The Eclipse and the Coming King

0:00 Hello everyone and welcome to the Strang Report podcast. I'm Stephen Strang. I've been covering the Christian community now for more than four decades and I've seen a lot of incredible things. I've seen a lot of incredible ministries. I've also seen a lot of weird stuff. But you know, a lot of things are happening in our culture now and while it's always been bad, it seems to be getting worse. And it's like, Lord, where are you in all this? And especially when you're a follower of Jesus and try to be led by the Holy Spirit, what does all this mean? So my podcast is to try to help you understand and to encourage you to be spirit-filled, even though the world seems upside down. This is the latest book that I wrote about it, that even with everything that's going on, even as we go into the end times and the tribulation, as the Bible calls it, we can rely on the Holy Spirit to give us power and also to give us power to understand what's going on.

1:12 And that's what we're going to talk about today, because everyone seems to be talking about the eclipse that's going to happen on Monday, April 8th, just a couple of days from when we're recording this. By the way, if you know someone that's interested in the eclipse or what the Holy Spirit is doing, call them, send them this link and comment in the comment section below. And while you're there, subscribe to the Strangler Report so that you'll be notified. Hit the little bell. And every time we're on live on Tuesdays and Thursday at 4 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, you'll be notified when we're on. And today, a longtime friend of mine, we're going to talk to, he's one of the most talented people, one of the most interesting people I think I've ever met. And I've met a lot of interesting, important people over the course of my journalistic career. His name is Max Griner. He's from Curveville, Texas, and he's a sculptor. And he's a sculptor. And this is one of his sculptures, which is actually in my office. I picked it up just a few minutes ago to bring it a show and tell. It's Jesus, it's Peter washing, it's Jesus washing Peter's feet. I think I got that right. And it's quite well known. There's life-size one, and he's made these little miniature ones, and it's just beautiful. And I enjoy displaying it in my office. I see it several times a day as I

2:44 walk by it. And I just thought that I would come and show it to you because Max is, first of all, I don't think I know any other sculptors. I just don't. But I got to know him at the National Religious Broadcasters a few years ago, and I was absolutely smitten with his talent and with the different things that he's done. And now he has developed a park in Curveville, Texas. So I want to bring Max on and thank you for taking time. You've fit me in at the last minute because there was a certain urgency with this coming up. So first of all, tell us about this park, this incredible free park that you've done where it's got the empty cross. Tell us about that as starting to talk about the eclipse. And I'll just tell people, you've got to stay tuned for this because the eclipse is going to come right over the empty cross. And we're going to talk about the significance of it and also the other things that are happening with the eclipse. Well, thank you, Steve. Thank you for the opportunity to share. This is kind of exciting in a lot of ways for us. I'm 72 years old and I've seen a lot of stuff too. And my roots, as you know, were fourth generation Southern Baptist. But then I prayed this prayer in 1999. And with a guy named Bill Banks, I needed a miracle in my family and more Southern Baptist train jumped the track. And it was about then that we met here is 89 or 90s. We go pretty far back. And but we are fully immersed in the things of the Holy Spirit.

4:20 We love it. And I promise God way back in 89, if he worked any miracles in my life, I would always witness them to others. And we tried to stay faithful to that. And I also ask him, God, don't do anything fun without me. And he's been pretty good about letting me do a lot of his fun stuff. But specifically what the park and after God got me trained up to an obedient, which was the first time he gifted me to be an artist. He made me put those jeans in the house. I want to make art, painting, sculpture, jewelry on architect also degree in architecture from Texas and him. And but then he let me be an artist. And then after he got me trained up doing my stuff, then he kind of interrupted my life and said, I want you to do my stuff now. And I did a season of disobedience, which you can hear on our testimony on our website. But I finally got with the program. When I got with the program, that's when he gave me the divine servant sculpture and said, I want you to do a sculpture of Jesus, Washington, Peter's feet. And I said, this obeyed and I said, God, we got all these other problems. I got to take care of first.

5:20 My wife had a bad disease. My dad was dying of incurable disease. Texas economy crashed. And so I thought my way was better. Well, anyways, my long story short, we finally got with this program and anybody listening out there, if you're sure God's talking to you, go ahead and do what he says. Just obey even if he sees the end and he knows what he wants. So I did these big sculptures and took years, took many, many, many years. And and then in 2001, on December 9th, he called my wife and I, Sherry, out of a church in Austin, Cathedral of Praise, Dr. Mahesh Chawda was a guest speaker, he'd come in from North Carolina.

