>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
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Thanks for joining me.
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What would it be like to live
with danger on your doorstep?
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¤[Dramatic ominous music]¤
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People living under the shadow
of a 12,500-feet-tall volcano,
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25 miles outside Guatemala City,
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know exactly what it's like.
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Guatemala and its population
of 16.5 million people
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is located in Central America.
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To its north and west is Mexico,
Belize is to the northeast,
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and to the east are both
Honduras and El Salvador.
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The country has two coasts;
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in the northeast
is the Caribbean,
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and to the south,
the Pacific Ocean.
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Guatemala is the
same size as Tennessee--
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or for that matter, the same
size as the country of Iceland.
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And for as long as
anyone can remember,
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volcanoes and
earthquakes have been part
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of the fabric of life here.
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The capital of
Guatemala has been moved twice--
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once because of
volcanic mudflow,
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and once because
of an earthquake.
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In fact, in 1976,
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an earthquake here in
Guatemala claimed 25,000 lives.
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Guatemala is
home to 37 volcanoes,
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four of which are still active--
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Pacaya, Santiaguito, Tacaná,
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and Volcán de Fuego,
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which in English
means, ominously,
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"Volcano of Fire."
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And in June of
2018, the Volcano of Fire
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rained destruction onto
surrounding communities.
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It was the deadliest eruption in
Guatemala in almost 100 years.
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"Fuego" is
well-known in these parts.
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It's one of the most
active volcanoes in the world.
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It's been erupting almost
constantly for many years.
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An eruption in 2012 saw 33,000
people evacuate their homes.
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Since then, the eruptions
have been much smaller,
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but they have been persistent.
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The 54,000 people who
live within six miles of Fuego
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are constantly reminded
that danger is never far away.
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¤[Solemn music]¤
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It was about the middle of
the day on June the 3rd, 2018,
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that Fuego erupted violently,
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and continued to do so
for about the next week or so.
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A column of ash rose
up above the mountain,
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stretching nine
miles high into the sky,
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and rocks, many
of them enormous,
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rained down over a wide area.
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Volcanic ash closed
Guatemala City's main airport.
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But it was the pyroclastic
flows that did so much damage.
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That's hot poisonous volcanic
gas mixed with volcanic matter.
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They can move quickly,
easily 50 miles an hour,
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sometimes much faster.
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And when they come
down a mountainside
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toward a settlement of people,
unless you move really quickly,
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essentially, you
don't have a chance.
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As rescue workers tried
to reach people the next day,
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they were interrupted by fresh
flows of mud, gas, and ash.
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And because the pyroclastic
flows are really hot,
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most of the bodies
recovered were unrecognizable.
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Ash that fell to
the ground was said
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to be between 400
and 700 degrees Celsius--
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between 750 and
1,300 degrees Fahrenheit.
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When Fuego erupted,
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destruction engulfed
community after community.
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It seemed as though it
happened in the blink of an eye.
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It was like a nightmare,
except this was all too real.
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People lost their
homes, completely swept away.
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They lost their crops--gone.
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They lost their possessions.
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And many people
lost their entire family.
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And so today thousands of
people mourn those losses,
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and they're adjusting
to a new way of life--
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without the past,
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without their possessions,
without their homes,
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yes, in many cases,
without their families.
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In a moment I'm
going to introduce you
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to somebody who survived Fuego.
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She lost all of her possessions,
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but she considers
herself especially blessed
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because she and her
family made it out in one piece.
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They've lived to tell the story.
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But Rosa's neighbors did not.
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Many of them
perished-- for one reason.
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I'll tell you
why in just a moment.
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¤[Music]¤
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>>John: Now, here's a
question: Can God be trusted?
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Either you've asked
that question yourself,
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or you know somebody who has,
and I've got an answer for you.
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I'd like you to
get today's free offer,
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"Can God Be Trusted?"
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To receive it,
call 800-253-3000,
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write to the
address on your screen,
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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: 800-253-3000
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or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
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¤[Music]¤
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>>Announcer: Planning
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>>John Bradshaw:
Thanks for joining me today
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on It Is Written.
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Government statistics
said, following the dramatic
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and devastating
volcano in southern Guatemala,
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that 120 people
lost their lives,
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and another 200
were officially missing.
