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Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW017134A
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00:09 ♪[Theme music]♪
00:19 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. 00:20 I'm John Bradshaw. 00:22 Thanks for joining me in Zimbabwe, Africa. 00:25 And today you're not only joining me, 00:27 but the presenters from It Is Written Canada, Chris Holland, 00:31 and It Is Written Oceania, Gary Kent. 00:33 Gentlemen, thanks for joining me today. 00:35 >>Chris Holland: Glad to be here, John. 00:36 >>Gary Kent: Pleasure to be here. 00:37 >>John: I think this is the first time we've done anything 00:38 quite like this. 00:39 >>Chris: I think it is. 00:40 >>John: So, so thanks for making a little 00:41 It Is Written history today. 00:42 >>Chris: Yes. 00:43 >>John: Now, we're here for a purpose. 00:44 We want to open up the Bible together and, uh, 00:47 discuss one of the great chapters of the Bible. 00:50 Now, before we do that, the reason that we're in Zimbabwe 00:53 and not the United States or Australia or Canada 00:55 is because we've been here conducting Bible meetings 00:57 in the city of Gweru. 00:58 It's been a blessing, hasn't it? 00:59 >>Chris: It has been a tremendous blessing. 01:01 >>Gary: What a privilege. 01:02 >>John: Yeah, fantastic. But while we're here, 01:04 we'll open up the Bible, and we'll discuss a subject 01:06 that I think's going to be a real blessing. 01:07 >>Chris: That sounds great. 01:08 >>John: Great chapters of the Bible. 01:10 Let's start with Matthew chapter 5, 01:12 where we find the Beatitudes. 01:14 Matthew chapter 5 and verse 7. How about reading that for us? 01:19 >>Gary: "Blessed are the merciful, 01:21 for they will be shown mercy." 01:22 >>John: Okay. How do we apply that to contemporary life today? 01:26 >>Gary: It's, it's interesting, John, 01:28 because here we are reminded of the reaping and sowing, 01:34 or sowing and reaping concept, that, uh, Jesus speaks about. 01:40 We're also reminded here that those who show mercy 01:44 will receive mercy. 01:46 And I think that the, the, this is also true that those 01:50 who know mercy will show mercy. 01:55 Those who've experienced forgiveness, mercy, compassion 01:59 in their life will be those who will share that with others. 02:03 >>John: Now, what we see here is that mercy 02:06 is, is obviously highly prized in the eyes of Jesus. 02:10 But mercy, or being merciful, is a characteristic of God Himself. 02:14 The Lord God, merciful and gracious. 02:18 So in the Beatitudes Jesus is saying, 02:20 "Here's how to live," saying, "Here's how to be." 02:22 I think what He's saying is not "Go do this," 02:24 but, "This is what will happen when the presence 02:28 of the Holy Spirit is in your life." 02:30 God's plan is to remake us in His image. 02:33 And He says--this is a big one--"be merciful." 02:35 You touched on forgiveness. 02:37 Chris, talk about forgiveness for a little bit. 02:39 >>Chris: Well, you know, it's interesting. 02:40 Forgiveness, mercy, this, these are 02:42 just like we're talking about, 02:43 you know, big chapters of the Bible. 02:46 Mercy is a central theme of the Bible, 02:49 where God gives to us that which we do not deserve. 02:52 And in the context of forgiveness, 02:54 when we talk about forgiveness, 02:55 forgiveness means we're giving up our right, 02:58 so to speak, to retaliate. 03:00 And so the Bible is quite clear: "The wages of sin is death." 03:04 And so from a practical standpoint, we are deserving, 03:08 or the reward we've earned-- 03:09 because we have all fallen short of the glory of God; 03:12 we've all sinned--is death. 03:14 But God in His mercy, according to Romans 5, 03:19 sent His Son while we were yet sinners, 03:21 so He would die for us. 03:22 God paid the penalty for us, giving us not what we deserve, 03:28 but rather, giving us what He desires in our life. 03:31 >>John: We're looking in Matthew 5, 03:32 and over in Matthew chapter 6, Jesus was really clear. 03:35 He said, "If you don't forgive others, God won't forgive you." 03:39 >>Gary: Yes. 03:40 >>John: Now, that's, that's time to sit up and take notice. 03:43 This is, this is real Christianity. 03:46 This comes down to, "Wait, this, this rubs my fur the wrong way. 03:49 I want to retaliate. I want to strike back." 03:52 God is talking about mercy and saying, 03:54 "No, no, show mercy, show grace to those who don't deserve it." 03:57 There's a story that deals with this in Matthew chapter 18. 