Welcome to Anchors Of Truth live
from the 3ABN Worship Center.
00:00:12.81\00:00:17.48
Thriving Faith In Difficult
Times, with Jim Gilley.
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Ellen White writes in the second
volume of the Testimonies,
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page 319, a note
of encouragement to a
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woman who had been
suffering for a long time.
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And she says this, "I
saw that God would be to you
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a very present help if you would
only trust yourself with Him."
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But here's the
operative part of this sentence.
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She says, "But you
worry yourself out of the arms
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of your dear loving Savior."
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Ellen White goes on to
say in this particular letter,
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and in others, that we
can indeed worry ourselves
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out of the arms of Jesus.
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We can take our burdens to
the Lord and, through worry,
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pick those same burdens back
up and carry them once again.
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And so, last night's message
was so very, very crucial
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and important to our Christian
walk because Jim told us
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that worrying is not
going to help us and it really
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does an offense to the
care and the love of God.
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It was a beautiful
message backed up and buttressed
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by what Ellen White had to
say in this particular volume
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of the Testimonies.
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Good evening and God bless.
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My name is C.A. Murray and
it is my privilege and pleasure
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once again to welcome you
to presentation number three
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in this practical
godliness series where we are
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dealing with the practical
issues that appertain to
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walking with Jesus Christ.
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We all have
feelings, we all have emotions,
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we all have ups and downs
in our Christian experience.
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And as wonderful and as good
and as important as it is to
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talk about prophecy and
eschatology and soteriology
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and ecclesiology, and all
of those wonderful things that
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make of the warp and
woof of Seventh-day Adventism,
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is it also important to
talk about how we're going to
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make it tomorrow.
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What happens when the month
is long and the money is short?
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What happens when someone
cuts you off on the road?
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What do you do
when you have fear?
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What do you do when
you are prone to worry?
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These practical
things that make up our life.
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And Jim has been
walking us through that
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these past two nights.
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Tonight, we change
directions just a little bit
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because we're
going to be talking about
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a settled mind in
an unsettled world.
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A Settled Mind in
an Unsettled World.
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And I know that Jim
Gilley is going to give us the
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Word of God this evening as he
has on the past two occasions.
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And I would ask from
you for him, your prayerful
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and undivided attention.
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Not only here in this
house, but around the world
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as we listen to the man of
God deliver the Word of God
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this very evening.
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Before Jim comes and speaks...
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Some 36 years ago, I was
pastoring the Bethel church
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in Brooklyn New York.
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And there came to church
each Sabbath, a young man,
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street jockey from Brooklyn,
with a large lollipop afro
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and an attitude.
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He came into church and he
certainly wasn't thinking about
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being a pastor
back in those days.
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But he did have a
girlfriend who loved the Lord
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and who thought it not
robbery to drag him to church
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every Sabbath
morning to hear me preach.
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And I don't know if he
often liked or always liked
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what I had to say, or
even liked being there,
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but Angie got John there.
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And sometime between then
and now, his attitude changed.
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He got a new attitude.
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And he got a
relationship with Jesus Christ.
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And he found out that
God had given him a voice.
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And he chose to use
that voice for Jesus Christ.
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I'm talking about my pastor,
my friend, John Lomacang.
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And the Lord is quixotic in
His dealings with us sometimes,
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as I was then his
pastor and he is now mine.
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But I still think of him
as little Johnny Lomacang
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with the big afro,
running the streets.
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And I am very, very
proud when I hear him preach
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and listen him sing, almost
as a father would be to a son,
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though our ages
are quite similar.
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He is my friend and I've
watched him over these years.
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And God has blessed him.
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And so before Jim speaks,
we're going to call John to sing
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the song just before he speaks.
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But just now, I'm going
to ask you to join with me
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in a word of prayer.
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Gracious Father, we
just praise You and thank You
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for this season.
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And as we stand just now on
the very edges of the Sabbath,
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we ask that Your Spirit
might draw very, very near
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to this place.
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There are parts of the world
where the Sabbath has begun
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many, many hours ago.
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There are parts of the
world where the Sabbath
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is still to come.
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But here, we look to
the edges of the Sabbath
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and we joyfully welcome in
the Sabbath, which will come
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in the next hour or so.
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And we ask even now that
as our hearts turn towards You
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and we listen to Your
manservant, that we may be
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filled with Your Spirit,
that we may be encouraged
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as we seek to walk this
road that leads to glory.
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We love You Lord, and we
praise You, and we thank You
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for Your power and
the power in Your word.
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And we ask You to fill us
with that power this night.
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In Jesus' name, amen.
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John Lomacang and
then Pastor Jim Gilley.
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Search me, oh
God, reveal my heart,
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expose my sin that
it may be confessed.
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Search me, oh God,
unveil each thought,
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and leave no
hidden motive unaddressed.
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Uncover every
action born in pride,
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show me the worldly
ways I still embrace.
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May every anxious
thought be brought to light,
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and each unspoken
fear with faith replaced.
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Search me, oh
God, observe my life,
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bring to my mind
each idle word I speak.
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Search me, oh
God, test my resolve,
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and alert me
where You find it weak.
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Reveal all weakened
walls within my soul,
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show me potential
dangers unforeseen.
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Then clothe my
conscience with Your holiness,
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help me to guard it
well and keep it clean.
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Search me, oh God,
that I may walk in peace,
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filled with the joy
of knowing all is well.
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My heart surrendered
and my conscience clean,
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so great a joy my
tongue can scarcely tell.
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Oh what a joy of
knowing that all is well.
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Praise the Lord.
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It's so good to see
each one of you tonight.
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And I believe that
as we open God's word,
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that He is going to
speak to our hearts.
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We're going to ask
Him to do that right now.
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Let's bow our heads.
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Father, we pray
for a message from You.
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We pray that through the
power of Your Holy Spirit,
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that You will
speak to our hearts.
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Give us courage,
Father, because we know that
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You speak of courage, so
that we might be able to face
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those things that are
coming upon the earth.
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Some of which we
have no knowledge of.
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We don't even
know what they will be.
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But You will see us
through them, Father.
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Thank You for that assurance.
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We pray in Jesus' name, amen.
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My mother was a great preacher.
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Now she never mounted a
pulpit, but she could preach.
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I received most of her sermons.
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Five children, but it seemed
that she preached more to me
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than any of the others.
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And also, after I went off
to school, mother wrote letters
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that were unbelievable sermons.
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I wish I had all of them.
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I lost some of them in the
fire we had, and also was not
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wise enough to
keep some of them.
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And to be honest with you,
there were some of them that
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I didn't really want to keep.
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My mother's name was Pauline.
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And she was a
great Bible student.
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Most of her
letters to me were sermons
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with scripture and
admonition that was direct.
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And some of it hurt at times.
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In fact, after I got
married, when her letter came,
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I would say to my wife,
"Read this and let me know
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when you think I can read it."
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And sometimes she
would hold it for days.
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And sometimes, I think
she wanted to give it to me.
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So she gave me that letter
probably agreeing with mom
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that I needed that counsel that
was in that particular letter.
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Pauline epistles.
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Mother had high blood pressure.
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And she took some medication
for high blood pressure.
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She did not want to
increase that medication.