6:01 And he called us out of the audience and said, we were going to be involved in restoring the tabernacle of David and all the art I'd made in my life was now going to be used in a type of last day's tabernacle. And everybody in the charismatic church clapped and I told Sherry, I said, man, I missed that. You know, but that's the way it probably sounds pretty crazy when you hear it. So but what God's plan was, he said, we're going to do this tabernacle and a lot of Christians would help us. And but I just dismissed it, put the cassette tape on the shelf, you know, like you do with some of these things. And then eight months later, another stranger out of Beaumont, Texas, Marlon Quibbett called up and said, God said, you're supposed to build a 77 foot seven inch cross on Interstate 10. And I was supposed to help you. Well, that began the vision. And so now fast forward from that 2001. And by the way, I've now I think, understand that when America was attacked by the Muslim terrorist, that was 9 11 2001. And God says in the Bible, when when we're, you know, enemy comes like a flood, he raises up a standard. And I think this may be the standard of that event, or one of them. But but as a result today, now that after lots of battles and the stories in on our book and in the on our website, this garden is now in the top 10% of tourist attractions in the entire world, according to Tripadvisor,

7:32 that means it's in there with the pyramids, and it's in there with the Grand Canyon, and it's in there with the Niagara Falls, Alamo, and we have hundreds of thousands of people coming. And God gave me a vision of a cross shaped garden that was 300 feet long. And it turned out I found that letter exactly half the length of the Tabernacle of Moses to the inch, precisely the same. I know that. And but we've got it in its cross shaped garden. It's filled up with 77 scriptures in multiple languages on carved into stone or tile, and people enter off the Interstate Highway 10. And then they will see this big monumental art, and the coming King, the Fisherman, the Great Commission, and the Divine servant, and that the end is empty cross. And inside that giant cross, after they walk in this 100 yard long garden, they can pray to be born again, and to be filled or baptized with the Holy Spirit, to be healed, delivered, and miracles. And as a result, here we are all these years later, thousands of people have been saved. Probably the water baptisms are in the thousands. We've probably got healings in the thousands, over 100 people have canceled suicide. We have dramatic miracles that are happening. And this, and signs and wonders, we've got these angel orb things and streams of light and golden, golden glitter looking stuff that farms on the people when they come up there. And it's been happened to thousands of people.

9:06 So we got the signs and the wonders and the fruit. Jesus said, test the fruit, if you know, throw it out, if it's not, burn it up. But if you got fruit, you better keep going with it. And so, you know, to my knowledge, we pretty well have been fulfilled Acts 2 19, where Jesus, you know, talks about our show wonders in the heavens and above and signs of the earth and beneath and blood and fire and vapor and smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. Whoever... Let's talk about that. You know, the garden is beautiful. And I haven't made it there, but I plan to. I just... We've written about it in Charisma over the years. And we could, we could talk for a long, long time. But really, we're here to talk about the eclipse. In fact, you're the first person who told me the eclipse was coming. It was, there was one, it was in October 14th. And, which explain exactly what that is. It's not a total eclipse. Correct. But, but it's, it's almost what it is. It was the annual eclipse. The moon is slightly smaller than the sun. So, you have a ring, a fire around the edge. And they, and NASA and others call it the ring of fire eclipse. And for us Christians, it's like the crown of Christ. And, and prophetically, you can look at it as like first came the annular eclipse, and then the total eclipse, which is total blackness and we'll speak to the end. And we found out about it when

10:42 Debbie Massaros, our executive director, found out NASA put out a map and it showed the great American eclipses. And it showed this one in 2023 and then the 2024 one that we're about to do. And they crossed over only one place on the whole planet Earth. And that's right there in Kerbal. Right there in Kerbal over the top of the empty cross and his cross shaped garden. And now all these crazy things are happening. There's all these articles. I pulled a bunch of them off the internet. I was actually confusing myself reading all these different theories about this and that of course people back to ancient times have interpreted things in the sky. Columbus was able to manipulate the Indians because he could predict the eclipse that he knew scientifically was coming. I mean there's lots and lots of examples. As Christians we have to believe that God speaks to us in signs. And there are some things in the Bible, the star that drew the wise men to Bethlehem was the sign in the sky. And the sky was dark for three hours when Jesus was crucified. That had to be an eclipse.

