#413 A Conversation With Steve Green

All Steve is with us. There is you will have heard his music for a lifetime. I grew up listening to you that much over the be best to listen to his house, and we've actually met a time when it back in Nashville ask a couple times in Nashville when we lived there with Graciela about Montana now and here in Atlanta and I live about an hour and I was born and raised in upstate South Carolina.

Not terribly far from me there in Anderson unit with you nor Anderson, South Carolina is so that's better and I will only some succulent out here. They will have boiled peanuts at your Steve in my is but you know the heart that I wanted to have you on the show because as I've been watching the landscape of the country in its it's just you know where were were struggling. The countries is sick, which were struggling and every so often I will play this song in and out. I will get past a couple measures and I can just see the audience move just like when applying a church.

I mean I'll be doing a offertory or or just during communion.

Whatever prelude, whatever and I just I don't all of a sudden you could just see a ripple. And I realize how powerful that song is asked that the simple message of what you have shared with who knows how many people through your music can people be the Lord, and I just wanted to hear your heart as you look at and I was talking to a couple at our church that seen with this little church here where we are Montana and and I said you could be on the show and and here's what they said.

Steve said we went to what was billed as a concert in Bozeman many years ago but was a concert. It was a worship service that I would imagine that's about as high complement his art as you could probably get in and they were so moved that you couldn't be here today on the show. Look at the landscape me that if we have to go to Bob. There are breakups about that but hang tight will. Don't leave, but look at the landscape and just share what's on your heart. And as you do this because you've ministered to so many people so just just what it was on your heart with you know I like my wife and I were in boiled and very conversation and I lost track of the hours that we were talking about.

I mean, as you said this is very difficult time in our nation unprecedented not only with the coronavirus pandemic that had disrupted every aspect of life and brought with it a lot of confusion so many varying reports and and finding it difficult to know what would you believe about and then at that the murder of George Floyd and you'll be driving in ProPac and then, in addition to that, which turned into violent rioting. There a vision were unraveling end. And so what my wife married you and I were discussing this morning when you say the gospel is the answer it. Isn't it trying to be simplistic, it isn't ignoring the social issues that God answer for the human dilemma of sin and it like it is like you know where in Romans chapter 1 where it talks about the wrath of God be revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of man who suppress the truth by their wickedness affect not that not racial group is not is not talking about talking about this human condition and. And how is that wrath revealed in its repeated several times in the lack Of that of that chapter were just as God gave them over and when we exchange the truth of God for a lie when we replace the God who has revealed himself in creation, which is just general revelation over the place that the God of our own choosing and we worshiped and served created things rather than the creator theirs is this terrifying phrase in Romans one which is because of that he gave them over and that that seems to be what's happening. We are devouring ourselves he is withdrawn out for this moment and in our nation's history and this is what it looks like forgot to give us over to our own, not desires a depravity just long thinking it all stems and that and so the song people need the Lord as they think it's really profound because Christ alone can change my heart. Years ago, while condoms probably early 90s Marnell Harrison.

I recorded this talk will teach me to love, which was based upon our friendship, but also recognizing that there was an as has been, and there will be prejudice in the human heart division and and we were acknowledging being alone.

I was then look at you, you don't know the loss that I have suffered with my entire life, you got. I don't think you really understand it and so will all coming together.

The course today universe there is no power they can do any change, except without the cross that Scott so you know if there was ever a time when we need the gospel to the gospel is simply that that God has done for. We could not do for ourselves that I cannot change my heart. God have to do that I will never know what love is until I understand the love of God expressing through Christ Jesus. So you people need the Lord.

It almost sounds too simple and I will change your heart. Were going to unpack that little bit more if you could hang onto the break Steve Green this is hope for the kick Peter Rosenberger 888-589-8840. I promise I will get to the calls wanted to have Steve on the day it just year from his staff of braces new record resilient and she is indeed resilient 80 surgeries, both legs if you treated and the coronavirus and she is still showing the way here is, she's a tough go very proud of her. Also talk right now with another extraordinary individual a singer that you've heard his voice for a lifetime, and his heart in his mission that Steve Green I invited to be on the show. Caregiving has is no respecter of persons brought to deal with. If you love somebody you to be a caregiver.

