July 22, 2025 • 47 mins
Are you feeling overwhelmed by life’s unexpected twists and turns? On the next Equipped, guest host Susie Larson will talk with Pastor Robert Morgan. They'll explore the powerful truths in the book of Philippians—truths that can help you turn hardship into deeper faith. If it feels like your world is falling apart, don't miss this encouraging conversation. Discover how the gospel can help you stand strong, no matter what you're facing.
Featured resource:
Whatever Happens: How to Stand Firm in Your Faith When the World Is Falling Apart by Robert J. Morgan
July thank you gift:
Surrendered Sexuality by Dr. Juli Slattery
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
S1 (00:19):
Well. Hey there friends, welcome to another exciting edition of
equipped with Chris Brooks! I am so thrilled that you've
joined us today. Why don't you do me a favor?
Strap on your seatbelt. We're going to navigate through the
contours of culture, as always, with the lens of the
biblical worldview on. But before we do that, let me
remind you, this is the day that the Lord has made.
He is giving it as a gift so that you
(00:41):
and I can rejoice and be glad in it. So
let's do just that. Let's follow the words of the
Apostle Paul. Let's rejoice in the Lord always. And again
I say, rejoice! I hope you're having a great day.
I'm going to be away from the program today, but
I want you to join me in welcoming Susie Larson
to the hot seat. Now, many of you know Susie.
(01:02):
She's a best selling author, speaker, radio host. She loves
Jesus and most of all loves helping people draw into
a deeper life in Christ. She's also a wife, a mother,
and a grandmother as well. Susie, thank you for hosting
this edition of equip.
S2 (01:21):
So honored to be with you and Chris. We continue
to pray for you and your precious family. Well, it's
an honor to be in the guest host seat today.
And I want to tell you, we've got another great
show ahead for you today. We put a lot of
thought and prayer into these shows because we don't want
to waste your time. We want to invest in your
walk of faith so that you, when the show is over,
know that you know God's love on a deeper level.
(01:41):
You're assured of His Word on a deeper level. Today
we're talking about how to stand firm in our faith
in such troubling times. I mean, if you look around,
watch a little bit of the news, you realize we
are in a tough spot in many ways. But we
also have to remember as Christians, God is still on
his throne. He's always up to something new. So we
hold these two tensions, these two things in tension. One
(02:03):
is we're not home yet. So yeah, there's trouble. And two,
the best is yet to come because God is in
control and his word is true. So here's a question
as we set up today's show. What's the story you're
telling yourself today? Do you know the way that you
frame your disappointments is either going to make you sick,
or it's going to give you faith and hope? So
what is the story you're telling yourself today? Maybe it's
(02:25):
time to reframe your trials and believe that God is
still in control. We're trying to get a hold of
our guest. We're hoping to get him quickly and soon.
My friend, Pastor Robert Morgan joins me today to talk
about his book, Whatever Happens How to Stand Firm in
Your Faith When the World Is Falling Apart. He's also
got a brand new book coming out in a few
months in September. Every book he writes has so much depth,
(02:46):
so I'm going to just mention this title so you
can be watching for it. God hasn't forgotten you. 24
Remarkable Ways God Is Working in You and Through You. Again,
the book we're talking about today is this one whatever
Happens how to stand firm in your Faith when the
World is falling apart. Here's some of the advice that
he gives that we're going to try to walk through
during the show. And actually, I'm going to give the
(03:06):
phone number because I'd love to be able to pray
with you and encourage you if you can tell me,
what storm are you walking through right now? How how
are you framing your disappointments? They say that you're either
walking into a storm, walking through a storm, or walking
out the backside of a storm, and what you tell
yourself profoundly matters. So let me tell you about some
of the stuff that Robert covers in the book that
(03:27):
we're going to try to cover today. But I'll give
you the number (877) 548-3675. Robert says, never be intimidated. Stay
as cheerful as possible. Never think of quitting. Learn the
techniques of spiritual self-defense. Be careful who you admire. Protect yourself.
Project yourself into the future. Have a strategy for imperfect situations.
(03:49):
Improve your mental chemistry. Trust God with every single need
and listen to this one. Consider yourself worth millions. We've
got Robert. I can't wait for you to hear from him.
I know he's been on the show before. Let me
tell you about our guests. We'll get him on the show.
Robert J. Morgan teaches the Bible each week on his podcast,
The Robert J. Morgan Podcast, as well as through his
speaking engagements and his many best selling books. He also
(04:09):
serves as Associate Teaching pastor at World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
And he's a precious friend of mine, pastor Robert, welcome
to equipped.
S3 (04:18):
Susie, I always love being with you. You're the best.
Thank you.
S2 (04:23):
You're so kind. I'm always so nourished and challenged when
we get to talk. So I'm super excited about today's conversation.
Let's start here. When I look at your books and
then I read prep what? I have you on my show,
I'm amazed at the depth. You know, you really plumb
the depths of Scripture. I mean, as being in media
as long as I have. And I read almost a
full book every day. There's lots of authors who kind
(04:43):
of regurgitate and kind of say the same thing over
and over again, and you just never do that. So
I want to thank you for that, first of all.
But as we draw from whatever happens, here's the first
piece of advice you give us. Never be intimidated. How
do you do that when it feels like everywhere you look,
the world is falling apart?
S3 (05:01):
Well, it helps by reading the book of Philippians. And
that really is what this book is about. Whatever happens
is really a study of Philippians and the key verse
in Philippians is in chapter one, verse 27, when Paul says,
whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the
gospel of Christ, in no way being intimidated by those
(05:23):
who oppose you. Now, we don't tend to have a
lot of courage in ourselves. I'm not a person that
has a lot of natural courage. But when you take
Bible verses that tell you, do not be afraid, be courageous. Uh,
you find these verses that says, don't let anyone intimidate you.
Or in the book of Proverbs the verse that says,
(05:44):
the fear of man bringeth a snare, but whoever trusteth
in the Lord will be safe. Those verses have joy
of becoming personified in your life by the Holy Spirit.
When you memorize them and you recognize that you are
representing the King of Kings, Jesus Christ Himself, and he
gives us the courage we need to speak truth to culture,
(06:06):
truth to power, and to stand up against some of
the pressures that tend to be brought against us, either
personally or governmentally or whatever it is. Uh, and also
against the, the pressures the devil brings to us. So
if it weren't for the Scripture and some of these
verses about being strong and not being afraid and not
(06:28):
being intimidated, I wouldn't I don't know where I would be, Susie,
but I just trust I trust God's Word and I
keep those verses in the forefront of my mind.
S2 (06:38):
Mm. I find the same, you know, those who listen
to my show know I've been walking through another health
challenge in the last few months. It's been pretty difficult.
But I got to tell you in Ephesians six where
we learn that, you know, that our our weapons of
our warfare are so important in this battle because our
battles against our enemy. Right. And, uh, there's in the
amplified version of Ephesians six, it says, do every doing
(06:59):
everything that the crisis demands, do everything to stand, do
everything that the crisis demands. And so I just started
to really trim the fat off of my life. And
I mean, I'm not one given to excessive indulgence, but
I really I had to because of the battle, I
turned off the news. You know, I immersed myself in
Scripture way deeper than I normally do. I'm filling the
space with either sermons or worship playlist, and I am
(07:22):
amazed at how it's steadying my steps and bringing me
a renewed perspective. And maybe speak to that person listening
today who's really surrounded by the noise, and it's adding
to their stress as they're trying to navigate their storm.
What advice would you have for them?
S3 (07:36):
Well, first of all, I keep you on my prayer list. And, um,
and I hope a lot of the listeners are too. Um,
the most important habit in my life, I call the
quiet time. And that's a phrase that really developed about
a hundred years ago for that period of time, preferably
in the morning, when we just sit down with a
(07:57):
cup of coffee or a cup of tea or a
glass of orange juice, we open our Bibles. We let
God speak to us. We're not looking for sermon or
lesson outlines. We pick up reading where we left off
the day before, and we just absorb the Scripture, and
then we turn it back to the Lord in prayer.
And we have that time of prayer with him. And
(08:17):
I've been doing that since I was 19. I tried
to teach, uh, young people whom I mentoring how to
do that. And it's just the the core of my life.
Everything flows out of that. And, and there's, there's a
lot of who knew that life would be this hard?
I mean, honestly, I never thought that life would be
(08:39):
as hard as it's been. And I'm 73 years old
and and I've not had a sort of life as
some people have. But if it weren't for spending that
time every day with the Lord and memorizing scripture and
like you say, the great hymns of the faith, um,
I would be insane. But it's it's the walk with
(09:00):
the Lord and the power of his word and the
uplift of his music. That really gives us the stability
to handle all the personal upsets and disappointments. Can I
tell you something that I thought of today?
S2 (09:15):
Yeah.
S3 (09:15):
I don't know if you've ever tried to hold a
basketball under the water in a pool. If you're in
a swimming pool and you've got a basketball and it's
hard to hold that basketball under, it has a way
of bouncing back and the devil tries to hold us
under water. But when we are filled with the spirit
and filled with biblical joy, we have a buoyancy. He
(09:36):
has a very hard time doing it.
S2 (09:38):
Such a good picture. You know another thing that helps
me as I navigate long term health challenges. And for
the record, I'm going to testify. I do believe God
is going to deliver me and heal me in the
land of the living. I am a walking miracle. But
these battles are not for sissies. Let me just say it.
But what helps me navigate these times that last a
long time, it seems, is purpose. There's purpose in my pain.
(10:00):
And I've got a God given mission. And when I
rise up, up and go, I'm. Nothing's going to deter
me from the things God has called me to. Somehow, someway,
I'm going to tap into the strength he promised when
I'm weak. And I see that in Paul as well,
in Philippians, where it amazes me that while he was
in prison, he could have really gotten into the place
of pity, right? But he even the kingdom purpose is there,
(10:22):
moved forward in spite of his affliction. We've got just
a couple of minutes before our break, but say a
word about purpose in our pain and the mission that
God has us on, and how that actually helps us
navigate storms.
