It Is Written

Danger on the Doorstep

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants:

Series Code: IIW

01:29 ♪[Theme music]
01:40 ♪[Theme music]
01:49 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written.
01:51 I'm John Bradshaw.
01:52 Thanks for joining me.
01:53 What would it be like to live with danger on your doorstep?
01:58 ♪[Dramatic music]
02:07 People living under the shadow of a 12,500-feet-tall volcano,
02:11 25 miles outside Guatemala City,
02:15 know exactly what it's like.
02:17 Guatemala and its population of 16.5 million people
02:21 is located in Central America.
02:23 To its north and west is Mexico, Belize is to the northeast,
02:27 and to the east are both Honduras and El Salvador.
02:30 The country has two coasts;
02:32 in the northeast is the Caribbean,
02:35 and to the south, the Pacific Ocean.
02:39 Guatemala is the same size as Tennessee--
02:41 or for that matter, the same size as the country of Iceland.
02:45 And for as long as anyone can remember,
02:48 volcanoes and earthquakes have been part
02:50 of the fabric of life here.
02:53 The capital of Guatemala has been moved twice--
02:56 once because of volcanic mudflow,
02:59 and once because of an earthquake.
03:01 In fact, in 1976,
03:03 an earthquake here in Guatemala claimed 25,000 lives.
03:10 Guatemala is home to 37 volcanoes,
03:13 four of which are still active--
03:15 Pacaya, Santiaguito, Tacana,
03:19 and Volcan de Fuego,
03:21 which in English means, ominously,
03:24 "Volcano of Fire."
03:27 And in June of 2018, the Volcano of Fire
03:31 rained destruction onto surrounding communities.
03:35 It was the deadliest eruption in Guatemala in almost 100 years.
03:41 Fuego is well-known in these parts.
03:44 It's one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
03:47 It's been erupting almost constantly for many years.
03:51 An eruption in 2012 saw 33,000 people evacuate their homes.
03:57 Since then, the eruptions have been much smaller,
04:00 but they have been persistent.
04:02 The 54,000 people who live within six miles of Fuego
04:06 are constantly reminded that danger is never far away.
04:12 ♪[Music]
04:16 It was about the middle of the day on June the 3rd, 2018,
04:20 that Fuego erupted violently,
04:22 and continued to do so for about the next week or so.
04:26 A column of ash rose up above the mountain,
04:28 stretching nine miles high into the sky,
04:32 and rocks, many of them enormous,
04:34 rained down over a wide area.
04:36 Volcanic ash closed Guatemala City's main airport.
04:41 But it was the pyroclastic flows that did so much damage.
04:44 That's hot poisonous volcanic gas mixed with volcanic matter.
04:49 They can move quickly, easily 50 miles an hour,
04:52 sometimes much faster.
04:54 And when they come down a mountainside
04:56 toward a settlement of people, unless you move really quickly,
05:01 essentially, you don't have a chance.
05:07 As rescue workers tried to reach people the next day,
05:10 they were interrupted by fresh flows of mud, gas and ash.
05:14 And because the pyroclastic flows are really hot,
05:18 most of the bodies recovered were unrecognizable.
05:23 Ash that fell to the ground was said
05:25 to be between 400 and 700 degrees Celsius--
05:29 between 750 and 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit.
05:37 When Fuego erupted,
05:39 destruction engulfed community after community.
05:43 It seemed as though it happened in the blink of an eye.
05:46 It was like a nightmare, except this was all too real.
05:52 People lost their homes, completely swept away.
05:55 They lost their crops--gone.
05:56 They lost their possessions.
05:58 And many people lost their entire family.
06:02 And so today thousands of people mourn those losses,
06:05 and they're adjusting to a new way of life--
06:07 without the past,
06:09 without their possessions, without their homes,
06:12 yes, in many cases, without their families.
06:15 In a moment I'm going to introduce you
06:17 to somebody who survived Fuego.
06:20 She lost all of her possessions,
06:22 but she considers herself especially blessed
06:24 because she and her family made it out in one piece.
06:29 They've lived to tell the story.
06:32 But Rosa's neighbors did not.
