Miracles

This is Hans Scheil from the Finishing Well Podcast. On Finishing Well, we help you make godly choices about Medicare, long-term care, and your money. Your chosen Truth Network Podcast is starting in just seconds.

Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and choosing the Truth Podcast Network. Every man craves a great adventure, but life doesn't usually feel that way. Jesus speaks of narrow gates and wide roads, but the masculine journey is filled with many twists and turns.

So how do we keep from losing heart while trying to find the good way when life feels more like a losing battle than something worth dying for? Grab your gear and come on a quest with your band of brothers who will serve as the guides in what we call the masculine journey. The masculine journey starts here now.

Welcome to the masculine journey. We are glad that you're with us this week, and it is Memorial Day weekend. Isn't that amazing, guys?

It's like the end of May already. It's crazy. Not all of you talk at once.

They can't hear you shaking your head. Time flies. So crazy. Thank you, Dave. I appreciate that.

Yeah, no problem. David. Anyway, yeah, it's crazy. It's already the end of May.

It seems like the year's already flying by. And you would think Memorial Day, we would do the topic on something to do with Memorial Day. We've done that. We've done that the last few years. And instead, we want to, you know, I don't know how to say what I want to say, so I'm just going to pass it. Rodney, what do you have to say?

I was just going to say, when do we ever do anything that makes sense? That's a fact. And right now, I'm right in there.

I'm right in that room. You're still curious. I mean, why do we even need a topic? Right. Yeah, we did that topic. Not that. Yeah, not that topic.

Yeah. So, what this week's topic is, is what miracles have you seen in your life? And so we're going to obviously play some clips like we always do, and we're going to talk about it, but a lot of what we're going to share is where we've seen miracles in our life. You know, and then we're also going to have either this segment, you know, in this show or in the after hours, we're going to have a thing that we all may disagree on, on Rodney's clip. So to speak, you know, Rodney's clip may bring something that we have different viewpoints on. So if you don't listen to it, if it's not in the regular... Like, what's a topic? Yeah, if it's not in the regular show, you definitely want to get into the after hours and listen to, you know, Riddick kill Rodney. We won't.

We won't. Oh, I know y'all agree with me. Is that the title of the show? Yeah, it's called Riddick Kill Rodney. Yeah, no, it's What Miracles Have You Seen, and so I'm going to go ahead and play my clip because I like to. And, you know, it's the only time this clip's going to actually make sense on this topic, and so I'm going to go ahead and play it. But for those of us that were around, David, in 1980, we might remember... I've seen the movie. You've seen the movie, but you weren't around. Yeah, I remember it live.

He is round, but he wasn't round. Make sure y'all listen to the after show one, Rodney. That's going to be a real good one. So basketball, baby, or a sport that you're familiar with. All right, so the clip that I have is from the movie Miracle, right, and it's about the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid in which the Americans beat the Russians. It was not in the title game as a lot of people would think. It was not for the gold medal.

It was in the semifinal round, but it was probably one of the largest sports upsets ever. And if you weren't around or you didn't pay attention to it, the reason it made it such a big upset was that's back in the Olympics when we were using college players. And so we specifically only used amateurs, and Russia was using professionals. They didn't have a professional.

They didn't play in the NHL or anything, but they were paid players that played year round, which made them professionals, and they beat everybody. And earlier, a few weeks earlier, they had stomped the Americans and embarrassed them, actually. And so this is when they came back and beat them. And so we're going to listen to that and talk about it, but listen to the last little bit. That's the most important part of the clip.

...28 seconds. The crowd going insane. Carlemont shooting it into the American end again. Morrow is back there. Now Johnson, 19 seconds. Johnson over to Ramsey.

Do you like it or not? Gets checked by Ramsey. The plan of hand is there.

The puck is still loose. 11 seconds. You've got 10 seconds. The countdown going on right now. Morrow up to solve.

Five seconds left in the game. Do you believe in miracles? Yes! Unbelievable. We were talking before the show and we were listening to clips together, you know, because we all listen to them before we come in to do the show and kind of talk through them a little bit. And I can't listen to that clip and not get goosebumps, you know, because it was such an amazing upset. And even though that was a miracle from what we look at from a sports perspective, you know, a big upset like that, that's not the miracles we're talking about today, but the question that Al Michaels asked there is really important. Do you believe in miracles?

Because you either believe in what God says in his word or you don't. And he says in his words that miracles happen. You know, the Bible's full of miracles that happen. And we're going to talk about some of those, but then we'll also talk about miracles that we feel have happened in our lives that were miracles to us personally. And so we're going to kind of go through some of that. But anybody want to throw anything in before I maybe get to another clip or you guys have anything you want to add?

