As you're well aware, 00:00:02.00\00:00:03.33 we're living in unprecedented times. 00:00:03.37\00:00:05.90 Join us now for Today special program. 00:00:05.93\00:00:08.80 I want to spend my life 00:00:13.07\00:00:18.55 Mending broken people 00:00:18.58\00:00:23.72 I want to spend my life 00:00:23.75\00:00:29.56 Removing pain 00:00:29.59\00:00:34.50 Lord, let my words 00:00:34.53\00:00:39.97 Heal a heart that hurts 00:00:40.00\00:00:44.97 I want to spend my life 00:00:45.01\00:00:50.45 Mending broken people 00:00:50.48\00:00:55.62 I want to spend my life 00:00:55.65\00:01:01.22 Mending broken people 00:01:01.26\00:01:06.96 Hello, and welcome once again to 3ABN Today. 00:01:16.00\00:01:18.87 We are so glad that you're joining us 00:01:18.91\00:01:21.94 that you're taking this time. 00:01:21.98\00:01:23.85 And I think today's going to be a unique program. 00:01:23.88\00:01:27.12 We have a very special guest, 00:01:27.15\00:01:28.75 I'll go ahead and introduce him just by name 00:01:28.78\00:01:31.29 and then we'll come to that moment. 00:01:31.32\00:01:32.65 But Pastor John Bradshaw, 00:01:32.69\00:01:36.22 who is the President of It Is Written is with us today. 00:01:36.26\00:01:39.96 We're gonna do something different. 00:01:40.00\00:01:41.86 We like to kind of 00:01:41.90\00:01:43.37 shake things up every now and then. 00:01:43.40\00:01:45.43 We're just going to have a personal chat today, 00:01:45.47\00:01:48.30 get to know him a little better. 00:01:48.34\00:01:49.67 He is so well known around the world 00:01:49.70\00:01:52.27 for his work for the Lord. 00:01:52.31\00:01:54.21 I just thought 00:01:54.24\00:01:55.58 there's so many people new to 3ABN, 00:01:55.61\00:01:58.65 who may not know his fascinating personal story. 00:01:58.68\00:02:02.08 And we're gonna come to that in just a moment. 00:02:02.12\00:02:04.45 I wanted to share with you 00:02:04.49\00:02:05.89 before we do one of my favorite scriptures, 00:02:05.92\00:02:08.72 and it's found in 2 Corinthians 5:21. 00:02:08.76\00:02:12.66 I'll read it from the New King James. 00:02:12.69\00:02:14.96 The Bible says, "For He made Him 00:02:15.00\00:02:17.93 who knew no sin, to be sin for us, 00:02:17.97\00:02:23.20 that we might become 00:02:23.24\00:02:26.64 the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus." 00:02:26.68\00:02:30.91 And this is something that 00:02:30.95\00:02:33.52 I think we're gonna touch on today 00:02:33.55\00:02:35.65 because as John and I, 00:02:35.68\00:02:37.69 we haven't seen each other for a couple of years, 00:02:37.72\00:02:39.69 as we sat, we're just talking. 00:02:39.72\00:02:42.39 We were both expressing 00:02:42.42\00:02:45.36 how righteousness by faith is something we were seeking. 00:02:45.39\00:02:48.76 So help me welcome our special guest, 00:02:48.80\00:02:52.17 Pastor John Bradshaw. 00:02:52.20\00:02:54.40 Thanks for having me. 00:02:54.44\00:02:55.77 It's great to see you. This is gonna be fun. 00:02:55.80\00:02:57.61 I appreciate the chance to catch up, 00:02:57.64\00:02:59.37 and we can talk about the Bible 00:02:59.41\00:03:01.34 and talk about righteousness 00:03:01.38\00:03:02.71 by faith and talk about a special book 00:03:02.74\00:03:05.58 in addition to the Bible. 00:03:05.61\00:03:06.98 I think we're gonna have a good time. 00:03:07.02\00:03:08.35 I believe this is going to be a wonderful time. 00:03:08.38\00:03:12.25 Now you like music? I do. 00:03:12.29\00:03:14.69 And I know that you're at home like music, 00:03:14.72\00:03:18.46 so we have a special song for you 00:03:18.49\00:03:21.60 by Scott Michael Bennett. 00:03:21.63\00:03:24.63 And he's going to sing How Deep is the Father's Love. 00:03:24.67\00:03:29.37 How deep the Father's love for us 00:03:41.85\00:03:48.32 How vast beyond all measure 00:03:48.36\00:03:54.36 That He should give His only Son 00:03:54.40\00:04:00.57 To make a wretch His treasure 00:04:00.60\00:04:06.47 How great the pain of searing loss 00:04:06.51\00:04:12.71 The Father turns His face away 00:04:12.75\00:04:18.85 As wounds which mar the Chosen One 00:04:18.89\00:04:25.03 Bring many sons to glory 00:04:25.06\00:04:28.80 Behold the Lamb upon that cross 00:04:33.70\00:04:39.64 My sin upon His shoulders 00:04:39.67\00:04:45.81 Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice 00:04:45.85\00:04:51.85 Call out among the scoffers 00:04:51.89\00:04:57.46 It was my sin that held Him there 00:04:57.49\00:05:03.47 Until it was accomplished 00:05:03.50\00:05:09.34 His dying breath has brought me life 00:05:09.37\00:05:15.41 I know that it is finished 00:05:15.44\00:05:19.21 I will not boast in anything 00:05:24.09\00:05:29.92 No gifts, no power, no wisdom 00:05:29.96\00:05:35.73 But I will boast in Jesus Christ 00:05:35.76\00:05:41.47 His death and resurrection 00:05:41.50\00:05:47.18 Why should I gain from His reward 00:05:47.21\00:05:53.11 I cannot give an answer 00:05:53.15\00:05:59.19 But this I know with all my heart 00:05:59.22\00:06:05.76 His wounds have paid my ransom 00:06:05.79\00:06:11.43 Why should I gain from His reward 00:06:11.47\00:06:17.74 I cannot give an answer 00:06:17.77\00:06:23.51 But this I know with all my heart 00:06:23.55\00:06:29.82 His wounds have paid my ransom 00:06:29.85\00:06:35.99 But this I know 00:06:36.02\00:06:38.43 With all my heart 00:06:38.46\00:06:43.63 His wounds have paid my ransom 00:06:43.67\00:06:49.30 Thank you, Scott. 00:07:08.56\00:07:09.92 He always ministers to my soul 00:07:09.96\00:07:13.36 when he is singing and I understand that 00:07:13.40\00:07:15.80 Scott is a personal friend of yours. 00:07:15.83\00:07:17.73 Yeah, close friend. 00:07:17.77\00:07:19.10 He's a wonderful guy, you know, 00:07:19.13\00:07:20.54 with Scott, what you see is Scott, it's always him. 00:07:20.57\00:07:24.61 And when he ministers it's not a facade. 00:07:24.64\00:07:27.21 It's not a show. This is it. 00:07:27.24\00:07:28.74 He got into music ministry 00:07:28.78\00:07:31.11 because he was called by God to minister through music 00:07:31.15\00:07:34.92 and he loves to reach the heart and lift up Jesus. 00:07:34.95\00:07:38.25 He's a fabulous guy and lovely family. 00:07:38.29\00:07:40.46 Good man. Amen. 00:07:40.49\00:07:41.82 And I can echo those words about you, John Bradshaw. 00:07:41.86\00:07:46.29 You know, so many people will say, 00:07:46.33\00:07:48.56 oh, he's my favorite speaker. 00:07:48.60\00:07:50.27 But we know that God called you 00:07:50.30\00:07:52.53 to your position as President of It Is Written. 00:07:52.57\00:07:56.44 But more than that, you were a seeker of the truth. 00:07:56.47\00:08:00.44 I'm a seeker of truth. 00:08:00.48\00:08:02.01 Let's before we get into your history, 00:08:02.04\00:08:05.58 your personal history. 00:08:05.61\00:08:06.95 Tell us a little bit about how the family is doing 00:08:06.98\00:08:09.55 and what how It Is Written is doing? 00:08:09.58\00:08:11.55 Oh, great and great. 00:08:11.59\00:08:13.29 You know, my wife right now 00:08:13.32\00:08:14.66 was training for a half marathon. 00:08:14.69\00:08:16.02 Bless her. 00:08:16.06\00:08:17.39 I told her you run a marathon one day. 00:08:17.43\00:08:18.76 Oh, no, no, I never. 00:08:18.79\00:08:20.13 It was just about a week ago, 00:08:20.16\00:08:21.50 she said, you know, I'm starting to wonder 00:08:21.53\00:08:23.97 if I should run a marathon. 00:08:24.00\00:08:25.33 So she's doing great. 00:08:25.37\00:08:26.70 I think today, she went on her 10 mile run 00:08:26.74\00:08:28.44 in preparation for the 13.1. 00:08:28.47\00:08:31.44 And I'm only running a couple of miles a day. 00:08:31.47\00:08:33.41 So I'm feeling, I'm feeling lazy. 00:08:33.44\00:08:35.31 Kids are great both at college both doing well. 00:08:35.34\00:08:38.78 Yeah, they're wonderful human beings. 00:08:38.81\00:08:41.05 I like being around them just because they're great people. 00:08:41.08\00:08:43.25 God has blessed Melissa and I with two fantastic kids. 00:08:43.28\00:08:46.59 Well, then two fantastic kids who are in love with the Lord. 00:08:46.62\00:08:52.39 And that's the best thing about it, you know? 00:08:52.43\00:08:55.06 Yes. 00:08:55.10\00:08:56.43 Is that you know that 00:08:56.46\00:08:57.97 they're connecting with God daily. 00:08:58.00\00:08:59.47 They're taking their personal devotional time daily. 00:08:59.50\00:09:02.54 Worry may be the wrong word, but it may be the right word, 00:09:02.57\00:09:05.77 all parents tend to worry about their kids. 00:09:05.81\00:09:08.41 I've never met a young adult 00:09:08.44\00:09:11.18 who walked away from the church 00:09:11.21\00:09:12.68 or walked away from faith in Jesus, 00:09:12.71\00:09:14.65 who was having a daily personal devotional 00:09:14.68\00:09:16.48 experience. 00:09:16.52\00:09:17.85 So with our children, you know, 00:09:17.89\00:09:19.22 we don't take anything for granted 00:09:19.25\00:09:20.59 and we don't take any credit. 00:09:20.62\00:09:22.19 But it's exciting to me to see my children first thing 00:09:22.22\00:09:24.49 they do is they spend time with God. 00:09:24.53\00:09:26.70 They're reading the Bible. 