If you live long enough you need one and Steve and his family have also walked through that journey of caring for a family member with the chronic impairment and and understands the journey right now were taught about the landscape of this country and the the unsettled. This, of of what is happening to us as a nation and the state was seen earlier that God will gives us over the things at this point were we theirs at tipping point, Intel's better Romans were people just want to embrace the sin on such a core level that God just gives them over in NBCC, the unleased hatred and violence and rage and always comes things. That's a picture of what this looks like and and I'll never forget this. This moment when Gracie and I were down with the kids.

The grace was that with the kids at it in in Nashville. They have near the state capital that these bicentennial fountains that it's a beautiful area and when it first built it a member. Gracie took the kids down there and they were all playing. Have a good time and there was an African-American couple looking at Gracie and their kids were staring at Gracie because Gracie has two prosthetic legs that are very visible.

She does it were skin covering him up on them and so the liberal robotic and that and these little kids. African-American kids were looking at Gracie. They were just wide-eyed because he looks like a robot from the need and Gracie heard the most precious thing in the mother said to her children. It's okay honey, she's just like us.

She's just like us and and I thought it Gracie realized that point because of her physical disability that what unites us is far more than what divides us and that we are all just flesh and blood human beings and and somehow that gets lost in the message of all this rage and everything in and I and I as I thought about this it in a brought Steve on not just because of the song. People did the Lord but because out unnoticed this the heart of what he brings to his ministry. Will I have watched this man for a lifetime and I thought Steve Wade into this kind of thing continue on that discussion. There's there's no agenda here other than for you. Just share your heart of always respected your heart of always admired you, you intersected me in a very profound time in my life that you probably don't remember we talk about that another time and I just just open open ended whatever's on your heart, share housing out radio interviews, but none like that. Have you well.

I really know my first my first spark that could be that any any benefit that had come to anyone through anything that I've gone there simply God got kind of meaning I am the least likely person to be doing what I do to have had the privileged platform. You know I was raised in South America so I was the minority. After all of my growing up years. My brothers and I the only blonde Derek bearskin kid in the entire studied and so that that shaped me but when I came back from South America at age 18 to start college. I was lost in every sense of the word meeting. I was a runaway. I wanted to distance myself from anything that had to do missions and missionaries and that kind of consecrated life that I and my parents that that just looking really austere and strict and conservative and I was lost I had no vision, no drink of the future light had a very poor education in the missionary school with the constant location of short-term know one year teachers going down to try to collect on themselves to an end. So the fact that God had given me something to do this just another indication that he really like to choose people in his service, who know that there's just no possibility that they had anything to do with it and so early on, I began to recognize that that the platform was a mine and I had to be really cautious and careful not to turn that into grandstanding or self-promotion that you gave me a classic local for one reason that was to proclaim Christ and the glorious gospel that God has revealed to us in his word and and yet the longevity of what I've done is not due to my own ability my own glass of Christ rather than is continued grasp of me and we get to a time in our country like this again. The very thing the marriage and I were talking about this morning we have so much to guard our hearts, home, you know, we see violence. The anger we see this writing. This looting that we have to.

So asked the Lord to expose in our hearts just the remnants of the shred of prejudice and it communicated that have to be necessarily due to the color of skin that can be all kinds of things that can be education and they can be experienced can be a neighborhood that can be confessions that could be all kinds of thing as the click while you're on that subject. Would you agree or disagree that at the core prejudice is a sense of self-righteousness. It has to be exactly right.

It has to be that have to be you know self-righteousness that it Satan was not expelled from heaven for being a homosexual or being a different color or being a adulterer, or any other species expelled because of his own arrogance and self-righteousness. Jesus saved all of his outreach for self-righteousness that somehow when you said that it just triggers that's got to be the core of all of this right and you know it and I traveled the country and and I went the last thing I did in the town where I grew up in Argentina the last. The very last thing I did with the with the concert in the town where my parents first moved when I was five years old and only to discover that there was there were huge racial prejudicial issues in that town amongst the indigenous people based upon the shade of the skin and you're knocking to get this. If this is so deeply ingrained in the human heart find someone to look down on like it's it's just there and that's why in the Psalmist said here is a list of things that God hates one of them is hottie I've and that is often felt up in their own mind your own heart making themselves better than their neighbor looking down on them and exactly what it is your writer self-righteousness and you know this – the whole point of of him exposing these things in our lives.

I've had that point and I was told my friend, my pastor back in Nashville who still one my very close friends and either there is that moment of revelation that we get a sometimes it comes multiple times for me. I think it's good to be alive and of see my work Steve.

