Participants:
Series Code: CR
Program Code: CR002109S
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00:01 After almost 60 years as a pastor and evangelist,
00:04 John Carter has touched the lives of millions 00:07 with honesty and integrity. 00:10 He is convinced 00:11 that the answers to all our questions 00:14 are found in an ancient book. 00:17 Today, he answers questions that you, 00:20 his viewers have asked. 00:22 John Carter invites you to listen, 00:25 weigh the evidence and draw your own conclusions. 00:28 Welcome to questions and answers about divorce, 00:32 marriage, depression, rebellious kids, religion, 00:37 and much more. 00:45 Hello, friend, 00:46 welcome today to the Carter Report 00:48 and a special welcome to my home, 00:52 because of COVID 00:53 we're doing television from my home, 00:56 and I'm so glad that you today have joined us. 01:00 You're a very, very special guest today. 01:02 So thank you for joining us today on the Carter Report. 01:08 It is good to be with you Pastor Carter. 01:11 Paul from New York did not like the last answer you gave him 01:14 on divorce. 01:16 Can you elaborate? 01:19 Before I try to answer that question, 01:23 I want to say thank you to Wayne Hackett. 01:25 He's the voice you hear in these programs. 01:29 One of the most recognizable voices 01:31 across the United States of America. 01:34 And I just want to say Wayne, I'm so grateful to you 01:40 for the magnificent parts you play in the ministry 01:43 of the Carter Report. 01:45 Now, here is the answer. 01:49 It has been said 01:50 that the Christian Church is the only army 01:54 that shoots its wounded. 01:57 Now, I don't know if that's altogether true. 01:59 I think that may be a little harsh, 02:01 but it has been said many times 02:03 that the Christian Church is the only army 02:07 that shoots its wounded. 02:10 And many people who've had bad marriages 02:13 are part of the wounded 02:15 and the Christian Church should not be taking pot shots 02:18 at people who've had divorces. 02:23 But however, having said all of that, 02:25 and I think you will agree with me. 02:28 I believe that we have an obligation 02:31 to tell people the truth from the Bible. 02:36 You see, it's not my opinion that counts. 02:39 There's a big difference between my opinion, 02:42 your opinion, and what may be absolute truth. 02:47 And so let me say this, 02:49 we're not here today to criticize any person 02:52 because of his marriage relationship. 02:57 We all need the grace of God in our lives. 02:59 Every one of us, I need the grace of God, 03:02 you need the grace of God 03:03 and we need to be loving and forgiving. 03:06 Let me read you a text here. 03:09 I'm gonna come over here to Matthew Chapter 19, 03:11 where Jesus is actually talking about divorce. 03:16 Let me see. 03:17 "Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there. 03:20 Some Pharisees came to Him. 03:23 They asked, 03:24 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any 03:29 and every reason.' 03:30 'Haven't you read it,' he replied, 03:32 'that at the beginning the Creator made them 03:35 male and female and said, 03:39 for this reason 03:40 a man will leave his father and mother 03:43 and be united to his wife, 03:46 and the two will become one flesh. 03:49 So they are no longer two but one. 03:53 Therefore what God has joined together, 03:56 let man not separate." 03:58 Now the religious leaders in the days of Christ 04:01 had thought up 04:04 umpteen dozen ways 04:07 so they could justify divorce. 04:11 And so they had dozens, even scores of different ways. 04:15 If the lady burnt the toast for breakfast, 04:19 that was grounds for divorce. 04:21 But Jesus said, 04:22 "The Creator in the beginning made them male and female." 04:27 So marriage cannot exist apart from a male and a female. 04:33 I don't wish to offend anybody, 04:35 but I'm not here today to carry favor with anybody 04:39 or to earn special brownie points 04:42 in political correctness. 04:43 By the grace of God, 04:45 I'm not here to tell you my opinion. 04:46 I'm here by the grace of God 04:48 to tell you what the Bible says. 04:50 The Bible is our authority. 04:53 And Jesus said, 04:54 "This business of putting away your wives, 04:56 just for any reason, 04:59 it's not what God wanted." 05:00 And then He says, oh wait on, verse 7. 05:04 "Why then they asked, 'Did Moses command 05:07 that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce 05:11 and send her away?'" 05:12 So they quote Moses. 