Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001251
00:07 It has stood the test of time.
00:12 God's book, the Bible. 00:17 Still relevant in today's complex world. 00:21 It Is Written ... 00:25 sharing hope around the globe. 00:36 Thanks for joining me today on It is Written. 00:38 I'm John Bradshaw and I am going to start today by 00:41 telling you a little story that might even be true. 00:44 [Background music]. 00:47 A man is driving in heavy traffic. 00:49 And he's not having a good morning on his way to work. 00:51 He's getting worked up about what the other drivers are 00:54 doing, and he starts shouting at the other motorists. 00:57 He gets so mad he starts pounding his steering wheel 01:00 and he shakes his fist when someone ducks quickly in 01:03 front of him. 01:04 He honks his horn, makes a scene, and then in his 01:08 rear-view mirror he sees flashing lights. 01:11 He's being pulled up. 01:12 "What in the world have I done wrong?" 01:15 he wonders. 01:16 I haven't broken any laws? 01:18 So the police officer comes -you know what happens-- 01:20 takes his license and heads back to his squad car while 01:22 our man sits there brooding and stewing. 01:25 "What a terrible morning! 01:26 I'm late, all these people are driving like maniacs. 01:29 I'm going nowhere... 01:30 and I get pulled up!" 01:32 He stews a while until the officer comes back and gives 01:35 him his license back. 01:37 The man says, "Officer, what did I do wrong? 01:41 I don't think I was breaking any laws! 01:43 I wasn't driving dangerously!" 01:45 The police officer says, "I saw the way you were acting 01:47 back there - shouting, and screaming, and shaking your 01:50 fist, and honking on your horn..." 01:52 The man cut in and he said "Officer, you can't pull 01:54 someone up for shouting or shaking their fist, can you?" 01:59 The officer says, "That's not why I stopped you. 02:02 I saw the sticker on the back of your car that says, "God 02:05 bless you," and the other one on the back of your car that 02:08 says, "Honk if you love Jesus. 02:11 And then I saw your license place holder that says, 02:13 "Follow me to my church!" 02:16 The officer said, "When I saw all that, I thought you must 02:20 have stolen that car!" 02:21 I know... 02:22 I know ... 02:25 but the story makes a point. 02:26 Very often God's people don't get it right. 02:30 And that goes for church members, for pastors, church 02:33 administrators and church school teachers. 02:36 Sometimes church leaders make decisions nobody understands, 02:40 and sometimes church folks just blow it. 02:43 You'll get differences of opinion in church, 02:45 personality clashes, hurt feelings... 02:48 And the saints will sometimes respond by getting mad. 02:52 I'm not going to come to church anymore. 02:54 I'm not going to return my tithe or give offerings to 02:56 the church anymore. 02:58 Some people choose to stay away from church altogether! 03:00 "I'm never going back THERE!" 03:03 You know, people get upset with hypocrites in the church 03:05 and they stay away. 03:06 I'll tell you what I've told many people. 03:08 I've often said I'd rather go to church with hypocrites 03:11 than go to hell with hyprocrites! 03:14 Now you'll hear people say for a variety of reasons, "I 03:17 don't like my church". 03:19 And I guess you can understand that to a point. 03:22 But wait a minute! 03:25 Just whose church is it anyway? 03:28 And when you figure that out, ask yourself how Jesus feels, 03:32 when He looks on, at HIS church. 03:36 How does Jesus feel when He sees the way people act in 03:39 church, the way they treat each other, the way they get 03:41 mad with each other, refuse to speak to each other. 03:45 You think there are things about your church that bug 03:47 YOU? 03:48 Jesus sees it ALL. 03:50 He's there when parents go home from church and yell at 03:53 their kids, He sees when people smile at the preacher 03:57 and then criticize him all the way home in the car. 04:00 He is acquainted with all the different kinds of church 04:03 politics, He hears the gossip and He sees when God's people 04:06 say one thing and do another. 04:09 Jesus sees dishonesty; he sees the infidelity that 04:12 sometimes goes on in church. 04:15 You think YOU have problems with what goes on in church? 04:18 How do you think JESUS feels?! 04:21 Well, the Bible opens some of this up to our understanding. 04:24 In the Book of Revelation Jesus comes straight out and 04:27 says what He doesn't like about His church. 