JONI TABLE TALK - OCTOBER 26TH, 2025

Summary

Real America’s Voice: Joni Table Talk – October 26, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Joni Table Talk delivers an engaging double-feature:
Segment 1 is a roundtable conversation on the power, accessibility, and relevance of the Bible in daily life, featuring guest Zach Windall, author of The Bible Simplified.
Segment 2 features Martin and Millicent Cedra, who share their story of growing up under religious persecution in Egypt, their dramatic escape, and their bold, current-day ministry in Australia focused on sharing the gospel with Muslims and others.
Both segments are unified by messages of faith, courage, and the transformative power of scripture.

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Segment 1: “Making the Bible Accessible” with Zach Windall

(Starts ~[02:31]; Guest Zach Windall joins at [07:11])

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Bible: Approaching an Intimidating Book

• Panelists (Dorothy Newton, Anna Kendall, Rachel Ann Brown, Rebecca Lamb Weiss, Cindy Murdoch) share personal experiences on overcoming the intimidation many feel approaching the Bible.
  • Emphasis on “just start” and trusting the Holy Spirit for comprehension ([03:25]).
  • Reading with their children; using audio Bibles and various versions to enrich understanding ([03:50]).

Verses That Resonate

• The panel shares “life verses” and recent scriptures that have impacted them.
  • Proverbs 3:5-6 & Jeremiah 17:7–8 featured for their life guidance and comfort ([05:01]).
  • “He whose mind is stayed on me… kept in perfect peace.” ([06:30], Cindy Murdoch)

Introducing Zach Windall and His Story

• Zach recounts a childhood witnessing repeated miraculous healings of his mother ([08:07]).
  • “My mom was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer… she ended up being healed… miracle, praise God.” ([08:07], Zach)
• Despite seeing miracles, he admits to drifting away from faith during his late teens to mid-20s, influenced by cultural trends and doubts ([09:44]).

Recommitting to Faith: The “Two Year Challenge”

• At his spiritual low, Zach prayed:
  • “God, I’m going to give you two years, prove that you’re real. Otherwise, I’m stepping away from it.” ([11:16])
• Embarked on reading the entire Bible in 90 days (“B90X” inspired by P90X workouts) and then deeply studied each book over a year in Australia ([11:33]).
  • “You would study for 12 hours a day, six days a week… write your own commentary on the text.” ([12:19])

From Study Notes to Publishing Success

• Zach's notes evolved into The Bible Study—a guide that has sold over half a million copies ([13:11]).
  • “It became the number four fastest growing consumer product in America… only God.” ([14:18])
• On what makes his approach unique:
  • “I wrote it for me… for what I wish I would have had when I was starting out.” ([14:31])

Tackling Hard Questions

• Common questions addressed: Why did Jesus have to die? What is the Kingdom of God? Why do bad things happen? How was Scripture written? ([15:00–15:11])
• The importance of context:
  • “If you read the paragraph before the verse and the paragraph after, you’re gonna know so much more…” ([19:41])

Big Picture Advice

• For newcomers:
  • “Zoom out and understand the big picture storyline… God created a good place, humans messed up, now redemption is unfolding.” ([17:59], [18:09])
• Key revelation: realizing much of the New Testament is letters to specific audiences, not isolated quotes ([18:41]).

Making Scripture Personal

• Practical tip: try rewriting chapters in your own words for true understanding and retention ([17:04]).
• Encouragement: the Bible is meant to connect the reader directly to God and bring peace ([17:49]).

About "The Bible Simplified"

• Walks readers from Genesis to Revelation, emphasizing backstory and main themes before diving into specifics ([20:19]).
• “I never want it to replace the Bible. I want it to be that foundational understanding… so you fall in love with Scripture.” ([20:40])

Notable Quotes

• “The Bible is the only book in the universe that is living and breathing. Absolutely. It is alive.”
  – Anna Kendall ([03:24])
• “Treat every day like the gift that it is and try to find God in the midst. And that really shaped my entire mindset growing up.” – Zach ([08:07])
• “It was written to a specific people group in a specific time, but the Holy Spirit inspired the text that was written.” – Zach ([16:40])
• “Context is so key. But there’s not even a lot of people teaching the context in churches…” – Host ([19:36])

Prayer of Salvation

• Led by Rebecca Lamb Weiss for viewers who wish to accept Christ ([23:24]).

Who is this book for?

• “The new believer for sure. …Also somebody that has read the Bible a dozen times before. …My nephew is 10 and my mother-in-law has read the Bible a handful of times and they’re both getting a ton of it.” – Zach ([25:53])

Closing Thoughts

• The Bible is not meant to be complicated; it's meant to reveal God's desire for a personal relationship ([29:31]).
• “When you get into the word of God and begin to read, I believe you will experience it in a way you never have.” – Host ([29:43])

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Segment 2: “From Persecuted to Bold: The Cedra Family Testimony”

(Begins ~[34:03]; Cedras introduced at [36:31])

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Growing Up Christian in Muslim Egypt

• Martin describes life as a minority Christian in a majority-Muslim country, facing threat and violence:
  • “If you’re a Christian, if you’re a pastor, if you preach Christ, they will come after you. …Many Christians get killed, beheaded, slaughtered.” ([37:20])

The Cost of Conversion and Ministry

• Martin’s father, a convert from Orthodoxy, began evangelical ministry—prompting hostility, especially after converting the wife of a local Islamic leader ([39:22], [41:01])

Miraculous Protection

• Multiple failed assassination attempts on Martin’s siblings by Muslim Brotherhood members:
  • “They feel frozen in the van… can’t get out… supernatural hand tie their hands behind their back…” ([41:47–42:39])
• The would-be assassin confesses to Martin's father and converts to Christianity after witnessing the inability to harm the children ([42:54]).

Flight to Australia

• Bounty placed on the family; their address published in papers.
• Family flees overnight to Australia, sacrificing home, business, and family connections for safety ([44:42–45:46]).

The Cross Tattoo

• Martin explains the tradition of tattooing Christian babies with a cross in Egypt to mark their faith for identification and protection from abduction ([45:52]).

Rebuilding in Australia

• The Cedras arrive in Australia as refugees, start over, and ultimately launch evangelistic ministries ([47:42]).

Comparing Religions and Sharpening Mission Focus

• Emphasis on candid comparison between Christianity and Islam:
  • “Not all Muslims are violent, but all Islam is violent. …Islam is a religion of violence and terrorism.” – Martin ([38:13])
• Clarifies: passionate about loving Muslims, but unafraid to point out the problems with Islamic doctrine, especially regarding women's rights ([50:00], [50:44]).

Reaching Muslims with the Gospel

• Studies ways Jesus is represented in the Quran, uses those as bridges for evangelism ([43:39]).
• “Our job is to prove to the Muslims that Jesus is not a prophet, he is the son of God.” – Martin ([44:00])

Sacrifice and Obedience

• The pain and cost to Martin’s parents and the commitment to “go wherever God calls you, even if it costs you everything” ([47:38]).

Love Story & Ministry

• Martin and Millicent share their courtship, bonded by a shared passion for bold ministry ([51:34–54:46]).