05:14 Well, Moses allowed a man 05:17 to give his wife a certificate of divorce 05:20 and to send her away. 05:22 "Jesus replied, 05:23 'Moses permitted you to divorce your wife 05:26 because your hearts were hard." 05:28 Goodness. 05:29 "But it was not this way from the beginning. 05:31 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife 05:34 except for marital unfaithfulness 05:37 and marries another woman commits adultery." 05:42 Now this is the Lord Jesus Christ, 05:46 the Creator of the universe, 05:49 the person who gave away 05:51 the first bride in the Book of Genesis. 05:54 This is our God who was talking and He says, 05:59 "Any legitimate reason 06:01 for a legitimate divorce 06:04 is fornication." 06:08 Now I'm not trying to get you to see it my way. 06:11 I'm just giving you the text 06:13 and I want you to make up your own opinion, 06:15 but I want you to know this. 06:17 Marriage is sacred in the sight of Almighty God. 06:22 The home is the rock of society. 06:27 If you wanna destroy society, destroy the home. 06:32 And that's what all this political correctness, 06:35 all these other substitutions for the Word of God, 06:40 that's what's happening to society today, 06:42 the home is being destroyed. 06:45 And by the grace of God, 06:47 today, I want to defend the home 06:50 and your home also, my friend. 06:55 Sally from Michigan wants to know, 06:57 does your church believe 06:59 that only members of your religion will be saved? 07:04 Goodness, I wouldn't wanna belong to a church 07:06 that was so narrow-minded 07:08 that had taught this exclusive idea 07:11 that only we are going to go to the kingdom of God. 07:15 What a terrible church that would be. 07:18 That would be a church 07:19 of super, super, super duper Pharisees. 07:24 I don't wanna belong to a church 07:26 that is packed out with Pharisees. 07:28 My church teaches 07:31 that the vast majority of God's people... 07:34 Now, I am an Adventist, an Adventist Christian. 07:40 No, I hope I am a Christian Adventist. 07:46 My church teaches 07:47 that the vast majority of God's true children 07:51 are not found in our church, 07:53 but they're found in the Roman Catholic Church, 07:56 the great Protestant churches and so on. 08:01 I do not believe in a narrow-minded idea 08:04 that only we and ours are acceptable to God. 08:09 Now I'm in good company. 08:12 I'm gonna read to you the words of Jesus. 08:15 And this is Matthew Chapter, 08:17 let me see 8:11. 08:22 Here it comes, Matthew 8:11, 08:26 "I say to you 08:29 that many will come from the east and the west 08:32 and take their places of the feast with Abraham, 08:35 Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of God. 08:38 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside 08:41 into the darkness 08:42 where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 08:46 Strong words from Christ. 08:50 Jesus said to the leaders 08:52 of the greatest established church of His day. 08:57 In the judgment He said, 08:59 people are going to come from the east and the west, 09:03 people you know nothing about. 09:06 And they're going to sit down in the kingdom of God. 09:09 My friend, I believe that God has got a big family, 09:13 don't you? 09:14 I don't believe that God is narrow-minded. 09:16 I believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and our Savior. 09:20 And I believe we're going to be surprised at the people 09:23 who are in the kingdom of God 09:25 and the people we expect to be in the kingdom of God 09:29 who are outside the kingdom of God. 09:33 This comes from Jason in Montana. 09:36 You tell me you're a Protestant Christian Adventist. 09:40 What does that mean? 09:43 Well, let me sort of revise this a bit. 09:48 I think I can say 09:49 that I am a Christian 09:53 Protestant Adventist. 09:57 What does this mean? 09:59 Well, first and foremost, by the grace of God, 10:02 I am a Christian, maybe not a very good one. 10:05 You know, I stumble, I'm falling, I'm getting up, 10:09 I'm fighting on. 10:13 But first and foremost I am a Christian, 10:16 I follow Christ. 10:18 Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life." 10:21 He said that I believe in John Chapter 14, 10:25 Christ said, "I am the way, the truth and the life." 10:30 And as far as I'm concerned, 10:31 the most important person in the world is Christ, 10:34 the Lord Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Savior. 10:38 So firstly, fore mostly 10:42 I am a Christian. 10:45 Then secondly, 10:46 you better wait for this 10:47 because some of my friends are gonna kind of get confused, 10:50 gonna be writing me other letters. 