04:30 You might be surprised with some of what he says, so 04:33 don't go away, I'll be right back. 04:38 In Matthew 4:4 the Word of God says "It is written 'Man 04:42 shall not live by bread alone but by every word that 04:46 proceeds out of the mouth of God'." 04:48 Every Word is a one minute Bible-based daily devotional 04:51 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw and designed 04:55 especially for busy people like you. 04:57 Look for Every Word on selected networks or watch it 04:59 on-line everyday on our website itiswritten.com. 05:03 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 05:06 Watch Every Word. 05:07 You'll be glad you did. 05:13 [Music] In Revelation 05:23 chapters 2 and 3 you find the letters to the 7 churches. 05:27 Seven brief messages, one each to seven different 05:30 churches. 05:31 Now they were real churches that existed in John's day in 05:33 the area known in the Bible as Asia Minor, but today we 05:37 call that Turkey. 05:39 The churches involved are Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, 05:42 Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. 05:47 These were young congregations when John wrote 05:49 to them. 05:50 He wrote to them from the Island of Patmos, a Greek 05:52 Island in the Aegean Sea rather close to Turkey. 05:54 And he was on the Island of Patmos as a prisoner, a 05:58 prisoner for his faith. 06:00 The Roman government had him pegged as a troublemaker and 06:03 a disturber of the peace. 06:05 Imprisoned for his faith, cut off from friends and 06:08 associates, John still has strong faith in God and he is 06:12 gifted by God with the revelation that ended up 06:15 being the Book of Revelation. 06:17 John was writing at a time when the Christians of Asia 06:20 were suffering terrible persecution, and these 06:23 messages were designed to encourage these poor souls 06:26 and inspire them with hope. 06:29 And when you read the Book of Revelation you discover that 06:31 this is the first of the many 'sevens' in Revelation - 06:35 you've got seven Spirits, candlesticks, stars, seals, 06:38 trumpets, plagues, thunders... 06:40 When the number seven is used throughout the Bible in a 06:43 symbolic sense, it is generally understood to 06:45 indicate completeness or perfection. 06:48 And seeing as there were more than seven churches in Asia 06:51 Minor (there was Colosse and Hierapolis and others), we 06:55 conclude that Bible teachers have historically been 06:57 correct in believing that each of those seven churches 07:01 in early Revelation represents an era of church 07:04 history. 07:06 Now the first church listed correlates with the 07:08 experience of the early Christian church after 07:10 Christ's death, while Laodicea, the last of the 07:14 seven, relates to the church of the last days. 07:17 Jesus has something to say to each church, and He doesn't 07:21 hold back. 07:22 In fact, He tells them exactly what He doesn't like 07:26 about their situation. 07:28 Let's look together. 07:29 The first church is the church of Ephesus, and Jesus 07:31 addresses Ephesus with a glowing introduction. 07:35 Revelation 2:2,3, he says: "I know your works, your labor, 07:42 your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are 07:45 evil. 07:46 And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are 07:49 not,nd have found them liars; and you have 07:53 persevered and have patience, and have labored for My 07:56 name's sake and have not become weary." 07:59 But... 08:01 They had their problems. 08:02 In the very next verse, Jesus says, "Nevertheless I have 08:06 this against you, that you have left your first love." 08:11 Revelation 2:4 To have lost your first love is a terrible 08:17 thing. 08:18 Sometimes it happens in relationships, marriages. 08:20 It starts with flowers and text messages and 08:24 hand-written notes, but then spirals downward into habit 08:29 and routine. 08:30 The nice little things that used to happen are HISTORY. 08:34 Too often that happens with people and Jesus. 08:37 They were always talking to Him, always wanting to know 08:40 more about Him, always telling others how wonderful 08:43 He was or is. 08:45 They were in love. 08:47 But love gave way to a familiarity that bred apathy. 08:50 The fire went cold. 08:52 Not good. 08:54 But Jesus shows us a way out. 08:56 Look at Revelation 2:5 "Remember therefore from 09:03 where you have fallen;" Remembering where you were 09:07 can spark a desire to get back there. 09:09 It's just like in a marriage. 09:11 Remember. 09:12 You really had something - you could have that again. 09:16 And friend, if you really once had something with 09:19 Jesus, He's wants you to have that again. 