S3 (10:34):
I think it helps to have a motto in life,
and Paul's motto he gives in chapter one of Philippians
verse 21, to live as Christ and to die is gain.
And that sums up everything. When we are alive on
this earth, it is just to do what Christ tells
us to do. Every day we wake up every morning
and we say, Lord, what do you want me to
do today? How can I be your representative today? And
(10:57):
if we wake up one morning and we realize it's
our last day on earth, we say Hallelujah! Now I
am going to be much better off to live as Christ,
and to die as gain, and to have a motto
like that hanging over your desk or or above the
kitchen sink. Uh, the truth of God's Word as it
relates to his ultimate purpose for us, will just drive
(11:20):
us forward with enthusiasm. And we've got to have it.
S2 (11:24):
Yeah. I've got to ask you, friend, as you're listening today,
do you have one of those faith statements? You know
what mine is. I've been saying and praying for years.
God is good, his promises are true and he will
always make a way for me. God is good. His
promises are true. He will always make a way for me.
What about you? Do you have a faith statement? You know,
some kind of declaration that you stomp your foot and
you say, okay, the enemy might be coming against me.
(11:46):
I might be in the swirls of the storm. But
this is true about God, in which case this is
true about me. I'd love to hear. Why don't you
call in 87754836758775483675. Five. If we can encourage you today,
we'd sure love to do that. We're here for you
one more time. Here's the number (877) 548-3675. Robert Morgan is
(12:08):
my guest today. We're helping you stand strong in the faith.
You can do that because God's with you. We'll be
back in a minute.
S1 (12:53):
The enemy loves to take our sexual struggles and build
strongholds to separate us from God. We start believing lies
like we can't go to church anymore or that God
couldn't possibly love us. Surrender Sexuality by Julie Slattery breaks
down those barriers and shows you the path to freedom
without shame and into the welcoming arms of Jesus. We'll
(13:16):
send you a copy with our thanks when you support
equipped this month. Simply call 888644 4144 or visit Equip Radio. Org.
S2 (13:37):
This is equipped with Chris Brooks coming to you from
the studios of Moody Radio. I'm Susie Larson filling in
for Chris today. So what's taking the wind out of
your sails? The bounce out of your step, the joy
out of your heart? And how do you find your
way back to faith and perspective again before the break?
We are talking about our faith statements. Well, mine is
when I'm getting hit and battered by symptoms is God
is good, his promises are true and he will always
(13:59):
make a way for me. How about you? Do you
have one of those biblically based faith statements? You ought
to have one. I mean, they're so good for the soul.
I'm talking to my friend, best selling author Pastor Robert J.
Morgan today about his book, Whatever Happens How to Stand
Firm in Your Faith When the World's Falling Apart. If
you've got a faith statement, I want to hear it. (877) 548-3675.
We're talking to Dawn here from Tennessee. I love this.
(14:21):
I see a little note on what his statement is
and I can't wait for him to share. Don, you're
on the air. Welcome.
S4 (14:27):
Well. Thank you.
S2 (14:28):
Yes. Tell me what you say when you're in the fire.
In the storm?
S4 (14:32):
Well, I tell everybody, they ask me how I'm doing.
I tell them I'm blessed by the best, and I
let him handle the rest.
S2 (14:38):
All right. Someone's got to write a song about that one.
I'm blessed by the best. I'll let him handle the rest.
You've walked with God a long time, and you've seen
his faithfulness, haven't you?
S4 (14:48):
Yes, yes. I mean, God's done great things in my life.
And when you think positive, wisest things work out. And
his word even tells us that all things work together
for the good to them that are called according to
God's will. And so it's important that we understand that
God's got great things for us, but we just gotta
have the positive attitude and let our light shine before people.
S2 (15:08):
Mm. So good. Don, I think we all need to
say this out loud. Wherever you are driving in your car,
I am blessed by the best. I'll let him handle
the rest. Don, you just made my day. Thank you
for calling today.
S4 (15:20):
Yes. Another thing. One more thing is you gotta remember
that the Bible says in in, in first John that
there was a man sent from God named John. We're
all sent from God to do a work for him.
And it's important that we have him in our life
and accept his calling in our life so that we
can do what he calls us to do. So yeah,
(15:40):
that's all I had for you today. God bless you.
S2 (15:43):
Thank you. God bless you. A big, hearty amen. I'm
going to grab another call before we hear from Robert again.
We've got Thomas checking in from Chicago. Thomas, you're on
the air. What's your faith statement when you're walking through
the storms?
S5 (15:53):
Well, I just want to let you know that I'm 84,
I've been saved for 51 years and I'm standing on
the Word of God. Psalms 103 is my favorite psalm. Yeah,
bless the Lord. Oh my soul and all that is
within me. Bless his holy name and bless the Lord,
O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. He
(16:13):
has benefits for you.
S2 (16:15):
That's right.
S5 (16:16):
The God who forgives all your sins and heals all
your diseases. That means all who redeems your life from
the pit and crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies,
who satisfies your mouth with good things so that your
youth is renewed as an eagle. I feel 40, and
I'm 84.
S2 (16:35):
Come on Thomas. I pray that passage almost every day
and I'm contending for it. I love it so much.
And you sound like you're 40. What an inspiration you are.
Thank you. Thank you for this call today. You also
just made my day. God bless you, sir.
S5 (16:50):
Thank you.
S2 (16:51):
You know, Robert, it's amazing when you're around people who
have that kind of grit in their faith. There's also
a joy in their step where they're like, I will
not be undone by this. You know, we have our
tough days, but you can find your way back to faith.
That's what your book is all about. Say a word
about that, about people that you see that go through
incredible storms, but they still have a sparkle in their eye.
They still have a purpose in their step. And that,
(17:13):
to me, is a supernatural proposition.
S3 (17:16):
Yeah, I agree with the callers with Don and Thomas,
and the Apostle Paul said the same thing in different
words in Philippians. In chapter one verse 19, he was
talking about all of the problems he was having. But
he says, for I know that this will turn out
for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of
(17:37):
the Spirit of Jesus Christ. And in my Bible I
have those four words. This will turn out underlined. That's
like a four word summary of Romans 828. And it's
going to turn out because of the power of prayer.
And because of the supply of the spirit. So if
we have people praying for us, or we are praying ourselves,
(18:00):
and we have this infusion of the Holy Spirit that
the Lord wants to give us, then this will turn out.
Whatever this is will turn out. And if we we
have to just simply trust that God is going to
do as he has said. And that's gotten me through
many a difficulty.
S2 (18:18):
Boy, that's so good. Circling back to the idea of
purpose in your book, you say we have to bypass
all the closed doors by faith until we come to
the one God is preparing to open for us. For
God is in the details. Here again, I remember you
telling a story. It was about your publishing career. Around
this you can share a different story or say anything
else you want. But to me, that story reminds me
(18:39):
of in the moment when you feel like you're being reduced,
when you feel like you're being passed over, if you
entrust yourself to the one who judges righteously, you entrust
yourself to God. He's the one who can open the
door at the right time. So speak to that whole idea.
We have to bypass all the closed doors by faith,
until we come to the one God is preparing to
open for us in his time.
S3 (19:01):
Yes, that was astonishing to me when I found it.
You know, my book, Whatever Happens, is based on the
Epistle to the Philippians, but the background is in acts
chapter 16. Paul left the city of Antioch, sent out
on a missionary journey. He literally went all the way
across Turkey, across Asia minor, as it was called then.
(19:24):
And it keeps saying the Holy Spirit wouldn't let him
do this. The Holy Spirit forbade him from doing that.
He had a thousand miles of closed doors until he
got as far as he could go, right up against
the Aegean to the city of Troas. And then he
had the vision of a man from Macedonia saying, come
over and help us. So he had a thousand miles
(19:45):
of closed doors to get to the one open door
the Lord has for every one thing he wants us
to do. There may be a hundred things he doesn't
want us to do. And so that's why when we're
disappointed we didn't get the promotion or we didn't get
the loan that would applied for, or we didn't get
in the school that we had hoped to get into
(20:06):
or we, you know, our girlfriend broke up with us
or whatever it is that causes disappointments in life when
we are yielded to Christ. Disappointments are his appointments. And
we look back in my own life, I am so
grateful for every closed door, which at the time was
sometimes very disappointing to me because the Lord was closing
(20:28):
the doors he didn't want you to go into in
order to give me the one door that he did
want me to go through. And that has been replayed
many times in our lives. And it's very important to
learn to trust God with the negatives as well as
with the positives, because he's got a way of taking
that negative sign, putting across through it and turning it
(20:48):
into a positive.
S2 (20:50):
Wow. So good. I asked a little bit ago, what's
your faith statement? I mean, I really do believe all
of us need one. Go to Scripture. What are the
verses that jump up off the page and write out
a statement? And again, mine is God is good, his
promises are true, and he will always make a way
for me because he's the God who makes a way
where there is no way. Well, Michelle's checking in from Southfield, Michigan,
(21:11):
and she's got a statement that she stands on. Michelle,
thanks for calling. You're on the air.
S6 (21:17):
Hi, Susie. I'm enjoying this program, and I just want
to say the statements that I've used, I preach to
myself these three scriptures. The first James chapter one, verse two,
my brethren, count it all joy when you fall into
divers temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith
worketh patience. And then I went over to Romans 828,
(21:41):
and we know, oh God, that all things work together
for the good of them that love God. For those
who are the called according to his purpose. And then
first Thessalonians 518 in everything give thanks, for this is
the will of God concerning you in Christ Jesus. And
(22:02):
then I back it up. I said, God, I'm looking for.
I don't understand what I'm dealing with, but I'm looking
for the good. Oh my God. Whatever comes, I'm all,
I'm looking for the good because I belong to God,
I love God I've been called according to his purpose. Hallelujah.
S7 (22:18):
Oh, thank you Jesus.
S2 (22:20):
I want to get up and dance with you. Michelle,
I love you, and I'm looking for the good. I'm
looking for the good. That I would say that posture
pleases God. Michelle, thank you for that call. There is something.