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Locals tell another story.
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One man told us
that he himself lost
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at least 70
extended family members.
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Another individual said
that there is no question
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that there are at
least 1,500 people missing
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in the wake of the volcano.
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In Escuintla, Guatemala,
Rosa Chacón works as a volunteer
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for the government's
emergency alert services.
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It's her responsibility
to warn local residents
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when Fuego puts them in danger.
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[Rosa speaking Spanish]
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>>Interpreter: We had been
doing simulations for two months
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before this situation
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because we had calculated
that the volcano erupts
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every 35 to 40 years,
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and we were getting
to the 40-year mark.
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So we were already preparing
ourselves for another eruption,
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but we didn't think
that the eruption would be
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as big as it was.
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At 9 in the morning, we
took some photos and saw
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that there was no problem
for our area at that moment.
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When 11 in the morning
came, we heard a very loud boom,
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and I started running
from one community to another,
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from one community to
another, warning people,
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alerting them to
prepare themselves.
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It is very difficult for me...
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because I lived at the
epicenter of that place,
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in the very place where
that big monster was coming.
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I was trying to save the
people that were on the bridge.
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My granddaughter and I yelled--
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and two other people that were
from the same CONRED community--
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we yelled to them to
leave, to clear the area,
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but the people
were taking videos.
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It was something they
had never seen before.
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The heat of it even got to me.
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Like this, like there
were big waves coming down
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that came with a terrible speed.
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It came crashing,
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and when we saw that
it gained speed, we ran.
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We ran. We ran
to save ourselves.
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We continued in a car.
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They picked us up,
and we were yelling,
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"Come, come! That
thing is coming over!"
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I lived through an experience.
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>>John: There are so
many people who have been
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through so much and
who have lost so much.
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What have you heard about
the experiences of other people?
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[Rosa speaking Spanish]
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>>Interpreter: That
whole first week was very hard.
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They would approach
me, they would hug me,
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and they would
tell me, "Mrs. Rosita,
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they've already delivered
my first dead loved one.
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I found my son."
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Others said, "I found my dad."
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"They are helping me bury them."
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I have encountered grief.
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Here we have cried together
with all of these people.
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Although I've had
to hold it in at times
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and close myself off
somewhere very quiet and vent--
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because here I have been
trying to give people a smile.
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To the people
here I offer a hug,
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because for this reason
the Lord has sent me here,
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to hug them and give them
smiles, to all these people.
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>>John: How did people
respond when you alerted them
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to the, to the danger?
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[Rosa speaking Spanish]
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>>Interpreter: Some
people told me, "We're coming."
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Some didn't respond.
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This happened
mainly at ground zero,
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which is where
we've lost so many people.
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They would say, "We're going
to put ourselves in our houses."
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And that's where all
the families would gather.
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And us with the cars,
buses, national police,
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telling people
to get in the cars,
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and we would call
them, "Come up, come up!"
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But what the people did
instead was to lock themselves
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in their houses.
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>>John: So the people
who've been through something
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like this--
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how do you understand
their attitude towards God?
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Has that been
affected one way or another?
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[Rosa speaking Spanish]
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>>Interpreter: Today, all the
people have come closer to God,
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seeking God,
especially if we pray with them.
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They may have come
from different churches,
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but today when you
approach someone and tell them,
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"We want to pray
for you," they cry,
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they repent,
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and they come close to God.
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That is the attitude
that the people now have.
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>>John: After the
Volcano of Fire erupted,
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rescue efforts were hindered
by the clouds of toxic gas
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that hung heavy in the air.
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The ground was so hot
that the soles of the boots
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worn by rescuers
melted while on their feet.
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And then heavy rain fell,
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making rescue and recovery
just that much more difficult.
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But rescuers, many
of them volunteers,
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flocked to the area to see
what they could do to help.
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One of them was Ricardo
Carrillo, a local church pastor,
00:12:13.73\00:12:17.43
among the first to arrive
on the scene in Escuintla.
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Pastor, I
understand you were one
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of the very first church workers
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to get to the
site of the disaster.
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Tell me what went
through your mind when you heard
00:12:29.78\00:12:33.92
that the volcano had erupted.
