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Series Code: IIWC
Program Code: IIWC201903S
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00:12 >> It has stood the test of time. God's book -- the Bible. 00:18 Still relevant in today's complex world. "It Is Written" -- Sharing 00:26 messages of hope around the world. 00:31 ♪♪ ♪♪ 00:42 >> Thank you for joining us on "It Is Written Canada." 00:45 We are visiting Pugwash, Nova Scotia. 00:47 And if you've never been here, this is a place that you need 00:51 to put on your bucket list. Beautiful beaches, 00:54 beautiful shoreline right here along Canada's Atlantic coast. 00:59 There was a speaker I used to listen to. His name was Morris Venden. 01:03 And as a young man, he really spoke to my heart. He made the Gospel clear, very 01:09 precise, and very practical. And I remember struggling, kind of feeling like a yo-yo 01:15 Christian. My Christianity was up and down and never just steady, and 01:21 living it as a lifestyle that was, you know, a connection with God that I really wanted. 01:27 And there was something about Morris Venden speaking that just really spoke to me 01:30 personally and very clearly. And someone gave me a tape back in the days when people used 01:36 to list the cassette tapes and I would listen to it in the car, and it really spoke to my heart. 01:41 And today we have the privilege of having with us Lee Venden, his son, who is an international 01:49 speaker with his wife Marji. And they travel around and share the Gospel, and really are 01:56 revivalists, so Lee, thank you for being here with us, and we just want to talk about 02:03 yourself and what you're doing and also your father and how Morris Venden really made an 02:09 impact on so many people and how did that work? >> Well, I know he also made a 02:15 very amazing impact in my life. And I remember listening to one of his talks, 02:21 and he mentioned earlier on in his ministry that he had some struggles 02:26 as a young pastor. Can you tell us about those? >> Yeah, yeah. 02:30 Actually, my father grew up in a Christian household. 02:34 His father was a pastor, his uncle was a pastor, his brother 02:37 became a pastor, his cousins were pastors, and he involved 02:40 himself in Christian education all the way through his learning 02:43 years and so on. 02:44 And then after he got married and started having a family of his own, he himself was a 02:48 pastor. But at the age of 28, he was struggling with bleeding ulcers, 02:54 and it's kind of unusual to have stress in your life at that early age that 02:58 would cause such a condition, but it was true. And the reason he had them was 03:03 because as a pastor, I guess you could say it this, way he knew a lot of biblical knowledge, 03:10 had a lot of Bible information, and he could preach doctrinal sermons and so on, 03:16 but he didn't know Jesus for himself. And at the end of each sermon 03:20 when he was greeting the parishioners in the foyer afterwards, there was 03:24 a little woman with white hair that would shake his hand and she would say, 03:28 "That was a fine sermon, Pastor, and it will be even better when you know Jesus for yourself." 03:33 >> Wow. >> And it bothered him that she could tell. 03:37 >> It would bother me. [ Laughter ] >> Did she mean it? 03:41 You know, "I just want to..." >> She was a kind person, and she wasn't being malicious 03:46 or vindictive or anything, but my dad struggled with that, and it bothered him that it 03:52 showed. >> It showed, yeah. She saw through. 03:55 >> Yeah. >> Yeah, and -- wow. People are seeing this. 03:59 >> Yeah, and I think that dichotomy of trying to be a pastor and pretend to talk about 04:04 someone you don't really know as though you do, at least from my dad and his particular 04:09 conscience and the way he was hardwired, that was a disconnect that he couldn't keep living 04:14 with. >> Mm-hmm. I can imagine. >> Yeah. And so he came to a 04:19 point where he decided he was going to give it up, but before giving it up, 04:24 it was right that time they were in Oregon, the state of Oregon in the U.S., and they were 04:33 having what is called a camp meeting -- kind of a convocation rally kind of a camp meeting 04:39 thing, and all the pastors of that region were called in to set things up in advance. 