Participants:
Series Code: IIWC
Program Code: IIWC202208S
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00:01 >> Hello and thank you for
00:02 joining us on It Is Written 00:04 Canada. 00:05 At this time of the year, 00:07 Christmas, we are reminded of 00:10 God's one desire which can be 00:12 summarized in one word. 00:15 >> In fact, the entire message 00:16 of the Bible can be summarized 00:18 in one word and that one word 00:20 is W-I-T-H, "with." 00:23 >> "With" is the reason Jesus, 00:26 our Saviour and King, came to 00:28 planet earth. 00:29 [MIKE] The Bible says... 00:37 ...which, when translated, 00:39 means "God with us." 00:42 >> So Jesus is God with us. 00:46 Jesus was born a humble 00:48 infant, cradled in an animal's 00:50 feeding trough. 00:52 >> God's character was 00:54 revealed in His one and only 00:55 son, Jesus Christ. 00:57 The Bible says... 01:02 So Jesus, the fullness of God, 01:06 wrapped Himself in human flesh 01:08 permanently to be with us as 01:10 one of us eternally. 01:14 God in the likeness of sinful 01:16 human flesh, as the Bible 01:17 says, and yet He was 01:19 without sin. 01:20 >> He even became a servant to 01:22 sinners and then He died the 01:24 most humiliating death on a 01:27 rough, wooden crucifix to save 01:30 us from our sins. 01:33 And one of His dying 01:34 guarantees was to a thief. 01:37 He promised... 01:42 >> So that is the picture that 01:44 the Bible paints for us of God 01:46 with us. 01:48 >> You need not fear Him. 01:51 Who would fear a humble infant 01:53 cradled in a manger? 01:55 For God says to you... 02:20 [distant bell tolling] 02:29 [violin begins playing 02:31 Oh Little Town of Bethlehem] 02:33 ♪♪ 02:45 [piano and orchestra join] 02:50 ♪ In the little village 02:53 ♪ of Bethlehem 02:56 ♪ There lay a Child one day 03:01 ♪ And the sky was bright 03:03 ♪ with a holy light 03:06 ♪ O'er the place 03:08 ♪ where Jesus lay 03:11 ♪ Alleluia 03:14 ♪ Oh how the angels sang 03:16 ♪ Alleluia 03:19 ♪ How it rang 03:22 ♪ And the sky was bright 03:24 ♪ with a holy light 03:28 ♪ 'Twas the birthday 03:31 ♪ of a King 03:33 ♪ Let us adore Him 03:37 ♪ Oh come let us 03:39 ♪ adore Him 03:42 ♪ Oh come let us 03:45 ♪ adore Him 03:48 ♪ Christ the Lord 03:53 ♪ 'Twas a humble birth-place 03:56 ♪ but oh how much 03:58 ♪ God gave to us that day 04:04 ♪ From the manger bed 04:06 ♪ what a path has led 04:09 ♪ What a perfect, holy way 04:14 ♪ Alleluia 04:17 ♪ Oh how the angels sang 04:20 ♪ Alleluia 04:23 ♪ How it rang 04:25 ♪ And the sky was bright 04:28 ♪ with a holy light 04:32 ♪ 'Twas the birthday 04:35 ♪ of a King 04:38 ♪ Alleluia 04:41 ♪ Oh how the angels sang 04:45 ♪ Alleluia 04:48 ♪ How it rang 04:52 ♪ And the sky was bright 04:56 ♪ with a holy light 05:01 ♪ 'Twas the birthday 05:05 ♪ of a Saviour 05:08 ♪ Alleluia, Alleluia 05:16 ♪ 'Twas the birthday 05:20 ♪ of a King 05:35 >> So Jesus came to our world 05:37 to be God with us, but there 05:39 was no room for Him to stay 05:41 anywhere except in an 05:44 unhygienic, filthy shelter for 05:46 animals, not exactly a palace 05:48 or a five-star hotel. 05:51 >> Is it possible that the 05:53 safest place to hide from God 05:55 is behind closed doors in our 05:57 cozy, warm houses or maybe 06:00 inside our comfortable 06:02 churches? 06:04 I mean, have you noticed how 06:06 the rich shut themselves away 06:08 from the poor in luxury houses 06:11 and splendid churches with no 06:12 room for the homeless? 06:14 >> And yet Emanuel, God with 06:16 us, always had His heart open 06:19 to and identified with the 06:22 least of these. 06:24 So can you see the twinkling 06:26 stars and the still, black sky 06:29 on a lonesome dirt path, the 06:31 exhausted couple struggle to 06:33 find lodging, knocking on one 06:36 door after another and yet 06:37 they received the same 06:39 response, "Sorry, no room 06:41 for you." 06:42 >> "Sorry, we're full. 06:44 No room!" 06:45 [MIKE] "No room." 06:47 >> "No room." 06:49 >> "No room for you," so the 06:50 mantra echos in their ears, 06:52 driving them deeper into 06:54 despair. 