Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001410A
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01:30 ♪[Theme music]♪
01:40 ♪[Theme music]♪ 01:49 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. 01:51 I'm John Bradshaw. 01:52 Thanks for joining me, in Zimbabwe, Africa. 01:55 And today you're not only joining me, 01:57 but the presenters from It Is Written Canada, Chris Holland, 02:01 and It Is Written Oceania, Gary Kent. 02:03 Gentlemen, thanks for joining me today. 02:05 >>Chris Holland: Glad to be here, John. 02:06 >>Gary Kent: Pleasure to be here. 02:07 >>John: I think this is the first time we've done anything 02:08 quite like this. 02:09 >>Chris: I think it is. 02:10 >>John: So, so thanks for making a little 02:11 It Is Written history today. 02:12 >>Chris: Yes. 02:13 >>John: Now, we're here for a purpose. 02:15 We want to open up the Bible together and, uh, 02:17 discuss one of the great chapters of the Bible. 02:20 Now, before we do that, the reason that we're in Zimbabwe 02:23 and not the United States or Australia or Canada 02:26 is because we've been here conducting Bible meetings 02:28 in the city of Gweru. 02:29 It's been a blessing, hasn't it? 02:30 >>Chris: It has been a tremendous blessing. 02:31 >>Gary: What a privilege. 02:32 >>John: Yeah, fantastic. But while we're here, 02:34 we'll open up the Bible and we'll discuss a subject 02:36 that I think's going to be a real blessing. 02:37 >>Chris: That sounds great. 02:38 >>John: Great chapters of the Bible. 02:40 Let's start with Matthew, chapter 5, 02:42 where we find the Beatitudes. 02:45 Matthew, chapter 5 and verse 7. How about reading that for us? 02:49 >>Gary: Blessed are the merciful, 02:51 for they will be shown mercy. 02:53 >>John: Okay. How do we apply that to contemporary life today? 02:56 >>Gary: It's, it's, it's interesting, John, 02:58 because here we are reminded of the reaping and sowing, 03:04 or sowing and reaping concept, that, uh, Jesus speaks about. 03:10 We're also reminded here that those who show mercy 03:15 will receive mercy. 03:17 And I think that the, the, this is also true that those 03:21 who know mercy will show mercy. 03:25 Those who've experienced forgiveness, mercy, compassion 03:29 in their life will be those who will share that with others. 03:33 >>John: Now, what we see here is that mercy 03:36 is, is obviously highly prized in the eyes of Jesus. 03:40 But mercy, or being merciful, is a characteristic of God Himself. 03:44 The Lord God, merciful and gracious. 03:48 So in the beatitudes Jesus is saying, 03:50 “Here's how to live,” saying, “Here's how to be.” 03:53 I think what he's saying is not go do this, 03:54 but this is what will happen when the presence 03:58 of the Holy Spirit is in your life. 04:00 God's plan is to remake us in His image. 04:03 And He says, this is a big one “be merciful.” 04:06 You touched on forgiveness. 04:07 Chris, talk about forgiveness for a little bit. 04:10 >>Chris: Well, you know, it's interesting. 04:11 Forgiveness, mercy, this, these are 04:13 just like we're talking about, 04:14 you know, big chapters of the Bible. 04:16 Mercy is a central theme of the Bible, 04:19 where God gives to us that which we do not deserve. 04:22 And in the context of forgiveness, 04:25 when we talk about forgiveness, 04:26 forgiveness means we're giving up our right, 04:28 so to speak, to retaliate. 04:31 And so the bible is quite clear, the wages of sin is death. 04:34 And so from a practical standpoint, we are deserving, 04:38 or the reward we've earned, 04:40 because we have all fallen short of the glory of God, 04:42 we've all sinned, is death. 04:45 But God in His mercy, according to Romans 5, 04:49 sent His Son while we were yet sinners, 04:51 so He would die for us. 04:53 God paid the penalty for us, giving us not what we deserve, 04:58 but rather, giving us what He desires in our life. 05:01 >>John: We're looking in Matthew 5, 05:02 and over in Matthew, chapter 6, Jesus was really clear. 05:06 He said, “If you don't forgive others, God won't forgive you.” 05:09 >>Gary: Yes 05:10 Now, that's, that's time to sit up and take notice. 05:13 This is, this is real Christianity. 05:16 This comes down to, why, this, 05:18 this rubs my fur the wrong way. 05:20 I want to retaliate. 05:21 I want to strike back. 05:23 God is talking about mercy and saying, 05:25 “No, no, show mercy, show grace to those who don't deserve it.” 05:28 There's a story that deals with this in Matthew, chapter 18. 