04:44 Camp pitch, they called it. >> Mm-hmm. >> And so my dad thought, "Maybe 04:47 I can sneak in some counsel without anybody realizing that I'm the needy, you know, 04:52 customer. So, while he's pitching tents with another pastor, 04:55 he says to that guy, "If one of your church members wants to ask you how do I really become and 05:02 remain a Christian --" >> So he was actually asking that for himself. 05:06 >> Exactly, it's his question. He hoped they didn't catch on, but he said, you know, "If they 05:10 asked you 'How do I become and remain a Christian,' what do you tell them?" 05:13 >> Yeah. >> Of course, he's all ears. And the pastor that he asked the 05:17 first question to said, "Well, I tell him it's very simple. You just need to give your heart 05:21 to the Lord." >> And my dad was like, "Thank you very much. 05:26 I have no idea what that means." >> Mm-hmm. >> Give your heart to the Lord. 05:30 It's a phrase that Christians throw around a lot. >> Yes. 05:33 >> But to get practical, how do you give your heart to the Lord? It's intangible, vague. 05:37 >> It's intangible. You can't give your physical heart to the Lord. 05:40 >> Yeah, you're obviously not gonna do that. >> Yeah. 05:42 >> So, he didn't -- you know, he said, "Thank you very much," and he worked with another pastor 05:46 an hour or two later in the day and he thought, "Well, I'll try it on him," so he said, 05:50 "If somebody in your congregation asks you 'How do you really give your heart to 05:53 the Lord,' what do you say?" And that guy said, "Well, I'd tell him what that really means 05:59 is that you surrender all to Jesus." >> Mm-hmm. 06:02 >> And of course, once again, we have a vague answer. >> Sure. 06:04 >> How do you surrender all to Jesus? Do you just sing that song in 06:07 the hymnal, "I surrender all," and now you're good to go? >> Sure. And he grew up as a 06:11 Christian, and so he had heard that phrase before. So he was asking for something a 06:15 lot deeper than that. >> So he asked another pastor, and this happened all afternoon. 06:19 And I think he went through like a half a dozen pastors, and the answers they gave included 06:24 fall on the rock and be broken, behold the land, use the eye of faith. 06:28 All kinds of stuff. Every answer was vague and intangible. 06:32 And he went home from that camp meeting really discouraged because he thought, "If my own 06:37 peers can't tell me how to have a close walk with Jesus," you know, "where am I gonna find 06:41 it?" And he sat down to write a letter of resignation from the 06:45 ministry to send to his boss. >> Because he was feeling more discouraged than when he first 06:50 started asking the question. >> Worse, yeah. I think he said it this way. 06:53 "The latter state of that man was worse than the first," which was a quote from Jesus. 06:57 >> Yeah, yeah. >> And so then -- but before he mailed that letter that he had 07:01 written, I guess I would say it was the Holy Spirit impressed him, maybe he should try reading 07:07 a little book. It was a pamphlet, not very long, pretty short read, but it 07:11 had a subject title line that sort of spoke to his question. The title was "Steps to Christ." 07:18 >> Mm-hmm. >> And he thought, "Maybe if I read that book, I might get some 07:21 insight." So he read the book and he found out that -- in that book 07:25 anyway -- that there's this overarching agenda or goal or objective that God has for each 07:32 of us, which is to have a meaningful, personal, intimate, ongoing, one-on-one relationship 07:39 with us -- one-on-one. I've come to call it like facetime, you know? 07:44 God wants to have facetime with you. And my dad, as he went through 07:48 that book, he discovered there were three particular tools in the book that talked about 07:55 things you could do to nurture that kind of relationship. >> Mm-hmm. 08:00 >> And as he finished the book, he boiled them down and wrote them down, and they were three 08:05 things that might sound pretty mundane or, you know -- but as he unpacked them, they began to 08:10 have a lot more meaning. The first one was Bible study, but it wasn't Bible study to 08:15 prepare for a sermon. >> Mm. >> It wasn't Bible study to be 08:18 able to give someone a theological, you know -- >> Understanding of doctrine. 08:22 >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah, it was Bible study for 08:25 the purpose of getting to know Jesus. So now all of a sudden, the 08:29 focus is not "what knowledge can I gather from scripture?" It was "who can I become better 08:34 acquainted with in this book?" >> Wow, that's very vulnerable. That's very personal. 08:38 Like, you're looking at connecting with God, and, you know, is that gonna happen? 