Echo Church: Bold Evangelism Today

• Echo Church in Australia described as multicultural, fearless in biblical truth, and open to all, including former Muslims and LGBTQ individuals ([55:50]).
  • “The most loving thing you can do is preach the truth… A guy came in our church in a dress… two months later, dressed like a man… was at the front of our altar call on his knees, weeping, and now serving in the house of God.”
    – Martin ([56:17])

Notable Quotes

• “Jesus loved women. He blessed women. The adulterous woman. …Muslim Brotherhood came after my brothers, wanting to… behead them.” – Martin ([41:20])
• “From refugee to revival, that’s what God did with our story. God does not lose. God is always victorious.” – Martin ([47:42])
• “The real victim here is not the men. It’s the women and children.” – Martin ([51:30])
• “We love you. This is the problem. When you preach the truth, people think it’s hateful. The most loving thing you can do is preach the truth.” – Martin ([56:17])

Sinner’s Prayer

• Martin leads the audience in a prayer to accept Jesus ([58:54]).
  • “Dear Lord Jesus, I repent of my sin…I make you king of my life. Wash me by your precious blood in Jesus name.”
  • Host: “It’s really that simple. The most important prayer that you will ever pray.” ([59:22])

Final Encouragement

• “God handpicked you… to be light in darkness. …You were born for such a time as this. His power, working through you, can make such a difference—all he needs is your Yes.” – Host ([59:50])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | Highlight | |-----------|-------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------| | 07:11 | Zach Windall joins | Story of miracles and faith journey begins | | 11:16 | “Two Year Challenge” prayer | Turning point for Zach | | 12:41 | Deep Bible Study in Australia | Background of “The Bible Study” and publishing story | | 17:59 | Advice for newcomers to Bible | Importance of big-picture and narrative | | 19:41 | Power of Context | Urging full context over favorite-verse approach | | 25:53 | “Who needs this book?” | Target audience for “The Bible Simplified” | | 36:31 | Cedra family joins | Start of persecution testimony | | 41:47 | Miraculous protection | Details of Muslim Brotherhood attempt and divine intervention | | 44:42 | Fleeing Egypt | Dramatic overnight escape to Australia | | 50:00 | Women in Islam | Martin’s critique of Islamic law and oppression of women | | 55:50 | Echo Church ministry | Modern evangelism and testimonies in Australia | | 58:54 | Martin’s Sinner’s Prayer | Invitation for viewers to accept Christ |

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “God is big enough to prove who He is. He will reveal Himself to you.” – Host ([59:22])
• “They feel a supernatural hand tie their hands behind their back…” – Martin Cedra ([42:39])
• “God doesn’t lose… that’s what the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt will now be hearing our story, and they’ll be furious. We wanted to destroy them—exactly what Joseph said: ‘You planned to destroy me, but God turned it for good.’” – Martin ([47:42])
• “When you get into the Word of God and begin to read, I believe you will experience it in a way you never have.” – Host ([29:43])

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Closing Summary

In this compelling episode of Joni Table Talk, both halves combine to show faith’s active, transformative power and the importance of sharing one’s story boldly and truthfully.

• Zach Windall’s segment inspires listeners to demystify and truly engage the Bible—no matter their starting point—while Martin and Millicent Cedra show what living faith and courage look like under pressure.
• Both guests invite viewers to step into a deeper relationship with God, whether by reading the Bible afresh or by courageously sharing their faith, even in the face of persecution.

Resource Links:

• Zach Windall’s books: zachwindall.com
• Cedra ministry: Echo Church Global

Calls to Action:

• Contact the show’s prayer line for support or free Gospel of John
• Consider reading The Bible Simplified for a clearer understanding of God’s story
• Stand bold in your own faith journey and story

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Visit spinquest.com for more details. Well, the Bible is more than just a book. It is the Holy Spirit's masterpiece telling the powerful story of God's relentless love towards humanity. Wow. It's a lot to think about. Well, today's guest opens up about how that story gripped his heart and shaped his calling. But before we get to that, join me around the table is Dorothy Newton, who loves to talk about the Bible. Yes, yes, yes. You know, I talk to so many people about the Bible and it is intimidating. It can be overwhelming. And I always just tell them and encourage them. Just start, start from somewhere and the Holy Spirit will give you everything you need to comprehend and understand. But you have to start, right? And today's guest really has a tool to help with that. Yes, absolutely. So I'm excited to share about that. Anna Kendall. I say that the Bible is the only book in the universe that is living and breathing. Absolutely. It is alive. It is alive. It is alive for us. And I'm excited because we're going to get some answers to some questions that have perplexed a lot of people. So I'm excited to be here. All right. Rachel Ann Brown, how are you? I'm good. And, you know, reading the Bible is so important and something that Josh and I are really focused on instilling in our kids. So Judas got a children's Bible and we read through the entire Bible already. And so now we're starting over. Oh, wow. And he loves it. And so we're trying to instill that at an early age. But when we're older, it can be intimidating, you know, trying to break it down and understand it. I know something that Josh has done that's really helped is he'll go to YouTube and he'll listen to, like, the Bible being read or on the Bible app, and he listens to it. I'll hear the little voice throughout the house. I'll have all these different versions on my phone. I'll listen to the Gospels through the different versions. The Bible is really important. Rebecca Lamb Weiss. Isn't it? Oh, man, that is a loaded question. But to simplify an answer, it is essential and it is infallible. And it is the word of God and has authority and it's a gift that he's given us. But what I love is that we're going to be talking about it simplified for people in a way that they can understand. I think that's what a better thing to give people than that yeah, yeah. Is there any particular verse lately that has kind of ministered to you or stuck out to you that I know? Sometimes somebody I know, my verse, my little life verse, I think even in my teenage years was in Proverbs. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not into your own understanding, but in all your ways. Acknowledge him, and he will direct your path. And I saw him do that in my life. Is there any scripture standing out that's blessed you lately? One that's been with me for the past couple years now is Jeremiah 17. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord. He will be like a tree who's planted by the riverbank whose roots go down and doesn't fear drought because its leaves stay green. And that also before that it says, cursed is the one who trusts in man. And so we aren't supposed to trust in ourselves. We're not supposed to trust in any person. But if our trust is solely in him, we will be blessed. And it won't matter what comes our way in life, because we're rooted in Him. Cindy Murdoch, there are so many verses, life verses that you have. I know. I was thinking about so many. In fact, the one you just said, it's meant so much to me lately as life takes on changes, you know, and. But I think about that. He whose mind is stayed upon me, God said, will be kept in perfect peace. So when our mind is stayed on the bigness of who God is, and as we read through the Bible, we see the character of God, it helps us stay in perfect peace. That's good. Yeah, that's good. I mean, that's something that we need right now. The whole world needs to understand that he gives us a peace that passes all understanding. And you can start reading, reading the Bible and just experience the peace of God, the presence of God, it really, really is amazing. Well, today's guest is a spirit filled content creator and author. Please welcome Zach Windall. Come on in, Zach.

[B]

Hey, guys. Thank you so much for having me. Oh, my goodness. This is awesome.

[A]

Thanks for being here at the table with all these women.

[B]

I know, how fun. Yeah, I love it.

[A]

Thank you. Yeah, it's great. It's great. Positive attitude. I like this.

[B]

All right.

[A]

Well, you know, at rock bottom, Zach met the Holy Spirit in the pages of Scripture and everything changed. Today he shares how the Bible still transforms lives and what inspired his book, the Bible Simplified. I love it. I love it. It didn't start out that way. Let's go back to the beginning where you actually saw Miracles happen in your own home. But there wasn't really a kind of surrender moment for you to where, okay, I'm going to make you lord of my life. You're kind of just coasting along, but you saw things happen early on. Tell us a little bit about some of the things that happened with your mom.

[B]

Absolutely. When I was 4 years old, my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer and was sent home with a 5% chance to live. She ended up being healed from that, so miracle, praise God. And then she had a tumor on her sciatic nerve and was healed from that.

[A]

And she said she felt.

[B]

Yeah, prayed over, fire through her body. Miraculous healing with that. And then she had colon cancer with three quarters of her colon removed and was healed from that. And then when I was 15, breast cancer, double mastectomy, reconstruction, healed from that as well. So, literally, from 4 to 15, I'm seeing God move in really miraculous ways, never knowing if my mom is going to make it. But I always was focused on the goodness of God. And he would. And my mom would always say, zach, life could be so much worse. I could not be here today, but I am. So you need to treat every day like the gift that it is and try to find God in the midst. And that really shaped my entire mindset growing up, my understanding of God's goodness. But I think as a lot of people grow up in church, you know certain stories, maybe you have to memorize certain Bible verses, but I never knew how it all connected, really. It's like I knew Adam and Eve and Jonah and Noah and Daniel and Jesus, but.