04:01 And this is where Jesus said, 04:02 "The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a certain king 04:04 who would take account of his servants." 04:06 You remember, there's this fellow who owed the king 04:08 an, a gargantuan sum, 10,000 talents. 04:11 It's a ludicrous debt that he has. 04:14 And he can't, he can't pay it, 04:16 but he falls down and worships the man, and he says, 04:18 "'Lord, have patience and I will pay it.' 04:21 The man was moved with compassion. 04:24 [And] he loosed him, and forgave [him] the debt." 04:27 A gargantuan debt. 04:28 >>Gary: Yes. 04:29 >>John: And then "the same servant went out, 04:30 found one of his fellow servants that owed him a hundred pence." 04:33 Comparatively, just nothing. And he forced him to pay it. 04:37 "The man said, 'I cannot.' 04:39 He cast him into prison until he paid the debt." 04:42 Jesus was not impressed, as you might expect. 04:46 Now, now, we've tied mercy to forgiveness. 04:49 I don't think that's wrong. I think that's accurate. 04:51 But are there other ways to talk about mercy? 04:52 How do we show mercy on a daily basis? 04:54 Okay, somebody backs into your car in the parking lot, 04:57 and what are you supposed to do? 04:58 "Hey, it's okay, I'll have mercy on you." 04:59 You could, right? You could. 05:02 >>Chris: Yeah, you know, you could have mercy by saying, 05:04 "Hey, this is okay." 05:05 And, and you know, we have to understand that, 05:07 that sometimes you need to take the rightful course with things 05:11 and exchange insurance. 05:12 But if somebody backs into your car and leaves a minor scratch, 05:17 do we really need to involve all that? 05:19 Can we just say, 05:20 "You know what, hey, accidents happen. It's not a big deal." 05:23 And so, yeah, I think we can exercise mercy on a daily basis. 05:27 Let's bring it very close to home. 05:29 Our spouse says something unkind to us. 05:33 Do we kind of put that in our back pocket, 05:36 to be used in a later confrontation, 05:38 or do we exercise mercy and say, 05:41 "You know what, I'm gonna just leave that behind"? 05:44 >>John: Yeah, it's, it's, we look at God and we say, 05:47 "How did God treat people?" 05:49 "The Lord is merciful and gracious, 05:52 slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy." 05:55 The concept is repeated in that one verse in the Psalms. 05:58 So it's important to God, ought to be important to us. 06:01 This is a characteristic of God, characteristic of God. 06:05 This is a characteristic of God that God wants to see 06:07 demonstrated in our lives. 06:09 Sometimes you just got to swallow and move on, 06:11 or, or be big, and not make a big deal out of something small, 06:17 and let it go. 06:18 >>Gary: I think it's a, it's a, a personality trait, 06:21 a characteristic that is developed. 06:24 And as we understand the mercy we have been shown, 06:29 as told in that parable, 06:32 we are really under an obligation 06:36 to demonstrate a similar mercy to those 06:40 we come in contact with in everyday life. 06:43 Uh, if we've known mercy, we should show mercy. 06:47 >>John: So where do we find mercy? 06:49 If you want to know mercy, you go to the Bible. 06:51 You read the Word of God. 06:52 You say, "This is how God treated people. 06:54 This is how Jesus treated people." 06:56 There was a lady caught in the midst of sin, 06:59 dragged to the feet of Jesus. 07:01 They caught her in the act. They, they set her up, really. 07:03 It was, it was a test to see how Jesus would handle her. 07:07 She was as, as guilty as sin. 07:09 And Jesus said, "I don't condemn you. 07:12 Go and sin no more." 07:13 Man, we can be quick to condemn, can't we, people? 07:16 >>Chris: You know, and it's interesting, 07:17 in that story we often talk about the woman, 07:20 but there's another group that Jesus shows extreme mercy to, 07:22 and that is the Pharisees that bring her, 07:24 the religious leaders that bring her. 07:26 You'll remember He ends writing in the sand, 07:28 and, and we can conclude that 07:30 He was writing their sins in the sand. 07:32 And I, I emphasize that word, "sand," over and over again 07:35 because Jesus did not write their sins in stone; 07:37 He wrote them in sand. 07:39 The assumption is later the wind would blow that away, 07:42 and He exercised mercy because He was trying to reach them. 07:45 And ultimately, when Jesus was hanging on the cross, 07:49 He shows that mercy and that forgiveness by saying, 07:52 "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." 