I don't think so. We're all silent. I'm still trying to find the clips. I mean, I'm still kind of trying to get my thoughts and words together, but I mean, that was... You'll figure it out. Yeah, I know.

That was pretty miracle of you in there. So, well, actually, yeah, that was pretty cold, really. It was. Yeah.

Anyway. So, Harold, you have a clip. Yes. I know this is like, what, the third clip maybe? Maybe.

Third or fourth. So this is like a special occasion. So we definitely want to get this clip in before we go to break.

So you want to tell us a little bit about it and we'll play it? Well, first, I want to thank Rodney. He did a clip for me. I'm still inept at that. But I was going out on YouTube to search for a clip to use, thinking that it would be something about a near miss on the highway, which I've had several of. But this clip popped up. I've never seen the movie, but this clip just reached out and grabbed me. It's from Fiddler on the Roof. And it's a young man.

I don't know the pronunciation, but it was spelled Motel. And he is in a forest glade and he is just running circles around his bride to be singing about to break his face. He's grinning so big. And when I saw that, it was like, that's me. That sort of mirrors my situation because I was never planning to be married.

I was going to be a Navy pilot, had passed the written exam for AOC. A guy that aided the boarding house where I work tricked me into a blind date with his sister and kapow. When I saw her, my chin bounced off the floor. I was had from the instant.

And this just says that to me over and over that God's hand was involved because we believe that he intended for us to be husband and wife. I've been in love with that woman for 60 and a half years. June the 6th, we will have been married 59. And so she's my sweetie.

And this song that he does just grabs me. So I'm assuming you've only known her 16 and a half years. There wasn't like a, you've known her like 62 and a year and a half.

You didn't love her so much. None of it. Yeah, I figured it was, you don't her 16 and a half years. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. All right.

We'll go ahead and play it. I thought you were wonderful. Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles. God took a Daniel once again. Stood by his side and miracle of miracles. Walked him through the lion's den. Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles.

I was afraid that God would frown. But like he did so long ago in Jericho, God just made a wolf fall down. When Moses softened Pharaoh's heart, that was a miracle. When God made the waters of the Red Sea part, that was a miracle too. But of all God's miracles, large and small, the most miraculous one of all is that out of a worthless lump of clay, God has made a man today. Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles. God took the tailor by the hand, turned him around and miracle of miracles led him to the Promised Land when David slew Goliath. Yes, that was a miracle. When God gave us manna in the wilderness, that was a miracle too. But of all God's miracles, large and small, the most miraculous one of all is the one I thought could never be. God has given you to me.

Go ahead Harold. Oh yeah, that's it. That's it, that's all you got?

That says it all. It does, it was very good. I like that clip for the reason you used it for one, but two, it does go through a lot of the miracles. Like the walls of Jericho falling down and parting of the Red Sea and the manna and a lot of the stuff that is in Scripture that talks about the miracles. And so I'm going to go ahead and share one of the miracles that God's kind of laid on my heart that as I thought about this topic.

This topic came up a few weeks back as part of a group of people, three people got up in front of church and answered some questions that people had submitted and one of the questions they submitted is what miracles have you seen in your life? And so that really prompted me to think about that and ask you guys because I want to hear what, you know, more about your stories. And so the one that he really had on my heart the last few days is when my first wife and I were married and we were separated and divorcing. I had custody, not custody, but I had my two daughters living with me and she lived separate. I didn't officially have custody.

And we went for several months before she saw them and she started taking them occasionally on the weekend, you know, for a few days. But I never knew exactly where she lived because she would move from one place to another pretty quickly and so I never really knew where she was and one time she took the girls for the weekend and just didn't bring them back. Sunday night she wouldn't answer the phone, you know, they weren't coming back and I didn't know what to do. Now this was before cell phones, this was before anything like that, you know, and so the only thing we could do the next morning is I went to the courthouse to say, okay, what can I do? And so I went to the courthouse and while I'm there and I'm like, God, I don't know what I can do here. You know, I have no power. This is in the early or mid 80s.

Yeah, early, yeah, mid 80s, late 80s. And so dads just didn't get custody of kids. And so I'm like, wow, I don't have custody. I don't have a leg to stand on.

Don't know what I'm going to do. Don't have any way to get a hold of her. And she basically told me at the courthouse, unless she happens to walk in, you have no say so. She walks right in.

She literally walks in like a few minutes later and they hustled us off to a mediator and about an hour and a half later, I left with the girls. You know, and so for me, that was a real miracle because if she just would have not came in, if I happened to not be there when they came in, you know, it could have been a totally different outcome for the girls and where they were raised and just our whole life in general. And, you know, and for me, I had no options, obviously, but to turn to God and say, God, I just need you here. You know, and it was almost like, you know, cue God, here's the thing. And here she comes walking in and I'm like, well, there she is right there. So for me, that was a miracle.

