Welcome to Truth Talk Live. All right, let's talk. A daily program powered by the Truth Network. This is kind of a great thing, and I'll tell you why. Where pop culture, current events, and theology all come together.
Speak your mind. And now, here's today's Truth Talk Live host. Now, the Easter season is upon us now, in present time. I mean, you can't miss it. And I bet you're like so many of us that, you know, how can we make the absolute most, how can we make this season more than we've ever had before? Or, you know, however it is that we can push into it like we've never pushed. And so, as you are preparing to survey the wondrous cross this season, how are you doing that?
I mean, what is their scripture? Is there art? Are there activities that you're preparing to do? Have you gone to see the chosen, perhaps? Or what is it that you are, and believe me, I went to see it on Sunday, and it was outstanding, in my opinion, in so many different ways.
Maybe you didn't have that feeling, and we'd love to hear what your thoughts are. Eight, six, six, three, four, eight, seven, eight, eight, four, eight, six, six, three, four, truth. Maybe you've taken up Dr. Date the Word Carson's 20 chapters for 20 days to Easter, and you've gone through the book of John. Going through. You're going through the book of John, and so today being the, what, seventh?
Mm-hmm. Then you are in chapter seven. Yeah, read John seven today. And so, how fun, right? An April to believe.
An April to believe. Or, and maybe you know this, that Passover itself is this Saturday, and so maybe you're going to a Seder meal, and I hope you are, and if you don't have one to go to, I can assure you we have one. That we are going to have ours at Tequila D Church in Ramsboro, North Carolina.
It's a Christian car guy Passover Seder. I've done it for years and years, and it is going to be exciting. You're going to be there, right?
Dr. Date the Word will be there, and I'll be there. It's only $20 per person, and we'll have real lamb and real matzo that my wife, actually, we grind the wheat and the barley and the rye, and that will all be made by hand, and you have to really appreciate it. But more than that is, oh, the richness of how that Passover meal is a picture of what Jesus was going to do, and again, if you went to see. And then he did.
And then he did. Yeah, and if you've been to see the New Chosen, which is the Last Supper, oh, and all of a sudden all those candles in front of everybody will mean things to you you hadn't thought about before. So we would love, oh, we would love to know how you are preparing to survey the wondrous cross this season.
Eight, six, six, three, four, eight, seven, eight, eight, four, eight, six, six, three, four, eight, seven, eight, eight, four. And again, there's nothing like the word, right, Dr. Carson? Nothing like the word as one prepares for Easter, just like we would prepare for Christmas. What's the reason for the season? You want to you want to immerse yourself in the scriptures. And as we were thinking about this show today, I was impacted greatly as I started my spiritual journey on a Christmas on an Easter evening service at Oakdale Baptist Church in Madison Heights, Virginia. It happened to be on a fifth Sunday, and because it was a fifth Sunday, a deacon had to conduct that service. That's what they had done at this church to develop their deacons. And this deacon, Rodney Hickambottom, got up that night and he said, I'm not going to preach a sermon.
I'm just going to read the Easter story. And he had picked it out segment by segment and read through the crucifixion, the burial, the resurrection. And I walked away that night so enriched, I thought that was one of the best things I'd ever been a part of because I just listened to the scriptures, read the scriptures with my eyes. This is what Jesus has done for me.
How cool is that? So did he pick him out of all the gospels? Yes. Kind of had like a harmony. And so instead of reading all four, because if you read all the all four gospels going from the triumphant entry all the way to the resurrection, you got twenty nine chapters to read. Well, you can't read all those in one setting. But one reason we're doing this show here on the on the seventh, 13 days away, is to challenge people to start preparing. What are you going to read next week?
What chapters are you going to really dive into? You may not be with us right now on April to believe with date the word, but join us Saturday because now we're getting into John 12 and now we're into the Easter week. And and then we're going to read on each day. We're reading something that Jesus did really on Thursday night, as I believe Jesus died on Friday. So as as that supper is taking place, you're reading John 13. And then Jesus is going to talk to them about I'm going to leave you, but I'm I'm going to leave you with I'm bringing something to you, the comforter. And then he prays for him. And then we get to John 18. And it's the crucifix.