00:12:21.75\00:12:24.15
She went to the doctor one
time and the nurse was taking
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her blood pressure and the
nurse said, "Mrs. Gilley, your
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blood pressure
is a little high."
00:12:31.76\00:12:33.01
And she said, "Could you
wait a minute and take it?
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I was hurrying here."
00:12:35.97\00:12:37.99
And the lady kind of
helped her along, she said,
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"Well, and maybe you're
a little apprehensive about
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having your
blood pressure taken.
00:12:43.14\00:12:44.91
Yes, Mrs. Gilley, you sit
here a wait for a little bit.
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And then we'll take it again."
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Mother told me about this
and she said, "I began to quote
00:12:52.79\00:12:57.22
that famous text from Isaiah
the 26th chapter verse 3."
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"Thou wilt keep
him in perfect peace,
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whose mind is stayed on thee."
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And she said, "I quoted
that to myself several times.
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And then I told
the lady, 'Go ahead and
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take my blood pressure.'"
00:13:19.32\00:13:20.34
And she did and the lady
said, "Wow, it's right there.
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Right on normal.
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We will not have to
increase your blood pressure
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medication at all."
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And mom said, "That assurance
lowered my blood pressure."
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You know, I kind of
smiled and I thought to myself,
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"Yea mom, it was just
accidental probably that
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your blood pressure came down."
00:13:46.38\00:13:47.67
But I didn't
say anything to her.
00:13:47.68\00:13:49.31
I did say, "Are you
sure that's what did it?"
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And she said, "Yes, I
know that's what did it."
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Years later, I was at a
general conference session
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running from place to
place and moving around.
00:14:00.46\00:14:03.60
I had excellent blood pressure.
00:14:03.63\00:14:05.15
In fact, I had many physicals
from Dr. Kenneth Cooper
00:14:05.16\00:14:08.43
there in Dallas.
00:14:08.46\00:14:09.47
And he use to look at me and
he'd say, "This is ridiculous.
00:14:09.50\00:14:13.95
You've got the blood
pressure of a 15 year old kid."
00:14:13.96\00:14:17.33
And he said,
"It's just amazing how
00:14:17.95\00:14:20.38
good your blood pressure is."
00:14:20.41\00:14:22.46
And so I was so proud of it.
00:14:22.97\00:14:24.31
But this particular day, we
were moving around quite a bit.
00:14:24.34\00:14:28.16
You know, general conference
session can be really a
00:14:28.19\00:14:31.89
time of pressure and stress.
00:14:31.92\00:14:34.01
And so they were
taking blood pressures.
00:14:34.04\00:14:36.76
And somebody said,
"Hey, I'm going to have my
00:14:36.79\00:14:39.20
blood pressure
taken. What about you?"
00:14:39.21\00:14:40.63
I said, "I'm not. Okay, I will."
00:14:40.64\00:14:42.46
So they took my blood pressure
and it was a little high.
00:14:42.49\00:14:45.82
And I thought, "Wow, it
shouldn't be up like that."
00:14:47.12\00:14:51.26
And then I
remembered mother's experience.
00:14:52.08\00:14:54.46
And I said, "Wait a
minute and take it again."
00:14:56.07\00:14:58.53
And again, I said
to myself Isaiah 26:3,
00:14:59.92\00:15:05.59
"Thou wilt keep
him in perfect peace,
00:15:05.62\00:15:08.65
whose mind is stayed on thee."
00:15:08.68\00:15:12.56
You see, when they took
my blood pressure again,
00:15:13.35\00:15:17.36
it was normal.
00:15:18.22\00:15:19.88
And I said to myself,
"My mother was right."
00:15:20.41\00:15:24.26
Again, mother was right.
00:15:25.08\00:15:27.77
You know, the Bible is so
full of good things that really
00:15:28.27\00:15:34.18
talk to you and to me today.
00:15:34.21\00:15:36.66
We don't have to go reading
literatures somewhere else.
00:15:37.23\00:15:40.01
If you go to the Bible,
you can find the answers
00:15:40.02\00:15:43.69
to most of the
things that we face in life.
00:15:43.72\00:15:47.40
They are there, in
scripture, in God's holy Word.
00:15:47.41\00:15:52.93
Now let's say
tonight, that you've come to
00:15:53.23\00:15:55.22
the doctor, so to speak.
00:15:55.25\00:15:56.61
And we're going to
be talking about stress.
00:15:56.64\00:15:58.43
There's a lot of
stress in the world.
00:15:58.46\00:16:00.41
You know, I was back stage just
getting ready here to come on
00:16:00.81\00:16:04.15
and John came back and
he started talking to me.
00:16:04.18\00:16:07.05
And he starts telling me
about, and I'd heard about this,
00:16:07.08\00:16:10.76
but I hadn't really
thought about it all that much.
00:16:10.79\00:16:13.44
I just casually
heard about this dwarf star
00:16:13.47\00:16:16.34
that's out there that
they're predicting some things
00:16:16.37\00:16:19.90
for in the fall.
00:16:19.93\00:16:21.01
And maybe we'll
look at that some time.
00:16:21.63\00:16:23.39
Maybe John can present something
to us on some of these subjects.
00:16:23.42\00:16:27.03
But it's Elenin, I think
that's the way it's pronounced.
00:16:27.06\00:16:30.83
And the possibilities
of the destructiveness.
00:16:31.23\00:16:36.98
This thing is larger or
about the size of Jupiter.
00:16:37.01\00:16:42.05
And some time this fall...
00:16:42.68\00:16:44.78
And by the way, they
say it's very erratic.
00:16:44.81\00:16:46.64
I'm not going to get into this.
00:16:46.67\00:16:47.85
I'm just telling you
what John told me back there.
00:16:47.88\00:16:49.97
It was enough to stress
me out, I can tell you that.
00:16:50.58\00:16:55.11
Here, I'm preaching on
stress tonight and talking about
00:16:55.32\00:16:58.54
having peace tonight.
00:16:58.57\00:16:59.99
And then John comes back
there and disturbs my peace
00:17:00.02\00:17:04.01
telling me about this.
00:17:04.46\00:17:06.32
But you know, the Lord
is going to take us through.
00:17:07.05\00:17:09.90
No matter what it is.
00:17:10.86\00:17:12.68
In fact, sometimes when I
see all these things lining up,
00:17:12.71\00:17:15.10
I'm saying, "Come
on, bring them on.
00:17:15.13\00:17:17.39
Let's get out of here.
00:17:17.93\00:17:19.33
Let's go home with the Lord."
00:17:19.34\00:17:21.82
Because we know we've got
to see these things take place
00:17:21.85\00:17:25.36
before He comes back.
00:17:25.39\00:17:27.28
So let's don't get all bent
out of shape and start worrying
00:17:27.31\00:17:30.50
or try to prevent some things.
00:17:30.53\00:17:32.37
There are some things
you can't prevent anyway.
00:17:32.40\00:17:34.23
There's no way you
can prevent that star.
00:17:34.26\00:17:36.62
And they say it is
totally unpredictable.
00:17:36.88\00:17:41.03
Usually you can predict stars.
00:17:41.06\00:17:43.15
You can set clocks by them and
the time right to the second.
00:17:43.18\00:17:46.96
This thing is
totally unpredictable.
00:17:46.99\00:17:49.64
And it moves
around in such a way.