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[Ricardo speaking Spanish]
00:12:35.82\00:12:37.32
>>Interpreter: In
that moment I thought--
00:12:37.35\00:12:38.55
the volcano had been
active every day before this--
00:12:38.59\00:12:40.62
and in that moment, the first
thing that came into my mind was
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the volcanic
activity that was happening
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the days before the eruption.
00:12:46.16\00:12:47.83
And I said, "Wow,
what must have happened?"
00:12:47.86\00:12:50.73
If the volcano erupted, that
means it would have devastated
00:12:50.77\00:12:53.50
several of the communities
that I actually knew.
00:12:53.54\00:12:56.27
When we arrived at the
location of the disaster,
00:12:56.30\00:12:58.84
what we were looking at--well,
it was definitely shocking.
00:12:58.87\00:13:02.84
In that moment, in my
mind, I said to myself,
00:13:02.88\00:13:06.38
how many people
must have been killed?
00:13:06.41\00:13:09.12
>>John: When you made
it to the volcano area,
00:13:09.15\00:13:12.69
to that area that was
affected, what did you see?
00:13:12.72\00:13:15.99
What did you
experience when you got there?
00:13:16.02\00:13:18.56
[Ricardo speaking Spanish]
00:13:18.86\00:13:20.13
>>Interpreter: It is
difficult to explain with words
00:13:20.16\00:13:22.20
because my heart,
it sank in that moment.
00:13:22.23\00:13:25.70
When I got there,
00:13:25.73\00:13:26.77
I saw a community
that I'd seen many times
00:13:26.80\00:13:29.54
because I used to pass
by that area all the time.
00:13:29.57\00:13:32.17
Now a person would end
up getting lost out there
00:13:32.21\00:13:34.94
because the land there
has become unrecognizable.
00:13:34.98\00:13:38.55
So, in that moment,
my heart sank so much;
00:13:38.58\00:13:43.12
there was so much
sadness in my heart.
00:13:43.15\00:13:45.19
>>John: With everything that
you've seen and experienced,
00:13:45.22\00:13:48.62
and the people
that you've spoken to,
00:13:48.66\00:13:50.36
and the stories
that you've heard,
00:13:50.39\00:13:52.56
what has impacted you the
most throughout this process?
00:13:52.59\00:13:57.33
[Ricardo speaking Spanish]
00:13:58.63\00:14:01.50
>>Interpreter: Seeing the kids--
00:14:01.54\00:14:03.71
to see the
bodies of the children
00:14:03.74\00:14:06.24
that were being
taken out of this place.
00:14:06.27\00:14:10.11
Some of the kids who
died hugging each other--
00:14:10.15\00:14:13.15
seeing that part,
00:14:13.18\00:14:15.98
the physical reaction
that some of these kids had
00:14:16.02\00:14:19.89
when this was happening.
00:14:19.92\00:14:21.89
Some of them ended
up with their arms up,
00:14:21.92\00:14:26.13
like in a defensive position,
00:14:26.16\00:14:28.53
trying to protect themselves
from what was happening.
00:14:28.56\00:14:31.80
So, when they
were taking them out,
00:14:31.83\00:14:34.44
their arms were still up
in that defensive position.
00:14:34.47\00:14:38.04
That was one of the things
that impacted me the most.
00:14:38.07\00:14:42.41
>>John: We've read in the
news that 120 people died;
00:14:42.44\00:14:48.45
200 people are missing.
00:14:48.48\00:14:50.85
But we're told by
people in the area
00:14:50.89\00:14:53.59
there's maybe 1,500
people that are unaccounted for.
00:14:53.62\00:14:57.73
Maybe we'll never know.
00:14:57.76\00:14:59.73
Why was it that so many
people weren't able to get out
00:14:59.76\00:15:04.20
or didn't get out in time?
00:15:04.23\00:15:05.80
[Ricardo speaking Spanish]
00:15:05.83\00:15:07.30
>>Interpreter: Because
of the number of people
00:15:07.34\00:15:09.24
that were in that place,
because it was a Sunday--
00:15:09.27\00:15:13.07
Sunday usually
isn't a working day.
00:15:13.11\00:15:15.81
Many people
were in their houses,
00:15:15.84\00:15:18.21
and the children
weren't at school.