You may not see it that way, but for me, it was definitely a miracle and I could see God's hand in it. So we're going to go to break and we come back. We're going to talk more about this, but you can go to masculine journey.org to register for the upcoming bootcamp. There's also time to go see us in West Virginia, but you got to do it this week.

You got to do it right away. We'll talk with you after break. What we have at our boot camp is something that makes you stronger and gives you the strength to go on your regular walk with God. It's something that will make you be bigger than you were when you got there. I've been coming regularly and it's just such a blessing. When you guys invited me, I was at the worst time of my Christian walk. I was going through some things. The first time I came, I don't know if you remember, I was going to walk.

I couldn't stand up straight and I'm walking now. I ain't running around the lake yet, but you know. The greatest things is just being around a group of men that love the Lord and sharing His kindness and His love. All of you guys, I done sat and talked with all of you guys, different occasions, different conversations, and it's all been unique and refreshing. You guys gave me a whole different perspective in life and you can't hide the true, genuine love of God. You can't hide it. Register today at masculinejourney.org. Welcome back to Masculine Journey. That is Hawk Nelson that sang that song and the song is called Miracles.

Go figure. I think he says miracles quite a bit there, but I really didn't know that song. I Googled it and found it and there were some other songs, but I really like this one because it talks about specifically, like Harold's clip did, miracles that are in the Bible.

The seas that were parting, the flame that burned at night so that they could follow it in the desert. The empty tomb, all miracles that are described there. We're going to continue the topic on miracles, but just really kind of enjoyed that song.

You're up next, Chuck. Well, the moment you sent out the topic for this week, Sam, I just immediately went to Paul. I don't think there's any greater miracle. I know there's plenty of miracles, but just in my own life, talking about miracles with myself and my children, with my wife, just that encounter with Christ, you know, the true Christ. When that happens, there's a transformation that takes place. Paul even tells us that we're a new creation in 2 Corinthians.

It's amazing to see that and I don't know that there's any greater joy than when I see that in my children as well. All of them are walking with Christ right now and it's all due to him and what he did. When I look at that topic, I just go back to Paul and his decisions, the way he handled himself was all rooted in his childhood. He was a very intelligent man.

He was well schooled. He was raised by Pharisees and he honestly thought that he was doing the work of God as he was persecuting the church and he was just out there giving it his all. But then you see that encounter with Christ and it just completely transforms him. He's blinded and it makes him step back and just that whole encounter makes him change his whole way, even to the point where those that knew him beforehand were like, is this the same guy? He was killing people.

He was throwing them in prison. It's just that change. I feel like the church is somewhat, not every church, but that whole walk with Christ has been a little bit downplayed. It tells us all of heaven rejoices when a sinner comes to Christ.

We should be rejoicing as well. We should come along beside that person and just go with them along that walk. It's a process. We don't become perfect overnight, but in Christ we do, but it's a lifetime process. If you want to go ahead and play the clip, it's from Paul, the apostle of Christ, and it kind of goes back.

Just hear his words here and it's pretty powerful. I was in the temple keeping fruit in my fasts, my prayers. Stephen was out in the streets bringing charity to widows and orphans, preaching truth to drunks and the crippled. I was blameless in the ancient law of Israel while Stephen was blaspheming on the very holy ground of God.

So what did you do? We spread lies, created an uproar that had him brought to trial. What did he argue? That Jesus was the Messiah and the temple of God was no longer the only place where God could be worshipped. Blasphemy.

I heard his final words even amongst the roar of the crowd. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Lord, do not hold this sin against them. Even in death, a final blasphemy on his lips.

In that moment, I vowed to destroy all those that spoke of this Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. The amazing thing here is just us trusting God. I spoke about my children just a minute ago and how they're all with Christ and walking with him. The amazing thing about that, I can remember in each of my childhood before they were born, it was just that anticipation wanting to meet them. What are they going to look like? What personality are they going to have?

Are they going to like some of the same things that I do? But the thing that you have to step back and realize is God knew them before I did. He formed them. He knew them.

And that's where we just trust God. If you put yourself in a position beside Paul, do you think we would have chosen him to lead the early church? Probably not. We'd be like, who? Him?

No. But it's all about trusting God. I mean, he knew Paul before he took him on that journey. Even before he met Christ, God knew what he was doing and he knew how he was going to use Paul. And I just think that message is very powerful. Yeah, I agree. It talks about God knowing the numbers of hairs on everybody's head, and as I look around the room, for some of you, I can actually dictate that.

And for others, it would be much tougher. Danny's not here. I would specifically call him out. Danny and Wayne are out, so I guess you're talking about me. Yeah, I'm kind of talking about you, Andy. I did want to call you out, but it's weird to call yourself out. Yeah, yeah.

