19
>>Catherine: After I hear
fire, I hear, in the background,
00:04:59.23\00:05:02.06
"Get out! Get out!
You're being evacuated.
00:05:02.10\00:05:05.57
The fire is two to four
blocks away from your house."
00:05:05.60\00:05:08.07
And I panicked.
00:05:08.10\00:05:09.54
And so I told Alvin, I said,
00:05:09.57\00:05:10.84
"Pray for me. Pray for me.
00:05:10.87\00:05:12.14
Pray for my sanity, and so
that I can be able to pray."
00:05:12.17\00:05:15.31
Because my mind, I felt
like my mind was just gone.
00:05:15.34\00:05:18.41
>>Alvin: "I sought the Lord,
00:05:18.45\00:05:19.65
and he heard me and
delivered me from all my fears."
00:05:19.68\00:05:23.12
>>Catherine: So the
minute he prayed for me,
00:05:23.15\00:05:25.19
not for the fire,
00:05:25.22\00:05:26.32
not for anything
that was happening,
00:05:26.35\00:05:28.26
I just needed my
calmness and my sanity
00:05:28.29\00:05:31.03
to be able to be
in tune with God.
00:05:31.06\00:05:32.66
Because I knew
that if I had that,
00:05:32.69\00:05:34.56
I had everything else.
00:05:34.60\00:05:36.23
So I said--we started praying;
our prayers didn't last long.
00:05:36.26\00:05:39.70
They were
desperate; they were, uh,
00:05:39.73\00:05:42.57
they were rushed.
00:05:42.60\00:05:43.77
There was a need; it was urgent;
it was very, very urgent.
00:05:43.81\00:05:47.11
I said, "Please
save my children."
00:05:47.14\00:05:50.11
>>Alvin: "The angel of the
Lord encampeth round about them
00:05:50.15\00:05:53.45
that fear Him
and delivered them."
00:05:53.48\00:05:55.92
>>Catherine: So immediately
after we prayed that,
00:05:55.95\00:05:58.15
and then we
couldn't pray anymore,
00:05:58.19\00:05:59.95
and we started
saying verses in the Bible.
00:06:00.06\00:06:02.86
And so we grasped, um,
Psalms 34 and Psalms 91,
00:06:02.89\00:06:06.90
and we were saying it
back and forth, back and forth.
00:06:06.93\00:06:10.20
>>Alvin: "I will
bless the Lord at all times:
00:06:10.23\00:06:11.97
His praise shall
continually be in my mouth.
00:06:12.00\00:06:14.54
My soul shall make
her boast in the Lord.
00:06:14.57\00:06:16.77
The humble shall
hear thereof and be glad.
00:06:16.81\00:06:19.74
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
00:06:19.77\00:06:21.68
and let us exalt
His name together."
00:06:21.71\00:06:23.91
>>Catherine: So what really
was the most amazing miracle
00:06:23.95\00:06:26.68
about this home is that
the fire started miles east,
00:06:26.72\00:06:31.55
behind us, and it
stopped right at my backyard,
00:06:31.59\00:06:35.36
and do not proceed to
any other home beyond us.
00:06:35.39\00:06:40.06
>>Courtney Asker: My
mom woke up at 11:45,
00:06:41.56\00:06:45.13
and she smelled smoke.
00:06:45.17\00:06:46.90
So she woke my dad up,
and he just pretty much said,
00:06:46.94\00:06:49.67
"You know, you're freaking
out; go to bed; we're fine."
00:06:49.70\00:06:53.17
And so then she called 911,
and they ended up telling her,
00:06:53.21\00:06:56.88
"No, you're fine."
00:06:56.91\00:06:58.58
Like, "You have
nothing to worry about.
00:06:58.61\00:07:00.22
You don't have to leave.
There's a fire being contained."
00:07:00.25\00:07:02.68
Then it was at 1:19 a.m.
was when her friend texted again
00:07:02.72\00:07:07.99
that Paradise
Ridge Winery is on fire,
00:07:08.02\00:07:10.56
and that's right
below where we are.
00:07:10.59\00:07:13.46
And so that's when my
mom, like, started screaming,
00:07:13.50\00:07:17.77
so that's how I woke up.
00:07:17.80\00:07:19.07
But they still never
told me what was going on.
00:07:19.10\00:07:22.04
So then I went in,
and I helped my mom.
00:07:22.07\00:07:24.57
And she had grabbed, like,
our metal box with our passports
00:07:24.61\00:07:27.38
and birth
certificates and stuff.
00:07:27.41\00:07:29.28
And then she grabbed
a couple photo albums,
00:07:29.31\00:07:31.35
like, her and my dad
and my grandpa and stuff.
00:07:31.38\00:07:34.35
And so then I went
back to my room, and I just,
00:07:34.38\00:07:37.29
like, changed
into sweats real quick,
00:07:37.32\00:07:40.36
and I put on a pair of
flip flops, and then I grabbed
00:07:40.39\00:07:43.46
my school backpack and a
stuffed animal and one picture.