00:17:49.67\00:17:51.57
However, they are predicting,
I think, John, that it will be
00:17:51.60\00:17:54.50
somewhere this
fall, in alignment between
00:17:54.53\00:17:58.66
the sun and the earth.
00:17:58.69\00:18:01.29
Now that becomes a
dramatic situation.
00:18:02.33\00:18:05.92
And they say that three of these
major earthquakes that we've had
00:18:07.00\00:18:10.60
were times when it was in
an alignment, I think it was
00:18:10.63\00:18:13.91
on the other side of
the sun at that time,
00:18:13.94\00:18:15.66
but still aligned with
the earth, and caused the
00:18:15.69\00:18:19.00
earth to actually move
off its axis several inches
00:18:19.03\00:18:23.98
in the North Pole.
00:18:24.01\00:18:25.59
And so, we know that
these things are very serious.
00:18:26.67\00:18:30.94
We live in a world where
we've got enough stress at home
00:18:31.63\00:18:35.01
to keep us busy.
00:18:35.04\00:18:36.79
We don't need something
like this to come along, do we.
00:18:37.42\00:18:41.24
So let's turn to
the great Physician
00:18:41.74\00:18:45.19
and let Him give us three pills.
00:18:46.34\00:18:48.30
Three pills, John 14:27.
00:18:49.19\00:18:52.28
"Peace I leave with you,
My peace I give unto you;
00:18:53.38\00:19:00.34
not as the world
giveth, give I unto you.
00:19:00.74\00:19:03.75
Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid."
00:19:03.78\00:19:09.24
That's pill number one.
00:19:10.15\00:19:11.64
That's your prescription.
00:19:12.82\00:19:15.16
"Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid."
00:19:15.96\00:19:21.62
Don't be stressed
out over all of this.
00:19:21.97\00:19:24.57
He says, "My
peace I leave with you.
00:19:24.78\00:19:28.40
My peace I give you,
00:19:28.41\00:19:30.32
not as the world
giveth, give I unto you.
00:19:30.91\00:19:33.50
Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid."
00:19:33.53\00:19:39.52
And then the second one.
00:19:40.02\00:19:41.43
Job the 22nd chapter verse 21.
00:19:41.84\00:19:44.41
"Acquaint now
thyself with Him..."
00:19:44.44\00:19:48.43
Get acquainted with Him.
00:19:49.15\00:19:50.85
"...and be at peace."
00:19:51.53\00:19:53.87
As we become acquainted
with our Lord, our God;
00:19:54.75\00:19:57.87
through
Scripture, through prayer.
00:19:57.90\00:19:59.56
But especially
through Scripture.
00:19:59.59\00:20:01.44
I've come to the conclusion
over and over again in my life
00:20:01.47\00:20:05.12
that I want to pray
with God's Word in my hand
00:20:05.15\00:20:08.62
because He's
answering me through Scripture.
00:20:09.76\00:20:13.17
The Word speaks
back to you as you pray.
00:20:14.14\00:20:18.57
We need to do more praying
with our Bible in our hand.
00:20:18.60\00:20:22.50
You know, I like to
tease a little bit about my mom
00:20:22.53\00:20:25.55
and those Pauline
epistles, as we called them.
00:20:25.58\00:20:28.39
But I will tell you this.
00:20:28.42\00:20:30.37
She was a praying woman.
00:20:30.84\00:20:32.85
She prayed her boys through.
00:20:33.55\00:20:35.60
And I'll tell
you something else.
00:20:36.60\00:20:38.59
That she prayed with
her Bible in her hand.
00:20:39.06\00:20:41.72
It never really occurred to me
until recently that this was the
00:20:42.02\00:20:45.76
way mother prayed,
was with her Bible.
00:20:45.79\00:20:49.20
And I talked years later
to a lady who told me she was
00:20:49.51\00:20:53.78
mom's prayer
partner, one of them.
00:20:53.81\00:20:56.30
And she said, "Your mom would
pray from 3 to 8 hours a day."
00:20:56.33\00:21:01.00
Now, she's
praying with the Bible.
00:21:01.86\00:21:03.61
She's studying the Bible.
00:21:03.81\00:21:05.49
She's not on her
knees the whole time,
00:21:05.52\00:21:07.24
but she's talking to the Lord.
00:21:07.27\00:21:08.61
She's communing with the Lord.
00:21:08.81\00:21:10.59
Now this was in her later life.
00:21:11.21\00:21:12.99
Because when she was
younger and had five kids,
00:21:13.02\00:21:15.83
I guarantee you she was
not praying eight hours a day.
00:21:15.86\00:21:20.06
Now she might have been
praying all night to try to
00:21:20.73\00:21:22.82
get through the day,
I'm not sure about that.
00:21:22.85\00:21:25.34
But we kept her so busy
and she had to put those
00:21:25.37\00:21:28.04
meals on the table.
00:21:28.05\00:21:29.85
But the Bible says that if
we become acquainted with Him.
00:21:30.77\00:21:36.32
And then that third one is
Isaiah 26:3, we had before,
00:21:37.19\00:21:41.53
"Thou wilt keep
him in perfect peace,
00:21:41.56\00:21:44.59
whose mind is stayed on thee."
00:21:44.62\00:21:48.43
A text that is a real
prescription for peace.
00:21:48.93\00:21:55.43
Keeping your mind on
Jesus Christ; our Lord,
00:21:55.46\00:22:00.12
our God, and our Savior.
00:22:00.15\00:22:01.82
Now stress is a root
problem of most diseases today.
00:22:01.83\00:22:07.88
You would be surprised.
00:22:08.80\00:22:09.84
It is the root
problem of most diseases.
00:22:09.87\00:22:13.03
When you get down to
it, you will find that
00:22:13.06\00:22:16.00
stress is involved.
00:22:16.03\00:22:18.15
In fact, they tell us
that the three largest selling
00:22:19.06\00:22:23.16
medications all
deal with stress.
00:22:23.19\00:22:26.17
And stress as it relates to
different functions of the body.
00:22:26.99\00:22:30.98
Now there are two
ways, two parts of the body;
00:22:31.59\00:22:34.45
there's the thought process
and there's the motor process.
00:22:34.49\00:22:38.57
And it is very much in
control of these processes.
00:22:38.60\00:22:45.51
Stress changes the
ability of the thought process
00:22:45.54\00:22:49.20
to work properly.
00:22:49.23\00:22:50.55
It changes the motor
processes to where they're
00:22:50.58\00:22:53.45
not working properly.
00:22:53.48\00:22:55.65
And this brain is
extremely sensitive.
00:22:55.68\00:22:59.25
These are two very
sensitive aspects of our brain.
00:23:00.00\00:23:04.37
Our thought process
and our motor process.
00:23:04.84\00:23:09.62
Now what are some of
the major causes of stress.
00:23:09.65\00:23:13.17
You know, you
need some stress, now.
00:23:13.57\00:23:16.53
Don't misunderstand me.
00:23:16.56\00:23:17.83
There is good stress, but stress
taken too far becomes too much.
00:23:17.86\00:23:23.50
Let's say for instance...
00:23:23.52\00:23:24.52
If Danny were here.
00:23:24.55\00:23:25.55
And he's going to be
with us in the morning.
00:23:25.86\00:23:27.64
He'll be singing
for us in the morning.
