Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001210
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00:07 It has stood the test of time.
00:12 God's book. 00:13 The Bible. 00:17 Still relevant in today's complex world. 00:22 It is written sharing hope around the globe. 00:43 Did you know that right now, today, one out of three 00:47 people say that they're dealing with EXTREME levels 00:50 of stress? 00:52 One out of three! 00:54 And about HALF of us are lying awake at night because 00:57 we're having trouble coping with the very real problems 00:59 of modern life. 01:07 We're getting angry, nervous, exhausted, and depressed. 01:12 Well the good news is that there's something very real 01:16 that can do about it. 01:21 You know, when I was a kid, the futurists made us some 01:23 pretty incredible promises. 01:25 Technology was going to make life a whole lot easier. 01:29 We'd only be working fifteen or twenty hours a week, and 01:32 most of our household chores would disappear - because 01:36 robots and other machines would be doing the work 01:38 for us. 01:40 So here we are, thirty or forty years later, and 01:42 honestly, I feel cheated. 01:43 The work week isn't shorter - it's actually longer! 01:47 According to the National Sleep Foundation, most people 01:49 are are working FORTY SIX hours a week, and more than a 01:53 third of us are doing more than fifty. 01:56 And while it's nice to have microwaves and dishwashers, 01:58 the promise of more free time seems like a cruel joke. 02:02 Families are gulping down their meals and even eating 02:04 in the car because kids have way too many extra-curricular 02:08 activities. 02:38 They promised us virtual offices - we'd get to work at 02:42 the beach or by the pool. 02:44 But instead of liberating us, computers and cell phones 02:46 have made slaves of us. 02:48 They're virtual leashes, and now the office follows us 02:51 everywhere. 02:53 It's not at all like they promised. 02:56 We kind of thought we'd be living like the Jetsons, but 02:58 in reality, it looks a lot more like Survivor. 03:02 Some economists have noticed that we might be the first 03:05 generation in a long time that stands no chance of 03:07 living better than our parents. 03:10 The price of energy is shooting up, the cost of 03:13 quality food is rising, and health care premiums are 03:16 going through the roof. 03:17 It takes two people, working hard, to pay down a mortgage, 03:20 even after the collapse of the market. 03:23 And we have far less time for basic human activities like 03:27 sitting down for a family meal or even getting a good 03:30 night's sleep. 03:31 Between 1960 and 1986, the average American family, if 03:36 you can believe it, had ten to twelve hours a week to 03:39 spend with their kids, but not too many people have that 03:42 kind of time anymore. 03:44 Now that we're actually living in the future, many 03:47 people are finding it kind of disappointing. 03:49 And I could probably live with the disappointment, 03:51 except for the fact that the world we've built for 03:53 ourselves is actually starting to KILL people. 03:57 Some people are literally dropping dead from 04:00 unreasonable levels of stress, from a lack of sleep 04:02 or from a lousy diet. 04:03 Our evening meal far too often gets handed to us 04:07 through a little drive-up window, complete with fries 04:10 and a soda. 04:11 We're getting lifestyle diseases at rates that were 04:13 unheard of just a hundred years ago, and a lot of them 04:17 are clearly stress-related. 04:19 It's becoming obvious, to most of us, that something's 04:22 wrong. 04:23 And it's not just the physical diseases that are 04:26 destroying us. 04:27 Some of us are dying inside. 04:29 We're tired, we're way too busy, and our family lives 04:33 are crumbling or non-existent. 04:36 Too many people wonder why they even bother. 04:39 The fun of life is gone. 04:42 Now today I'm going to show you why people feel that way, 04:46 and I'm going to give some simple, practical tools that 04:50 you can use - right now - to take back your life and start 04:54 enjoying it more. 04:56 Modern life has become so busy - so demanding - that 05:01 some people just assume that huge loads of stress are 05:04 normal. 05:06 But it's not the way we're meant to live. 05:08 Take a look around you: a lot of us are getting moodier and 05:11 less happy. 