He's now being tried. And then we get to Chapter 19, the crucifixion. And Pilate is going to say, behold the man. And that's what we want to do for Easter. We want to get a great glimpse of who Jesus is and what he did. And then on Easter Sunday morning, this John 20. And he is risen. Mary Magdalene gets to see him and it's like he's alive. And they're in shock.
They can't believe that the disciples like, are you kidding me? Yes, he's alive. And Thomas, he's going, unless I see because he wasn't there when he first showed up. Well, I've got to see the prince in his hands. OK. All right. You're going to see him.
And it's going to be real. Yeah. So how are you? How are you preparing to survey the wondrous cross this season? Eight, six, six, three, four, eight, seven, eight, eight, four, eight, six, six, three, four, eight, seven, eight, eight, four. Maybe you are reading a fabulous book, one of which, you know, our boss here, the Truth Network, Stu Everson wrote Last Words of Jesus because he wrote the first words of Jesus. And the last words of Jesus are just absolutely Stu did. He studied so much. I mean, I was with him through this journey and I can't tell you how many chapters he would come to me with this and that. And then the next thing you know, he'd add 50 more things because he did so much research and he tied together so many things in such a little book.
But it's so amazing. Last words of Jesus buys two. But there's other great ones we're going to talk about. But what we really want to hear is from you.
Eight, six, six, three, four, eight, seven, eight, eight, four, eight, six, six, three, four. Truth. How are you preparing to survey the wondrous cross this year? We'll be right back with a whole lot more. Welcome back to Truth Talk Live. How fun today.
How are you? I mean, really, really, I get so much out of my life of preparing for these feasts that, you know, God, he instituted these things. And I don't know if you realize that this is like, if I'm not mistaken, like the thirty three thousand three hundred and forty fifth Passover celebration since it was instituted. The longest celebration of all time to paint the picture of preparing the way for the wondrous cross. And so how are you doing that?
Eight, six, six, three, four, eight, seven, eight, eight, four, eight, six, six, three, four, eight, seven, eight, eight, four. And we were talking right before the break about, you know, great books. You know, something that you could read in the season that would really help you begin to think of like, oh, my goodness, what all.
I mean, how can we really grasp something that's ungraspable? But it's still funded and so meaningful to have that fresh in our own spirit. And Dr. Carson, one of your favorites is, in fact, I think you said during the break there has never been a more impactful in your life book than what? A Violent Grace by Michael Card, and it's fully titled A Violent Grace Meeting Christ at the Cross. And I came across it and just just the titles.
Grab the chapter titles. He was born to die so I could be born to new life. He was arrested and bound so I could be rescued from bondage.
He stood trial alone. So I might have an advocate. He was wounded so I could be healed. He endured mockery. So I could know dignity and joy. He shed his blood so I could be white as snow. He was forsaken by the father so I would never be rejected. These are just some of the titles of each chapter.
There are 21 of them. For Easter, I can't recommend a book that I believe will do more to your heart than A Violent Grace by Michael Card. I believe you can get it on Amazon and just take your time and just let God speak to you because he highlights what Jesus is going through when we think about he endured hostility of sinners. Hebrews chapter 12 verse 3. He endured the hostility of sinners. Peter said he suffered. You go to the Apostles Creed and it said he suffered under Pontius Pilate to think about the sufferings of Christ. The things he endured so that he could be the perfect sacrifice and provide for us salvation. We go back, why would we want to survey the wondrous cross? Isaac Watts said, Where the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small, love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all. And I think when we get a great glimpse, Robbie, of what Christ did at reading A Violent Grace, reading the last words of Jesus, reading scripture helps us to realize what a savior we have.
Yeah. And I, you know, you know, one of the things I was in my sermon yesterday, I really, God caught my attention with it before I shared it. Was that I have this problem with thinking that I'm lovable, right? Or that I deserve anything.
You know, I just have this agreement actually that I've made that I'm not worth all that much. But see, when you truly get, when he says it demands your soul, your all, it's like, see how much he, not just anybody, not just anybody loved you, see how much he loved you. Because, you know, I do realize that, yes, it was the Roman soldier who said, Forgive him for he knows not what he was doing. But, you know, ultimately it was us, it was me that put that nail there. And it was him that was loving me to that extent. But to begin to fathom the amount of love that is, is why we got to survey.