00:23:27.65\00:23:29.83
But if Danny had his guitar,
you don't want those strings
00:23:29.86\00:23:34.73
totally loose.
00:23:34.76\00:23:36.09
You know what a guitar sounds
like when the strings are loose.
00:23:36.55\00:23:40.91
You want them tight.
00:23:41.73\00:23:42.75
But if you tighten
them too much, what happens?
00:23:42.78\00:23:45.62
So you see, you've got to
reach the right point of stress.
00:23:46.61\00:23:51.15
They say when're stressing
steel, there is a point
00:23:51.76\00:23:55.10
at which the
steel will give way.
00:23:55.13\00:23:57.61
But you want to take
that right up to that point,
00:23:57.64\00:24:00.33
but not beyond that point.
00:24:00.36\00:24:02.45
And so in our lives, we
want a certain amount of stress,
00:24:02.93\00:24:07.90
but not too much stress.
00:24:07.93\00:24:10.03
You don't want someone that
is so relaxed they're getting
00:24:10.80\00:24:14.13
absolutely nothing done.
00:24:14.16\00:24:15.73
Now there are a number
of major causes for stress.
00:24:15.76\00:24:21.34
Number one is change.
00:24:21.35\00:24:23.93
Change.
00:24:25.08\00:24:26.44
Holmes and Rahe, who did
the study that's probably the
00:24:26.64\00:24:30.04
best known on stress,
said that there are 43 events
00:24:30.07\00:24:35.35
in life which
cause major stress.
00:24:36.40\00:24:39.89
And the key word, or
the implied or written word,
00:24:39.92\00:24:43.56
in each of those is "change".
00:24:43.59\00:24:46.09
Something changing.
00:24:46.78\00:24:47.99
It can be the
change caused by death.
00:24:48.02\00:24:50.63
It can be change
caused by moving.
00:24:50.66\00:24:53.34
Losing a job, changing a job.
00:24:53.35\00:24:56.38
Having some other things
happen with relationships,
00:24:56.41\00:24:59.81
and so forth.
00:24:59.84\00:25:00.88
Change causes stress.
00:25:00.91\00:25:04.36
15 times it appears directly
and 28 times it's implied
00:25:06.96\00:25:12.04
in their study.
00:25:12.07\00:25:13.34
The death of a
spouse, money reversals,
00:25:14.10\00:25:17.12
and all types of things
that cause change, cause stress.
00:25:17.15\00:25:24.05
Then secondly is conflict.
00:25:24.38\00:25:26.50
You add to change
the element of conflict,
00:25:26.87\00:25:30.31
and this stress mounts
when this conflict comes in.
00:25:30.34\00:25:34.02
Now this conflict can be between
two ideals that you have.
00:25:34.05\00:25:38.10
Or it can be a
conflict between two people.
00:25:38.13\00:25:42.27
Whatever.
00:25:42.71\00:25:43.75
It can be just an
inner self conflict.
00:25:44.17\00:25:48.33
But all of these
things cause the adrenaline
00:25:48.73\00:25:53.28
to come into the body.
00:25:53.31\00:25:55.58
And when this
comes into the body...
00:25:56.49\00:25:58.23
You see, when you
get into conflict,
00:25:58.26\00:26:00.14
you've got two choices.
00:26:00.17\00:26:01.48
You've got the choice to fight
00:26:01.49\00:26:04.30
or you've got
the choice to flight.
00:26:04.33\00:26:07.07
You either fight or run.
00:26:08.02\00:26:09.89
That's the choice that
nature sort of gives you.
00:26:09.90\00:26:13.18
And you need
adrenaline for either one.
00:26:13.39\00:26:15.50
But we have to learn to
handle things in our life
00:26:16.14\00:26:19.22
without doing either one.
00:26:19.25\00:26:20.63
By facing those things.
00:26:21.93\00:26:24.17
And how we are
able to face them.
00:26:24.64\00:26:28.19
But when conflict is persistent,
then we go into an agitated
00:26:28.22\00:26:32.54
state of stress.
00:26:32.57\00:26:34.20
And folks, this is the
condition that many people find
00:26:34.23\00:26:37.87
themselves in today.
00:26:37.90\00:26:39.35
And they need
relief from these things.
00:26:39.38\00:26:42.00
You see, this is all about
the way that God has made us.
00:26:42.03\00:26:46.50
We are beautifully
and wonderfully made,
00:26:46.80\00:26:49.86
as long as we
keep things in balance.
00:26:49.89\00:26:52.54
And we are not meant to live
without having a relationship
00:26:52.57\00:26:56.85
with our Lord and
Savior, with our God.
00:26:56.88\00:26:59.68
We are meant to have
a relationship with Him.
00:27:00.20\00:27:03.62
And when we get out
of kilter with that,
00:27:03.92\00:27:07.02
then all of these things
start happening that throw our
00:27:07.05\00:27:10.44
whole bodies and minds
into a stressful condition.
00:27:10.47\00:27:15.85
There's another element, another
thing that causes stress.
00:27:15.88\00:27:19.04
The third is criticism.
00:27:19.07\00:27:20.93
Sometimes people say,
"I want to give you some
00:27:21.92\00:27:24.12
constructive criticism."
00:27:24.15\00:27:26.63
A lot of times, I wonder
who it is constructive for.
00:27:28.21\00:27:31.05
It's usually not constructive
for the one that's receiving it.
00:27:31.85\00:27:35.37
It may be.
00:27:35.40\00:27:36.38
There may be times that
we need to give counsel.
00:27:36.41\00:27:38.86
But we need to be very
careful in criticizing because
00:27:38.89\00:27:44.00
the person that is
criticizing doesn't realize that
00:27:44.03\00:27:47.90
this can be really
debilitating to the individual.
00:27:47.93\00:27:52.68
It can hurt them, it can
bring a stress into them.
00:27:53.44\00:27:56.49
You find a sensitive
person and you criticize them,
00:27:56.52\00:28:00.46
and you can do
great damage to them.
00:28:00.49\00:28:02.93
But the amazing thing is that if
you really look at the critic,
00:28:03.20\00:28:07.10
you'll find that there's
usually a greater problem there
00:28:08.19\00:28:11.80
than the person
being criticized.
00:28:11.83\00:28:13.96
You usually will find
that there's perfectionism;
00:28:14.65\00:28:17.71
the critic is one who
sees themselves as perfect.
00:28:18.84\00:28:24.35
Or perhaps there's jealousy.
00:28:25.33\00:28:28.31
Maybe there's competition.
00:28:29.06\00:28:30.80
But the real reason
is a lack of self esteem
00:28:31.60\00:28:35.68
in the critic themselves.
00:28:35.71\00:28:37.85
And when that person does
not have good self esteem,
00:28:38.98\00:28:42.45
they look for something
to criticize in someone else.
00:28:42.48\00:28:46.60
And if they can bring
that person, the other person,
00:28:46.63\00:28:50.32
to have as low a self
esteem as they themselves have,
00:28:50.35\00:28:54.46
then somehow they feel
equal to that individual.
00:28:55.56\00:29:00.66
Does that make sense?
00:29:00.69\00:29:01.95
I'll tell you something.
00:29:02.83\00:29:03.89
As you look at the Bible and
you see some of these things,
00:29:03.92\00:29:07.18
you see some of the examples
taking place in Scripture,
00:29:07.21\00:29:10.22
and you see that some
of these things are real.