You know, I have a fitness background and having dealt
with some health things again, I'm a walking miracle. I'm
not sick trying to get well. I'm a healthy person
resisting illness. Just so you know, I've come a long way.
(22:41):
But I'm telling you, in looking for the good, instead
of looking at symptoms, instead of looking and trusting that
God's going to turn it for good. It literally changes
things in your physiology and even in your brain health.
It changes things in your soul and in your faith
perspective too, doesn't it, Robert, when you really are deciding,
I could zero in on all the stuff that's causing
me angst, or I could zero in on my history
(23:03):
with God. His faithfulness and I can lift my eyes
and trust he's coming for me once again.
S3 (23:09):
Yes, I need Michelle's exuberance. I just love that. And
Philippians chapter four Paul says, rejoice in the Lord always.
I will say it again rejoice. There are times when
we cannot rejoice in our load, but we can always
rejoice in our Lord. We can rejoice in His word.
We can rejoice in his provision. We can rejoice in
(23:30):
his faithfulness. We can rejoice in his promises. We can
rejoice in his presence. We can rejoice in the home
that he's preparing for us right now. And so you're right.
We need these. I love your phrase faith statements. And
so often there's just scriptures that we stand on. Uh,
I've got a and one of my books. I've got
(23:52):
a story of a couple who just didn't have any
food to eat. And the lady took the Bible, put
it in the floor very carefully, stood on it and said, God,
I am standing on your promises to provide. And she
literally was standing on the promises, and God sent them food. Um,
we we with that faith that is impossible to please him.
(24:15):
And we very often evidence our faith by our attitude
as we go into the day, because the Lord wants
us to trust him and to be joyful.
S2 (24:26):
Mm. Boy, that's so good. And you think about if
you open up a show like this, or I take
live texts on my show, people are suffering. People are
walking through hardships. If you're scrolling through social media, you're
seeing people's highlights and you don't see the low lights
for them. And some just need to put on a
strong front. Others just need to appear that way. Most
(24:46):
people are suffering. Most people are walking with a broken heart.
So as we get ready to pause here just for
a quick break, I want to just encourage you to
spend a little time today with Lord and ask him.
Put people on my heart. Who needs a faith statement?
I do this every morning in my prayer time. Who
needs a word of encouragement for me today? You'd be amazed.
Some of the people are in my inner circle, some
(25:07):
I haven't spoken to in years. And I'll say, Lord, what?
What's going on? What? What word of strength can I
offer them? And I just take the risk, and then
I send the text and I'm telling you what, time
and time again God moves on that obedience. So I
just challenge you in the name of Jesus. Would you
do that for someone today and encourage them? Well, you
can learn more about today's topic and our guests by
(25:28):
visiting our website. Org that's equipped. Org. Also follow us
on socials if you want. Facebook. Instagram. Just look for
an equipped radio. We want to encourage you if you
need some prayer encouragement today, give us a call (877) 548-3675.
I'm Susie Larson in for Chris Brooks talking to Robert
Morgan having a great conversation. We'll be back in just
(25:50):
a moment. This is equipped with Chris Brooks coming to
(26:20):
you from the studios of Moody Radio. I'm Susie Larson.
It's such a joy to fill in for Chris today.
I'm talking with best selling author and pastor in one
of my favorites, Robert J. Morgan, about his book, Whatever
Happens How to Stand Firm in Your Faith When the
World Is Falling Apart. He's so kind to talk with
me about this book because it's been out a while.
In fact, he's got a new one coming out soon enough.
In the next few months. Keep your eyes open for it.
God hasn't forgotten you. 24 Remarkable Ways God Is Working
(26:43):
in and Through You. I can't wait to talk with
him about that one. Just a quick note though. If
you've been blessed by this show, we'd love to have
you partner with us. You can become an Equipper by
making monthly donations to support the program. And as an equipper,
you're going to receive benefits like biweekly encouragement from Chris,
discounts on moody publisher resources, access to quarterly webinars. You
can interact with us all kinds of things. Find out
(27:05):
more about becoming an Equipper at Equipped radio. And so
I asked at the beginning of the show, if you
have a faith statement to help you weather the storms,
and if you got one, I want to hear it
because these are super encouraging text or I'm sorry, give
me a call (877) 548-3675. Dear Mark has been waiting on
the line for quite a while. Mark, first of all,
(27:26):
thank you for your patience. Second of all, I'd love
to know what's your faith statement?
S8 (27:31):
Well, let me ask you first, by way of inviting
all of us to pray for you, if unless it's
too personal, what is your health challenge?
S2 (27:38):
Well, Mark, thank you for that. Um, I battled a
chronic Lyme for 35 years, and it's been up and
down and all around, and I, I literally have come so,
so far. So the recent challenge in three months, I've
dealt with some tinnitus that's been pretty significant. And it
jumped up. It jumped up so loud that it's almost unbearable. Yeah.
So I need a miracle because it's very loud. Yeah.
(28:00):
It's tough. So thank.
S8 (28:01):
You. And I'm totally blind. So my hearing is very
important to me.
S2 (28:05):
Yeah, yeah.
S8 (28:06):
Well thank you. And I and I have and I
have perfect pitch. So a ringing in my ear, I
can often tell what pitch it's on and it drives
me nuts. But anyway, um, my, my faith statement is
God's wisdom comes without reprimand. And I'm looking at James
one five and this is how it is from the
Amplified Bible. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him
(28:28):
ask of the giving God who gives to everyone liberally
and ungrudgingly without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be
given him. The The new English translation. Uh, Trish and
I couldn't find what organization put that out, but that
one says that wisdom. God will give wisdom without reprimand.
(28:49):
And there are two blessings in that scripture. Number one,
by the time we get to where we're driven to
ask for wisdom, we often deserve a reprimand. And yet,
this half brother, and yet this half brother of Jesus
is promising us that God won't reprimand us. He'll just
give us the wisdom. And the second blessing is that
I grew up with a father who was very abusive
(29:14):
and scolding, and so I learned to couple wisdom with reprimand.
In other words, I thought you couldn't get wisdom without
a reprimand. And when I developed a closer relationship with
God in my teens, I found that he consistently treated
me better than I expected because his wisdom always came
(29:36):
with a gentleness and a peace that were just, well,
as Philippians says, beyond understanding, and I, I thank him
all the time that when I ask for wisdom, he's
going to give it to me without reproaching me or
reprimanding me. So that's been with me through my life,
and it is so blessed because we, like I say
(30:00):
we deserve reprimands. And yet God has said no, I'll
just give you wisdom.
S2 (30:05):
Mark. I think I know lots of people are listening
today who have father wounds. And this what you're just
saying right now is probably going to be one of
the most important things they hear today, that maybe they're
shying away in the shadows because they don't want reprimand,
because they've equated their own earthly father's way with the
Heavenly Father's way. So thank you for this call, and friend.
(30:26):
If you are listening today and you have that father wound,
I'm praying that God redeems your view of fathers because
he's the one who will help you stand firm and battle.
Is there anything, Robert, you want to add to what
Mark just said? It was great, great wisdom.
S3 (30:41):
I was thinking as Mark was talking and he said
that he was blind. I was thinking of Fanny Crosby and,
you know, the famous blind him. This two wrote all
the way my Savior leads me. What have I to ask? Beside,
can I doubt his tender mercy. Who through life has
been my guide? And the last stanza of that hymn
is sort of a faith statement for me. When my
(31:03):
spirit clothed immortal wings its flight to realms of day.
This my song. Through endless ages Jesus led me all
the way. And I think I used to say I
wanted this on my tombstone. But now the funeral home
or the cemetery where my wife and I will be buried,
or she's already there. But they don't. You don't have tombstones.
(31:26):
They want to be able to mow right over you. Wow. But.
But I've told my friends they have my permission to
go to my little plaque there and to scratch out.
Jesus led me all the way. I think that's that's
our desire that we go through through life. And the
Lord Jesus just leads us all the way.
S2 (31:45):
Beautiful. Well, another chapter in your book, whatever happens is
stay as cheerful as possible. You said even when we're
in the valley, there should be something cheerful going on
in our hearts. And if I can just tell you
that we could do a whole nother show. On the
physiological impact of this statement. The joy of the Lord
is our strength, but it truly impacts your brain and
(32:05):
your body too. I mean, what God knew what he
was doing when he charged us these ways. So speak
to that idea because you've, you know, you cared for
your wife who had Ms.. For so many years, and
then she passed. You've been through some incredible hardship, but
as long as I've known you, you have that precious
joy in your heart. So you're not just writing a theory.
You're writing something you've lived by. How do you do that?
S3 (32:26):
I actually did a seminar, uh, here. I'm in Kansas
City today, and I did a seminar on this very subject,
Object and I use that verse. The joy of the
Lord is your strength. It's as though inside of us
there is a little generation factory, a little electric, uh,
or energy factory. And it's producing joy. And that joy,
(32:47):
that electricity of joy is what gives us strength. So
if you see two people walking down the street and
one their head is down, they're depressed. They're discouraged. They're
overwhelmed with worries. They're not going to have very much strength.
They'll be shuffling. Everything will seem hard to them. But
if you are going down that street and the little
factory inside of you is generating joy, then you're going
(33:10):
to have a level of enthusiasm and you'll be forward thinking.
And the only way that I know to keep that
little factory inside of you generating is by being totally
open to the Holy Spirit and immersed in the Word
of God. And the book of Philippians is the word
joy 16 different times in all of its renditions. I mean,
(33:32):
there's only four chapters here, but there are 16 references
to joy in the book of Philippians. So a good
exercise would be just to go through the book and
circle every time that Paul talks about cheerfulness or joy
or rejoicing in the book of Philippians, this book just
exudes with that subject. And as we study it, we
(33:54):
tend to exude with it too.
S2 (33:56):
Why that's so good. Got a caller who's got a
testimony about Joy. Patricia is checking in from Georgia. Patricia,
first of all, thank you for holding. And second of all, welcome.
You're on the air. Tell us your story about living
and moving in the Lord.
S9 (34:12):
Um, I had a patient. I work in the health field.
I'm on my lunch break, and, um, he was 90.