00:15:18.25\00:15:21.38
The few who were
saved at the time
00:15:21.42\00:15:23.35
were saved
because they had gone out
00:15:23.39\00:15:25.82
to do something
outside of their houses,
00:15:25.85\00:15:29.49
something that wasn't routine.
00:15:29.52\00:15:32.03
The people were too accustomed
to the volcanic activity--
00:15:32.06\00:15:35.20
too accustomed, I would say.
00:15:35.23\00:15:38.00
They thought this
volcanic activity was the same
00:15:38.03\00:15:40.67
as what had always happened.
00:15:40.70\00:15:43.10
So many of them thought
that the column of smoke
00:15:43.14\00:15:45.94
that was coming through
was the only thing they needed
00:15:45.97\00:15:48.64
to be concerned about.
00:15:48.68\00:15:50.01
So they decided to close
themselves in their houses
00:15:50.05\00:15:54.12
to avoid being
harmed by the smoke column,
00:15:54.15\00:15:56.18
because, by being
inside their homes,
00:15:56.22\00:15:59.39
they didn't
realize what was coming
00:15:59.42\00:16:01.66
behind the column of smoke,
the danger that was there.
00:16:01.69\00:16:05.99
>>John: You know, there
are people all around the world
00:16:06.03\00:16:07.50
that are suffering.
00:16:07.50\00:16:09.50
Just a few meters away
from where we're sitting
00:16:09.53\00:16:12.37
is a young man who
lost his entire family
00:16:12.40\00:16:15.54
in this volcanic disaster.
00:16:15.57\00:16:18.41
All around the world, people
are going through suffering
00:16:18.44\00:16:20.64
of many, many different kinds.
00:16:20.68\00:16:23.75
As a pastor, what
do you say to people?
00:16:23.78\00:16:27.35
>>Interpreter: I would
tell them what Paul said.
00:16:27.38\00:16:32.35
You have the right to feel sad,
00:16:32.39\00:16:35.82
but not like those
who don't have hope.
00:16:35.86\00:16:39.66
We as Christians, and as
the people who believe in Jesus
00:16:39.69\00:16:43.43
and understand that
Jesus will come again,
00:16:43.47\00:16:45.60
have the right to be saddened--
00:16:45.63\00:16:48.10
but in a different
way because there is hope.
00:16:48.14\00:16:51.07
And as long as we have
hope, our sadness is different
00:16:51.11\00:16:56.38
because we know
that the hope sustains us
00:16:56.41\00:16:58.31
with a certain positivity
that we'll be able to see
00:16:58.35\00:17:02.52
our loved ones again when
Jesus Christ comes on high.
00:17:02.55\00:17:06.35
>>John: I'll be back
with more in just a moment.
00:17:06.69\00:17:09.22
¤[Music]¤
00:17:09.26\00:17:17.67
>>John: Thank
you for remembering
00:17:19.33\00:17:20.37
that It Is Written exists
00:17:20.40\00:17:21.90
because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:17:21.94\00:17:24.71
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:17:24.74\00:17:27.94
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:17:27.98\00:17:32.21
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:17:32.25\00:17:33.68
to the address on your screen,
00:17:33.72\00:17:35.15
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:17:35.18\00:17:39.05
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:17:39.09\00:17:41.82
Our number
again is 800-253-3000.
00:17:41.86\00:17:45.86
Or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:17:45.89\00:17:49.10
[Fire crackling]
00:17:49.63\00:17:50.73
>>Girl: My mom woke up at
11:45, and she smelled smoke.
00:17:50.77\00:17:54.97
[Sirens wailing]
00:17:55.00\00:17:56.17
>>Man: About maybe
1:30 in the morning,
00:17:56.20\00:17:58.04
the, uh, my wife
got a phone call,
00:17:58.07\00:18:01.21
and I could hear the voice
on the other end of the line,
00:18:01.24\00:18:04.28
and she was
basically, uh, screaming,
00:18:04.31\00:18:07.08
"There's a fire! It's
massive! It's headed your way!
00:18:07.12\00:18:09.65
You need to get
out and get out now!"
00:18:09.68\00:18:12.22
>>Woman: After I hear "Fire!"