09:22 Back to revelation, Chapter 2. 09:24 "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent 09:27 and do the first works." 09:29 Revelation 2:5 John tells the church at Ephesus, Think of 09:33 what it used to be like. 09:35 Remember where you used to be. 09:37 Then repent. 09:38 And then do the first works again. 09:40 And if we don't? 09:42 Let's read the entire verse, Revelation 2:5 "Remember 09:46 therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the 09:49 first works, or else I will come to you quickly and 09:52 remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent. 09:56 Revelation 2:5 The light will go out. 10:00 But Jesus can help you get that first love back. 10:03 He can heal a wounded relationship, especially if 10:06 that relationship is with Him. 10:08 The reward promised to the Ephesian church is that it 10:12 would - if faithful - eat of the tree of life (v7), and 10:16 that's promise is for us today. 10:19 You see, even though these letters were written to 10:21 actual churches long ago, we can see that they contain 10:23 counsel, advice - and hope - for us. 10:27 We will look at the remaining churches in just a moment. 10:31 [Music] If you'd like to know 10:42 more about the Book of Revelation, prophecy and 10:44 last-day events, I have a special book for you today. 10:47 It's called The Next Superpower, written by Pastor 10:51 Mark Finley, a former presenter of this very 10:53 television program. 10:55 The Next Superpower is loaded with insights in the Book of 10:58 Revelation. 10:59 Not only will it increase your understanding of 11:02 Revelation, but it will grow your faith in God. 11:04 It is a quality, hard-cover book, that takes an in-depth 11:08 look at the Book of Revelation. 11:10 Please call or write us and this free book will be on its 11:14 way to you as long as stocks last. 11:16 There is no cost or obligation. 11:18 Just call 1.800.253.3000 and ask for the book The Next 11:24 Superpower. 11:25 You can call anytime, day or night. 11:27 If the line is busy, do keep trying. 11:30 You can also request this free book by writing to It Is 11:33 Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks, CA 91359 and we will 11:38 mail a copy to your address in North America. 11:41 Now please notice: This book is limited to the supply on 11:45 hand, so call quickly so we can get it on its way to you. 11:49 I also want to encourage you to visit our website: 11:51 itiswritten.com, where you will discover additional 11:55 helpful resources on a host of life-changing topics. 11:59 It Is Written is a faith-based ministry, made 12:02 possible by viewers like you. 12:04 If you wish to help the worldwide outreach of It Is 12:07 Written and help us to ensure people continue to be blessed 12:11 by solid Bible teaching, your tax-deductible gift can be 12:14 sent to the same address or you can make a gift on-line 12:17 at itiswritten.com. 12:19 Thank you for your letters and your continued support. 12:22 Our toll-free number is 1.800.253.3000 and our web 12:28 address itiswritten.com. 12:37 ♪♪♪♪ Music ♪♪♪♪ In the book of Revelation you 12:45 will find the letters to the seven churches. 12:47 A moment ago, we left off at the church at Ephesus. 12:51 Next is Smyrna. 12:53 Now Jesus doesn't have anything negative so say to 12:56 the church at Smyrna. 12:58 This time period here is when the church went through 13:01 brutal persecution under the Roman Caesars. 13:04 The ten days mentioned in verse 10 of Chapter 2 are 13:09 said to refer to the 10 years of persecution under the 13:13 Emperor Diocletian when thousands of people were 13:15 martyred. 13:16 But during that time of intense persecution, the 13:18 church possessed an ardent love for Christ and His 13:21 truth. 13:22 History says that when the Bishop of Carthage was 13:24 sentenced to die, the Christians listening cried 13:26 out, "We will die with him!" 13:29 Christ doesn't rebuke these faithful ones who have been 13:33 through so much, but He promises them in verse 10 13:36 that they will receive from Jesus "a crown of life." 13:40 You'll read in Rev 2:8 that Jesus says, "These things 13:45 saith the first and the last, which was dead and is alive." 13:50 Imagine the encouragement that would be! 13:53 Jesus says, "You're going through misery, but you know 13:55 what? 13:56 I went through that too - I died, but now I am alive." 14:00 What an encouragement that had to be for the believers 14:03 in Smyrna, many of whom were facing death. 