He would come in, clapping his hands, jumping around. And
I just loved seeing him. I said, what is it?
What have you got? What are you talking about? And
he would be saying, in him we live and move
(34:32):
and have our being. And so, um, he explained, it
was in acts 1728. And so I couldn't wait to
get home and look it up. And I memorized it,
and I waited.
S2 (34:49):
Did I lose.
S9 (34:50):
You? He came back.
S2 (34:51):
Oh.
S9 (34:52):
And I was ready to quote it to him. And
he just cried because he had taught me something strong
and powerful, because Paul was telling the people at Athens about.
They worship stone and wood gods, but not us. We
worship a live God and him. We live and move
(35:13):
and have our being.
S7 (35:14):
Mhm.
S2 (35:16):
Honey, thank you for that. Thank you for that. It's
amazing what we can learn from each other. Patricia God
bless you for calling Denver. We're going to try to
get you after the break. But Robert anything you want
to speak to that again here's another situation. Someone's in
the land of suffering, but they found the secret of joy.
And it's it's a superpower. I mean, it really is
a spiritual weapon. I actually would go so far as
(35:36):
to say, I think when we find the joy of
the Lord to be our strength, it's an act of
spiritual warfare against the enemy, because he wants to steal
our strength by stealing our joy. What are your thoughts?
S3 (35:46):
Oh, well, I killed for for stories like Patricia just told.
I made notes and just watch for it to show
up in a sermon or a book.
S10 (35:54):
Yeah, I just I just.
S3 (35:55):
Love that 90 year old clapping and and, um, and
quoting that verse, there is nothing we can do to
other people to encourage them, like quoting scripture. There's nothing
we can do for ourselves that will help us more
than quoting scripture. We've got to preach to ourselves and
talk to ourselves, not listen to ourselves, but to talk
(36:15):
to ourselves using Scripture and giving ourselves a sermon. And
it helps if we, just, like Patricia did, memorize it
and commit it to the heart.
S2 (36:26):
So good. We're going to pause here. But that is
a question for you to think about today. Do you
ever talk to yourself? I guarantee you you do. So
if you've not redeemed your self-talk, you might be talking
yourself right into the ditch. I had a guest that
I don't remember who it was, but somebody said, we
don't rise to the level of our experience. We fall
to the level of our preparation. So what if you
(36:46):
prep now by developing a faith statement based on God's Word?
So next time that devil comes knocking, you say, I'm
a child of God and I'm going to stand in
faith and I will prevail through the storm because he'll
see to it. I'm Suzie Larson in for Chris Brooks,
talking to my friend Robert J. Morgan, and we'll be
back in just a moment.
S1 (37:27):
Each day on equip, we confront the cultural challenges of
our time, offering biblical truth with discernment and confidence in
God's plans and purposes. Your support as an Equipper helps
us reach more people with God's truth, and you'll receive
exclusive monthly resources and updates to encourage your spiritual life.
Become an Equipper today and partner with us in this
(37:50):
vital ministry. Call (888) 644-4144 or go online to equip Radio.com.
S2 (38:07):
This is equipped with Chris Brooks coming to you from
the studios of Moody Radio. I'm Susie Larson, filling in
for Chris today. It's been an honor to be in
the guest host seat today, talking about how to stand
firm in the faith. Talking with my friend Robert Morgan,
best selling author and pastor whose book, Whatever Happens How
to Stand Firm in Your Faith When the world is
falling apart. Our last point we're going to cover today.
And Lord willing, maybe we can sneak another one in there.
(38:29):
Given the time we have here is about this. Never,
ever think of quitting. Never, ever quit. You know, the
enemy doesn't have an endless supply of strength, and overwhelming
victory belongs to us. So don't quit. Before we talk
about that point, though, I want to get to Denver.
He's been on hold for quite a while. God bless you, Denver.
So sorry to keep you waiting. How do you stand
(38:49):
strong in the hard times?
S11 (38:52):
My faith statement is very simple. It's Proverbs three five
and six and I think, um, that those verses might
be so familiar that we kind of skip over them
or don't really think too deeply, but about them. But
that's just about our whole life and our whole relationship
(39:16):
with God. Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding. In all your
ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths. And, um,
you know, that's just, uh, that's just something that we
just really need to cling to. And do we believe
God and take him at his word? And, uh, if
(39:39):
we do, we've we've got to trust him with all
our heart.
S7 (39:43):
Yeah.
S2 (39:44):
Thank you. Denver. Thank you for holding. And thank you
for that word. And what I love about each of
these calls, Robert, is each of them are referencing Scripture.
They don't have, like, a self-help idea. They're all going,
this is my promise. This is where I'm landing. What
do you say.
S3 (39:59):
I go back to Proverbs three five and six over
and over again? I have found Susie that you cannot
wear out. Romans 828 and Proverbs three five and six.
It has no expiration date. There is no limitation of usages.
You can go to it over and over and over
and over again. And I just never get tired of it.
(40:22):
And I teach those two verses to my grandchildren. I
want them to memorize them, and when I'm going through
a very difficult time, sometimes I will just start quoting
to myself. Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart. And there
is just something very powerful about those two little verses
that that are slipped into that third chapter of Proverbs,
(40:44):
like sort of a diamond and a and a and
a jewelry box. And they're, they're just impossible to ever
they're not going to expire.
S2 (40:55):
Amen. Thank you for that. Thank you. Denver. So, Robert,
never think of quitting. Talk about that if you would. Because,
you know, in fact, someday we should do a show
where we take calls on friends who quit, wish they
wouldn't have, and those who didn't quit. And they were
glad they didn't. I mean, if we had time to
take calls on that, that would be fascinating to me. Uh,
because we often in the moment want relief and God
(41:18):
wants redemption. We just want a break. Just got to
get out of this uncomfortable moment and we will make
permanent decisions in a temporary stress, which is exactly what
the enemy wants us to do. So hearing this word
never think of quitting to me is maybe a lifeline
for somebody today who's thinking about quitting. What do you say?
S3 (41:35):
The Bible has a totally opposite perspective and viewpoint on aging.
It tells us that we become more valuable, more useful,
more experienced. We accumulate more grace. We learn to pray
better as we get older. And I'm 73 and one
of the verses I've adopted is Psalm 7110. Do not
(41:56):
forsake me, oh Lord, until I declare your power to
the next generation and your mighty deeds to all who
are to come. And the Apostle Paul in chapter three
here in Philippians said, I press on. He said, forgetting
what is behind, I press on towards the goal to
win the prize for the upward call of God in
Christ Jesus. And then he says, therefore, let us as
(42:19):
many as are mature, keep this perspective. The same perspective.
And if you think otherwise, God will straighten you out.
I'm paraphrasing that last part a little bit, but we
just want to go on. And there is a sense
in which sometimes we do it out of perseverance because
God has given us the quality of enduring. But most
(42:40):
of all, we do it out of enthusiasm because God
has laid before us continued service. And as long as
we're alive, we ought to wake up and say, dear Lord,
what do you want me to do today?
S7 (42:52):
Mhm.
S2 (42:52):
Amen. And how many days did you feel like you
were at the end of your road? End of your rope.
And you called on the Lord and the day turned
around in a moment because you called on God and
he arranged circumstances. Don't ever, ever quit. Call a friend
before you quit. We just got a couple of minutes left,
but I want to sneak in one more call. Jerry's
been waiting on hold. Calling in from Chicago. Jerry, we
only have about a minute, but can you share how
(43:15):
you stand in faith in the hard times?
S12 (43:17):
Yeah, I had some hard times. Hello. Thanks for letting
me be on the show. I had a hard time,
and several times I remember a particular time. I was
in a hard place and needed financial, and I was
caught by a train. And I didn't worry about that train.
I just took that time out and prayed. And, uh,
ever since then, after that, I ended up getting two
(43:40):
major contracts as a self-employed painter and the 3200 square
foot homes, uh, complete. And, uh, the scripture I use
is Luke 18 one men ought to always pray and
not faint. Mm. Hallelujah. And so then I prayed. And
(44:00):
every time I get caught by a train, I know
that's the time for me even right there to take
time out and pray. Don't worry about that train leaving.
Just stay there. Keep your eyes open. Don't take my
head off. And I pray and I pray in the morning.
Pray all the time. But when I get caught by
a train, I know the Lord say that's time to pray.
S2 (44:19):
I love you, Jerry. I'm not saying I'm speaking for
the Lord, but I just might be. I think as
you paint, you're also called to be a preacher. So
I'm just praying God opens up some doors for you
to be behind a pulpit. Don't you think he'd be
amazing behind a pulpit?
S3 (44:33):
I love that as long as you pray when you're
caught by a train, you'll never go off the tracks.
S2 (44:38):
Yeah. Hey, there you go. That's going in a Robert's
next book as well. Just so you know, Jerry. Thank you.
That is a good word, don't you think?
S3 (44:46):
Yes, it sure is. And that's what Paul said in
Philippians chapter four. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything
by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be
made known to God. And the peace of God which
passes or transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus. So what Jerry said, I'll
(45:10):
just it is going into a book. I just love
that because it's emblematic of what? The techniques. You know, Suzy,
finding different techniques that remind us to pray during the day.
I've never heard of getting caught by a train before,
but I'm going to add that to my little list
of techniques.
S2 (45:28):
Wow. Well, you know what? This conversation today hopefully served
as a reminder for us that you're not alone. And
we're in this together, and God is with you. He's
never present. Help in times of trouble. Robert. Thank you.
Thank you for the time today. You're always such a
wealth of wisdom and encouragement, and I continue to pray
God's richest blessings on you today.
S3 (45:49):
Thank you and the same to you, Susie. And God
bless you all. All the listeners. Thank you.
S2 (45:54):
Love Moody Radio so much. You guys are my home
away from home. It's been such an honor to sit
in the guest host chair today. I challenge you to
get your faith statement down. I don't remember who said
that quote, but we don't rise to the level of
our current experience. We fall to the level of our preparation.
So find a faith statement that God is giving you
that's based on God's Word. Stomp your foot. declare it
out loud. And remember you're a child of God and
(46:16):
His word is alive. Once the enemy gets wind of that,
you know who you are. He'll go knocking on some
other door. I hope you found some encouragement here today.
