Karl Clauson: Who is in Control?

Grace is God's power to do with us what we can't do in our self, so when we got here.

Do we have a middle zone where it can be somewhat kind of self led no no no no. I'm convinced of this so so fluid so will is actually stiff armed by God.

He loves us that much welcome to family life today where we want to help you pursue relationships that matter most. I'm and Wilson and Dave Wilson and you can find is that family life today.com or on our family life, family life today. Okay, how many years we been speaking to family life. We can remember to get away 3333 years. I think that in 33+ years because of family life. We can remember, I've never had this only happened one time a conferee actually got my home phone number switch would be hired back in the day yesterday for cell phones are so you message anybody yeah you only could contact somebody through color home. My home phone rings in my kitchen everywhere that long cord is about 48 feet log as we could yeah fit around the whole family room. I pick it up and this guy went to the family life.

We can remember in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Got my number conference that the comfort that I know how somebody can get my home number but this dude got it and he sit in the studio that had Friday and give Carl Carl because it is in the studio I gotta tell you pursue Mike who is this minimum. That's me. I do that conference in Little Rock rocked my bride night in a big way. Now the goodness sakes early and we were hauling Gallimard back there man. I forget when that was. It was 9192 something like that is necessarily an idea, probably a youth pastor know I was with Robert Lewis in Little Rock Arkansas and pastoring a group of single adults and it was there was a revival breaking out all the while my bride and I had a glorified roommate situation going on.

You know what you sometimes you don't know what do you know. And so come to the weekend that weekend. You guys were you so powerfully of God to help reorient our life back to something sweet.

Not cool. That's really cold out here. You yeah decades later were going talk about your book, the seven resolutions were self-help ends in God's power begins, but your pastor or church Chicago, 180 Chicago as I was the Chicago yeah and we been on your radio show millionaire radio Chicago Carling crew is the best it's in the best radio host in the world besides my wife, but haven't seriously love going on your UAW and it really is. You know were all about inauthenticity gets used a lot now, but we want to be authentic and we want to give hopes we bust open the word we really doing a different kind of a show and that is we help people take their next step with Jesus.

We don't do immuno pump and sunshine and smacking gum and playing playing some latest. It's really want to help people grow and that's what's your books about yeah it's about growing, but it's in a very unconventional way to just jump in American Christianity has an Achilles' heel and that is I really believe we understand God's grace for salvation and then we tried a bootstrap sanctification, which is a big word for growing up in Jesus and so we find ourselves sitting here in God's promises are over there and my goal with this book is to close that gap is that the promises of God like bearing much fruit and overcoming the stuff in the world and winning battles that you thought were unwinnable.

Seeing those things didn't beat the power of God.

Somehow, when you say we bootstrap what he mean that self-help is everywhere. I think almost like the American dream and I love the American dream come on it's it's got so much good to it. But the problem is it doesn't jive with biblical Christianity. It doesn't totally dovetail biblical Christianity is born out of humility and it's grown out of humility.

The American dream is all about. Suck it up buttercup here we go, but biblical Christianity is all about hanging in that point of need. As you receive Christ. So walk in him. Paul said to the Colossians, and that's what we've done we've received Christ because we were broken and that the universe so if I don't think your fit for the kingdom of God into your and then we find yourself getting up living by shoulds and ought to's and even if we say oh I don't live by that, I believe the dominant kind of vibe in American Christianity is what you better get her done and that is antithetical to the gospel. So the thug will brokenness you walk through that. Well, let me say to you as Carl walked in June and you guys have been married how long 34 years. You can't yes I want Stephen's union and you guys are fiery for Jesus, we will hear your passionate when anyone is around the two of you. You can tell they've been with Jesus.

So I asked you why is that and he said we get saved twice. Both my wife and I know summer listening to all have bad theology. We got we got the heretic on the horn here now salvation, my soul was saved in 1984 was raised in church, even an officer in my youth group help charter a plane to go listen to Josh McDowell in Seattle. That's old I am. He was preaching but nothing was really connected and so I had the solution of transformation. Growing up in church. I thought I knew Jesus but it didn't.