00:29:10.25\00:29:16.07
And we have them, of
course, in our own lives today.
00:29:16.10\00:29:20.34
And then there are
concerns, worries, anxieties.
00:29:20.37\00:29:24.48
We worry about our health,
as we talked about last night.
00:29:24.51\00:29:26.76
We worry about
success or the lack of it.
00:29:26.79\00:29:30.02
We worry about
unsolvable frustrations,
00:29:30.05\00:29:34.79
anticipated
trouble and problems.
00:29:34.82\00:29:37.55
And we worry about
some of these things,
00:29:37.75\00:29:40.34
and then tiredness sets in.
00:29:40.37\00:29:42.80
Tiredness sets in,
effectiveness is dulled,
00:29:42.83\00:29:46.62
and depression will come
when we get too concerned.
00:29:46.63\00:29:50.95
Somebody said
that we have the CDT's;
00:29:50.98\00:29:53.82
we have the cares,
difficulties, and troubles
00:29:54.72\00:29:59.15
that we face in life.
00:29:59.16\00:30:01.47
And then there's compression.
00:30:01.77\00:30:03.26
Trying to put too
much into too little time.
00:30:03.65\00:30:07.57
Trying to do too much,
trying to perform too much.
00:30:08.49\00:30:12.34
Taking too much responsibility.
00:30:12.37\00:30:14.54
And compression means that
we will overload our schedule.
00:30:15.20\00:30:19.94
We'll have conflicting dates,
we'll have imperious deadlines,
00:30:20.65\00:30:25.26
and we forget about our own
need for rest and recreation
00:30:25.29\00:30:29.53
when we put too much into life.
00:30:30.06\00:30:34.09
And then there's
another "c", this is number six.
00:30:34.12\00:30:37.45
And it's our conscience.
00:30:37.46\00:30:39.26
I believe it was Huck Finn,
Mark Twain's mythical character,
00:30:39.96\00:30:46.06
that said, "My conscience
is so big that there's no
00:30:46.09\00:30:51.12
room for the rest of me."
00:30:51.15\00:30:52.13
You know, we want to
have a good conscience.
00:30:54.08\00:30:56.37
But we don't want our conscience
to become so sensitive,
00:30:57.22\00:31:02.43
we don't want our conscience
to become so out of control,
00:31:02.46\00:31:07.99
that we cannot
live a normal life.
00:31:08.02\00:31:11.84
You see, we have to be
very careful to keep the
00:31:12.77\00:31:15.44
conscience in balance.
00:31:15.47\00:31:17.26
And the best way
to do that, again,
00:31:17.29\00:31:19.30
is through God's promises
and through the Word of God,
00:31:19.33\00:31:26.30
and by trusting
in the Word of God.
00:31:26.33\00:31:28.08
I used my good
friend, Dr. Carl Markstrom,
00:31:28.09\00:31:31.70
for many, many years.
00:31:32.76\00:31:34.38
Over 35 years, he was
my personal physician.
00:31:34.41\00:31:37.70
He's resting now
waiting for the resurrection.
00:31:38.49\00:31:41.47
And was a wonderful man.
00:31:42.34\00:31:44.57
But he took care
of a lot of preachers.
00:31:45.33\00:31:48.36
He took care of me,
never would let me pay.
00:31:48.76\00:31:51.25
That's not the reason I
went to him, but that would have
00:31:52.60\00:31:54.83
been a good reason to go to him.
00:31:54.86\00:31:57.13
He was the best
doctor I've ever known.
00:31:57.16\00:32:00.22
His ability to
diagnose was uncanny.
00:32:00.23\00:32:02.86
All of the specialists would
talk about that if he sent them
00:32:02.89\00:32:07.33
a diagnosis, it was right on.
00:32:07.34\00:32:09.74
When they did the tests,
the specialists, I've had a
00:32:10.24\00:32:13.18
number of them tell me...
00:32:13.21\00:32:14.27
In fact, all of those
specialists that he had
00:32:14.30\00:32:16.79
dealt with over the
years, were at his funeral.
00:32:16.82\00:32:19.42
And I mentioned that
and they came up afterwards
00:32:19.45\00:32:22.59
and said to me, "Yes,
you're absolutely right.
00:32:22.62\00:32:26.83
Carl had an uncanny
ability to diagnose."
00:32:26.86\00:32:31.90
He took care of dozens
and dozens, it could have even
00:32:32.31\00:32:35.79
run into the
hundreds, of ministers
00:32:35.80\00:32:38.47
throughout his practice.
00:32:38.50\00:32:40.96
And he told me that almost
all, he would say well 80 to 85%
00:32:41.63\00:32:48.18
have what he
called, a preachers gut.
00:32:48.21\00:32:51.31
And the preachers gut was
IBS, irritable bowel syndrome,
00:32:52.54\00:32:59.21
or Crohn's disease, or
something of that nature.
00:32:59.24\00:33:06.37
Because ministers often have
a very sensitive conscience.
00:33:07.30\00:33:12.87
They don't want to be phonies.
00:33:12.90\00:33:16.43
And they take, sometimes,
too much on themselves
00:33:16.90\00:33:21.54
and expect too
much from themselves.
00:33:21.57\00:33:25.35
And they worry themselves
into a physical condition.
00:33:25.38\00:33:31.37
And he use to try to
tell them over and over again
00:33:31.40\00:33:34.77
that they should
trust more, trust more.
00:33:34.80\00:33:40.84
And then that means that we
have got to find some answers.
00:33:41.46\00:33:48.42
How do we find
the answers to this?
00:33:48.45\00:33:50.65
How do we come to the
place where we have an answer
00:33:50.68\00:33:54.46
to stress in our lives?
00:33:54.49\00:33:56.55
Well first of all, we need
to make sure that we have a
00:33:56.96\00:34:00.20
relationship with Jesus Christ.
00:34:00.23\00:34:01.77
That's where it all starts.
00:34:01.80\00:34:03.28
That is the number
one thing that we do,
00:34:03.75\00:34:06.90
is a relationship with Jesus.
00:34:06.93\00:34:09.30
And then we take a very
good honest look at our life
00:34:10.37\00:34:15.26
and at all of the
activities of our life.
00:34:15.29\00:34:19.71
Sometimes, there's some
of us that can't say "no".
00:34:20.44\00:34:22.93
I read a story
about Thomas Jefferson.
00:34:23.75\00:34:25.99
You know, it's amazing
when you look at our founders;
00:34:26.02\00:34:28.57
the President of the
United States riding a horse
00:34:28.78\00:34:31.27
when he's out
traveling somewhere.
00:34:31.30\00:34:33.15
That's amazing, but we've
come from that in this country,
00:34:33.18\00:34:36.51
and the history of our country.
00:34:36.54\00:34:37.75
Thomas Jefferson, on
horseback, was next to a river
00:34:37.78\00:34:44.86
and there was a man who
wanted to go to the other side.
00:34:45.26\00:34:47.57
Now Thomas Jefferson was
not going to the other side.
00:34:47.60\00:34:50.21
But Thomas Jefferson is standing
there with a group of people
00:34:50.61\00:34:54.49
and this man walked up and said,
"Sir," and he looked right at
00:34:55.09\00:35:01.07
Thomas Jefferson, "would
you take me to the other side?"