06:35 Many of them perished-- for one reason.
06:40 I'll tell you why in just a moment.
06:43 ♪[Theme music]
06:52 >>John: Now, here's a question:
06:54 Can God be trusted?
06:56 Either you've asked that question yourself,
06:58 or you know somebody who has, and I've got an answer for you.
07:01 I'd like you to get today's free offer,
07:04 "Can God Be Trusted?"
07:06 To receive it, call 800-253-3000,
07:09 write to the address on your screen,
07:11 or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
07:14 "Can God Be Trusted?"
07:16 I have an answer for you: 800-253-3000
07:19 or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
07:23 ♪[Music]
07:24 >>Announcer: Planning for your financial future
07:26 is a vital aspect of Christian stewardship.
07:30 For this reason, It Is Written is pleased to offer
07:33 free planned giving and estate services.
07:36 For information on how we can help you,
07:38 please call 800-992-2219.
07:43 Call today or visit our website,
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07:47 Call 800-992-2219.
07:53 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me today
07:54 on It Is Written.
07:56 Government statistics said following the dramatic
08:00 and devastating volcano in southern Guatemala
08:04 that 120 people lost their lives,
08:06 and another 200 were officially missing.
08:09 Locals tell another story.
08:11 One man told us that he himself lost
08:14 at least 70 extended family members.
08:17 Another individual said that there is no question
08:20 that there are at least 1,500 people missing
08:23 in the wake of the volcano.
08:26 In Escuintla, Guatemala, Rosa Chacon works as a volunteer
08:30 for the government's emergency alert services.
08:34 It's her responsibility to warn local residents
08:37 when Fuego puts them in danger.
08:40 [Rosa speaking Spanish]
08:42 >>Translator: We had been doing simulations for two months
08:45 before this situation,
08:47 because we had calculated that the volcano erupts
08:51 every 35 to 40 years,
08:55 and we were getting to the 40-year mark.
08:58 So we were already preparing ourselves for another eruption,
09:02 but we didn't think that the eruption would be
09:05 as big as it was.
09:07 At nine in the morning, we took some photos and saw
09:11 that there was no problem for our area at that moment.
09:16 When 11 in the morning came, we heard a very loud boom,
09:23 and I started running from one community to another,
09:27 from one community to another warning people,
09:30 alerting them to prepare themselves.
09:34 It is very difficult for me--
09:37 because I lived at the epicenter of that place,
09:41 in the very place where that big monster was coming.
09:45 I was trying to save the people that were on the bridge.
09:48 My granddaughter and I yelled--
09:50 and two other people that were from the same CONRED community--
09:56 we yelled to them to leave, to clear the area,
10:02 but the people were taking videos.
10:06 It was something they had never seen before.
10:09 The heat of it even got to me.
10:13 Like this--like there were big waves coming down,
10:20 that came with a terrible speed.
10:23 It came crashing,
10:26 and when we saw that it gained speed, we ran.
10:30 We ran. We ran to save ourselves.
10:34 We continued in a car.
10:36 They picked us up, and we were yelling,
10:38 "Come, come! That thing is coming over!"
10:42 I lived through an experience.
10:47 >>John: There are so many people who have been
10:48 through so much and who have lost so much.
10:52 What have you heard about the experiences of other people?
10:56 [Rosa speaking Spanish]
10:58 >>Translator: That whole first week was very hard.
11:02 They would approach me, they would hug me,
11:04 and they would tell me, "Mrs. Rosita,
11:07 they've already delivered my first dead loved one.
11:10 I found my son."
11:12 Others said, "I found my dad."
11:15 "They are helping me bury them."
11:17 I have encountered grief.
11:21 Here we have cried together with all of these people.
11:26 Although I've had to hold it in at times,
11:30 and close myself off somewhere very quiet and vent,
11:35 because here I have been trying to give people a smile.
11:40 To the people here I offer a hug,
11:43 because for this reason the Lord has sent me here,
11:46 to hug them and give them smiles, to all these people.
11:51 >>John: How did people respond when you alerted them
11:55 to the, to the danger?