06:56 >> When they came to the inn, 06:58 the last ray of hope urged 07:00 Joseph to knock and when the 07:03 door creaked open, a slim 07:05 shaft of light filtered into 07:08 the darkness. 07:10 >> His voice, I imagine it's 07:12 edged with desperation, 07:14 Joseph, this weary traveller, 07:16 pleaded for a room. 07:18 >> And the rough response hit 07:20 him like a cold wall of 07:22 rejection, "Sorry, sir, we 07:25 have no room." 07:27 >> Can you see his shoulders 07:29 slumped under this added 07:32 weight of sorrow and he heads 07:34 back into the shadows where 07:36 the least of these live. 07:38 >> The innkeeper's eyes 07:41 silently followed the dragging 07:43 steps and the scene pierces 07:46 his heart. 07:47 At that moment he remembers 07:50 another option although it's 07:52 not very comfortable, "We do 07:54 have a stable in the back," 07:56 the innkeeper says. 07:59 >> Can you imagine Joseph's 08:00 head swivelling around and he 08:03 responds, "Sir, I would be 08:05 grateful for anything." 08:08 You know, every deed of mercy 08:10 makes music in heaven. 08:15 ♪ Infinite Lord ♪ 08:20 ♪ my Infant King 08:26 ♪ Throned in humility 08:34 ♪ Your only robes 08:37 ♪ Your swaddling clothes 08:42 ♪ Crying Your first decree 08:50 ♪ Your grand domain 08:54 ♪ Your crown and train 09:01 ♪ Darkness and dust 09:04 ♪ and sheep 09:09 ♪ Jesus, in dust 09:13 ♪ and hay I kneel 09:18 ♪ Stabled in deepest need 09:26 ♪ My only robes 09:29 ♪ Your righteousness 09:34 ♪ Mercy my only plea 09:41 ♪ My light Your gaze 09:45 ♪ My song Your praise 09:52 ♪ My hope and prayer 09:56 ♪ Your peace 10:01 ♪ Infinite Lord 10:05 ♪ You are my King 10:10 ♪ I give my life to You 10:24 >> That innkeeper, he led the 10:26 couple in the dark and the 10:28 stench of the sheltered 10:31 animals wafted up that dingy 10:33 track as the stable eventually 10:35 came into view. 10:37 [RENÉ] Entering the stable, the 10:39 couple glances around, a cow 10:42 mooed while hens clucked to 10:44 ward off these intruders. 10:47 After making Mary and Joseph 10:49 as comfortable as he could, 10:51 the innkeeper returned home. 10:54 [MIKE] Hours later, a cry 10:56 filled that filthy, 10:58 foul-smelling structure. 11:00 But an overjoyed father 11:03 watched from above while 11:05 angles sang the praises of 11:07 Him, the one who chose to send 11:09 His son, His only son, on this 11:12 dangerous mission to rescue a 11:15 planet in rebellion. 11:18 [RENÉ] Our heavenly Father's 11:20 heart rejoiced when the infant's 11:23 cry reached His ears because He 11:25 knew His son would bring real 11:27 hope to a world that 11:30 desperately needed hope. 11:40 [piano and cello playing 11:41 Oh Holy Night] 11:44 ♪♪ 15:30 [MIKE] Sir Winston Churchill 15:32 once said... 15:39 You know, sometimes I think 15:40 about how God has provided us 15:43 with more than enough 15:44 blessings. 15:47 >> And He has even blessed us 15:49 with enough to give to those 15:50 who are needy. 15:53 But too often it is spent 15:55 pampering our own selfish 15:57 desires and we actually rob 16:00 the poor of the necessities 16:02 of life. 16:03 We crowd our wardrobes with 16:05 designer fashions, clothing we 16:08 seldom wear, and the least of 16:10 these are covered in flimsy 16:12 garments that do very little 16:14 to shield them from the bitter 16:16 cold weather. 16:18 [MIKE] I think of how we 16:20 pursue our pleasures while 16:22 certain less-fortunate souls 16:23 like those who are suffering 16:25 in prison cells, for example, 16:27 they have no one to speak to 16:29 them comforting words of 16:30 encouragement. 16:33 >> Like Mary and Joseph, poor 16:35 people still hear the words of 16:37 rejection, "Sorry, we have no 16:40 room for you." 16:42 [MIKE] While the favoured rich 16:45 are at ease in their expensive 16:46 homes, too many have nowhere 16:48 to lay their heads. 16:50 There is no room for them. 16:52 [RENÉ] No room. 16:53 [MIKE] No room. 16:55 [RENÉ] No room for the least 16:57 of these. 