00:09:26.73\00:09:28.06 Faith is real to them. 00:09:28.10\00:09:29.43 They're in church, 00:09:29.46\00:09:30.80 they love to go to church and yeah, 00:09:30.83\00:09:33.57 it's great, I just... 00:09:33.60\00:09:34.94 My prayer is they continue to be an influence 00:09:34.97\00:09:37.07 and leaders in the church on some level, you know, 00:09:37.11\00:09:40.14 not just they're making 00:09:40.18\00:09:41.51 up the numbers or warming a pew. 00:09:41.54\00:09:43.14 Well, and I think we give all the glory to God, 00:09:43.18\00:09:46.48 but I think that that you and your wife can be, 00:09:46.51\00:09:50.99 some credit can be reflected on you 00:09:51.02\00:09:53.62 because you taught your children 00:09:53.66\00:09:55.56 to have a relationship with the Lord. 00:09:55.59\00:09:57.79 They taught him about the love of the Lord. 00:09:57.83\00:10:00.03 And I always say, 00:10:00.06\00:10:01.56 and I hold to these rules 00:10:01.60\00:10:04.03 without relationship result in rebellion. 00:10:04.07\00:10:07.17 If you're bringing your children up, 00:10:07.20\00:10:08.94 just to do this, don't do this 00:10:08.97\00:10:11.24 and they don't understand why God has regulations, 00:10:11.27\00:10:16.04 why He has set out boundaries to protect them 00:10:16.08\00:10:19.98 and giving them an abundant life here, 00:10:20.02\00:10:22.08 and life ever after. 00:10:22.12\00:10:24.02 Then your kids are probably gonna rebel, 00:10:24.05\00:10:26.65 but obviously yours know. 00:10:26.69\00:10:28.32 If they're smart, they'll rebel. 00:10:28.36\00:10:31.59 If you've raised kids just on rules, rules, rules, 00:10:31.63\00:10:34.56 if they've got any brains, they'll rebel, 00:10:34.60\00:10:36.70 because they will figure it out. 00:10:36.73\00:10:38.07 If they're honest 00:10:38.10\00:10:39.43 they'll figure out that there's no future in that. 00:10:39.47\00:10:41.54 Who is this God? 00:10:41.57\00:10:42.90 You mean, He wants blind obeisance, 00:10:42.94\00:10:45.61 some blind obedience and this, there's nothing in it for me. 00:10:45.64\00:10:49.44 The one thing about a relationship with God 00:10:49.48\00:10:51.85 is that God says everywhere, 00:10:51.88\00:10:53.52 there's something in it for you. 00:10:53.55\00:10:54.88 Amen. 00:10:54.92\00:10:56.25 Yeah, I don't mean just in a selfish way. 00:10:56.28\00:10:57.62 No. 00:10:57.65\00:10:58.99 God says, I want this for you because Israel, 00:10:59.02\00:11:00.36 you'll be the head not the tail, 00:11:00.39\00:11:01.72 I'm going to lead you to a land that flows 00:11:01.76\00:11:03.09 with milk and honey, it's kind of the same today. 00:11:03.12\00:11:04.76 And I don't mean, the prosperity sort of thing. 00:11:04.79\00:11:07.66 I mean, God says, you won't perish, 00:11:07.70\00:11:10.40 you'll have everlasting life. 00:11:10.43\00:11:12.23 God says, I want you to be rich, 00:11:12.27\00:11:15.00 His gold tried in the fire. 00:11:15.04\00:11:16.50 You understand what I mean? Yes. 00:11:16.54\00:11:17.87 All of the things that God adds to our lives are additions 00:11:17.91\00:11:20.84 and not subtraction. 00:11:20.88\00:11:22.21 So if you teach young people along the way, 00:11:22.24\00:11:23.61 even when they say, why can't I? 00:11:23.65\00:11:25.98 Why do they and not we? 00:11:26.01\00:11:27.45 What about this? 00:11:27.48\00:11:28.82 Take those questions head on, and simply explain, 00:11:28.85\00:11:32.12 this is God's plan. 00:11:32.15\00:11:33.66 God loves you, 00:11:33.69\00:11:35.02 it's gonna work out best God's way. 00:11:35.06\00:11:37.03 Kids aren't thick, you know, they'll understand that 00:11:37.06\00:11:39.39 if you reach their hearts, 00:11:39.43\00:11:41.13 many kids are going to get, you know, 00:11:41.16\00:11:42.93 speed bumps along the way. 00:11:42.96\00:11:44.30 It's okay, it's growing pains. 00:11:44.33\00:11:45.73 You know, okay, hear me with grace here. 00:11:45.77\00:11:48.07 These are the sorts of things that happen. 00:11:48.10\00:11:50.14 But if you will endeavor to connect a child's mind 00:11:50.17\00:11:52.97 with the mind of God, 00:11:53.01\00:11:54.34 the heart with the heart of God, 00:11:54.38\00:11:55.71 let them see Jesus, you know, 00:11:55.74\00:11:57.51 even after a hard day, they'll have the opportunity 00:11:57.55\00:11:59.85 to sit back and go, yeah, God's way is good. 00:11:59.88\00:12:02.22 And God loves me. 00:12:02.25\00:12:04.42 And God wants the best for me. 00:12:04.45\00:12:07.36 I had a man come to an evangelistic series 00:12:07.39\00:12:09.29 in California years ago. 00:12:09.32\00:12:11.26 And he'd been gone from the church for decades. 00:12:11.29\00:12:15.00 So he'd been raised in the church but he would, 00:12:15.03\00:12:17.47 he would tell me that, oh, as a kid, 00:12:17.50\00:12:19.33 I'd play with my little toy cars 00:12:19.37\00:12:21.00 in the dirt on Sabbath, 00:12:21.04\00:12:22.44 and my dad would belt me for it. 00:12:22.47\00:12:25.14 You know, we may agree, 00:12:25.17\00:12:28.04 maybe that's not the very perfect this thing, 00:12:28.08\00:12:29.98 someone may say, I'm not getting into that. 00:12:30.01\00:12:32.71 But the question is, how do you deal with that? 00:12:32.75\00:12:35.72 And how do you let your kids see God in the midst of that. 00:12:35.75\00:12:38.42 That young boy playing with, that wasn't the point, 00:12:38.45\00:12:41.52 what the boy needed was to see Jesus some, 00:12:41.56\00:12:44.36 no matter what he's doing, 00:12:44.39\00:12:45.73 to see Jesus and to know that his dad loved God. 00:12:45.76\00:12:48.00 So I would encourage parents everywhere, 00:12:48.03\00:12:50.47 just love your kids and point them to Jesus, 00:12:50.50\00:12:53.10 pray for them, pray with them, read the Bible with them. 00:12:53.13\00:12:57.44 Don't criticize the church, don't criticize God, 00:12:57.47\00:13:01.34 be positive, it's pretty hard for a kid 00:13:01.38\00:13:03.41 to go off the rails not impossible. 00:13:03.45\00:13:06.15 Not impossible. 00:13:06.18\00:13:07.52 But it's a lot harder for a child to go off the rails 00:13:07.55\00:13:09.22 if you provide that kind of supportive environment. 00:13:09.25\00:13:11.42 And you're clearing the track for them as if it were. 00:13:11.45\00:13:15.12 So how did you grow up, 00:13:15.16\00:13:18.09 you grew up in a Christian home but did you know the truth? 00:13:18.13\00:13:22.60 I was raised 00:13:22.63\00:13:24.07 in a Roman Catholic family by a man 00:13:24.10\00:13:26.13 who was a thoroughly good man. 00:13:26.17\00:13:27.50 And I mean that in the worldly sense, 00:13:27.54\00:13:28.97 you know, a mother 00:13:29.00\00:13:30.34 who was not of any religious profession. 00:13:30.37\00:13:32.81 She tolerated my dad's Catholicism, 00:13:32.84\00:13:34.78 and I think he tried to impress Catholicism on her 00:13:34.81\00:13:38.18 and she wasn't buying and that was that. 00:13:38.21\00:13:41.12 So they live very separate religious lives. 00:13:41.15\00:13:44.99 My dad very involved with this church, my mother, 00:13:45.02\00:13:47.76 actually quite involved with the church on some levels, 00:13:47.79\00:13:49.76 but no religious practice. 00:13:49.79\00:13:52.23 And so we were raised to go to the Catholic Church, 00:13:52.26\00:13:54.33 when I say separate religious lives, 00:13:54.36\00:13:55.70 otherwise, they were as happy as everybody else, you know? 00:13:55.73\00:13:59.83 And as my earliest memories of being in that church 00:13:59.87\00:14:02.44 with the crucifix above the altar, 00:14:02.47\00:14:04.11 and the Stations of the Cross, 00:14:04.14\00:14:06.57 and the wooden pews without any cushions on them, 00:14:06.61\00:14:09.71 and the wooden kneelers and the nuns 00:14:09.74\00:14:12.25 and the old priests who we were fortunate, 00:14:12.28\00:14:15.22 we didn't have any, anything scandalous 00:14:15.25\00:14:16.95 or anything to be critical about. 00:14:16.99\00:14:18.42 We had good priests as far as they go. 00:14:18.45\00:14:21.22 So I was raised up in that mill, you know, 00:14:21.26\00:14:23.32 it was Catholicism. 00:14:23.36\00:14:24.89 It was heaven or hell, or purgatory or limbo 00:14:24.93\00:14:27.66 for I think that moved away from that now, 00:14:27.70\00:14:30.53 confession, the sacraments, your first holy confession, 00:14:30.57\00:14:33.44 the first communion, confirmation, 00:14:33.47\00:14:35.57 all of that altar boy for many years, 00:14:35.60\00:14:37.94 happy to be in my church, proud of my church. 00:14:37.97\00:14:41.11 Then I started to ask some questions, you know, 00:14:41.14\00:14:42.78 because not everything added up, 00:14:42.81\00:14:45.81 didn't all stack up. 00:14:45.85\00:14:47.38 I'd ask some questions. 00:14:47.42\00:14:49.15 I'd be serving as an altar boy at a funeral. 00:14:49.18\00:14:52.69 And in the church, 00:14:52.72\00:14:54.29 we are just celebratory even in our tears 00:14:54.32\00:14:56.69 because Mr. Smith is in heaven in the presence of God 00:14:56.73\00:15:00.60 and he's praising God today we can be comforted. 00:15:00.63\00:15:03.87 Thirty five or 40 minutes later, 00:15:03.90\00:15:05.57 we're at the cemetery lowering 00:15:05.60\00:15:07.34 Mr. Smith into the heart of the earth. 