11:56 Actually I looked that up and what the scientists say that wasn't eclipse. That they have a lot of other clips as they go all the way back. But on the day that he died supposedly at least what one of the scientists says there was no eclipse on that day. So that was a supernatural miracle of God that on that particular day. And I'm not the scientist but that's what that's what they've said on that day. But now tens of thousands hundreds of thousands people are becoming eclipse tourists. Of course it's going to be as I read a 67 mile wide swath across the United States. And people are going to come to see it. And many people are coming there to curvil. But you know also the authorities are telling people to fill up their gas tanks and get food. I've heard people talk about how some school systems have let out. People are saying there may be an interruption with cell phones and so forth. You don't know if it's because of all the traffic and all the crush of people coming or if something else is going on. But everybody's talking about it. It's just so interesting for me to see to get this perspective because the listen I read an article that told the Muslim perspective about eclipses the Jewish perspective. It mentioned one quote from and and Graham lots and nothing else nothing about curvil. Although you have gotten some publicity. Oh yeah. Talk to us about what you see as the prophetic supernatural significance of this eclipse and actually these two eclipses that

13:31 form across right over curvil. Yes sir. Yes sir. And I'm not going to give you speculation. I'm just going to give you some facts. NASA said this is the best place in the United States to watch the eclipse. It has the widest duration. It has the right dead center in the eclipse and because the annular that came before made this X right over curvil. NASA is here. They're already here and they're going to be doing all their photography from Furville, Texas. And we've got the all the hotels are sold out. I heard the Motel six. They sold the last room for a thousand dollars. We've got people that are very concerned about the electricity, the gas and even the water.

14:12 If you can imagine, they're saying 150,000 people. Tourists are coming for this eclipse and our town of 24,000 and if 150,000 people flush the toilet twice, we're going to have a water problem. And so the city is worried about that. Now the biggest estimates I read on the Internet was 488,000. And I don't know what's going to happen. But we're prepared and why, you know, all the things everybody has said, you know, some of that's probably true and some of it's not true. But what we know for a fact, Steve, is there's an X over curvil. And the why would God put an X over curvil? Because in curvil, we've raised a 77 foot seven inch hollow empty cross and built a cross shape garden, a type of last days tabernacle to honor Jesus. And it's been going now for, since we crossed one up in 2010, and hundreds of thousands of people are being touched by God here.

15:09 And so I, you know, no one else can claim that the annular eclipse and the total eclipse or anywhere but over curvil, Texas. And so, you know, what does the cross mean to all of us? It's repentance. It's the crucifixion of Christ. And so all those things about Nineveh and the previous one about Salem, all that's true. But guess where the world's eyes are going to be focused right now is curvil, Texas. We even had them, but you know, NASA figured it out. But we had the associated press photographer call us and say, he's not Christian. And he said, I've searched all the stuff, you've got the best place in the whole United States to watch the eclipse. Can I come photograph up there? And because he had looked and we have the high point over interstate 10 in the dead center. And so I personally believe that God wants the world to look at the cross, to focus on the cross, which means repentance. And that agrees with what most of the other, you know, prophets are saying is that this is, this is about repentance and that we're getting a bad situation in our nation. And we know that, believe it is not a political thing, it's a spiritual thing. And that's what, you know, it's a sign. And you know, these signs started all the way back with Moses. I mean, remember God saying, okay, maybe they'll believe this sign, but let's do another one. Let's put the frogs in their bed. Maybe they'll believe that one.

16:29 But, but all these are signs. And I just think we have an opportunity to bring a lot of souls to Christ. And so our nonprofit foundation, which my wife and I helped form, we printed 35,000 solar eclipse tracks. Matter of fact, let me just grab one right here. And so on one side, it looks like about the solar eclipses. And it has these questions. And on the other side, it says, where are you going to be in a thousand years? And so we have trained Turguide chaplains, and we're going to be presenting thousands of these. And we're asking everybody to pray for at least two to seven souls per track. And they're coming in today. They've already, the people have started arriving and they will be here and they will be logjam. But, you know, from our perspective, we just want to throw a big net and catch a lot of fish. And there's going to be a lot of fish.