You know, in my opinion it's just, it's beyond cool. When we think of the great verses about who Jesus is, what he did for us, John 3.16. But I've always been a Romans 5.8 person. But God demonstrated his love toward us.
And that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. That verse has captivated me since the day I got saved. How could he love a sinner like me? And then I read that, this is his love. This is his love. He demonstrated love. And then when I experienced that love and realized God loved me, then I love him. And if I love him, I want to love other people who are unlovable, unlovely. And the same love that Jesus showed me, he'll show them. And you may be listening right now and you feel unlovable and that you've done too much in the world of sin. He says, come to me. Call on me. Though your sins be scarlet, let us reason.
I'll make them white as snow. And then experience that love because he did. He sent his son to die for us while we were sinners.
Or maybe you're thinking about something that transformed you because when you surveyed it, this is something you realized that you knew your soul needed. We would love to hear that testimony, right? And you would encourage so many people by doing that. If God's put it on your heart to do that, you got to dial the phone. 866-348-7884.
866-348-7884. You had talked about before the show, it was so beautiful. I wish everybody could have heard it. How Satan continued his same line of, his same strategy from the wilderness of saying if, if, if, all the way that as he taunted him all those days prior to and there at the cross. You know, when you get to the cross, Jesus is hanging on the cross and all of a sudden, as people are coming by, they go, hey, hey, if you're the son of God, come off. And the religious leader said it. And then the soldier said it. And then the thief on the cross said it. If you are, he's being tempted, but he resisted temptation.
He's obeyed his father, obedient unto death. There you go. Some of us are not going to be back with all the rest of this.
We need to call 866-348-7884. Welcome back to Truth Talk Live. Today's show is how are you preparing to survey the wondrous, wondrous, wondrous cross in this season as we are headed up on the 20 days of April towards Easter.
And if you're following along with Dr. Carson's plan to read a chapter of the Gospel of John a day, and then you were in John chapter 7 today, and, or maybe there's some other way that, you know, God has got you in a book or some type of study. But a couple other ways that we both dearly love, really, really do. One of those is art. Yes. Right. And actually, for a lot of us that are here, actually, although we kind of lost our Winston-Salem audience before we got to this, but many people know that Winston-Salem ends with the word Salem.
Maybe you don't know why, but Doc, share. Well, we go back to the Moravians settled this area, and the Moravians were started by a guy named Count Zinzendorf. And Count Zinzendorf, boy, he hit the world by the tail.
Rich, good looking, he had everything. And one day he found himself in a cathedral, and he noticed something at the front, and it kind of bothered him. What is that picture up there? And a guy came up and said, you're too far away from it. You've got to get closer. And so he started walking closer, and the closer he got, the more he didn't like what he was seeing. And it's like, what an awful looking picture, painting. And it wasn't that painting was bad, it's what he's seeing in it. But as he kept getting closer, the usher urged him, get closer, get closer.
And then he said, get lower, get lower. And now right at the painting, the painting is entitled, E.C. Homo, behold the man, a guy by the name of FETI, F-E-T-I, painted this, and he had written at the bottom, behold, this is what I have done for you.
What have you done for me? And it changed Count Zinzendorf's life. He's like, I've got to serve the Lord Jesus. And he goes down and starts this whole movement called the Moravians.
So that's where the Moravians come from, that's where our town Salem comes from, peace. And we get it was artwork. And there's just something about through the generations, the centuries, artists have taken time to give us a picture of what we see in scripture to try to bring it more to life. Rembrandt was excellent at doing that. And I think you've seen a painting of Rembrandt called The Descent.
Tell us about that. Yeah, so a number of years ago, my wife and I had won a cruise from Chrysler, and we went to St. Petersburg, Russia back actually before the wall came down. And so it was still communist, you know, the old communist Russia at the time that we actually got in there. And lots of funny stories about that. But nonetheless, as I'm walking through this museum that's there in St. Petersburg, and what had happened is during the invasion of Germany by the Russians, they came across all these stashes of French painting. So the Russians stole them from the Germans who had stolen them from the French. And that's how they ended up with all these unbelievable masterpieces of fine art.