00:07:43.49\00:07:47.03
And so, when we were
driving down the hill,
00:07:47.03\00:07:49.16
like I just remember
seeing, like, red everywhere.
00:07:49.20\00:07:52.13
Then I understood,
you know, like, okay,
00:07:52.17\00:07:54.54
it's, like, the
mountain's on fire.
00:07:54.57\00:07:56.40
¤[Ominous music]¤
00:07:56.44\00:08:03.35
>>John: Now, here's a
question: Can God be trusted?
00:08:04.45\00:08:08.28
Either you've asked
that question yourself,
00:08:08.32\00:08:10.22
or you know somebody who has.
00:08:10.25\00:08:11.72
And I've got an answer for you.
00:08:11.75\00:08:13.76
I'd like you to
get today's free offer,
00:08:13.79\00:08:15.96
"Can God Be Trusted?"
00:08:15.99\00:08:18.09
To receive it,
call 800-253-3000,
00:08:18.13\00:08:21.50
write to the
address on your screen,
00:08:21.53\00:08:23.03
or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
00:08:23.06\00:08:26.77
Can God be trusted? I
have an answer for you.
00:08:26.80\00:08:29.50
800-253-3000,
00:08:29.54\00:08:31.37
or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
00:08:31.41\00:08:34.34
>>Announcer 1:
Have you ever wondered
00:08:34.71\00:08:35.71
if you're good
enough to be saved?
00:08:35.74\00:08:37.51
It's a common question that
has discouraged many people.
00:08:37.55\00:08:40.28
But it doesn't
have to discourage you.
00:08:40.32\00:08:42.38
"Taking a Stand"
00:08:42.42\00:08:43.35
is a powerful
five-part series presented by
00:08:43.39\00:08:45.25
Pastor John Bradshaw
00:08:45.29\00:08:46.45
that will help you discover
the assurance of salvation.
00:08:46.49\00:08:49.89
>>Announcer 2:
Call 1-888-664-5573
00:08:49.92\00:08:53.16
to order the
"Taking a Stand" DVD.
00:08:53.19\00:08:55.30
Or download it
from our webstore at
00:08:55.33\00:08:56.97
www.itiswritten.shop.
00:08:57.00\00:08:59.93
Jesus offers salvation
as a free gift to everyone,
00:09:00.04\00:09:02.94
including you.
00:09:02.97\00:09:04.47
¤[Music]¤
00:09:04.94\00:09:14.45
>>Marc Selivanoff: As
the fire came in the morning,
00:09:14.48\00:09:16.12
it basically, once
the house caught fire,
00:09:16.15\00:09:18.22
there was nothing that
we could do at that point.
00:09:18.25\00:09:20.46
>>John Bradshaw: So help
me get the picture of this.
00:09:20.49\00:09:21.79
Here's your home
and, and everything.
00:09:21.82\00:09:24.96
So around here, there
was, the stuff was on fire.
00:09:24.99\00:09:27.46
>>Marc: The back hill
behind our house was on fire,
00:09:27.50\00:09:30.43
and the hill over there
behind you was on fire as well.
00:09:30.47\00:09:34.34
And there's actually
two houses that were there.
00:09:34.37\00:09:36.64
And while we were here,
those exploded and went up.
00:09:36.67\00:09:39.44
Probably 100-foot wall of
fire right just over there.
00:09:39.47\00:09:42.98
There's two houses over there on
that side of the property that,
00:09:43.01\00:09:46.51
while we were
here fighting the fire,
00:09:46.55\00:09:48.52
went up in smoke,
and you could hear them.
00:09:48.55\00:09:50.19
It was like a
747 just taking off,
00:09:50.22\00:09:52.89
and the popping of windows
and whatever else happens
00:09:52.92\00:09:56.09
when a house goes up in flame.
00:09:56.12\00:09:57.33
And my son actually went over
00:09:57.36\00:09:58.73
to make sure that that
side of the property was okay.
00:09:58.76\00:10:02.13
So he was over
there fighting the fire.
00:10:02.16\00:10:03.70
I was here, and I
decided we should be together,
00:10:03.73\00:10:05.50
so I left this and
went to be with him.
00:10:05.53\00:10:07.67
But what ended up
happening then is that the wind
00:10:07.70\00:10:09.50
brought the fire up from
the residential community.
00:10:09.54\00:10:12.44
Um, it overcame,
and landed on the house,
00:10:12.47\00:10:16.95
and the house went up in flames.
00:10:16.98\00:10:18.35
And at that point we
had to leave as well.
00:10:18.38\00:10:20.42
¤[Soft sad music]¤
00:10:20.45\00:10:22.72
>>Courtney Asker: That Monday,
00:10:22.75\00:10:24.12
we still hadn't
known, like, what,
00:10:24.15\00:10:27.72
what anything looked like.