[A]

And David and Goliath.

[B]

Yeah, David and Goliath and. Totally. And it's like, but how do those all link up? And so I fell away from my faith for years. I started doubting things. And what age were you when you.

[A]

Kind of stepped away for a moment?

[B]

I would say around 17 till about 24, probably.

[A]

Wow, Zach. Yeah.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

What was that journey like for you.

[B]

In that stepping away? Yeah, I think I was.

[A]

How'd that work out for you?

[B]

Yeah, literally, it never works out good. I think I allowed other people's faith and actions to impact my relationship and view of God too much, which is so funny that we do that. It's like the God of the universe has a relationship with us, and we're like, yeah, well, Michael over here is like a bad representation.

[A]

Was it through, like, a trauma or, like, a hurt or just. Overall, no.

[B]

I think it was just a desire to try things on my own. And I Was just involved in culture and find your way. Just. Yeah, trying to find my way.

[A]

I'm kind of going along with, you know, do what you want to do.

[B]

Yeah, of course.

[A]

You know, whatever feels good, do it for sure. And stepping away. Okay, so at some point though, you decided to pray a prayer to God.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And you know, everyone gets there at some point where God meets you and gives you an opportunity. Kind of like, it's almost like he gives you an opportunity to ask any question you want and see if he'll show up. I was telling somebody yesterday, hey, the onus is not on me to prove who he is. If you'll just say, jesus, are you real?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Then make yourself real to me, then he will show up. So what was your prayer?

[B]

I said, God, I'm going to give you two years, prove that you're real. Otherwise I'm stepping away from it.

[A]

Why two years? Like, where did that prayer come from?

[B]

Sounded good to me.

[C]

What in the world?

[B]

I mean, one year might be too short, three years might be too long.

[A]

Two sounded great.

[B]

Yeah, might as well.

[A]

So two years and then you were off to where?

[B]

So at that point I was like, well, I need to study the Bible. And so do you remember that workout program P90X that a bunch of people did? So there was this church that did B90X and it was like, read through the whole Bible in 90 days. And I was like, genius, that's what I'm going to do. So I read it in 90 days and I was shocked. Yeah, it was at the time for sure. I was like, this story is way different than I expected it to be. So then I started looking for some sort of program that I could really dive into over the course of I wanted to do like a one year program. So I found this program out in Australia because being from Minnesota, of course, Australia sounds like a great place to go. And moved across the world. And we studied in this program. You would study for 12 hours a day, six days a week. So if it was Genesis week, you would read Genesis literally five times through during that week. That's like a four hour read. And then at the end of every week, you would write your own commentary on the text and just what you're learning from it and understanding. So by the time I was done with this program, I had 30 pages of notes.

[A]

So this is where you wrote your book, Honestly.

[B]

So I had about 30 pages of notes on every book and a lot of people started asking me for the notes and I thought I was going to become A teacher at that point, I didn't really know what that looked like. And I felt like the Lord gave me this full vision for this product called the Bible Study. And I saw like the design of it, the layout and everything. And that was my first book that I created.

[A]

And that was the One Year Bible.

[B]

Yeah. Yep.

[A]

So watching it and how many downloads of that.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, we sold at this point about half a million copies of it.

[A]

Oh, wow, that's awesome.

[B]

Yeah, it's impacted people all over the world, which is a huge blessing.

[A]

Wow, that's so cool. You had no idea that would happen?

[B]

Not at all.

[A]

Okay, so after the two years, you're convinced. And I think all of that really gave you the foundation you would need for what you would do. Right. Because God uses everything that happens in our life 100%.

[B]

And my background was actually hospitality and entrepreneurship, so I didn't have like a ministry job or anything. And truthfully, when I came out with the first book, nobody would give me the time of day because I didn't have a platform. And pastors just didn't know if they could trust me. And so I was like, well, I'm going to go straight to the people. And so that's when I started doing social media ads and social media content and that really tended to blow up over the last few years.

[A]

So the One Year Bible Study, you actually ended up selling that, right?

[B]

Yeah, yeah. So we built an entire publishing house around that book.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And it became the number four fastest growing consumer product in America. As a Bible study, it's amazing. Only God.

[A]

What do you think about that product? Made it different because there's so much stuff out there that's like, cool.

[B]

I think I wrote it for me and what I wish I would have had when I was first starting out. And same with any of my new stuff or any of my content.

[A]

There was a couple of drops of anointing oil that were put on it.

[B]

Right? 100%. Absolutely. And hours and hours of prayer, but yeah, just really believing that. Okay, if I'm. I don't want to pretend like I know everything. I want to be able to answer the questions that I would have had when I started. And so everything that I do and create today is for that person.

[A]

What were some of those questions?

[B]

Why did Jesus have to die? What do we actually believe? What's the kingdom of God?

[A]

If he's a good God, then why do bad things happen?

[B]

Yeah, of course.

[A]

How did infallible men write?

[B]

Yeah, exactly.

[A]

Infallible men write infallible scripture, totally. All those things. I remember, you know, in college I helped start a campus ministry. Our purpose was just increase the kingdom of God, you know, just win souls. But I remember being faced with one of an atheist. She was an atheist. That's what she called herself. She said, well, Dorothy, you know, the Bible, what is the Bible? And I said, what is the Bible? And I gave all the history, you know, 66 books of the Bible, you know, authors the gospels. I mean, I was just giving her all this information. I mean, I felt confident with my answer, everything. And she said, you're wrong. She said, that's not the Bible. She said, the Bible is not even for us. She said, the Bible wasn't even written to us. It can be for you. It could be you. God.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I remember feeling so embarrassed, like, you know, I thought it was a really good question, but I wasn't going.

[B]

To give in at the time.

[A]

And so then I started explaining further, you know, how it's our God, we're nothing without it. You know, this is what, you know, God breath. I mean, I just kept going on and on. She said, until you can answer my question. She said, the question is, was it written to us or for us? And you know, of course I've gained knowledge and wisdom. I can answer it now. I believe. Beth, how would you answer it back? But how would you simplify that?

[B]

I would say both. It was written to a specific people group in a specific time, but the Holy Spirit inspired the text that was written. And we have that same Holy Spirit today. So of course he wants us to understand what he was saying.

[A]

So it was God inspired.

[B]

God inspired.

[A]

And we're all created in his image.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

And we're all his children.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So it was for us too.

[B]

Of course we can pull from it.

[A]

You know, I love what you said about studying each book of the Bible and then writing a synopsis of what you. When I was a. What did you do in Leviticus? Yeah, exactly. I wanted to see all those notes. But when I was a brand new Christian, I got in a Bible study where we were studying the book of Romans and every chapter, we had to rewrite that in our own language. And the teacher was smart enough that if you change the meaning, you know, she'd put you back on track. And I remember months later we were talking to some friends and they said, where is that scripture? And I said, oh, that's Romans such and such. And my husband Fred said, how did you know that? And I said, I wrote it, but that's how you feel after you write this? It's like you have ownership of it.

[B]

Comes part of you.

[A]

Yeah. What would your advice be to someone that wants. Who's new to the Bible, who's hungry to know the word of God? How do they approach it?

[B]

Yeah, I think it's really important to zoom out and understand the big picture storyline of it first. Like, this is a book that is a story.

[A]

What would you say the big picture is?

[B]

Yeah, that God created a good place and created humans to partner with and expand that around the entire Earth. And we didn't do a good job with it. And so now we're on this redemption process that we're heading towards right now, and we have a role to play in the redeeming of bringing heaven to our current surroundings.