And so there they were in this museum in St. Petersburg. And I'm walking through, and I wouldn't know a Rembrandt from a, you know, whatever. From a Carson? From a Carson, yeah.
I wouldn't know anything. And I'm just, you know, okay, it's a bunch of paintings, you know, like any other tourist, you know. And all of a sudden, my jaw just dropped, and I looked, and I was like, oh my soul, look at that painting. And the painting is a picture of them taking Jesus off the cross. But it's one thing to see that painting, you know, in a book somewhere, and I've seen it in books.
I saw it right on Dr. Carson's computer a minute ago. But no, no, unless you see that painting in person, they're taking Jesus off the cross, but oh my goodness, the light that is, and the museum there was kind of dark, but as much as I looked at it from every angle I could look at it, the light was coming out of the painting somehow. In other words, the master that he obviously was, Rembrandt, he had used the different tones to create light coming out of this painting. And however he looked at it, it was miraculous. And you could see that this was clearly the Son of God that was being taken off this cross. And it was something that I don't know, that you can't catch it the way that I said it. And I stood there for like, I don't know, 15, 20 minutes until all the whole, Tammy was going, we gotta go, we gotta go.
Finally, the tour guide comes and says, Mr. Dimmore, we have got to go. You cannot, I didn't want to come away from it because it was such an experience. It touches that, just what you said, your soul. Like, oh my goodness, this was God. And the beauty that we have today with Google is that you can Google Christian art for Easter. And I did it years ago and I just pulled up all kinds of paintings that I wanted to look at.
And then I'd post them on Facebook. I wanted other people to see them because there's something about, again, a painting, what's that statement? A painting is a thousand words, a picture's worth a thousand words. And there's just something about being able to look and see those thorns on his head. To see those stripes on his back, the nails in his hands.
And you're surveying the wondrous cross. You're thinking about, he's doing this for me. And so we would encourage you as you prepare, start thinking about artwork to consider, to ponder. Or maybe there was an artwork you saw.
Yes. Man, call us. We would love to hear. I mean, everybody would love to enjoy that art that you saw.
866-348-7884, 866-348-7884. Maybe it's a hymn. Yes. I would love to hear from our listeners your most impactful. I don't know if I want to, some of these aren't our favorite, but they're so impactful. We were going off when I surveyed the wondrous cross, but at last and did my savior bleed at Calvary. And I know this is I'm preparing for Easter.
I'm thinking about a sunrise service that somebody better be singing up from the grave heroes. Those are those. That's not just a great memory of my growing up. That's spiritual truth right there. Right. Or maybe that's an Easter play that you write that that you've your church is doing this year or you bend to them. And, you know, I should.
Yes. The passion of the movie. But, you know, I'm trying to think of that song that they always, you know, whenever there's an Easter play, you know, Arise My Love. That's what I like.
Oh, my goodness. You know, you know, it's coming. And then all of a sudden, baboom, they hit you with that. And no song that a song worthy is the lamb. And I every Easter, I'm going to be listening to that starting next Monday. And the tears just flow. I start getting ready to cry. Right. And just thinking about because, yeah, that the statement of statement, we get to heaven, Robbie, worthy is the lamb.
Oh, that's going to be the statement. And, you know, that's the neat thing about tears, is you can see God through them so clearly. Your eyes weren't meant to make them. You can't see without tears.
I don't know if you knew that, but they're part of the deal. 866, maybe something that makes you cry an Easter. 866-348-7884.
866-348-7884. Of course, for me and I know for Dr. Carson, one of the things I can assure you we are surveying is his wonderful word. And just this morning, I was digging into the difference between freedom and liberty.