00:10:27.76\00:10:28.79
We didn't know if
anything had burnt down.
00:10:28.82\00:10:30.36
I couldn't eat or sleep at all
00:10:30.39\00:10:32.63
because I didn't know
if our house was okay.
00:10:32.66\00:10:35.86
And my mom pretty
much kept saying, like,
00:10:35.90\00:10:37.33
"There's no way that
it could have survived."
00:10:37.37\00:10:39.47
I just kept saying,
like, "No, it has to be there.
00:10:39.50\00:10:42.04
Like, there's no
way it can be gone."
00:10:42.07\00:10:44.47
And I think it was
about, like, that evening,
00:10:44.51\00:10:47.78
Monday--I have a
friend who was going,
00:10:47.81\00:10:50.68
and driving
around and taking videos.
00:10:50.71\00:10:53.21
And so I texted
him, and I was, like,
00:10:53.25\00:10:54.72
"Go to this address."
00:10:54.75\00:10:55.72
And so he went
there, and he took pictures,
00:10:55.75\00:10:57.92
and it was all gone.
00:10:57.95\00:11:00.36
And, like, I
just remember, like,
00:11:00.39\00:11:02.29
breaking down
completely and, like,
00:11:02.32\00:11:03.96
I couldn't even
stand because of it.
00:11:03.99\00:11:06.33
So we didn't find out
until, like, that evening,
00:11:06.36\00:11:08.93
the day after the fires.
00:11:08.96\00:11:11.87
>>John: When did you come back?
00:11:11.90\00:11:12.80
How soon could you,
could you come back,
00:11:12.83\00:11:14.57
to have a look at your place?
00:11:14.60\00:11:15.80
>>Courtney: Um, we
didn't come here until,
00:11:15.84\00:11:19.74
like, two weeks after.
00:11:19.77\00:11:22.44
>>John: Tell me
what that was like.
00:11:22.48\00:11:24.38
>>Courtney: Um, well, the first
time it was only my parents
00:11:24.41\00:11:27.75
who came here
because I was with a friend.
00:11:27.78\00:11:30.02
And then I think maybe a
little less than a week after,
00:11:30.05\00:11:34.39
that's when I came
here for the first time.
00:11:34.42\00:11:37.39
'Cause that's when
they were finally, like,
00:11:37.43\00:11:39.13
letting people
come up and, like,
00:11:39.16\00:11:40.90
search for things,
you know, in their house.
00:11:40.93\00:11:43.67
Since, like, after we
had found out about it,
00:11:43.70\00:11:45.90
like, I wasn't necessarily,
like, that emotional.
00:11:45.93\00:11:50.77
And so I didn't
think that I would, like,
00:11:50.81\00:11:53.31
start crying when we
come, when we came up here.
00:11:53.34\00:11:55.74
But when we got here and, like,
I actually got out of the car,
00:11:55.78\00:11:58.51
like, that's when I just
started sobbing with my dad,
00:11:58.55\00:12:02.22
pretty much.
00:12:02.25\00:12:03.45
And, like, that's the first
time I've seen him cry in, like,
00:12:03.49\00:12:05.82
a really long time.
00:12:05.85\00:12:07.69
>>John: I hate to
ask you this question,
00:12:07.72\00:12:09.49
but if the firetrucks had
somehow arrived an hour earlier,
00:12:09.52\00:12:12.63
might your house
still be standing?
00:12:12.66\00:12:14.46
>>Marc: It would be
standing, but I don't,
00:12:14.46\00:12:16.46
I don't hold that
against the firemen.
00:12:16.50\00:12:18.03
>>John: Oh, yeah, sure.
00:12:18.07\00:12:19.03
>>Marc: Yeah, this fire
was so large and so, uh,
00:12:19.07\00:12:21.44
out of control and so hot...
00:12:21.47\00:12:24.14
I think the key priority then
00:12:24.17\00:12:25.41
was saving lives and
making sure that they could save
00:12:25.44\00:12:29.11
as many people as they could.
00:12:29.14\00:12:30.81
>>John: You were
kind of the last--
00:12:30.85\00:12:32.58
>>Marc: The last, the last one.
00:12:32.61\00:12:34.55
Yeah.
00:12:34.58\00:12:35.58
And as we were
standing there watching,
00:12:35.62\00:12:37.79
the firetrucks arrived,
00:12:37.82\00:12:39.82
and that's part of the
reason why they survived
00:12:39.85\00:12:41.99
is three firetrucks arrived
on the street on the other side
00:12:42.02\00:12:45.66
and ended up, uh, able to save--
00:12:45.69\00:12:47.86
and the winds,
you know, cooperated,
00:12:47.86\00:12:49.33
but the firemen were able to
save, uh, those houses there,
00:12:49.36\00:12:52.97
which I'm grateful for.
00:12:53.00\00:12:53.80
I'm happy that
they have their home.
