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Signs and seasons with karen a prophecy watchers podcast.
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Hello everyone. Welcome to the very first episode of Signs and Seasons. Thank you so much for being here. I am overjoyed to be having this program and just have the opportunity to interview some of your favorite guests that we've had on the show over the years and some that you may not know favorite very well. But I'd love to introduce them to you because they have something to bring to the table today. I could not be more honored to be interviewing my very first guest. You all have known him and loved him for a very long time. If you've been with Prophecy Watchers for any number of years and many of you do not know the amazing history and the amazing testimony that he has, but I have been so blessed and fortunate to know him in a more personal way over the years and I just want to take this time to to introduce that part of him to you all so you all can get to know him better. And today I am so thrilled to be speaking with the one and the only Gary Stearman. Gary, welcome to Signs and Seasons. Thank you so much for being here today.
A
You know, Karen is a very pleasant person to be around. You might have figured that out for yourself if you'd seen her a little while. And it's very pleasant time for me to be sitting here and answer request.
B
Absolutely. So let's go ahead and jump in. I would love if you would share with the audience your testimony how you came to know the Lord.
A
Well, that is very interesting because I guess I could say I came to be a Christian three or four times starting when I was a teenager and I was led to the Lord by a pastor. And after going through that episode in my life, I thought, am I really a Christian? And for several years I thought about that and I read the Bible and trying to decide now, do I live up to scripture? Am I really a Christian? And I went through that several for several years, a series of questions. And then I met a. A man a called Harley Friedman. And Harley Freeman was a traveling evange. And it fell my law one evening to. To have supper with him and my parents and some other people. And after supper he looked at me, he said, gary, have you ever received Christ? Well, he put me on the spot because I had sort of doubts about whether I was actually an authentic legitimate Christian, whether my faith was up to where it should be. And I said to Hartley Freeman, yes, but. And he said, you seem to be somewhat doubtful. And then he said, let me pray with you. And he Prayed with me, and from that moment on, I was a Christian. It was solid. Yeah.
B
That's so interesting. And I love that you share that. You thought that you were walking the walk, that you were experiencing a relationship with God for so many years, because that is the case with so many people. But a lot of them just don't take the time to stop and go. Do I have that personal, intimate connection with the Lord? Do I know him as my Lord and Savior? So I. I'm so grateful that someone stopped you and said, I don't think. I don't think you're solid on that, but let's make sure that you are. What. What a beautiful gift. After you became a Christian, at what point you. Years later, you would become a solid Bible teacher. And obviously, you've done so much studying, so much writing on Christian theology and Bible prophecy, and, you know, every subject you've probably written on it, and you studied it deeply. But after you did become a Christian, at what point did you start studying the Bible for yourself?
A
I think from. From the point of having met Hartley Freeman and. And onward, I began very seriously studying the Bible. But I should interject here that I never thought that teaching Scripture would be my life's calling because I came from an aviation family. Stearman Aviation, Stearman Aircraft, Stearman, this Stearman. Everybody who ever came to our house was either a pilot or an engineer or owned a large aircraft company. And all of the close members of my family were pilots. They were in aviation. And therefore, that sealed it. I was going to be in aviation all my life. And I started out that way, took engineering courses and went in the direction of flying. I learned to fly at a very young age, and I was very serious about aviation until the Lord got hold of me. He sort of rattled my cage. And that's another story.
B
So do talk about. You have a connection to the Stearman airplane, right? What is that connection?
A
My great uncle Lloyd, my uncle Glenn, and my father Gail Stearman, they were all in aviation. They built airplanes. They designed airplanes. And as the kids in the Stearman tribe grew, they all went to school and got degrees, varying degrees in aviation, aeronautical engineering, you name it. And only Gary didn't make it. I started out in aeronautical engineering, and something turned me in a different direction.
B
So were you a pilot at the time that you became a Christian?
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Yes. Okay, I absolutely was.