00:15:07.37\00:15:10.37 And the same priest now says, 00:15:10.41\00:15:13.11 we commit our dear brother to the grave 00:15:13.14\00:15:16.11 where he will wait to meet the Lord 00:15:16.14\00:15:20.52 when Jesus comes back. 00:15:20.55\00:15:22.65 Whoa, hold on, how can he be in two places at once? 00:15:22.68\00:15:25.95 And you can perform 00:15:25.99\00:15:27.32 all kinds of theological gymnastics 00:15:27.36\00:15:29.12 to try to make those 00:15:29.16\00:15:30.49 two perpendicular lines meet head to head. 00:15:30.53\00:15:35.13 They don't. 00:15:35.16\00:15:39.33 And questions like that. 00:15:39.37\00:15:40.94 And I looked at those questions and said, 00:15:40.97\00:15:42.47 there's got to be an answer somewhere. 00:15:42.50\00:15:45.07 So how did God, I mean, 00:15:45.11\00:15:48.51 what kind of a kid were you as a teenager? 00:15:48.54\00:15:50.58 When did you really start seeking the truth? 00:15:50.61\00:15:54.92 Seeking answers to those questions? 00:15:54.95\00:15:57.35 We all had questions. 00:15:57.39\00:15:58.72 I can remember when I was 12 years old, 00:15:58.75\00:16:01.02 that my best friend 00:16:01.06\00:16:02.39 who was a strong churchgoer, and she said, 00:16:02.42\00:16:05.56 "Have you ever thought, what if God's not real?" 00:16:05.59\00:16:08.63 And I said, "No." 00:16:08.66\00:16:10.77 It was like, oh, blasphemy, you know? 00:16:10.80\00:16:12.50 Oh, yeah. 00:16:12.53\00:16:13.87 But there were a series of questions 00:16:13.90\00:16:16.57 that I had as well. 00:16:16.60\00:16:17.94 But how old were you 00:16:17.97\00:16:19.97 when God was starting to get your attention? 00:16:20.01\00:16:23.98 Tell you a fascinating story, about 9 or 10 years old, 00:16:24.01\00:16:27.85 I'd gone to confession and confession, you know, 00:16:27.88\00:16:31.42 you're absolved. 00:16:31.45\00:16:32.85 The priest would say, back then, 00:16:32.89\00:16:35.36 we were in English, but our priests would still 00:16:35.39\00:16:38.73 have some Latin phrases Ego tabs over, 00:16:38.76\00:16:41.63 I absolve you, 00:16:41.66\00:16:43.00 you're absolved of your sins during confession. 00:16:43.03\00:16:45.50 And now, the weight of the world 00:16:45.53\00:16:47.27 is rolled off me, I'm cleaned before God. 00:16:47.30\00:16:49.14 But I knew that by the time I got home, 00:16:49.17\00:16:51.31 I would have sinned again, I knew it. 00:16:51.34\00:16:53.41 If you had a brother, like my next oldest brother, 00:16:53.44\00:16:55.38 you'd have sinned 00:16:55.41\00:16:56.75 before you got home too, you know. 00:16:56.78\00:16:59.08 So I remember walking, 00:16:59.11\00:17:01.95 our church was right on the main highway, 00:17:01.98\00:17:05.85 the main highway through the country. 00:17:05.89\00:17:08.59 And this is in New Zealand? 00:17:08.62\00:17:10.23 Now they bypassed our town. 00:17:10.26\00:17:12.29 But back then every vehicle traveling north to south 00:17:12.33\00:17:15.06 went right past our front door, 00:17:15.10\00:17:16.67 and right past the front door of the church, 00:17:16.70\00:17:18.40 and I thought to myself, I'll never be clean. 00:17:18.43\00:17:21.67 I'll never be good enough to go to heaven. 00:17:21.70\00:17:23.61 Never. 00:17:23.64\00:17:24.97 And I looked at these big trucks, 00:17:25.01\00:17:26.44 the semis going past. 00:17:26.47\00:17:27.81 And as I stood between the sidewalk 00:17:27.84\00:17:31.41 and the road on the grass strip, 00:17:31.45\00:17:34.68 I thought to myself, maybe one of those big trucks 00:17:34.72\00:17:37.62 could run off the road and run me over and kill me. 00:17:37.65\00:17:40.29 Wow. 00:17:40.32\00:17:41.66 And then I'm good, then I'll be... 00:17:41.69\00:17:44.89 Then I'll go to heaven. Wow. 00:17:44.93\00:17:46.93 I thought, well, as I stood there 00:17:46.96\00:17:48.30 for a minute or so, 00:17:48.33\00:17:49.66 I realized these vehicles don't just run off the road. 00:17:49.70\00:17:53.23 So I'm hoping against hope here, 00:17:53.27\00:17:54.94 I thought, what if I were to throw myself 00:17:54.97\00:17:57.77 under one of these vehicles as it came by? 00:17:57.81\00:18:00.34 Just dive right under there 00:18:00.38\00:18:02.08 probably wouldn't feel much. 00:18:02.11\00:18:03.75 And I'd be dead. 00:18:03.78\00:18:05.18 Clean, no sin, and I could go to heaven. 00:18:05.21\00:18:08.78 And I thought I couldn't do that 00:18:08.82\00:18:11.05 because that would be a sin, I think. 00:18:11.09\00:18:12.99 And my mother and father might be sad, so. 00:18:13.02\00:18:17.33 So I don't want to say I was contemplating suicide. 00:18:17.36\00:18:21.00 No. 00:18:21.03\00:18:22.36 But I was walking through the steps, 00:18:22.40\00:18:24.77 I was weighing up the pros and cons of killing myself. 00:18:24.80\00:18:29.27 To figure out how to become righteous? 00:18:29.30\00:18:30.64 Yeah. 00:18:30.67\00:18:32.01 So I could be good enough to go to him 00:18:32.04\00:18:33.38 because I just been forgiven. 00:18:33.41\00:18:34.74 Yeah. Soul was clean. 00:18:34.78\00:18:37.45 So if I die now, it's all good. 00:18:37.48\00:18:40.55 So it was about then, Shelley, I was asking these questions, 00:18:40.58\00:18:43.28 because I was very sensitive to the voice of God, 00:18:43.32\00:18:45.45 even though you know, what kind of kid were you? 00:18:45.49\00:18:47.72 Well, better be careful. 00:18:47.76\00:18:50.16 Even though I don't think 00:18:50.19\00:18:52.39 I was chosen from among the good angels. 00:18:52.43\00:18:54.93 I was very sensitive to God and I wanted to be saved 00:18:54.96\00:18:57.77 and I wanted to live for God 00:18:57.80\00:18:59.23 and I wanted to go to heaven. 00:18:59.27\00:19:01.37 Tell you a funny thing that helped me. 00:19:01.40\00:19:02.74 I know in our churches, we don't have crucifixes 00:19:02.77\00:19:05.81 and I feel someone is going to mishear me. 00:19:05.84\00:19:09.21 So please don't mishear me. 00:19:09.24\00:19:11.58 Something that spoke to me, 00:19:11.61\00:19:13.48 in a crucifix above the altar in our church, 00:19:13.52\00:19:16.32 kind of an almost life sized 00:19:16.35\00:19:18.09 portrayal of Jesus on the cross, 00:19:18.12\00:19:20.46 a couple of dots of blood on each hand, 00:19:20.49\00:19:23.12 a few drops of blood down. 00:19:23.16\00:19:24.49 And so it was a pretty sanitized crucifixion, 00:19:24.53\00:19:26.80 you know? 00:19:26.83\00:19:28.63 But I would see that every time I was in church, 00:19:28.66\00:19:31.03 and I would know, God loves you. 00:19:31.07\00:19:34.00 Jesus died for you. 00:19:34.04\00:19:35.87 God loves you. 00:19:35.90\00:19:37.34 Jesus died for you. 00:19:37.37\00:19:38.71 Whenever I saw that Jesus on the cross, 00:19:38.74\00:19:41.51 it reminded me that the Savior died for me. 00:19:41.54\00:19:45.51 You know, I wasn't picking up too much good theology 00:19:45.55\00:19:48.52 there in the Roman Catholic Church. 00:19:48.55\00:19:50.25 But there was some pretty good theology 00:19:50.29\00:19:51.62 taught to me by an inanimate crucifix. 00:19:51.65\00:19:55.32 Again, I'm not endorsing crucifixes. 00:19:55.36\00:19:57.99 But as a kid I knew God loved me. 00:19:58.03\00:20:00.23 I knew that, I just couldn't figure out 00:20:00.26\00:20:01.86 how I could be good enough to go to heaven. 00:20:01.90\00:20:03.70 You know, that resonates with me 00:20:03.73\00:20:06.50 because a little slightly different. 00:20:06.53\00:20:09.64 I was taught I had to be perfect 00:20:09.67\00:20:12.01 to be loved by the Father. 00:20:12.04\00:20:13.48 I knew Jesus loved me. 00:20:13.51\00:20:15.58 But I was taught even Jesus was going to spew me 00:20:15.61\00:20:20.28 out of His mouth if I was less than perfect, 00:20:20.32\00:20:22.75 if I was ever lukewarm, and I will, 00:20:22.78\00:20:25.42 I had performer mentality deluxe, 00:20:25.45\00:20:29.42 I was always 00:20:29.46\00:20:30.89 the little angel teacher's pet straight 00:20:30.93\00:20:34.73 A students Sunday school teacher growing up, 00:20:34.76\00:20:37.47 I did everything right. 00:20:37.50\00:20:39.27 Never disobeyed my mother. 00:20:39.30\00:20:41.90 I was one of those. 00:20:41.94\00:20:43.54 But when I got off to college, 00:20:43.57\00:20:45.17 everybody was calling me 00:20:45.21\00:20:46.54 miss goody two shoes, they called me Pollyanna. 00:20:46.57\00:20:49.04 And I finally had 00:20:49.08\00:20:51.85 this reckoning with God, 00:20:51.88\00:20:57.12 because I had tried so hard to be perfect all my life. 00:20:57.15\00:21:01.22 And I knew I wasn't. 00:21:01.26\00:21:03.06 And everybody kept telling me, 00:21:03.09\00:21:04.43 they love me because I was perfect. 00:21:04.46\00:21:05.99 And that makes you feel absolutely insecure. 00:21:06.03\00:21:09.76 So what happened? 00:21:09.80\00:21:11.33 I finally looked at the Lord. 00:21:11.37\00:21:13.34 And the thing that wasn't making any sense to me 00:21:13.37\00:21:16.24 is if you are love, 00:21:16.27\00:21:17.94 how could You burn someone with unceasing torture? 