Participants:
Series Code: CR
Program Code: CR002026S
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00:02 I'm John Carter in Moscow.
00:04 In Havana, Cuba. 00:07 Now in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. 00:10 I'm John Carter in Petra. 00:13 Right here in Communist China. 00:16 Reporting from India. 00:18 Hi, I'm John Carter in the Solomon Islands. 00:21 I'm John Carter in Soweto. 00:24 From El Salvador. 00:26 I'm John Carter in Sydney, Australia. 00:30 Now, here's John Carter with today's message. 00:36 Hi, friend, I'm John Carter in Los Angeles. 00:39 Welcome today to the Carter Report, 00:41 a special welcome to our friends 00:43 in the great land of India, 00:45 of course, right across this great country 00:49 of the United States of America, 00:51 down under into my old homeland of Australia. 00:55 All of my friends, we salute you today 00:57 and pray that God is going to bless you over 01:00 and beyond all you can ask or think, 01:03 during this time of COVID-19. 01:06 Because right now, 01:08 here in the United States of America, 01:10 we are in the midst of a dreadful pandemic, 01:15 with well over 01:17 150,000 Americans dead. 01:23 And apparently, there is no end in sight. 01:27 It's getting worse. 01:29 Now, we've been locked up here. 01:33 Beverley and I have been locked up 01:34 for the best part of five months. 01:37 And today I want to give you, this is a continuation, 01:40 this is part two, but I'm going to give you 01:42 some of my cogitations and meditations 01:47 while I've been suffering 01:49 from a special brand of cabin fever. 01:54 Glad that you joined us 01:55 because this is going to bless you. 01:58 You know, friend, 02:00 you just never know what's going to happen next. 02:04 Life is very, very uncertain. 02:07 This time last year, who would have expected 02:11 in his wildest imagination 02:15 that a virus out of Communist China 02:18 would have devastated the world 02:21 and almost brought down the world's greatest power, 02:25 the United States of America. 02:30 You never know what's going to happen. 02:32 But for those who've just tuned in, 02:34 I want you to notice some of these statistics, 02:37 because it gives us the reality of the situation. 02:42 And today, we're not talking 02:44 about my opinion by the grace of God, 02:48 we're talking about the facts. 02:51 So far around the world, 02:54 more than 16 million people 02:57 have been infected by the virus 03:01 from Communist China. 03:04 It's estimated that around 03:06 659,000 people have died. 03:12 In fact, these figures could be multiplied 03:16 because these are underestimates. 03:19 Here in the United States of America, 03:22 as I'm talking, well over 150,000. 03:27 Then you can look on down 03:29 the list, Brazil 87,000, India, 03:33 where we have our friends who are watching 03:36 our telecast in the great land of India, 34,000, 03:41 I believe it's much more than that. 03:44 The case fatality rate in the United States 3.4%, 03:49 but you come down to Mexico, 03:50 where apparently it is 11.2% 03:53 and then you come down to here down to the UK, 03:57 I think it is 15.2%. 04:01 This is why the great Dr. Fauci 04:04 has called it his worst nightmare. 04:07 And it really is. 04:10 We have a huge unemployment rate 04:13 here in the United States of America. 04:16 The infection rate, 04:17 this is the daily infection rate. 04:19 It's gone up to over 70,000. 04:21 Thank God, it has dropped back in the last few days. 04:25 But this is the infection rate, 60,000 people a day. 04:31 We've had the closing of schools, 04:34 the closing of churches, 04:36 a huge unemployment rate, 04:39 the closing of gyms, malls and shops etc, etc. 04:45 And may I remind you of this. 04:48 It took our government by surprise. 04:52 It took our church by surprise. 04:56 It took the medical profession by surprise. 05:00 It took the universities by surprise. 05:04 It took everyone by surprise. 05:07 But I want you to know this today, 05:08 it never took God by surprise. 05:13 Because God had already provided for it. 05:16 God is never caught sleeping as we were. 05:21 I'm going to turn in my Bible because I just love the Bible. 05:25 It has the power of God in it. 05:29 And I'm going to turn over here to what could be 05:32 the greatest book ever written. 05:34 Romans, the Book of Romans, 05:36 and I'm going to turn to Romans 8:28. 05:42 And I want you to follow it with me. 05:45 Romans 8:28, "And we know," it's good to know something. 05:50 "And we know that all things work together for good 05:54 to those who love God, 05:56 to those who are the called according to His purpose." 