B
And so when did you start having that pull to teaching and studying the Bible? How did that happen?
A
It happened when my best friend died. A friend I had grown up with. We were toddlers together.
B
Wow.
A
In the Methodist Church, we were toddlers who played. And then as we got into our early years, we continued to spend a lot of time together. When we became teenagers, we were close. And that continued all throughout my life until when I was in my 20s, he began to be sick. And he passed away a very young man. He had studied and become a doctor. He was a very bright guy, but he was gone. And this caused me to do some. Some serious thinking about life and about the destiny of my life. And I think from that point on, I began to turn toward deep studies in various Christian subjects.
B
I'm interested. Every person that I interview, I'm always wanting to ask them this question because I think it's just so fascinating. What was your initial response when you were reading through the Bible for the first time and you came upon the Book of Revelation? What did you initially think? Your IQ level is so high. Did you initially think that, oh, this is just. This is just a story, this is a concept, this isn't actually true. What did you think of all of that? Cause it can be pretty intense.
A
Well, thank you for the compliment. But I'll tell you what. I have wrestled with heavy scriptures, as have many, many other people over the years, and of course, the Book of Revelation, I think it's put at the back of the Bible for a reason. You start from the front and you work your way toward the back. But the thing about Revelation is it references so many historical, and I suppose we could say historical, grammatical and spiritual qualities that are condensed. Revelation is a book that, you know, is this thick in the back of your Bible, but what's in the book is this thick. And so my first encounter with Revelation was, I'm not ready for this. And parts of it I could see and understand, parts of it I don't know yet. And over the years, I think the Lord kept sending me back to Revelation more and more often, and I saw how it interlocked with various other scriptural historical periods. So you have the Bible being brought to a culmination, a very, very well structured culmination in the Book of Revelation. But if you go there first, you're bound to get confused.
B
What was your first reaction when you started to realize that the Bible is a supernatural book and that the realms that we deal with today are more real in a lot of ways than this realm that we're in here? How did that affect your life and change your study or did it at all? Did you kind of understand that from the first time that you approached the Word.
A
I think the thing that. That brought the Bible into focus for me came from the fact that I had a very sickly childhood. I was sick from the time I was about three years old until I was about 18 and actually almost passed away on two different occasions. I had the measles. This is before I had spinal meningitis. And I was really sick. And I was about 5 years old, and my parents and my aunt and uncle were in the front room of the house. I was in the back bedroom of the house, and I was sick with the measles. And it was a hot summer night. I did not want to lie there. There was before air conditioning. I didn't want to lie there in that bed and just feel horrible. So I just got up and sneaked out the back door, and they were all in the front of the house. And I went out in the backyard. There was a little apricot tree out there. And so I went up under that tree, and I just stood there. And from the back of the backyard, a couple, a man and a woman, came walking across the yard. And they came up to me, and they were dressed in clothes that you like, Bible clothes that you see Bible characters wearing robes and things, sandals. And I thought to myself, I didn't say it. I said, those look like angels. And I just stood there, and they came over to me and they said, hi, Gary. Hi. And they said, we understand you're sick. Yes, I've got the measles. And we talked about that. And as we talked, and I was really drawn to them. They were really wonderful people. I mean, you could just feel it. And they said something like, we've come to help you. And I said, oh. And they said, yes. He said, you're going to be very sick. And I said, I am? Yes. And we talked a while, and I said, they kind of elaborate on the fact that you're going to have a very sickly childhood. And I thought, well, I don't want to hear this. But we talked. And they were very, very compelling, very magnetic, and smiled a lot. And they were just wonderful people. And after we had talked maybe three or four minutes, they said, you know, you don't have to go through this. We could take you back with us if you want to go, if you don't want to suffer all of the illnesses that you're going to suffer in your childhood. And I thought a minute, well, how could I escape all that? And I said, well, we could take you back. And I thought, about it a while, and we talked. And mind you, I'm like five years, six years old. I don't. I don't know. I hadn't started school yet, so I was about five. And here's this couple that came out of nowhere. We've got the measles, and they're telling me that I'm going to get even sicker, but I don't have to go through it if I don't want to. So I thought about this. And I thought about it. Thought about it. No, I don't want to leave the people here, because I know people here. I know everybody. And I'm thinking and talking to them, and I finally said, no, I'm going to stay. Whatever I have to go through, I'm going to go through it. And they said, well, if that's your decision.