11:57 [Rosa speaking Spanish]
11:59 >>Translator: Some people told me, "We're coming."
12:02 Some didn't respond.
12:05 This happened mainly at ground zero,
12:06 which is where we've lost so many people.
12:10 They would say, "We're going to put ourselves in our houses."
12:14 And that's where all the families would gather.
12:18 And us with the cars, buses, national police,
12:23 telling people to get in the cars,
12:26 and we would call them, "Come up, come up."
12:28 But what the people did instead was to lock themselves
12:32 in their houses.
12:33 >>John: So the people who've been through something
12:34 like this--
12:36 how do you understand their attitude towards God?
12:42 Has that been affected one way or another?
12:45 [Rosa speaking Spanish]
12:47 >>Translator: Today, all the people have come closer to God,
12:51 seeking God, especially if we pray with them.
12:55 They may have come from different churches,
12:58 but today when you approach someone and tell them,
13:02 "We want to pray for you," they cry.
13:05 They repent.
13:08 And they come close to God.
13:11 That is the attitude that the people now have.
13:16 >>John: After the Volcano of Fire erupted,
13:18 rescue efforts were hindered by the clouds of toxic gas
13:23 that hung heavy in the air.
13:25 The ground was so hot that the soles of the boots
13:29 worn by rescuers melted while on their feet.
13:33 And then heavy rain fell,
13:34 making rescue and recovery just that much more difficult.
13:38 But rescuers, many of them volunteers,
13:40 flocked to the area to see what they could do to help.
13:43 One of them was Ricardo Carrillo, a local church pastor,
13:47 among the first to arrive on the scene in Escuintla.
13:52 Pastor, I understand you were one
13:54 of the very first church workers
13:56 to get to the site of the disaster.
13:59 Tell me what went through your mind when you heard
14:04 that the volcano had erupted.
14:06 [Ricardo speaking Spanish]
14:07 >>Translator: In that moment I thought--
14:08 the volcano had been active every day before this--
14:10 and in that moment, the first thing that came into my mind was
14:14 the volcanic activity that was happening
14:16 the days before the eruption.
14:18 And I said, "Wow, what must have happened?"
14:20 If the volcano erupted, that means it would have devastated
14:23 several of the communities that I actually knew.
14:26 When we arrived at the location of the disaster,
14:29 what we were looking at--well, it was definitely shocking.
14:33 In that moment, in my mind, I said to myself,
14:36 how many people must have been killed?
14:39 >>John: When you made it to the volcano area,
14:42 to that area that was affected, what did you see?
14:46 What did you experience when you got there?
14:48 [Ricardo speaking Spanish]
14:50 >>Translator: It is difficult to explain with words
14:52 because my heart, it sank in that moment.
14:55 When I got there,
14:56 I saw a community that I'd seen many times
14:59 because I used to pass by that area all the time.
15:02 Now a person would end up getting lost out there
15:05 because the land there has become unrecognizable.
15:08 So, in that moment, my heart sank so much;
15:13 there was so much sadness in my heart.
15:15 >>John: With everything that you've seen and experienced,
15:18 and the people that you've spoken to,
15:20 and the stories that you've heard,
15:22 what has impacted you the most throughout this process?
15:28 [Ricardo speaking Spanish]
15:31 >>Translator: Seeing the kids--
15:33 to see the bodies of the children
15:36 that were being taken out of this place.
15:40 Some of the kids who died hugging each other--
15:43 seeing that part,
15:46 the physical reaction that some of these kids had
15:50 when this was happening.
15:52 Some of them ended up with their arms up,
15:56 like in a defensive position,
15:58 trying to protect themselves from what was happening.
16:02 So, when they were taking them out,
16:04 their arms were still up in that defensive position.
16:08 That was one of the things that impacted me the most.
16:12 >>John: We've read in the news that 120 people died;
16:18 200 people are missing.
16:21 But we're told by people in the area
16:23 there's maybe 1,500 people that are unaccounted for.
16:27 Maybe we'll never know.
16:29 Why was it that so many people weren't able to get out
16:34 or didn't get out in time?