08:45 I guess there would be fears in some people's minds. "Is God really gonna show up? 08:49 This is an ancient book. This is old stuff. Am I really going to have that 08:54 connection?" And so he found -- this is something -- 08:57 >> Well, this was one of the tools. And so as he was looking -- I 09:00 mentioned there were three. >> Yes. >> So, the first one was Bible 09:04 study for the purpose of getting to know Jesus. >> Yeah. 09:07 >> And understand that as I'm telling you this stuff, at this point, he's not dialed into 09:11 that. He's just coming up with some tools to try and see if he can 09:14 get that. >> Got ya, got ya. >> Mm-hmm. 09:16 >> And the second one was prayer for the purpose of communication rather than for the purpose of 09:21 getting things, you're getting answers. >> Mm-hmm. 09:24 >> Okay. >> 'Cause if there's a relationship involved, 09:27 communication's a fundamental ingredient, right? So prayer becomes a tool for 09:31 communicating as friend to friend. >> Mm-hmm. 09:34 So you're not just praying if there's a crisis. >> Right. 09:37 >> Like, you know, "Help me," or, you know. It's more -- 09:41 >> "Help me find my keys." You know, I think that's the most common prayer in heaven. 09:45 [ Laughter ] >> "Help me find the right parking space." 09:48 >> Yeah, yeah. >> Yeah, exactly. >> And then the third tool was 09:53 sharing with others. In other words, spilling over. So, yeah, as you become more 09:57 excited about the relationship that develops with tools number one and two... 10:02 >> Yes. >> ...then the third one becomes sort of a natural byproduct of 10:06 those, which is you spill over to other people about how cool this relationship actually 10:10 is and how cool Jesus is. And then as you spill over, what happens is that kind of creates 10:15 more room for more of the water of life to keep your cup brim-full. 10:18 >> Nice. >> And if you don't spill over, then you grow stagnant, you 10:21 know, kind of thing. So those were the three things. And so he said a prayer. 10:28 He said, "God, I want to have something deeper than what I have. 10:31 I want to experience that here as well as here. I don't want to just have head 10:35 knowledge. I want my heart dialed in." >> Right, right. 10:37 So, those three tools. He saw them. He didn't have that experience 10:43 going on. >> No, no. >> He just knew that he needed 10:46 to do that, those three things. So, the first one -- Bible study. 10:49 Second one -- prayer. And then the third one is a product of those first two -- 10:53 you spend time with God. >> Sharing. >> And then you share that with 10:56 others. >> Yeah, kind of almost like a little rhyme almost. 10:59 You know, it's Bible study, prayer, share, you know? I mean, it's those three things. 11:03 >> Mm-hmm. >> And so that, for him, was instantaneous, life changing. 11:09 >> Oh, I wish I could say it was, but he would say, "No, not at all." 11:14 He said -- He told me that "I begin to pray, and I told the Lord I want this deeper 11:19 experience. Sounds like it might be available. 11:21 I've never experienced it, but if it is, I'm gonna work these three things." 11:26 Eventually, as the years progressed, my dad referred to these as the three legs of a 11:29 three-legged stool. >> Okay. >> He says, "I'm gonna work this 11:33 three-legged stool, and I'm asking you to make it real for me." 11:36 >> Yes. >> Mm-hmm. >> And then he begins to read, 11:39 particularly in the Gospels. Like, start there, look at the life of Jesus. 11:43 >> Mm-hmm. >> And he said as he was reading -- remember, he's the 11:46 pastor, and as he's reading, he said it was boring, boring, boring. 11:49 >> Wow. >> Hmm. >> But he was desperate. 11:52 >> Yes. >> Now, this is a guy with bleeding ulcers. 11:54 >> Yeah. >> And so he kept on, he hung on, and he kept doing this, and 11:58 as time went by, it went to being just boring, boring instead of boring, boring, 12:02 boring. So that's an improvement of one, you know? 12:05 And as he continued over a process, a protracted process of time, it went from being boring 12:09 to being not so bad and then not -- you know, pretty good, and then really wonderful, can't 12:14 wait. But it was a slow -- kind of like a rainbow has gradual 12:18 colors going across, you get from one side of the spectrum to the other. 12:23 It was like that for him. >> Right, right, and so a progression. 12:26 As he got to know Christ, it became so much more real to him? >> Yeah, over time he reached 12:32 the point where he couldn't wait now to have fresh time with Jesus, facetime with Jesus. 