B
Did you have a concept of where take you back was? Did they elaborate on that, or was
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it just, oh, what?
B
Did you have an idea of what it meant when they said take you back with us? Did they say where you would be going or anything?
A
I thought. I immediately thought to heaven because they looked like. And talked like heavenly creatures. And they were very attractive people and pleasant people, and I vaguely remembered them from somewhere, but I couldn't remember where. So I was, you know, there they were, and they gave me this choice, and I said, no, I choose to stay. And they sort of looked at each other and said, okay, good. And I could tell they were okay. And they were pleased with my decision. And they said something like, we'll see you again. And they just turned and walked out the backyard back gate and off into a field, and they were gone. And I. My first thought was, man, I'm going to get sick. And I did. Spinal meningitis. Almost died.
B
Oh, my gosh.
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And it was just six months after they visited me. And here's the funny thing. I never told my parents about that visit. I kept. Just never told anybody. So that's sort of a historical starting point for me. In other words, a dramatic series of difficulties befell me as a child, and my reaction was fear. I feared life. I grew up afraid of almost everything that moved because I was afraid that I was gonna go. It was just, you know. And my parents talked to me and said, no, Gary, you know, we will pray and it'll be okay. And I thought to myself, I'm not so sure about that. But we prayed and it was okay. And here's the thing about. About my life. I think that the singular fact of my life is that I learned to believe in things that were difficult to believe, difficult scriptures, difficult relationships, difficult life patterns. Why would God allow this to happen? And I'm old enough to have grown up during World War II and the Korean War and the Vietnam War. And I looked at all these things and I tried to view them through the scriptural lens. And eventually I got to the point where I could. And this is, I think, the most impressive thing about the Bible. To me, it brings comfort in a place where sometimes there's not much comfort to be had.
B
Yeah.
A
Yeah.
B
So really, your life experience, the Lord was using these difficulties and these challenges and these unanswered questions that you had all throughout your life. He was allowing you to walk through those difficulties, in a sense, to prepare you for these big questions and these new concepts, in a biblical sense, to be able to help you attack them and to really dig in, to understand and then turn around and teach them to other people.
A
Yes. And I wouldn't, in the early years have thought that that would happen. And the Lord just nudged me along. And the first thing I knew, I was teaching scripture with a lot of preparation, I might add, because I had studied languages and Greek and Hebrew, and I had studied Bible history and a number of different pathways to understanding the Bible. And the thing that I was left with was that it's difficult to be a Christian unless you really get down to bedrock, unless you. You accept, ah, did this really happen to real people? And what they were talking about is still as real as can be, even in our day. And all of the prophecy that we look at is being fulfilled bit by bit. And after a while, you can't possibly doubt what's in that Bible that you once doubted.
B
That's something that I absolutely love about your teaching, is that you teach from the solid bedrock of the Scripture. You can tell that through your study, you have dug in deep and you have. You have studied the. The actual Hebrew and the actual Greek. And you have such a beautiful concept of what's really going on in that chapter, in that verse, in that very word. And you bring it to light in such a way that it. It is applicable to that time, but it also is applicable to today and today's struggles and today's challenges. And you do it in a way that I very honestly have never before heard another teacher present the Bible. And it is. It is absolutely amazing. I have so much amazement every time I listen to a message, even to this day, just because of how it's presented in the way that it makes my Mind think for hours and days afterward.