05:31 And this is where Jesus said: The Kingdom of heaven, 05:33 is likened unto a certain king 05:35 who would take account of his servants. 05:36 You remember, there's this fellow who owed the king 05:38 an, a gargantuan sum, 10,000 talents. 05:42 It's a ludicrous debt that he has. 05:45 And he can't, he can't pay it, 05:47 but he falls down and worships the man, 05:48 and he says: "Lord, have patience and I will pay it". 05:52 The man was moved with compassion. 05:54 And he loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 05:57 A gargantuan debt. 05:58 >>Gary: Yes. 05:59 >>John: And then the same servant went out, 06:01 found one of his fellow servants that owed him a hundred pence. 06:04 Comparatively just nothing. 06:07 And he forced him to pay it. 06:08 The man said, “I cannot.” 06:09 He cast him into prison until he paid the debt. 06:12 Jesus was not impressed, as you might expect. 06:16 Now, now we've tied mercy to forgiveness. 06:19 I don't think that's wrong. 06:20 I think that's accurate. 06:21 But are there other ways to talk about mercy? 06:23 How do we show mercy on a daily basis. 06:25 Okay, somebody backs into your car in the parking lot, 06:27 and what are you supposed to do? 06:28 Hey, it's okay, I'll have mercy on you. 06:30 You could, right? You could. 06:33 >>Chris: Yeah, you know, you could have mercy by saying, 06:35 “Hey, this is okay.” And, and you know, 06:36 we have to understand that, 06:38 that sometimes you need to take the rightful course with things, 06:41 and exchange insurance. 06:43 But if somebody backs into your car and leaves a minor scratch, 06:48 do we really need to involve all that? 06:49 Can we just say, 06:50 “You know what? Hey, accidents happen. It's not a big deal.” 06:54 And so I think we can exercise mercy on a daily basis. 06:57 Let's bring it very close to home. 07:00 Our spouse says something unkind to us. 07:04 Do we kind of put that in our back pocket, 07:06 to be used in a later confrontation, 07:09 or do we exercise mercy and say, 07:12 “You know what? I'm gonna just leave that behind.” 07:15 >>John: Yeah, it's, it's, we look at God and we say, 07:18 “How did God treat people?” 07:20 The Lord is merciful and gracious, 07:22 slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 07:25 The concept is repeated in that one verse in the Psalms. 07:29 So it's important to God; ought to be important to us. 07:32 This is a character, characteristic of God. 07:35 This is a characteristic of God that God wants to see 07:37 demonstrated in our lives. 07:40 Sometimes you just got to swallow and move on, 07:42 or, or be big, and not make a big deal out of something small, 07:47 and let it go. 07:48 >>Gary: I think it's a, it's a, a personality trait, 07:52 a characteristic that is developed. 07:55 And as we understand the mercy we have been shown, 08:00 as told in that parable, 08:03 we are really under an obligation 08:07 to demonstrate a similar mercy to those 08:11 we come in contact with in everyday life. 08:14 Uh, if we've known mercy, we should show mercy. 08:18 >>John: So where do we find mercy? 08:19 If you want to know mercy, you go to the Bible. 08:22 You read the word of God. 08:23 You say, this is how God treated people. 08:24 This is how Jesus treated people. 08:27 There was a lady caught in the midst of sin, 08:30 dragged to the feet of Jesus. 08:31 They caught her in the act. 08:33 They, they set her up, really. 08:34 It was, it was a test to see how Jesus would handle her. 08:37 She was as, as guilty as sin. 08:40 And Jesus said, “I don't condemn you. 08:42 Go and sin no more.” 08:44 Man, we can be quick to condemn, can't we, people? 08:46 >>Chris: You know, and it's interesting, 08:48 in that story we often talk about the woman. 08:50 But there's another group that Jesus shows extreme mercy to, 08:53 and that is the Pharisees that bring her, 08:55 the religious leaders that bring her. 08:57 You'll remember, he ends writing in the sand. 08:59 And, and we can conclude that he 09:01 was writing their sins in the sand. 09:03 And I, I emphasize that word, sand, over and over again. 09:06 Because Jesus did not write their sins in stone. 