05:12 We're not enjoying life. 05:14 We sleep less, we play less, and some of us are even 05:18 developing nagging problems that are a sign that your 05:20 body is breaking down under stress. 05:24 It's protesting against the modern lifestyle: too much 05:27 work, too much anxiety, too much coffee, and not enough 05:31 sleep. 05:33 But that's NOT the way life is supposed to be. 05:35 The Psalmist tells us that we are "fearfully and 05:39 wonderfully made," (Ps. 139:14). 05:43 Our bodies have been designed for a far more natural 05:46 rhythm. 05:47 For example, when it gets dark outside, your pineal 05:50 gland starts producing a substance called melatonin, 05:54 and that substance actually lowers your body temperature 05:57 and makes you feel drowsy. 05:59 It's nature's way of telling you to go to sleep. 06:02 But what do most of us do at night? 06:04 We turn on all the lights - we sit down in front of a TV 06:07 or a computer monitor - and all that light (especially 06:10 the blue light) actually slows down the production of 06:13 melatonin and prevents us from falling asleep. 06:17 So, after living in a constant state of anxiety and 06:20 high alert all day, we actually cheat our bodies of 06:23 sleep and keep ourselves from recovering. 06:27 Now let me ask you a question: does any of this 06:31 kind of ring a bell for you? 06:32 Can you remember back to a time when you just enjoyed 06:35 life more? 06:36 A time when you had more energy - more enthusiasm? 06:40 Well, I've got some great news for you. 06:42 You can have it back. 06:44 Really, you can. 06:46 In just a moment, I'm going to show you how to get 06:48 started. 06:52 In Matthew 4:4 the Word of God says "It is written 'Man 06:55 shall not live by bread alone but by every word that 06:59 proceeds out of the mouth of God'." 07:02 Every Word is a one minute Bible-based daily devotional 07:05 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw and designed 07:07 especially for busy people like you. 07:10 Look for Every Word on selected networks or watch it 07:13 on-line everyday on our website itiswritten.com. 07:17 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 07:19 Watch Every Word. 07:20 You'll be glad you did. 07:22 Here's a sample. 07:32 A short verse speaks loudly to us today. 07:35 Acts 8:8 succinctly states, "And there was great joy in 07:39 that city." 07:40 What city was that, and why was there great joy there? 07:43 The city was Samaria, and there was great joy there 07:46 because Philip went there and preached Christ. 07:48 The people gladly heard what he said, and God worked great 07:51 miracles. 07:52 How would you like to experience great joy today? 07:55 If you'll bring Christ into your environment, and gladly 07:58 hear what He says, God will work miracles in your life. 08:01 Healing? 08:02 Money? 08:03 I don't know. 08:04 But certainly the greatest miracle - a new heart and 08:07 true peace. 08:09 "And there was great joy in that city," when Jesus was 08:11 made welcome. 08:13 Welcome Jesus into your life - or through your witness, 08:15 bring Him into the lives of others - and there'll be 08:17 great joy in your city or home or life today. 08:21 Let's live today by Every Word. 08:26 If you're like most human beings caught up in the 08:28 hectic pace of the 21st century, you're probably 08:32 feeling more than a little run down. 08:34 And yet the drive to produce - the drive to be busy - to 08:37 be successful, it's almost irresistible. 08:41 When you read through the first few chapters of the 08:43 Bible, you'll find something interesting. 08:46 Listen to this: Genesis 2:15 Then the Lord God took the 08:52 man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 08:59 You might think that Adam and Eve spent their time lounging 09:01 by the pool or playing a round of golf, relaxing in 09:04 the easy life of Paradise, but you'd be wrong. 09:07 In the very beginning, God designed human beings to be 09:10 productive and busy. 09:12 Our job was to "tend and keep" the garden. 09:16 Now, what I find really interesting about that is the 09:19 way lots of people still spend their day off in the 09:22 garden, "tending and keeping" in the best of biblical 09:26 traditions. 09:28 There's just something about working outside in the fresh 09:31 air and sunlight - with your hands in the dirt - that 09:34 makes the troubles of a stressful week just melt into 09:36 the background. 