I hear in the background,
00:18:12.25\00:18:15.39
"The fire is two to four
blocks away from your house."
00:18:15.42\00:18:17.49
And I panicked.
00:18:17.53\00:18:19.09
We started praying. Our
prayers didn't last long.
00:18:19.13\00:18:21.86
They were desperate;
they were, they were rushed.
00:18:21.90\00:18:26.00
There was a need; it was urgent;
00:18:26.03\00:18:27.70
it was very, very urgent.
00:18:27.74\00:18:28.90
I said, "Please
save my children."
00:18:28.94\00:18:31.64
¤[Solemn music]¤
00:18:32.04\00:18:34.81
>>John Bradshaw: Where
was God when the fires burned?
00:18:34.84\00:18:36.61
Where was God
as people suffered?
00:18:36.64\00:18:38.51
Where was God
while people were dying?
00:18:38.55\00:18:41.08
Where was God in the
midst of the devastation?
00:18:41.12\00:18:43.69
[Fire crackling]
00:18:43.72\00:18:48.36
>>John Bradshaw:
Thanks for joining me today
00:18:50.36\00:18:51.59
on It Is Written.
00:18:51.63\00:18:52.53
I'm in San Miguel
Los Lotes, Guatemala--
00:18:52.56\00:18:56.03
or what's left of it--
00:18:56.06\00:18:58.87
following the devastating
eruption of Volcán de Fuego
00:18:58.90\00:19:02.00
just three weeks
ago, as I speak to you.
00:19:02.04\00:19:05.11
And you may
wonder why people stay
00:19:06.71\00:19:09.14
when there's
danger on the doorstep.
00:19:09.18\00:19:11.21
So why do people stay?
00:19:14.32\00:19:15.72
Well, there's a
couple of reasons.
00:19:15.75\00:19:17.05
One is economics.
00:19:17.09\00:19:19.02
This is where they live;
it's where their homes are.
00:19:19.05\00:19:21.66
This is where land is;
this is jobs; it's survival.
00:19:21.69\00:19:24.76
It's not that easy just to
take off and pick up again.
00:19:24.79\00:19:28.00
And the second one is related
to the first: It's logistics.
00:19:28.03\00:19:32.33
So this is a danger zone;
it's a well-known danger zone.
00:19:32.37\00:19:35.07
But to leave, to
gather up your family,
00:19:35.10\00:19:37.31
when you don't
have much of anything,
00:19:37.34\00:19:39.04
to go to another part of
the country, find new work--
00:19:39.07\00:19:42.51
it's just difficult.
00:19:42.54\00:19:44.05
There's another
reason people stay.
00:19:45.05\00:19:46.38
It's the same reason that people
move to the coast of Florida,
00:19:46.41\00:19:49.85
even though it
will certainly be hit
00:19:49.88\00:19:51.52
by another major hurricane,
00:19:51.55\00:19:52.95
or why people build homes on
the banks of rivers that flood,
00:19:52.99\00:19:55.92
or why people live in earthquake
country in California.
00:19:55.96\00:19:58.49
Danger tends to be
predictable to a degree.
00:19:58.53\00:20:01.10
You can see a hurricane
coming, so you can prepare.
00:20:01.13\00:20:03.80
If floodwaters begin
to rise, you can get out--
00:20:03.83\00:20:06.33
or at least you hope you can.
00:20:06.37\00:20:07.54
And most people
survive earthquakes,
00:20:07.57\00:20:09.70
so you hope
you're going to be lucky.
00:20:09.74\00:20:11.81
It's like driving
without a seatbelt.
00:20:11.84\00:20:13.51
Most people who do
it are going to be okay.
00:20:13.54\00:20:15.71
But those who aren't okay
are going to be really not okay.
00:20:15.74\00:20:19.88
If you have to pay the
price for your decision,
00:20:19.91\00:20:22.15
it's usually an
incredibly high price.
00:20:22.18\00:20:24.85
And then there's
another reason: familiarity.
00:20:24.89\00:20:27.42
You live around
danger, and you think,
00:20:27.46\00:20:30.29
"It's never
going to happen to me.
00:20:30.33\00:20:32.43
It's happened before,
and I got away with it.