And so that I go out and I do that thing called the Iditarod when I was 18 years old, 1100 mile dogsled race across Alaska just a little thing you just got there I I am two years. The 21 days eight hours 12 minutes and 32 seconds .21 days 21 days behind a dog sled goes with you. Finally day yeah from Anchorage Alaska to Nome Alaska 1100 miles across the state.

You know you cover about 100 miles Yukon River a few hundred miles on the on the West Coast of Alaska and its brutal I mean I got into tough situations. I mean really brutal when you got 92 mile an hour gusts in its 10 below zero and you got all your Arctic gear on Fox hat on my beaver mittens that I had on everything all my gear that I had on and the winds cut through that they did a foxhole prayer after on the Iditarod is to get if you get me out of this will come back to church. I promise you, but that's part of my story is that my first salvation God save me from an allusion of transformation. I was a Matthew seven. I was on the path to say, Lord, Lord, I knew the songs I had been baptized, but really I found out later I just got wet because I wasn't born again so I had all the lingo down, but I didn't have the power God. So after the Iditarod you know I had a horrible horrible experience within two hours after that race was done I was crushed. As I thought all know, I spent two years my life I didn't even have anyone to process this with all I thought is I busted my tail for two years training for this thing saved every penny working at a lumber yard driving forklift busted my keister and now this is it. And guys almost brings me to tears right now because as a young man at 18 I walked on front Street. Norma wasn't even old enough to go into a bar had to be 19 and so I worked on front Street all loan and I heard the spirit of God calling me and Satan was screaming at me to and I didn't lend any or to God and so went out on a three year quest really looking to get the void filled God shaped void and you'll do almost anything to fill that up.

And I mean it went from up pretty good live and 18-year-old kid to cocaine user cocaine abuser 8 ounces busted by the feds at Anchorage International Airport by God's grace I didn't pick up that package or I would've done 1015 20 years in the clink and God was extended mercy to me.

Isn't it amazing when you're running from God. He still chasing and extending mercy is not chasing you to punish a station you are a shift chasing me to embrace and got this and about with his got open kidney hi just exhausted all possibilities. Man had a pretty serious cocaine and crown royal addiction. They seem to counteract one another and on February 11 of 1984 that's driving on the road in Anchorage, Alaska and God said to me, are you done yet and I I just broke into a bundle tears and I said I'm so done in Jesus, my soul, and it was amazing. The deliverance was overnight. For me it is for some of my friends. I work with guys all the time. Are you are allowing the Lord to take control of different areas of their life, but for me, those things got delivered me from so that was my first salvation. My second, third and who knows how many thousands of times God save me, save me from self-help and I thought for many years I needed to do this thing in my strength. So it takes us full-circle to family life conference in Little Rock were you guys were speaking and you guys give a vision got allowed you to give a vision of what dynamic marriage could be and I realized I don't have the power to do this. In fact I got it my face in a brutal way.

It was just a couple months before we came to that conference. Now get this. I am leaving a ministry that went from 12 singles to 500 that were on fire. We had mutual friend Greg Dempster was lead worship for us. I was teaching on Thursday nights. God was using that Greg was laden yeah Christopher yeah he was lead worship what you know I met Greg I had no idea he had a connection to yeah yeah you in Little Rock in the whole thing Alaska came to ask for couple your sleepwear shadow ideas like well only way why I'm just going to see him as the counselor right and he was phenomenal.

By the way that anyway yeah so we're watching God do something amazing and I walked into my house one day and I mind my own business just tooling to the home just got some honey do list done I think was a Saturday morning and my wife sit in on the bed and I'm hidden for a restroom and she reaches out grabs my left wrist on. Never forget Regina grabs her left wrist to look down her chin's quiver unlike babe what's up and I thought someone died because but we had a problem. I said what babe what's going on. She said I don't love you anymore, and it scares me will wow that's heady to hear more from Carl Clawson coming up on family life today. In just a minute. The first great marriages don't just happen there built with intentionality were either drifting in marriage. Apart from one another, or intentionally moving toward each other and consequently together toward God.