10:55 Secondly, I'm a Protestant. 10:58 What on earth is a Protestant? 11:00 A Protestant is a person who believes 11:03 in the total authority of Scripture. 11:07 As a Protestant I believe in Sola Christus. 11:11 That means only Christ. 11:13 Number two, Sola Scriptura, 11:16 only scripture, 11:20 Sola Gratia, only grace, 11:23 Sola Fide, only faith. 11:27 That's a Protestant. 11:29 A person who's not a Protestant 11:31 gets his faith from some religious hierarchy 11:35 who drops it down, they drop it down, 11:38 the doctrine on the heads of the people. 11:40 I don't believe in this. 11:42 I don't believe in totalitarian systems. 11:47 I don't believe in infallible popes 11:51 or infallible committees or hierarchies. 11:56 You see, I am a Christian first. 11:58 And secondly, I am a Protestant. 12:01 And thirdly, I am an Adventist. 12:05 Now, who or what is an Adventist? 12:07 Well, there's about 25 million of us 12:09 around the world. 12:12 We believe in 12:13 the old sufficiency of Scripture. 12:16 Our doctrines are based on Scripture, 12:19 not based on tradition 12:22 or some other extra biblical sources. 12:26 We believe in Sola Scriptura. 12:29 We believe, I'm just quoting the Latin there. 12:31 So you folks think that I'm a, 12:33 you know, a little bit educated 12:37 Sola Christus, only Christ. 12:39 As an Adventist, I believe the way to the kingdom of God 12:42 is not through my obedience, but it is through Christ. 12:48 I believe that Christ made an atoning sacrifice for me 12:51 on the cross. 12:53 And I believe if I come to Him in true faith, 12:56 repenting of my sins, I am saved. 13:00 I passed from death to life. 13:02 Now Adventists, we Adventists, 13:04 we also believe in the keeping of the Sabbath 13:06 and we believe it's the Lord's Day. 13:09 We believe in the keeping of the Sabbath as the rest day, 13:14 the blessed day, the best day, and also the test day. 13:17 And as an Adventist, 13:22 I believe in the soon 13:24 advent of Christ, 13:26 I believe that Christ is coming soon. 13:29 I believe He's coming in power and great glory 13:33 to take His people home. 13:35 So I hope that answers your question. 13:37 It doesn't confuse you even more. 13:39 So firstly, I'm a Christian. 13:41 Secondly, I'm a Protestant. 13:43 Thirdly, I'm an Adventist. 13:47 Several people in Hawaii want to know 13:50 if you believe in talking in tongues? 13:55 I sure do. 13:58 I believe in talking in tongues, 14:02 the tongues that are taught in the Bible, 14:05 not the tongues that are practiced 14:06 by some of my friends. 14:10 Now I believe in the tongues as plainly illustrated 14:14 and amplified and clarified 14:17 in Acts 2:4, 14:22 "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit 14:24 and began to speak in other tongues," 14:27 or as the Greek says or the margin says, 14:30 other languages, other tongues, 14:34 "as the Spirit enabled them." 14:38 And then I come down here to verse 8 and 9. 14:42 It says, "How is it that 14:44 each of us hears them in his own native language? 14:49 Parthians, Medes and Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, 14:53 Judea and Cappadocia, 14:55 Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, 14:58 Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene, 15:02 visitors from Rome, both Jews and converts 15:05 to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, 15:07 we hear them declaring the wonders of God 15:11 in their own tongues!" 15:14 The gift of tongues was given for evangelism, 15:19 not so that I'm gonna feel goose bumps all over 15:23 and have warm, fuzzy feelings. 15:26 Tongues was given so that people who could not understand 15:31 the language would understand it. 15:34 And so people back there heard the language 15:38 in their own language. 15:39 They heard the gospel in their own language. 15:42 This is what I believe in. 15:45 Boy, bless your heart. 15:46 I've seen it happen. 15:48 I've heard it happen. 15:50 Many years ago, I was in the country town, 15:52 the beautiful town of Albury on the Victorian 15:55 New South Wales border in Australia. 15:59 This was many, many years ago. 16:03 A lady came to the meetings, an old Russian lady. 16:07 Her name was Mrs. Pinta. 16:10 She could hardly speak a word of English, 16:14 but when I got up and preached, 16:16 she heard everything I was saying 16:20 in her own language. 16:22 She came to Christ. 16:25 She accepted Christ. 16:26 She was baptized and she joined the church. 16:29 Glory be to God. Hallelujah! 