16:35 [Ricardo speaking Spanish]
16:37 >>Translator: Because of the number of people
16:39 that were in that place, because it was a Sunday--
16:43 Sunday usually isn't a working day.
16:45 Many people were in their houses,
16:48 and the children weren't at school.
16:51 The few who were saved at the time
16:53 were saved because they had gone out
16:55 to do something outside of their houses,
16:59 something that wasn't routine.
17:02 The people were too accustomed to the volcanic activity--
17:05 too accustomed, I would say.
17:08 They thought this volcanic activity was the same
17:10 as what had always happened.
17:13 So many of them thought that the column of smoke
17:16 that was coming through was the only thing they needed
17:18 to be concerned about.
17:20 So they decided to close themselves in their houses
17:24 to avoid being harmed by the smoke column,
17:26 because, by being inside their homes,
17:29 they didn't realize what was coming behind the column
17:32 of smoke, the danger that was there.
17:36 >>John: You know, there are people all around the world
17:37 that are suffering.
17:39 Just a few meters away from where we're sitting
17:42 is a young man who lost his entire family
17:45 in this volcanic disaster.
17:48 All around the world, people are going through suffering
17:50 of many, many different kinds.
17:53 As a pastor, what do you say to people?
17:57 >>Translator: I would tell them what Paul said.
18:02 You have the right to feel sad,
18:06 but not like those who don't have hope.
18:09 We as Christians, and as the people who believe in Jesus
18:13 and understand that Jesus will come again,
18:15 have the right to be saddened--
18:18 but in a different way because there is hope.
18:21 And as long as we have hope, our sadness is different
18:26 because we know that the hope sustains us
18:28 with a certain positivity that we'll be able to see
18:32 our loved ones again when Jesus Christ comes on high.
18:36 >>John: I'll be back with more in just a moment.
18:39 ♪[Theme music]
18:49 >>John: Thank you for remembering
18:50 that It Is Written exists
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18:54 To support this international life-changing ministry,
18:58 please call us now at 800-253-3000.
19:02 You can send your tax-deductible gift
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19:09 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support.
19:12 Our number again is 800-253-3000.
19:16 Or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com.
19:19 ♪[Music]
19:20 [Fire crackling]
19:21 >>Girl: My mom woke up at 11:45, and she smelled smoke.
19:25 [Sirens wailing]
19:26 >>Man: About maybe 1:30 in the morning,
19:28 the, uh, my wife got a phone call,
19:31 and I could hear the voice on the other end of the line,
19:34 and she was basically, uh, screaming,
19:37 "There's a fire. It's massive. It's headed your way.
19:39 You need to get out and get out now."
19:42 >>Woman: After I hear "Fire," I hear in the background,
19:45 "The fire is two to four blocks away from your house."
19:47 And I panicked.
19:49 We started praying. Our prayers didn't last long.
19:52 They were desperate; they were--they were rushed.
19:56 There was a need; it was urgent;
19:57 it was very, very urgent.
19:59 I said, "Please save my children."
20:02 ♪[Music]
20:04 >>John Bradshaw: Where was God when the fires burned?
20:06 Where was God as people suffered?
20:08 Where was God while people were dying?
20:11 Where was God in the midst of the devastation?
20:13 [Fire crackling]
20:20 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me today
20:21 on It Is Written.
20:22 I'm in San Miguel Los Lotes, Guatemala--
20:25 or what's left of it--
20:29 following the devastating eruption of Volcan de Fuego
20:32 just three weeks ago, as I speak to you.
20:36 And you may wonder why people stay
20:39 when there's danger on the doorstep.
20:44 So why do people stay?
20:45 Well, there's a couple of reasons.
20:47 One is economics.
20:49 This is where they live; it's where their homes are.
20:51 This is where land is; this is jobs; it's survival.
20:54 It's not that easy just to take off and pick up again.
20:58 And the second one is related to the first: It's logistics.
21:02 So this is a danger zone; it's a well-known danger zone.
21:05 But to leave, to gather up your family,
21:07 when you don't have much of anything,
21:09 to go to another part of the country, find new work--
21:12 it's just difficult.
21:15 There's another reason people stay.