07:54 >>John: Think of what Jesus did. 07:56 Judas? 07:57 Man, He, He suffered long with Judas. 08:00 He could have tossed him out long ago. 08:02 God could have, could have scrunched up the planet 08:06 and tossed us in the universe's wastepaper basket, 08:08 right back at the beginning. 08:10 Instead, He said, "No, my love for the human family is so great 08:13 that my Son will come and die so that they might live." 08:16 This is just a huge concept, isn't it? 08:18 >>Chris: Absolutely. 08:19 >>John: And so God says to us: 08:21 "Blessed are the merciful: [and] they shall obtain mercy." 08:25 It's a Bible truth, and it's a, frankly, 08:28 a challenge to most if not all of us. 08:31 With Gary Kent from It Is Written Oceania 08:34 and Chris Holland from It Is Written Canada, 08:36 I'm John Bradshaw. 08:37 We'll be back with more on one of the great chapters 08:40 of the Bible in just a moment. 08:42 ♪[Music]♪ 08:47 ♪[Music]♪ 08:48 >>John: Today, our free book offer 08:50 is for one of my very favorite books, 08:52 "Steps to Christ." 08:54 Please call or write us, 08:55 and "Steps to Christ" will be on its way to you. 08:58 There's no cost and no obligation. 09:01 Just call 1-800-253-3000 09:05 and ask for the book "Steps to Christ." 09:07 You may also request this free book by writing to 09:10 It Is Written, P O Box 6, Chattanooga, TN 37401, 09:16 and we'll mail a copy to your address in North America. 09:20 For immediate access, 09:21 you can download a free electronic version of the book 09:23 "Steps to Christ" 09:24 from our website, ItIsWritten.com. 09:28 It Is Written is a faith-based ministry 09:31 made possible by viewers like you. 09:34 If you wish to help the worldwide outreach 09:36 of It Is Written, 09:38 your tax-deductible gift may be sent to the same address. 09:41 Or you can make a gift online at 09:43 ItIsWritten.com. 09:46 ♪[Music]♪ 09:48 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. 09:50 I'm John Bradshaw in Gweru, Zimbabwe, 09:52 with Gary Kent of It Is Written Oceania 09:55 and Chris Holland of It Is Written Canada. 09:58 Together, we're taking on one of the great chapters of the Bible, 10:01 at least a part of it. 10:02 We're looking at the Beatitudes. 10:04 And it seems to me, gentlemen, 10:05 that we are down to Matthew chapter 5, verse 8: 10:08 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." 10:10 Chris? 10:11 >>Chris Holland: You know, "blessed are the pure in heart," 10:13 this is a very interesting thing 10:14 because Jesus here is clearly not talking about somebody 10:17 having a clean heart with clean arteries, 10:20 but He's getting to this, this concept of the heart being the, 10:24 "the inner man," the very essence of who someone is, 10:26 the very character. 10:28 And as you said earlier, 10:30 Jesus isn't saying this in a sort of works-oriented way, 10:34 but rather, this is what someone looks like 10:38 who has received the grace and mercy of God, 10:40 and the Holy Spirit is actively transforming them 10:44 into the likeness of Christ. 10:45 >>John: Today, purity is not a virtue that too many people 10:48 hold up as being particularly important. 10:49 And we could run through the list of things in society 10:52 today to, to suggest that what we might call traditional values 10:57 basically gone out the window. 11:00 To be morally pure in this modern age, 11:04 um--how do I say this?--seems to me might be a greater challenge 11:08 than years gone by. 11:09 Although if somebody wanted to be morally impure, 11:11 there's certainly many avenues for that, then. 11:15 But today, um, lax moral standards, 11:20 impurity, it's just everywhere. 11:21 What do you do to protect yourself against this, 11:25 this avalanche of impurity in the world today? 11:28 Gary, what do you, what does a person do? 11:29 >>Gary Kent: Well, you're right; 11:31 Jesus is getting to the real heart of the matter here. 11:34 Our, our thoughts, the seat of who we are, 11:38 what, what drives us-- 11:40 how do we build a, a wall, a fortress against this, 11:44 this flood that you've, you've been referring to? 11:47 I think it comes back to our relationship with Jesus Christ. 11:52 And, uh, that's, that's where it's centered. 