- Well the calendar just flipped to fall.

Nevertheless, according to Max Lucado,

we are definitely livingin a winter world.

The virus still rages,many remain jobless,

or stuck at home,

some church doors are closed.

Still, Max says, "There's good news,

"this is the time whenGod uses people like you."

- [Host] Which Christian authorhas sold 130 million books,

enough to give one to every person

who attends the Super Bowlfor the next 1,625 years?

Why Max Lucado of course!

America's pastor, as he's been dubbed,

is once again providingencouragement for the discouraged.

- The question is not, "Will God prevail?"

The question is, "Willyou be part of the team?"

- [Host] Max explains how we can reclaim

our eternal identity, cultivatecourage for tough times,

and discover our roles in God's story

in his brand new book, "YouWere Made For This Moment."

- Well Max Lucado joins us now via Skype.

And Max, it's wonderful to have you back

on the program today.

- Oh, it's great to talk to you.

I only wish I was there in person

to say hello to you.- So do we.

So do we.

Well, on a personal note,

a few weeks ago, you announced

that you have an aortic aneurysm.

What's going on,

and how are you doing?

- Well, I've always wantedto be big hearted, right?

But just not in this way.

Yeah, It was a bit of a surprise.

I'm healthy.

And

this ascending aorticaneurysm was detected,

incidentally, through another test,

so I'm grateful for that.

It's somewhat large,

but not quite largeenough to warrant surgery.

So we're just keeping an eye on it,

and I've asked the Lordto keep His hand on it.

I think the Lord Jesus hascomplete ability to heal,

to keep it from growing.

If it continues to grow,

I'll have surgery,

and I'm in really great hands.

Just some great hands.

The great hands of our heavenly Father,

and the great hands ofa wonderful medical team

in San Antonio, Texas where I live.

- Well that's good news,

and we'll join you in praying

that God keeps His hand on that,

and you don't have to have that surgery.

But let's talk about your book.

The backdrop of your book is this,

it's such a pretty cover,

is the story of Esther.

Tell us what we're tolearn from that story.

- Okay.

And can I quickly say happy birthday

to you guys?- Absolutely!

- That's just amazing.

That's just so, that's 60 years?

That is, that's justquite an accomplishment.

I think my first visit to your studios

was about 30 years ago.

So, I'm nowhere near

the entirety of it,

but long enough to appreciate each,

and every one of you,

and I send you my love,

and thank God for you.- Thank you.

- You know, I reached back

into the Old Testament storyof Esther a few months ago,

because it seemed tome that that our world

was passing through,

and continue to passthrough a global calamity.

And the story of Esther isGod's way of demonstrating to us

how He can lead his peoplethrough a global calamity.

You know, in the day in whichwe live, people are weary,

they're wounded, they're worn out.

And so, such was the casein 4th century BC Persia,

when the children of Israel, as you know,

exiles in the huge nation of Persia

found themselves thevictim of a holocaust.

And so, they surely feltoverwhelmed by the challenges

that they faced.

And yet, God had His people in place.

He had Mordecai, He had Esther,

and at the right time,

He prompted them torespond in acts of courage

that resulted in thedeliverance of God's people.

And I believe God has his Mordecai's,

He has his Esthers today.

Just like Mordecai toldEsther, "Who knows,

but you were placed in yourplace for such a time as this."

We each are placed in ourown place in our generation

in our nation for times like this.

And I'm praying that we can respond

with the same kind ofcourage that they did.

- You divide your booklike a three-act play:

confusion, crisis, conquest.

What sorts of confusions do you think

run rampant through our culture today?

- Well, it is a play.

The nine chapters of Estherreally read like a drama.

And it opens in a state of confusion

because king Xerxes

is giving in to his henchman, Haman,

who is an anti-Semitic ruler,

and it creates a stateof absolute confusion.

But what's equallyconfusing is the fact that,

though we have come to applaud Mordecai,

and applaud Esther,

but initially, you know,

they kept their Jewish ancestry a secret.

They assimilated into their culture.

And that was part of the confusion.

I think part of our confusion today

is that we Christiansassimilate too quickly.

We don't quite know how tolive lives that change culture,

we are more prone to bea part of the culture.

And so, that's a challenging thing for us.

We want to be the light of the world,

we want to be the salt in the world,

we want to be the force for good

in all the countries inwhich we find ourselves.

So it's a confusing time.

But thankfully, the bookof Esther reminds us

how God can activate strength within us.

And I'm praying that God has His share

of Mordecai's and Esthers

who are gonna rise up at the right time,

and bring about that revivalthat we all long for.

- Well, it's one thing forsomeone in a position of power,

Esther was in that position, ultimately,

to change the world,

but what can ordinary people do to combat

a world that's going off the rails?

- What a great question.

And remember, Esther,

yes, she became queen,

but she enters the storyas an ordinary person.

She must've been a drop dead beauty

to be selected as the queenout of all the people,

and all the women in Persia,

but she wasn't an ordinary person.

And what changed her heart

was that challenge fromMordecai, "Who knows,

but that you have beenplaced in your place

for such a time as this."

And I would say the same for us.

Let's assume the fact thatour God is a Holy God,

that He is sovereign in all that He does,

and all that He says.

And who knows, but that wehave been placed in our place

for this time.

And we can respond by faith encouraged

knowing that we're not here by accident,

but that we are here onpurpose, with a purpose,

and there is absolutelyno exception to this.

Every person is placed hereon purpose for a purpose,

and living out that purpose is the reason

that we're still on this planet.

- And that's an assignmentyou don't want to miss.

You can get moreencouragement from Max Lucado

by getting his brand new book.

It's called, "You WereMade for This Moment,"

and it's available nationwide.

Max, thank you for joining us.

Always great to read what you have to say,

and always great to visit with you.

- Thank you, and happy birthday again.

- Thank you. Pat's here smiling.

(Terry laughs)

Well, coming up.