Right. Because what Jesus did and not just Good Friday and all the things that happened at the cross, but obviously through the whole Easter experience of his freedom. But to an extent, what he really gained for us was not freedom, but liberty. And so as I dug into those words in Hebrew, I've discovered something beautiful that I can't completely relate to you in English, but I'm going to do my best, that the idea of liberty is the idea of returning a flow of going back to what you originally designed to be. That you're going to a place of sonship and you're going to a place, not a lack of authority, because freedom would indicate that you are not under authority. You're free to move about the country. You're free to do whatever it is that you want to do. But that wasn't what Jesus was. He completely, as you said before the show, right, that he became obedient unto death.
Right. Obedient unto death, meaning under his father's authority and that liberty is there. And I was just pondering that the beauty of being at liberty under sonship rather than just being free from anything. How about you? What are you thinking about? 866-348-7884. We'd love to hear from you. Give us a call. We'll be right back. Welcome back to True Talk Live, today's subject that I have just been so excited about and so excited that we have some callers to share with us.
How are you preparing to survey the wondrous cross this season? And we have Rebekah is in Ohio. Rebekah, you're on True Talk Live. Good evening. Are you with us, Rebekah?
Oh yes, I'm here. I just wanted to say, you talk about the artwork or songs that really touch your heart at Easter. And I can't even tell you the name of the song, but when I was a kid about 30 years ago, I remember singing this song and it said, Does he still feel the nails every time I fail? Does he still hear the crowd cry crucify again?
I know I have to change because I can't bear the thought of hurting him again. And I have no idea what this song is even called, but that song has never left me in 30 years. It was very impactful. Do you know that song, Dr. Carson? I don't. I love that line. Say it again about the nails. It says, Does he still feel the nails every time I fail? Does he still hear the crowd cry crucify?
I know I have to change because I can't bear the thought of hurting you again. That is so powerful. I'm looking it up. Do you still feel the nails is actually is the name of the song.
It's by Ray Bolts in 1989. I'm listening to it on my way home, Rebecca. Oh, how amazing. Oh, man. See, you blessed everybody by calling, Rebecca.
I am I am really, really, really excited that. And, you know, Ray Bolts, you know, I can still hear him singing. Thank you for giving to the Lord. He was a gift.
So there is a gift. Thank you, Rebecca. I love it. You have an amazing Easter season and we'll be surveying together a little bit. Thank you.
God bless you. Bye bye. So we got Mike. Ohio's big.
But you got plenty of time to call from wherever you are at 866-348-7884. We got Mike is in Dayton, Ohio. So, Mike, how about you? Well, I wanted to share that, you know, I asked my coworker, what is he doing for Easter? And I assume that he was a Christian. He grew up in a Christian home. And, you know, he goes to church regularly.
Yeah. Deep down we started, we really started talking about, you know, is there a God? And he kept questioning me on, is there a God?
And I said, I've known him for over 15, 20 years. And I almost, isn't it amazing how God just keeps you somewhere just to maybe, just to be able to speak, to talk to someone about God. And I said, you know, and then that was the question, what are you doing for Easter?
And I was able to witness and be led into God. It is, I am excited about this Easter as well. My son's coming with me to church this next Easter.
My daughter's coming as well. We're having a big Easter get-together. And so, wait a minute, Mike, so what you're telling me, and I just want to back up for a second, that you just simply ask your old friend, what are you doing for Easter?
Sounds like a great question for other listeners to be asking people. Yeah, it reminds me of, you know, I did a devotion at a nursing home for years, and there's a, I think it was called somebody Easter, but anyway, her thing was like, do you believe in Easter? And she'd go around and ended up in the hospital asking everybody that came in, do you believe in Easter?
But it's the same kind of thing. So when you said, Mike, backing up to your friend, what are you doing for Easter, what was his response, actually? He says, I really, you know, my wife's going to cook a ham, and I think we're going to church, and you know, I'm going to get dressed up, but you know, you could just tell he's really just distraught about it all.
You know, I really don't want to do this kind of aspect of it. And I'm like, oh, so you're, it doesn't sound like you really want to do any of this. And then that's exactly what I said to him. And then he goes, yeah, you know, I really, how in the world does anybody believe in God?
And because he never talks to you, and you never see him. And I'm like, oh, wow. And that's where the conversation went. And it's trying, I'm trying to make it short, but you know, it is, and I can't remember everything I said because I was led by the Spirit to say the things I did say to him, you know what I mean? And it was awesome that I was able to talk to him about God and knowing that God is real.