12:36 Couldn't wait, looked forward to it eagerly. >> What I find so helpful about 12:41 that is that you're getting a big picture. You're saying, "This is what I 12:44 can do. Will it work? Yes, it works if you work it," 12:48 and yet it doesn't become a formula, just stagnant. It's not a formula that's like 12:55 plug-and-play. It's just this is the big picture, this is how it works. 13:00 Now start practicing it. And as he practiced it, it worked. 13:05 It changed his life. >> Yeah, changed his life, and it turns out that Jesus is 13:10 actually giving us that same kind of counsel in John chapter 3 when he has that 13:17 conversation with Nicodemus. And maybe we can talk about that more later, but, you know, that 13:22 concept is there. >> Yeah, we're gonna have a quick break now, and we'll come 13:25 right back after this break. So, this is the book you want. This is the book, 13:31 "Steps to Christ." This is the book that Pastor Lee Venden mentioned on 13:35 how to become and remain a Christian. 13:39 And what a vital topic. >> Yes, it's so wonderful to 13:42 hear concrete, practical examples of how to grow closer 13:46 to Christ, and that's why today we want to offer you this very 13:52 special book -- "Steps to Christ." 13:55 >> This book is so incredible. Every single page is full of 13:59 powerful, step-by-step instructions to strengthen your 14:03 walk with Jesus. It's changed countless lives, 14:06 including my own. >> Mm-hmm. 14:08 >> So, please, to receive your very own free copy of this book, 14:12 contact us through the information on the screen. 14:15 And may God bless you as you seek Him. 14:22 Imagine being a religious leader, and you just don't feel like you're connecting with God. 14:28 Well, that was Lee Venden's father, Morris Venden. He was just telling us about how 14:33 he was struggling. He was a third-, fourth-generation Christian. 14:38 Came from a family where there were many people who were religious leaders within the 14:44 Christian church, and he found himself not really being able to connect with God, so much so 14:51 that he had bleeding ulcers. And then he picked up a book called "Steps to Christ," and in 14:56 it, he found three things that he said, "These are three things I can do." 15:01 And he tried out those three things. 15:03 Those three things were Bible study for the purpose of 15:06 connecting with God and getting to know Jesus better. 15:10 Prayer for the purpose of a two-way communication, not just 15:14 a one-way asking -- "I've lost something and help me to find 15:18 it, God." And also sharing -- the product 15:21 of the first two and sharing that faith with others. 15:24 And as I heard you, Lee, telling the story of your father, I was 15:28 thinking of John 5:29 -- sorry, 39 and 40 -- where Jesus is 15:34 talking to the religious leaders, and he says to them, 15:37 "You search the scriptures," and of course they should, they're 15:40 religious leaders. But he says, "You search the 15:42 scriptures to find eternal life, and yet you refuse to" -- "these 15:45 very scriptures speak about me," he says, "and yet you refuse to 15:48 come to me to have eternal life." 15:51 And so they were missing it. >> Yeah, yeah. >> Well, that kind of reminds 15:55 me -- in John 17:3 it says, "And this is eternal life, that they might know Thee, the only true 16:03 God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent." So the keyword there is "know," 16:08 right? >> That's what they were missing. 16:10 >> Mm-hmm. >> They had Bible knowledge, if you will, but they didn't have 16:14 a -- they didn't know Jesus. They didn't know God. And they didn't recognize His 16:18 Son in the flesh when He showed up. >> Mm. Mm. 16:21 That's tragic. >> Yeah. Yeah. So the bottom line really is -- 16:25 and I think maybe far too often many of us have missed it, but that is Christianity is not 16:30 really about what you do. It's about who you know, and then who you know changes what 16:35 you do. >> Mm. >> And for far too many of us, 16:38 we spend a lifetime as Christians focusing on our behavior, trying to live right, 16:43 do right, be right, please God, and make sure that we don't offend and kind of keep our 16:48 ducks in a row, and all the while, He's saying, "Actually, I just -- Could we be friends?" 