It's not pretty and the rows riding on a plane with some guy he was going to a cult somewhere in Minneapolis and asked him about his coat. Is that what we look to ourselves we we develop our inner Savior as old brother I got stuck at their FC my work. I need a bigger Savior than Mickey and I in buddy, but I said you don't that there's a point when you come to the realization of who you are in the light of a holy God.

We keep comparing ourselves to one another. But when we compare ourselves to Christ. That's when we get that moment we put her hands over her mouth and I I've been in that place.

It is an awful terrible place when you see yourself exposed for what you are in your heart, not just your actions, your heart it and I wish that for everyone and I wish that for no one because it is a terrible awful but also a liberating place because that's that transformative moment when you as a human being taste a little bit more of what the cross really means and that's what reframes everything that we do. Whether were being a caregiver taking care of somebody who was cursing at us while were changing adult diapers or whether watching someone suffer out of control with the bird watching people loot and pillage all of those things re-shifted in our brain because we are so lockstep in it where we that the goal is for us to be so lockstep and what Christ did, because he keep getting input on all of that for us it out and I want people to see that in their suffering. So I apologize for interrupting the cohabit that I just triggered that for me know you're so right that good and bad news are utter helplessness [social book of Romans.

It is that that verse in the first chapter 71: for print. Restricting talk about am not ashamed of the golf because the power of God.

They should to all who believe.

First, to the Jew, the Gentile and the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written, the largest of the just shall live by faith and what Paul is saying that that whole righteousness from God is alien or an true and the principle of justification by faith is a legal declaration of God, not because the defendant could possibly do or have done because we are justly on their conversation. God is patient, Christ has had by all laws, the other struggled to trust God when lousy things happen to you. I'm Gracie Rosenberger in 1983 I experienced a horrific car accident leading 80 surgeries in both legs and became it. I questioned why God allowed something so brittle to happen to me. But over time the questions changed and I discovered courage to trust God that understanding along with an appreciation for quality prosthetic limbs led me to establish standing with help more than a dozen years we been working with the government of Ghana and West Africa, equipping and training local workers to build and maintain quality prosthetic limbs for their own people on a regular basis.

We purchased ship equipment and supplies and with the help of inmates in a Tennessee prison.

We also recycle parts from donated lambs. All this is to point others to Christ. The source of my help and strength these visits standing with help.com to learn more and participate in lifting others@thatstandingwithout.com. I'm Gracie. I am staining with help caregiver. We are so glad that you will design Peter Rosenberger and this is the show for you as a fabricator for those of you who willingly and knowingly and voluntarily putting yourself vulnerable of what it even worse disaster. How you hold up are you feeling your why do the show and I get the journey been doing it for 34 years myself. I'm on the phone here was Steve Green ST by the way I played your music at the beginning of the show there at absorbing a bit as I really didn't cut up like yourself. I had no program to be had it out and I will but I wanted you to know that I was thinking about you stuff that I bided Stephen because Steve intersected me many many many years ago probably remember it and will talk with end of the but it is very very intense moment in my life and just took compassion on a young guy that was seem very very lost and and it was it was a profound moment of never forget it and that I and I've always admired and respected the stance you've taken the heart that you brought the deep focus that you've had for the gospel in right now this is where we are is a nation and its did it that the time is is so intense right now. If we don't speak into this with clarity and conviction. How are we going to ever reach each other and connect with each other and point people to Christ but we got it with clarity, not with sentiment that with all kinds of catchphrases and things like that but with clarity because people are or it's a brutal time, not just with all the, the, the race stuff in the right stuff and all that come stuff just life.

Life is hard. Those of us who are caregivers understand this is hard to what someone suffer in light of that, I thought about Steve on the put you on about it really jump on you here. Sorry about that but I want to ask. We get James a North Carolina and was talk about some life-and-death decisions and so if it's all right, Steve.

Just hang in with the college inch chime in with it, but James good morning how you feeling warm well your doing well on the phone here with me and with the Steve Green what's going on with you. Well about not, world caregivers will my bad my radio log still partners of all night and mom screws in the hospital for heart almost strode advisory was unresponsive that they wound up admin out to you for a while to be listed at issue going on with you right now.