09:37 I love it. 09:38 And to add to that, I think that, now this might not be 09:41 everybody's cup of tea - if you get your hands on one of 09:42 them weed wackers, or your hands on a chain saw (now I 09:45 know that may not be tending and keeping but it's 09:48 tending), to me there's something just great about 09:53 that, makes stress melt away and somehow reconnects a 09:57 person with planet earth and the things that are really 10:00 important. 10:01 And all of that ought to tell us something: maybe work was 10:03 never meant to be stressful. 10:04 Maybe we're just doing it wrong. 10:08 And maybe - if we pay attention to the details of 10:10 this ancient biblical story - maybe we could find some way 10:14 back the joy of living - the quality of life that God 10:18 originally intended. 10:21 Now, I know what someone is thinking. 10:23 "John, you've got to be kidding. 10:25 In this day and age, you want me to read the book of 10:28 Genesis to find answers for modern problems?" 10:30 I know: to a lot of people, the Bible seems like it's 10:32 kind of out of date and sort of out of touch. 10:34 But what if I told you that right now, millions of people 10:38 who are taking this book quite seriously, are not only 10:41 living better lives, they're also living longer ones! 10:45 It's true! 10:46 In fact, back in November of 2005, National Geographic 10:50 featured three groups of people who outlive everybody 10:52 else by a considerable distance, and one of those 10:56 groups has built their success by simply following 11:00 the advice given in the Bible. 11:02 And what have they discovered? 11:04 Let me point out some really interesting things found in 11:05 the story of creation that will get you started on a 11:09 better life. 11:10 First of all, take a look at what was on the menu for Adam 11:13 and Eve: Genesis 1:29 And God said, "See, I have given you 11:20 every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all 11:23 the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to 11:28 you it shall be for food. 11:31 According to the Bible, the original diet was a whole 11:34 food diet. 11:35 It wasn't loaded with preservatives or pre-cooked 11:38 and sold in the freezer section of the grocery store. 11:42 Now here's something really interesting: grab your laptop 11:45 or your iPad, and then Google the words "healthy diet," and 11:49 see what you get. 11:50 Even better, do an image search on Google - use the 11:53 words "healthy diet" and see what comes up. 11:56 It's pretty amazing, the pictures look a lot like the 12:00 description we just read from the book of Genesis. 12:04 But unfortunately, it doesn't look like the food found in 12:07 most Western refrigerators. 12:09 Health experts are starting to catch on that the 12:11 over-processed, over-refined foods we've been eating 12:16 aren't very good for us. 12:17 One of the key reasons we're not feeling good like we used 12:20 to is because we're not eating like we used to and 12:24 like what we were designed to eat. 12:25 If we could raise a historical figure from the 12:26 dead and bring him into a modern kitchen - let's say 12:29 Abraham Lincoln - I'm guessing he wouldn't 12:32 recognize half the stuff we put in our mouths, because 12:35 back in his day, those foods simply didn't exist. 12:39 And really, you wouldn't have to go back as far as Abraham 12:41 Lincoln, because I'm guessing my own grandmother wouldn't 12:44 be able to name half the stuff we eat down here in the 12:46 21st century. 12:48 I heard someone say the other day that "we are living in a 12:51 world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors 12:55 and furniture polish is made from real lemons." 12:58 And you've got to wonder: when you hear about an 13:01 obesity epidemic - and rampant cancer - and heart 13:04 disease - and rising numbers of people afflicted with Type 13:08 II diabetes - you've got to wonder if the way we're 13:12 eating doesn't have something to do with it. 13:15 According to some sources, processed food now makes up 13:17 an amazing 90 percent of our diet. 13:20 And as people get sicker, health experts are getting 13:23 more and more concerned. 13:24 They're warning us to eat more REAL food. 13:28 They're telling us to fill our plate with fruits, and 13:30 nuts, and grains, and vegetables. 