If you need more information about our guests, you can
visit us online at org that's equipped.org. I'm Susie Larson
from all of us at equipped. I just want to
say thanks so much for listening today. We love you.
(46:36):
We appreciate you. We're in this together. Remember this to
equipped is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of
Moody Bible Institute. God bless you. We'll meet you back
here next time.
Well. Hey there friends, welcome to another exciting edition of
equipped with Chris Brooks! I am so thrilled that you've
joined us today. Why don't you do me a favor?
Strap on your seatbelt. We're going to navigate through the
contours of culture, as always, with the lens of the
biblical worldview on. But before we do that, let me
remind you, this is the day that the Lord has made.
He is giving it as a gift so that you
(00:41):
and I can rejoice and be glad in it. So
let's do just that. Let's follow the words of the
Apostle Paul. Let's rejoice in the Lord always. And again
I say, rejoice! I hope you're having a great day.
I'm going to be away from the program today, but
I want you to join me in welcoming Susie Larson
to the hot seat. Now, many of you know Susie.
(01:02):
She's a best selling author, speaker, radio host. She loves
Jesus and most of all loves helping people draw into
a deeper life in Christ. She's also a wife, a mother,
and a grandmother as well. Susie, thank you for hosting
this edition of equip.
S2 (01:21):
So honored to be with you and Chris. We continue
to pray for you and your precious family. Well, it's
an honor to be in the guest host seat today.
And I want to tell you, we've got another great
show ahead for you today. We put a lot of
thought and prayer into these shows because we don't want
to waste your time. We want to invest in your
walk of faith so that you, when the show is over,
know that you know God's love on a deeper level.
(01:41):
You're assured of His Word on a deeper level. Today
we're talking about how to stand firm in our faith
in such troubling times. I mean, if you look around,
watch a little bit of the news, you realize we
are in a tough spot in many ways. But we
also have to remember as Christians, God is still on
his throne. He's always up to something new. So we
hold these two tensions, these two things in tension. One
(02:03):
is we're not home yet. So yeah, there's trouble. And two,
the best is yet to come because God is in
control and his word is true. So here's a question
as we set up today's show. What's the story you're
telling yourself today? Do you know the way that you
frame your disappointments is either going to make you sick,
or it's going to give you faith and hope? So
what is the story you're telling yourself today? Maybe it's
(02:25):
time to reframe your trials and believe that God is
still in control. We're trying to get a hold of
our guest. We're hoping to get him quickly and soon.
My friend, Pastor Robert Morgan joins me today to talk
about his book, Whatever Happens How to Stand Firm in
Your Faith When the World Is Falling Apart. He's also
got a brand new book coming out in a few
months in September. Every book he writes has so much depth,
(02:46):
so I'm going to just mention this title so you
can be watching for it. God hasn't forgotten you. 24
Remarkable Ways God Is Working in You and Through You. Again,
the book we're talking about today is this one whatever
Happens how to stand firm in your Faith when the
World is falling apart. Here's some of the advice that
he gives that we're going to try to walk through
during the show. And actually, I'm going to give the
(03:06):
phone number because I'd love to be able to pray
with you and encourage you if you can tell me,
what storm are you walking through right now? How how
are you framing your disappointments? They say that you're either
walking into a storm, walking through a storm, or walking
out the backside of a storm, and what you tell
yourself profoundly matters. So let me tell you about some
of the stuff that Robert covers in the book that
(03:27):
we're going to try to cover today. But I'll give
you the number (877) 548-3675. Robert says, never be intimidated. Stay
as cheerful as possible. Never think of quitting. Learn the
techniques of spiritual self-defense. Be careful who you admire. Protect yourself.
Project yourself into the future. Have a strategy for imperfect situations.
(03:49):
Improve your mental chemistry. Trust God with every single need
and listen to this one. Consider yourself worth millions. We've
got Robert. I can't wait for you to hear from him.
I know he's been on the show before. Let me
tell you about our guests. We'll get him on the show.
Robert J. Morgan teaches the Bible each week on his podcast,
The Robert J. Morgan Podcast, as well as through his
speaking engagements and his many best selling books. He also
(04:09):
serves as Associate Teaching pastor at World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
And he's a precious friend of mine, pastor Robert, welcome
to equipped.
S3 (04:18):
Susie, I always love being with you. You're the best.
Thank you.
S2 (04:23):
You're so kind. I'm always so nourished and challenged when
we get to talk. So I'm super excited about today's conversation.
Let's start here. When I look at your books and
then I read prep what? I have you on my show,
I'm amazed at the depth. You know, you really plumb
the depths of Scripture. I mean, as being in media
as long as I have. And I read almost a
full book every day. There's lots of authors who kind
(04:43):
of regurgitate and kind of say the same thing over
and over again, and you just never do that. So
I want to thank you for that, first of all.
But as we draw from whatever happens, here's the first
piece of advice you give us. Never be intimidated. How
do you do that when it feels like everywhere you look,
the world is falling apart?
S3 (05:01):
Well, it helps by reading the book of Philippians. And
that really is what this book is about. Whatever happens
is really a study of Philippians and the key verse
in Philippians is in chapter one, verse 27, when Paul says,
whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the
gospel of Christ, in no way being intimidated by those
(05:23):
who oppose you. Now, we don't tend to have a
lot of courage in ourselves. I'm not a person that
has a lot of natural courage. But when you take
Bible verses that tell you, do not be afraid, be courageous. Uh,
you find these verses that says, don't let anyone intimidate you.
Or in the book of Proverbs the verse that says,
(05:44):
the fear of man bringeth a snare, but whoever trusteth
in the Lord will be safe. Those verses have joy
of becoming personified in your life by the Holy Spirit.
When you memorize them and you recognize that you are
representing the King of Kings, Jesus Christ Himself, and he
gives us the courage we need to speak truth to culture,
(06:06):
truth to power, and to stand up against some of
the pressures that tend to be brought against us, either
personally or governmentally or whatever it is. Uh, and also
against the, the pressures the devil brings to us. So
if it weren't for the Scripture and some of these
verses about being strong and not being afraid and not
(06:28):
being intimidated, I wouldn't I don't know where I would be, Susie,
but I just trust I trust God's Word and I
keep those verses in the forefront of my mind.
S2 (06:38):
Mm. I find the same, you know, those who listen
to my show know I've been walking through another health
challenge in the last few months. It's been pretty difficult.
But I got to tell you in Ephesians six where
we learn that, you know, that our our weapons of
our warfare are so important in this battle because our
battles against our enemy. Right. And, uh, there's in the
amplified version of Ephesians six, it says, do every doing
(06:59):
everything that the crisis demands, do everything to stand, do
everything that the crisis demands. And so I just started
to really trim the fat off of my life. And
I mean, I'm not one given to excessive indulgence, but
I really I had to because of the battle, I
turned off the news. You know, I immersed myself in
Scripture way deeper than I normally do. I'm filling the
space with either sermons or worship playlist, and I am
(07:22):
amazed at how it's steadying my steps and bringing me
a renewed perspective. And maybe speak to that person listening
today who's really surrounded by the noise, and it's adding
to their stress as they're trying to navigate their storm.
What advice would you have for them?
S3 (07:36):
Well, first of all, I keep you on my prayer list. And, um,
and I hope a lot of the listeners are too. Um,
the most important habit in my life, I call the
quiet time. And that's a phrase that really developed about
a hundred years ago for that period of time, preferably
in the morning, when we just sit down with a
(07:57):
cup of coffee or a cup of tea or a
glass of orange juice, we open our Bibles. We let
God speak to us. We're not looking for sermon or
lesson outlines. We pick up reading where we left off
the day before, and we just absorb the Scripture, and
then we turn it back to the Lord in prayer.
And we have that time of prayer with him. And
(08:17):
I've been doing that since I was 19. I tried
to teach, uh, young people whom I mentoring how to
do that. And it's just the the core of my life.
Everything flows out of that. And, and there's, there's a
lot of who knew that life would be this hard?
I mean, honestly, I never thought that life would be
(08:39):
as hard as it's been. And I'm 73 years old
and and I've not had a sort of life as
some people have. But if it weren't for spending that
time every day with the Lord and memorizing scripture and
like you say, the great hymns of the faith, um,
I would be insane. But it's it's the walk with
(09:00):
the Lord and the power of his word and the
uplift of his music. That really gives us the stability
to handle all the personal upsets and disappointments. Can I
tell you something that I thought of today?
S2 (09:15):
Yeah.
S3 (09:15):
I don't know if you've ever tried to hold a
basketball under the water in a pool. If you're in
a swimming pool and you've got a basketball and it's
hard to hold that basketball under, it has a way
of bouncing back and the devil tries to hold us
under water. But when we are filled with the spirit
and filled with biblical joy, we have a buoyancy. He
(09:36):
has a very hard time doing it.
S2 (09:38):
Such a good picture. You know another thing that helps
me as I navigate long term health challenges. And for
the record, I'm going to testify. I do believe God
is going to deliver me and heal me in the
land of the living. I am a walking miracle. But
these battles are not for sissies. Let me just say it.
But what helps me navigate these times that last a
long time, it seems, is purpose. There's purpose in my pain.
(10:00):
And I've got a God given mission. And when I
rise up, up and go, I'm. Nothing's going to deter
me from the things God has called me to. Somehow, someway,
I'm going to tap into the strength he promised when
I'm weak. And I see that in Paul as well,
in Philippians, where it amazes me that while he was
in prison, he could have really gotten into the place
of pity, right? But he even the kingdom purpose is there,
(10:22):
moved forward in spite of his affliction. We've got just
a couple of minutes before our break, but say a
word about purpose in our pain and the mission that
God has us on, and how that actually helps us
navigate storms.
S3 (10:34):
I think it helps to have a motto in life,
and Paul's motto he gives in chapter one of Philippians
verse 21, to live as Christ and to die is gain.