09:08 He wrote them in sand. 09:10 The assumption is later the wind would blow that away, 09:13 and he exercised mercy because he was trying to reach them. 09:16 And ultimately, when Jesus was hanging on the cross, 09:20 he shows that mercy and that forgiveness by saying, 09:23 “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” 09:25 >>John: Think of what Jesus did. 09:26 Judas. 09:28 Man, he suffered long with Judas. 09:30 He could have tossed him out long ago. 09:33 God could have, could have scrunched up the planet 09:36 and tossed us in the universe's wastepaper basket 09:39 right back at the beginning. 09:40 Instead, he said, “No, my love for the human family is so great 09:44 that my Son will come and die so that they might live.” 09:47 This is just a huge concept, isn't it? 09:49 >>Chris: Absolutely. 09:50 >>John: And so God says to us: 09:52 Blessed are the merciful: and they shall obtain mercy. 09:56 It's a Bible truth and it's a, frankly, 09:59 a challenge to most, if not all of us. 10:02 With Gary Kent from It Is Written Oceania 10:05 and Chris Holland from It Is Written Canada, 10:07 I'm John Bradshaw. 10:08 We'll be back with more on one of the great chapters 10:10 of the Bible in just a moment. 10:12 ♪[Music]♪ 10:19 >>John: Today, our free book offer 10:20 is for one of my very favorite books, 10:22 “Steps to Christ.” 10:24 Please call or write us, and 10:26 “Steps to Christ” 10:27 will be on its way to you. 10:29 There's no cost and no obligation. 10:32 Just call 1-800-253-3000, 10:35 and ask for the book “Steps to Christ.” 10:38 You may also request this free book by writing to 10:41 It Is Written, P O Box 6, Chattanooga, TN 37401. 10:47 And we'll mail a copy to your address in North America. 10:51 For immediate access, 10:52 you can download a free electronic version of the book 10:54 “Steps to Christ” 10:55 from our website, 10:57 ItIsWritten.com 10:59 It Is Written is a faith-based ministry 11:02 made possible by viewers like you. 11:05 If you wish to help the worldwide outreach 11:07 of It Is Written, 11:08 your tax-deductible gift may be sent to the same address. 11:12 Or you can make a gift online at 11:14 ItIsWritten.com. 11:16 ♪[Music]♪ 11:19 >>John: This is It Is Written. 11:20 I'm John Bradshaw in Gweru, Zimbabwe, 11:23 with Gary Kent of It Is Written Oceania 11:26 and Chris Holland of It Is Written Canada. 11:28 Together, we're taking on one of the great chapters of the Bible 11:31 at least a part of it. 11:32 We're looking at the Beatitudes. 11:34 And it seems to me, gentlemen, 11:36 that we are down to Matthew, chapter 5, verse 8, 11:39 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Chris? 11:42 >>Chris: You know, “blessed are the pure in heart,” 11:43 this is a very interesting thing, 11:45 because Jesus here is clearly not talking about somebody 11:47 having a clean heart with clean arteries, 11:50 but he's getting to this, this concept of the heart being the, 11:54 the inner man, the very essence of who someone is, 11:57 the very character. 11:59 And as you said earlier, 12:01 Jesus isn't saying this in a sort of works-oriented way, 12:05 but, rather, this is what someone looks like 12:08 who has received the grace and mercy of God, 12:11 and the Holy Spirit is actively transforming them 12:15 into the likeness of Christ. 12:16 >>John: Today, purity is not a virtue that too many people 12:18 hold up as being particularly important. 12:20 And we could run through the list of things in society 12:23 today to, to suggest that what we might call traditional values 12:28 basically gone out the window. 12:30 To be morally pure in this modern age, 12:34 um, how do I say this, seems to me might be a greater challenge 12:38 than years gone by. 12:40 Although if somebody wanted to be morally impure, 12:42 there's certainly many avenues for that, then. 12:46 But today, um, lax moral standards, 12:50 impurity, it's just everywhere. 12:52 What do you do to protect yourself against this, 12:56 this avalanche of impurity in the world today? 12:58 Gary, what do you, what does a person do? 13:00 >>Gary: Well, you're right, 13:02 Jesus is getting to the real heart of the matter here. 13:05 Our, our thoughts, the seats of who we are, what what drives us, 13:11 how do we build a,a wall, a fortress against this, 13:15 this flood that you've, you've been referring to? 13:18 I think it comes back to our relationship with Jesus Christ. 13:23 And, uh, that's, that's where it's centered. 13:25 And we've got to spend time with the Lord, 13:28 and we've got to build up a, a strong relationship, 13:33 which is our only defense, a relationship with Jesus Christ. 