16:32 Yes, I believe in the tongues 16:36 of the Bible for evangelism. 16:40 Linda from Indiana 16:42 watches you on Three Angels Broadcasting Network. 16:45 She wonders how and when you started? 16:49 Well, I just love the folks at 3ABN. 16:54 We've been broadcasting with 3ABN 16:56 on 3ABN for going on 34 years. 17:02 That's a very, very long time. 17:04 When I came to the United States 17:05 and went to Texas with my family. 17:08 And then back in 1987, I went up to Southern Illinois 17:13 and I met Danny Shelton. 17:16 I met a man that God was using. 17:19 A few years before then Danny had walked out on a field 17:22 in Southern Illinois, 17:23 near the town of Benton, not far from West Frankfort. 17:28 I've been there about 50 times, folks. 17:30 About 50 times, at least over the years, 17:34 maybe 60 times. 17:37 And Danny had a dream, a vision. 17:41 God put this dream in his mind. 17:44 God put this vision in his soul. 17:49 And God said to him, "Danny, I want you. 17:51 You are a carpenter. 17:53 I want you to build a television station 17:55 and preach the gospel 17:57 and the undiluted truths of the three angels' messages 18:01 to the whole wide world." 18:03 He said, "I want you to do evangelism," 18:06 because God said to him, 18:07 "The most important thing is the communication 18:11 of the Gospel of Christ." 18:14 So Danny said, well, 18:17 got his brother, and some other folks, 18:18 they measured up otherwise what would be big enough 18:21 for a television station. 18:22 So they built a television station. 18:26 And then a bit later they built a bigger one 18:28 in another location. 18:30 And then they built a big church 18:32 and then they built a school. 18:34 Then they built this big production center. 18:37 People said, can't be done. 18:39 We meet people like that all the time. 18:41 Don't you? Can't be done. 18:43 I liked the words of John Kennedy. 18:46 He said, "We don't ask 18:48 why, we ask why not." 18:52 And Danny is a true American 18:54 who believed that all things were possible with God. 18:58 He said, "Why not?" 19:02 And we've had a very special relationship 19:04 with Danny Shelton and 3ABN. 19:06 We respect them. 19:07 They're doers. 19:09 They have an outreach now that goes 19:11 right around the world 19:13 with all of these different satellite systems. 19:16 The Carter Report has been broadcasting with them 19:19 about 10 times a week, right around the world. 19:23 By the grace of God, 19:24 touching millions and millions and millions of lives. 19:29 The Carter Report 19:31 is not a part per se of 3ABN, 19:37 but 3ABN are our partners in evangelism. 19:42 Danny and his team came with us to Russia. 19:45 And there we saw thousands, thousands, thousands, 19:49 hundreds of thousands, even millions of people 19:52 come to these great gospel meetings. 19:54 And in the city of Nizhny Novgorod, 19:56 Danny got another one of his dreams and visions. 20:00 And God told him, build an evangelism center. 20:03 By the grace of God, he got it done. 20:04 He got it done. 20:06 And so 3ABN and the Carter Report 20:08 have been special partners 20:10 in the great work of evangelism. 20:12 We say, "God bless Danny. 20:14 God bless his family. 20:16 And God bless 3ABN." 20:20 My teenage daughter is out of control 20:23 and she defies me at every opportunity. 20:25 Frank from Fort Lauderdale asks, 20:27 how can he restore their relationship? 20:33 That's a tough one. 20:37 I want you to know this, my friend, 20:40 that God loves you and God loves your daughter. 20:44 This is a tough one. 20:47 We live in an age where there are so many voices. 20:51 Young people are being 20:53 torn apart. 20:59 You can pray for your daughter 21:01 when words don't count anymore. 21:04 When she's shouting at you, don't be shouting back, 21:07 but pray for your daughter 21:09 and tell your daughter that you love her. 21:12 And don't give up on your daughter. 21:14 Never, never, never give up on a rebellious child. 21:17 I want to tell you that, my friend. 21:21 And remember this, God understands 21:23 and God sympathizes. 21:24 God had some problems with His own children, 21:26 didn't He? 21:27 God lost a third of the angels in heaven. 21:30 They were part of His family. 21:31 You think, one-third of his family 21:33 turned away from Him. 21:37 So God has got the heart of a father 21:39 and the heart of a mother. 21:42 God knows what it is to feel this searing pain 21:47 in the heart. 21:52 So don't give up. Don't get discouraged. 