13:33 And that's remarkable, because that was the original 13:37 diet in the Garden of Eden. 13:39 Now take a look at something else: Genesis 2:18 And the 13:46 Lord God said, "It is not good that man should be 13:50 alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." 13:56 I want you to notice that human beings were made for 13:59 companionship. 14:00 The Bible says, it's not good for us to be alone. 14:04 And yet the modern working world has made most of us 14:07 functional hermits. 14:09 By the time we're done with an exhausting day - cruising 14:12 by on not enough sleep - and living in a cubicle under 14:15 artificial light - and then fighting traffic all the way 14:17 home - and then eating yet another meal out of a box - 14:21 by the time we're done, we're too tired to spend any 14:23 quality time with friends or family. 14:27 And even if we had a little energy left, our friends and 14:29 family aren't really available, because they also 14:32 are way too busy. 15:34 You know, there might be 7 billion people living on this 15:36 planet, but some of those are some of the loneliest people 15:39 in the history of humanity. 15:41 The center of our human activity used to be the 15:43 family, but in recent decades that's all started to change. 15:48 I read the other day that back in the 1950s, only one 15:51 out of ten households had just one person living in 15:55 them, and most of those single people were widows. 15:58 But now, with all the changes we've seen, it's more like 16:01 one in three households are single people living alone. 16:04 Of course, there's nothing necessarily wrong with living 16:07 alone; some people like it that way. 16:10 But it does point out a trend: we appear to be 16:12 getting more isolated. 16:14 We don't enjoy the same number of meaningful 16:16 relationships we used to. 16:18 There are more of us crowded into every square mile than 16:22 at any time in history, but we don't actually seem to 16:24 KNOW each other. 16:26 Our "friendships" are carried out in Facebook and 16:28 Farmville. 16:29 We run home to watch Friends on TV instead of going out 16:32 and getting some real ones. 16:35 And it's kind of ironic, but as we get more "connected" on 16:38 the Internet, we seem to get more disconnected from real, 16:41 live people. 16:44 All that loneliness is starting to take a toll. 16:46 Think back to a time when you used to actually hang out 16:48 with your friends, and think about how energized you felt 16:50 when you all got together. 16:52 And then compare that feeling to the way you might feel 16:56 right now: busy, tired, and spent. 16:59 Ask yourself if the Bible wasn't right: it isn't good 17:02 for people to be alone. 17:04 Part of taking back our lives is making PEOPLE a priority, 17:09 refusing to allow technological progress to rob 17:12 us of meaningful relationships. 17:15 At the end of your life, you're not going to be glad 17:17 you spent more time working or surfing the web - what's 17:21 going to make a real difference is the people in 17:24 whom you invested your time. 17:25 In just a moment, I'm going to show you one more critical 17:30 key to getting back your balance. 17:33 Don't go channel surfing, because I'll be right back. 17:52 Here's today's Bible question. 17:54 The question is: Are there mistakes in the Bible? 17:59 Here's what we believe as Christians. 18:02 2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is given by 18:05 inspiration of God." 18:07 2 Peter 1:21 says, "Holy men of God spake as they were 18:10 moved by the Holy Ghost." 18:12 Same idea. 18:13 And as you read through the Bible, you see that the Bible 18:15 writers themselves certainly believed that the Bible was 18:18 inspired by God. 18:20 Paul quoted the Old Testament Scriptures repeatedly. 18:22 As did Peter. 18:24 As did John who wrote Revelation. 18:26 And as did Jesus. 18:28 Jesus quoted from "about" every book in the Old 18:30 Testament at one time or another. 18:32 But the Bible was authored by humans. 18:35 They wrote divine ideas while expressing them in human 18:38 terms, and they brought to their task the limitations of 18:41 fallen humanity. 18:44 Now there are times when you'll find what might be 18:47 called discrepancies in the Bible- that's true. 18:49 In 2 Samuel 8 David is reported to have taken 700 18:54 horsemen, while in 1 Chronicles 8 the number is 18:56 said to be 7000. 18:58 In one place it says Solomon had 40,000 stalls for horses, 19:02 in another place it says he had 4,000 stalls. 