I'm not that dumb. And technically, there's still hair there. Technically.

I guess. So anyway, speaking of Danny, we are missing Danny. He's not here this week, and Robby's not here with us. We still miss Wayne. Hopefully, he'll come back and see us someday. Wayne, if you're listening, please come see us. Grant, we miss seeing you. I know it sounds like we have a lot of people here, which we do, but we still miss all of our brothers that aren't here with us. And so, if I missed anybody, I think I covered everybody, but we do miss everybody, and so hope they come.

There's, I think, eight of us here this day. Seven of us, you'll hear talk on the radio, and then we may convince Art to get up here, but we're not sure yet. Sometimes we can. But we have another clip we're going to go ahead and play, and Andy, you want to go ahead? Yeah, believe it or not, I'm going to play a Forrest Gump clip in the first clip.

In the first clip? Do we have time? Yeah, unfortunately, we have time for the Forrest Gump clip.

I think it's a miracle that you're playing a Forrest Gump clip. I agree. Yeah. Period. Period. Well, it's through a lot of prayer. Yeah. And fasting.

In fact, well, no, you look at me, I'm not fasting. So this is Forrest Gump when he's talking with his mom, and he just basically points out the frequency of miracles, or I think he's talking with somebody else about what his mom had told him. But it goes on basically where he, if you haven't seen it, he has leg problems, polio or something, and he's got braces on, and he's always picked on.

And this is really him coming out. This is a visual clip, so I should have cleaned it up a little bit more. There's a lot of, but just get the visual, you've probably seen Forrest Gump. The point is, I guess, is that his life became a multitude of miracles, really extraordinary things that happened in his life, and they came out of some pretty tough situations. But it was his, he was looking for miracles.

He was looking for something beyond what his experience was of being a young man that didn't have a father, had a mother that loved him, but that really had a disability and was struggling with it. Yeah, and if you haven't seen the movie, as you're listening to this clip, what's going on is Forrest is getting picked on. Right.

And his friend Jenny, or Janae, tells him to run, right, and he's got these leg braces on, and as he starts to run, the leg braces fall off. Right. And so we'll listen to the rest of the clip. My mom always told me that miracles happen every day. Some people don't think so, but they do. Hey, dummy!

Are you proud of the just playing stoop? No, I'm Forrest Gump. Just run away, Forrest. Run, Forrest, run away! Hurry!

Get the bikes! Hurry up, let's get it! Oh, look out, dummy, here we come!

Gonna get you! Run, Forrest, run! Run, Forrest!

We're back here, you! Run, Forrest, run! Now, you wouldn't believe it if I told you that I could run like the wind blows. That day on, if I was going somewhere, I was running. So that running took him quite a few places. All-American football returning kicks for Alabama, right, Harold?

You know, running around the country and stuff. But his life, I mean, it was a life-changing moment. It's like when we really figure out in our identity who we are. But I think there's a lot to be said. We talk a lot about identity, and I wasn't really going to talk about that.

But it positions us. If your identity is a son of God, it positions you for a supernatural experience with God. I mean, we may not see Red Sea's part. We may not see frogs in Egypt or all these different things. We may not see the manna, but essentially we do, I think, in our personal lives. And this is some of the debate for the second show of there is something extraordinary about the miracles and what we see in Scripture. But with that said, I think God, what we're in is the chapter of the story of God that those individual things should be happening in a part of our life. I consider anything supernatural a miracle to me.

It may not be the true definition. But, you know, just some miracles that have happened in my life. I think probably, you know, I was telling the story before, you know, this could just be, again, this is not, it was just where God protected me in a traffic situation. I was coming back from Missouri in the winter in a Camaro, crossed a bridge, accelerated and should not have. I'm about to go sideways and I say, Jesus?

And I should have been spinning round and round by that time and the car straightens immediately up. I mean, there's just things like that. I've had other stuff that I can talk about. But I was also talking about just the miracle of transformation, of allowing him day by day. To me, our spiritual transformation is the journey from Egypt to the promised land. And there was continual miracles in that and there should be continual miracles in our day by day of interacting with God and allowing to come in. I think God points out many times, you know, where we think we have a form of godliness but deny the power of. We're trying to live this life without an interactive relationship with him and we're not living off of his power. So to me, those are day by day miracles that we need to live it out. Yeah, I agree.

And I think that when you look back at the miracles that Jesus performed, right, when he healed the blind, I'm sure those were incredible miracles to the individuals that felt that, right, that lived that transformation. Go to masculinejourney.org to register for the upcoming boot camp. It's the weekend before Thanksgiving in November. But it's the weekend before Thanksgiving and also we have the West Virginia trip next week. If you want to go to our website, it's at the very top. You can click the link and go from there. We'll talk with you next week.