00:12:53.84\00:12:57.27
¤[Ominous music]¤
00:12:57.31\00:13:04.71
>>Announcer 3: In Matthew
4:4, the Word of God says,
00:13:08.25\00:13:10.85
"It is Written,
00:13:10.89\00:13:11.69
'Man shall not
live by bread alone,
00:13:11.72\00:13:13.99
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:13:14.02\00:13:17.83
"Every Word" is a one-minute
Bible-based daily devotional
00:13:17.86\00:13:20.96
presented by
Pastor John Bradshaw
00:13:20.96\00:13:23.10
and designed especially
for busy people like you.
00:13:23.13\00:13:26.13
Look for "Every
Word" on selected networks,
00:13:26.17\00:13:29.04
or watch it online
every day on our website,
00:13:29.07\00:13:31.34
itiswritten.com.
00:13:31.37\00:13:33.38
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:13:33.41\00:13:35.61
Watch "Every Word."
You'll be glad you did.
00:13:35.64\00:13:38.75
>>John Bradshaw: I'm John
Bradshaw from It Is Written,
00:13:41.82\00:13:43.99
inviting you to
join me for "500,"
00:13:44.02\00:13:47.59
nine programs
produced by It Is Written,
00:13:47.62\00:13:49.89
taking you deep
into the Reformation.
00:13:49.92\00:13:53.06
This is the 500th anniversary
00:13:53.09\00:13:55.50
of the beginning
of the Reformation,
00:13:55.53\00:13:57.20
when Martin Luther
nailed his Ninety-Five Theses
00:13:57.23\00:13:59.70
to the door of the Castle
Church in Wittenburg, Germany.
00:13:59.73\00:14:02.57
We'll take you to Wittenberg,
00:14:02.60\00:14:04.11
and to Belgium, to
England, to Ireland,
00:14:04.14\00:14:07.28
to Rome, to the Vatican City,
00:14:07.31\00:14:09.44
and introduce you to the people
who created the Reformation,
00:14:09.48\00:14:12.51
who pushed the
Reformation forward.
00:14:12.55\00:14:14.42
We'll take you to
sites all throughout Europe
00:14:14.45\00:14:16.28
where the reformers
lived and, in some cases, died.
00:14:16.32\00:14:19.19
We'll bring you
back to the United States
00:14:19.22\00:14:20.86
and take you to a
little farm in upstate New York
00:14:20.89\00:14:23.76
and show you how God
spread the Reformation here.
00:14:23.79\00:14:26.76
Don't miss "500."
00:14:26.80\00:14:28.76
You can own the
"500" series on DVD.
00:14:28.80\00:14:31.83
Call us on 888-664-5573,
00:14:31.87\00:14:36.37
or visit us online
at itiswritten.shop.
00:14:36.40\00:14:40.91
¤[Soft sad music]¤
00:14:42.21\00:14:44.71
>>Catherine Hamilton: I'm
not sure what God is trying
00:14:44.75\00:14:46.25
to tell us, but I know
that God spoke in Santa Rosa.
00:14:46.28\00:14:50.69
>>Marc Selivanoff: You know,
even now there's times when
00:14:50.72\00:14:53.02
I'll be talking on my
phone, or at the end of the day,
00:14:53.05\00:14:55.39
and I'll just
start driving here,
00:14:55.42\00:14:58.06
and realize, wait a
second, what am I doing?
00:14:58.09\00:15:00.70
I don't live here;
[chuckles] I live over there.
00:15:00.73\00:15:03.00
And, uh, so, you
know, it's been a challenge,
00:15:03.03\00:15:06.20
and every day
there's new emotions and new,
00:15:06.23\00:15:08.74
uh, decisions and new
challenges that come up.
00:15:08.77\00:15:12.77
But, uh, you know,
we're confident that God
00:15:12.81\00:15:15.41
has not forgotten about us,
00:15:15.44\00:15:17.51
that He has provided for us,
00:15:17.55\00:15:19.08
and that He is walking
with us each step of the way.
00:15:19.11\00:15:22.45
>>Courtney Asker: I don't think
I ever, like, got angry at Him,
00:15:23.32\00:15:25.92
but I think I was just kind
of, almost let down, you know.
00:15:25.95\00:15:31.16
When we, when me and my mom
were driving down the hill, um,
00:15:31.19\00:15:35.10
so there's, like, a
little pond that's right there.
00:15:35.13\00:15:37.13
You can kind of see
it, like, a little lake.
00:15:37.17\00:15:38.73
>>John Bradshaw: Yeah.
00:15:38.77\00:15:39.83
>>Courtney: I remember,
like, she was just praying,
00:15:39.87\00:15:40.97
like, "Use that lake."
00:15:41.00\00:15:43.04
You know, just use that tiny
little thing just to shield,
00:15:43.07\00:15:45.51
like, our house.
00:15:45.54\00:15:47.28
And, like, I actually
thought that it would work.