16:53 >> Yeah. >> "I'd like to have a relationship with you." 16:57 And the good news is that, if we would focus on that, then the behavior that we're so concerned 17:02 about actually ends up being the fruit of the relationship. It's the byproduct in that. 17:08 I think you can say it this way. Christianity is not about what you do. 17:11 It's about who you know, and then who you know changes what you do. 17:14 >> Mm. That's beautiful. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. 17:17 I mean, very tragic. Here's these religious leaders who should know God. 17:22 I mean, you go to someone who has been studying the Scriptures, and you're thinking, 17:27 "Well, he knows God because he's reading about it. He's seeing it." 17:31 But they missed it. >> Well, and that's probably -- I'm thinking about the two of 17:35 you. I don't know anything about your romance or how you hooked up or 17:40 anything like that, but let me just try to imagine a scenario where somebody says to you, 17:45 Mike, "There's this girl. We really think she'd be the right one for you, and here's a 17:49 profile of her. Here's the info. Here's the data sheet on Rene." 17:53 And you read this information about Rene, and on paper, you know, she looks like she's a 17:59 pretty interesting person, but at this point, all you have is information. 18:03 >> Yes. >> And then, for whatever -- you know, you end up in a proximity 18:07 where she is, and you decide, "I'm gonna give it a shot. I'm gonna ask her if she can 18:12 spend some time together." And you end up going on a date, and all of a sudden, now you're 18:17 actually exchanging and interacting and having a relationship with a real person. 18:21 And it's not hard for you to see why your heart would've started to flutter with her. 18:27 >> Yeah. >> But now, all of a sudden, the heart's involved, not just the 18:30 head. >> Yeah, yeah. >> You went from head knowledge 18:33 to a heart experience. And I think when Jesus is talking to the woman at the 18:37 well and He said to her the kind of worship that God is looking for is those who would worship 18:41 Him in spirit and in truth, He was describing that. He was saying, "Not just having 18:45 it here, but having it here, as well." Kind of have to have both oars 18:49 in the water, or the boat's just gonna go in a circle, and those religious leaders basically had 18:54 just one oar. They had the head knowledge. They had all the Bible theology, 18:57 you know? They had the doctrine, but they didn't know Jesus. 19:01 >> No, they didn't. >> So they're going in circles. They're not getting anywhere, 19:06 and yet they just keep doing it. They keep going over and over again. 19:10 I think of another text where it talks about-- it's pretty tragic. 19:15 It's in Matthew chapter 7, I think it is. 19:17 And the religious leaders are -- well, I guess it's not 19:21 religious leaders, but it's people who at Christ's 19:24 Second Coming, they say, "We did this in Your name." 19:27 >> Religious people. >> Yeah, religious people. >> Yeah, "We did many wonderful 19:31 things. We cast out demons even in Your name -- all this stuff." 19:34 And in Luke, also, those same stories are told. >> Right. 19:38 And then He says, "Away from me. I never..." 19:41 >> "Knew." >> "I never knew you." >> There's the keyword again. 19:45 >> Yeah, yeah. So what is that knowledge when we get to know God? 19:48 What is He like? >> Do you know, before I respond to that, can I just -- you made 19:54 my mind kind of click off on something else. The word "know" that he uses in 19:58 John 17:3 -- I don't want to get all theological here, and I have a computer Bible that helps me 20:05 be smarter than I really am. And I went to John 17:3 in my computer, and I highlighted 20:10 K-N-O-W, where He says, "Eternal life is based on knowing my Father and myself." 20:14 And I said to my computer, "So what was the original word that was used in translating 20:19 K-N-O-W?" And what was Jesus -- you know, that word. 20:22 And my computer spit it out to me. It said, "Ginosko," and that was 20:26 the Greek word. And so, you know, I'm not a rocket scientist when it comes 20:30 to Biblical languages, but I used my computer, and I highlighted "ginosko," and I 20:35 said, "So where else in the Bible does this concept show up?" 20:38 >> Yes. >> And I clicked "go," and it said -- this blew my mind. 20:42 It said Joseph -- that would be the guy who became the stepfather of Jesus, the 20:47 carpenter in Nazareth -- said, "Joseph did not know Mary until after her child was born." 20:53 >> Mm. >> I clicked again. It said, "Adam knew Eve, and she 20:58 