13:36 We've got to be covered by Him, 13:37 we've got to be dependent upon Him. 13:39 >>John: We've got to be careful about 13:39 what we're putting into our mind. 13:41 That, that's really important. 13:43 Think about that. 13:44 And then, what do you do when temptation comes? 13:45 Because it's going to come. 13:46 And you can do nothing and get swept away by it. 13:49 You can fight it in your own strength, 13:51 and you'll get swept away by it. 13:53 Or you can call on Jesus and say, 13:54 “Here's a temptation bigger than me. 13:56 I need your help.” 13:57 And that's that moment-by-moment dying to self 14:00 that's living by faith, 14:02 living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 14:04 That's a constant connection 14:05 and a turning to Jesus in times of temptation. 14:08 But surely when 14:09 he's talking about purity in heart, 14:10 he's not just talking about moral purity, 14:13 but you can go deeper. 14:14 Motives, intents, how you treat people, 14:18 what you think when somebody crosses you, right? 14:22 These sorts of things. 14:23 >>Chris: And I was going to say, you know, 14:24 it's very interesting that the promise there is, 14:26 is “blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” 14:29 The very original sin, from the devil to Eve, 14:34 is partake of this fruit which you've been instructed 14:37 not to partake of, and your eyes will be opened. 14:42 And, in fact, what that actually did is it 14:45 prevented Adam and Eve from any longer enjoying 14:50 fellowship with God face to face. 14:53 So sin actually does the very reverse 14:56 of opening our eyes to see God. 14:58 It closes our eyes from seeing God, 15:01 and so, as Gary was stating, 15:03 it is so vital to spend time in the Word. 15:06 You know, there's the verse that says, 15:07 “Resist the devil and he will flee you.” 15:09 How do we resist the devil? 15:11 By, by every word. 15:12 By studying God's word. 15:14 By filling, you know, there are some religions in the world 15:17 that talk about emptying yourself. 15:19 >>John: Mmm, that's right. 15:20 >>Chris: But the biblical reality is that we need to not 15:24 empty ourself but, rather, we need to fill ourselves so full 15:28 of the Word of God that nothing else can come in, 15:32 and that will lead to this purity in heart, 15:35 that we might commune with God. 15:36 >>John: Gary, you had a thought on this. 15:38 >>Gary: We we've been discussing the practical side of this, 15:41 the importance of resisting temptation 15:43 and finding the right way to do that, the biblical way. 15:46 And you've mentioned that well, Chris. 15:48 I believe that there's also a spiritual side to this. 15:51 As we are forgiven, we are cleansed. 15:54 We are purified through Jesus. 15:57 And it is when we are covered with his righteousness 16:01 that we will see God. 16:02 >>John: Mmm, beautiful thought. 16:04 Yeah, appreciate that. 16:05 Okay, let's look at the next, the next beatitude, 16:07 the next blessing. 16:08 Blessed are the peacemakers: 16:10 for they shall be called the children of God. 16:12 The peacemakers. 16:13 Who are the peacemakers today? 16:14 >>Gary: Well, if ever there was a time that we need peacemakers, 16:17 it's now. 16:18 And who is it that can bring peace, 16:21 not just to our personal troubled hearts, 16:25 but to our world? 16:27 It's the Prince of Peace, Jesus. 16:29 >>John: Jesus is the Prince of Peace, that's right. 16:31 Now, now, there's a, 16:32 there's a great lack of peace in the world. 16:35 Talking globally, in communities, country to country. 16:38 Just in our own lives, right? 16:40 Conflict everywhere. 16:41 And it seems, it seems, 16:43 maybe I'm just going after the low-hanging fruit here, 16:45 but it seems that, that people have a much lower threshold. 16:50 You know, we talk about road rage today. 16:52 That's really real. 16:53 People are very ugly and angry online, on the Internet. 16:57 Uh, day to day, daily lives, 17:00 man, there's just a lot of conflict. 17:03 Conflict at home. 17:04 And you talked earlier, Chris, about storing things up, 17:08 maybe for a later conversation with your spouse, 17:11 because that person crossed you. 17:12 Just better to let it go, right? 17:14 >>Chris: Yeah, and it's, and it's an amazing thing, 17:16 because we seem to be living at a time where peace is, 17:21 as you said, is this lower and lower standard. 