06:01 The Bible tells me that God has a mighty purpose. 06:06 And God, my friend, knows everything 06:09 that is going to happen to this world. 06:11 He's written it down in the prophecies, 06:14 and God knows everything that's going to happen to you. 06:18 Have you heard about Richard Dawkins? 06:21 Have you now? 06:23 Well, he's the famous atheist and evolutionist 06:26 who wrote the book entitled, "The Blind Watchmaker." 06:32 He and his followers believe in blind chance. 06:36 They believe that life is the result 06:38 of billions of accidents that we're here today 06:42 because of a combination 06:43 of time plus matter plus chance. 06:48 They ought to call this man not Dr. Dawkins 06:51 but the Reverend Richard Dawkins 06:55 because he's the leader of a great cult of unbelievers. 07:00 They call themselves unbelievers, 07:02 but in fact they are filled with belief. 07:05 They have got, Richard Dawkins 07:07 has got more faith than almost any person 07:09 I know to believe that 07:11 everything happened by blind chance 07:14 takes a tremendous amount of faith. 07:18 I could never be a follower of the atheist 07:21 because I could never be an atheist, 07:23 because an atheist has got more faith than 07:26 I could ever have. 07:28 No, no, no, I believe in the facts. 07:32 Now he teaches no purpose, 07:36 all accidents, no life after death. 07:39 He says the best I heard him say this, 07:41 the best thing you can do 07:43 when you're dying is to stand on the deck of the ship 07:47 and salute, for you salute as you're dying. 07:51 This is the very best thing that Richard Dawkins can do. 07:55 Stand on the deck of the ship and salute. 07:59 Well, we happen to believe in the gospel. 08:03 And the gospel is good news. 08:06 I want to turn a little bit further, 08:08 read on little further, Romans 8:28-31. 08:12 Romans 8:28-31, 08:15 "And we know all things work together 08:19 for good to those who love God, 08:22 to those who are called according to His purpose." 08:25 God's got a purpose. 08:27 "For whom He foreknew, 08:30 He also predestined to be 08:32 conformed to the image of His Son, 08:35 that He might be 08:37 the firstborn among many brethren. 08:40 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called, 08:46 whom He called, these He also justified, 08:51 and whom He justified, these He also glorified. 08:56 What then shall we say to these things? 08:58 If God is for us, who can be against us?" 09:02 My friend, I believe 09:05 in the divine purpose of God. 09:09 As a Christian, I believe that God 09:12 has a purpose for my life, and that we are special. 09:17 I'm a child of God. 09:20 I'm a child of the Most High. 09:22 I was created by God for a purpose. 09:25 I love Mr. Fred Rogers, 09:27 that great Presbyterian minister, 09:29 you know, Fred Rogers Neighborhood. 09:32 He was a great believer in God, 09:34 and he taught people you are special to me. 09:37 Oh, God bless the memory of Fred Rogers. 09:41 We need more people with the faith of Fred Rogers, 09:43 you are special to me. 09:46 If you don't believe in God, 09:47 how can you believe in anything being special? 09:51 It was simply just bizarre accidents, 09:55 cosmic accidents, freaks of nature. 09:57 No. You're special to me. 10:00 I want you to know you're special to God. 10:04 God was not sleeping 10:06 when COVID-19 turned up, he is still in control. 10:11 I want you to notice Isaiah Chapter 49. 10:15 Give me a moment, I got to find it here. 10:18 Isaiah 49 10:22 and we're starting at verse 14 10:26 and then we're going to read 15 and 16. 10:30 "But Zion said, 'The Lord has forsaken me, 10:35 my Lord has forgotten me.' 10:37 'Can a woman forget her nursing child, 10:40 and not have compassion on the son of her womb? 10:42 Yea, they may forget, yet I will not forget you. 10:47 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands, 10:52 your walls are continually before Me.'" 10:55 You are written, my friend, on the hands of Christ. 11:00 He has nailed pierced hands 11:04 because of our sins. 11:07 And every time He looks at His nailed pierced hands, 11:13 He thinks of you. 11:16 And you are special to God. 11:21 He's got a purpose for you. 11:24 He wasn't caught napping. 11:26 God knows all about us. 11:28 He sees us. He loves us. 11:30 He's written us on the palms of His hands. 11:32 Every time He looks at His hands, 11:35 He thinks of you, you are a part of His plan. 11:38 God is never surprised. 11:42 Here's the next great truth. 11:45 This is part two of the series. 