11:55 And we've got to spend time with the Lord, 11:58 and we've got to build up a, a strong relationship, 12:02 which is our only defense, a relationship with Jesus Christ. 12:05 We've got to be covered by Him; 12:06 we've got to be dependent upon Him. 12:08 >>John: We've got to be careful about what we're putting 12:09 into our mind. 12:11 That's, that, that's really important. Think about that. 12:12 And then, what do you do when temptation comes? 12:14 Because it's going to come. 12:16 And you can do nothing and get swept away by it. 12:18 You can fight it in your own strength, 12:20 and you'll get swept away by it. 12:22 Or you could call on Jesus and say, 12:23 "Here's a temptation bigger than me. I need Your help." 12:26 And that's that moment-by-moment dying to self; 12:29 that's living by faith, 12:31 living "by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." 12:33 That's a constant connection and a turning to Jesus 12:35 in times of temptation. 12:37 But surely when He's talking about purity in heart, 12:39 He's not just talking about, uh, moral purity, 12:42 but you can go deeper. 12:43 Motives, intents, how you treat people, 12:47 what you think when somebody crosses you, right? 12:51 These sorts of things. 12:52 >>Chris: And I was going to say, you know, 12:53 it's very interesting that the promise there is, 12:55 is "blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." 12:58 The very original sin, from the devil to Eve, 13:03 is partake of this fruit, which you've been instructed 13:06 not to partake of, and "your eyes will be opened." 13:11 And, in fact, what that actually did 13:13 is it prevented Adam and Eve from any longer enjoying 13:19 fellowship with God face-to-face. 13:22 So sin actually does the very reverse 13:25 of opening our eyes to see God. 13:27 It closes our eyes from seeing God, 13:30 and so, as Gary was stating, 13:32 it is so vital to spend time in the Word. 13:35 You know, there's the verse that says, 13:36 "Resist the devil and he will flee you." 13:38 How do we resist the devil? 13:40 By, by every word, by studying God's Word. 13:43 By filling--you know, there are some religions in the world 13:46 that talk about emptying yourself. 13:48 >>John: Mmm, that's right. 13:49 >>Chris: But the biblical reality is that we need to not 13:53 empty ourself but, rather, we need to fill ourselves so full 13:57 of the Word of God that nothing else can come in, 14:01 and that will lead to this purity in heart, 14:04 that we might commune with God. 14:06 >>John: Gary, you had a thought on this. 14:07 >>Gary: We've been discussing the practical side of this, 14:10 the importance of resisting temptation 14:12 and finding the right way to do that, the biblical way. 14:15 And you've mentioned that well, Chris. 14:17 I believe that there's also a spiritual side to this. 14:20 As we are forgiven, we are cleansed; 14:23 we are purified through Jesus. 14:26 And it is when we are covered with His righteousness 14:29 that we will see God. 14:31 >>John: Mmm, beautiful thought. Yeah, appreciate that. 14:33 Okay, let's look at the next, the next beatitude, 14:36 the next blessing: 14:37 "Blessed are the peacemakers: 14:39 for they shall be called the children of God." 14:41 The peacemakers. Who are the peacemakers today? 14:43 >>Gary: Well, if ever there was a time that we need peacemakers, 14:46 it's now. 14:47 And who is it that can bring peace, 14:50 not just to our personal troubled hearts, 14:54 but to our world? 14:56 It's the Prince of Peace, Jesus. 14:58 >>John: Jesus is the Prince of Peace; that's right. 15:00 Now, now, there's a, 15:01 there's a great lack of peace in the world. 15:04 Talking globally, in communities, country to country, 15:07 just in our own lives, right? 15:09 Conflict everywhere. 15:10 And it seems, it seems, 15:12 maybe I'm just going after the low-hanging fruit here, 15:14 but it seems that, that people have a much lower threshold. 15:18 You know, we talk about road rage today. 15:20 That's really real. 15:22 People are very ugly and angry online, on the internet. 15:26 Uh, day to day, daily lives, 15:29 man, there's just a lot of conflict. 15:31 Conflict at home, 15:32 and you talked earlier, Chris, about, um, storing things up, 15:37 maybe for a later conversation with your spouse 15:40 because that person crossed you. 15:41 Just better to let it go, right? 15:43 >>Chris: Yeah, and it's, and it's an amazing thing 15:45 because we seem to be living at a time where peace is, 15:50 as you said, is this lower and lower standard. 