[A]

What was the biggest revelation that you discovered when you did this process of studying the Bible? Like, something that stuck out to you more than many revelations. But what's one that stands out? I mean, like, the main one?

[B]

Yeah, I think I remember sitting in my room one of the first days, and, like, I had known the Bible, but I. I guess I didn't understand that it was like that the New Testament is a lot of letters that were written to specific people. So I remember sitting there and talking to the teacher, and I was asking him questions about, like, Philippians, and he's like. He's like, yeah, it was written, like, to the church in Philippi by a guy named Paul. And I was like, what are you talking about? So this is literally, like, I can read this from front to back because I think a lot of us have just a devotional understanding of Scripture where it's like, I'm going to read two verses from here. But you don't understand the context that it was written in. So I'm just such an advocate of reading it in fruition. Like, we can read all of Philippians in, what, 15 minutes, but we don't do that a lot of the time.

[A]

Yeah, there's. When we miss context, we can miss a lot in the Scripture.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

Context is so key. But there's not even a lot of people teaching the context in churches, which.

[B]

I don't understand why. I think it's because a lot of people care more about maybe just, like, finding a verse and motivating out of it. But it's like, if you read the paragraph before the verse and the paragraph after, you're gonna know so much more about it.

[A]

I know. My husband and I, we read the. The Bible every night together. And so many Times we'll go. We'll go through a chapter or two at a time. And he'll say, now, this verse, people want to pull this out, but they don't look at what it says before and they don't look what it says after. And that's so important, for sure. So the Bible simplified. Do you start at Genesis and go to Revelation?

[B]

I do. But I give you so much background where it does really help. It's not like today we're going through Genesis. It's actually okay. Today we're gonna go through the creation account. Now we're gonna go through Abraham and his family. Now we're gonna go through the early life of Moses.

[A]

Oh, that's so good.

[B]

The end of the life of Moses.

[A]

What is the response for people that have never read the Bible that get ahold of this?

[B]

Yeah. From what I've heard so far, is just how they've developed a new passion for Scripture. And that's what I wanna have with all of this, is I never want it to replace the Bible. I want it to be that foundational understanding of the biblical story so that you fall in love with scripture.

[A]

The rest, kind of like with you reading with Judah the Bible stories, I need to get this so we can start. Because he has lots of questions and he's engaged already at such an ambition. And I would like to know. Cause you talked about. You would like to know how do all of the stories, their purpose and how they connect throughout it all. Because one of my questions that I think a lot of people have is we study the life of David. He is, you know, we know everything about his life. Good, bad, ugly, all of that. And yet the scripture does say he was a man after God's own heart.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So in your studying of the Word and the connection of all of this, what do you think you found out about that?

[B]

I think just that he loved the Lord and was a true worshiper of him. And I think, yes, there are times in our life where we might stumble and we might fall, but at the end of the day, if we go back to the Lord and in a heart of repentance and say, like God, I was trying to do things on my own, but I believe your way is the best way. I think by having that heart and putting him on the pedestal that he should be on and actually learning to worship him and look at his holiness above all else, I think that's really what will change your heart and make you a man or a woman after God's own heart.

[A]

Well, David always cared more about what God thought than what men thought. And, yes, he made a lot of mistakes. It's also important, I think, to understand in this world of social media that people in ministry, people watching today, people in the church, they're going to make mistakes. I mean, if you look at the life of David, it wasn't just a few stumbles. There were a lot of stumbles there. I mean, there was a lot of good, amazing things that God did in his life. He was the greatest king of Israel. How important is it for us to understand in the Gospel that what Jesus did washes our sin away and we don't have to live with that guilt and shame?

[B]

Yeah, it's everything. It's the greatest gift that we could ever be given, that now we have a pure relationship with the Lord, with the King of Kings, that we can actually worship him on the throne. And I don't think a lot of people understand that when we say, like, kingdom of God, it means that Jesus is our king and he's on the throne right now, and we are able to worship him every single day. So I think when you understand that and make that shift, it changes how you live your life and life in the kingdom.

[A]

Yeah. For people watching right now, Rebekah, that maybe they don't know how to do that or maybe they don't even know how to pray. Would you just take a moment and just pray the prayer of salvation and just share, just for a moment about why that prayer is so important? Absolutely. You know, Jesus did the hard work, like Zach was saying, so that we could receive freely the gift of salvation. And I love that. I love that the blood of Jesus, it says it washes all of our sins. And so you can just pray this prayer with me and receive that free gift of salvation that Jesus provided for us by going on the cross and rising three days later. So just repeat after me. Dear Lord Jesus, Dear Lord Jesus. I recognize that I'm a sinner. I recognize that I'm a sinner. And I repent for my sins. I repent for my sins. I recognize that you died on the cross for my sins. I recognize that you died on the cross for my sins. And I ask that today you would wash me in your blood. Today you wash me in your blood. And I ask that you would come into my heart. I ask that you would come into my heart and be the Lord of my life. I submit my life to you. I submit my life to you. Rule and reign in me. Rule and reign in me and fill Me with your Holy Spirit and fill me with your holy Spirit, leading me to guide me. Lead and guide me. In Jesus name. Amen. In Jesus name, Amen. Well, you know, it's really that simple. And if you prayed that prayer, there's a prayer line number on the screen. We'd love to send you the Book of John. It's the Gospel of John. It's a great place to start in the Bible and that's just our free gift to you. And I'm so excited about what God has for you in the days ahead. There's nothing more important that you could do today than to pray that prayer. And it prepares us for eternity. And I'm so excited that you prayed it. Well, stay right there. We are. We'll be right back with Zach. Just a moment. Some books deserve to be held, cherished, remembered. This book is more than that. It's a place to meet God. Every verse invites you to slow down, to listen, along with a journal that offers a quiet space for your prayers, your questions, your journey, for moments of stillness, for words that matter. Order your Bible and journal bundle now. All right, so the Bible simplified. Who needs to read it? Zach.

[B]

Oof. So many different people.

[A]

Everyone that's watching today, I would say.

[B]

The new believer for sure. Somebody that is just reading the Bible for the first time. If I had that when I was starting out, it would have changed my faith completely. But then also somebody that has grown up in church and fallen away for years, maybe because they don't have a relationship with the Bible, but they do have a relationship with God. And then also somebody that has read the Bible a dozen times before. For instance, my nephew right now is going through it and he's 10 and getting a ton from it. But then also my mother in law is going through it and she's read the Bible a handful of times and they're both getting a ton of it.

[A]

And she loves it.

[B]

She loves it.

[A]

Oh, you're gonna become the favorite son of God.

[B]

Amen. Come on.

[A]

Like I received that.

[B]

Yeah, take it.

[A]

I mean, here's like just a little tidbit. The book of Job, which is a long book, that's a hard book and sometimes it's hard book. And you start off, Job is the quintessential book on suffering. We all wanna know the answer to the question, why do bad things happen to good people? The book of Job explores that question, but it doesn't give the answer we'd prefer. The book begins by telling us about Job. He was the blameless and you just go through and simplify the whole story and tell us about that. You know what I think it would help people to read this is that I remember when David and I first married, and he was young in the Lord, even though he had grown up in church. And I would. He would ask me a question about the Bible and I would say something, and he would say, why do you believe that? Why do you believe that's the Bible? And so my brain started hurting because trying to explain to him why it is hard. And you've done it your whole life. Sometimes it was. Well, it was preached like this, or I heard it preached like this. So that book will help people be able to say why they believe what they believe. That's good. How long did it take you to write it?

[B]

Ooh, about a year.

[A]

About a year. Did you use any of your notes from the.

[B]

A little bit, but for the most part, I was thinking studying like crazy, I think, just understanding new scholars and wanting to know what other people said about stuff.