00:15:47.31\00:15:51.45
You know, I
thought that He would,
00:15:51.48\00:15:53.08
like, actually protect, like,
all of our houses and stuff.
00:15:53.11\00:15:56.32
So I think, I just
felt like, you know,
00:15:56.35\00:15:58.49
kind of let down by Him a bit.
00:15:58.52\00:16:01.26
>>Alvin Hamilton: I, I felt
a heavy load of responsibility
00:16:01.29\00:16:06.90
that--why, God?
00:16:06.93\00:16:08.73
You picked me.
You picked our home.
00:16:08.76\00:16:11.33
You saved our family.
00:16:11.37\00:16:13.17
I just felt a heavy load.
00:16:13.20\00:16:14.47
Lord, I'm going to
have to do a lot more.
00:16:14.50\00:16:17.44
I'm going to have
to do a lot better
00:16:17.47\00:16:18.84
because this is just
incredible, you know.
00:16:18.87\00:16:21.88
And, you know, what happened
is this home next to us that,
00:16:21.91\00:16:26.51
that burned down was
one of the only homes
00:16:26.55\00:16:29.28
that people could
actually drive up and see
00:16:29.32\00:16:31.19
because the
military and the police
00:16:31.22\00:16:33.62
had blocked off so many areas.
00:16:33.66\00:16:35.42
So we had car after car
driving into our cul-de-sac.
00:16:35.46\00:16:39.13
Some people
stopped, and they would come,
00:16:39.16\00:16:41.23
and they would talk to us,
00:16:41.26\00:16:42.50
and we would tell them
what God had did for us.
00:16:42.53\00:16:44.77
People would
come in and go, like,
00:16:44.80\00:16:45.97
"Man, you guys were lucky."
00:16:46.00\00:16:47.30
You know, we weren't lucky.
00:16:47.34\00:16:48.87
God did this for
us. It was outrageous.
00:16:48.90\00:16:52.11
"Many are the
afflictions of the righteous,
00:16:52.14\00:16:55.34
but the Lord
delivereth him out of them all."
00:16:55.38\00:16:58.28
>>Catherine: So what I
learned from it is that
00:16:58.31\00:17:00.25
you can depend on
God's words like this.
00:17:00.28\00:17:02.75
It has ears, so it
hears when you pray.
00:17:02.78\00:17:05.39
It has hands, so it can
stop things from happening.
00:17:05.42\00:17:09.82
It has legs; it can actually
move and just do stuff for you.
00:17:09.86\00:17:14.86
So it is really
actually actively a life.
00:17:14.93\00:17:17.57
It does stuff.
00:17:17.60\00:17:19.07
>>Alvin: "O taste and
see that the Lord is good:
00:17:19.10\00:17:23.04
blessed is the man
that trusteth in Him."
00:17:23.07\00:17:26.54
>>Catherine: So this
Word, in times of danger,
00:17:26.57\00:17:29.18
in the future, I know
that I can depend on it.
00:17:29.21\00:17:31.75
I know I can go to it. I
know I can tell it, ask it.
00:17:31.78\00:17:36.32
I know that it will hear.
00:17:36.35\00:17:37.79
It will see.
00:17:37.82\00:17:38.89
It has a mouth; it can speak.
00:17:38.92\00:17:41.02
It can say, "Wind,
time to turn around.
00:17:41.06\00:17:44.33
Don't touch that house."
00:17:44.36\00:17:46.16
And it actually obeys
and does stuff like that.
00:17:46.19\00:17:49.06
It is a miracle!
00:17:49.10\00:17:51.33
"He that dwelleth in the
secret place of the Most High
00:17:51.37\00:17:53.67
shall abide under the
shadow of the Almighty.
00:17:53.70\00:17:56.10
I will say of the Lord, He
is my refuge and my fortress:
00:17:56.14\00:17:59.64
my God; in Him will I trust.
00:17:59.67\00:18:01.88
Thou shalt not be
afraid for the terror by night;
00:18:01.91\00:18:04.51
nor for the arrow
that flieth by day;
00:18:04.55\00:18:06.88
nor for the pestilence
that walketh in darkness;
00:18:06.92\00:18:09.55
nor for the destruction
that wasteth at noonday."
00:18:09.58\00:18:13.46
>>John: So let me
ask you a question.
00:18:14.49\00:18:16.16
You're a
Christian. You're a believer.
00:18:16.19\00:18:18.43
You're in it with
God, boots and all.
00:18:18.46\00:18:22.63
Where was God in
the middle of this?
00:18:22.66\00:18:24.93
Your, your home
has been destroyed.
00:18:24.97\00:18:27.84
Your possessions
are being obliterated.
00:18:27.87\00:18:30.91
Not everything, the things
you hold most precious are safe.
00:18:30.94\00:18:33.78
>>Marc: Yes.
00:18:33.81\00:18:34.84
>>John: All this other
stuff, which is precious,
00:18:34.88\00:18:37.51
is going up in smoke literally.