bore him a son named Seth." I clicked again. It said, "Abraham knew Sarah, 21:02 and they had a son named Isaac," or "Laughter." And all of a sudden, I'm going, 21:06 "Oh, wow. When Jesus used that word "know," he was talking about 21:10 something, elsewhere in Scripture, used to describe a very special, very intimate, 21:14 very meaningful, below-the-surface, not casual, ongoing relationship between two 21:18 people, husband and wife, which produces offspring. So I thought, "What is Jesus 21:22 saying?" When He uses that word, He's saying, "I'm talking about a 21:25 very deep, personal, meaningful relationship. I'm not talking about showing up 21:29 in church once a week for an hour, singing a praise song, saying amen," and then going off 21:33 to the rest of my week. "I'm talking about an intimate relationship." 21:37 >> Yes, yes. So God wants that intimate relationship with us. 21:40 >> Yeah. >> Yeah, a deep, abiding relationship, right? 21:44 >> Exactly, abiding. That's a good word because the intimacy that's being described, 21:48 the sexual intimacy being described in Scripture there, is meant to be an abiding 21:52 relationship. >> Mm-hmm. >> This is not a one-night stand 21:55 we're talking about. This is about a deep permanent relationship that is nurtured 22:00 and grows over time. >> Yes, so that intimate relationship that God wants with 22:05 us, that is a connection that's life-giving and producing -- as you said, it produces offspring. 22:12 >> Yeah. >> And that offspring is leading others to God. 22:16 >> Yeah. >> And within your own life, you have spiritual fruit that's 22:21 obvious. So give us that definition of Christianity again. 22:26 >> Christianity is not about what you do. It's about who you know, and 22:29 then who you know changes what you do. >> Mm! 22:32 >> The way you say that changes everything because the word "know," as you defined it now, 22:37 is who you know and who you have that connection with. >> Now, I'm sorry, Mike, you 22:42 asked me a question, and I digressed. >> Yes. 22:45 >> But to get back to your question, you said, "So what's there worth knowing about God?" 22:50 And how would you enter into that kind of a relationship where you find your heart 22:55 throbbing? And I think the answer, once again, is those three-legged 22:59 stool things. Well, it's a Bible study to get to know Jesus. 23:02 So where am I gonna go? I'm gonna open up the Gospel, maybe the Gospel of John, and 23:07 I'm gonna say a prayer, and I'm gonna say, "Lord Jesus, I understand there's a deeper 23:11 experience available for me, and I want that, so I'm gonna read about Your life with a prayer 23:16 that You'll take me to an experience that's more than head knowledge." 23:20 And as I look at the Scriptures and see how Jesus treated people, I see how he treated 23:24 that woman at the well, I see how he treated Mary of Magdala, I see how he treated Matthew the 23:29 tax collector, I see how he treated -- >> Even lepers. 23:32 >> Lepers. >> He touched them, right? Mm-hmm. 23:34 >> He didn't care where you were in life, you know... >> Mm-hmm. 23:38 >> ...whether you were a mover and a shaker like Nicodemus or whether you were Zacchaeus, 23:42 an offscouring and undesirable, or whether you were a leper, as you said. 23:46 >> Mm-hmm. >> You know, you look at Him working with people, 23:48 having a compassionate heart and a love for people. And it starts to melt you down. 23:54 >> It does. >> And as it starts to melt you down, you begin to find this 23:57 heart attraction for this guy. >> Yes. >> And it's supernatural also. 24:01 >> Of course. >> You know, because the Bible is different than any other book 24:04 on the planet. >> Mm-hmm. >> You know? 24:06 There's something special about the power of the Holy Spirit that accompanies the reading 24:10 of God's Word. And this doesn't happen with any other book. 24:12 >> Absolutely. >> And as you're reading God's Word and the Spirit does 24:15 that sort of thing for you, then your heart begins to sing in response. 24:21 And back to the metaphor between the two of you, you're on a date, and you say, 24:25 "I'm gonna marry this girl." You know? I'm on a date with Jesus now, 24:28 and I say, "I want to live with Him and for Him for the rest of my life"... 24:32 >> Yes. >> ...because He's attractive. >> Yes. 24:34 >> You find out that getting to know Him and His Word... >> Yes. 24:37 >> ...he's attractive. >> That is what spoke to me, was -- I received a Bible. 