17:23 And I actually believe we're actually seeing the fulfilment 17:26 of Matthew 24. 17:27 It's a verse we often overlook when we talk about 17:29 the signs of Jesus' coming, 17:31 but it talks about “lawlessness will abound.” 17:34 And then it says this: 17:35 and the love of many will grow cold. 17:38 >>John: Right. 17:39 >>Chris: And so what is the ultimate peace that can be 17:42 brought into someone's life? 17:44 And that is the experience of the gospel message 17:47 and true transformation into being like Jesus, 17:51 which is what the beatitudes are all about. 17:54 And so the peacemakers are those that don't just preach 17:58 the gospel but, rather, they live the gospel of Jesus 18:02 by encountering people, 18:04 and bring this level of peace espoused in the kingdom 18:09 through personal interaction. 18:11 >>Gary: As we experience peace in our own lives through Jesus, 18:16 by knowing Jesus and experiencing the peace 18:19 that comes with the removal of guilt, sin from our lives, 18:24 we're in a position then to share that peace. 18:27 And I think that's what Jesus talks about as he continues 18:29 and talks about his followers as being the salt of the earth, 18:33 the light, and so forth. 18:35 We are called upon as Christians 18:38 to bring peace to troublous situations. 18:41 And we can only do that if we've experienced 18:43 the peace of Jesus in our own lives. 18:45 >>John: And so part of that means if you're holding a grudge 18:47 against somebody, you've got to let it go. 18:49 If you want to wade into a situation, 18:51 straighten everybody out, 18:52 it's better to just suck it up and move right on. 18:55 If you want to right all of the wrongs in everybody's life 18:59 around you, eh, that's not what God has called us to. 19:01 He's called us to be like Jesus. 19:03 And the beatitudes are promises. 19:06 When Jesus comes into your life, you'll be like Him. 19:09 We'll be back with more in just a moment. 19:11 ♪[Music]♪ 19:18 Announcer: In Matthew 4:4, the Word of God says... 19:20 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 19:23 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 19:27 “Every Word” is a one-minute, Bible-based daily devotional 19:30 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw, 19:33 and designed especially for busy people like you. 19:35 Look for Every Word on selected networks, 19:38 or watch it online every day on our website, 19:41 ItIsWritten.com 19:43 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 19:45 Watch “Every Word.” You'll be glad you did. 19:48 Here's a sample. 19:51 ♪[Theme music]♪ 19:56 >>John Bradshaw: We know that God is holy, perfect, righteous. 20:00 And we know that God has big plans for us. 20:02 After all, Jesus told a woman one day to go and sin no more. 20:06 But how does a holy God relate to sinful people, 20:09 wicked people, even. 20:11 Look at Mark 16, verse 9. It says: 20:13 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, 20:16 he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, 20:18 out of whom he had cast seven devils. 20:20 To have seven devils cast out of you means you've had to have 20:22 lived a pretty fearful sort of existence. 20:25 And yet, how does Jesus relate to a woman whose life 20:28 is marinated in sin? 20:30 After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to her first of all, 20:34 which says so much about how Jesus relates to sinful people. 20:37 If you've veered off the course into the rough of life, 20:40 know that God isn't finished with you. 20:43 I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. 20:45 Let's live today by every word. 20:46 ♪[Music]♪ 20:55 >>John: Welcome back to it Is Written. 20:57 I'm John Bradshaw, with Gary Kent from It Is Written Oceania 21:00 and Chris Holland from It Is Written Canada, 21:02 and we're discussing the beatitudes. 21:04 And, gentlemen, 21:05 we're down to a very challenging passage of scripture. 21:08 Let's read through this one, three verses, 21:11 starting in Matthew, chapter 5, verse 10, says: 21:14 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' 21:16 sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 21:19 >>Chris: Verse 11 continues: 21:20 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, 21:24 and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 21:28 >>Gary: And verse 12 continues: 21:29 Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven, 21:34 for in the same way they persecuted the prophets 21:37 who were before you. 21:38 >>John: The Bible's a challenging book, isn't it? 21:41 And if you really want to think about this, this is a challenge. 