A
Well, I appreciate your having said that. I'm a little embarrassed by it. But you're right. You have accepted, you've received the deep truths of the Bible and to the point that they're exciting to you, they're not boring. And that's the way it should be. And by the way, at Prophecy Watchers, that's exactly what we're doing. We're trying to make prophecy and scripture as exciting as possible to bring people a little fresh air. You know, just because when you, when you drive back and forth and you go to the grocery store and you do this and you do that and you got a flat tire and you're running into a person who's not. Not all that pleasant and you need something at the end of the day that's really exciting, that will really level out your life. And that's scripture.
B
Absolutely. So I know we've talked about how you kind of approach teaching, but I'd love for you to talk a little bit about your experience as a pastor. How did you begin Bible teaching and actually become the pastor of a church? And what was that like for you?
A
Well, I became involved with a group of five families and your family was one of them many, many, many years ago. And we started a home church devoted to Bible study. And we took turns every Wednesday night and every Sunday and we took turns teaching. And a couple more families joined us and we had to find a bigger house to meet in. And then we found a bigger place to meet in. And what the five original men who were heads of families decided to get together and start a church. And we got together. I'll never forget, the meeting started with the question, can we actually do this? And we decided, yes, we can. And leaving out all the details, that meeting became a little church known as Grace Fellowship. And the church itself eventually began to house a nice congregation which came to maybe 125, 130 people. And we had all kinds of activities. Children were born to parents, we had a nursery. Everything grew and grew and Grace Fellowship became a church. And for 33 years I was there teaching along with some of the other men who had been founders of the church. But ultimately it fell to me to be the pastor, teacher, and some of the greatest years of my life.
B
And that little church has had so many impacts upon the world in ways that I don't think we will fully comprehend until we get to heaven. But I know for a fact that it has single handedly changed the trajectory of my life in so many ways and of my family's life and of so many other families that I know very well that have attended Grace Fellowship over the years. It is still, I'm going to say it again, hands down, the best Bible teaching that I've ever come across and I have to do a shameless plug. Those messages have been reported over the years and every week they are uploaded on all of the prophecy watchers channels through studies with Stearman, uploaded 3pm Central Standard Time on Facebook, on YouTube, on Rumble, on Subsplash, you name it, it is uploaded there. And if you have not listened to any of those messages, you are doing yourself a huge disservice. Those messages are amazing and they will change the way that you approach the Bible and study it. Because I know for a fact it's changed the way that I study and learn from the Bible. So just had to tell the world that those messages are still available today and they need to take advantage of it.
A
Well, thank you, but you're kind of embarrassing me with a little too much in the way of compliments.
B
Well, it's not just me. One of my favorite memories of a prophecy watchers conference is when Pete Garcia came out on stage and had very similar thoughts.
C
If I can brag on Gary a little bit, if you've not had a chance to listen to his bible studies on YouTube or whatever, just individual ones where he does them, they are amazing. They are absolutely amazing. Some of the best teaching I've ever sat under or listened to.
B
I'd love to ask you what your favorite Bible verse is.
A
Well, I have to say if you asked me today, I would say and I'm going to pick my Bible up because I knew you were going to ask this. And I have turned to first Thessalonians chapter four. And I'll bet I know in advance that you know what I'm going to read because everybody knows these verses and we're talking here about 1 Thessalonians 4:16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Now I'll bet that's your favorite verse too. I mean, it has to be everybody's favorite verse because I wouldn't be upset at all if that happened today. What can I say?
B
I think over the years you're teaching and you're talking about the Rapture has given me rapturitis on a permanent low level. It just, it never goes away. I would love for the Rapture to happen.
A
I have to interrupt on the word rapturitis. Have you noticed, and I'm sure you have, and I talk with a lot of people about this. Have you noticed the number of books on the Rapture of the Church that are now being published? I can think of 16 to 18 right now. There are probably more, but I've got Very Hot Topic. All of those at home are in a stack all by themselves so that I can grab one. But I've never seen such excitement about the Rapture in my life as right now, which is amazing.