00:21:17.97\00:21:21.98 Yeah. 00:21:22.01\00:21:23.35 And I just finally said, hey, I can't please you. 00:21:23.38\00:21:25.95 I may as well quit trying, 00:21:25.98\00:21:28.08 and I walked away from the Lord. 00:21:28.12\00:21:29.65 And what you did 00:21:29.68\00:21:31.02 was the intellectually honest thing to do. 00:21:31.05\00:21:32.85 Yeah. 00:21:32.89\00:21:34.62 Frankly, more people ought to do that. 00:21:34.66\00:21:37.23 And here's what I mean. 00:21:37.26\00:21:39.16 Could get me in trouble, couldn't it? 00:21:39.19\00:21:40.70 Here's what I mean. 00:21:40.73\00:21:42.06 When you realize you're not good enough, 00:21:42.10\00:21:46.07 and you can't be good enough for God, 00:21:46.10\00:21:49.30 for salvation to earn God's love. 00:21:49.34\00:21:51.97 And then you realize there's no other way, 00:21:52.01\00:21:54.38 if you don't know the truth, 00:21:54.41\00:21:57.18 the honest thing to do is to leave, 00:21:57.21\00:22:00.45 is to walk away from God. 00:22:00.48\00:22:01.82 That's the intellectually honest thing to do. 00:22:01.85\00:22:04.15 You look at your Christian experience, 00:22:04.19\00:22:05.79 and you say, this doesn't work. 00:22:05.82\00:22:07.86 You're not telling a lie. 00:22:07.89\00:22:09.52 That's the truth that if you haven't been taught 00:22:09.56\00:22:14.00 the Bible truth about grace, 00:22:14.03\00:22:16.40 and righteousness by faith, 00:22:16.43\00:22:19.50 that's what makes the difference. 00:22:19.53\00:22:22.27 And then this hope, 00:22:22.30\00:22:23.84 then the burden of your heart rolls away, 00:22:23.87\00:22:26.17 then like Christian pilgrim's progress, 00:22:26.21\00:22:28.44 you can take that big weight off 00:22:28.48\00:22:29.91 and lay it down at Jesus' feet. 00:22:29.94\00:22:32.65 Imagine trying to be good enough 00:22:32.68\00:22:35.12 to go to heaven. 00:22:35.15\00:22:36.48 No one can. No one can. 00:22:36.52\00:22:39.15 I tried for 50 years. 00:22:39.19\00:22:41.56 You see, a man came to Jesus one day and said, 00:22:41.59\00:22:44.29 Good Master. 00:22:44.33\00:22:45.66 Jesus said, hold up. 00:22:45.69\00:22:47.03 Why are you calling me good? 00:22:47.06\00:22:48.40 There's only one that's good and that's the Father. 00:22:48.43\00:22:51.03 So if you're trying to be good, you're trying to be God. 00:22:51.07\00:22:55.34 No, you don't wanna mishear this. 00:22:55.37\00:22:56.71 Oh, I understood this. 00:22:56.74\00:22:58.07 Don't wanna mishear this and say, 00:22:58.11\00:22:59.44 well, let's throw our hands up in the air and walk away. 00:22:59.47\00:23:01.28 The key here is to figure out 00:23:01.31\00:23:03.71 how to connect with the righteousness of God 00:23:03.75\00:23:06.85 and to receive that as your own. 00:23:06.88\00:23:08.22 How do you do that? 00:23:08.25\00:23:09.58 Because until you understand that, 00:23:09.62\00:23:11.25 you're rather dismissive, 00:23:11.29\00:23:12.82 and you're playing church, 00:23:12.85\00:23:15.19 in which case, you're miserable. 00:23:15.22\00:23:17.13 Or you're miserable, 00:23:17.16\00:23:18.49 because you're never going to be 00:23:18.53\00:23:19.86 good enough. 00:23:19.89\00:23:21.23 Thank God, we don't have to be good enough. 00:23:21.26\00:23:23.47 We can claim Christ as our own. 00:23:23.50\00:23:26.27 He is good enough. 00:23:26.30\00:23:28.00 And then He works in our lives to grow us, to sanctify us, 00:23:28.04\00:23:32.01 to prepare us more and more 00:23:32.04\00:23:33.68 and yet more for everlasting life. 00:23:33.71\00:23:35.38 Amen. 00:23:35.41\00:23:36.75 So I know, I'm going to reserve I wanna hear your story. 00:23:36.78\00:23:40.95 But I know how God got my attention. 00:23:40.98\00:23:42.95 How did he get yours? 00:23:42.98\00:23:45.52 I tried everything I could to be good enough, 00:23:45.55\00:23:48.16 at the same time as going through 00:23:48.19\00:23:50.23 some growing pains, career, in my life, 00:23:50.26\00:23:55.76 I was drifting further away from God, 00:23:55.80\00:23:57.80 knew I shouldn't, 00:23:57.83\00:23:59.17 I knew that meant not good things. 00:23:59.20\00:24:01.40 There was no way in the world 00:24:01.44\00:24:02.77 I could find a meaningful experience. 00:24:02.80\00:24:04.31 In my own church experience, I wasn't finding meaning. 00:24:04.34\00:24:09.14 Now, as a teenager, a group of us 00:24:09.18\00:24:11.15 from our Catholic Church, 00:24:11.18\00:24:12.51 we would visit the Anglican Church 00:24:12.55\00:24:14.98 and the Pentecostal Church and these other churches, 00:24:15.02\00:24:17.55 typically on Sunday evenings, 00:24:17.59\00:24:19.25 and we'd go to their prayer and praise times, 00:24:19.29\00:24:21.52 and we'd go to their services. 00:24:21.56\00:24:23.12 Well, that was meaningful, 00:24:23.16\00:24:25.13 but I was looking for truth because I had a church 00:24:25.16\00:24:29.16 where I figured the truth wasn't. 00:24:29.20\00:24:31.07 The dead people can't be in two places at once. 00:24:31.10\00:24:33.74 God cannot burn people forever and ever and ever. 00:24:33.77\00:24:37.14 Let's just be honest. 00:24:37.17\00:24:39.34 You shouldn't pray to dead saints. 00:24:39.37\00:24:43.11 Let's just have a reality check here. 00:24:43.14\00:24:46.38 Talk to God, even a child understands that. 00:24:46.41\00:24:49.75 So I wanted to find answers that made sense. 00:24:49.78\00:24:53.76 I wanted to find an experience 00:24:53.79\00:24:56.12 that was meaningful and answers 00:24:56.16\00:24:58.86 that made sense. 00:24:58.89\00:25:00.23 So I found some experiences that were kind of meaningful, 00:25:00.26\00:25:02.96 but never found the answers that made sense. 00:25:03.00\00:25:04.93 And what ultimately happened 00:25:04.97\00:25:07.04 was I have a brother 00:25:07.07\00:25:08.40 who sent me a copy of The Great Controversy. 00:25:08.44\00:25:12.31 He gave it to me once, 00:25:12.34\00:25:13.68 he gave it to me again, 00:25:13.71\00:25:15.04 by now I was living in London, England. 00:25:15.08\00:25:17.65 And I wrote to him, and I said, 00:25:17.68\00:25:20.88 that book you gave me, 00:25:20.92\00:25:22.25 I'm really searching 00:25:22.28\00:25:23.62 where do you think I could buy it? 00:25:23.65\00:25:25.89 And he sent me a third copy that 00:25:25.92\00:25:28.42 coincided with me walking out 00:25:28.46\00:25:30.26 of the Catholic Church in Ireland, 00:25:30.29\00:25:31.99 and saying to God out loud 00:25:32.03\00:25:33.80 as I looked up into the overcast, 00:25:33.83\00:25:36.16 Irish sky, I'm never going back to church again, 00:25:36.20\00:25:39.17 until you show me the truth. 00:25:39.20\00:25:40.54 Oh, yes. 00:25:40.57\00:25:42.07 And God likes us kind of challenges. 00:25:42.10\00:25:44.47 You pray a prayer like that, you better buckle up. 00:25:44.51\00:25:46.17 Amen. 00:25:46.21\00:25:47.54 'Cause God will show you the truth. 00:25:47.58\00:25:48.91 Amen. Yeah, so that's what happened. 00:25:48.94\00:25:50.65 I read that book and that was, it is over. 00:25:50.68\00:25:53.01 All right. 00:25:53.05\00:25:54.38 So how old were you when you became a... 00:25:54.42\00:25:57.85 I mean, obviously, you got into the Bible, 00:25:57.89\00:26:00.36 you weren't encouraged 00:26:00.39\00:26:01.89 to read the Bible much where you? 00:26:01.92\00:26:03.53 See, I grew up in a New Testament Church. 00:26:03.56\00:26:06.80 Oh, boy, I bet I'd read the New Testament 200 times. 00:26:06.83\00:26:10.07 But without the understanding of the Old Testament 00:26:10.10\00:26:12.70 which we just simply didn't read, 00:26:12.73\00:26:15.14 there was so much that went over my head. 00:26:15.17\00:26:19.01 But when God finally really got my attention, 00:26:19.04\00:26:24.18 and I knew He was calling me to full time ministry, 00:26:24.21\00:26:26.58 he said, come sit at My feet, 00:26:26.61\00:26:27.95 forget what you think, you know, I will teach you. 00:26:27.98\00:26:30.45 And you know, where He started me? 00:26:30.49\00:26:32.42 On a study of the sanctuary. 00:26:32.45\00:26:35.99 It was incredible, because He taught me, 00:26:36.02\00:26:41.30 I had just gotten Bible software as well. 00:26:41.33\00:26:44.10 So I could look up the Greek and Hebrew. 00:26:44.13\00:26:46.70 And I learned that the Ten Commandments 00:26:46.74\00:26:48.67 hadn't been nailed to the cross. 00:26:48.70\00:26:51.07 And, boy, I'll tell you that was a complete about face. 00:26:51.11\00:26:55.11 But I was seeking what you were seeking was, 00:26:55.14\00:27:01.05 I wanted to be righteous. 00:27:01.08\00:27:03.59 And I thought I never could be holy 00:27:03.62\00:27:05.85 as your heavenly Father is holy. 00:27:05.89\00:27:07.69 But let me give you this 00:27:07.72\00:27:09.06 because God really use this scripture. 00:27:09.09\00:27:12.26 It's Hebrews 11:7, It says, "By faith Noah," 00:27:12.29\00:27:17.20 from the Old Testament, Noah, 00:27:17.23\00:27:19.47 "being divinely warned of things not yet seen, 00:27:19.50\00:27:22.44 moved with godly fear, 00:27:22.47\00:27:23.87 he prepared the ark 00:27:23.91\00:27:25.24 for the saving of his household, 00:27:25.27\00:27:27.01 by which he condemned the world 00:27:27.04\00:27:29.04 and became heir of the righteousness 00:27:29.08\00:27:34.48 which is according to faith." 00:27:34.52\00:27:35.92 Whoa! 00:27:35.95\00:27:37.29 That was an eye-opener, 00:27:37.32\00:27:38.65 because suddenly I started looking 00:27:38.69\00:27:40.92 through the Old Testament 00:27:40.96\00:27:43.53 for this whole idea of righteousness by faith. 00:27:43.56\00:27:45.29 That's right. 