[A]

The one year Bible, that's still available, too, for people.

[B]

It's called the Bible Study.

[A]

So they can go through that.

[B]

Yep. It holds your hand as you read through the whole Bible over the course of a year.

[A]

Okay. So people should get both of those books, I believe.

[B]

So start with this one and then go to the other.

[A]

That's a great gift for people. It is. So your favorite, favorite book of the Bible.

[B]

Ooh, favorite book of the Bible. I would say Genesis or Matthew.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I love the Jewish understanding of Jesus, and I think we get so much of that in the book of Matthew.

[A]

So here we are on chapter 37, understanding revelation.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh, my goodness. Hello. That could not have been easy to write that.

[B]

No, definitely not. And for some things, it's like there's so many different views on it. So you need to also realize that some people might not hold my views or your views. And so it was very like that book, for instance, was very focused on there's good and bad, and it's who you're choosing to partner with.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And Jesus is coming back, and heaven and hell are a real place, and.

[A]

There are definite things in there that Scripture's clear about.

[B]

Yes. Yeah.

[A]

And my husband always says, you know, we can always come back to the cross. Like, clarity is there, and that's the most important part of all. Did you bring more Bibles with you? Because I know Joanie is going to want to take that one.

[B]

I got you covered. You don't have to worry about a thing.

[A]

This is Mine. He's going to sign my copy right here. Rachel's going to get one. And I know Rebecca wants one too. We all need one today. We do, we do. So you know when all the ladies at the table want the book. It's a good book. That's true. So we are out of time. But I want you to remember that the Bible isn't meant to be complicated. It's meant to to reveal God's deepest desire. And his deepest desire is to have a personal relationship with you. And he longs for that. He wants to be in your life. He wants to speak to you. He wants you to experience his presence. And I'll tell you what, when you get into the word of God and you begin to read, I believe that you will experience it in a way that you never have. Well, if you're watching today and you need prayer, that again, why the number's on the screen. If you prayed that prayer with Rebecca, let us know. We'll send you the Gospel of John. No, I can't send you the Bible Simplified. You have to get that. But that'd be a great book to get as well. I do want to thank Zach for joining us today. Be sure to pick up a copy of his book, the Bible Simplified. For more, you can visit him [e-mail] and as always, make sure to follow us on all social media. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for full episodes, exclusive content and let us know how Table Talk is touching your life. We love hearing from you. You can also listen to the Joni Table Talk podcast, available now on all the major platforms. Thank you so much for watching. Thank you ladies. Thank you, Zach.

[B]

Thank you so much.

[A]

We just appreciate you being here today. And hey, I'm excited about what God has for you in the days ahead. We'll see you next time. Bye bye. For today, life's messy. We're talking spills, stains, pets and kids. But with Annabe, you never have to stress about messes again. At washablesofas.com, discover Anabe Sofas. The only fully machine washable sofas inside and out. Starting at just $699. Made with liquid and stain resistant fabrics. That means fewer stains and more peace of mind. Designed for real life, Our sofas feature changeable fabric covers allowing you to refresh your style anytime. Need flexibility? Our modular design lets you rearrange your sofa effortlessly. Perfect for cozy apartments or spacious homes. Plus they're earth friendly and built to last. That's why over 200,000 happy customers have made the switch. Upgrade your space today. Visit washablesofas.com now and bring home a sofa made for life. That's washablesofas.com offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply. The U.S. electric grid is approaching a breaking point as demand soars from data centers and home energy use.

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Visit spinquest.com for more details. Well, you know, when faith meant facing persecution, one family chose courage over silence. And today their story continues to shine a light, reminding us that religious freedom is a priceless gift that we must never take for granted. But before we get to that, join me around the table is April Simons and you have traveled to Many parts of the world, which is great. But when you come back to America, you really do understand how blessed we are in practice. So blessed. You know the religion that we practice. Yes. Oh, my goodness. It's just we can't take it for granted. And I'm excited about today. All right. Dorothy Newton. How are you? I'm doing good. Really good. Excited to be here, as always. It's a blessing. I'm glad you're excited, Dorothy. That's good. Anna Kendall, always excited. First time you haven't worn a bright color. I know. In the history of tabletop. I know. What do you think about that? That's great. I love it. Thank you. Beautiful. But I'll tell you who did wear a bright color today. Rachel Lamb. Brown did. How are you doing? I'm good.

[B]

I'm good.

[A]

I'm super excited about our guests today. Have some resident Aussies with us, which, you know, I love. Cause, you know, my whole family is Australian except for me. Oh, really? Rick has all the boys. Yep. So I. Well, they're half American, too. They're dual sisters. But I'm so grateful for bold voices, courageous voices that aren't afraid to speak the truth. And, you know, that is so much of our DNA here at daystar. You and dad have instilled that in us, and so it's awesome to see the next generation arising in other parts of the world and like minded. I love that. I love that. Rebecca Lamb Weiss, Are you excited? Yeah, I'm actually really excited for when they. When I found out they were coming, I was like, yes. This is gonna be great. Yeah. Because we love great testimonies and boldness and courage. Testimonies are my favorite. That's your favorite thing, too. You can't get over a good testimony. And there's power in our testimony. Our testimonies are irresistible. And you can't argue with what God has done in somebody's lives. Well, you can't argue with their story. We're so glad today to have Martin and Millicent Cedra. Welcome to the table. Thank you. Thank you.

[C]

It's an honor to be here, guys. It's an honor to be here. Appreciate it.

[A]

Surrounded by lots of women.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Got plenty of estrogen up here.

[C]

Yeah. There's a lot of.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I love it.

[A]

Okay, we need the hormones. In the heart of a spiritual war zone, Martin Sedras father boldly risked everything to preach God's truth and witnessed his power break through it all. And today, Martin and his wife Millicent join us. Of course, to share why the gospel still carries the power to transform lives. And we want to go back and just tell a little bit of your story. You were raised in Egypt and your parents were Christians and in a predominantly Muslim country. And here in America, you could be Muslim or Christian or Hindu or whatever. It's not really an issue. But in Egypt, how is it different?

[C]

Yeah. So Christian family in a Muslim country. Muslim are the majority. And obviously they have the upper hand. Here they don't have the upper hand. That's why you're able to be a Christian. You're able to be a Buddhist in a drama. Wherever Islam takes over, whether it's a state, a city or a country, that's where they become aggressive. And obviously in Egypt, they're aggressive because they're the majority of the population. So if you're a Christian, if you're a pastor, if you preach Christ, they will come after you. Many Christians get killed, beheaded, slaughtered. On Easter Sunday, you have 10 churches just get blown up just because you're in a Muslim country.

[A]

Still today.

[C]

Still today, there was a story of a mother crying because her son literally not beheaded, chopped in pieces in front of the church. So this is still happening today all across the world, but the Christians are standing strong.

[A]

So now I know there are peaceful Muslims, right?

[C]

Of course.

[A]

And then there are more radical. So what would you say? The percentages in Egypt.

[C]

Exactly. So in Egypt, it would probably maybe 50, 50. And there's two things. There's not all. Not all Muslims are violent, but all Islam is violent. The truth is there are Muslims, and I call them lukewarm Muslims. What's a lukewarm Christian? A lukewarm Christian is someone who doesn't follow the Bible. We look at them, we're like, your life doesn't align with the scripture. You're a lukewarm Christian. What's a lukewarm Muslim? A lukewarm Muslim is a peaceful Muslim because your life doesn't align with the Quran, which the Quran says, wage war against the infide, kill the infidels. So all the peaceful Muslims, I love them and are praying for their salvation. But Islam in general is a religion of violence and terrorism.

[A]

How many Christians, percentage wise, would you say are in Egypt?

