Kingdom Pursuits - The Cleaner & The Hero

Hey this is Mike Swick from if not for God podcast our show stories of hopelessness turned in a hope your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting in just seconds.

Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing The Truth Podcast Network. This is good Truth Network kingdom pursue ordinary people instilled with an extraordinary passion together we explore the stories of men and women who take what they love and let God turn their passion into kingdom pursuits now live from the truth. Your host Robbie Gilmore well were cleaning up today on pursuits as we have well as we have Adam, how Jan King of the triad so you know, the king of claim is with me today. I've never had the king of clean before but welcome Adam, thank you for me. Robbie, it's good to be fun.

And what a good time to talk about clean as I'm sure we can all use a few tips and working to get them today on kingdom pursuits, but also with me today.

I have Ron Bracey and Ron is the author of walk on and in the subtitled of that is from the valley of despair, but if you're of my generation in which is a lot older when I hear walk on. I'm thinking move the movie carousel and I can see Shirley John singing it in the tears pouring down my office, but I imagine there's is a little bit different idea right.

Ron and I idea despair in our lives and what brings about despair and it affects every person in the world. So it is it is a message of hope that comes from the prophet Habakkuk in the Old Testament. How cool is that I can remember. I read the full armor by William Col. which is sold to from the 1600 books that you know it's got 4000 pages. It takes forever to read but he made a comment about despair. I've never forgotten.

He said that any was actually talking about from the standpoint of armor that you note and he didn't use the Ephesian six version of the helmet of salvation the heat he used.

I'm trying to think a reference.

I think in them.

Colossians where it was the hope of the helmet of the hope of salvation. He said because there is no way you can slap God in the face harder than by being in despair because what you're essentially saying is God you're not big enough to tackle this in my life and set and so I'm thinking Habakkuk's way before William Col. is going to that. So where to get some really wisdom today.

But before we go to wisdom. You know it's kingdom pursuits he got here little Robbie's brittle and so as you might mention and I we got the king of clean with us today so speaking of clean last week I got really cold. One morning she noticed that I had frost. It was all over my windshield and I couldn't find a car window scraper anywhere. So Adam is you've ever done this but I have used the little plastic store discount card to clean my windows never try that and it didn't work very well. I only got 20% off next fall.

You now Adam tells me you know he's the king clean these get to be doing a lot of chimney sweep and you know why my Adam knows this because it's flu season. You know, there is this because one of the things that Janet clean is just one of their favorite things to clean his churches and now they were meeting again is a great time to do that. So when Adam comes to your church. I mean, he is going to clean your piano keyboard like you never seen. I mean, from sea to shining sea.

You were at Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I sell all I can. So Adam have you been asked to clean some of these birds know so from understand when cleaning birds advertisement fan.

It's best to use a feather duster on and really safe that way and elephant tasks on a measurable tribe at one but I'm sure Adam would tell you that if you are about try to clean some elephant test and no Ivory soap is perfect.

This way is made for that right hand of all that the polarity I hope it was Larry. I do actually have a little today so you are going to have an opportunity to rid of this today. Now is our Noah's Ark was clipped Clean on Clean at a ratio of seven to Noah's Ark was kept clean of the ratio of 72 and also what got to be seven on the seventh, you can answer that don't only answer to all the listeners are going to call in and Beth and I think all is taken when you grab something from the kingdom pursuits already have books like walk on from the valley of despair, 866-34-TRUTH 87884 866-34-TRUTH if you can tell us Noah's Ark was kept clean at a ratio of seven to what got to be seven on the seven seas 866-34-TRUTH 87884 that was really fun.

I was appreciative respect I went on my cleaning spree there bedpan I've always wanted to tell clean jokes.

It's been my clean jokes are the way to go.

It's just, you know, without dirty jokes just you know they don't get it to me. Adam you know that does not dirt and I know you do so. I know that one of the one of the things I know I listeners would love to hear is how you know before you can eat when I was a salesman.

These two is to say, the first and most important sale you make when you make to yourself because you can't sell somebody on site him been sold out so I'm thinking in the cleaning business that God's got a kinda clean you up before you can clean so I'm interested in your own story, really, of how did God do that in your life well back in 2008 I was at the essence festival and prior to going to the essence festival God had been dealing with me even dealing with me and you know how the saying goes, people that are in church really not in church, but they really go to church so I was really going to church and really when really and Bob. I'm really in the church and when I came back in the essence festival festival in New Orleans. I was driving to work and God was speaking to me through the radio. There was a song alone, and it was called is time for change and that song was playing on. You've heard of Tom Joyner and it was planned on that station. So I'm like that morning.