So here's great news for your relationship, regardless of where you're at family life's weekend to remember marriage getaway is back with a full schedule of events throughout the country this coming fall.

And even better right now through Monday, September 19. Registrations are 50% off seeking jump on his chance to intentionally pull closer to each other and to God and get to registrations for the price of one. Now through september19@familylifetoday.com right now, back to Damon and with Carl Clawson and what happened after his wife told him she didn't love him anymore, and you keep in seven years that you need to know Mr. Iditarod man build homes with my dad man worked 3 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Commercial fished for eight seasons, spent two years my life at that point, on the ocean commercial fishing. It's a man's world it's a fix-it get it done, you know, let's make it happen. He should have been in a commercial math all yeah yeah interesting and you sound like I got he did it all did it all. But you know what's crazy. I had no answers for my bride and I remember the hopeless feeling of I got nothing. I said nothing to her walk around the corner walked into the bathroom looked in the mirror and there was that battle again in the battle with Satan telling me On Jan's get all this by the way she would've owned all her stuff in a heartbeat to get all this all this all is always in the Lord whispered to me, look at me young man, and on that day I broke and I was saved from trying to be a man of God in my marriage and my strength got began to what goes on. To this day he saved me from Carl trying to be the man and he showed me what Holy Spirit power looks like, and so when I say have been saved twice. It's really not true actually wrote that book up and say twice, but that's not accurate.

Sometimes I get saved for five times in one conversation I might get saved here talking with you guys because if we live in the spirit.

It's almost like we live up here couple notches just aware of the spirit of God speaking in and through us right, but it's easy to duck back down into Carl Moeller and I think most people have a common experience. We just don't realize it then wow we need to live with the Jews of Jesus constantly flowing through us and so here I am today all these years later in yes I'm more fired up about than I ever have been in my life really gets stronger and sweeter and more convicting, and there is more pain because God will allow you to go through it to grow. You but it's all beautiful here so I Carl.

He gives us.

I would say the defining moments where you said we see ourselves and we see that were broken were needy. I've tried to do it on my own all the time you but it's that surrender like lovely Mike looking like it you if you I can only do it with you and your spirit in me, not just gutting it out, which I can easily.

I think we can all do that you think we surrender fall down in humility without a brokenness without a moment. I mean, you talk about that moment when your wife that I love you I have nothing. I know in the last couple years you've gone through hard times as well, you know health mentally healthy enough.

I don't know if we get there without some moment where we just we come to the end of ourselves. You know that's a great question, Dave, and I think there needs to be these hallmark moments of I almost did they enter moments brokenness and by God's grace. He will allow us to use the hoses as a stones, a memorial so that we can remember again so I had a breaking in my life about 14 years ago that stuff man. I got betrayed and it was brutal but God is use that in a sweet way because I go back to it.

Time and again so that some of them remembrance thing that God reminds me of my need for him, but on plenty of occasions who break me and you. I'm just thinking of the listener is going to something really hard right now you know like this broken. This is your opportunity that cats like just come get me all you who are weary can say all you who are broken and I will be enough and I can tell you you are right on sister. I tell people would come up to me after the church service. When I preached a message or maybe I'm talking to them on radio. Sometimes I'll go pick up a line and talk to them directly.

Someone's really hurt.

And I'll tell them this in your deepest brokenness. You are never, ever more positioned got to do something great then now so what you see is devastating.

God sees as a golden opportunity and I would guess there is a guy listen right now whose wife is said to him what to Nancy I love you and what and said to me, what would you say that guy what's he do who spun humble yourself under God's mighty hand, and he will lift you up. I am a big believer that humility is the posture power and I mean this from the bottom of my heart. Andrew Murray said it. He said humility is the one virtue that gives birth to every other virtue, and he's right he's right. Humility is such a hot commodity in God's eyes that he resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble in some time ago got grace to them what grace is God's power to do with us what we can't do in our self so we got here to have a middle zone work can be somewhat kind of self lead no no no no. I'm convinced of this self-help self lead self will is actually stiff armed by God.