17:01 [whistle and guitar playing] 17:04 ♪♪ 17:14 ♪ I wonder as I wander 17:19 ♪ out under the sky 17:23 ♪ How Jesus the Saviour 17:28 ♪ had come for to die 17:32 ♪ For poor ornery creatures 17:37 ♪ like you and like I 17:42 ♪ I wonder as I wander 17:49 ♪ out under the sky 17:54 ♪ I wonder as I wander 17:59 ♪ out under the sky 18:04 ♪ How Jesus the Saviour 18:09 ♪ had come for to die 18:13 ♪ For poor ornery creatures 18:18 ♪ like you and like I 18:23 ♪ I wonder as I wander 18:32 ♪ out under the sky 18:42 ♪ Amen 18:55 [Mike reading verse] 19:11 >> Here Jesus painted a 19:13 picture for His disciples, the 19:16 scene of the Great Judgment 19:17 Day, and He described its 19:19 decision as resting on one 19:22 point. 19:23 In the end there will be only 19:25 two classes and their eternal 19:28 destiny will be determined by 19:30 what they have done or have 19:33 neglected to do for Him in the 19:35 person of the poor and the 19:37 suffering. 19:38 >> So all the days of your 19:40 life, all the days of my life, 19:42 Jesus has been very near to us 19:44 in the people that we would 19:46 perhaps consider to be the 19:48 least of these. 19:50 >> Did you turn toward Him? 19:54 Or did you treat Him with 19:56 contempt? 19:57 [MIKE] Did you give Him food 19:59 when He was hungry, water when 20:01 He was thirsty and care for Him 20:03 when He was sick? 20:05 >> Did you know His name or 20:08 were you too busy to ask? 20:10 [MIKE] "For the poor you will 20:12 have with you always," 20:13 Jesus said. 20:14 So essentially, He was saying, 20:16 "You don't have to feel like I 20:19 am very far from you." 20:21 [RENÉ] Millions upon millions 20:23 of human souls are ready to 20:25 perish, bound in chains of 20:27 ignorance and sin. 20:30 They've never so much as heard 20:32 of or seen Christ's love for 20:34 them. 20:35 >> So were your condition and 20:37 theirs to be reversed, what 20:39 would you desire them to do 20:41 for you? 20:43 >> Christ's law of love, the 20:45 standard by which everyone of 20:47 us will stand or fall in the 20:49 judgment is this... 21:01 [lively orchestral music] 21:07 ♪ Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 21:11 ♪ Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 21:12 ♪ Hallelujah! 21:15 ♪ Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 21:18 ♪ Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 21:20 ♪ Hallelujah! 21:22 ♪ For the Lord God 21:25 ♪ omnipotent reigneth 21:28 ♪ Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 21:30 ♪ Hallelujah! Hallelujah! ♪ 21:32 ♪ For the Lord God 21:34 ♪ omnipotent reigneth 21:38 ♪ Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 21:40 ♪ Hallelujah! Hallelujah! ♪ 21:42 ♪ For the Lord God 21:44 ♪ omnipotent reigneth 21:47 ♪ Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 21:50 ♪ Hallelujah! Hallelujah! ♪ 21:53 ♪ Hallelujah! Hallelujah! ♪ 21:55 ♪ For the Lord God ♪ 21:58 ♪ omnipotent reigneth 22:01 ♪ Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 22:05 ♪ The kingdom of this world 22:11 ♪ Is become 22:15 ♪ the kingdom of our Lord 22:18 ♪ And of His Christ 22:21 ♪ and of His Christ 22:23 ♪ And He shall reign 22:24 ♪ for ever and ever 22:27 ♪ And He shall reign 22:30 ♪ for ever and ever 22:33 ♪ And He shall reign 22:34 ♪ for ever and ever 22:38 ♪ And He shall reign 22:40 ♪ for ever and ever 22:43 ♪ King of kings 22:45 ♪ For ever and ever 22:47 ♪ Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 22:49 ♪ And Lord of lords 22:51 ♪ For ever and ever 22:53 ♪ Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 22:55 ♪ King of kings 22:57 ♪ For ever and ever 22:59 ♪ Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 23:01 ♪ And Lord of lords 23:03 ♪ For ever and ever 23:05 ♪ Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 23:07 ♪ King of kings 23:09 ♪ For ever and ever 23:10 ♪ Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 23:13 ♪ And Lord of lords 23:15 ♪ King of kings 23:17 ♪ and Lord of