17:19 And on our mountain, nobody really knows, but this 23.24.5 acres, we could have 10 to 15,000 people on that land that we had Sean Foyt, you know, back in the COVID time, and he came out and 6,000 people were all across the mountain. And they were walking some for a mile to get on our hill. So we don't know how many, but we're going to get, but all of our people are trained. We're going to be handing out those tracks for free and presenting the gospel politely. We're non-denominational. We're not a church. We're not sponsored or part of any denomination. God said to make, make it an art museum. And so we are a nonprofit art museum that chooses to put out artwork that glorifies God. And that kept kept us away and protected somewhat from the atheists and the left-wing people because we're not a church. And so we're ready and we're hoping and praying and I hope if everybody would pray with us and agree that we can bring, who knows, 100,000 people to Christ, because we're also putting these tracks out all over the community.

18:24 And these people are going to be stuck, you know, they're going to be stuck. And we're going to have a track in their hand and they're going to read it and some of them are going to get saved. And so that's really the plan. That's why we're excited. And you know, as I, as I've read about, your park that you've had people from 100 different countries, I know you well enough that you don't spend a lot of money on publicity. So this has got to be word of mouth or sometimes people just driving down Interstate 10 and seeing it and wondering what it is. But it is so beautiful and your art is well done. And, um, you know, Holy Spirit does our publicity. Again, this is all free. See, everybody else in town here now, they're charging $100 minimum for a parking place.

19:08 We're giving them away free on that hill. And so God does the publicity and we tried to say pure and holy and not make it a money thing. Sherri and I don't take a dollar out of this ministry. And, you know, right now, if anybody out there would like to help us have real restrooms, we sure could use them. We got the one of the biggest tourist attractions in the world and we still use them for the parties because we put the money where God said first and making the gospel, presenting it and lifting him up. And now it's kind of be nice if we can get some real toilets in there. So anybody's listening, we sure would appreciate some help. In fact, tell people how they can check out your ministry, your website and so forth because hopefully people are going to watch this or going to share it. You're going to want to find out more. And like me, they want to visit. So help us out. Okay. And then the garden is actually called the Coming King sculpture prayer garden. So you could put this, that name in hundreds of thousands of, you know, statements will come up. The organization is the Coming King Foundation. And in my own art website, I'm a professional artist. I mean, I'm kind of like Paul. I make tents. When I make some money, I go give it away. And so this, this is my website is max grinder art.com, but you can put it in just max grinder and it'll come out because I've been living with it. It's bell grinder.

20:33 G R E I N E R Max grinder. And it'll, it'll come up. But it's, we have a lot of ministry on the websites like, you know, meanwhile, I mean, a lot of websites that ministers do and evangelists do, it's about all their, their stuff and their sermons and all that. But on my website, God said, be an evangelist and actually get people saved and healed and delivered on the website. So I built this expansive website where people get saved, healed and delivered. They have miracles. I get letters, you know, the glory dust forms on the fact glitter on their hands as they're reading my stuff and watching the videos. And they get it on them wherever they are. They get baptized in the Holy Spirit. Uh, people get healed. Um, and, and then the angel orbs are sometimes float through the room as they're trying to, you know, watch our website and then do what I suggested about get a camera out and photograph around them. These balls of wire moving all around them. So it's an interactive website. That's been happening a long time. I hadn't thought about it in a while, but used to send me pictures with orbs in it. Right. It's happening to this day on Easter. I took pictures of our Easter service and sure enough, there was a big round orb right at the corner of the top of the cross and an Ezekiel one 15 through 23. I think it says that a type of angel is wheels within wheels that moves without turning. And that's what we've got. And we also have the other kind that you see columns of vapor and, and they, and we've had them spot them and photographed

22:07 them zipping through the inside and out across. So all this supernatural stuff is happening. I mean, I think it's over a hundred people have canceled suicide. Now where's, what part can you go to our art museum where you, you decide to cancel killing yourself? I mean, but that's what's happened here. We had one man that wrote us a long letter, four pages. He said he was a homosexual see you and had to have, I think 400 partners and he got saved and set free and delivered in this cross. And you know, the unique thing while people are coming, I mean, before this eclipse, they've been coming, but, but the God's showing up and it's, it's a self service garden where you don't have to have somebody trying to preach to you. You read those scriptures, you go inside the prayer and inside the cross and there's the four plaques and it can be happening. Nobody else around but you and God. And so that's one of the unique things about this type of evangelism. I call it I gate evangelism. They see the art from the highway, Interstate 10.