[C]

I think so. Christianity. Interesting enough, about 1400 years ago, Egypt was a Christian nation. Can you believe Egypt was Christian like America? It was Christian like Europe? God was moving. Christianity was flowing and prosperous. And obviously Islam took over by the sword. They took over and bit by bit started killing Christians. Churches blowing up, Christians moving out of Egypt. So Christianity probably now is maybe, I think, correct. You would have to check the stat. Exactly. But it would be probably in a 20. 15%.

[A]

How did your dad. I know we're going to tell his story, but how did he become a believer?

[C]

My dad grew up in an Orthodox family, so not born again. And then at the age of 30, he had a radical encounter with God where he was born again. And God really changed his life at the age of 30.

[A]

So what happened? Does he tell that story?

[C]

Yeah, honestly, I don't really ask him that story. I probably should. You're right.

[A]

You need to.

[C]

I need to. You're right. You're right. I want to meet my dad and get every testimony he has and write a book about it.

[A]

You need to do that.

[C]

I really do need to do that. And that's one of the things me and my brothers want to do, and my sister. But my dad. Yeah. At the age of 30, was born again, and God told him, sell your business. He sold his business and started ministry. And he couldn't start a church because obviously a lot of persecution. So he just became a traveling preacher, and that's how his ministry began.

[A]

Okay, so talk about what happened with you and your brothers. You may wonder why Martin is so strong in his opinion about what he's talking about. It's because he lived in Egypt and he faced persecution and terrorists that tried to kill his family. And so he has a passion and an understanding that none of us really here, I think, can understand. So talk about what happened as far as with your brothers. That was kind of like a supernatural thing.

[C]

Yeah. So when my dad was preaching to Muslims, obviously, in a Muslim country, can't preach to Muslims, and he can't convert them. If you convert a Muslim to Christianity, they die by their family or the Muslim Brotherhood, and the pastor dies. So my dad was converting hundreds of Muslims that were getting baptized. God was moving. But he happened to convert a specific woman, and he didn't know that her husband was the leader of a Muslim Brotherhood group. And she converts to Christianity. She gets baptized. The Muslim Brotherhood leader, her husband finds out and is furious. Who preached to my wife? How dare you convert my wife?

[A]

Who preached the love of God, That Jesus loves you and that he forgives me.

[C]

Exactly. You know, I mean, how dare you? How dare you tell them that you don't need to cover yourself like a ninja and, you know, have to really. God loves you and you don't need to be oppressed in a Muslim country. God really does care for you. So he Comes after us.

[A]

And then he loves women.

[C]

Yes, he loves women. Jesus loved women. He blessed women. The adulterous woman. But really the Muslim Brotherhood came after my brothers, wanting to. Their plan was to kidnap my brothers at the age of 5 and 9 year old, behead them, put them in a bag, send them to my dad's front door.

[A]

So they knew where they went to school?

[C]

Yep. They've studied up, they've strategized. These guys are professional killers. It's not a joke for them. They've killed politicians, preachers, famous big people. So a five and a nine year old you'd think would be very easy to kill.

[A]

So what happened that day?

[C]

So they go to the bus stop in a van, two of them. And as they try to get out of the van to kidnap my brothers, they feel frozen in a van before.

[A]

The bus gets there, before my brothers.

[C]

They'Re just waiting there and they're frozen. They can't get out. And the bus, so they try to.

[A]

Get out of the car and they're frozen. That's amazing. That is so. That's like a New Testament thing.

[C]

Miracles still happen. And not only that, then my brothers get onto the van, on the bus, Sorry, not on the van, thank God. My brothers get on the school bus, the bus leaves, they unfreeze again. They're looking at each other, they're like, you coward. How dare you not go? You're scared of a little kid, you coward. The next day, the boss is angry. He sends two bigger men. So these two bigger men go and this time they get out of the van and they're like, we're gonna get them. They're right behind my brothers at the age of nine and five. And as they go to kidnap my brothers, they feel a supernatural hand tie their hands behind their back. They feel both of them feel a supernatural hand tie their hands behind their back. My brother brothers get on the school bus. The school bus leaves and they unfreeze again.

[A]

So they're like standing there like that and they can't move, they can't see.

[C]

Anyone, they don't know what's going on. The Muslim Brotherhood leader hears a story and he's what's going on? He goes to my dad's house, knocks on the door. My dad opens the door, he's like, what's his guy doing here? And he sits with him, shares a story.

[A]

And he tells both stories to your father?

[C]

Yeah, that's how we know what happened.

[A]

That's how you know.

[C]

That's how we know he shares a Story and he says, I try to kill your kids, but you're to going, God protected them and becomes a Christian, is baptized and God moves.

[A]

So oh my word.

[C]

That's why we're like, you know what, in Australia, America, we're going to preach the Bible. What's the worst that can happen? I lose some followers, I lose some subscribers, some donors, who cares? At least I'm not going to lose my head.

[A]

What do you think when sharing the gospel to Muslims? What do you think is the way to reach them? And the appeal in Christianity that's different from Islam.

[C]

Yeah, it's Jesus versus Muhammad. Just compare the life of Muhammad versus the life of Jesus.

[A]

Because the Quran speaks well of Jesus. Make him the son of God, but he was the healer.

[C]

Exactly.

[A]

And so it kind of opens the door, right?

[C]

Exactly, yeah. So Jesus is in the Quran. They believe in Jesus. Jesus mentioned 25 times in the Quran. They believe in the virgin birthday. They believe in healing, that he raised the dead. The one thing they change, Muhammad is a deceiver. He said Jesus, not God. He's a prophet. Jesus wasn't crucified, but Allah saved him. So we believe Romans 10, 9. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in how that God raised him from the dead, you'll be saved. So in Christianity believed three things. Christ is Lord, Christ was crucified and Christ was resurrected. Muhammad comes 400 years later and says, actually Jesus is not God, He's a prophet. Lie number one. Jesus wasn't crucified, but he escaped. That's lie number two. And Jesus wasn't resurrected, obviously because he never died. And really our job is to prove to the Muslims that Jesus is not a prophet, he is the son of God.

[A]

Well, it was really miraculous that your dad wasn't killed during the years that he's evangelized these amazing. Or you were your brothers.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Or you and you.

[A]

Because you're the youngest, right?

[C]

Yes, me and my sister. Yeah.

[A]

Okay. So in 2007 it got really dangerous.

[C]

Yep.

[A]

And so was there a threat to the family? Something about your, your address being.

[C]

Yes, our address was published in Muslim Brotherhood newspapers on just all the. Really the, the Muslim terrorist groups would know where our address was.

[A]

And so they're saying, hey, take them out.

[C]

There's a bounty on our head. These guys are, you got to take them out. They're like these, these guys are converting Muslims. You got to take him out. My dad was traveling to America and Australia preaching. My mom has left at home with the kids. It became Very, very dangerous.

[A]

And your dad said what?

[C]

My dad called my mom from Australia, said, you got to get out of there. So we packed the bags. We leave there overnight. My mom and dad didn't tell their parents.

[A]

Well, they have no idea. Like, your mom had no idea. They had to get out.

[C]

They had to get out.

[A]

They had to get out. Yes, but it was crucial because it was very dangerous at that point.

[C]

Exactly. It was a wild decision.

[A]

What do you remember about that? How old were you?

[C]

I was nine when I moved here. All I remember is my mom saying, guys were going on a holiday to Thailand. I'm like, yes, I can't wait for a holiday. Because she couldn't tell us because if at the airport.

[A]

So you're packing your bathing suit.

[C]

Yeah, I'm ready. I'm packing my bathing suit. Next minute we're in Australia. I'm like, mom, when are we going home? She's like, we're not. I'm like, what? So it's.

[A]

So you left the house?

[C]

We left the house. Left your business, family, everything.

[A]

What were you saying at the airport?