14:05 You know, Jesus doesn't always deliver you from the 14:08 calamity facing you, but He promises you that if you're 14:11 faithful in whatever comes your way, ultimately you're 14:15 going to experience the greatest blessings 14:17 imaginable. 14:18 When you're going through a difficult time you can know 14:20 that Jesus is near. 14:22 You don't have to feel it, just need to believe it. 14:25 When the heat is turned up, Jesus is close by. 14:28 And this is what John told the church at Smyrna. 14:31 But then there's Pergamos. 14:34 Pergamos is in western Turkey about 20 miles from the 14:37 Aegean Sea. 14:38 It was a fabulous city in ancient times. 14:41 It had a library with 200,000 volumes in it - Mark Anthony 14:46 gave the library to Cleopatra. 14:49 (She must have liked to read! 14:51 Today I guess he'd just give her a Kindle or a Nook or an 14:53 e-book or an e-book reader or something.) There was a 14:55 theatre there that seated 10,000 people, and they say 14:59 it had the steepest seating of any known theatre in the 15:01 ancient world. 15:03 Now this is the church period when Christianity became 15:05 popular under the Roman Emperor Constantine. 15:09 And just what does Jesus say He doesn't like about His 15:12 church? 15:14 We'll look in Revelation 2:14: "But I have a few 15:18 things against you, because you have there those who hold 15:21 the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a 15:24 stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat 15:26 things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual 15:30 immorality." 15:32 So what was it with Balaam? 15:34 His whole story is one that it would be good to take up 15:37 at length if we had the time. 15:39 Balaam was a prophet of God, one of God's people, and the 15:42 Moabites wanted him to curse Israel to weaken Israel so 15:46 that Israel could be overcome. 15:48 According to 2 Peter 2:15, Balaam loved the wages of 15:53 unrighteousness. 15:55 He was a covetous man, and when he was offered large 15:59 sums to turn against God's people, it was too much for 16:02 him to refuse. 16:03 He refused once, but the second time he refused and 16:07 then, then he said to the men sent to him, hang around, 16:10 while I enquire further of the Lord. 16:12 As though God was going to change his mind! 16:14 Balaam was the one who had a conversation with a donkey, 16:17 met with an angel and STILL carried on in his own evil 16:20 way, because he wanted the money. 16:23 Balaam speaks to those of us who are motivated by our own 16:26 desires and not by God's desires. 16:29 Balaam would have had no trouble knowing God's will if 16:31 only God's will had been the same as HIS will, and 16:34 sometimes some of God's people are like that. 16:37 Some folks want their own way, and not God's way. 16:40 That was Balaam's issue, and John writes to a church that 16:43 was wrestling with that. 16:45 And in that period when Christianity became popular 16:47 because the state was smiling on it, things evidently got a 16:51 little easy for believers. 16:53 Not always the best thing. 16:56 The overcomer in Pergamos is promised the hidden manna - 16:59 the forever spiritual food of the believer which promises 17:02 eternal life and health- the white stone of the high 17:06 priest also, and the new name indicating a victorious 17:09 experience and a changed character. 17:12 Friend, thank God we can all have that. 17:16 Now to the church of Thyatira in verse 20, Jesus says, "I 17:20 have a few things against you, because you allow that 17:23 woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to 17:27 teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality 17:31 and to eat things sacrificed to idols." 17:34 In the Bible, Jezebel was married to King Ahab and 17:38 introduced all kinds of falsehood into the midst of 17:42 God's people. 17:43 In fact, Jezebel managed to mix light with dark, truth 17:49 with error, so that although Israel hadn't totally given 17:52 up on God, they were worshipping both God and 17:55 Baal. 17:56 That's disastrous for a Christian church, to be 17:59 mixing truth with error, light with dark, true worship 18:02 with false worship. 18:03 Disastrous! 18:05 God is looking for people who will be faithful, radically 18:08 committed to truth and right. 18:10 And then God says to this church, I will give you power 18:12 over all nations, that you will rule them. 18:15 Interesting - Jesus says, There's a lot I don't like 18:19 about my church, but I'm telling you that I'm going to 18:21 give you everlasting life, because I'm going to save you 18:25 anyway, if you want to be saved! 