00:27:45.33\00:27:46.66 Found out it began, you know, 00:27:46.70\00:27:48.13 with Noah and then Abraham in this covenant 00:27:48.16\00:27:51.07 that just keeps unfolding. 00:27:51.10\00:27:52.77 It was life changing, but it was coming to the Word. 00:27:52.80\00:27:56.00 That's right. 00:27:56.04\00:27:57.37 So you became a minister, 00:27:57.41\00:27:58.74 give us a little fast track 00:27:58.77\00:28:00.38 of how you came into the ministry? 00:28:00.41\00:28:02.18 Yeah, funny thing, my background was radio. 00:28:02.21\00:28:04.81 So I was used to talking for a living. 00:28:04.85\00:28:08.32 As a kid, you know, you have this, 00:28:08.35\00:28:10.99 this idea that maybe you'd be a priest. 00:28:11.02\00:28:13.89 I entertain that idea for about, 00:28:13.92\00:28:18.03 I was about 10, 5, 5 or 10 seconds, 00:28:18.06\00:28:23.16 I entertained that idea. 00:28:23.20\00:28:26.40 And I kind of wished I could, 00:28:26.43\00:28:28.90 but I knew I was never gonna be one of them guy. 00:28:28.94\00:28:30.27 Yeah. 00:28:30.31\00:28:31.64 No way, for a variety of reasons. 00:28:31.67\00:28:34.58 So I wondered about ministries as a kid 00:28:34.61\00:28:36.98 and then when I became a Bible believing Christian, 00:28:37.01\00:28:42.25 and I became a Seventh-day Adventist, 00:28:42.28\00:28:44.29 and what I do with the rest of my life, 00:28:44.32\00:28:45.72 I applied to law school. 00:28:45.75\00:28:47.09 They said, come on, come to law school, 00:28:47.12\00:28:48.46 I thought I could do that. 00:28:48.49\00:28:49.82 But God had other plans and while traveling, 00:28:52.86\00:28:56.90 I just kind of fell into ministry. 00:28:56.93\00:28:59.50 You know, I just fell into ministry. 00:28:59.53\00:29:01.77 I attended a training program. 00:29:01.80\00:29:04.27 They said, would you like to be an evangelist? 00:29:04.31\00:29:05.97 I said, oh, what? 00:29:06.01\00:29:07.34 This is a providential, 00:29:07.38\00:29:08.71 step by step directed by God and fall into ministry. 00:29:08.74\00:29:12.38 Oh, yeah. Be a what? 00:29:12.41\00:29:14.48 But I didn't wanna say yes, 00:29:14.52\00:29:18.05 because who do I think I am? 00:29:18.09\00:29:20.12 But I didn't wanna say no, because that would seem rude. 00:29:20.16\00:29:22.89 So I thought, well, if I can help, 00:29:22.92\00:29:27.13 and conducting evangelistic 00:29:27.16\00:29:28.66 series in a little town in Kentucky, 00:29:28.70\00:29:30.27 and was like, 00:29:30.30\00:29:31.73 that God really poured out His blessing, 00:29:31.77\00:29:33.67 and somebody evidently thought maybe this young man 00:29:33.70\00:29:36.07 has a future here. 00:29:36.10\00:29:37.61 I was married shortly after, and my wife 00:29:37.64\00:29:39.87 and I went on the road and full time, 00:29:39.91\00:29:42.01 evangelistic ministry and we segued from that 00:29:42.04\00:29:44.78 into pastoral ministry, we were so blessed, 00:29:44.81\00:29:47.45 wonderful churches. 00:29:47.48\00:29:49.15 Then I was happily minding my own business one day 00:29:49.18\00:29:51.72 in a wonderful church filled with fantastic people. 00:29:51.75\00:29:54.96 We loved it. 00:29:54.99\00:29:56.32 And I got a phone call. 00:29:56.36\00:29:57.69 Would you be interested in joining It Is Written? 00:29:57.73\00:30:02.30 Well, what do you think? 00:30:02.33\00:30:05.13 And both my boss, my conference president 00:30:05.17\00:30:08.47 and our head elder both said, we think you should do it. 00:30:08.50\00:30:11.84 Yeah. 00:30:11.87\00:30:13.21 I hadn't even been at the church very long. 00:30:13.24\00:30:14.98 It was such a good church. 00:30:15.01\00:30:16.38 And they said, "We hate to see you go, 00:30:16.41\00:30:18.78 but we think this is you." 00:30:18.81\00:30:20.82 And with the exception of one lady in the church, 00:30:20.85\00:30:24.39 basically everybody said, "You need to go do this." 00:30:24.42\00:30:27.86 Praise God. 00:30:27.89\00:30:29.22 And you know, God has blessed 00:30:29.26\00:30:30.59 in such an incredible way. 00:30:30.63\00:30:32.03 How long have you been president now? 00:30:32.06\00:30:33.90 For almost 11 years, you know? 00:30:33.93\00:30:35.36 Eleven years doesn't seem possible. 00:30:35.40\00:30:37.20 No, it doesn't, time's going by. 00:30:37.23\00:30:38.87 But what I appreciate about the gift that 00:30:38.90\00:30:40.87 God has given you is, 00:30:40.90\00:30:43.47 you have a special way of delivering. 00:30:43.51\00:30:45.64 If you've watched Pastor John 00:30:45.67\00:30:47.94 has a special way of delivering truths 00:30:47.98\00:30:51.41 that seem difficult that 00:30:51.45\00:30:53.01 some people make them difficult. 00:30:53.05\00:30:54.55 You make them simple, 00:30:54.58\00:30:56.32 and you do it in a humble attitude 00:30:56.35\00:30:59.92 and manner. 00:30:59.95\00:31:01.29 I think part of that is part of that's my radio background. 00:31:01.32\00:31:03.59 Okay. 00:31:03.63\00:31:04.96 When all you have is words, 00:31:04.99\00:31:06.53 and you need people to understand you, 00:31:06.56\00:31:09.20 you got to break concepts down to a place 00:31:09.23\00:31:11.63 where it's digestible, and people get it. 00:31:11.67\00:31:13.30 Yeah. 00:31:13.34\00:31:14.67 Part of it is my own background. 00:31:14.70\00:31:16.10 I don't need. 00:31:16.14\00:31:18.34 I need the truth, 00:31:18.37\00:31:19.71 and I need to be able to understand it. 00:31:19.74\00:31:21.08 Yes. 00:31:21.11\00:31:22.44 Another part of it too, perhaps, 00:31:22.48\00:31:23.81 is my cultural upbringing. 00:31:23.85\00:31:27.05 Look, I know sometimes 00:31:27.08\00:31:28.42 it makes you look good to use words 00:31:28.45\00:31:30.29 that are this long and theological concepts 00:31:30.32\00:31:33.22 that Jesus didn't say anything about feeding the giraffes. 00:31:33.25\00:31:37.89 He said, feed My sheep. 00:31:37.93\00:31:39.33 Amen. And so let's feed the sheep. 00:31:39.36\00:31:42.50 Another thing that I've learned, 00:31:42.53\00:31:45.07 and I'm not against theology or theologians, 00:31:45.10\00:31:47.00 you understand that? 00:31:47.04\00:31:49.50 And I say this carefully. 00:31:49.54\00:31:51.87 What I've learned that, the longer, Shelley, 00:31:51.91\00:31:53.68 the longer I'm in ministry, the longer I'm around, 00:31:53.71\00:31:56.58 the more I realize that people need less 00:31:56.61\00:32:00.12 of the chiastic structure of the Book of Revelation. 00:32:00.15\00:32:03.55 Exactly. 00:32:03.59\00:32:04.92 And more of the assurance of their salvation. 00:32:04.95\00:32:07.56 Yes. How can I have peace with God? 00:32:07.59\00:32:09.39 Yes. 00:32:09.42\00:32:10.76 Yesterday, I spoke with a dear lady 00:32:10.79\00:32:14.70 who's been in the church all her life. 00:32:14.73\00:32:17.30 She didn't have too many years left, 00:32:17.33\00:32:19.13 she really doesn't. 00:32:19.17\00:32:20.67 And she said, 00:32:20.70\00:32:22.77 I'm not sure I'm right with God. 00:32:22.80\00:32:24.47 Yes. 00:32:24.51\00:32:25.84 But, of course, she's right with God. 00:32:25.87\00:32:27.51 But she's in that place now that 00:32:27.54\00:32:28.88 she's wrestling because of this, 00:32:28.91\00:32:30.25 and that that's going on in the background in her life. 00:32:30.28\00:32:32.98 Now, I don't mean to oversimplify, 00:32:33.01\00:32:35.12 of course, there's a time for discussions 00:32:35.15\00:32:37.22 about A, B and C, 00:32:37.25\00:32:40.32 alpha, beta, 00:32:40.36\00:32:41.72 gamma and delta, you know, 00:32:41.76\00:32:43.43 sure there, that that's appropriate. 00:32:43.46\00:32:45.66 We are where we are today, because theologians, you know, 00:32:45.69\00:32:48.86 got their hard hats on, 00:32:48.90\00:32:50.30 and they and they picks their pick axes 00:32:50.33\00:32:52.90 and chiseled away at the in the quarry 00:32:52.93\00:32:56.10 of the Word of God, 00:32:56.14\00:32:57.47 and they found these wonderful gems for us. 00:32:57.51\00:32:59.21 Thank God for that. 00:32:59.24\00:33:00.74 But when I teach, 00:33:00.78\00:33:02.68 when I share when we produce TV programs, 00:33:02.71\00:33:05.01 we just want to get the message across. 00:33:05.05\00:33:06.38 Amen. 00:33:06.41\00:33:07.75 Want people to understand this, want something 00:33:07.78\00:33:09.12 that's going to be life changing. 00:33:09.15\00:33:10.49 What's the salvation issue? 00:33:10.52\00:33:11.85 Yeah, I once needed, my life changed. 00:33:11.89\00:33:14.26 And so I wanted to share the Word of God 00:33:14.29\00:33:16.16 in such a way that 00:33:16.19\00:33:17.53 if they get whatever they can reduce it 00:33:17.56\00:33:19.49 down to is going to have a life altering impact in the life. 00:33:19.53\00:33:22.66 You know, let me back up 00:33:22.70\00:33:24.50 because I want to say one thing about the chiastic structure. 00:33:24.53\00:33:29.44 That's the X shape of it, 00:33:29.47\00:33:32.21 how you get into words like recapitulation. 00:33:32.24\00:33:35.84 And we talk about the hermeneutical principles 00:33:35.88\00:33:39.01 by which, that just means 00:33:39.05\00:33:40.68 the method of interpretation. 