B
So interesting. What do you think is causing that?
A
I believe that people are watching the world. Just check the nightly news. Watch where ships are sailing, Watch where troops are being deployed. Watch what Vladimir Putin is doing. Watch what the Europeans are doing. By the way, Europe is under great stress right now. The Middle east is under growing stress right now. Troops are being moved. If you go to the Far east, the Chinese are very upset by what's going on in the Middle east and they are said now to be arming themselves at a phenomenal rate. So I look back at the world and I say, this can't go on for long. I don't want to be around here very much long. What can I do? Well, I can study the rapture first. Thessalonians 4, 16, 17. And I can think of, ah, what a relief.
B
He wants some hope. The Rapture is always a quick fix to focus on 100%.
A
Now, I have not set a date for the Rapture, nor will I. I've
B
tried to get you to many times,
A
but I know a lot of people who have. And I don't object to that because there's a lot of excitement today and I'm sure the Lord will forgive them if they get the wrong date. What they're doing is creating excitement. They're pulling people in to the word of God. And that's what it's all about.
B
Absolutely. And speaking of the Rapture, I think Prophecy Watchers is very much founded on that concept of hope. The Rapture is our blessed hope that we look forward to. And I know you never saw Prophecy Watchers in your future, but the Lord had that in store for you. And I would just love, love if you would be willing to talk with us a little bit about your experience as you felt the Lord starting to lead you to start Prophecy Watchers. How. How was that for you?
A
Well, it was filled with doubt, as you can imagine, moving toward founding a corporation, which is what we have become. Prophecy Watchers is a corporation devoted to one thing, and that is to move and to make plentiful and available books, DVDs, CDs, information on anything and everything having to do with Bible prophecy and, and inviting people in for interviews so they could share what they. Not only their books, but their personal thoughts. And when I think back to having started all this, I thought, this is too much. I'm not sure that we can pull this off. Bob Ulrich and myself had many, many, many. And by the way, he is our director and he is a wonderful guy. You've got to meet him. He and I had many conversations about how do we do this, this, this, this and this. And I can remember we were sitting in my dining room and we prayed about it. And at that moment, Prophecy Watchers became a real entity.
B
That's so exciting. And I know it. I'm sure it was scary and confusing and concerning and, you know, all of those negative things. But I have the benefit of watching it from the outside and watching from when it was born. And you all did the first program in your living room and then you all transitioned over to Grace Fellowships building for a little while and then you quickly grew into the. The first building that you all owned. And then now we're here in the former TBN studio. How quickly the Lord has used just, what was it, five original, original people that were led to come together to start Prophecy Watchers to how quickly it has exploded with so many people coming alongside and supporting and praying and helping us grow. And to me, that is such a testament and it has grown my faith in amazing ways because I've been a part of it, Prophecy Watchers for a little over 10 years now. But just seeing from the outside perspective how he has just brought Prophecy Watchers to the front and center in so many ways, it is amazing to me. And I also think it is a testament of you and Bob and everyone else that joined. It is a testament to your willingness to step out in faith and say, we're being led to do this and, you know, let's, let's watch God work. And boy, did he work. I love that I think about it all the time, just how prevalent it is, God's hand on this ministry. And I'm so grateful that you did go ahead and agree to do it because I'm sure you probably would have loved to retire. But you have agreed to continue on with us and What a difference it's made in countless lives.
A
Well, you know, it's fascinating. I have to add this note after what you just said, and that is that the word watch, W a T C H is very, very prevalent in the Bible. Watch, therefore. I don't. I haven't even counted it. I don't know how many times the word watch appears in the Bible. But God tells his. His, his faithful time and time again, He. He says, watch, therefore, because. And then will come an explanatory phrase over and over and over in the Bible. And prophecy Watchers, I think, is. Is trying to reflect that idea. God wants us to watch. And the word watcher, you know, do you want to really call yourself a watcher? Well, if you're a watcher, you're a watcher. And yes, Prophecy Watchers has become a very popular title. And people. I've had heard people actually say, you know, I thought that was a strange name at first, but then I. It hit me. God wants us to be prophecy watchers.