My dad was the cancer ward were that they should put all the nonresponsive own note no/no meds know nothing right and not the nurse kept coming in, but must posted by that decision and the nurse, man asking if she could do. The doctor had wanted to give them a shot of morphine and she can't come when we refuse whole lot you Come in respect this thing and said something like you like and feel better here break better and should gave him a shot.so now where that was 20 years ago there and you're still struggling pretty much come to terms with that there may be about listening to a big basement playing decision like your opinion on. Well, my opinion is irrelevant. My experience however this is not and these are very painful decisions that a lot of families are struggling with right now. I'm not a medical practitioner so I can't speak to that. I can tell you that there is a growing debate on basically whether or not were just going to drug people into oblivion and let them die in that manner. Are we going to value life and what are those decisions in some of these things need to be dealt with with physicians of all the things he did it with physicians, but all of it in the light of the gospel in light of Scripture.

What what what is God's opinion on this is more important and there are times when people into so much pain that they can't function it.

It is brutal for up to Easter payment for comfort and anesthesia. Those are not bad things in of themselves but is the goal to escape or as a goal to equip and this is what I struggle with is they have put so many chemicals into my wife's body. Over the years, Gracie could be out of pain right now. James she could be out of pain completely out of pain right now with her broken body. She would be able to function so was the goal to help her escape the pain or to clipper to better handle the pain since she lives her life. One of the things I hold onto is that in the Westminster confession of faith. Shorter catechism number one what is the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. How does this glorify God in my being equipped or my help. By using this as an escape hatch. And that's the guiding principle and NII don't know that there's a template. This could fit every single circumstance on you can't give this much morphing to this person can get this to this person.

I just know that I look at this in the light of Scripture and Gracie depends on pain relievers, but if she's using them to escape they were in a much different conversation if she's using to be equipped they were dealing with this and families that are dealing with this kind of guilt or frustration or angst about whether we should have done this. We should've done this.

We can't go back and undo this, we have to accept the fact we did the best we could with the information in the craziness that was going on at the time bring this all to the light of the of Christ in this and say okay his blood atones for that to. It may have been a mistake.

It may not of been a mistake.

It may have been this. Who knows, but also anchor myself in this James if he is Lord at all. He is Lord of all his sovereignty was not threatened by this nurse or the decision.

Your sister made or even your decisions. His sovereignty is not threatened by that and he is working in all of these things to present all of this to his glory. We don't understand and that's what we trusted and how do we know we can trust them because of what happened at the cross. It always comes back to that and that's what we hang onto. We let that stuff go, would realize. Okay, that is beyond my ability at this point, way beyond my ability to change and so I will but as we look forward to this. What can we learn from it. I would look to this and say okay what is the goal here is the go to escape or is the goal to equip and then we had that discussion from their and and that's the way I see that from Scripture and I hope that helps a bit. Steve, do you want a way into that at all.

Walking. Jack arrived I think that time and again. Scripture that we do the best we make good decisions that behind all of it, God is still accomplishing its purpose not only in all of creation, but in each of our individual lives and it comes down to a matter of exactly what you said and sovereignty is not threatened or altered, and in the end, I can completely trust that this didn't turn out like I thought I can blame everyone around me or I can say father, thank you that even I you are active in working for your glory and for our good and we received this this timing of this as something that was part of your design. James the passage of Scripture that would go back to for you and I would encourage other people going this when Joseph looked at his brothers after they that they all had this big reveal of what happened and he said what you meant for evil God has transformed into the were traceable but but but for good.

He is working his purposes out and all of these things and that's the Scripture that I consistently go back to when we see the evil that is perpetuated on this, knowing that that evil is not beyond the purview of God. He uses sin seamlessly and I don't understand it way beyond my abilities to comprehend what I trust them because this is what Scripture backs up James. I hope that gives a little bit of comfort and help we got a run, but I thank you so much for the call and thank you for taking the time and thank you for listening Steve, thank you for being a part of this today and and and just chiming in and I want you to know you are and continue to be a one an individual who has you strengthen me, Steve, and that is no small thing, and that, thank you for that and in and out.

I mean that from a heart and every time I play your music, you know, and in fact you know what dissing one lives.

They would you do and see what Katie wanted maybe and be quiet little to suggest one lead forest is just all right people, people, that's it that's it that's elevated I just I just I wanted to hear you sing it because it is touched my life.

You have you have expired and ministered to me and please come back on. Your will and I know that and I wanted someone unpack that little bit to so you have. You are welcome anytime. Thank you, thank you so much for joining us today. Steve Green, Steve Green ministries.org.

This is hope for the caregiver belly up with this of the podcast and hopefully caregiver.com see all the things we have therefore helping caregivers make better caregivers starting that help to the cross for that place for that anchor your life see this week