[C]

So at the airport, my mom, the strategy was.

[A]

Now, this is really smart. Did she come up with this idea?

[C]

That was her idea. My mom is a woman. Yeah. So my dad is a bold man and my mom is a courageous. This bold line as well.

[A]

I love it.

[C]

So my mom, she's very short. I hope there's a photo on the screen of her sometime. But she's. She's a bold line. She decided. All right, at the airport, they knew. They're going to ask us, what are you guys doing? So in Christianity, we have a cross tattoo on our arm, which every Muslim, when they see, they're like, oh, wait. And I got that at the age of one, by the way, just every Christian baby in Egypt, at the age of one, you get a cross tattooed. Because Muslims used to kidnap Christian kids from the Christian parents and raise them up in a Muslim family. So we used to get this. So that means if we get kidnapped, we'll grow up and be like, oh, I'm a Christian. I belong to Christ. So at the airport. Yes, at the airport, if they found out we were Christians, they would say, oh, you're trying to escape the country. So the plan was. The plan was we'll buy a lot of instruments and we're going to tell them we're just going to perform a musical and we're coming back. So I had a piano.

[A]

Did you cover your tattoo?

[C]

No. Well, it's. As long as they don't think you're escaping the country.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

So we just had to make sure they know we're going, we're coming back. Don't worry, we're not escaping the country.

[A]

But you would have been in trouble if they had said, okay, come over here.

[B]

Good luck.

[C]

Thank God they didn't ask. We get through the border, we chuck the instruments out, and the rest is to God be the glory.

[A]

Wow. Was there any retribution from any of your family members that were left behind? Like threats and stuff?

[C]

I don't think. Well, the only people kind of behind were our grandparents, which I don't think so. I don't think there was any drama there. The brother, my mom's brother, took care of her, so there was no drama there. But my parents, the pain, the sacrifice of my parents was where they never got to say bye to their parents. That was an Abrahamic moment where God says, leave your father and mother and go to a nation I will call you to. So that was my mom and dad. God, the sacrifice. They didn't get to attend a funeral. They didn't get to say bye. So. Yeah, okay.

[A]

So you ended up in Australia.

[C]

Yep.

[A]

What'd you think? Yeah. And what did you do? What'd your dad do? He left everything behind.

[C]

Yes. So start all over again. We were. Were living with, you know, Christian families just in their house, in the living room. We're living there for a bit about a year until, you know, my parents were able to get, you know, a job. My parents sacrificed a lot to get us to where we are now. They got a job wherever they could get until we able to rent a house. And God really, as you said, from, you know, refugee to revival, that's really what God did with our story. It's. God doesn't lose. At the end of the day. God does not lose God. God is always victorious. God will never lose. And this is what the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt will now be hearing our story. And they'll be furious. We wanted to destroy them. Exactly what Joseph said. You planned to destroy me, but God turned it for good. And that's what God did. All glory to God. And we're speaking now against Islam. We're warning America against Islam. Coming here with Sharia law. So glory to God.

[A]

Like we're seeing happen right now in Europe. Yeah, yeah. Especially in, like, London. Also in the U.S. yes. In that one place I can't remember. Yeah. But in London, it is really.

[C]

It's very bad Islam. So the problem with Islam. Exactly. So the problem with Islam, when Islam moves To a country. They're not here. Some people are here for refuge, but most of Muslims are not here for refuge. They're here to take over the country. They're commanded under Islam to take conquest and move to a nation that doesn't know Islam and make it a Muslim country. And this is a problem. How do you know this? I'm a Christian immigrant. But when I moved to Australia, I love my country. I have a flag in my office of the Australian flag. I love my country. I back my country. What do Muslims do when they move to America? They want to burn the American flag. They want to bring Sharia law. They want to take over. They want to shut down Churchill. I'm like, wait a second. You move from a Muslim country to a Christian country only to want to bring the Sharia law of your country into the Christian country? This is crazy. You literally. So this is a problem. Muslims lie the blessing of Christianity, but they hate Christianity. They love Christian nations, but they hate the God of that nation. And this is what's fascinating to me. I moved to a Christian nation seeking protection. They move here and say, I hate America. Like, why do you heathen.

[A]

But what happens when they hear the gospel with an open heart? And that's your desire to see truth and light come into the Muslim world.

[C]

Amen.

[A]

And you love them, right?

[C]

Amen. Exactly. We have two groups when it comes to Islam. Number one, I want to love the Muslim. I want the Muslims to come to Christ. God. I believe when the Muslims wear a burqa and a woman are covering their eyes, I don't just believe that's a natural thing. I believe that's a spiritual thing. They are spiritually blinded from seeing Christ. I'm telling you, this is a demonic oppression. Not just physically. It's a spiritual covering on their eyes to not see Christ. I'm praying that the Muslim ladies would be set free and come to Christ.

[A]

Well, you know, like places like, I've been to the United Arab Emirates and of course I think I saw the burqas and more covering on women than any other place I've ever been. But you still see the Muslims interacting and being more peaceful in some countries than others. Explain that.

[C]

Yeah. So this is the thing. Islam is a religion made by man for man. Why? You get to have four wives As a man, you can have four wives as a man. When you get to heaven, you get 72 virgins. As a man, you can beat your wife up. Muhammad says, beat your wife up if you need to. But for Muslims, for Women. It's not a religion of freedom for women. Women have to cover themselves. In Afghanistan, they just passed a law. Women can't speak in public, they can't sing in public. They got to cover their eyes. So Christian, sorry. Muslim men are free in Muslim nations, but Muslim women are not free in Muslim nations. The real victim here is not the men. It's the women and children. Underage marriage. Muhammad married a six year old and slept with her at the age of nine. Now in Afghanistan, they allow marriage up to the age of nine. So the real victims of Islam is women and children.

[B]

Wow. Wow.

[A]

Well, let's talk a little bit how this woman came into your life.

[C]

Oh, thank God she came into my life.

[A]

Thank God you came to Australia.

[C]

I'm glad.

[A]

The usa. We were in church. It was a conference. You met in church not long ago.

[B]

You were actually.

[A]

You were 13. You were 13 years old. Yeah, we were both 13. Yeah.

[C]

Same age.

[A]

Oh, my God. So cute. Tell the story. What happened. He was up in church preaching at 13. In the same way that you guys would see him today on social media. So bold. In the same way you see him right here at the table, straight out of Egypt, straight to Australia, passionately preaching. And straight away I was like, yeah, I want to marry that man because I want to do ministry. I want a man that's.

[C]

Yeah. I opened her Bible and I had all the rainbow colors. Not in the pride way, in the highlighting way. And I was like, that's my wife.

[A]

Okay. So did you actually talk to her when she was 13?

[C]

I think we just liked each other from a distance.

[A]

I said hi, and we went to different churches. So I just made sure I came to his church like once a year. So then when you were 14, you went one time, and when you were 15, you went, yeah. When did y' all start dating? 18. 18. I wasn't allowed to date before 18. My parents were. Yeah, they were Christian strict. And how did he approach you when he was interested? Well, I mean, we had talked, but then basically we'd been messaging. Floating a little bit, and then basically. Oh, you've been messaging a little bit. We'd been messaging a little bit. In what way? Tell us more of that story. Like that was he saying, I just want to send you this devotion today?

[C]

I was like, Proverbs 31, woman. Yeah, I was a very emotional man. So I love. No, I do say I love. You don't say that before you date.

[A]

No, we didn't.

[C]

I think we just flirted, you know, all the flirty stuff.

[A]

I can't remember. But I do remember your first message to me ever, was on Instagram. And you said, what's your number, Cucumber? I remember.

[C]

What's your number? I got her. She sent me her number.

[A]

I got my number. And then at 18, we went on a date. Because actually, your. Your dad kind of.