24:42 Someone gave me a Bible when I was a teenager and said, "I want you to read this." 24:47 And I'm like, "I don't want your Bible. You know, you keep your Bible." 24:49 It was all marked up, you know, had all kinds of nice little writing in it. 24:54 And it was his personal Bible, but he said, "Here's a challenge. 24:56 I want you to read this Bible. Read at least a chapter a day." And as I was reading 25:01 that chapter a day, it was speaking to me, but I was reading Genesis and Exodus. 25:07 But when I got to Leviticus, it started to -- "Yeah, this is tough." 25:11 And then someone said, "Maybe you should look at the Gospels." >> Go to the Gospels. 25:15 >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> And that was the 25:17 transformation. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. 25:18 >> You know, Jesus said to those two on the road to Emmaus... >> Yeah. 25:22 >> ..."I'm gonna show you all the things concerning myself in the Scriptures," and of 25:25 course He was referring to the Old Testament. >> Yes. 25:27 >> But I've discovered that it's far easier to find Him, first of all, now in our day 25:31 and age, by going to the Gospels. And then once I see him more 25:34 clearly there... >> Yes. >> ...oh, then He starts popping 25:36 up everywhere in the Scripture. >> Everywhere, throughout the Scriptures. 25:38 >> Then you can go back to Leviticus after you've read John, and all of a sudden, the 25:42 sacrifices and all that stuff starts to have a whole new... >> Understanding. 25:47 >> ...understanding, meaning to it. >> And meaning, yeah. 25:49 >> And very purposeful. And even in Genesis, you see Jesus showing up. 25:52 >> Oh, yeah. >> You see right through the entire Bible. 25:55 When I get to the Book of Revelation, I think the place that really spoke to me 26:00 was Revelation 3:20. >> There you go. >> Right? 26:03 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." So, He's taking the initiative 26:07 before we are. Before I pick up my Bible, before I pray, He's -- He's 26:12 knocking. He's saying, "I want that relationship with you more than 26:17 you want that relationship with me, and I want to give you a taste of that." 26:21 And so He knocks at the door. He doesn't break the door down. >> Right, he doesn't break it 26:24 down. >> He's just waiting patiently for us to to answer, to open the 26:28 door, right? >> And He's persistent. >> Yeah. 26:30 >> Doesn't give up. >> Yeah. My wife is a schoolteacher, 26:35 and she had a little girl that paraphrased Revelation 3:20 that I thought was so 26:41 beautiful. It was like, "Knock-knock." "Who's there?" "Jesus." 26:45 "Jesus who?" "Jesus Christ." "Oh, really? 26:48 And what do you want?" "Nothing really big or anything. I'd just like to come in 26:54 and hang out with you. I'd like to eat with you, have a meal, sit and talk, you 26:58 know, just be friends." Then goes, "Knock-knock. Knock-knock. 27:03 I'm still here knocking." And I thought that was so cool for a little girl 27:07 to come up with that paraphrase. But I'm so glad that He keeps knocking. 27:11 >> He does. >> You know? >> He does. 27:12 >> He keeps on -- He doesn't give up. >> He doesn't give up. 27:15 >> Even when we've been distracted and looking at the wrong direction, focusing on 27:18 behavior instead of Savior, He doesn't give up. >> Yeah, yeah. 27:21 So, Lee, as we close, I'm just gonna ask you to have a word of prayer for us, 27:26 and then we can close off. And next time, we can continue our discussion. 27:30 We're gonna talk about conversion and how that works. Can you -- Can you pray for us? 27:35 >> All right. Lord Jesus, thank You that You want to be our friend 27:38 and that You are that friend that sticks closer than a brother. 27:42 Forgive us for maybe far too often missing that. >> Mm-hmm. 27:47 >> It's pretty easy, actually, to be like those leaders who just search the Scriptures 27:53 and actually miss You. And we don't want to miss You. And so thank You for continuing 27:58 to knock on our heart's door. And may we come to understand more and more effectively 28:04 how to respond to that knock in ways that will draw us into a closer walk with You. 28:08 That's my prayer for everybody, myself included. In Jesus' name, amen. 28:13 >> Amen. >> Thank you, Lee. So, friends, just want to remind 28:18 you of the words of Jesus -- "It is written: 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by 28:25 every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'" 28:29 ♪♪ ♪♪ 28:49 ♪♪ |
Revised 2020-05-19