19:05 Now, it isn't hard to imagine what might have happened 19:07 there, right? 19:09 Now in one place in the New Testament, Jesus is met by 19:11 two demon possessed men who had been living among the 19:14 tombs, in another place he was met by one. 19:17 Ask yourself - does it really matter? 19:21 Is this evidence that the Bible cannot be trusted? 19:24 The point isn't really how many demon-possessed men 19:26 there were. 19:27 The point was that there were demon-possessed men - one, 19:29 two... 19:30 ten? 19:31 - and Jesus was able to drive out the demons and set the 19:34 man - or the men - free. 19:37 Now try to hear this carefully. 19:38 Some people believe the Bible is verbally inspired. 19:41 That is, its like God dictated the Bible to the 19:44 writers. 19:46 You can imagine a Bible writer, "Okay, okay, I'm 19:48 listening ... 19:49 For God so áwhatá? 19:50 For God so what? 19:51 I missed that. 19:52 Come again, what do I write there? 19:54 I didn't catch that part!" 19:56 I don't think that's the way it worked, do you? 19:58 A better way at understanding this is to consider 20:01 inspiration as being thought-inspiration. 20:05 The writers were inspired, not the words themselves. 20:08 God inspired the writers, then they did their very best 20:12 to express what God impressed upon them in human terms. 20:16 And that system worked pretty well. 20:18 Sometimes there are perfectly good explanations for 20:21 apparent discrepancies in the Bible. 20:24 Our human understanding can be limited, and we need to 20:27 approach the Bible with humility. 20:29 Sometimes maybe there might have been a copyists error 20:33 years before. 20:33 Now, you don't get the copyists saying there is no 20:35 heaven or that salvation isn't by grace through faith 20:39 - anything odd is only ever very small and doesn't ever 20:41 make a bit of difference to the big picture. 20:44 Friend, you can trust the Bible. 20:46 It won't lead you astray. 20:47 If you have a question you'd like answered, go to 20:50 ItIsWritten.com, click on the questions tab and submit your 20:54 question. 20:55 And I hope I'll be able to answer your question. 20:57 If you have a Bible question for pastor John Bradshaw, 21:03 please write to It Is Written, Box O, Thousand 21:06 Oaks, California 91359 or visit our website 21:10 itiswritten.com and send us your questions on-line. 21:15 If you're a regular viewer of It is Written, there's a 21:18 chance you are curious of who we are and what we do. 21:21 This ministry is dedicated to sharing the gospel around the 21:24 world. 21:26 There are many ways we try to accomplish that. 21:28 To get an inside view through written and visual reports, 21:30 photos and videos, visit our website itiswritten.com and 21:38 while you are there you will also discover the many 21:40 inspirational resources that are available to help you in 21:42 your Christian walk. 21:43 I invite you to visit itiswritten.com. 21:46 You'll be glad you did. 21:47 Today we're talking about the way that modern life has 21:52 taken its toll on millions of people. 21:55 We're working longer these days and enjoying life less 21:58 than ever before - and in the book of Genesis, we've 22:01 discovered a number of important keys that will help 22:04 you take back your life and find some balance. 22:07 Here is another good key. 22:09 Take a look at this often overlooked passage from 22:12 Genesis chapter two, the Bible says: Genesis 2:3 Then 22:16 God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in 22:18 it He rested from all His work which God had created 22:22 and made. 22:23 It's remarkable: after creating the heavens and the 22:26 earth, the Bible says that God STOPPED and took a day 22:29 off! 22:31 Now, we know that God doesn't get tired. 22:33 So why did He do it? 22:34 Why did He take a day off? 22:36 Well, maybe He was trying to teach US something. 22:38 Maybe, as the manufacturer, He knew what the human body 22:42 needed. 22:43 Maybe He didn't design the human body to slave away 22:45 seven days a week, to the point of absolute exhaustion. 22:48 And maybe there's a rhythm to life we've forgotten about. 22:52 The Bible says that on the seventh day God rested from 22:56 all His work - and you've got to think that if God can 22:59 afford to take a day of rest, then maybe we can afford to 23:01 do it, too. 23:03 In fact, God not only recommends a day of rest; He 23:05 asks us to do it. 23:08 You'll find it right in the heart of the Ten 23:11 Commandments, Exodus 20:8. 