00:20:32.46\00:20:34.66
If it happens again,
I'll get away with it then."
00:20:34.73\00:20:37.30
And you will--unless,
of course, you don't.
00:20:37.33\00:20:41.20
Now, here's a question:
00:20:44.27\00:20:45.94
Why do people go on living
where they do, or how they do,
00:20:45.97\00:20:51.45
when there's danger at
their doorstep spiritually?
00:20:51.48\00:20:55.58
It's like people play a sort
of spiritual Russian roulette,
00:20:55.62\00:20:58.75
taking spiritual risks when
they ought to be minimizing risk
00:20:58.79\00:21:03.39
and maximizing safety.
00:21:03.43\00:21:05.16
There are people
waiting for a better time
00:21:05.19\00:21:08.23
to come to faith in God.
00:21:08.26\00:21:10.27
But what if, in the
interim, that volcano blows?
00:21:10.30\00:21:12.97
What if, what if
your life comes to an end?
00:21:13.00\00:21:16.44
What if Jesus were to return?
00:21:16.47\00:21:18.54
What if you were
simply to never get around
00:21:18.57\00:21:21.61
to giving your heart to God?
00:21:21.64\00:21:23.81
People dabble with sin.
00:21:23.85\00:21:25.85
A little "harmless flirting"
turns into an attraction,
00:21:25.88\00:21:29.02
which leads to bad decisions
and regret and a broken home
00:21:29.05\00:21:32.45
and ruined relationships and
with children as the casualties
00:21:32.49\00:21:36.36
all because, well,
00:21:36.39\00:21:37.56
no one expected it
to turn out like this.
00:21:37.59\00:21:39.39
But that's how it turns out.
00:21:39.43\00:21:41.63
When there's
danger on your doorstep,
00:21:41.66\00:21:43.53
when you live on a fault line,
you really can't be surprised
00:21:43.57\00:21:46.94
when the ground
shifts beneath your feet.
00:21:46.97\00:21:49.80
You know, you just
can't afford to take risks
00:21:49.84\00:21:52.14
with your spiritual life.
00:21:52.17\00:21:53.78
It's dangerous.
00:21:53.81\00:21:55.28
Life is unpredictable.
00:21:55.31\00:21:57.51
And while you put God
on hold, don't forget,
00:21:57.55\00:22:00.48
you're spurning,
00:22:00.52\00:22:01.55
you are saying "no" to
the love of God for you.
00:22:01.58\00:22:03.82
You're telling God you
don't want Him in your life.
00:22:03.85\00:22:07.29
But here's what happens.
00:22:07.32\00:22:08.22
You wait.
00:22:08.26\00:22:09.49
"I'll pray another day."
00:22:09.52\00:22:10.49
You wait.
00:22:10.53\00:22:11.33
"I'll read my
Bible another day."
00:22:11.36\00:22:13.33
And another day comes,
and your heart has gone cold.
00:22:13.36\00:22:16.73
That desire has
all just bled away.
00:22:16.77\00:22:19.00
And now you don't even
want to come to God at all.
00:22:19.03\00:22:25.14
Or there are those who
are putting God on hold
00:22:25.17\00:22:27.21
because they're pursuing
the things of this world.
00:22:27.24\00:22:30.78
They're saying in their
hearts, "You know, it's okay.
00:22:30.81\00:22:33.05
I know Jesus said it's
easier for a camel to get
00:22:33.08\00:22:35.28
through the eye of a
needle than for a rich man
00:22:35.32\00:22:36.99
to enter into heaven.
00:22:37.02\00:22:38.05
But it's going to be
okay for me. I'll be fine.
00:22:38.09\00:22:41.32
I can pursue that
exclusive home I don't need,
00:22:41.36\00:22:44.03
that expensive
car I can't afford."
00:22:44.06\00:22:47.03
You hang in there doing
that, and one day you become
00:22:47.10\00:22:49.43
living proof that what
Paul told Timothy is true:
00:22:49.46\00:22:52.87
"The love of money is the
root of all kinds of evil."
00:22:52.90\00:22:57.64
We just can't afford to wait.
00:22:57.67\00:22:59.24
We can't afford to put
anything in front of God.