21:16 It's the same reason that people move to the coast of Florida,
21:20 even though it will certainly be hit
21:21 by another major hurricane,
21:23 or why people build homes on the banks of rivers that flood,
21:26 or why people live in earthquake country in California.
21:28 Danger tends to be predictable to a degree.
21:31 You can see a hurricane coming, so you can prepare.
21:33 If floodwaters begin to rise, you can get out--
21:36 or at least you hope you can.
21:37 And most people survive earthquakes,
21:39 so you hope you're going to be lucky.
21:41 It's like driving without a seatbelt.
21:43 Most people who do it are going to be okay.
21:45 But those who aren't okay are going to be really not okay.
21:50 If you have to pay the price for your decision,
21:52 it's usually an incredibly high price.
21:55 And then there's another reason: familiarity.
21:57 You live around danger, and you think,
22:00 it's never going to happen to me.
22:02 It's happened before, and I got away with it.
22:04 If it happens again, I'll get away with it then.
22:07 And you will--unless, of course, you don't.
22:14 Now, here's a question:
22:16 Why do people go on living where they do, or how they do,
22:21 when there's danger at their doorstep spiritually?
22:25 It's like people play a sort of spiritual Russian roulette,
22:28 taking spiritual risks when they ought to be minimizing risk
22:33 and maximizing safety.
22:35 There are people waiting for a better time
22:38 to come to faith in God.
22:40 But what if, in the interim, that volcano blows?
22:43 What if, what if your life comes to an end?
22:46 What if Jesus were to return?
22:48 What if you were simply to never get around
22:51 to giving your heart to God?
22:53 People dabble with sin.
22:56 A little "harmless flirting" turns into an attraction,
22:59 which leads to bad decisions and regret and a broken home
23:02 and ruined relationships, and with children as the casualties,
23:06 all because, well,
23:07 no one expected it to turn out like this.
23:09 But that's how it turns out.
23:11 When there's danger on your doorstep,
23:13 when you live on a fault line, you really can't be surprised
23:17 when the ground shifts beneath your feet.
23:20 You know, you just can't afford to take risks
23:22 with your spiritual life.
23:24 It's dangerous.
23:25 Life is unpredictable.
23:27 And while you put God on hold, don't forget,
23:30 you're spurning--
23:31 you are saying "no" to the love of God for you.
23:33 You're telling God you don't want Him in your life.
23:37 But here's what happens:
23:38 You wait.
23:39 "I'll pray another day."
23:40 You wait.
23:41 "I'll read my Bible another day."
23:43 And another day comes, and your heart has gone cold.
23:46 That desire has all just bled away.
23:49 And now you don't even want to come to God at all.
23:55 Or there are those who are putting God on hold
23:57 because they're pursuing the things of this world.
24:01 They're saying in their hearts, "You know, it's okay.
24:03 I know Jesus said it's easier for a camel to get
24:05 through the eye of a needle than for a rich man
24:07 to enter into heaven.
24:08 But it's going to be okay for me. I'll be fine.
24:11 I can pursue that exclusive home I don't need,
24:14 that expensive car I can't afford."
24:17 You hang in there doing that, and one day you become
24:19 living proof that what Paul told Timothy is true:
24:23 "The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil."
24:27 We just can't afford to wait.
24:29 We can't afford to put anything in front of God.
24:32 God calls us to come to Him now.
24:34 To do anything other than to do that--
24:36 well, that's like living on the side of a volcano
24:38 and failing to take action when the warnings come.
24:43 The reason Lot got himself into so much trouble
24:46 in Sodom and Gomorrah is that he made
24:48 a very risky spiritual decision.
24:51 Thinking he'd be okay,
24:53 he chose to live near those very wicked cities.
24:57 The Bible says in Genesis 13 and verse 12,
25:00 "Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan,
25:02 and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain,
25:05 and pitched his tent toward Sodom."
25:08 Yes, it's true Lot made it out of Sodom alive,
25:11 but his wife didn't.
25:13 His sons-in-law didn't.
25:14 And while his daughters came out of Sodom,
25:18 it's pretty obvious that the spirit of Sodom
25:21 didn't come out of them.