And that sums up everything. When we are alive on
this earth, it is just to do what Christ tells
us to do. Every day we wake up every morning
and we say, Lord, what do you want me to
do today? How can I be your representative today? And
(10:57):
if we wake up one morning and we realize it's
our last day on earth, we say Hallelujah! Now I
am going to be much better off to live as Christ,
and to die as gain, and to have a motto
like that hanging over your desk or or above the
kitchen sink. Uh, the truth of God's Word as it
relates to his ultimate purpose for us, will just drive
(11:20):
us forward with enthusiasm. And we've got to have it.
S2 (11:24):
Yeah. I've got to ask you, friend, as you're listening today,
do you have one of those faith statements? You know
what mine is. I've been saying and praying for years.
God is good, his promises are true and he will
always make a way for me. God is good. His
promises are true. He will always make a way for me.
What about you? Do you have a faith statement? You know,
some kind of declaration that you stomp your foot and
you say, okay, the enemy might be coming against me.
(11:46):
I might be in the swirls of the storm. But
this is true about God, in which case this is
true about me. I'd love to hear. Why don't you
call in 87754836758775483675. Five. If we can encourage you today,
we'd sure love to do that. We're here for you
one more time. Here's the number (877) 548-3675. Robert Morgan is
(12:08):
my guest today. We're helping you stand strong in the faith.
You can do that because God's with you. We'll be
back in a minute.
S1 (12:53):
The enemy loves to take our sexual struggles and build
strongholds to separate us from God. We start believing lies
like we can't go to church anymore or that God
couldn't possibly love us. Surrender Sexuality by Julie Slattery breaks
down those barriers and shows you the path to freedom
without shame and into the welcoming arms of Jesus. We'll
(13:16):
send you a copy with our thanks when you support
equipped this month. Simply call 888644 4144 or visit Equip Radio. Org.
S2 (13:37):
This is equipped with Chris Brooks coming to you from
the studios of Moody Radio. I'm Susie Larson filling in
for Chris today. So what's taking the wind out of
your sails? The bounce out of your step, the joy
out of your heart? And how do you find your
way back to faith and perspective again before the break?
We are talking about our faith statements. Well, mine is
when I'm getting hit and battered by symptoms is God
is good, his promises are true and he will always
(13:59):
make a way for me. How about you? Do you
have one of those biblically based faith statements? You ought
to have one. I mean, they're so good for the soul.
I'm talking to my friend, best selling author Pastor Robert J.
Morgan today about his book, Whatever Happens How to Stand
Firm in Your Faith When the World's Falling Apart. If
you've got a faith statement, I want to hear it. (877) 548-3675.
We're talking to Dawn here from Tennessee. I love this.
(14:21):
I see a little note on what his statement is
and I can't wait for him to share. Don, you're
on the air. Welcome.
S4 (14:27):
Well. Thank you.
S2 (14:28):
Yes. Tell me what you say when you're in the fire.
In the storm?
S4 (14:32):
Well, I tell everybody, they ask me how I'm doing.
I tell them I'm blessed by the best, and I
let him handle the rest.
S2 (14:38):
All right. Someone's got to write a song about that one.
I'm blessed by the best. I'll let him handle the rest.
You've walked with God a long time, and you've seen
his faithfulness, haven't you?
S4 (14:48):
Yes, yes. I mean, God's done great things in my life.
And when you think positive, wisest things work out. And
his word even tells us that all things work together
for the good to them that are called according to
God's will. And so it's important that we understand that
God's got great things for us, but we just gotta
have the positive attitude and let our light shine before people.
S2 (15:08):
Mm. So good. Don, I think we all need to
say this out loud. Wherever you are driving in your car,
I am blessed by the best. I'll let him handle
the rest. Don, you just made my day. Thank you
for calling today.
S4 (15:20):
Yes. Another thing. One more thing is you gotta remember
that the Bible says in in, in first John that
there was a man sent from God named John. We're
all sent from God to do a work for him.
And it's important that we have him in our life
and accept his calling in our life so that we
can do what he calls us to do. So yeah,
(15:40):
that's all I had for you today. God bless you.
S2 (15:43):
Thank you. God bless you. A big, hearty amen. I'm
going to grab another call before we hear from Robert again.
We've got Thomas checking in from Chicago. Thomas, you're on
the air. What's your faith statement when you're walking through
the storms?
S5 (15:53):
Well, I just want to let you know that I'm 84,
I've been saved for 51 years and I'm standing on
the Word of God. Psalms 103 is my favorite psalm. Yeah,
bless the Lord. Oh my soul and all that is
within me. Bless his holy name and bless the Lord,
O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. He
(16:13):
has benefits for you.
S2 (16:15):
That's right.
S5 (16:16):
The God who forgives all your sins and heals all
your diseases. That means all who redeems your life from
the pit and crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies,
who satisfies your mouth with good things so that your
youth is renewed as an eagle. I feel 40, and
I'm 84.
S2 (16:35):
Come on Thomas. I pray that passage almost every day
and I'm contending for it. I love it so much.
And you sound like you're 40. What an inspiration you are.
Thank you. Thank you for this call today. You also
just made my day. God bless you, sir.
S5 (16:50):
Thank you.
S2 (16:51):
You know, Robert, it's amazing when you're around people who
have that kind of grit in their faith. There's also
a joy in their step where they're like, I will
not be undone by this. You know, we have our
tough days, but you can find your way back to faith.
That's what your book is all about. Say a word
about that, about people that you see that go through
incredible storms, but they still have a sparkle in their eye.
They still have a purpose in their step. And that,
(17:13):
to me, is a supernatural proposition.
S3 (17:16):
Yeah, I agree with the callers with Don and Thomas,
and the Apostle Paul said the same thing in different
words in Philippians. In chapter one verse 19, he was
talking about all of the problems he was having. But
he says, for I know that this will turn out
for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of
(17:37):
the Spirit of Jesus Christ. And in my Bible I
have those four words. This will turn out underlined. That's
like a four word summary of Romans 828. And it's
going to turn out because of the power of prayer.
And because of the supply of the spirit. So if
we have people praying for us, or we are praying ourselves,
(18:00):
and we have this infusion of the Holy Spirit that
the Lord wants to give us, then this will turn out.
Whatever this is will turn out. And if we we
have to just simply trust that God is going to
do as he has said. And that's gotten me through
many a difficulty.
S2 (18:18):
Boy, that's so good. Circling back to the idea of
purpose in your book, you say we have to bypass
all the closed doors by faith until we come to
the one God is preparing to open for us. For
God is in the details. Here again, I remember you
telling a story. It was about your publishing career. Around
this you can share a different story or say anything
else you want. But to me, that story reminds me
(18:39):
of in the moment when you feel like you're being reduced,
when you feel like you're being passed over, if you
entrust yourself to the one who judges righteously, you entrust
yourself to God. He's the one who can open the
door at the right time. So speak to that whole idea.
We have to bypass all the closed doors by faith,
until we come to the one God is preparing to
open for us in his time.
S3 (19:01):
Yes, that was astonishing to me when I found it.
You know, my book, Whatever Happens, is based on the
Epistle to the Philippians, but the background is in acts
chapter 16. Paul left the city of Antioch, sent out
on a missionary journey. He literally went all the way
across Turkey, across Asia minor, as it was called then.
(19:24):
And it keeps saying the Holy Spirit wouldn't let him
do this. The Holy Spirit forbade him from doing that.
He had a thousand miles of closed doors until he
got as far as he could go, right up against
the Aegean to the city of Troas. And then he
had the vision of a man from Macedonia saying, come
over and help us. So he had a thousand miles
(19:45):
of closed doors to get to the one open door
the Lord has for every one thing he wants us
to do. There may be a hundred things he doesn't
want us to do. And so that's why when we're
disappointed we didn't get the promotion or we didn't get
the loan that would applied for, or we didn't get
in the school that we had hoped to get into
(20:06):
or we, you know, our girlfriend broke up with us
or whatever it is that causes disappointments in life when
we are yielded to Christ. Disappointments are his appointments. And
we look back in my own life, I am so
grateful for every closed door, which at the time was
sometimes very disappointing to me because the Lord was closing
(20:28):
the doors he didn't want you to go into in
order to give me the one door that he did
want me to go through. And that has been replayed
many times in our lives. And it's very important to
learn to trust God with the negatives as well as
with the positives, because he's got a way of taking
that negative sign, putting across through it and turning it
(20:48):
into a positive.
S2 (20:50):
Wow. So good. I asked a little bit ago, what's
your faith statement? I mean, I really do believe all
of us need one. Go to Scripture. What are the
verses that jump up off the page and write out
a statement? And again, mine is God is good, his
promises are true, and he will always make a way
for me because he's the God who makes a way
where there is no way. Well, Michelle's checking in from Southfield, Michigan,
(21:11):
and she's got a statement that she stands on. Michelle,
thanks for calling. You're on the air.
S6 (21:17):
Hi, Susie. I'm enjoying this program, and I just want
to say the statements that I've used, I preach to
myself these three scriptures. The first James chapter one, verse two,
my brethren, count it all joy when you fall into
divers temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith
worketh patience. And then I went over to Romans 828,
(21:41):
and we know, oh God, that all things work together
for the good of them that love God. For those
who are the called according to his purpose. And then
first Thessalonians 518 in everything give thanks, for this is
the will of God concerning you in Christ Jesus. And
(22:02):
then I back it up. I said, God, I'm looking for.
I don't understand what I'm dealing with, but I'm looking
for the good. Oh my God. Whatever comes, I'm all,
I'm looking for the good because I belong to God,
I love God I've been called according to his purpose. Hallelujah.
S7 (22:18):
Oh, thank you Jesus.
S2 (22:20):
I want to get up and dance with you. Michelle,
I love you, and I'm looking for the good. I'm
looking for the good. That I would say that posture
pleases God. Michelle, thank you for that call. There is something.
You know, I have a fitness background and having dealt
with some health things again, I'm a walking miracle. I'm
not sick trying to get well. I'm a healthy person
resisting illness. Just so you know, I've come a long way.