00:22:59.27\00:23:01.94
God calls us to come to Him now.
00:23:01.98\00:23:04.15
To do anything
other than to do that--
00:23:04.18\00:23:06.61
well, that's like
living on the side of a volcano
00:23:06.65\00:23:08.62
and failing to take
action when the warnings come.
00:23:08.65\00:23:13.36
The reason Lot got
himself into so much trouble
00:23:13.39\00:23:16.16
in Sodom and
Gomorrah is that he made
00:23:16.19\00:23:18.16
a very risky spiritual decision.
00:23:18.19\00:23:21.20
Thinking he'd be okay,
00:23:21.23\00:23:23.40
he chose to live near
those very wicked cities.
00:23:23.43\00:23:27.20
The Bible says in
Genesis 13 and verse 12,
00:23:27.24\00:23:30.24
"Abram dwelled in
the land of Canaan,
00:23:30.27\00:23:32.51
and Lot dwelled in
the cities of the plain,
00:23:32.54\00:23:35.24
and pitched his
tent toward Sodom."
00:23:35.28\00:23:38.61
Yes, it's true Lot
made it out of Sodom alive,
00:23:38.65\00:23:41.45
but his wife didn't.
00:23:41.48\00:23:42.95
His sons-in-law didn't.
00:23:42.98\00:23:44.65
And while his
daughters came out of Sodom,
00:23:44.69\00:23:48.42
it's pretty obvious
that the spirit of Sodom
00:23:48.46\00:23:51.19
didn't come out of them.
00:23:51.23\00:23:53.40
James 4:7 says, "Submit
yourselves therefore to God.
00:23:53.43\00:23:57.37
Resist the devil, and
he will flee from you."
00:23:57.40\00:24:01.24
"Resist" is what James wrote.
00:24:01.27\00:24:03.81
In other words,
make some good decisions.
00:24:03.84\00:24:06.21
Be proactive in
order to safeguard
00:24:06.24\00:24:08.88
your spiritual well-being.
00:24:08.91\00:24:10.71
You do that in
other areas of your life.
00:24:10.75\00:24:12.68
People make decisions
proactively to safeguard
00:24:12.71\00:24:15.32
and preserve their health.
00:24:15.35\00:24:17.12
We do that to preserve
our well-being, our homes,
00:24:17.15\00:24:19.82
our possessions.
00:24:19.85\00:24:21.09
That's why you lock your car.
It's why you lock your house.
00:24:21.12\00:24:25.29
But what decisions
are you making proactively
00:24:25.33\00:24:28.50
to guard yourself spiritually?
00:24:28.53\00:24:31.60
Now, let's make sure
we're not getting the cart
00:24:31.63\00:24:33.34
before the horse.
00:24:33.37\00:24:34.57
James wrote, "Resist the devil,
and he will flee from you."
00:24:34.60\00:24:39.61
But where do you
get the power to resist?
00:24:39.64\00:24:41.94
Where does that
strength come from?
00:24:41.98\00:24:43.85
Right before he
wrote that, he said,
00:24:43.88\00:24:47.42
"Submit yourself
therefore to God."
00:24:47.45\00:24:50.85
Submit.
00:24:50.89\00:24:51.69
That's to
surrender. That's to yield.
00:24:51.72\00:24:55.56
And when you
submit yourself to God,
00:24:55.59\00:24:57.89
God moves into your life,
00:24:57.93\00:24:59.53
and He occupies
your whole heart.
00:24:59.56\00:25:01.60
Angels become your
attendants, your helpers,
00:25:01.63\00:25:04.70
and the Holy Spirit
provides the power that you need
00:25:04.73\00:25:07.67
to keep from evil
and to remain in the will
00:25:07.70\00:25:11.67
and in the heart of God.
00:25:11.71\00:25:13.34
First John 5 and verse 12 says,
00:25:13.38\00:25:15.34
"He [or she] that hath
the Son of God hath life."
00:25:15.38\00:25:18.78
That's where the strength
is-- when you have Jesus.
00:25:18.81\00:25:21.82
How do you have Jesus?
00:25:21.85\00:25:23.08
You surrender. You yield.
00:25:23.12\00:25:24.99
You offer your heart to him,
00:25:25.02\00:25:27.29
and He takes it,
and He makes it yours.