15:52 And I actually believe we're actually seeing the fulfillment 15:54 of Matthew 24. 15:55 It's a verse we often overlook when we talk about 15:58 the signs of Jesus' coming, 16:00 but it talks about "lawlessness will abound," 16:03 and then it says this: 16:04 "and the love of many will grow cold." 16:07 >>John: Right. 16:08 >>Chris: And so what is the ultimate peace that can be 16:11 brought into someone's life? 16:13 And that is the experience of the gospel message 16:16 and true transformation into being like Jesus, 16:20 which is what the Beatitudes are all about. 16:23 And so the peacemakers are those that don't just preach 16:27 the gospel, but, rather, they live the gospel of Jesus 16:31 by encountering people 16:33 and bring this level of peace, espoused in the kingdom, 16:38 through personal interaction. 16:40 >>Gary: As we experience peace in our own lives through Jesus, 16:45 by knowing Jesus and experiencing the peace 16:48 that comes with the removal of guilt, sin from our lives, 16:53 we're in a position then to share that peace. 16:56 And I think that's what Jesus talks about as He continues 16:58 and talks about His followers as being the salt of the earth, 17:02 the light, and so forth. 17:04 We are called upon, as Christians, 17:06 to bring peace to troublous situations. 17:09 And we can only do that if we've experienced 17:12 the peace of Jesus in our own lives. 17:14 >>John: And so part of that means if you're holding a grudge 17:16 against somebody, you've got to let it go. 17:18 If you want to wade into a situation, 17:20 straighten everybody out, 17:21 it's better to just suck it up and move right on. 17:24 If you want to right all of the wrongs in everybody's life 17:27 around you, nah, that's not what God has called us to. 17:30 He's called us to be like Jesus. 17:32 And the Beatitudes are promises. 17:34 When Jesus comes into your life, you'll be like Him. 17:38 We'll be back with more in just a moment. 17:40 ♪[Music]♪ 17:45 ♪[Music]♪ 17:46 >>Announcer: In Matthew 4:4, the Word of God says, 17:49 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 17:52 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 17:56 "Every Word" is a one-minute Bible-based daily devotional 17:59 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw 18:01 and designed especially for busy people like you. 18:04 Look for "Every Word" on selected networks, 18:07 or watch it online every day on our website, 18:09 ItIsWritten.com. 18:11 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 18:14 Watch "Every Word." You'll be glad you did. 18:17 Here's a sample. 18:20 ♪["Every Word" theme music]♪ 18:25 >>John Bradshaw: We know that God is holy, perfect, righteous. 18:29 And we know that God has big plans for us. 18:31 After all, Jesus told a woman one day to go and sin no more. 18:35 But how does a holy God relate to sinful people, 18:38 wicked people, even? 18:40 Look at Mark 16, verse 9; it says, 18:42 "Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, 18:45 He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, 18:47 out of whom He had cast seven devils." 18:49 To have seven devils cast out of you means you've had 18:51 to have lived a pretty fearful sort of existence. 18:53 And yet how does Jesus relate to a woman whose life 18:56 is marinated in sin? 18:59 After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to her first of all, 19:03 which says so much about how Jesus relates to sinful people. 19:06 If you've veered off the course into the rough of life, 19:09 know that God isn't finished with you. 19:12 I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. 19:14 Let's live today by every word. 19:16 ♪[Music]♪ 19:19 ♪[Music]♪ 19:24 >>John Bradshaw: Welcome back to It Is Written. 19:25 I'm John Bradshaw with Gary Kent from It Is Written Oceania 19:28 and Chris Holland from It Is Written Canada, 19:31 and we're discussing the Beatitudes, and, gentlemen, 19:33 we're down to a very challenging passage of Scripture. 19:37 Let's read through this one, 19:39 three verses, starting in Matthew chapter 5. 