21:44 >>Gary: Well, it deals with the nitty-gritties of life. 21:46 >>John: It really does. And look what Jesus said: 21:48 Blessed are they 21:49 which are persecuted for righteousness' sake 21:52 Now, I think we need to be careful here. 21:54 Persecuted for righteousness' sake. 21:56 A lot of people bring trouble upon themselves 21:58 because they act like fools. 22:00 And they cause trouble themselves. 22:02 That's, that's not what Jesus is talking about. 22:05 But how is that? 22:06 So you're persecuted 22:08 and you ought to be kind of happy about that. 22:10 Think about persecution in the world today. 22:12 In the western world, 22:13 not a great deal of religious persecution. 22:16 There's some, though. 22:17 But around the world, there are people really suffering 22:21 for their faith in God, aren't there? 22:22 >>Chris: You know, it's interesting, John. 22:24 When we talk about this issue of persecution, 22:25 its something that ought, also need to be careful of 22:28 is the idea that persecution is a requirement 22:31 for entry into Heaven. 22:33 We've talked about this with all of the beatitudes, 22:35 that the beatitudes are not necessarily requirements, 22:38 but, rather, what happens when a person is coming into 22:44 relationship with Jesus and being moved by the Holy Spirit. 22:48 Jesus says, to your question of the person 22:51 who is experiencing real, genuine persecution 22:54 and there are many places in the world where Christians 22:57 face persecution and death on a daily basis. 23:00 Jesus says, you can be happy. 23:01 This is not happiness that I ate a cookie and, oh, I feel good. 23:05 But, rather, this goes to the point of when we are with Jesus, 23:10 when we are following the ways of Jesus, 23:12 even when persecution comes, we can enjoy this, 23:17 this internal happiness, this internal joy 23:22 that we are in a relationship with Jesus. 23:25 And even though we're being persecuted, 23:28 God has an inheritance for us. 23:30 >>John: Yeah, there's an assurance, isn't there? 23:32 There's an assurance that we've got to carry 23:33 into every situation in life, Gary. 23:36 >>Gary: The other thing of interest as we come 23:38 to the last of the beatitudes, 23:40 the final blessing here, is that it's present. 23:44 When Jesus talks about, “Blessed are those who 23:47 are persecuted because of righteousness, 23:49 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” 23:51 Not something in the future, 23:52 but it's something that I think brings that assurance 23:55 that you've just spoken to. 23:56 Those who are being persecuted for Christ's sake, 23:59 for righteousness' sake, can experience the kingdom 24:02 and the blessings of Heaven in the here and now. 24:05 >>John: Yeah, that's a significant point, isn't it? 24:07 There are some people battling. 24:09 Uh, friends told me my father was baptized. 24:13 If he goes back to his home country 24:16 and practices Christianity, he will be killed. 24:19 That's pretty significant. 24:21 And when Jesus was talking about this back in his day, 24:23 persecution, the fires of persecution were just about 24:27 to start blazing, you understand. 24:29 >>Chris: Well, I mean, and I have pastor friends in Canada, 24:32 when they converted to Christianity, 24:35 the brother was beaten severely and cast out of the home, 24:39 totally disowned. 24:41 And this is not a hundred years ago, 24:43 this isn't fifteen hundred years ago. 24:45 We are talking in the modern time, 24:46 in the last 20, 30, 40 years. 24:48 And as you pointed out, Gary, theirs is the kingdom of God, 24:53 which is what the gospel does. 24:55 The gospel is not just a promise for hope in the future, 24:59 but it gives us hope now that we can experience the true presence 25:05 of Jesus in our lives every day, 25:08 even when we're persecuted such as what happens in countries 25:12 where people can be killed and things like that. 25:14 Or, you convert to Christianity, 25:17 you change your life, and your friends say, 25:20 “I don't want to be friends with you anymore. 25:21 I don't like your new ways.” 25:22 >>John: Right. 