I really didn't want to listen that so closely to to another station. I switched it to another station. This was so singsong and so I switched it to 1/3 station and the same song is also, I immediately call my wife and say honey this song is on the radio say that is it on your radio station know is not all mine so I hang up and I switched to ADM and guess what song, so I pulled over that time and and since that moment in 2000 and you think it was July 6 seventh been changed in terms of how I look at life and how God is, is that with me that porno want to present well, INC Allen, Sir Sir Ron were also guessing that in the near story that in order to come back from the valley of despair, you had me there at some point soon hear from Ron here in a minute. We got to go to break right you can be thinking about my seven little would love to hear from you to call in, but I am very anxious to hear Ron story as well as more from the king of clean get cleaned up here today on him back to pursuits where we hear how God takes your passion and uses it to fill the kingdom may be a passion for clean like Adam Hauser with prior the king of clean and Ron brace.

The author of walk in the Valley of despair and right before we went to the break we are going to get a little insight from Ron. Now, clearly it's the same kind of thing where you walked in that valley, I'm sure.

And can you take her listeners there very similar story.

I was adopted at five and I grew up in Arkansas and of course my parents were going to church every Sunday and I went with Mammon is a couple times as a child and aunt and teenager when I made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. But as I lived out my life. Looking back, it was probably in words only after I graduated from the Air Force Academy. I was active in the Air Force and my first assignment was to combat in Vietnam. While there, my wife had given me a Bible to read and I every mission I clue I had that Bible with me when we came back we went to Germany and we went to a place called Libra conflict means two bridges and why was there, we started attending a church small church because that was what I did but three college students from expert college came that summer and that this was in July, 2001. I'm sorry 1971 and they were preaching and there was a young lady with them too young man and a lady and Libby sang this song.

Here's my life. In the words of that song speak of sonic booms, ghettos, war and she sang a song every night and on the Friday night last night they were going to be there. I realized I needed to give my life to Jesus Christ totally and unreservedly. And that's when I came to be true born again Christian. And so that was a starting point in my life first verse, God gave me to Cheryl to learn was the Jeremiah 33 when God says to Jeremiah. Calling to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know, and God is taking me on that sort of a journey. All my life one moment.

The moment of despair that is central in the book, though I tell many many stories of other people is the event in which our son was killed in the war on terror.

He also followed in my footsteps.

I was and so time stopped for me for four years and I finally came out of it.

Through God's guidance, I realized it.

Life must not be lived in the valley but we live life through the valley to the point that we eventually as Habakkuk talks about come out onto the top of the mountain price so you can see when he gets his backache here shortly since my goodness, what a story and I will honor it is to be able to thank you for your service. Thank you for your son service.

There's just a whole lot there and you know, and in each of us in our own way.

Adam Lee's servant is your serving there with with Janet King on and I know a lot of people right this minute. Are in that place of despair. I knew my mother-in-law's in her 80s and she's just terrified of viruses and things like that ends and so you know your services. It turns out to see that you're going into these places that are actually quite dangerous. This is what we see in them and we been as essential in in terms of being there for individuals that don't know what's in front of them. In terms of the virus. So were going into a lot of places that the virus is and disinfecting and coming out so were coming in with the white hazmat suits that gloves and goggles and spray guns that that's who we are and so for those and I know that it would be really helpful to what what what you say is your number one combatant.

I know it's not ivory soap from subscription on the tasks out there, but what so what what is, what would you counsel us to use to try to combat this thing in our own homes have a disinfectant you got to have a disinfectant is has a claim of killing the coronavirus most innocent faxes that are out there have a 3 to 10 minute claim so you got to spray that in touch points that you touch on a regular basis and let it stay there for that period of time. You can wipe it off.

Since I didn't know that so yeah spray this disinfectant that is and what's an example implements 3 to 10 minutes. You know the ones that people know that you probably can get a lot of right now because people will bind them up in the stores on a regular basis like so is a good disinfectant that people can get an it has probably 99.9% has a claim to kill the coronavirus, but the only kill effect on that is if you let it stay there for that period of time while now I have no idea. So see spray your Lysol down on that area that you you may think and and and then let it stick sit for at least 10 minutes yes and then wipe it off. Yes, in the wipe it off with more Lysol or do you just you can use a microfiber cloth.

You can see that clean cloth and how you doing how to wipe it off, it can stay there, but you need to let it stay there for the length of time that the instructions will tell you that they'll tell you on the instructions will come accumulating my producers over there looking at me like all my goodness I did know that you can tell I was so conditioned to spray it might not straighten wipe it off just wasting everything is really clear to me as it kinda shows how much I pay attention to the direction that I'm talking about all of life. And so here we are. Habakkuk obviously gave us these wonderful inspections. Ron and I you know when you lady told me that neurons got this real insight on the book of Habakkuk. I was like wonderful because honestly I've read the book. I don't even know how many times that I and I never remember discovering there but of course God had that for you at such a time as that. So what what were those instructions for you. Ron most of us are guilty, and particularly in professing Christians and believing and walking the walk with Christ is that we're life is okay as long as God hears blue and sunny.