11:50 God alone ultimately 11:51 has the solution to the ills that afflict the human race. 11:58 This is a great comfort to me, 12:02 that God alone has the ultimate solution. 12:08 Are you listening? 12:09 God alone has 12:11 the ultimate solution to all the ills 12:13 that affect the human race, including COVID-19. 12:19 Now, there are some good people in positions of authority, 12:23 I grant that. 12:26 But our hope is not, 12:28 is not in the White House, whoever occupies it. 12:33 It is not in the Senate. It is not in the Congress. 12:37 Our salvation is not in the Supreme Court, 12:41 but in God's court. 12:45 I wish people would start to believe this 12:47 and start to act as though they believed in God. 12:51 Australia at present 12:53 seems to have a very good Prime Minister. 12:56 I admire him. 12:57 The honorable Scott Morrison, who is a devout Christian, 13:01 who prays daily for the nation. 13:04 He reads his Bible, 13:06 he goes to church, 13:07 he leads his congregation in prayer. 13:10 But the hope of Australia is not in this good man. 13:14 The hope of Australia is in God. 13:18 America's hope is in God. 13:21 Look at Isaiah 40:22, 24, 25, 26, 13:26 "It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, 13:29 and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers." 13:32 How does that make you feel? 13:33 "Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, 13:36 and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. 13:39 He brings the princes to nothing, 13:41 He makes the judges of the earth useless. 13:45 Scarcely shall they be planted, scarcely shall they be sown, 13:49 scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth. 13:53 When He will also blow on them, and they will wither, 13:56 and the whirlwind 13:58 will take them away like stubble." 13:59 My friend, the Bible says, "Don't trust in people. 14:03 Don't trust in people, trust in God." 14:06 "To whom then will you liken Me, 14:09 or whom shall be my equal? 14:11 says the Holy One. 14:12 Lift up your eyes on high, 14:14 and see who has created these things, 14:16 who brings out their host by number, 14:19 He calls them all by name, 14:21 by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, 14:24 not one is missing." 14:26 The Bible says, 14:27 "Don't put your trust in princes. 14:29 Don't put your trust in presidents. 14:31 Don't put your trust in prime ministers." 14:34 The Bible says, "Put your trust in God," 14:37 because God is the one great certainty. 14:41 Now I'm just going to give you a little bit of 14:43 one of my cogitations and my meditations 14:45 while I've been locked up because of the pandemic. 14:50 I think the Christians 14:51 are too involved in politics and political parties, 14:55 especially in the United States where I live. 14:58 Jesus never belonged to a political party, 15:02 He knew that Caesar could not save, 15:06 only the Lord our God saves. 15:08 Will you believe that my fellow Americans? 15:11 I wish preachers would do what they are called to do, 15:14 preach the gospel and get out of politics. 15:17 Look at Mark 3:14, "Then He appointed twelve, 15:23 that they might be with Him 15:25 and that He might send them out to" politic, 15:28 no to "preach." 15:31 A minister of the gospel 15:33 is not called to get mixed up in politics. 15:36 He is called to preach the Gospel of Christ, 15:41 like Billy Graham did. 15:44 Think of the great influence of Billy Graham. 15:47 I ask you the question, 15:49 is America better today without Billy Graham? 15:53 Or was it better when Billy Graham 15:55 was running these great campaigns? 15:57 You know, America was better. 16:01 Because he was preaching the word, 16:03 that's what ministers are supposed to do, 16:07 not because they don't have the power of the Holy Spirit, 16:09 they get involved in politics. 16:12 I think of the great HMS Richards, 16:15 raised up the Voice of Prophecy. 16:17 I heard him preach 16:18 when I was a boy at Avondale College. 16:20 I still remember the sermon. 16:25 Listen, my fellow preachers, but our salvation 16:29 is not in preachers, or politicians, 16:32 or presidents, but in God. 16:36 Isaiah 146:3-5, Isaiah. 16:42 No, I'm sorry, Psalm 146. 16:45 Psalm 146:3-5. 16:47 Notice it. 16:48 "Do not put your trust in princes, 16:52 nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. 16:55 His spirit departs, he returns to his earth, 16:58 in that very day his plans perish. 17:02 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, 17:06 whose hope is in the Lord his God." 17:09 Oh, my friend. 17:11 Don't put your trust in princes, or politicians, 17:15 or presidents, or prime ministers. 