21:55 Believe that all things are possible with God. 21:58 Nothing is so desperate that you have to just give up. 22:02 No, no, no. 22:04 Hold on, the morning is coming. 22:07 Pray for your daughter. 22:10 Love your daughter. 22:11 Don't raise your voice. 22:16 Sometimes I'm told, this may help. 22:20 I've known parents 22:21 who've had a completely rebellious son 22:24 or daughter. 22:26 They've tried everything. 22:29 And in the end, they've sat down 22:31 and they've written to that beloved daughter 22:34 or son a letter. 22:36 And they say something like this, 22:40 you've got the privilege of choosing 22:43 what you want to do. 22:46 God made you that way. 22:50 So we're going to give you up to God, 22:53 and we're going to let you know 22:56 that you are now responsible for your actions. 23:00 We're not going to be telling you any more 23:01 what you ought to do. 23:05 And so now 23:07 you are fully in charge of your own life 23:11 and we won't be telling you anymore, 23:17 but we'll be praying for you. 23:21 And when you need us, we're here for you. 23:27 And so I say to you, beloved mother, beloved father, 23:32 don't give up on that teenage boy 23:34 or that teenage girl. 23:35 Remember it's not over until it's over. 23:39 And then it ain't over. 23:45 Dan in Arizona is watching more and more young people 23:49 leave his church. 23:51 Is there a way to bring them back? 23:55 I think I can say, I feel your pain. 23:57 I feel tremendously. 24:00 You feel tremendously. 24:02 We don't have hearts of rock. 24:07 God understands this too, 24:08 because God lost a lot of His own children. 24:10 You think how God feels 24:11 when He looks down at this world 24:13 and He sees the hell 24:15 that we've turned this world into. 24:20 The pull of the world is tremendous. 24:24 I turn on the internet, television, 24:28 the pull of the world, 24:31 the voices. 24:32 So many voices, many of those voices 24:34 are representative of the voices of Satan. 24:39 So they're young, they're immature, 24:41 they don't know what's going on. 24:42 And they give into their natural urges. 24:48 And sometimes 24:50 the church lets down pretty badly. 24:54 Many young people have left the church 24:56 because of cold, 24:57 critical Pharisees in the church. 25:00 I'm not saying this to offend anybody, 25:02 but you know it's true. 25:07 You never going to get a sun tan, my friend, 25:09 sitting in a refrigerator. 25:12 And sadly some churches are not like the warm sunshine, 25:15 they're like refrigerators. 25:17 And people go along to those places 25:19 and they go there to get a sun tan 25:22 with the love of God 25:25 and they get frostbite. 25:27 So the church needs to be warm 25:30 and loving and welcoming 25:32 and even when young people mess up, 25:35 the church needs to say, 25:37 we understand you and we love you, 25:40 and we care for you. 25:41 But remember, as I said before, it's not over until it's over. 25:47 And then it's not over. 25:50 God is working on the hearts of our young people 25:52 to bring them back. 25:54 And may He use us to help in this process. 26:12 Jesus said, "All authority has been given to Me 26:15 in heaven and on earth. 26:18 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, 26:22 baptizing them in the name of the Father, 26:24 and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." 26:30 John Carter Reports, we have seen God's power 26:33 as the Gospel of Christ has been proclaimed in Africa, 26:38 India, Russia, 26:43 Ukraine, Cuba, 26:49 El Salvador, and many other places. 26:53 We invite you to partner with us 26:56 in proclaiming Jesus Christ. 27:02 To God be the glory. 27:05 Great things He has done. 27:10 Write today to the Carter Report. 27:13 P.O. Box 1900, 27:15 Thousand Oaks, California 91358. 27:20 That's the Carter Report. 27:22 P.O. Box 1900, 27:24 Thousand Oaks, California 91358. 27:29 In Australia, write to the Carter Report, 27:33 P.O. Box 861, Terrigal, 27:36 New South Wales 2260. 27:40 That's the Carter Report, 27:42 P.O. Box 861, Terrigal, 27:45 New South Wales 2260. 27:49 Thank you for your generous support. 27:51 We look forward to hearing from you soon. 27:54 May God richly bless you. 28:12 For a copy of today's program, 28:14 please contact us at P.O. Box 1900, 28:18 Thousand Oaks, California 91358 28:22 or in Australia, 28:24 contact us at P.O. Box 861, 28:27 Terrigal, New South Wales 2260. 28:31 This program is made possible 28:33 through the generous support of viewers like you. 28:36 We thank you for your continued support. 28:39 May God richly bless you. |
Revised 2021-08-02