(22:41):
But I'm telling you, in looking for the good, instead
of looking at symptoms, instead of looking and trusting that
God's going to turn it for good. It literally changes
things in your physiology and even in your brain health.
It changes things in your soul and in your faith
perspective too, doesn't it, Robert, when you really are deciding,
I could zero in on all the stuff that's causing
me angst, or I could zero in on my history
(23:03):
with God. His faithfulness and I can lift my eyes
and trust he's coming for me once again.
S3 (23:09):
Yes, I need Michelle's exuberance. I just love that. And
Philippians chapter four Paul says, rejoice in the Lord always.
I will say it again rejoice. There are times when
we cannot rejoice in our load, but we can always
rejoice in our Lord. We can rejoice in His word.
We can rejoice in his provision. We can rejoice in
(23:30):
his faithfulness. We can rejoice in his promises. We can
rejoice in his presence. We can rejoice in the home
that he's preparing for us right now. And so you're right.
We need these. I love your phrase faith statements. And
so often there's just scriptures that we stand on. Uh,
I've got a and one of my books. I've got
(23:52):
a story of a couple who just didn't have any
food to eat. And the lady took the Bible, put
it in the floor very carefully, stood on it and said, God,
I am standing on your promises to provide. And she
literally was standing on the promises, and God sent them food. Um,
we we with that faith that is impossible to please him.
(24:15):
And we very often evidence our faith by our attitude
as we go into the day, because the Lord wants
us to trust him and to be joyful.
S2 (24:26):
Mm. Boy, that's so good. And you think about if
you open up a show like this, or I take
live texts on my show, people are suffering. People are
walking through hardships. If you're scrolling through social media, you're
seeing people's highlights and you don't see the low lights
for them. And some just need to put on a
strong front. Others just need to appear that way. Most
(24:46):
people are suffering. Most people are walking with a broken heart.
So as we get ready to pause here just for
a quick break, I want to just encourage you to
spend a little time today with Lord and ask him.
Put people on my heart. Who needs a faith statement?
I do this every morning in my prayer time. Who
needs a word of encouragement for me today? You'd be amazed.
Some of the people are in my inner circle, some
(25:07):
I haven't spoken to in years. And I'll say, Lord, what?
What's going on? What? What word of strength can I
offer them? And I just take the risk, and then
I send the text and I'm telling you what, time
and time again God moves on that obedience. So I
just challenge you in the name of Jesus. Would you
do that for someone today and encourage them? Well, you
can learn more about today's topic and our guests by
(25:28):
visiting our website. Org that's equipped. Org. Also follow us
on socials if you want. Facebook. Instagram. Just look for
an equipped radio. We want to encourage you if you
need some prayer encouragement today, give us a call (877) 548-3675.
I'm Susie Larson in for Chris Brooks talking to Robert
Morgan having a great conversation. We'll be back in just
(25:50):
a moment. This is equipped with Chris Brooks coming to
(26:20):
you from the studios of Moody Radio. I'm Susie Larson.
It's such a joy to fill in for Chris today.
I'm talking with best selling author and pastor in one
of my favorites, Robert J. Morgan, about his book, Whatever
Happens How to Stand Firm in Your Faith When the
World Is Falling Apart. He's so kind to talk with
me about this book because it's been out a while.
In fact, he's got a new one coming out soon enough.
In the next few months. Keep your eyes open for it.
God hasn't forgotten you. 24 Remarkable Ways God Is Working
(26:43):
in and Through You. I can't wait to talk with
him about that one. Just a quick note though. If
you've been blessed by this show, we'd love to have
you partner with us. You can become an Equipper by
making monthly donations to support the program. And as an equipper,
you're going to receive benefits like biweekly encouragement from Chris,
discounts on moody publisher resources, access to quarterly webinars. You
can interact with us all kinds of things. Find out
(27:05):
more about becoming an Equipper at Equipped radio. And so
I asked at the beginning of the show, if you
have a faith statement to help you weather the storms,
and if you got one, I want to hear it
because these are super encouraging text or I'm sorry, give
me a call (877) 548-3675. Dear Mark has been waiting on
the line for quite a while. Mark, first of all,
(27:26):
thank you for your patience. Second of all, I'd love
to know what's your faith statement?
S8 (27:31):
Well, let me ask you first, by way of inviting
all of us to pray for you, if unless it's
too personal, what is your health challenge?
S2 (27:38):
Well, Mark, thank you for that. Um, I battled a
chronic Lyme for 35 years, and it's been up and
down and all around, and I, I literally have come so,
so far. So the recent challenge in three months, I've
dealt with some tinnitus that's been pretty significant. And it
jumped up. It jumped up so loud that it's almost unbearable. Yeah.
So I need a miracle because it's very loud. Yeah.
(28:00):
It's tough. So thank.
S8 (28:01):
You. And I'm totally blind. So my hearing is very
important to me.
S2 (28:05):
Yeah, yeah.
S8 (28:06):
Well thank you. And I and I have and I
have perfect pitch. So a ringing in my ear, I
can often tell what pitch it's on and it drives
me nuts. But anyway, um, my, my faith statement is
God's wisdom comes without reprimand. And I'm looking at James
one five and this is how it is from the
Amplified Bible. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him
(28:28):
ask of the giving God who gives to everyone liberally
and ungrudgingly without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be
given him. The The new English translation. Uh, Trish and
I couldn't find what organization put that out, but that
one says that wisdom. God will give wisdom without reprimand.
(28:49):
And there are two blessings in that scripture. Number one,
by the time we get to where we're driven to
ask for wisdom, we often deserve a reprimand. And yet,
this half brother, and yet this half brother of Jesus
is promising us that God won't reprimand us. He'll just
give us the wisdom. And the second blessing is that
I grew up with a father who was very abusive
(29:14):
and scolding, and so I learned to couple wisdom with reprimand.
In other words, I thought you couldn't get wisdom without
a reprimand. And when I developed a closer relationship with
God in my teens, I found that he consistently treated
me better than I expected because his wisdom always came
(29:36):
with a gentleness and a peace that were just, well,
as Philippians says, beyond understanding, and I, I thank him
all the time that when I ask for wisdom, he's
going to give it to me without reproaching me or
reprimanding me. So that's been with me through my life,
and it is so blessed because we, like I say
(30:00):
we deserve reprimands. And yet God has said no, I'll
just give you wisdom.
S2 (30:05):
Mark. I think I know lots of people are listening
today who have father wounds. And this what you're just
saying right now is probably going to be one of
the most important things they hear today, that maybe they're
shying away in the shadows because they don't want reprimand,
because they've equated their own earthly father's way with the
Heavenly Father's way. So thank you for this call, and friend.
(30:26):
If you are listening today and you have that father wound,
I'm praying that God redeems your view of fathers because
he's the one who will help you stand firm and battle.
Is there anything, Robert, you want to add to what
Mark just said? It was great, great wisdom.
S3 (30:41):
I was thinking as Mark was talking and he said
that he was blind. I was thinking of Fanny Crosby and,
you know, the famous blind him. This two wrote all
the way my Savior leads me. What have I to ask? Beside,
can I doubt his tender mercy. Who through life has
been my guide? And the last stanza of that hymn
is sort of a faith statement for me. When my
(31:03):
spirit clothed immortal wings its flight to realms of day.
This my song. Through endless ages Jesus led me all
the way. And I think I used to say I
wanted this on my tombstone. But now the funeral home
or the cemetery where my wife and I will be buried,
or she's already there. But they don't. You don't have tombstones.
(31:26):
They want to be able to mow right over you. Wow. But.
But I've told my friends they have my permission to
go to my little plaque there and to scratch out.
Jesus led me all the way. I think that's that's
our desire that we go through through life. And the
Lord Jesus just leads us all the way.
S2 (31:45):
Beautiful. Well, another chapter in your book, whatever happens is
stay as cheerful as possible. You said even when we're
in the valley, there should be something cheerful going on
in our hearts. And if I can just tell you
that we could do a whole nother show. On the
physiological impact of this statement. The joy of the Lord
is our strength, but it truly impacts your brain and
(32:05):
your body too. I mean, what God knew what he
was doing when he charged us these ways. So speak
to that idea because you've, you know, you cared for
your wife who had Ms.. For so many years, and
then she passed. You've been through some incredible hardship, but
as long as I've known you, you have that precious
joy in your heart. So you're not just writing a theory.
You're writing something you've lived by. How do you do that?
S3 (32:26):
I actually did a seminar, uh, here. I'm in Kansas
City today, and I did a seminar on this very subject,
Object and I use that verse. The joy of the
Lord is your strength. It's as though inside of us
there is a little generation factory, a little electric, uh,
or energy factory. And it's producing joy. And that joy,
(32:47):
that electricity of joy is what gives us strength. So
if you see two people walking down the street and
one their head is down, they're depressed. They're discouraged. They're
overwhelmed with worries. They're not going to have very much strength.
They'll be shuffling. Everything will seem hard to them. But
if you are going down that street and the little
factory inside of you is generating joy, then you're going
(33:10):
to have a level of enthusiasm and you'll be forward thinking.
And the only way that I know to keep that
little factory inside of you generating is by being totally
open to the Holy Spirit and immersed in the Word
of God. And the book of Philippians is the word
joy 16 different times in all of its renditions. I mean,
(33:32):
there's only four chapters here, but there are 16 references
to joy in the book of Philippians. So a good
exercise would be just to go through the book and
circle every time that Paul talks about cheerfulness or joy
or rejoicing in the book of Philippians, this book just
exudes with that subject. And as we study it, we
(33:54):
tend to exude with it too.
S2 (33:56):
Why that's so good. Got a caller who's got a
testimony about Joy. Patricia is checking in from Georgia. Patricia,
first of all, thank you for holding. And second of all, welcome.
You're on the air. Tell us your story about living
and moving in the Lord.
S9 (34:12):
Um, I had a patient. I work in the health field.
I'm on my lunch break, and, um, he was 90.
He would come in, clapping his hands, jumping around. And
I just loved seeing him. I said, what is it?
What have you got? What are you talking about? And
he would be saying, in him we live and move
(34:32):
and have our being. And so, um, he explained, it
was in acts 1728. And so I couldn't wait to
get home and look it up. And I memorized it,
and I waited.