17:18 The Bible says, "Put your trust in God." 17:22 This is the Word of God. 17:26 So in my quarantine, 17:29 I think of what is important or more importantly, 17:32 the one who is important, God and God alone. 17:37 I've had a lot of time to think. 17:40 I've got an empty studio here today. 17:42 David is upstairs in isolation. 17:44 He's got a tiny little television crew. 17:49 Just hardly a handful, they're the salt of the earth. 17:54 And we are continuing on 17:55 because we believe we are called 17:58 to preach the Word of God. 18:00 Now the studio is empty, but you're watching. 18:06 During my COVID meditations, I've had the chance to rethink 18:09 what is truly important, how I've spent my life. 18:14 And I thought once again that the most important thing 18:17 that we can do is to win souls to the Lord Jesus Christ. 18:21 Ephesians 2:12-13 18:26 says this, 18:28 "That at that time you were without Christ, 18:32 being aliens from the commonwealth 18:34 of Israel and strangers 18:36 from the covenants of promise, 18:38 having no hope and without God in the world." 18:41 Do you get this? 18:42 Without Christ, no hope, without God. 18:45 "But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off 18:48 have been brought near by the blood of Christ." 18:52 Without Christ, we are without hope, 18:55 we are without God. 18:56 People say, "I can't believe this." 18:59 Well, this is what the Bible teaches. 19:01 Romans 10:13-15. 19:04 This is why I believe in the preaching of the gospel, 19:07 that is why I believe in evangelism. 19:10 "For 'whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' 19:13 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? 19:17 And how shall they believe in Him 19:19 of whom they have not heard? 19:21 And how shall they hear without a preacher? 19:23 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? 19:26 As it is written: 19:29 'How beautiful are the feet 19:30 of those who preach the gospel of peace, 19:32 who bring glad tidings of good things!" 19:41 What's important? 19:43 I've been asking myself this question, 19:45 what is important, what is important? 19:48 The most important thing, my friend, 19:50 is the preaching of the Gospel of Christ. 19:54 I'm going to give you some of my cogitations. 19:56 Some of you may not like it, but here it comes. 20:00 I think that too often the church gets sidetracked 20:03 and gets into all sorts of worldly enterprises. 20:06 You know, it's true. 20:09 Where I live, one particular church 20:12 that shall remain anonymous, 20:16 has been involved doing real estate deals, 20:19 getting involved in big business developments, 20:22 like Home Depot, and losing between $42 20:27 and $44 million of God's money. 20:33 And why did they lose that money? 20:35 Because they didn't have the blessing of God upon them. 20:38 When you do things like this, 20:39 you remove yourself from the blessing of God. 20:42 God could not bless them. 20:44 God did not bless them. 20:47 The church is one business, winning the lost to Christ. 20:52 The Bible calls it evangelism. 20:56 The church is one business, evangelism. 21:01 The church is not called to do real estate deals 21:04 and try to make money. 21:06 We are called to win the lost to Christ. 21:10 Who believes me? 21:12 So I've got no regrets about my calling to the ministry. 21:15 Our lives have been spent preaching 21:17 and winning souls. 21:18 That's why we hide by the grace of God. 21:22 The great Sydney Opera House, 21:24 we hired it for five months glory. 21:28 That's why we hide in Los Angeles, 21:29 the great Shrine Auditorium, downtown Los Angeles. 21:34 That's why we answered the call and went to Russia. 21:37 In 1991, Bob Spangler called me and said, 21:40 "We want you to go and try at Moscow." 21:42 We went and we saw His glory. 21:44 Then we went through Nizhni Novgorod, 21:46 then to Kiev, then to St. Petersburg, 21:50 then to Siberia and Irkutsk, 21:52 then to all the great cities of Russia and Ukraine. 21:57 People say, "Have you got some regrets? 21:59 Are you sorry that you didn't end up 22:01 in some office shuffling papers." 22:04 Are you kidding me? 22:08 This is the most important work 22:10 because it is dealing with people, 22:13 it is winning souls to Christ. 22:17 Then we went to Africa. 22:19 Wow. 22:22 Then we went to India, 22:24 Central America, the Solomon Islands. 22:28 PNG, there we saw His glory. 22:31 And I say to you, no reserves, no retreats, no regrets. 22:35 I have an immense satisfaction. 22:38 Because I've felt God's blessing. 22:40 I'm immensely satisfied, 22:42 Beverley and I are united 22:44 in the call to preach the Gospel of Christ. 