25:23 >>Chris: That, that, now, that's a minor persecution compared 25:25 to someone who's going to die. 25:26 >>John: That's tough to go through, though. 25:27 >>Chris: But it's still a practical reality 25:29 that people deal with. 25:30 And Jesus says, you can have peace. 25:32 Oh, and by the way, you can have joy. 25:34 You can have happiness by enjoying fellowship with me. 25:37 >>John: Now, we like to be liked. 25:38 Not too many people like to be hated. 25:40 And Jesus says you are “blessed when people revile you, 25:45 persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you 25:49 falsely for My sake.” 25:51 Who wants to be slandered? 25:52 You know, that's, defamatory. 25:55 We want to get up on our hind legs and defend ourselves. 25:59 Comes back to the question, where do you get your assurance? 26:02 Where do you find your comfort? 26:04 Um, where's your source of inner strength? 26:06 If it seems like the world is against you, 26:09 you've still got God. 26:10 See, this needs to become real in our lives, 26:13 this idea that, okay, they hate me, but I have hope. 26:17 The world's against me, but it's okay. 26:19 When is it okay? 26:20 It's okay if you know Jesus in a personal way. 26:23 >>Chris: And you know, John, 26:23 you and I share a bit of a same story 26:25 in that we were living outside of that, 26:28 that reality of being in Christ and having that internal joy 26:33 no matter what the circumstances. 26:35 >>John: Yeah. So where do you get it? 26:37 In Christ. 26:38 And if you look in the beatitudes, 26:39 Jesus is saying, if you come to me, 26:41 yield your life to me, 26:42 this is what's going to happen. 26:44 And with Christ living in your heart, 26:46 these characteristics of, of God, 26:48 God's character will be demonstrated in you. 26:50 You're going to live a life that exemplifies joy, 26:53 peace, happiness, uh, the blessing of God's presence 26:57 in your daily experience. 26:58 Gentlemen, thanks for being here. 27:00 Really glad we had the opportunity to do this together. 27:02 It's been a lot of fun. 27:03 >>Chris: Enjoyed it immensely. 27:04 >>Gary: Pleasure to be here, John. 27:05 ♪[Music]♪ 27:12 >>John: Today, our free book offer 27:14 is for one of my very favorite books, 27:16 “Steps to Christ.” 27:18 Please call or write us, and 27:19 “Steps to Christ” 27:21 will be on its way to you. 27:22 There's no cost and no obligation. 27:24 Just call 1-800-253-3000 27:28 and ask for the book “Steps to Christ.” 27:32 You may also request this free book by writing to 27:34 It Is Written, P O Box 6, Chattanooga, TN 37401. 27:40 And we'll mail a copy to your address in North America. 27:44 For immediate access, 27:45 you can download a free electronic version of the book 27:47 “Steps to Christ” from our website, 27:50 ItIsWritten.com 27:52 It Is Written is a faith-based ministry 27:55 made possible by viewers like you. 27:58 If you wish to help the worldwide outreach of 28:00 It Is Written, your tax-deductible gift 28:03 may be sent to the same address. 28:05 Or you can make a gift online at 28:07 ItIsWritten.com 28:12 ♪[Music]♪ 28:18 >>John: Matthew 5 is one of the great chapters of the Bible. 28:20 We looked at the beatitudes. 28:21 There's no question that God wants us to be blessed, 28:25 and he wants to shower his blessings upon us. 28:27 We've got a lot to be thankful for. 28:29 Gary, how about you pray for us. 28:30 >>Gary: Let's pray. 28:31 Dear heavenly Father, we thank you for the privilege 28:34 of being able to study your word here 28:37 in the heart of southern Africa. 28:39 And we thank you for the assurance, 28:41 the promises found in your Word, the Bible, 28:43 particularly here in the beatitudes that we have studied. 28:47 We thank you for the happiness that you bring into our lives. 28:51 Bless us now, we pray, 28:53 and be with each one of us, 28:54 we ask in Jesus' name, 28:56 Amen. 28:57 >>John: Amen. 28:59 It's really been good. 29:00 Thanks so much, Gary Kent from It Is Written Oceania, 29:03 Chris Holland from It Is Written Canada. 29:05 Let's do this again sometime. 29:06 >>Chris: That sounds great. 29:07 >>Gary: Sounds good. 29:08 >>John: We're looking forward to seeing you again next time. 29:10 Until then, remember: 29:12 “It is written, 29:13 man shall not live by bread alone 29:16 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” 29:20 ♪[Theme Music]♪ |
Revised 2017-06-15