00:35:01.10\00:35:03.58
And Jefferson said, "Yes."
00:35:04.86\00:35:06.56
And he got on back
of Jefferson's horse
00:35:07.22\00:35:10.31
and Jefferson took him
across to the other side.
00:35:10.34\00:35:13.07
The man was on foot.
00:35:13.99\00:35:15.59
Later, somebody said to
him, "There were a number
00:35:17.04\00:35:20.86
of people there.
00:35:20.89\00:35:22.22
Why did you ask the
President of the United States?"
00:35:22.62\00:35:28.17
He said, "Because
he had a 'yes' face.
00:35:29.02\00:35:31.56
I knew he would
not say no to me."
00:35:32.86\00:35:35.31
You know what
the amazing thing is?
00:35:36.08\00:35:37.80
A lot of people
have a "yes" face.
00:35:37.83\00:35:39.96
That's good, but that
can also get us into trouble.
00:35:40.38\00:35:43.68
About this time of the year,
it's nominating committee time
00:35:43.71\00:35:47.42
in churches all
over the country.
00:35:47.84\00:35:50.26
And people will
overload their schedule.
00:35:51.10\00:35:55.01
They will take too much,
far more than they should do.
00:35:55.04\00:35:59.58
And they will wish they hadn't.
00:36:00.86\00:36:03.49
It will not be good
for them physically,
00:36:04.26\00:36:06.47
it will not be good
for them spiritually,
00:36:06.50\00:36:09.68
and it will not be good for
the church, as well, in time.
00:36:09.71\00:36:13.80
You must learn what to
accept and what to say no to.
00:36:13.83\00:36:19.12
Any you should not
have any trouble saying no.
00:36:19.91\00:36:22.64
And by the way, if
somebody wants to press it after
00:36:22.67\00:36:26.45
you say no, don't be
afraid of hurting their feelings
00:36:26.48\00:36:29.96
because they don't have any, or
they wouldn't be pressing you.
00:36:29.99\00:36:32.95
So don't be worried about
hurting their feelings at all.
00:36:32.98\00:36:36.68
And you may have to use
that cliché, "What part of 'no'
00:36:36.71\00:36:40.24
is it you don't understand?"
00:36:40.27\00:36:41.84
You may have to use that.
00:36:41.87\00:36:43.28
But there are some other
ways that you can nicely say no.
00:36:44.05\00:36:47.14
My daughter, Amy, came to
me one time and she said...
00:36:48.39\00:36:51.12
Something came up and we were
talking about how to say no.
00:36:51.42\00:36:55.24
And I said, "You just
say, Amy, you say to them,
00:36:55.25\00:36:59.26
'I'd like to, but I can't.'
00:36:59.29\00:37:00.84
And you don't go beyond that."
00:37:01.54\00:37:03.18
"I'd like to, but I
can't," or "not at this time."
00:37:03.21\00:37:06.59
"Not at this time."
00:37:08.34\00:37:09.67
And you qualify it in
that way, but you say it.
00:37:10.88\00:37:14.05
Later on, I wished that
I'd never said that to her
00:37:14.08\00:37:16.54
because I'd ask her to
do something and she'd said,
00:37:16.57\00:37:18.50
"I'd like to, but I can't."
00:37:18.53\00:37:19.80
And she used that
with me quite a few times.
00:37:19.83\00:37:24.96
But you see, we have
to be able to say no.
00:37:24.99\00:37:30.12
Otherwise, we fill out schedules
until they're too complete.
00:37:30.15\00:37:34.38
And we have to make
sure that this is not
00:37:34.41\00:37:38.39
the case in our lives.
00:37:38.42\00:37:40.91
We have to put Him first.
00:37:40.92\00:37:43.08
Because He is
the joy of our life.
00:37:43.09\00:37:47.97
It says in Psalm 87
verse 7, "All my springs of joy
00:37:48.00\00:37:52.59
are in you."
00:37:52.62\00:37:53.96
He will give us His joy.
00:37:53.99\00:37:56.01
And we are the joy to Him.
00:37:57.03\00:38:00.67
Number two, thank
God for everything that
00:38:00.70\00:38:03.55
comes into your life.
00:38:03.58\00:38:04.71
1 Thessalonians the
5th chapter verse 18 says,
00:38:04.74\00:38:07.83
"In everything give thanks."
00:38:07.84\00:38:10.38
Everything.
00:38:10.78\00:38:12.13
Now that gets
difficult sometimes.
00:38:12.31\00:38:14.62
"For this is the will of
God in Christ Jesus for you."
00:38:15.10\00:38:22.79
I had a good
friend many years ago.
00:38:23.30\00:38:24.92
His name was Ray Rushing.
00:38:24.93\00:38:26.37
He was the editor of
the National Voice, which is
00:38:26.40\00:38:31.12
a temperance magazine around
the world, around the country.
00:38:31.15\00:38:34.74
A wonderful Christian man.
00:38:35.15\00:38:36.44
He knew everybody.
00:38:36.45\00:38:37.45
He knew everybody from the
President of the United States
00:38:37.48\00:38:40.19
to the governors.
00:38:40.22\00:38:41.43
I've walked right in past the
secretary without an appointment
00:38:41.46\00:38:45.48
with Ray, right into the
Governor of Texas office.
00:38:45.51\00:38:49.24
Didn't even slow down,
just said, "Hi," to her and
00:38:49.54\00:38:51.86
walked right by.
00:38:51.89\00:38:53.35
The governor jumped
up, "Ray, how are you?"
00:38:53.38\00:38:55.79
He had that kind of relationship
with senators, congressmen.
00:38:55.82\00:39:00.38
The President even
of the United States,
00:39:00.41\00:39:02.45
he could go in and see him.
00:39:02.48\00:39:04.08
What a guy.
00:39:04.92\00:39:06.04
On the back of his
card, he had this phrase,
00:39:06.07\00:39:11.55
"Praise the Lord anyhow."
00:39:11.58\00:39:14.68
Anyhow.
00:39:15.87\00:39:17.51
Do you get it?
00:39:17.54\00:39:18.54
Praise the Lord
anyhow. No matter what.
00:39:18.95\00:39:23.23
Even if things
weren't going well.
00:39:23.63\00:39:25.46
And many times, for Ray,
things were not going well.
00:39:25.49\00:39:28.82
But he would praise the Lord.
00:39:28.85\00:39:31.08
And you know something?
00:39:31.97\00:39:33.10
The Lord got him
through all of those things.
00:39:33.13\00:39:37.25
Praise the Lord anyhow.
00:39:37.65\00:39:41.46
Thank Him no
matter what comes our way.
00:39:41.49\00:39:46.83
Then we need to
trust the promises of God.
00:39:46.86\00:39:49.70
I mentioned Glenn
Coon the other night.
00:39:49.73\00:39:52.11
And if you ever want to
read a good little book,
00:39:52.14\00:39:54.97
that book by Glenn Coon on
Bible promises is tremendous.
00:39:55.00\00:40:00.49
It's just nothing but
texts and the promises
00:40:00.52\00:40:03.02
that he's put together.
00:40:03.05\00:40:04.20
But I will tell you,
they've still got some of them
00:40:04.23\00:40:07.13
in some of the Bible houses.
00:40:07.16\00:40:08.37
And it is a great little book.