For example, on 9/11 sky was blue and sunny.

When I went to work in the Pentagon by 1030.

Later that morning. It was totally different day and that's the way life can be for us, everything can be somber like blue sky, breeze, and in a second life can change and then question is how we respond toward the phrase walk on is critical to understand that living the Christian life is not a just Sunday morning 10 o'clock it every moment of every day. Oswald Chambers, the British writer of the famous well-known devotional book my utmost for his highest uses the term.

In fact, it was in my reading this morning Christ calls us to abandon our lives to him and every thing all the time.

It's not one hour event once a week because every moment of our lives.

We must be walking on in his footsteps and that's a very challenging thing for us to grab a hold of him to and to do so as I'm hearing uses things.

It number one you are on 9/11. You were at the pot when that plane crashed into the Pentagon. Yes, I was on duty. While I was involved going back into the building doing search and rescue for people in Nola and the other thing that I know everybody's linen like me is did you that phrase walk on. Did you get that from a back yes in fact out our it's in the very last words of the book because beginning with verse 17 in chapter 3 Habakkuk talking about getting a break. So get out there Bibles like me, you might take half an hour to find Habakkuk and when we come back to find out I walk on and in Shirley Jones got nothing on my friend Ron Bracey when we come back and find out more to this demand.

At least that is where you, your kingdom and we have with this Adam Hauser.

He is chanting of the triad and Ron Bracey is author of walk on from the valley of despair, and when we left her here. Ron literally are your my goodness he was there on 9/11 at the Pentagon and is about to share where in Habakkuk. We can see the walk-on thing and what Habakkuk was saying when when that was going on.

Can you kinda give us the context of the passage, Ron sure book opened in chapter 1 with the question that we all ask when issues and injustices and pain and evil come into our life. Habakkuk has obviously been dating with this issue for some time and he says to God, how long until you answer me. How long before you speak because God was silent for a period of time. We don't know how long Habakkuk Send God how long God finally said what Habakkuk I'll answer you but you believe me and then God foretells how that he is going to use the Babylonians to bring judgment for their sins upon the people of Israel as the book progresses, we find the famous verse.

The righteous will live by faith, which the apostle Paul takes from Habakkuk and uses three times in the New Testament center points of the message of faith.

The very last chapter, Habakkuk, has a experience of God revealing himself to him in a vision and then Habakkuk closes his book with this awesome vision of God with these words, though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vine. Though the yield of the olive should fail in the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold, and there be no cattle in the stalls yet. I will exult in the Lord. I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

The Lord God is my strength and here's made my feet like deer's feet and makes me walk on by high places and their you see this idea of walking on in the midst of despair in the midst of everything that you love being destroyed because that's what's happening. Habakkuk lived through the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians and yet he would live by his faith. I will walk on because God is my salvation, my hope for life no matter what is happening to me. Well, that's really powerful message and you know it's really God had this for you because I can imagine a lot of things Ron that I could go through in my life I've heard lots of stories of people that were there on 9/11 and different parts of that, but to lose my son like oh my goodness and and the despair that that had to be in the midst of that on these different things that you experienced.

Where did you come across at what point in got open your eyes to this passage back. Well, actually I talk to book when I was teaching fellow at Southwestern Baptist theological seminary I had taught it to various Bible study groups of the couples just meeting speaking learning from Bible studies I had taught it there. I had actually started writing the book, but it was merely as an academic endeavor. I had always liked the book because I'm sorry like Habakkuk I question everything. I made a very good enough for me.

They know I'm constantly fold questions and so I came out of the war in Vietnam. I want to question my mother died while I was there I had squadron mates to whom I'm still part of a team trying to find because they disappeared.

I came back with those questions and so when God sent those three college students. To me there in. So I broke in Germany I was asking those questions of God. Why did my mother.why did my friends die or get captured.

Why why why and those three young college students. They were in my home and I would listen to them every night asking those questions and that it was only when I realize through God's word. Here is my ally must be aligned that has some anger beyond this world because the things of this world can disappear in a flash can so speaking of disappearing and/I, your world, Adam Wright, having you guys can share with our listeners what kinda cleaning you do do. So somebody's been infected in your business or at your church or whatever. This is the time to call you can clean because you guys know how to get that straight. But what one of the things that you mentioned that the listeners might be helpful for them to know will we do a number one account that we have in our business writers, churches, and we do seven counties in the trying area of the major churches over here on Mount Tabor church in Ardmore church. Those big churches force one the things that we do all three. We offer what we call the day, Porter money can come in and and and actually disinfect the church doing the day so Mike and disinfect the church. While the services are going as well. We also deeply what one of the things that that's happening right now the churches haven't been no basement going to church so the church is this, sitting there and test this, growing in people going in and out doing the pantries and all of that but no big congregation. But those people can infect at church so one thing that we all freeze before church starts back up. Let us get in there and disinfect that church because right now there's a sense of fear and I were God did not give us a sense of fear. But it's here and is in our churches because one of the things happening when church starts back up. We want you to be concentrating on what the pastor is saying versus what is beside you and that's were we help people out. We take that disinfecting and we take that virus out of your church so you couldn't worship Constable that's awesome is awesome and so you know that I can just see that there's all sorts of in a Sunday school classrooms and and like there they been sitting empty in the and I wanted time for this to happen, especially enough. There is an infection so you know this is one of things it and I really gotta be heavy on your mind. If you're the person responsible for calling people into this building. If somebody were to get sick… It's a scary situation.