18:28 Now to Sardis (in Revelation 3:1,2) Jesus says this, "I 18:34 know your works, that you have a name that you are 18:37 alive, but you are dead. 18:40 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that 18:44 are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect 18:48 before God." 18:50 What a thing for Jesus to say to His church. 18:53 You're dead! 18:55 Now that's a wake-up call! 18:57 Dead people in the church. 18:59 You think there's any of that today? 19:02 Now here's the good news. 19:03 Remember the prodigal son? 19:04 His father said, "My son was dead, but now he's alive." 19:09 The gospel is the work of bringing the spiritually dead 19:12 back to life. 19:13 So Christ says to the church in Sardis, in Revelation 3, 19:18 "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, 19:22 and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; 19:25 but I will confess his name before My Father and before 19:29 His angels." 19:31 I'm glad the Lord is able to raise the dead. 19:34 That means there's hope for all of us! 19:38 Now the church in Philadelphia. 19:40 It doesn't appear that Jesus reproves this church at all. 19:44 He does say the church has little strength, but maybe 19:47 that's a commendation, that they have strength at all. 19:50 It is said that the time period represented here is 19:52 the time after the Reformation has taken place. 19:55 And if you study that history, you'll see that the 19:57 church got stuck in a rut after the reformation had 20:00 brought it back to life. 20:02 But then God makes another promise to a faltering body 20:05 of believers: God's promise to his church is to be a 20:09 pillar in the temple, and to have His new name. 20:13 See, we receive the character of Christ, because we receive 20:17 the gift of His life. 20:20 Then Laodicea, which correlates with the church in 20:24 the last years of Earth's history. 20:26 Notice what God says: This is Revelation 3:15,16. 20:31 "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. 20:35 I could wish you were cold or hot. 20:39 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold 20:42 nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." 20:47 Lukewarm -- not cold or hot. 20:51 The result is that God will spew many of these people out 20:53 of His mouth. 20:54 And if I can be agricultural for just a moment, spewing is 20:59 not a voluntary action. 21:00 It is involuntary. 21:01 Which is to say, this isn't something God wants to do, or 21:04 tries to do, but it is something He has to do. 21:08 Something very curious here is that there is something in 21:11 God's eyes that is worse than being against God, and that 21:16 is being lukewarm. 21:18 To be going through the motions as a Christian is 21:21 more dangerous than to be opposed to God. 21:24 You see, if you're self-deceived - that is truly 21:27 hazardous to your spiritual well-being. 21:29 And clearly it is entirely possible to be in that 21:31 condition. 21:32 I heard a few years ago about people living in a part of 21:35 Rhode Island. 21:36 They thought they had lived their whole life in RI, but 21:39 when the map was re-examined it was found that they had 21:42 actually been living the entire time in Connecticut, 21:45 even though they had a RI zip code, area code, address, the 21:48 whole thing. 21:49 All their lives they lived in a state different to the 21:52 state they thought they were living in! 21:55 You know that can happen to Christians, who think they're 21:57 fine but they're not because they're self-deceived. 22:03 Reading Revelation 3:17 and on. 22:07 "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have 22:12 need of nothing'--and do not know that you are wretched, 22:14 miserable, poor, blind, and naked--" (Revelation 3:17) 22:17 They are self-deceived. 22:19 Man, is there any hope? 22:21 Yes there is. 22:22 Here is what the Bible says: "I counsel you to buy from Me 22:27 gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and 22:30 white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of 22:34 your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your 22:38 eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 22:40 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. 22:44 Therefore be zealous and repent." 22:48 Revelation 3:18-19 Gold tried in the fire. 22:52 Someone said that's faith that works by love. 22:55 White garments - the righteousness of Jesus. 22:59 And that eye salve? 23:00 That's the Holy Spirit - He can help us to see as He 23:03 sees. 23:04 And notice what God tells us to do. 23:07 Be zealous, and repent. 