S2 (34:49):
Did I lose.
S9 (34:50):
You? He came back.
S2 (34:51):
Oh.
S9 (34:52):
And I was ready to quote it to him. And
he just cried because he had taught me something strong
and powerful, because Paul was telling the people at Athens about.
They worship stone and wood gods, but not us. We
worship a live God and him. We live and move
(35:13):
and have our being.
S7 (35:14):
Mhm.
S2 (35:16):
Honey, thank you for that. Thank you for that. It's
amazing what we can learn from each other. Patricia God
bless you for calling Denver. We're going to try to
get you after the break. But Robert anything you want
to speak to that again here's another situation. Someone's in
the land of suffering, but they found the secret of joy.
And it's it's a superpower. I mean, it really is
a spiritual weapon. I actually would go so far as
(35:36):
to say, I think when we find the joy of
the Lord to be our strength, it's an act of
spiritual warfare against the enemy, because he wants to steal
our strength by stealing our joy. What are your thoughts?
S3 (35:46):
Oh, well, I killed for for stories like Patricia just told.
I made notes and just watch for it to show
up in a sermon or a book.
S10 (35:54):
Yeah, I just I just.
S3 (35:55):
Love that 90 year old clapping and and, um, and
quoting that verse, there is nothing we can do to
other people to encourage them, like quoting scripture. There's nothing
we can do for ourselves that will help us more
than quoting scripture. We've got to preach to ourselves and
talk to ourselves, not listen to ourselves, but to talk
(36:15):
to ourselves using Scripture and giving ourselves a sermon. And
it helps if we, just, like Patricia did, memorize it
and commit it to the heart.
S2 (36:26):
So good. We're going to pause here. But that is
a question for you to think about today. Do you
ever talk to yourself? I guarantee you you do. So
if you've not redeemed your self-talk, you might be talking
yourself right into the ditch. I had a guest that
I don't remember who it was, but somebody said, we
don't rise to the level of our experience. We fall
to the level of our preparation. So what if you
(36:46):
prep now by developing a faith statement based on God's Word?
So next time that devil comes knocking, you say, I'm
a child of God and I'm going to stand in
faith and I will prevail through the storm because he'll
see to it. I'm Suzie Larson in for Chris Brooks,
talking to my friend Robert J. Morgan, and we'll be
back in just a moment.
S1 (37:27):
Each day on equip, we confront the cultural challenges of
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(37:50):
vital ministry. Call (888) 644-4144 or go online to equip Radio.com.
S2 (38:07):
This is equipped with Chris Brooks coming to you from
the studios of Moody Radio. I'm Susie Larson, filling in
for Chris today. It's been an honor to be in
the guest host seat today, talking about how to stand
firm in the faith. Talking with my friend Robert Morgan,
best selling author and pastor whose book, Whatever Happens How
to Stand Firm in Your Faith When the world is
falling apart. Our last point we're going to cover today.
And Lord willing, maybe we can sneak another one in there.
(38:29):
Given the time we have here is about this. Never,
ever think of quitting. Never, ever quit. You know, the
enemy doesn't have an endless supply of strength, and overwhelming
victory belongs to us. So don't quit. Before we talk
about that point, though, I want to get to Denver.
He's been on hold for quite a while. God bless you, Denver.
So sorry to keep you waiting. How do you stand
(38:49):
strong in the hard times?
S11 (38:52):
My faith statement is very simple. It's Proverbs three five
and six and I think, um, that those verses might
be so familiar that we kind of skip over them
or don't really think too deeply, but about them. But
that's just about our whole life and our whole relationship
(39:16):
with God. Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding. In all your
ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths. And, um,
you know, that's just, uh, that's just something that we
just really need to cling to. And do we believe
God and take him at his word? And, uh, if
(39:39):
we do, we've we've got to trust him with all
our heart.
S7 (39:43):
Yeah.
S2 (39:44):
Thank you. Denver. Thank you for holding. And thank you
for that word. And what I love about each of
these calls, Robert, is each of them are referencing Scripture.
They don't have, like, a self-help idea. They're all going,
this is my promise. This is where I'm landing. What
do you say.
S3 (39:59):
I go back to Proverbs three five and six over
and over again? I have found Susie that you cannot
wear out. Romans 828 and Proverbs three five and six.
It has no expiration date. There is no limitation of usages.
You can go to it over and over and over
and over again. And I just never get tired of it.
(40:22):
And I teach those two verses to my grandchildren. I
want them to memorize them, and when I'm going through
a very difficult time, sometimes I will just start quoting
to myself. Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart. And there
is just something very powerful about those two little verses
that that are slipped into that third chapter of Proverbs,
(40:44):
like sort of a diamond and a and a and
a jewelry box. And they're, they're just impossible to ever
they're not going to expire.
S2 (40:55):
Amen. Thank you for that. Thank you. Denver. So, Robert,
never think of quitting. Talk about that if you would. Because,
you know, in fact, someday we should do a show
where we take calls on friends who quit, wish they
wouldn't have, and those who didn't quit. And they were
glad they didn't. I mean, if we had time to
take calls on that, that would be fascinating to me. Uh,
because we often in the moment want relief and God
(41:18):
wants redemption. We just want a break. Just got to
get out of this uncomfortable moment and we will make
permanent decisions in a temporary stress, which is exactly what
the enemy wants us to do. So hearing this word
never think of quitting to me is maybe a lifeline
for somebody today who's thinking about quitting. What do you say?
S3 (41:35):
The Bible has a totally opposite perspective and viewpoint on aging.
It tells us that we become more valuable, more useful,
more experienced. We accumulate more grace. We learn to pray
better as we get older. And I'm 73 and one
of the verses I've adopted is Psalm 7110. Do not
(41:56):
forsake me, oh Lord, until I declare your power to
the next generation and your mighty deeds to all who
are to come. And the Apostle Paul in chapter three
here in Philippians said, I press on. He said, forgetting
what is behind, I press on towards the goal to
win the prize for the upward call of God in
Christ Jesus. And then he says, therefore, let us as
(42:19):
many as are mature, keep this perspective. The same perspective.
And if you think otherwise, God will straighten you out.
I'm paraphrasing that last part a little bit, but we
just want to go on. And there is a sense
in which sometimes we do it out of perseverance because
God has given us the quality of enduring. But most
(42:40):
of all, we do it out of enthusiasm because God
has laid before us continued service. And as long as
we're alive, we ought to wake up and say, dear Lord,
what do you want me to do today?
S7 (42:52):
Mhm.
S2 (42:52):
Amen. And how many days did you feel like you
were at the end of your road? End of your rope.
And you called on the Lord and the day turned
around in a moment because you called on God and
he arranged circumstances. Don't ever, ever quit. Call a friend
before you quit. We just got a couple of minutes left,
but I want to sneak in one more call. Jerry's
been waiting on hold. Calling in from Chicago. Jerry, we
only have about a minute, but can you share how
(43:15):
you stand in faith in the hard times?
S12 (43:17):
Yeah, I had some hard times. Hello. Thanks for letting
me be on the show. I had a hard time,
and several times I remember a particular time. I was
in a hard place and needed financial, and I was
caught by a train. And I didn't worry about that train.
I just took that time out and prayed. And, uh,
ever since then, after that, I ended up getting two
(43:40):
major contracts as a self-employed painter and the 3200 square
foot homes, uh, complete. And, uh, the scripture I use
is Luke 18 one men ought to always pray and
not faint. Mm. Hallelujah. And so then I prayed. And
(44:00):
every time I get caught by a train, I know
that's the time for me even right there to take
time out and pray. Don't worry about that train leaving.
Just stay there. Keep your eyes open. Don't take my
head off. And I pray and I pray in the morning.
Pray all the time. But when I get caught by
a train, I know the Lord say that's time to pray.
S2 (44:19):
I love you, Jerry. I'm not saying I'm speaking for
the Lord, but I just might be. I think as
you paint, you're also called to be a preacher. So
I'm just praying God opens up some doors for you
to be behind a pulpit. Don't you think he'd be
amazing behind a pulpit?
S3 (44:33):
I love that as long as you pray when you're
caught by a train, you'll never go off the tracks.
S2 (44:38):
Yeah. Hey, there you go. That's going in a Robert's
next book as well. Just so you know, Jerry. Thank you.
That is a good word, don't you think?
S3 (44:46):
Yes, it sure is. And that's what Paul said in
Philippians chapter four. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything
by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be
made known to God. And the peace of God which
passes or transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus. So what Jerry said, I'll
(45:10):
just it is going into a book. I just love
that because it's emblematic of what? The techniques. You know, Suzy,
finding different techniques that remind us to pray during the day.
I've never heard of getting caught by a train before,
but I'm going to add that to my little list
of techniques.
S2 (45:28):
Wow. Well, you know what? This conversation today hopefully served
as a reminder for us that you're not alone. And
we're in this together, and God is with you. He's
never present. Help in times of trouble. Robert. Thank you.
Thank you for the time today. You're always such a
wealth of wisdom and encouragement, and I continue to pray
God's richest blessings on you today.
S3 (45:49):
Thank you and the same to you, Susie. And God
bless you all. All the listeners. Thank you.
S2 (45:54):
Love Moody Radio so much. You guys are my home
away from home. It's been such an honor to sit
in the guest host chair today. I challenge you to
get your faith statement down. I don't remember who said
that quote, but we don't rise to the level of
our current experience. We fall to the level of our preparation.
So find a faith statement that God is giving you
that's based on God's Word. Stomp your foot. declare it
out loud. And remember you're a child of God and
(46:16):
His word is alive. Once the enemy gets wind of that,
you know who you are. He'll go knocking on some
other door. I hope you found some encouragement here today.
If you need more information about our guests, you can
visit us online at org that's equipped.org. I'm Susie Larson
from all of us at equipped. I just want to
say thanks so much for listening today. We love you.
(46:36):
We appreciate you. We're in this together. Remember this to
equipped is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of
Moody Bible Institute. God bless you. We'll meet you back
here next time.
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