19:41 Verse 10 says, 19:43 "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' 19:45 sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 19:48 >>Chris Holland: Verse 11 continues: 19:49 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, 19:52 and say all kinds of evil against you falsely 19:55 for my sake." 19:56 >>Gary Kent: And verse 12 continues: 19:58 "Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven, 20:02 for in the same way they persecuted the prophets 20:06 who were before you." 20:07 >>John: The Bible's a challenging book, isn't it? 20:09 And if you really want to think about this, this is a challenge. 20:13 >>Gary: Well, it deals with the nitty-gritties of life. 20:15 >>John: It really does. And look what Jesus said: 20:17 "Blessed are they which are persecuted 20:19 for righteousness' sake." 20:21 Now, I think we need to be careful here. 20:22 "Persecuted for righteousness' sake." 20:24 A lot of people bring trouble upon themselves 20:26 because they act like fools, 20:29 and they cause trouble themselves. 20:31 That's, that's not what Jesus is talking about. 20:34 But how is that? 20:35 So you're persecuted, 20:36 and you ought to be kind of happy about that. 20:39 Think about persecution in the world today. 20:41 In the Western world, 20:42 not a great deal of religious persecution. 20:44 There's some, though. 20:46 But around the world, there are people really suffering 20:49 for their faith in God, aren't there? 20:50 >>Chris: You know, it's interesting, John. 20:52 When we talk about this issue of persecution, 20:54 something that we also need to be careful of 20:56 is the idea that persecution is a requirement 21:00 for entry into heaven. 21:01 We've talked about this with all of the Beatitudes, 21:04 that the Beatitudes are not necessarily requirements, 21:07 but, rather, what happens when a person is coming 21:12 into relationship with Jesus and being moved by the Holy Spirit. 21:16 Jesus says, to your question of the person 21:20 who is experiencing real, genuine persecution-- 21:23 and there are many places in the world where Christians 21:26 face persecution and death on a daily basis-- 21:28 Jesus says you can be happy. 21:30 This is not happiness that I ate a cookie and, oh, I feel good. 21:34 But rather, this goes to the point of when we are with Jesus, 21:39 when we are following the ways of Jesus, 21:41 even when persecution comes, we can enjoy this, 21:45 this internal happiness, this internal joy 21:50 that we are in relationship with Jesus. 21:54 And even though we're being persecuted, 21:56 God has an inheritance for us. 21:59 >>John: Yeah, there's an assurance, isn't there? 22:00 There's an assurance that we've got to carry 22:02 into every situation in life, Gary. 22:04 >>Gary: The other thing of interest, 22:06 as we come to the last of the Beatitudes, 22:08 the final blessing here, is that it's present. 22:13 When Jesus talks about blessed are those 22:15 who are persecuted because of righteousness, 22:17 "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"-- 22:20 not something in the future, 22:21 but it's something that I think brings that assurance 22:24 that you've just spoken to. 22:25 Those who are being persecuted for Christ's sake, 22:28 for righteousness' sake, can experience the kingdom 22:31 and the blessings of heaven in the here and now. 22:34 >>John: Yeah, that's a significant point, isn't it? 22:36 There are some people battling. 22:38 Uh, friend told me, "My father was baptized. 22:41 If he goes back to his home country 22:44 and practices Christianity, he will be killed." 22:48 That's pretty significant. 22:49 And when Jesus was talking about this back in His day, 22:51 persecution, the fires of persecution were just about 22:55 to start blazing, you understand. 22:57 >>Chris: Well, I mean, and I have pastor friends in Canada, 23:01 when they converted to Christianity, 23:03 the brother was beaten severely and cast out of the home, 23:08 totally disowned. 23:09 And this is not 100 years ago; this isn't 1,500 years ago. 23:13 We are talking in the modern time, 23:15 in the last 20, 30, 40 years. 23:17 And as you pointed out, Gary, "theirs is the kingdom of God," 23:22 which is what the gospel does. 23:24 The gospel is not just a promise for hope in the future, 23:28 but it gives us hope now that we can experience the true presence 23:33 of Jesus in our lives every day, 23:36 even when we're persecuted, such as what happens in countries 23:40 where people can be killed and things like that. 23:43 Or, you convert to Christianity, 23:45 you change your life, and your friends say, 23:48 "I don't want to be friends with you anymore. 23:50 I don't like your new ways." 23:51 >>John: Right. 