00:18:37.55\00:18:39.18
>>Marc: Yeah.
00:18:39.21\00:18:40.15
>>John: And, and the
loss is astronomical.
00:18:40.18\00:18:41.85
Where is God?
00:18:41.88\00:18:42.92
>>Marc: You know,
that's a fair question,
00:18:42.95\00:18:44.39
and it's something that
I think you do wrestle with
00:18:44.42\00:18:47.49
because we know that
God could prevent this.
00:18:47.52\00:18:50.79
>>John: Sure.
00:18:50.83\00:18:51.86
>>Marc: And, you know,
it says in Scripture that
00:18:51.89\00:18:54.00
"before you
call, I will answer."
00:18:54.03\00:18:55.96
And in our case,
00:18:56.00\00:18:57.90
what gave me
hope and encouragement
00:18:57.93\00:19:00.30
and a confidence
that God was with us,
00:19:00.34\00:19:03.04
in spite of what
just happened to us,
00:19:03.07\00:19:05.67
was we had, uh, been,
uh, had acquired a property.
00:19:05.71\00:19:11.91
So we had picked
this up back in April.
00:19:11.95\00:19:14.68
And, uh, the plan was just
simply to fix it and flip it.
00:19:14.72\00:19:18.19
But we made a
decision around July
00:19:18.22\00:19:19.92
that maybe we
should keep it as a rental.
00:19:19.95\00:19:22.29
And that turned out to be
a very important decision.
00:19:22.32\00:19:26.33
And we were
literally two days away
00:19:26.36\00:19:28.80
from renting it
when the fire happened.
00:19:28.83\00:19:31.13
And so for us, the blessing
was that we had a place to go.
00:19:31.17\00:19:36.24
It had just been rehabbed.
No one had ever lived there.
00:19:36.27\00:19:38.84
And we were able to, at 2 in
the morning when we left here,
00:19:38.87\00:19:41.28
all in a panic, we
were able to go there
00:19:41.31\00:19:44.45
to a place of safety
and a place of quiet.
00:19:44.48\00:19:46.61
And so for me, when I
feel overwhelmed about that,
00:19:46.65\00:19:49.52
I, I know without a doubt that
God had prepared a place for us,
00:19:49.55\00:19:54.02
and that He was
watching out for us,
00:19:54.06\00:19:56.52
and that we would be okay.
00:19:56.56\00:19:58.83
>>Courtney: Before the
fires when I was meeting
00:19:58.86\00:20:00.66
with my youth pastor, um,
when I told her that I was,
00:20:00.70\00:20:04.60
like, "Okay, I'm
ready; like, I want to do it.
00:20:04.63\00:20:06.90
I want to get baptized."
00:20:06.94\00:20:07.97
It was about a week and
a half before the fires,
00:20:08.00\00:20:10.44
and that's when she had told me.
00:20:10.47\00:20:12.44
And she had said that Satan
is pretty much going to test me.
00:20:12.47\00:20:18.05
She said, "It
doesn't happen to everyone
00:20:18.08\00:20:20.28
who's going to get baptized,
but I have had situations where,
00:20:20.32\00:20:24.55
you know, I've had kids who
have had stuff happen to them
00:20:24.59\00:20:27.86
right before they get baptized,
00:20:27.89\00:20:29.72
and that makes them lose a
little bit of faith in God,
00:20:29.76\00:20:32.96
or not trust Him, or, you know,
get angry at Him or whatever."
00:20:32.99\00:20:37.37
And so she said, you
know, "Just be aware."
00:20:37.40\00:20:40.47
Like, there's probably
going to be something happen.
00:20:40.50\00:20:42.70
And then a week
and a half later,
00:20:42.74\00:20:43.94
that's when the fires happened.
00:20:43.97\00:20:46.14
>>John: So you weren't
tempted just to give up on God?
00:20:46.17\00:20:48.24
>>Courtney: Umh-umm.
00:20:48.28\00:20:50.21
>>John: Good for you.
00:20:50.25\00:20:51.88
You know, it really
does make you wonder.
00:20:58.12\00:21:01.76
If you've not been
through a loss like this--
00:21:01.79\00:21:05.69
the vast
majority of us have not--
00:21:05.73\00:21:09.70
it's kind of
hard to put yourself
00:21:09.73\00:21:11.37
into somebody else's shoes.
00:21:11.40\00:21:12.73
What must it be
like to go through?
00:21:12.77\00:21:16.00
Well, of course, while not
everybody has had their home
00:21:16.04\00:21:19.84
burn or been through Hurricane
Irma or some such thing,
00:21:19.87\00:21:25.31
we all suffer
loss on some level.
00:21:25.35\00:21:29.92
And it tends to
shake our faith somehow.
00:21:29.95\00:21:34.82
Sometimes it's a seismic shake,
sometimes a little, small shake.