23:10 God calls us to have zeal for Him. 23:13 You know what zeal is? 23:14 Enthusiasm. 23:15 Passion. 23:16 Fervor. 23:17 Ardor. 23:18 Are you passionate for Christ? 23:20 Because I'll tell you what, he's passionate about you. 23:23 Are you fervent for Jesus? 23:24 Are you ardent for God? 23:27 God says that if we open up the door of our hearts to 23:29 Jesus, He'll come in and then he will allow us to sit with 23:34 Him on His throne. 23:37 Isn't it amazing? 23:38 God tells us candidly exactly what He thinks is wrong with 23:42 His church, what he doesn't like about his church and the 23:46 things that look bad. 23:47 A group that has left its first love; that is tied up 23:51 in the same mess as Balaam was, that tolerates the 23:54 foolishness of Jezebel, and whose works are not perfect 23:57 before God. 23:58 There are people claiming to be believers who really are 24:00 not, and people who have deceived themselves into 24:04 thinking they're okay when they're a total spiritual 24:07 basket case. 24:08 Is it any wonder there are people who say they don't 24:11 like their church? 24:12 Hold on. 24:14 Hold on. 24:15 What is Jesus saying? 24:17 Jesus, who died for this church, only points out the 24:21 foibles of it in an effort to spur it on to repentance. 24:26 And through it all, Jesus is depicted as being in the 24:29 midst of His church. 24:32 He has the leaders in His hand, according to Revelation 24:35 1, and He stands with His people. 24:38 So even if you're at the point where you're about to 24:40 say, The church is just too bad, remember that it's 24:46 Christ's church and He has all the help we need to be 24:51 all that He can help us to be. 24:53 And if you're dissatisfied with the Church, 24:55 disillusioned with Christianity because of what 24:58 you see in the church, these 7 messages help us to see 25:01 that Jesus is still with the church. 25:05 No point trying to tear the church down, when Jesus is 25:07 trying to build it up. 25:08 You don't have to be a genius to see the shortcomings of 25:11 something, but seeing the way out of the mire takes some 25:16 vision. 25:17 If Jesus can list the weaknesses of the church and 25:19 still see a future for it, then we can apply this on a 25:22 personal basis. 25:23 The church is made up of people, and if there's a 25:25 future for a wayward church, there has to be a future for 25:28 a wayward person. 25:30 There has to be hope for a struggling soul. 25:33 You know there's hope for a lost sheep. 25:35 I hope you'll pardon this story I'm about to tell you, 25:37 but it's true and I think it makes the point. 25:41 In the city of Suwa in Japan, city authorities found 25:46 treasure in an unexpected place. 25:49 In an effort to get rid of the city's sewage waste, they 25:54 decided to incinerate it. 25:56 They had been having someone take it away and paying for 25:58 someone to do that. 26:00 They decided they would burn it down into industrial 26:02 waste. 26:03 Now what do you think they found in the ashes? 26:07 They found gold - $200,000 worth a year. 26:11 See, mineral waters flow through the town, and there's 26:13 an industry in the area that uses gold to gold-plate 26:16 things. 26:17 So even though it is in the sewage in tiny amounts, it's 26:20 there, and when they stuff is burned up, this gold remains 26:25 and can be seen in the ashes of the waste! 26:28 Sewage - just sewage -- and there was valuable treasure 26:32 in it! 26:34 Before you decide that something worthless, consider 26:37 that God can find great worth where you'd least expect it. 26:42 That goes for His church, it goes for you, and thank God 26:45 it goes for me. 26:46 We are valuable in God's eyes - His church is so valuable 26:52 he considered it to be worth the cost of the life of his 26:58 own Son. 26:59 How valuable does that make you? 27:02 Let's pray. 27:04 Father in heaven, thank you that even though Jesus is 27:07 able to say "here's what I don't like about my church" 27:10 we can know that Jesus still values it and every 27:13 circumstance and situation shows a way out or a way 27:16 back. 27:17 Thank you, Lord, that even if we are struggling, even if we 27:20 are getting it wrong, there is a way out and there is a 27:22 way back. 27:23 Let us be encouraged that we've always got hope in 27:25 Jesus and thank you for that. 27:27 In Jesus' name, Amen. 27:32 [Music] Thanks for joining me 27:47 today. 27:48 I look forward to seeing you again next time. 27:50 Until then, remember - It Is Written: man shall not live 27:54 by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the 27:57 mouth of God. |
Revised 2015-02-06