23:13 The Bible says, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 23:18 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the 23:22 seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. 23:25 In it you shall do no work." 23:29 (Exodus 20:8-10) Take a look at the human race - the way 23:32 it is right now - and you start to get the sense that 23:34 God knew what He was talking about. 23:37 This isn't just about rules and regulations. 23:39 Peoples' jaws are clenched; their shoulders are stooped 23:41 and rounded, and their muscles are tight. 23:43 Our tempers are shorter, getting shorter by the day 23:46 and our blood pressure is rising, rising by the moment. 23:50 So, maybe that sacred time in the fourth commandment is 23:53 worth a second look. 23:54 Maybe God was doing us a favor. 23:57 Think about it: what would happen if we actually started 24:01 to live the way God designed us? 24:04 What if life was full of satisfying work, and 24:06 meaningful relationships? 24:08 What if we had some space to breathe - some time to 24:11 actually live? 24:24 What if we had a whole day - every week - for people, and 24:27 for God? 24:29 What if, instead of the artificial rhythms set by 24:31 alarm clocks and digital planners, we started to live 24:35 by the rhythms designed for us by God? 24:38 Ask yourself how much you're getting out of life. 24:42 And I think you'll agree that you were born for something 24:44 more. 24:45 The way we're living today just isn't working for many 24:48 of us, but there is a better way to live, and it's well 24:52 within your reach. 24:53 It's the plan developed by God in the beginning and I 24:56 invite you today to consider reaching back and adopting 25:00 the original lifestyle designed by the Creator. 25:04 Why don't we pray that you and me will find the balance, 25:08 the harmony and the peace of mind God meant for us to 25:11 have. 25:13 Let's pray together right now. 25:15 Father in heaven, there is no doubt that we are living in a 25:17 stress-filled world and so many of us right now are 25:21 stressed to the max. 25:24 That wasn't your plan. 25:26 I pray that you'll help us to reconnect, live that healthy, 25:29 restful lifestyle with you at the very center. 25:34 Show us, Lord, the way to optimum health and optimum 25:37 life. 25:39 And thank you that we were made for the purpose of 25:43 enjoying life in this world, for being blessed and being a 25:46 blessing to others and then enjoying life in the world to 25:49 come where there will be no stress at all. 25:54 Let that day come soon, I pray, and may we live today 25:57 in your presence, your way, by your grace. 26:00 In Jesus' name we pray, amen. 26:29 If you've ever questioned whether relentless activity 26:32 is really necessary, or if something is broken in the 26:35 way we spend our time; discover some answers in a 26:38 FREE book called A MONUMENT IN TIME. 26:41 This book will help you realize that if we stopped 26:44 our endless cycle of activity for even a few moments we 26:47 would discover something amazing: the presence of God. 26:50 A MONUMENT IN TIME describes how you can achieve a more 26:55 rewarding life by following a specific plan God has 26:59 designed for you. 27:01 Right now, this practical book is available FREE from 27:03 It Is Written. 27:04 Just call 1-800-253-3000, ask for the book: A MONUMENT IN 27:10 TIME. 27:11 Or write to: It Is Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks, CA 27:15 91359, and we will mail a copy to your address in North 27:19 America. 27:20 Please note: This free book is limited to the supply on 27:23 hand. 27:24 For immediate access, you can download a FREE electronic 27:27 version of the book A MONUMENT IN TIME directly 27:30 from our website: itiswritten.com It Is Written 27:33 is a faith-based outreach made possible by viewers like 27:36 you. 27:37 Thank you for your letters and your continued support. 27:41 Our toll-free number is: 1-800-253-3000. 27:45 And our web address: itiswritten.com Thanks for 27:48 joining me today and look forward to seeing you again 27:51 next time. 27:52 And until then, remember- It Is Written: man shall not 27:56 live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from 28:00 the mouth of God. |
Revised 2015-02-06