B
Mm. And today is so easy to be a prophecy watcher. Cause you can't avoid. If you're watching the news, you can't avoid being a prophecy watcher. If you know what's up, it's right there. It's in your face. It's just like, look at me. The Lord is coming soon. I'd like to bring out a little bit of a factoid. I don't think many people know this, just like many people probably don't know your connection to this Dearman airplane. But you were a radio host for Sarah several years. I would love for you to talk about how that happened.
A
Well, what can I say? The number one talk radio station in Oklahoma City is ktok. Everybody knows that. Everybody knows about ktok and starting a long time ago, and I can't even name a date on it. An individual who's devoted to selling a certain product and who wanted to sell it over the air. KTOK came to me and said, what would you do to promote this program and this product that I have? So I said, well, here's what I would do. He went over to the radio station ktok, and as it happened, I went with him. I met a few people over there. And through a series of accidental occurrences, for example, a talk host happened to be ill, and I was invited to sit in and take his chair for a little while. And I thought, this, this is great. I like this, you know, And I talked to a few people. And the first thing you know, I was a talk host. On that radio station had a show that lasted for many years every Saturday morning. And then I also had an evening show, Night talk. You know, when the sun goes down and it gets dark and people start to call up all kinds of strange subjects, matter comes into play. And I discovered that people loved to talk about things that they didn't feel comfortable talking to their families about. And also they were very interested in spiritual matters. Well, that fell right into my lap. And so I began a talk. A series of talk programs that were largely devoted to spiritual topics without being very, very heavy on Christian doctrine. But nevertheless, the whole idea was to make Christian doctrine as pleasant and as open as possible. And that's what I did at ktok.
B
I didn't know that you had the evening talk show. That is right up your alley.
A
You missed my evening show.
B
I never knew about your evening show. I knew that you were on the KTOK morning show. We used to go and see you on Saturday mornings wherever you were hosting the live event for the lawn and garden show. I, I remember going seeing that. But that's even more perfect that you had that evening show. So were you able to insert Bible prophecy and biblical concepts in there a little bit, or was it mostly mainstream?
A
I. I learned how to do that without being offensive or, or, or going over the edge. I learned how to do that. And for me, that was great training.
B
Yeah, that was perfectly created. That program was just for you.
A
I love it as it happened, and I think the Lord's hand was in it. But it also prepared me for broadcasting in general, to become acquainted with the elements of broadcasting. And here we are.
B
Yeah, I'm sure that has served you well over the years because in radio you have to be able to just monologue and get a point across and move on to the next song and queue it up and multitasking. And it's a challenge, but it's so satisfying at the same time. So talking about all these unseen realms and the supernatural, you have written, I don't even know probably the equivalent of how many books over the years with all of the articles that you've written, but you've written extensively on all these different subjects and topics. But you've published a book called Time travelers of the Bible. Talk to us about that. How did you even get the concept of writing a book on such an interesting topic?
A
Well, it occurred to me that sci fi in the world of Unbelievers. Sci fi is a very, very popular literary motif. It's very very. It's at the top of sales Every time. And starting back in the 50s, after World War II, and then moving through the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, a number of, of books and movies and by the way, television serials began to be published illustrating man in the future, just like Captain Kirk, you know, going through various galaxies and meeting all kinds of strange people. And it opened people's heart, minds, it opened their thinking to beyond humanism. In other words, there's, there's a world out there, it's a sci fi world. And, and it is. If I really study the sci fi world, it's going to open my mind to the realities of spiritual matters. And so it came, became a kind of substitute for, for the spiritual search that is normally pursued through the Bible. And in my opinion, sci fi was a direct diversion. Certain numbers of people who would have believed the Bible suddenly fell into reading book after book after book in sci fi category. So when I wrote time travelers in the Bible, I wrote the reverse of that. I took sci fi and turned it around and began with the Bible. And wouldn't you know, the Bible is far more advanced than any sci fi you'll ever read.