So again, if you go to kingdom pursuits.com. I want to mention this, you can find Ron's book which is walk on from the valley of despair, you can order that I saw the Kindle edition sonic $7.50 and I like in the book, so you know, there does go to kingdom pursuits get that all you can see, Jan, King of the trying click get a free quote. I may never come out and and and share with you what you did what they think you need a weakness call in and talk to Adam over the phone the links) kingdom pursuits, which is known Jan Kingman of the King of clean and really really cool that we actually have a riddle Riddler on the line is answer the question I know is on everybody's mind, probably not know how Noah's Ark keep playing if the ratio is 72 when you think of Noah's Ark, you don't necessarily do you have them think of clean no good news is I think you'll see him understand God had a plan.

He always does, so we can so we nature calls. If you want to still get a little 866-34-TRUTH in fact kingdom and you know for such a time as this really when you think about it that you know God's called Adam and their different platform that he ever thought he would. You note to actually be in a position to help churches as they wrestle through what is really really difficult times of knowing how to open window open.

What needs to be done all those things you know well you can hear Adam's heart and hear his heart for Christ and and while an opportunity to find out you know there's no charge to find out what you may need which may not need that they're here to help. And that's that's it's hearty I that's all I heard during the break is. His heart is like man I really want to help people. This is it's really the opportunity as well as Ron's heart.

If you been listening you can see he at which by the way Ron and if you ever heard this, but you know John Eldridge always talks about a big part of being a disciple is what your question that discipleship has to do with learning and studying and all those kind of things and and so when this young man came up to John Eldridge.

One time he said well you know I want to be your disciple and he goes with you to be my disciple's question and and so I have noticed over the years Ron I have that that great people of God have a lot of questions as you go there to get answers and so speaking of questions, you know, I know you're wondering about these 72 ratio.

I have the Riddler on the phone have my good friend and actually is in Huntersville this morning and who is at seven, but I got a cleaning ratio 72. Adam will tell you that's great. What we talked and you are unclean and down the line. After that my days well you see is get the picture that you know you got seven clean once every two analysts. A lot of cleaning going on and and very quickly that I love loving God got me a cleaning job mid-November nearby carriage, but I think he was an edited preparation for what I do now. Also, Ron I can't tell you how the speaking to me. My dad now in heaven with a bigoted and on three times that the Pentagon my brother Jimmy lived there the day of 9/11 as a paramedic by the know. I just can't wait to get run, but you know that this is what Nathan candidate Bobby Bell and I think that it's really really good yeah and said and you know you being a cleaning person since last fall, and you know about the ruler about the 10 minute rule you go spray that stuff finally and the people follow directions better than man. I never want to thank you and God bless appreciate about so Ron, what would be, you know that first episode shouldn't knock me off my socks if you got anything else that you that would be helpful for the average ordinary person trying to stay clean. I noticed you know Ron came in with a mask. Obviously your take the stuff seriously because you around Ron, I mean Adam, I'm sorry I have my names mixed up. Yes I like. I came in with them as simple because we are in that environment and we don't know how that's pass so we have to go in with five gloves mass and make sure that were be able to come back another day because if you contract that virus you got them leave for 14 days, at least in my workplace and you can't come back to work so yes I require my people were amassed if they go into a Loki and you got the whole know the real story, but almost run out of time so I've got to go to back to Ron real quick and again I would point everybody to the website to find out about Jani King of the find out about Ron's book but Ron, in your book.

There's probably this passage is you can hardly wait to the people read this and you like man when they read this. This is gonna light up the world on we talked about that back in part what what else is in the book that you dislike man God gave me this and it is so cool. No mention that Paul uses in the New Testament that the righteous will live by faith where inpatient people we live, you know, microwave instant on TVs and all of that and in the second chapter God speaks to back back at record the vision military wait for it will come, and that's one of the key elements of walking on we have to wait keep our eyes on the vision and the vision is always so much for being with me today and thank you listeners now can't do without you. I'm so grateful that you share draft morning with this sufficiently afternoon, so I ratted you all in perfect first, followed by the master journey starts here now at 12 o'clock so much truth. This is the Truth Network