00:25:27.32\00:25:31.06
Surrender.
00:25:31.09\00:25:32.36
Have you surrendered?
00:25:32.39\00:25:34.20
If you haven't,
can you do it now?
00:25:34.23\00:25:36.97
I know you can.
00:25:37.00\00:25:38.40
God calls you to
submit your life to Him.
00:25:38.43\00:25:42.07
He takes your life in His hands,
and He makes your old life new.
00:25:42.10\00:25:48.74
And that's when you're really
living, walking with Jesus,
00:25:48.78\00:25:52.75
looking forward
to an eternal future.
00:25:52.78\00:25:56.22
>>John: Now, here's a
question: Can God be trusted?
00:25:57.52\00:26:01.16
Either you've asked
that question yourself,
00:26:01.19\00:26:03.02
or you know somebody who has,
and I've got an answer for you.
00:26:03.06\00:26:06.59
I'd like you to
get today's free offer,
00:26:06.63\00:26:08.80
"Can God Be Trusted?"
00:26:08.83\00:26:10.83
To receive it,
call 800-253-3000,
00:26:10.87\00:26:14.30
write to the
address on your screen,
00:26:14.34\00:26:16.07
or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
00:26:16.10\00:26:19.54
Can God be trusted?
00:26:19.57\00:26:21.28
I have an answer
for you: 800-253-3000
00:26:21.31\00:26:24.31
or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
00:26:24.35\00:26:27.28
>>John Bradshaw: Friend,
whatever you're doing right now,
00:26:28.28\00:26:29.85
I'd like you to
pause and pray with me.
00:26:29.88\00:26:33.39
And if you've not done so,
00:26:33.42\00:26:35.22
take the opportunity to
surrender your life to Jesus.
00:26:35.26\00:26:37.73
Let's pray.
00:26:37.76\00:26:39.16
Our Father in heaven,
00:26:39.19\00:26:40.93
we live in the midst
of great spiritual danger.
00:26:40.96\00:26:42.93
But we thank You today there
is spiritual safety in Jesus.
00:26:42.96\00:26:47.17
We thank You that when
this world had gone astray,
00:26:47.20\00:26:50.51
Jesus came to this earth
and died for lost men and women
00:26:50.54\00:26:53.94
and now offers all of us
the gift of eternal life.
00:26:53.98\00:26:58.21
Friend, have you
accepted that gift?
00:26:58.25\00:27:00.32
We live with
danger on our doorstep,
00:27:00.35\00:27:02.72
but you can
find safety in Jesus.
00:27:02.75\00:27:05.35
Have you offered
your heart to Him?
00:27:05.39\00:27:07.96
If you haven't, do it now.
00:27:07.99\00:27:09.06
Lord, take that heart.
00:27:09.09\00:27:10.23
Friend, reach out
to Jesus by faith.
00:27:10.26\00:27:11.93
Lord, take that heart.
00:27:11.96\00:27:13.40
Friend, offer Jesus your heart.
Tell Him, "It's Yours; have it.
00:27:13.43\00:27:16.63
Give me a new life,
Lord. Take that heart."
00:27:16.67\00:27:19.93
And we thank You
today for safety in Jesus,
00:27:19.97\00:27:22.54
security in Jesus,
certainty in Jesus.
00:27:22.57\00:27:25.37
When the world
is moving around us,
00:27:25.41\00:27:27.71
and the sands are
shifting under our feet,
00:27:27.74\00:27:30.41
we thank You for
safety, for security,
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and for salvation in Christ.
00:27:33.55\00:27:35.28
Have you claimed it, friend?
00:27:35.32\00:27:36.82
He gives it to
you if you accept it.
00:27:36.85\00:27:38.32
Have you accepted it?
00:27:38.35\00:27:39.35
Lord, we accept it.
00:27:39.39\00:27:41.06
And we thank You for it.
00:27:41.09\00:27:42.69
And we pray in Jesus' name.
00:27:42.72\00:27:46.19
Amen.
00:27:46.23\00:27:48.33
Thanks so much for joining me.
00:27:48.36\00:27:49.86
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:49.90\00:27:52.00
Until then, remember:
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"It is written, '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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