lords 23:19 ♪ And He shall reign 23:21 ♪ for ever and ever 23:24 ♪ And He shall reign 23:25 ♪ for ever and ever 23:29 ♪ King of kings 23:31 ♪ Forever and ever 23:32 ♪ and Lord of lords 23:34 ♪ Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 23:36 ♪ And He shall reign 23:38 ♪ for ever and ever 23:43 ♪ King of kings 23:44 ♪ and Lord of lords 23:47 ♪ King of kings 23:48 ♪ and Lord of lords 23:50 ♪ And He shall reign 23:52 ♪ for ever and ever 23:56 ♪ For ever and ever 23:58 ♪ and ever and ever 24:00 ♪ Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 24:02 ♪ Hallelujah! Hallelujah! ♪ 24:06 ♪ Hallelujah! 24:27 [MIKE] From the cradle to the 24:28 cross, Jesus understood the 24:30 difficulties of the least 24:32 of these. 24:32 Although all things were 24:34 created by Him, as the Bible 24:36 says, He did not feel Himself 24:38 superior to those He called 24:41 "the least of these." 24:43 [RENÉ] His heavenly Father 24:45 agonized as demonic, malicious 24:47 men executed His son. 24:50 These executioners were also 24:53 the least of these and even 24:55 though His father's heart was 24:57 torn in two and He could not 25:00 bear to watch, He loved them 25:03 as well. 25:04 >> Cloaking the scene in dark 25:06 clouds, His Father's heart 25:09 wept. 25:10 >> But that was not the end. 25:13 [MIKE] Three days later, death 25:15 lost its grip on the source 25:17 of life. 25:19 [RENÉ] All this He freely 25:21 offers to the least of these, 25:24 to you and to me. 25:26 [MIKE] And one day very soon 25:28 He will return as He promised. 25:30 And if someone asks Him... 25:41 So even though human beings 25:43 like me and like you nailed 25:45 Him to a criminal's cross, 25:47 Jesus still calls us His 25:50 friends. 25:51 >> That is what God is like. 25:54 The Bible promises... 26:06 He is counting on being with 26:09 you eternally. 26:11 >> So we want to invite you to 26:13 pray with us that God will 26:15 help us all to love Him and to 26:18 be filled with love for those 26:20 that Jesus called "the least 26:22 of these." 26:24 So let's pray together. 26:27 [RENÉ] Father, we thank You 26:29 for revealing to us in Your 26:31 Word Your one desire to be 26:34 with us eternally. 26:36 You sent Your one and only 26:38 son, Jesus, to be Emanuel, God 26:41 with us. 26:43 [MIKE] Father, forgive us for 26:45 closing our hearts to the 26:47 needs of others and please 26:49 help us not to shut ourselves 26:51 away from the poor in our own 26:53 houses, our churches even, 26:56 with no room for the least of 26:59 these in our hearts. 27:01 We thank You, Father, for 27:02 hearing and answering our 27:04 prayer, in the name of our 27:05 Saviour, Jesus Christ, we 27:07 pray, amen. 27:12 Whenever we bless others, we 27:14 receive a greater blessing. 27:16 Even here at It Is Written 27:18 Canada, God often gives us the 27:20 privilege of experiencing the 27:22 joy of giving when we make 27:24 free offers to people watching 27:26 our programs. 27:28 >> But we also realize that 27:30 those free offers are not free. 27:34 It is because of the support 27:35 of people like you that we can 27:38 send these Christian books and 27:40 Bible studies to people all 27:42 over Canada every day and we 27:45 want to thank you for making 27:47 this possible. 27:49 >> We have a request so that 27:51 we can continue to keep this 27:52 ministry on the air and 27:54 continue providing these free 27:56 books and Bible studies to 27:57 people. 27:58 Could we also ask you to 28:01 consider supporting It Is 28:02 Written Canada at this time of 28:04 the year? 28:06 >> In faith, we want to thank 28:08 you so much for your financial 28:10 support and for your prayers 28:13 and may God richly bless you 28:15 this holiday season. 28:20 You, too, can experience the 28:22 fullness of life found in the 28:24 words of Jesus when He said, 28:27 "It is written, 'Man shall not 28:29 live by bread alone, but by 28:31 every word that proceeds out 28:34 of the mouth of God.'" 28:38 ♪♪ |
Revised 2022-12-20