00:33:40.72\00:33:42.72 What I will say, as God, 00:33:42.75\00:33:46.86 when God told me to forget 00:33:46.89\00:33:48.32 what I thought I knew and come, 00:33:48.36\00:33:50.29 sit at His feet, He would teach me. 00:33:50.33\00:33:52.89 He taught me the truth about the Ten Commandments, 00:33:52.93\00:33:56.33 the truth about the Sabbath. 00:33:56.36\00:33:58.63 I was so excited the first Sabbath I celebrated. 00:33:58.67\00:34:01.50 This was two years 00:34:01.54\00:34:02.87 before I knew anything about Adventism. 00:34:02.90\00:34:05.97 He taught me the truth of the state of the dead, 00:34:06.01\00:34:08.14 the truth about hell, 00:34:08.18\00:34:09.51 as I'm studying in the Greek, in the Hebrew, 00:34:09.54\00:34:12.01 and I realized, oh, you know, 00:34:12.05\00:34:14.78 hell is a place where people burn up. 00:34:14.82\00:34:17.29 I mean, we're gonna walk on their ashes. 00:34:17.32\00:34:20.06 But there was one thing I was begging for. 00:34:20.09\00:34:23.69 And what I didn't understand was prophecy, Revelation. 00:34:23.73\00:34:29.66 I was taught not to read Revelation. 00:34:29.70\00:34:33.50 And yet I peek and it'd say, 00:34:33.54\00:34:35.44 blessed is the one who hears these words. 00:34:35.47\00:34:37.11 That's right. 00:34:37.14\00:34:38.47 Blessed, you know, 00:34:38.51\00:34:39.84 and I'd think I'm missing a blessing. 00:34:39.87\00:34:41.21 And I'd get started in it. 00:34:41.24\00:34:43.24 Oh, John, I was so lost. 00:34:43.28\00:34:45.41 I could not understand the symbols. 00:34:45.45\00:34:47.25 I bought every, every book 00:34:47.28\00:34:52.22 that there was out there on prophecy, and they were all. 00:34:52.25\00:34:56.36 There's three ways of interpreting prophecy, 00:34:56.39\00:35:02.40 what Adventist our method is historicist. 00:35:02.43\00:35:06.67 And that means we believe that 00:35:06.70\00:35:09.00 prophecy is history written in advance. 00:35:09.04\00:35:12.07 And that basically, when history happens, 00:35:12.11\00:35:15.08 it's going to reveal the prophecy, 00:35:15.11\00:35:17.15 I mean, it's going to show us 00:35:17.18\00:35:18.51 for certain this is what it is. 00:35:18.55\00:35:20.28 We believe that there's an unfolding to it. 00:35:20.32\00:35:24.55 But that was popular during the Reformation. 00:35:24.59\00:35:28.12 It was, yes, it was. 00:35:28.16\00:35:29.49 Then suddenly the Counter Reformation 00:35:29.52\00:35:31.59 came from two Jesuit priests, 00:35:31.63\00:35:34.16 one came up 00:35:34.20\00:35:35.53 with the preterist view of Revelation 00:35:35.56\00:35:37.57 that this is all happened in the past, 00:35:37.60\00:35:39.53 don't need to worry about it. 00:35:39.57\00:35:40.90 One was a futurist view 00:35:40.94\00:35:42.60 where they lopped off a week from the Daniel time prophecy. 00:35:42.64\00:35:46.88 And they put a lot of things in the future. 00:35:46.91\00:35:49.31 All of that to say this, I was so confused. 00:35:49.34\00:35:52.98 Oh, you would be, that's what you can. 00:35:53.01\00:35:54.35 I was so confused. 00:35:54.38\00:35:55.72 And I thought, Lord, who do I believe? 00:35:55.75\00:35:57.89 And at that time, here, 00:35:57.92\00:36:00.66 I'm out teaching salvation by grace, 00:36:00.69\00:36:03.49 obedience by grace through faith 00:36:03.53\00:36:05.83 is God works in us to will and to do is good pleasure. 00:36:05.86\00:36:09.33 But I turned on 3ABN caught my attention, 00:36:09.36\00:36:12.70 and I found out by watching 3ABN, 00:36:12.73\00:36:16.37 that out of the 404 verses in Revelation, 00:36:16.40\00:36:19.77 what 278 plus are straight 00:36:19.81\00:36:23.35 from the Old Testament 00:36:23.38\00:36:24.71 and it's the Old Testament, 00:36:24.75\00:36:26.51 that's the key to all the symbols, 00:36:26.55\00:36:28.48 Daniel unlocks Revelation, 00:36:28.52\00:36:30.92 and I know how important you believe 00:36:30.95\00:36:32.89 the Three Angels' Messages are. 00:36:32.92\00:36:34.82 Tell us just what are the Three Angels' Message? 00:36:34.86\00:36:37.76 Why do we need to know them today? 00:36:37.79\00:36:39.83 Listen, the Three Angels' Messages 00:36:39.86\00:36:41.56 are really, really justification by faith, 00:36:41.60\00:36:44.53 but we'll back up from there. 00:36:44.57\00:36:46.74 When you get into the heart of the Book of Revelation, 00:36:46.77\00:36:49.80 Revelation Chapter 14, 00:36:49.84\00:36:52.17 "I heard I saw another angel fly 00:36:52.21\00:36:54.24 in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel." 00:36:54.28\00:36:56.38 So one thing we don't want to forget is that 00:36:56.41\00:36:58.81 the Three Angels' Messages are the gospel. 00:36:58.85\00:37:00.98 Amen. See, it's not a kind of gospel. 00:37:01.02\00:37:04.19 It's not an end time gospel. 00:37:04.22\00:37:05.62 It's not a special gospel. 00:37:05.65\00:37:08.02 It's the gospel, the everlasting gospel. 00:37:08.06\00:37:10.39 So we need to keep that front and center, 00:37:10.43\00:37:11.99 that's very important. 00:37:12.03\00:37:13.36 And then to flesh that out. 00:37:13.40\00:37:16.20 John gets into some specifics with us, 00:37:16.23\00:37:18.50 at least the angel gets into some specifics, 00:37:18.53\00:37:20.64 John wrote them down, "Fear God, 00:37:20.67\00:37:22.87 give glory to Him, 00:37:22.90\00:37:24.24 the hour of His judgment has come." 00:37:24.27\00:37:25.61 So the gospel in the context of earth's last days, 00:37:25.64\00:37:28.94 the judgment hour in which we're living now, 00:37:28.98\00:37:31.71 worship Him who made heaven and earth, 00:37:31.75\00:37:33.68 that was what you learned, 00:37:33.72\00:37:35.05 keep the commandments of God. 00:37:35.08\00:37:36.55 We are preparing now to stand in the presence 00:37:36.58\00:37:39.52 of a holy God without a mediator. 00:37:39.55\00:37:41.86 Don't talk about that too much. 00:37:41.89\00:37:43.22 We're getting already. 00:37:43.26\00:37:44.59 Yeah, but that's after the latter rain, 00:37:44.63\00:37:46.09 so in the sealing. 00:37:46.13\00:37:47.46 That's right. 00:37:47.50\00:37:48.96 We're getting ready now to live through 00:37:49.00\00:37:50.67 the very last days of this earth's history 00:37:50.70\00:37:52.97 and to be a demonstration of the power of God 00:37:53.00\00:37:54.87 in the lives of individuals. 00:37:54.90\00:37:56.60 First angel's message so is part of that, 00:37:56.64\00:37:58.67 remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 00:37:58.71\00:38:00.74 That's to worship Him who made heaven and earth, 00:38:00.78\00:38:03.51 and the seas and the fountains of waters. 00:38:03.55\00:38:05.35 See one of those quotes from the Old Testament 00:38:05.38\00:38:07.55 that you mentioned a moment ago. 00:38:07.58\00:38:08.92 Yes. 00:38:08.95\00:38:10.29 Second angel's message, Babylon has fallen, 00:38:10.32\00:38:12.72 get out of religious confusion, 00:38:12.75\00:38:14.76 get out of theological falsehood, 00:38:14.79\00:38:18.16 false teaching. 00:38:18.19\00:38:20.00 Third angel's message, 00:38:20.03\00:38:21.36 don't worship the beast 00:38:21.40\00:38:22.83 or receive the mark of the beast if you do it. 00:38:22.86\00:38:25.87 You've crossed the point of no return 00:38:25.90\00:38:28.50 and we understand what that mark of the beast is. 00:38:28.54\00:38:31.17 And in that what God is calling us to, 00:38:31.21\00:38:32.54 God doesn't call us... 00:38:32.57\00:38:33.91 Yeah. 00:38:33.94\00:38:35.28 Let's some people think 00:38:35.31\00:38:36.64 the mark of the beast is the vaccination. 00:38:36.68\00:38:39.18 So explain, the mark of the beast 00:38:39.21\00:38:41.08 is all about worship and choosing to follow God 00:38:41.12\00:38:44.39 or choosing to follow Satan. 00:38:44.42\00:38:46.59 It bears repeating, I'll say this and then leap on. 00:38:46.62\00:38:50.66 No one should be talking about a vaccine 00:38:50.69\00:38:52.76 and the mark of the beast. 00:38:52.79\00:38:54.73 It's, I know people do. 00:38:54.76\00:38:57.07 I was talking this morning, 00:38:57.10\00:38:58.60 a lady spoke to my colleague and said, 00:38:58.63\00:39:01.24 my friends are telling me I've got the mark of the beast. 00:39:01.27\00:39:03.77 This is madness. 00:39:03.81\00:39:07.08 So we'll go on from there. 00:39:07.11\00:39:09.44 The mark of the beast, you know, 00:39:09.48\00:39:12.01 several hundred years ago, 00:39:12.05\00:39:13.92 brilliant people who studied the Bible 00:39:13.95\00:39:15.68 came to the conclusion that that beast, 00:39:15.72\00:39:18.22 beast is simply a kingdom or a nation. 00:39:18.25\00:39:19.59 Yes. 00:39:19.62\00:39:20.96 So it's the mark of the kingdom. 00:39:20.99\00:39:22.32 Yes. 00:39:22.36\00:39:23.69 What's the kingdom with the mark? 00:39:23.73\00:39:26.43 Well, if you were to ask Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli. 00:39:26.46\00:39:30.57 John Huss, if you're to ask John Wycliffe, the Bible, 00:39:30.60\00:39:34.44 translator, even John Wesley, John Knox, 00:39:34.47\00:39:38.31 John is a good name for a reformer. 00:39:38.34\00:39:40.38 They were all part of the Protestant Reformation, 00:39:40.41\00:39:43.75 bringing the church back to the true Word of God. 00:39:43.78\00:39:47.18 They would all tell you that 00:39:47.22\00:39:49.42 that nation being spoken of was the papacy 00:39:49.45\00:39:51.75 of the Roman Catholic Church. 