00:40:08.40\00:40:11.52
But Psalm 46:1 says, "God
is our refuge and our strength,
00:40:11.55\00:40:17.54
a very present help in trouble."
00:40:17.57\00:40:20.69
Turn to those
promises. Claim those promises.
00:40:20.72\00:40:25.07
Number four, a quiet meditation
on the life of Christ.
00:40:25.10\00:40:29.79
We mentioned this the
other night about praying.
00:40:29.82\00:40:33.42
1 Timothy the 4th
chapter and verse 15 says,
00:40:33.82\00:40:37.71
"Meditate on these things."
00:40:37.74\00:40:39.13
Now I'm not talking about
that Eastern meditation stuff.
00:40:39.16\00:40:41.94
We're talking about
meditating on the Word of God.
00:40:41.97\00:40:43.98
We're talking about
meditating on Jesus Christ.
00:40:44.01\00:40:45.99
Not talking about
emptying you mind, talking about
00:40:46.02\00:40:48.36
filling your mind with
the power of the Holy Spirit.
00:40:48.39\00:40:51.57
"Meditate on these things; give
yourselves entirely to them,
00:40:52.25\00:40:56.11
that your progress
may be evident to all."
00:40:56.14\00:41:01.10
And then number
five, rest and relaxation.
00:41:02.10\00:41:07.50
You know, we need rest.
00:41:08.10\00:41:10.03
We need to abandon
our work every year
00:41:10.06\00:41:14.84
for at least a
short period of time.
00:41:14.87\00:41:16.82
They say that your body
does not really begin to relax
00:41:16.85\00:41:20.45
until you have had two
weeks of complete abandon.
00:41:20.48\00:41:24.95
After that is when the
progress really starts.
00:41:24.98\00:41:27.86
You see, sometimes some of
us go on vacation and we still
00:41:28.77\00:41:31.47
take a call or two a day.
00:41:31.50\00:41:33.06
And when you're
doing that, your body never
00:41:34.07\00:41:37.16
actually begins to relax.
00:41:37.19\00:41:41.11
You need to abandon.
00:41:41.92\00:41:43.36
You need to rest.
00:41:43.39\00:41:44.76
Mark the 6th chapter verse 31,
Jesus, "And He said unto them,
00:41:44.79\00:41:49.45
'Come aside by
yourselves to a deserted place
00:41:49.48\00:41:52.23
and rest for a while.'"
00:41:52.26\00:41:55.18
And it was right then that
He explains what was going on.
00:41:56.07\00:41:58.15
It says, "For there
were many coming and going,
00:41:58.18\00:42:01.11
and they did not
even have time to eat."
00:42:01.14\00:42:05.07
They were so busy healing
the sick and preaching the Word,
00:42:05.54\00:42:10.22
they didn't even have
time to take nourishment.
00:42:10.25\00:42:13.60
And He said, we need to
come apart and rest for a while.
00:42:14.94\00:42:20.05
Exercise is good too.
00:42:20.08\00:42:21.88
Even sometimes
in a time of stress.
00:42:21.91\00:42:24.64
One of my aunt's, it
was my dad's baby sister.
00:42:25.46\00:42:28.43
My dad had six sisters.
00:42:28.46\00:42:29.87
He was the only boy.
00:42:30.18\00:42:31.56
I just thank the Lord there
was one boy in that family,
00:42:32.92\00:42:35.94
or I wouldn't be here tonight.
00:42:36.27\00:42:37.87
But one boy, my
dad. Six sisters.
00:42:38.80\00:42:43.09
His baby sister
was a bit spoiled.
00:42:43.39\00:42:46.60
Now you've got to understand
that with all that family,
00:42:47.43\00:42:52.38
the baby has got to
be a little bit spoiled.
00:42:52.40\00:42:55.09
Well, she was a whole lot
older than I was, of course.
00:42:55.76\00:43:00.10
And she was married
to my uncle, Uncle Herb.
00:43:00.11\00:43:03.42
He was uncle by marriage.
00:43:03.45\00:43:05.63
Uncle Herb, we use to say,
there had to be a special place
00:43:06.19\00:43:10.91
in heaven for him
to live with my aunt.
00:43:10.94\00:43:16.56
And Uncle Herb
was a peaceful man.
00:43:18.54\00:43:22.59
And one time, somebody asked him
and I was able to listen to it,
00:43:23.25\00:43:27.21
"How do you handle this?"
00:43:27.24\00:43:30.26
And he said, "Every
time something comes up,
00:43:31.27\00:43:33.78
I go out and walk
around the block."
00:43:34.50\00:43:36.75
Uncle Herb was in
excellent condition.
00:43:38.50\00:43:40.93
He walked
around the block a lot.
00:43:43.20\00:43:45.73
And he outlived my
aunt by many, many years
00:43:46.53\00:43:50.69
even though he was
considerably older than she was.
00:43:50.72\00:43:53.47
And I often thought it
was because he determined
00:43:53.78\00:43:57.86
he would not be taken over
by stress, but that he would
00:43:57.89\00:44:02.00
get out of the
house and go for a walk.
00:44:02.03\00:44:05.65
And then number six,
you need to plan your work.
00:44:05.66\00:44:09.86
This is
extremely important, folks.
00:44:10.45\00:44:13.00
I've got a text for this.
00:44:13.03\00:44:14.43
The apostle Paul,
and he's planning ahead.
00:44:14.46\00:44:18.49
Philemon 1:22, "But
meanwhile, also," he said,
00:44:19.00\00:44:23.33
"prepare a guest room for me."
00:44:23.36\00:44:25.97
You know, sometimes
we go out and Camille
00:44:26.77\00:44:29.12
will say,
"Where are we staying?"
00:44:29.15\00:44:30.17
I'll say, "I don't know, we'll
find a place when we get there."
00:44:30.18\00:44:32.73
"Don't you ever prepare?
00:44:33.41\00:44:35.47
Don't you ever get a
place ahead of time?"
00:44:35.50\00:44:38.56
Well, usually I do.
00:44:38.59\00:44:39.84
But sometimes I figure,
well I'll look things over
00:44:39.87\00:44:42.82
when I get there.
00:44:42.85\00:44:43.89
There have been times on
vacation when she would say,
00:44:44.49\00:44:47.52
"Have you got us a
place for tonight?"
00:44:48.03\00:44:50.26
And I'd say, "Oh
we'll find a place."
00:44:50.29\00:44:52.35
We ended up driving
all night too, because
00:44:52.86\00:44:55.07
we couldn't find a place.
00:44:55.08\00:44:56.75
But Paul planned ahead.
00:44:57.51\00:45:00.55
He planned his
work, he wrote ahead.
00:45:01.22\00:45:03.62
He said, "Prepare
a guest room for me."
00:45:03.65\00:45:05.84
And then he said, "For I
trust that through your prayers,
00:45:05.87\00:45:08.87
I shall be granted to you."
00:45:08.90\00:45:11.74
In other words, "You know,
you owe me some favors too,"
00:45:11.77\00:45:15.06
he was saying.
00:45:15.07\00:45:16.10
"I'm going to
collect it when I get there.
00:45:16.28\00:45:18.62
You prepare a place."
00:45:18.63\00:45:19.99
And number one, don't
plan more than you can do.