23:52 >>Chris: That, that, now, that's a minor persecution 23:53 compared to someone who's going to die. 23:54 >>John: That's tough to go through, though. 23:56 >>Chris: But it's still a practical reality 23:57 that people deal with. 23:58 And Jesus says, "You can have peace. 24:01 Oh, and by the way, you can have joy. 24:03 You can have happiness by enjoying fellowship with me." 24:05 >>John: Now, we like to be liked. 24:06 Not too many people like to be hated. 24:08 And Jesus says you are "blessed when people revile you, 24:13 persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you 24:17 falsely for my sake." 24:19 Who wants to be slandered? 24:21 You know, that's-- or defamatory. 24:24 We want to get up on our hind legs and defend ourselves. 24:28 Comes back to the question: 24:29 Where do you get your assurance? Where do you find your comfort? 24:33 Um, where's your source of inner strength? 24:35 If it seems like the world is against you, 24:37 you've still got God. 24:39 See, this needs to become real in our lives, 24:42 this idea that, okay, they hate me, but I have hope. 24:45 The world's against me, but it's okay. 24:47 When is it okay? 24:48 It's okay if you know Jesus in a personal way. 24:51 >>Chris: And you know, John, 24:52 you and I share a bit of a same story 24:54 in that we were living outside of that, 24:57 that reality of being in Christ and having that internal joy, 25:02 no matter what the circumstances. 25:04 >>John: Yeah. So where do you get it? 25:05 In Christ. 25:06 And if you look in the Beatitudes, 25:08 Jesus is saying, "If you come to me, yield your life to me, 25:11 this is what's going to happen." 25:12 And with Christ living in your heart, 25:14 these characteristics of, of God, 25:17 God's character will be demonstrated in you. 25:18 You're going to live a life that exemplifies joy, 25:21 peace, happiness, uh, the blessing of God's presence 25:25 in your daily experience. 25:27 Gentlemen, thanks for being here. 25:28 Really glad we had the opportunity to do this together. 25:30 It's been a lot of fun. 25:31 >>Chris: Enjoyed it immensely. 25:32 >>Gary: Pleasure to be here, John. 25:33 ♪[Music]♪ 25:39 ♪[Music]♪ 25:40 >>John: Today, our free book offer 25:42 is for one of my very favorite books, 25:44 "Steps to Christ." 25:46 Please call or write us, 25:48 and "Steps to Christ" will be on its way to you. 25:51 There's no cost and no obligation. 25:53 Just call 1-800-253-3000 25:57 and ask for the book "Steps to Christ." 26:00 You may also request this free book by writing to 26:03 It Is Written, P O Box 6, Chattanooga, TN 37401, 26:09 and we'll mail a copy to your address in North America. 26:12 For immediate access, 26:13 you can download a free electronic version of the book 26:16 "Steps to Christ" from our website, 26:18 ItIsWritten.com. 26:21 It Is Written is a faith-based ministry 26:23 made possible by viewers like you. 26:26 If you wish to help the worldwide outreach 26:28 of It Is Written, 26:30 your tax-deductible gift may be sent to the same address. 26:33 Or you can make a gift online at 26:35 ItIsWritten.com. 26:40 ♪[Music]♪ 26:46 >>John Bradshaw: Matthew 5 is one of the great chapters 26:48 of the Bible. 26:48 We've looked at the Beatitudes. 26:49 There's no question that God wants us to be blessed, 26:53 and He wants to shower His blessings upon us. 26:55 We've got a lot to be thankful for. 26:57 Gary, how about you pray for us? 26:58 >>Gary Kent: Let's pray. 27:00 Dear heavenly Father, we thank You for the privilege 27:02 of being able to study Your Word 27:04 here in the heart of southern Africa. 27:07 And we thank You for the assurance, 27:09 the promises found in Your Word, the Bible, 27:12 particularly here in the Beatitudes that we have studied. 27:15 We thank You for the happiness that You bring into our lives. 27:19 Bless us now, we pray, 27:21 and be with each one of us, 27:22 we ask in Jesus' name, amen. 27:25 >>John: Amen. 27:27 It's really been good. 27:28 Thanks so much, Gary Kent from It Is Written Oceania, 27:31 Chris Holland from It Is Written Canada. 27:33 Let's do this again sometime. 27:34 >>Chris Holland: That sounds great. 27:35 >>Gary: Sounds good. 27:36 >>John: We're looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:38 Until then, remember: 27:40 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:44 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 27:48 ♪[Theme music]♪ 27:58 ♪[Theme music]♪ |
Revised 2019-05-02