Over asking the question, what are you doing for Easter? And I would probably never ever got that out of him if I wouldn't have asked him that question. Well, again, the Spirit leads the whole conversation. And we just, you know, stay ready for when those things happen. But, you know, what a cool thing is you're preparing to survey, right? And you ask somebody else, well, how are you doing?
Kablam! And then I'm like, yeah, it's just a miracle, really. Yeah, I'm sorry, it's really a miracle that God, you know, because I really was thinking about changing jobs and going to a different job and doing a different aspect. And I was able to talk to him about God, and I'm literally crying because God kept me there to have that instant with him about talking about Easter and talking to him about God and letting him know that God is real and he can save you. And that's why he died and that's why he rose and that's why he did all these things. Right.
And he started crying. Oh, man. I'm sorry.
No, it's okay, Dr. Carson. What a great testimony that you're giving to all of our listeners, Mike. Just asking, what are you doing for Easter? And one of the ways we should be preparing for Easter, we haven't talked about this yet, but in inviting people to come and hear the Easter story. Easter is one of the highest attended Sundays because, as believers, we know on this Sunday, of all the Sundays, the hope that's going to be given to a lost person.
And what you just said, Mike, is, again, the great opener. Hey, what are you doing for Easter? And then if they don't have any plans, can I invite you to come with me to church?
And Christians, we should be thinking about that right now. Yesterday at our church service, the question was, who will you be inviting for Easter? That's two weeks away. So you're thinking ahead.
You're thinking ahead. Who am I going to be inviting to come? And your testimony today is just perfect because you just don't know how God's going to lead, and you're at the right place, the right time to be God's vessel to speak his wonderful words into this man's life. Yeah, so many people have reported to Barna, et cetera, that they would come to church if somebody invited them.
If somebody invited them. And there's nothing like Easter because most churches serve Communion, Easter Sunday. And a lot of folks feel like, wow, I haven't taken Communion in whatever period of time.
And it's actually one of the great invitations to say, hey, why don't you come celebrate Communion with me at my church? Or whatever that may be, you know, because it is a picture of a covenant. That it's a promise that Communion, especially when you walk through the words of what Jesus said at the Last Supper, slash, at Communion. But he says this is a new covenant when he takes the wine. This is a new covenant in my blood. Well, that word covenant, if you've forgotten this description, and why that blood is so important as part of it, is that in Hebrew, the idea of a covenant means that something has to be cut. And you might remember that they would split the animal in half, and it was Abraham that would walk between the pieces.
And the idea behind that was that if I don't keep my end of the deal, then you can split me in half. And so, and there was blood involved, and so here when Jesus says this, right, I'm giving you a new covenant in my blood, literally, what a promise. What a promise. It's Simon by God's blood, promise of promises, right, that we get to celebrate, and it's coming up, you know. For us, we're going to be celebrating that very thing at the Passover Seder on next Saturday at four o'clock at Kildree Church. And then a lot of churches will be offering a good Friday service, and that's where they'll do the Lord's Supper.
One of the things I love about that, Robbie, that I learned from you, again, thinking about Isaiah 53, I want to say five, he was crushed. How do you get the bread? How do you get that unleavened bread, whether it's leavened or unleavened, how do you get the bread? Well, it comes from wheat. How do you get the wheat? It has to be crushed to get the flour. The flour, the wheat was crushed. Jesus was crushed.
How do you get the juice? The grape had to be crushed. And one of the words, as I think about the suffering of Jesus, that experience on the cross, he was crushed. And that's why you want to be preparing to be going to a Good Friday service, to be going to a Sunday morning Easter service, a sunrise service, where you can, again, experience this firsthand, and preparation precedes performance.
I heard that somewhere. We need to be preparing for this Easter. There you go, Mike. Thank you so much for joining us today. And again, if you want to come to that Passover Seder this Saturday, that is at christiancarguy.com. You can see the event right there. You can buy your tickets and whatever. We would love to see you. I know Dr. Carson would also love to see you. And so we thank you right now today for listening to Truth Talk Live. God bless.