25:23 James 4:7 says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God.
25:27 Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
25:31 "Resist" is what James wrote.
25:34 In other words, make some good decisions.
25:36 Be proactive in order to safeguard
25:39 your spiritual well-being.
25:40 You do that in other areas of your life.
25:42 People make decisions proactively to safeguard
25:45 and preserve their health.
25:47 We do that to preserve our well-being, our homes,
25:49 our possessions.
25:51 That's why you lock your car.
25:52 It's why you lock your house.
25:55 But what decisions are you making proactively
25:58 to guard yourself spiritually?
26:01 Now, let's make sure we're not getting the cart
26:03 before the horse.
26:04 James wrote, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
26:09 But where do you get the power to resist?
26:12 Where does that strength come from?
26:14 Right before he wrote that, he said,
26:17 "Submit yourself therefore to God."
26:21 Submit.
26:21 That's to surrender.
26:23 That's to yield.
26:25 And when you submit yourself to God,
26:28 God moves into your life,
26:29 and He occupies your whole heart.
26:31 Angels become your attendants, your helpers,
26:34 and the Holy Spirit provides the power that you need
26:37 to keep from evil and to remain in the will
26:41 and in the heart of God.
26:43 First John 5 and verse 12 says,
26:45 "He [or she] that hath the Son of God hath life."
26:48 That's where the strength is-- when you have Jesus.
26:51 How do you have Jesus?
26:53 You surrender. You yield.
26:55 You offer your heart to him,
26:57 and He takes it, and He makes it yours.
27:01 Surrender.
27:02 Have you surrendered?
27:04 If you haven't, can you do it now?
27:07 I know you can.
27:08 God calls you to submit your life to Him.
27:12 He takes your life in His hands, and He makes your old life new.
27:18 And that's when you're really living, walking with Jesus,
27:22 looking forward to an eternal future.
27:27 >>John: Now, here's a question:
27:28 Can God be trusted?
27:31 Either you've asked that question yourself,
27:33 or you know somebody who has, and I've got an answer for you.
27:36 I'd like you to get today's free offer,
27:38 "Can God Be Trusted?"
27:41 To receive it, call 800-253-3000,
27:44 write to the address on your screen,
27:46 or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
27:49 "Can God Be Trusted?"
27:51 I have an answer for you: 800-253-3000
27:54 or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
27:58 >>John: Friend, whatever you're doing right now,
28:00 I'd like you to pause and pray with me.
28:03 And if you've not done so,
28:05 take the opportunity to surrender your life to Jesus.
28:07 Let's pray.
28:09 Our Father in heaven,
28:11 we live in the midst of great spiritual danger.
28:13 But we thank You today there is spiritual safety in Jesus.
28:17 We thank You that when this world had gone astray,
28:20 Jesus came to this earth and died for lost men and women,
28:24 and now offers all of us the gift of eternal life.
28:28 Friend, have you accepted that gift?
28:30 We live with danger on our doorstep,
28:32 but you can find safety in Jesus.
28:35 Have you offered your heart to Him?
28:38 If you haven't, do it now.
28:39 Lord, take that heart.
28:40 Friend, reach out to Jesus by faith.
28:42 Lord, take that heart.
28:43 Friend, offer Jesus your heart.
28:45 Tell Him, "It's Yours; have it.
28:46 Give me a new life, Lord. Take that heart."
28:50 And we thank You today for safety in Jesus,
28:52 security in Jesus, certainty in Jesus.
28:55 When the world is moving around us,
28:57 and the sands are shifting under our feet,
29:00 we thank You for safety, for security,
29:03 and for salvation in Christ.
29:05 Have you claimed it, friend?
29:07 He gives it to you if you accept it.
29:08 Have you accepted it?
29:09 Lord, we accept it.
29:11 And we thank You for it.
29:12 And we pray in Jesus' name.
29:16 Amen.
29:18 Thanks so much for joining me.
29:20 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time.
29:22 Until then, remember:
29:23 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone,
29:29 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"
29:33 ♪[Theme music]
29:43 ♪[Theme music]

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Revised 2018-10-07