00:39:51.79\00:39:53.12 Yes. 00:39:53.15\00:39:54.49 Now today, if what you know of Catholicism 00:39:54.52\00:39:56.26 is Catholic Social Services and that kind priests 00:39:56.29\00:39:58.83 that you see at the post office from time to time 00:39:58.86\00:40:00.86 and a wonderful school and a hospital. 00:40:00.90\00:40:03.26 You might look at that and say, 00:40:03.30\00:40:04.63 Oh, that doesn't sound very fair. 00:40:04.67\00:40:06.90 But look beyond, look beyond that. 00:40:06.94\00:40:09.10 Really look to the heart of this thing and say, 00:40:09.14\00:40:11.07 what is it we're dealing with here? 00:40:11.11\00:40:12.97 You're dealing with a system 00:40:13.01\00:40:15.08 that has substituted truth for error, 00:40:15.11\00:40:19.28 or error for truth. 00:40:19.31\00:40:20.65 They've switched to a system 00:40:20.68\00:40:22.65 that has changed the commandments of God 00:40:22.68\00:40:24.65 and doesn't blush when you ask him about it. 00:40:24.69\00:40:26.86 A system that will tell you to pray to the dead, 00:40:26.89\00:40:29.02 rather than go to Jesus. 00:40:29.06\00:40:30.39 A system that says salvation 00:40:30.43\00:40:31.76 is found in the Roman Catholic Church. 00:40:31.79\00:40:35.23 I mean, really very, very powerful system. 00:40:35.26\00:40:39.33 I don't need to be mean or unkind. 00:40:39.37\00:40:41.80 But as you look into the Bible, this nation, this kingdom 00:40:41.84\00:40:45.84 can only be the papacy of the Roman Catholic Church. 00:40:45.87\00:40:48.88 They have a mark, a mark of their authority, 00:40:48.91\00:40:51.31 and you and I could take half an hour 00:40:51.35\00:40:53.92 or an hour or two hours to talk about 00:40:53.95\00:40:56.25 how we arrive at that. 00:40:56.28\00:40:57.62 But the shorthand is the mark, 00:40:57.65\00:41:00.19 the sign of the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. 00:41:00.22\00:41:03.69 Which they say themselves. 00:41:03.73\00:41:05.39 They claim, they changed 00:41:05.43\00:41:08.26 the commandments of God, therefore, 00:41:08.30\00:41:11.43 that's the sign that 00:41:11.47\00:41:12.80 we have authority in Christianity, 00:41:12.83\00:41:16.20 and in the world, and Christians agree with them 00:41:16.24\00:41:19.37 by accepting their mark and following along with that. 00:41:19.41\00:41:23.04 Why else would you be following a man made 00:41:23.08\00:41:26.98 version of the Ten Commandments? 00:41:27.02\00:41:29.75 Yes. 00:41:29.78\00:41:31.12 And if we believe that 00:41:31.15\00:41:32.49 love is the fulfilling of the law, 00:41:32.52\00:41:33.86 we wanna be sure that we get this right, 00:41:33.89\00:41:35.46 because we want to love God 00:41:35.49\00:41:37.23 and demonstrate that love in our lives. 00:41:37.26\00:41:39.76 It's important. 00:41:39.79\00:41:41.90 So those Three Angels' Messages help us to see 00:41:41.93\00:41:44.10 the last day issue and drive us to Jesus. 00:41:44.13\00:41:48.00 We don't learn this, 00:41:48.04\00:41:49.60 so that we can take rocks and throw them at people 00:41:49.64\00:41:50.97 who don't believe like us. 00:41:51.01\00:41:52.34 No. 00:41:52.37\00:41:53.71 We don't learn this so that 00:41:53.74\00:41:55.08 we can be rebels in a time of crisis. 00:41:55.11\00:41:56.75 We learn this, so that 00:41:56.78\00:41:58.48 bearing the truth in our hearts, 00:41:58.51\00:42:01.22 we can live for Christ, run to Christ, 00:42:01.25\00:42:04.65 and then share Jesus with others, 00:42:04.69\00:42:06.65 pointing them to the light and away from the dark. 00:42:06.69\00:42:09.96 I have to say, you brought a tool with you today. 00:42:09.99\00:42:14.76 And this is a book by Austin Cooke, 00:42:14.80\00:42:18.63 a fellow Kiwi from down under 00:42:18.67\00:42:20.70 and you knew him personally. 00:42:20.74\00:42:22.07 Yes, I do. 00:42:22.10\00:42:23.44 And he has written a book 00:42:23.47\00:42:24.94 Enduring Vision: Revelation Revealed 00:42:24.97\00:42:27.88 or this is a compilation of his work. 00:42:27.91\00:42:29.94 Kind of it. Yeah. 00:42:29.98\00:42:31.38 When I wore a younger man's clothes, 00:42:31.41\00:42:33.35 and I lived this far 00:42:33.38\00:42:37.99 from Elder Cooke, Pastor Cooke. 00:42:38.02\00:42:40.36 A number of us young people 00:42:40.39\00:42:41.99 would go to his home on a Sunday evening, 00:42:42.02\00:42:44.03 he'd hold court, my words, not his. 00:42:44.06\00:42:46.73 He'd sit in his chair, 00:42:46.76\00:42:48.10 and we would sit in the semi circle around him. 00:42:48.13\00:42:50.07 And we'd study the Book of Revelation. 00:42:50.10\00:42:52.63 And he'd have these, 00:42:52.67\00:42:54.04 they weren't pamphlets exactly booklets, 00:42:54.07\00:42:56.50 multicolored, a green one and a blue one 00:42:56.54\00:42:59.01 and a red one and a white one. 00:42:59.04\00:43:01.94 And those notes formed the basis 00:43:01.98\00:43:05.51 of this book an Enduring Vision. 00:43:05.55\00:43:08.38 We set with rapt attention, as he taught us 00:43:08.42\00:43:12.75 about this Christ of the Revelation, 00:43:12.79\00:43:15.36 and had us dig into the Book of Revelation 00:43:15.39\00:43:17.86 and made the book come alive. 00:43:17.89\00:43:20.13 And so I was really happy to see. 00:43:20.16\00:43:23.03 Pastor Cooke has passed away since, 00:43:23.06\00:43:25.23 but so happy to see this 00:43:25.27\00:43:26.60 book exists now, really those notes. 00:43:26.63\00:43:29.70 Pastor Cooke was a division evangelist. 00:43:29.74\00:43:32.81 He was a warhorse. 00:43:32.84\00:43:34.64 He would travel and preach, 00:43:34.68\00:43:36.41 and travel and preach and raise up churches, 00:43:36.44\00:43:38.88 and baptize people 00:43:38.91\00:43:40.28 and boldly proclaim the Word of God. 00:43:40.32\00:43:42.55 He was, you know, 00:43:42.58\00:43:43.92 from that earlier generation that 00:43:43.95\00:43:45.29 they were fearless and visionary. 00:43:45.32\00:43:49.42 So I love the book. 00:43:49.46\00:43:51.03 You know, what I don't want anyone to think is that 00:43:51.06\00:43:53.53 any book about Revelation. 00:43:53.56\00:43:56.33 We're gonna, this is called a verse by verse exposition. 00:43:56.36\00:44:01.84 You could call it a commentary. 00:44:01.87\00:44:03.51 It's a commentary. 00:44:03.54\00:44:04.87 I don't think anybody should say 00:44:04.91\00:44:06.24 that any commentary written by an uninspired human being 00:44:06.27\00:44:09.54 is perfect in every way. 00:44:09.58\00:44:13.05 But this one is pretty good. 00:44:13.08\00:44:14.62 It's really very good. 00:44:14.65\00:44:17.22 What oozes out of this book is Pastor Cooke's passion 00:44:17.25\00:44:21.86 for God and his passion for the Bible. 00:44:21.89\00:44:25.86 For Him, the Bible is not a dead letter. 00:44:25.89\00:44:29.00 Amen. 00:44:29.03\00:44:30.37 Is not something that's up for grabs. 00:44:30.40\00:44:32.53 You don't vote about it. 00:44:32.57\00:44:34.77 It's not subject to skepticism and doubt. 00:44:34.80\00:44:38.34 You don't start from a position of doubt with the Bible, 00:44:38.37\00:44:40.14 but from a position of certainty. 00:44:40.18\00:44:42.78 It represents God's best intentions towards you. 00:44:42.81\00:44:46.92 And so when he wrote this book, 00:44:46.95\00:44:48.85 you don't read it and say, 00:44:48.88\00:44:50.55 he doesn't seem convinced, 00:44:50.59\00:44:51.92 you don't read it and come away 00:44:51.95\00:44:53.29 saying, No, I'm not certain, 00:44:53.32\00:44:55.82 you read it and say God is great. 00:44:55.86\00:44:57.79 Jesus is my Savior, the Bible is everything, 00:44:57.83\00:45:00.43 the Word of God is sure. 00:45:00.46\00:45:02.10 It's inspired and inspiring work. 00:45:02.13\00:45:04.33 You know, unfortunately, 00:45:04.37\00:45:05.70 I have to tell you something funny. 00:45:05.73\00:45:07.27 In all transparency, 00:45:07.30\00:45:08.64 someone else was going to do today's interview 00:45:08.67\00:45:11.94 and so they had to go out of town and they said, 00:45:11.97\00:45:14.91 Shelley would you like to. 00:45:14.94\00:45:16.28 I said, oh, what a privilege this would be. 00:45:16.31\00:45:18.28 So this will give you the book. 00:45:18.31\00:45:20.22 And I got this book yesterday, 00:45:20.25\00:45:21.75 and I thought I was gonna read it before you got here? 00:45:21.78\00:45:25.25 Well, it's only 730 some odd pages. 00:45:25.29\00:45:27.92 Oh. 00:45:27.96\00:45:29.29 So I opened the book, 00:45:29.32\00:45:31.13 Ryan Day who is going to do the interview 00:45:31.16\00:45:33.40 said this is one of his favorite commentaries 00:45:33.43\00:45:36.03 and please understand what you're saying 00:45:36.06\00:45:38.67 there is like when we get to the sixth, 00:45:38.70\00:45:42.20 or the fifth trumpet, 00:45:42.24\00:45:43.94 there are this is by the historicist method, 00:45:43.97\00:45:47.94 it is one of the accepted 00:45:47.98\00:45:50.78 interpretations on the trumpets, 00:45:50.81\00:45:52.91 but there's different 00:45:52.95\00:45:54.28 interpretations on that area. 00:45:54.32\00:45:56.28 The main thing I like about this is, 00:45:56.32\00:45:59.49 you feel the love of God. 00:45:59.52\00:46:02.42 When I just opened it up, 00:46:02.46\00:46:03.83 it was page 227, 226, 00:46:03.86\00:46:09.73 it was talking about the sealing message, 00:46:09.76\00:46:12.57 the seal of the Holy Spirit, 00:46:12.60\00:46:15.07 the seal of the law, 00:46:15.10\00:46:16.67 which we find the seal in the Sabbath, 00:46:16.71\00:46:19.34 and the seal of redemption. 