He loves us that much, Carl.

What would you say to the wife June and are me you now back in that day where we have nothing and she's thinking if only my husband would humble himself. What would you say to that wife. Speak truth, I'd say give them a shot at the full deal and I would say because I'm a good truth speaker. I would say I concur they do it in love speak love calm down, pray before you say it because Dave didn't hear me because I was so loud all the time when I said it in love even Ginny just said I don't love you anymore, and she was honest and open and she was crying exactly she was crying, my bread didn't beat me up. Yeah she told me look this scares me quiver and that speaking the truth in it is and it was beautiful. So yeah you speak the truth, but don't try to waylay the guy let God do that.

But the key then is to be a true biblical partner. Go to your knees man I've seen God heal so much. I seen him heal cancer and oral. I've seen him heal a marriage. I've seen him heal children God to heal and I think we underestimate the power of God to intervene, we need to pray like the old Saints that is get back on our knees, is that resolution number one joint gun.

I am joining God is all about getting position for God's power. I love to use this story but for me it captures it. I hope it makes sense to you. I learned how to waterski in Alaska right when the ice came off of a Leica Bible camp and I saw these guys out there skiing in the camp just gotten this new boat was a skiing that teak man and it's like a nice ski boat. I'm like wow look at these guys I was young but atomic I would go so I got out there got my best on top down to ski's water start and I put the rope between the skis and they pulled it.they'd given me some basic instruction. They said when you're ready you'll hit it and I'm like all right, where does this gated teak man pulling me up out of the water and arms extended I'm coming up, out, not me.

I'm almost on top of the water and then I broke waterskiing 101 I broke it. The big rule.

I grab that handle and I thought this boat needs my help and I told him that handle. I pulled it right it might just and I went head over heels guys I got a nasal flush like you can't believe I thought I had three lake trout go through each not. I mean it was a flush and I'm bobbing there in the water, not exhaust as if you waterski you know how exhausting it is when you're trying to drag about the water and you don't make it and I'm laying there panting for air and the guy comes around on the boat had a few friends there and they're just heckling me but thankfully there's a guy that was actually somewhat God word and he looks down at me and he says hey he almost had it, don't try to do with the boat alone. Don't don't try to help. That's metaphor for a relationship with God do we do nothing now listen, I was up on that lake and I was skiing and soon I was slalom skiing and a lot of people look at this and they go they look that metaphor, they missed something they call yeah I just got hang on to God. There's training there's training involved in there's effort. Dallas Willard said grace is not opposed to effort its opposed earning and that's the difference God's power is not something we earn. It's something we Into. That's the game changer and I keep coming back to this but Americanize Christianity and I'm not just try to hit American love America. You get me but I think apart from our brothers and sisters in the underground church in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, China. They have a built in dependence on God. Persecution that we have in this great experiment here need to remember that we're not naturally default back to on our knees, but that's where the power is so hanging on to God.

Remembering this, we don't have anything to prove nothing. Again, nothing to win nothing to lose in Christ, but we somehow think we got something to prove. So yeah, the key to joining God's fall on your face. Humility is one of the most beautiful things of been talking with my adult son here recently about this and I said you know. Humility is the ability to be self-aware when you walk into a room and you know I mean Christ.

I don't have anything to prove here this is awesome until my son came.

You can live up here, man. You can live at a different place because you been graced by God to live there. So the word you say the way you posture yourself for storage until you don't need to validate yourself just go live your life man and watch godly powerful place to be even listening to Damien Wilson with Carl Clawson on family life to a is book is called the seven resolutions where self-help ends in God's power begins. You can get a copy@familylifetoa.com or by calling 803 586-329-2000 F's and family L as in life and in the word today and tomorrow Dave and Ann will be joined again by Carl Clawson to talk about God's mercy through hard times and the benefits of taking risks on behalf of David and Wilson. I'm Shelby Abbott you back next time for another edition of family life, family life, and is a production of family life approved ministry helping you pursue the relationships that matter most