B
What a concept.
A
And that was basically the foundation of that book.
B
Well, would you agree that so many people are drawn to sci fi and to the superhero movies and all that? Because that's what they're hoping for, that's what they like. There's something burning within us that want to have that greatness, that want to have that, that amazing crazy experience. And when you stop and you look at the Bible through what they are actually teaching us, all these different books of the Bible, that is at the end of the day what we are in so many different ways. And the enemy has taken the Bible concepts and he's twisted it and he's distracted like what you said so many humans overhear with the false version of it. But in reality we already are going to experience that in eternity. And we just so many Christians even don't understand that correctly because they haven't been taught the Bible from, and sci
A
fi and the various genres of science, sci fi, all the movies and series and so forth, have given humanity a way to find spiritual stability without going to the Bible. In other words, sci fi is kind of a false religion, if you will, because let's face it, what did Captain Kirk do when he, you know, went all over the galaxy with Spock and with Uhura and the whole Star Trek crew and then the other crews that came later? What are they doing when they're traveling around the universe? They're Meeting superior people with superior ideas. And those superior people's superior ideas take the place of God, the Holy Spirit, the angels, the truths of scripture, past, present, and by the way, future. Because the original sci fi, and it's not sci fi at all, is the Bible. And I've always thought of sci fi as kind of going the wrong way to look for the truth, but it's entertaining and it's comforting and there you have it.
B
Yeah. What would you say to someone? Maybe they're a Christian and they've just been struggling and have been kind of straying, or maybe it's someone who's considering Christianity, but they've always believed that the Bible is no longer relevant, that it's full of contradictions, that it was full of rules and it's just, you know, not applicable to our lives today. What would you tell that person if they were sitting here watching this program today?
A
Well, I would tell them that the reason the Bible appears to be filled with mistakes is simply because you don't have the tools you need to understand it. And it's that simple. In other words, and by the way, that is what classical preaching does. It gives an individual the tools to understand the incredible truths in the Bible which at first glance appear to be impossibilities. This can't be possible at all. The Bible is full of impossibilities until you understand how to read it. And that's the function of a pastor, teacher. It's a function of prophecy watchers to make the Bible not just understandable, but compelling. And until you begin to understand that is the solution to wherever you are in your personal life. It's, it is to be found in Scripture.
B
Beautiful. I know I've ping ponged you all over past, present, future, just kind of picked your brain on things. Is there anything that you'd like to share with the audience?
A
Well, now that you sort of surprised me with that, I have to think for a moment. But you know, if there's one thing that I would like people to know, it is that God is real. He's exactly who the Bible says he is. God is the creator of the heavens and the earth, and yet he has an infinite capability of loving each and every human being. And he wants to love each and every human being. And you say love. You know, everybody talks about love, not like the Bible. So what you have in the Bible is a system, an extraordinarily complex system that requires years of study in the leading of the Holy Spirit. And the message of the Bible, the central message is that God loves you, a human being, and he wants to take you to his world where you will live eternally in a life that is capable of such bliss that we can't even begin to understand it. But it's the best offer ever made.
B
Perfect. I couldn't sum it up better myself. Thank you so much for your time. I'm so thankful that you were able to come on the program today.
A
You're certainly welcome. Always good to talk to you, Karen.
B
Thank you everyone for tuning in today. I hope that you have a better understanding of the man that we all know and love through Prophecy Watchers. I'm so grateful that you took the time to join us for this conversation. If you did enjoy it, I would love for you to like, for you to share, for you to just engage with Prophecy Watchers channels. That way we can get this program and other programs out to the world. Our message is to let everyone know of the good news of Jesus and we would love your help in doing that. Thank you again for tuning in and we'll see you here, there, or in the air. Sa.