23:05 They pull in, they read the first scriptures and the artwork and they get all the way they in and then the transformation happens right inside that empty cross. Well, it's an amazing story and congratulations to you and Sherry and all those that work with you. I think you're doing a tremendous job and as we wrap this up, I'm going to want you to speak to my viewers and listeners because probably a lot of people that don't believe in Jesus are watching because they were just searching for something about the eclipse and came across this. And I want you to talk to them about accepting Jesus, receiving the power of the Holy Spirit and then pray for them as we wrap up this podcast. And also I meant to ask you this and I forgot, is any of this going to be live streamed or anything? Is there something on the internet that we go to? What time of day on the eighth is this going to happen? It's going to happen about 1.30. The best streaming you can get will be from NASA because they will have it. We were going to have Paul Wilbur and Troy Brewer up here and we started getting in these numbers and we were like, man, we could plan a big party and can't even get to our own party. I mean, I'm going to have to sleep in our gallery gift shop the night before so I can just be sure I'm there. They're saying it'll be so clogged up that people won't be able to get anywhere. So for live streaming, you can sure check the NASA thing and we'll be doing stuff before and after maybe something with you. But we just got to be there.

24:30 We're there to catch fish, Dave. That's all we're going to be doing is catching fish for Jesus and bringing them. But folks who listen to this, this may sound crazy. I may sound crazy. That's okay. I'm crazy for Jesus. And that's when I found out he was real. I found him at eight seven in the Baptist church. And then I prayed with a guy, a Presbyterian named Bill Banks in 89 about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. And oh my gosh, I found out all the miracles that listed in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, old St. Paul talked about, that's real. And it's still happening and it never stopped. And if somebody tells you it stopped, they don't know because they haven't experienced it. They don't believe their own word, but it's real. And if you will let God come into your life, everything will change. And yes, you'll still be the same person, but suddenly you'll be living for Jesus rather than yourself. And you'll get a concern for other people that are going to hell. Because hell is just as real in the devil as God is. And so my question to you, would you rather spend eternity in heaven, which has air conditioning, or hell? And it's like a barbecue and you're it. And so that's the simplest form. It will, a relationship with Christ, he has promised to pay for the sins of the world if you accept him and invite him into your heart. And it's so simple. That's all it is. It's not a bunch of religion.

25:51 The Creator just wanted a relationship with his children. And so if you just say, God, I don't want to go to the barbecue. I want to pee in air conditioning up in heaven. Would you please come into my heart into my life? I confess that I'm a sinner and that I need a Savior. And Jesus, you are the one, the Son of God, that died on that cross in Jerusalem 2000 years ago for me. And I just ask you to come into my life, make me a new creation. And when I die, that you take me immediately to heaven. And I just thank you, God. And I also ask you to work, give these gifts to me that you list in the Bible in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, the miracle gifts, the signs and wonders, all that stuff. Would you just bring those gifts, release those gifts out of me, baptize me with fire and power right now in the name of Jesus and just use me and your kingdom to do amazing works in your name and to bless everybody I'm around for the rest of my life. And also, Lord, I ask you to help me right now with my own problems that I got to start working those miracles fast because the world is going to hell in the handbasket, as they say. And I want to be a part of the solution, not to be part of the problem. And I thank you, God, for saving me and baptizing me in the Holy Spirit and answering the other prayer requests that I can now bring to you as your Son or daughter.

27:11 In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. And Max, thank you so much for that prayer. And thank you for your life and ministry and talent. And to my viewers, if you're interested in finding out more about that Holy Spirit that Max just talked about, my book is A Good Place to Start. It's kind of a Spirit-led Living 101 to tell you about the power of the Holy Spirit and how you can experience in your own life. It's available at Mychorismashop.com or stevestrangbooks.com. Or, of course, you can get these things online at places like amazon.com. So thank you for watching. Thank you for tuning in to the Strangler Report. Leave your comments. If you've ever been to the empty cross, if you've ever, if you have one of these sculptures, tell us. Leave us a comment. We'll respond when we see it. And thank you again for tuning in. Tune in again next Tuesday for another episode of the Strangler Report podcast on the Charisma podcast network. God bless.