22:48 That's what a minister is ordained to do, 22:51 not to sit in an office and shuffle papers. 22:54 Sorry to tell you that. 22:56 But these are my cogitations and meditations. 23:01 Here's one other point. 23:03 It seems to this old pilgrim that the end time prophecies 23:08 are being fulfilled and that we are nearing home. 23:13 The news from Washington, Moscow, Beijing, London, 23:17 it all seems right out of the Bible. 23:21 Look at Luke 21:11 onwards, 23:25 "There will be great earthquakes in various places, 23:28 and famines and pestilences, 23:30 and there will be fearful sights 23:31 and great signs from heaven. 23:33 But before all these things, 23:35 they will lay their hands on you 23:37 and persecute you, 23:38 delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. 23:41 You will be brought before kings and rulers 23:43 for My name's sake. 23:45 And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, 23:49 and in the stars, 23:51 and on the earth distress of nations, 23:53 with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring, 23:57 men's hearts failing them from fear 24:00 and the expectation of those things 24:03 which are coming on the earth, 24:04 for the powers of the heavens will be shaken." 24:09 Goodness, it's like what we're seeing today, 24:15 great earthquakes, famines, 24:18 pestilences, fearful sights, 24:23 great signs from heaven, the stress of nations, 24:27 perplexity and fear, 24:29 the powers of the heavens shaken. 24:34 I don't have time to talk about Revelation 13. 24:37 Are we going to talk about Revelation 13 about the lamb 24:39 like beast that speaks as a dragon? 24:42 I don't have time to talk about that today, 24:45 because I'm running out of time. 24:48 Isn't the world, the world is running out of time. 24:51 But the Bible talks about 24:52 a great coalition of church and state. 24:55 It's being set up today. 24:58 People say, "But this is what we taught but we can't, 25:01 we find it hard to believe it now." 25:05 My friend, it is coming to pass. 25:10 What have I thought about? 25:12 I've thought, my friend, 25:14 during the pandemic 25:17 that the Word is true. 25:21 And you and I are going home. 25:28 That's really good news, isn't it? 25:32 At the end of this rough road, 25:37 there is a bright shining light 25:39 comes from the throne of God. 25:43 Soon and very soon, 25:46 we are going to see the King. 25:53 I want you to have faith in Jesus today, my friend. 25:58 I want you to trust in the hand 26:00 that was nailed to the cross for you 26:03 and realize through Christ, 26:09 by God's grace, 26:12 we are going home. 26:18 Home at last. 26:21 Amen. 26:26 To our police, to those who serve 26:30 and protect us with mercy, 26:32 love, dignity, compassion, and honor. 26:37 May God bless you. 26:39 Each day there is no task 26:41 that is too large, no task too small. 26:45 You take the slings and arrows 26:47 that come your way with courage. 26:50 The badge you wear makes you part of a bigger team. 26:53 But we know you are each unique in God's eyes. 26:57 You are individual human beings of a police force. 27:02 The greatest force is God's love. 27:05 There is no one who has not experienced 27:07 that love when you come to their aid. 27:10 We are grateful. 27:12 We know you need our help. 27:14 Working together, we can live in harmony. 27:16 We pray for the safety of our homes for our neighbors, 27:20 and for the police that protect and serve our community. 27:27 In this series, John Carter will provide 27:29 the answers to life's most interesting questions. 27:32 Seven great signs of the apocalypse. 27:36 If the dead are unconscious, who are the beings that pretend 27:40 to be the dead? 27:43 Is there such a person as the devil? 27:49 What is the essence of Antichrist? 27:56 What is the root cause of this deadly malaise? 28:02 America was founded by people 28:04 who were opposed to the union of church and state. 28:10 But if there's a God who loves us, 28:12 then the future is bright was promised. 28:16 For a gift of $100 US or $140 AUS, 28:20 this 13 DVD series Prophecy Speaks 28:22 will be yours. 28:24 Call the number or visit our website. 28:30 For a copy of today's program, 28:32 please contact us at P.O. Box 1900, 28:35 Thousand Oaks, California 91358 28:39 or in Australia, contact us at P.O. Box 861, 28:45 Terrigal, New South Wales 2260. 28:49 This program is made possible 28:51 through the generous support of viewers like you. 28:54 We thank you for your continued support. 28:57 May God richly bless you. |
Revised 2020-08-14