[C]

Yeah, my dad told me, you can't keep it waiting. My dad. It was like, you're flirting with her.

[A]

Said, you're taking. You're taking too long.

[C]

Yeah. He was like, make a decision. Either. Either stop flirting with her or marry her.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So I was like, all right, done. So.

[B]

And then you.

[A]

So you went on a date. What happened on the date? Y' all were moving too fast. Went to a restaurant. We sat down, we talked. You talked about you felt the call of God in your life to go preach around the world. And he said, look, we don't know what country we'll be in. He said, you might not never own a house. I might be rich. I might be poor. I don't know. But this is the call of God on my life. So I'm just warning you.

[B]

And you said, will you prepare for marriage with me? You didn't want to.

[A]

Wait. Wait. And what did you say to that? Yes. At 15, you've been waiting five years.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

You see, I had come home from a camp when we'd really, like. I'd really. I came home and I told my parents, I've met my husband. So I was. I was. What'd your parents think? They thought I was crazy. Wait, what age did y' all get married?

[C]

We got married very young at 20. 20. So we married eight years now? Yeah, we got married very young. I just didn't want to waste time. I was like, you know what? It's either. I'm gonna. We dated for a year and a half. You know, calculations, make sure we're compatible. Working for, you know, we're chemistry and all that stuff and theology and values. I was like, yeah, let's. Let's get married. Let's get the. Let's get the ring on her finger. We got the ring on.

[A]

I feel like it's commendable, though, that you sat. He sat you down, and he was like, I don't know if I may be rich or poor, may not even have a house. What was like in your heart, you just felt that call? Yeah. Well, I had grown up all my life feeling the same call of God in my life. I knew that my life would. I didn't know how it would look, all I knew is I'm going to be obedient to wherever God sends me, and I will say whatever he wants me to say, even if it cost me everything. And so I was. All I was looking for in a husband was someone that was. Do that call of God. You love the passion that you saw. I love the passion. Well, I come from Australia, and in Australia, it's quite lukewarm. Where we come from, preachers are very, very scared of losing followers, of losing church attendees, of losing tithing, let's be honest. And when I saw somebody who, unlike what I had been exposed to in the church, that was willing to lose their life for the sake of the gospel, for the sake of truth, I was like, I like that fire. I like that passion. Yeah. Well, tell us about Echo Church. What kind of people go to Echo Church? Are you radical? You have radical young people?

[C]

Yeah, we have people say, you guys are hateful. And nobody. You guys are offending everyone. And it's true. We do offend a lot of people. But our church is the most multicultural church you will ever see. We have Chinese, Brazil. We have every type of person you can think of come to our church. And not only that, we have Muslims get saved. In our church, we had a few Muslims get saved a few months ago. We get. People come from the LGBTQ movement. A guy came in our church in a dress, makeup, nail polish, and he.

[A]

Heard our sermon, and everybody was welcome.

[C]

And he was, well, of course we love you. This is the problem. When you preach the truth, People think it's hateful. The most loving thing you can do is preach the truth. I love you enough to tell you that you're on your way to hell, but God can save you. Preachers that don't tell you you're going to hell are the most unloving people. I love you enough to tell you. And this young man got saved in our church two months later, dressed like a man, acted like a man, and was at the front of our altar call on his knees, weeping. And now serving in the house of God. They're interning in our church midweek. They're building church. God moves, you know?

[A]

And the only thing that's missing from the word of God is our opinion.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So when we share truth from the word of God, it's because we love you. I've shared so many incredible testimony of men and women that have come out of different lifestyles, and it's their story. Okay. And I always say that for those watching that you may be Struggling with whatever that. You have to understand that as we speak the truth in love, because you can't just do love without truth. As you speak the truth in love, that on the other side of it, God has something so great for you. And so if you really love someone, you want them to walk in all that God has for them, you understand how much he loves you and that he purpose for you. And so again, for those churches, that would be like, oh, we're just going to love. We're not going to speak truth. Well, then you're not going to really. You don't really love people. Exactly, exactly. True. And I'm interested to know what does eco church do differently to attract a Muslim? You speak the truth. How do you attract a Muslim? What makes them come?

[C]

Yeah, well, the good thing in the West, Muslims have a lot more, more freedom to come to a church than in, you know, in the Middle East. I was just in Indonesia preaching. And as I was preaching, there was literally a lady in a hijab who's a Christian, but she can't take her hijab off because she's in a Muslim country. The good news, in Australia, if you're a Muslim, you want to come to Christ, you can. There's still space for you to do that. So. And we preach a lot about Islam. We're not counting back the Quran to the Bible. Yep. We're not counting back whatever God tells us to preach, we're going to preach it.

[A]

And Christianity is the only religion where God gave his son. Yes. Free gifts. Free gifts. Salvation is by grace.

[B]

Amen.

[A]

And is so powerful. Before we go, Martin, would you just take a moment and lead us in a sinner's prayer, Especially for those who may be watching. Just take just a moment and share the gospel at a time. But I would be remiss if I didn't do this. And we will repeat after you if you'll just do that.

[C]

Yes. Would you pray with me? Dear Lord Jesus, I repent of my sin. I turn to you as King of kings and Lord of Lords. I believe you died on the cross to wash me of my sins. I believe you rose again so I can rise again. Lord, I make you king of my life. Wash me by your precious blood in Jesus name.

[B]

Amen. Amen.

[A]

Amen. It's really that simple. The most important prayer that you will ever pray. I mentioned about my grandfather who didn't know anything about God or church or he just, at 19 years old, cried out to the Lord at work at the water fountain on A Monday morning just said God. If you're there, praise God. I need you. And God met him, and he'll do the same thing for you. The onus is again, is not on us to prove who he is. God is big enough to prove who he is. He will reveal himself to you. If you say God, you know, maybe I've been believing this or I've been over here, but I really want to know the truth. Reveal yourself to me. He will. Okay, well, we are out of time, but I want you to remember that God hand picked you, every one of us, really, to be light in darkness. And you were born for such a time as this. And his power working through you can make such a difference in all. All he needs is your. Yes. I love their courage and their fervor for Martin and Millicent today. And it's exciting to see that because when you really surrender your life totally and wholly to the Lord, it's amazing when you connect with the one who created you, what he has on the inside of you that you may not even know about. And that's what he's wanting to do for some of you, some of you are even Christians that you're watching, but you, you haven't really surrendered everything to God. And God is saying, hey, I want it all because I want to use you in this time, in this season. And there are people around you that you can reach that no one else can reach. And eternity is a long time. And Jesus paid the price that we can have eternal life so powerful. Why would you ever not accept that free gift of salvation? Well, if you're watching today and you need prayer, that's why the prayer line number's on the screen. If you prayed that prayer with Martin, we'd love for you to call. We don't want anything from you, but we will send you the Book of John. That's a great place to start. There are QR codes after every chapter, and Dr. Gene Goetz explains every chapter in the Book of John. It's a great place to start. And we'll send that to you absolutely free. Or if you just need prayer today, that's why we're here, call that number. Let us pray with you. I want to thank Martin and Millicent for joining us today. For more, you can visit them online at EchoChurch Global. You're available to preach around the world. And he's going to come in with some fire. So if that's what you want and some truth, what a blessing he could be. I love this is the second evangelist we've had this week and your dad was an evangelist both of you. And so as always make sure to follow us on all social media. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for full episodes and exclusive content and let us know know Table Talk is touching your life. We love hearing from all of you. Of course you can also listen to the Joni Table Talk podcast available now on all the major platforms. Thank you so much for watching. Thank you Martin. Thank you Melissa. We're proud of you. Thank you so much. Carry on as they would say in London. Right? Carry on and thank you ladies. We'll see you next time. God bless you. Continue to call today. We love you. Bye bye for today. Take a deep dive into the stories.

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