00:21:34.86\00:21:40.70
But that question
comes to you: Where was God?
00:21:40.73\00:21:45.13
Where was God when my
child got desperately ill?
00:21:45.17\00:21:49.24
Where was God when my
spouse...ruined the marriage?
00:21:49.27\00:21:55.34
Where was God
when the fire burned?
00:21:55.38\00:21:58.21
You know.
00:21:58.25\00:21:59.31
Where was God?
00:21:59.35\00:22:01.92
The place you find
answers to that sort of question
00:22:01.95\00:22:04.85
is the Bible,
00:22:04.89\00:22:05.95
the only reliable place
that you can find an answer.
00:22:05.99\00:22:09.12
So let me read to you
from 2 Corinthians chapter 4,
00:22:09.16\00:22:13.90
from verse 16.
00:22:13.93\00:22:15.46
Here's what the Bible says:
00:22:15.50\00:22:18.13
"Therefore we do not lose heart.
00:22:18.17\00:22:20.47
Even though our
outward man is perishing,
00:22:20.50\00:22:22.64
yet the inward man is
being renewed day by day.
00:22:22.67\00:22:26.88
For our light affliction,
which is but for a moment,
00:22:26.91\00:22:30.25
is working for us
a far more exceeding
00:22:30.28\00:22:32.61
and eternal weight of glory,
00:22:32.65\00:22:35.08
while we do not look not
at the things which are seen,
00:22:35.12\00:22:37.69
but at the things
which are not seen.
00:22:37.72\00:22:41.09
For the things which
are seen are temporary,
00:22:41.12\00:22:44.89
but the things which
are not seen are eternal."
00:22:44.93\00:22:49.13
So how about that?
00:22:49.16\00:22:50.13
The Bible talks about
our "light affliction."
00:22:50.17\00:22:52.93
Now, I don't want to
meet any of these householders
00:22:52.97\00:22:55.77
and tell them,
"You lost everything.
00:22:55.80\00:22:56.91
That's a 'light affliction.'"
00:22:56.94\00:22:58.57
But if you look
for God in the flames,
00:22:58.61\00:23:01.74
there's a chance you
might not be able to see Him.
00:23:01.78\00:23:03.75
But if you keep on looking,
God will come into view.
00:23:03.78\00:23:05.68
He'll come into focus.
00:23:05.71\00:23:07.12
If you're trying to
hear the voice of God
00:23:07.15\00:23:08.72
while the fire
engines are wailing,
00:23:08.75\00:23:10.95
it might be right
then you can't discern
00:23:10.99\00:23:12.62
the voice of God.
00:23:12.65\00:23:13.39
It may be that you can.
00:23:13.42\00:23:15.52
But if you hang in there,
God's leading will become clear.
00:23:15.56\00:23:18.66
And whatever you're
going through right now,
00:23:18.69\00:23:20.63
whatever you have
faced or will face,
00:23:20.66\00:23:22.76
you can know that God is
right there with you, too.
00:23:22.80\00:23:26.67
¤[Ominous music]¤
00:23:26.70\00:23:32.91
>>John: Now, here's a
question: Can God be trusted?
00:23:34.98\00:23:38.71
Either you've asked
that question yourself,
00:23:38.75\00:23:40.58
or you know somebody who has.
00:23:40.62\00:23:42.35
And I've got an answer for you.
00:23:42.38\00:23:44.22
I'd like you to
get today's free offer,
00:23:44.25\00:23:46.45
"Can God Be Trusted?"
00:23:46.49\00:23:48.56
To receive it,
call 800-253-3000,
00:23:48.59\00:23:52.03
write to the
address on your screen,
00:23:52.06\00:23:53.73
or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
00:23:53.76\00:23:57.30
Can God be trusted? I
have an answer for you.
00:23:57.33\00:24:00.10
800-253-3000,
00:24:00.14\00:24:02.04
or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
00:24:02.07\00:24:04.91
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:24:05.37\00:24:07.31
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:24:07.34\00:24:10.81
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:24:10.85\00:24:13.98
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:24:14.02\00:24:18.15
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:24:18.19\00:24:19.69
to the address on your screen,
00:24:19.72\00:24:21.09
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:24:21.12\00:24:24.86
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:24:24.89\00:24:27.83
Our number
again is 800-253-3000.
00:24:27.86\00:24:31.90
Or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:24:31.93\00:24:35.30
¤[Soft piano music]¤
00:24:35.74\00:24:45.78
¤[Soft piano music]¤
00:24:45.78\00:24:54.82
>>John Bradshaw: The chainsaws
are whirring in the background.
00:24:54.86\00:24:57.09
The construction--or
maybe the destruction--equipment
00:24:57.13\00:25:00.10
is working behind us because
great tragedy has taken place.
00:25:00.13\00:25:03.97
Real loss.
00:25:04.00\00:25:05.53
Where was God?
00:25:05.57\00:25:07.77
Let Jesus tell you.