00:46:19.37\00:46:23.04 And he goes through 00:46:23.08\00:46:24.41 and he makes you stop and think and pull, 00:46:24.45\00:46:27.72 he pulls all these Bible verses together. 00:46:27.75\00:46:30.05 So it really was quite beautiful. 00:46:30.09\00:46:32.85 It really points you to salvation in Christ, 00:46:32.89\00:46:35.62 as revealed in the Book of Revelation. 00:46:35.66\00:46:37.43 Righteousness by faith. 00:46:37.46\00:46:38.79 That's right, not a collection of facts. 00:46:38.83\00:46:40.60 It's not a collection of dry historical data. 00:46:40.63\00:46:43.10 This is the book. 00:46:43.13\00:46:44.53 The Book of Revelation begins by telling us 00:46:44.57\00:46:47.77 it's the revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:46:47.80\00:46:49.90 And Pastor Cooke's book really reinforces that idea. 00:46:49.94\00:46:53.44 It's deep. 00:46:53.48\00:46:54.81 It's theologically deep, it's historically rich. 00:46:54.84\00:47:00.42 So you know, you read this, 00:47:00.45\00:47:01.92 and it makes the book, 00:47:01.95\00:47:03.28 one of the things I like about 00:47:03.32\00:47:04.65 is it makes the Book of Revelation very accessible. 00:47:04.69\00:47:06.99 It demystifies the book. 00:47:07.02\00:47:08.89 And I... 00:47:08.92\00:47:10.56 The few portions that I've read, 00:47:10.59\00:47:12.96 his writing style is engaging. 00:47:12.99\00:47:15.73 I don't feel like I have a theologian preaching me. 00:47:15.76\00:47:18.40 That's right. That's right. 00:47:18.43\00:47:19.77 It's something that I look forward to reading. 00:47:19.80\00:47:21.80 Yeah. 00:47:21.84\00:47:23.17 This is written by man whose life 00:47:23.20\00:47:25.44 was given to communicating the principles of the Bible. 00:47:25.47\00:47:29.08 His life was given to communicating Christ. 00:47:29.11\00:47:32.21 You know, as an evangelist, 00:47:32.25\00:47:33.82 if the audience doesn't get it, 00:47:33.85\00:47:36.28 if it doesn't sink in, 00:47:36.32\00:47:37.89 if it's not making sense, 00:47:37.92\00:47:39.45 if it's not resonating, 00:47:39.49\00:47:40.89 it will be a bit of a waste of time, 00:47:40.92\00:47:42.39 and he wrote like that understanding. 00:47:42.42\00:47:43.96 I got a message 00:47:43.99\00:47:45.33 that I want my readers to understand. 00:47:45.36\00:47:46.90 So it's accessible like that. 00:47:46.93\00:47:48.43 It's an exciting book to read. It is. 00:47:48.46\00:47:50.27 Yeah. So how do people get this book? 00:47:50.30\00:47:52.87 Well, numerous ways. 00:47:52.90\00:47:54.30 I think maybe the easiest way would be to contact us 00:47:54.34\00:47:56.97 at It Is Written because we sell it, 00:47:57.01\00:47:59.27 I know it's sold in other places, 00:47:59.31\00:48:00.68 but I honestly don't know, all of them, 00:48:00.71\00:48:02.81 or maybe even some of them. 00:48:02.84\00:48:04.65 But if somebody is looking for that web address, 00:48:04.68\00:48:07.65 ItIsWritten.shop 00:48:07.68\00:48:09.02 That'd be easy, ItIsWritten.shop 00:48:09.05\00:48:11.22 You spell that out instead of IIW, 00:48:11.25\00:48:13.76 do you spell it out, ItIsWritten.shop Yep. 00:48:13.79\00:48:17.29 Or just visit our website, ItIsWritten.com 00:48:17.33\00:48:20.10 Call us on the phone, email us however you want to, 00:48:20.13\00:48:22.50 however you want. 00:48:22.53\00:48:23.87 It's certainly worth reading worth looking at. 00:48:23.90\00:48:25.63 Now, you mentioned the trumpets. 00:48:25.67\00:48:27.00 Yeah, it's true. 00:48:27.04\00:48:28.37 You've got to keep in mind when Pastor Cooke was younger, 00:48:28.40\00:48:31.97 you know, there was a view 00:48:32.01\00:48:33.51 of the trumpets floating around that probably 00:48:33.54\00:48:36.71 isn't generally accepted today. 00:48:36.75\00:48:39.35 If you know that, you'll read that and say, 00:48:39.38\00:48:41.85 okay, that was the view then. 00:48:41.88\00:48:43.45 But I really want to stay with where we are today. 00:48:43.49\00:48:46.35 Elsewhere in the book, though, you're going to be just fine. 00:48:46.39\00:48:48.62 And I think it's okay, we don't read a commentary 00:48:48.66\00:48:51.69 because we believe that 00:48:51.73\00:48:53.06 every last thing in there was voiced by God. 00:48:53.09\00:48:57.93 We want the writer to do his or her very best. 00:48:57.97\00:49:02.17 And thankfully, where you might say, 00:49:02.20\00:49:05.64 you know, I think we've moved on from that. 00:49:05.67\00:49:07.98 It's not an area where you say, 00:49:08.01\00:49:10.45 oh, my salvation is at jeopardy, 00:49:10.48\00:49:12.18 or we're denying a fundamental belief 00:49:12.21\00:49:13.82 of the church, 00:49:13.85\00:49:15.18 or we are getting away from one of the essentials. 00:49:15.22\00:49:17.82 This is interpreting 00:49:17.85\00:49:19.95 some of the less clear aspects 00:49:19.99\00:49:24.29 of the trumpets, 00:49:24.33\00:49:25.66 and I'm able to look at that 00:49:25.69\00:49:27.33 with a little grace insert. 00:49:27.36\00:49:28.76 I know where he's coming from. 00:49:28.80\00:49:30.13 Yes. And it was the popular view. 00:49:30.17\00:49:32.33 What I do like, is you feel 00:49:32.37\00:49:35.70 the evangelist's heart in his writing 00:49:35.74\00:49:38.51 because it is going to give you 00:49:38.54\00:49:41.74 a lot of fullness to the message 00:49:41.78\00:49:45.65 because he is so solid on the word. 00:49:45.68\00:49:48.95 And he's bringing it together. 00:49:48.98\00:49:51.32 It's kind of like he's weaving together a fabric of love 00:49:51.35\00:49:55.32 with all of these various scriptures 00:49:55.36\00:49:57.33 in the areas, which I've read, 00:49:57.36\00:49:59.43 it's really been interesting. 00:49:59.46\00:50:01.40 This seal is also a guarantee of inheritance. 00:50:01.43\00:50:04.27 The seal of the spirit is sure 00:50:04.30\00:50:05.63 as I say one day we will inherit the kingdom. 00:50:05.67\00:50:07.54 I mean, this is an evangelist's heart, 00:50:07.57\00:50:09.40 a pastor's heart. 00:50:09.44\00:50:10.77 And he's saying, you know, 00:50:10.81\00:50:12.14 you can be as excited about this messages 00:50:12.17\00:50:16.21 I am because it's gonna change your life. 00:50:16.24\00:50:19.11 It's gonna... 00:50:19.15\00:50:20.48 Christ is gonna be revealed in your heart. 00:50:20.52\00:50:23.32 He gets into, of course, Revelation Chapter 13, 00:50:23.35\00:50:26.65 you're gonna be dealing 00:50:26.69\00:50:28.02 with the subject of the Antichrist. 00:50:28.06\00:50:30.19 Yes. 00:50:30.23\00:50:31.56 It's very clear, historically, 00:50:31.59\00:50:33.66 well supported, well fleshed out. 00:50:33.70\00:50:36.83 Revelation 12. 00:50:36.87\00:50:38.20 Immediately before that, we talk about the remnant. 00:50:38.23\00:50:40.77 There's no prevaricating, 00:50:40.80\00:50:42.77 no obfuscating, boom, 00:50:42.80\00:50:45.64 he hits it head on and unapologetically, 00:50:45.67\00:50:48.81 this is what we believe, this is what the Bible teaches. 00:50:48.84\00:50:51.65 I love that. Amen and amen. 00:50:51.68\00:50:53.21 It's him all the way. 00:50:53.25\00:50:54.78 And we just have to say we love you, Brother John. 00:50:54.82\00:50:57.32 We are just so glad that you came in. 00:50:57.35\00:51:00.26 And this has been a little bit unusual. 00:51:00.29\00:51:01.89 Just sit and chat. 00:51:01.92\00:51:03.93 We had no idea where we were going to go. 00:51:03.96\00:51:06.39 But I will say, we're gonna come back 00:51:06.43\00:51:09.43 for a closing comment, 00:51:09.46\00:51:10.80 but I want to say this before I forget it. 00:51:10.83\00:51:12.87 You know, sometimes people grow up and they said, 00:51:12.90\00:51:16.30 well, I wasn't taught that when I was a kid. 00:51:16.34\00:51:18.64 Get into the Word of God. Let God teach you. 00:51:18.67\00:51:21.74 God wants you to know the truth. 00:51:21.78\00:51:23.85 He's trying to reveal Himself to you. 00:51:23.88\00:51:26.51 You're a seeker. 00:51:26.55\00:51:27.98 I was a seeker. 00:51:28.02\00:51:29.55 And, boy, I'll tell you when you seek Him 00:51:29.58\00:51:31.49 with all your heart, 00:51:31.52\00:51:32.85 He guarantees He's gonna be found by you. 00:51:32.89\00:51:34.99 Well, don't go away. 00:51:35.02\00:51:36.36 We're going to news break 00:51:36.39\00:51:37.73 and we'll be right back for closing thought 00:51:37.76\00:51:39.96 with John Bradshaw. 00:51:40.00\00:51:43.26 If you would like to contact 00:51:43.30\00:51:44.67 or know more about It Is Written, 00:51:44.70\00:51:47.00 you can do so in the following ways. 00:51:47.04\00:51:49.14 You can write to them at PO Box 6, Chattanooga, 00:51:49.17\00:51:52.87 Tennessee 37401. 00:51:52.91\00:51:56.04 You can call them at (423) 362-5800 00:51:56.08\00:52:01.38 That's (423) 362-5800. 00:52:01.42\00:52:06.42 You can also visit their website, 00:52:06.45\00:52:08.09 ItIsWritten.com 00:52:08.12\00:52:10.16 That is, ItIsWritten.com 00:52:10.19\00:52:13.63 or send them an email at Info@iiw.org 00:52:13.66\00:52:18.83 That's info@iiw.org 00:52:18.87\00:52:22.57