Prophecy Watchers — Signs and Seasons (April 10, 2026)
Host: Karen
Guest: Gary Stearman
In the premiere episode of "Signs and Seasons," Karen sits down with beloved Bible teacher and Prophecy Watchers founder, Gary Stearman, for a profoundly personal interview. The episode explores Gary's spiritual journey, the supernatural childhood experience that shaped his faith, and his theological development leading to a lifetime of ministry and teaching on Bible prophecy. The conversation weaves together Gary’s testimony, insights on scripture (especially the supernatural realm), the origin of Prophecy Watchers, and reflections on sci-fi and its spiritual implications.
"He put me on the spot because I had sort of doubts about whether I was actually an authentic legitimate Christian... He prayed with me, and from that moment on, I was a Christian. It was solid." (02:14-03:10)
"My first encounter with Revelation was, I'm not ready for this... parts of it I could see and understand, parts I don't know yet." (08:07-09:19)
"No, I don't want to leave the people here... Whatever I have to go through, I'm going to go through it." (11:56-13:38)
"The most impressive thing about the Bible, to me, it brings comfort in a place where sometimes there's not much comfort to be had." (17:48)
Pete Garcia: "If you've not had a chance to listen to his bible studies... they are amazing. Some of the best teaching I've ever sat under." (25:33-25:49)
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout..." (25:55-27:03)
"It was filled with doubt, as you can imagine... Bob Ulrich and myself had many, many conversations... We prayed about it, and at that moment, Prophecy Watchers became a real entity." (29:55-31:29)
"The word watch is very, very prevalent in the Bible. God tells his faithful time and time again, He says, watch, therefore..." (33:18-34:37)
"Sci-fi is kind of a false religion... Meeting superior people with superior ideas takes the place of God, the Holy Spirit, the angels... The original sci-fi... is the Bible." (42:48-44:04)
"The reason the Bible appears to be filled with mistakes is simply because you don't have the tools you need to understand it. That's the function of a pastor, teacher. It's a function of Prophecy Watchers to make the Bible not just understandable, but compelling." (44:35-45:45)
"God is real. He's exactly who the Bible says he is... The central message is that God loves you, a human being, and he wants to take you to his world where you will live eternally in a life that is capable of such bliss that we can't even begin to understand it. But it's the best offer ever made." (45:57-47:24)
"After we had talked maybe three or four minutes, they said, you know, you don't have to go through this. We could take you back with us if you want to go, if you don't want to suffer all of the illnesses that you're going to suffer in your childhood." — Gary Stearman (12:38-13:12)
"It's difficult to be a Christian unless you really get down to bedrock... Did this really happen to real people? ... All of the prophecy that we look at is being fulfilled bit by bit." — Gary Stearman (18:35-19:48)
"I've never seen such excitement about the Rapture in my life as right now, which is amazing." — Gary Stearman (27:15-27:48)
"People’s spiritual hunger is being sidetracked into sci-fi, when the Bible is, in fact, the ultimate, original sci-fi." — Paraphrased, based on Gary’s statements (41:39-44:04)
"God wants us to watch." — Gary Stearman (33:18-34:37)
"God is real. He's exactly who the Bible says he is... and the message of the Bible, the central message is that God loves you..." (45:57-47:24)
This intimate conversation reveals the formative supernatural experience that shaped Gary Stearman’s entire spiritual outlook, his journey from doubt to faith, and his calling as a teacher, pastor, and broadcast pioneer in Bible prophecy. Listeners are invited to reflect on the supernatural reality of scripture, the true relevance of the Bible in a modern world, and the hope offered through faith in Christ and the anticipation of his return. The episode is rich with inspiration, theological reflection, and encouragement for believers and seekers alike to dig deeper into scripture and become prophecy watchers in their own lives.