00:25:07.80\00:25:09.07
We're going to
settle it right now.
00:25:09.10\00:25:10.77
Matthew chapter 28 and
the second part of verse 20.
00:25:10.81\00:25:14.74
Jesus said, "...and
lo, I am with you always,
00:25:14.78\00:25:19.61
even to the end of the age."
00:25:19.65\00:25:23.22
And then Matthew wrote, "Amen."
00:25:23.25\00:25:25.52
So that settles it.
00:25:25.55\00:25:26.79
Where was God?
00:25:26.82\00:25:27.92
He was with those
who were suffering.
00:25:27.96\00:25:30.36
Where was God?
00:25:30.39\00:25:31.56
He was with you in
your own personal hell.
00:25:31.59\00:25:34.66
Where was God?
00:25:34.73\00:25:36.16
He was walking beside you.
00:25:36.20\00:25:37.50
You know what He was
doing? He was carrying you.
00:25:37.53\00:25:41.10
Because it's the
grace of God that enables us
00:25:41.14\00:25:43.30
to accomplish or do or
endure anything at all.
00:25:43.34\00:25:47.31
If we look at circumstances,
our faith might be shaken.
00:25:47.34\00:25:51.11
If you'll look
at the Word of God,
00:25:51.15\00:25:52.38
look to the cross on
which Jesus died for you.
00:25:52.41\00:25:56.38
If you look to God's promises,
00:25:56.42\00:25:57.99
you will know, and
you will be certain.
00:25:58.02\00:26:00.22
He never leaves you;
00:26:00.26\00:26:01.92
He's always with
you, no matter what.
00:26:01.96\00:26:06.96
And best of all,
00:26:07.00\00:26:08.46
one day soon Jesus will
return and gather us together
00:26:08.50\00:26:11.77
and take us home,
00:26:11.80\00:26:14.07
to a land where
there'll be no loss, no death,
00:26:14.10\00:26:18.07
no devastation, no disaster.
00:26:18.11\00:26:20.18
We'll never
wonder, "Where was God?"
00:26:20.21\00:26:22.54
For we will be there
in God's presence forever.
00:26:22.58\00:26:24.91
You want to be there?
00:26:24.95\00:26:26.35
I know you do.
00:26:26.38\00:26:28.68
Let's pray together now.
00:26:28.72\00:26:30.49
Father in heaven,
00:26:30.52\00:26:31.59
we thank You for the
assurance that You are with us.
00:26:31.62\00:26:34.72
You never abandon us.
00:26:34.76\00:26:36.39
In our darkest
moments, You are there.
00:26:36.42\00:26:38.59
In our struggles, You are there.
00:26:38.63\00:26:40.36
In times of loss,
grief, despair, difficulty,
00:26:40.40\00:26:43.87
You are there.
00:26:43.90\00:26:45.57
And in times of
joy and celebration,
00:26:45.60\00:26:48.57
in times of
gladness, You are there.
00:26:48.60\00:26:51.14
Lord, we thank You today.
00:26:51.17\00:26:52.67
Though we don't always
understand what You allow,
00:26:52.71\00:26:55.98
we understand enough of
You to know that You are good,
00:26:56.01\00:26:58.95
that You are God.
00:26:58.98\00:27:00.95
We look forward to the
day when Jesus returns,
00:27:00.98\00:27:03.85
and the sadnesses and
the sufferings of this earth
00:27:03.89\00:27:05.72
will be gone forever.
00:27:05.75\00:27:06.62
Let that day come soon.
00:27:06.65\00:27:07.89
Friend, you want
to be ready then.
00:27:07.92\00:27:09.99
You want to be ready now.
00:27:10.03\00:27:11.56
Would you open your
heart to God now and say,
00:27:11.59\00:27:13.70
"Lord, I want you to be my Lord.
00:27:13.73\00:27:16.87
I want the God of
heaven to be my God.
00:27:16.90\00:27:18.47
I want Jesus to be my Savior"?
00:27:18.50\00:27:20.90
If that's your prayer,
pray it in your heart now.
00:27:20.94\00:27:23.94
And, Lord, hear
the cry of our heart.
00:27:23.97\00:27:26.27
We look forward
to seeing Jesus soon
00:27:26.31\00:27:28.11
and spending eternity with You.
00:27:28.14\00:27:29.51
We thank You for it.
00:27:29.54\00:27:31.55
And we pray, and we trust,
00:27:31.58\00:27:34.55
in Jesus' name. Amen.
00:27:34.58\00:27:37.42
Thanks so much
for joining me today.
00:27:37.45\00:27:38.85
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:38.89\00:27:41.16
Until then, remember:
00:27:41.19\00:27:43.22
"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:43.26\00:27:47.76
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:27:47.83\00:27:52.57
¤[Theme music]¤
00:27:52.60\00:28:02.71
¤[Theme music]¤
00:28:02.71\00:28:20.93