00:45:20.02\00:45:24.37
This is so important
to relieve stress, folks.
00:45:25.28\00:45:28.62
Because so many times, we
do prepare more than we should.
00:45:29.28\00:45:34.04
Secondly, arrive
early for appointments.
00:45:34.55\00:45:37.39
Somebody says, "But that's a
waste of time to arrive early."
00:45:37.88\00:45:40.67
Listen, take your Sabbath
School quarterly with you.
00:45:40.70\00:45:43.02
And when you get
there, sit and study your
00:45:43.05\00:45:46.42
Sabbath School quarterly.
00:45:46.45\00:45:47.46
Take your Bible with you.
00:45:47.49\00:45:48.81
Sit out in the
car, read your Bible.
00:45:48.84\00:45:51.34
But get to your
appointments early.
00:45:51.37\00:45:53.78
Because it will relieve stress.
00:45:54.75\00:45:57.27
You start running late and
you're rushing through traffic;
00:45:57.57\00:46:00.00
your body, the stress
is building in your body.
00:46:00.03\00:46:03.64
And I think this is
a scriptural, a very
00:46:04.39\00:46:08.12
scriptural principle.
00:46:08.15\00:46:09.32
And I could prove it
with many, many texts.
00:46:09.33\00:46:11.25
Even more than this one.
00:46:11.28\00:46:13.53
And then, avoid
living beyond your income.
00:46:13.56\00:46:16.36
You've got to
plan your finances.
00:46:17.25\00:46:20.09
If you think there's not
stress by getting behind,
00:46:20.64\00:46:25.40
then you've got
another thing coming.
00:46:25.43\00:46:27.17
Because it does
make a big difference.
00:46:27.71\00:46:30.83
Avoid financial
decisions that will create
00:46:30.86\00:46:34.20
stressful buying later.
00:46:34.23\00:46:36.04
You've got to look at
those things and make sure
00:46:36.07\00:46:38.46
this is not going to
create a stress down the road.
00:46:38.49\00:46:42.79
Sometimes we need to
listen to our wives, gentlemen,
00:46:43.73\00:46:47.01
when it comes to
some of these things.
00:46:47.04\00:46:49.26
They may be a whole lot
more cautious than we are
00:46:49.89\00:46:54.06
on reaching out and
maybe biting off more
00:46:54.64\00:46:58.21
than we can chew.
00:46:58.22\00:47:01.28
It is important
to plan your work.
00:47:01.32\00:47:05.09
And then number seven, we
need to ask God to help us
00:47:05.72\00:47:10.33
control our ambition.
00:47:10.34\00:47:11.75
Nothing wrong
with having ambition.
00:47:12.53\00:47:14.24
We should have ambition.
00:47:14.27\00:47:16.20
We should try to
accomplish things.
00:47:16.23\00:47:18.59
Not for ourselves, but for God.
00:47:18.60\00:47:20.95
And for our fellow human beings.
00:47:21.78\00:47:23.43
But we should be
reaching out and trying.
00:47:24.17\00:47:26.67
But we need to resign
from the kingdom of thing-dom.
00:47:26.70\00:47:31.51
We don't have to have
every thing that comes along.
00:47:32.13\00:47:36.73
And we need to get out
of that particular mode
00:47:37.64\00:47:43.06
of looking for everything
and hoping that these things
00:47:43.09\00:47:47.02
will become part of us.
00:47:47.05\00:47:49.86
You know, the
Lord is so good to us.
00:47:49.89\00:47:52.21
He gives us so many
things that are so important.
00:47:52.24\00:47:55.62
I found this statement in the
00:47:55.65\00:47:57.89
Thoughts from the
Mount of Blessing.
00:47:57.92\00:47:59.51
It says, "If you have given
yourself to God to do His work,"
00:47:59.54\00:48:04.38
It's found in Thoughts From the
Mount of Blessing page 100-101.
00:48:04.41\00:48:08.78
"...given yourself
to God to do His work,
00:48:09.23\00:48:11.32
you have no need to
be anxious for tomorrow.
00:48:11.35\00:48:14.33
He whose servant you are, knows
the end from the beginning.
00:48:14.36\00:48:18.66
The events of tomorrow, which
are hidden from your view..."
00:48:18.69\00:48:22.26
Even that star, John.
00:48:22.29\00:48:24.53
"...are open to the eyes
of Him who is omnipotent.
00:48:24.54\00:48:29.47
When we take into our
hands the management of things
00:48:29.50\00:48:33.09
with which we have to
do, and depend upon our own
00:48:33.12\00:48:36.54
wisdom for success, we
are taking a burden which God
00:48:36.57\00:48:40.45
has not given us, and are trying
to bear it without His aid.
00:48:40.48\00:48:46.18
We are taking upon ourselves
the responsibility that belongs
00:48:46.49\00:48:51.08
to God, and thus are really
putting ourselves in His place."
00:48:51.11\00:48:57.39
We're trying to be God.
00:48:58.11\00:48:59.51
"But when we really believe that
God loves us and means to do
00:49:00.26\00:49:05.51
us good, we shall cease
to worry about the future.
00:49:05.52\00:49:09.55
We shall trust God as a
child trusts a loving parent.
00:49:09.58\00:49:14.41
Then our troubles and torments
will disappear, for our will
00:49:15.01\00:49:21.10
is swallowed up
in the will of God."
00:49:21.13\00:49:26.85
You see, my friend, trusting in
Him makes all of the difference.
00:49:27.30\00:49:33.99
And then Philippians the
4th chapter verse 6 and 7,
00:49:34.29\00:49:38.09
"Be anxious for nothing,
but in everything by prayer
00:49:38.10\00:49:42.66
and supplication, with
thanksgiving, let your requests
00:49:42.69\00:49:46.50
be made known to
God; and the peace of God,
00:49:46.53\00:49:50.78
which surpasses
all understanding,
00:49:50.79\00:49:54.43
will guard your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus."
00:49:54.46\00:50:00.63
Guard your hearts and your
minds; keeping us from stress.
00:50:00.66\00:50:08.74
Guarding our
hearts, guarding our minds.
00:50:08.77\00:50:13.52
Trusting God as a
child trusts a parent.
00:50:13.55\00:50:17.37
Not long ago my daughter,
Mary Ann, was talking to me.
00:50:17.67\00:50:20.91
And she said, "You
know, dad, all those nights
00:50:20.94\00:50:25.40
that we would drive."
00:50:25.43\00:50:26.82
And there were many,
many nights that we drove
00:50:26.85\00:50:29.41
either all night or late
into the night coming back from
00:50:29.42\00:50:32.54
evangelistic meetings.
00:50:32.57\00:50:33.82
She said, "I would go
to sleep in the back seat
00:50:34.12\00:50:36.88
and never worry a
bit because I knew my dad
00:50:36.91\00:50:40.95
would never go to
sleep at the wheel."
00:50:40.98\00:50:42.64
I don't know that she
ever knew all the struggles
00:50:43.78\00:50:46.75
I had to stay awake.
00:50:46.78\00:50:48.20
But I knew one thing.
00:50:49.36\00:50:50.57
With that load I had, I would
not go to sleep, I knew that.
00:50:50.60\00:50:54.73
I would pull over first,
but I would not go to sleep.
00:50:54.76\00:50:58.61
But you know, that
trust of a child is the trust
00:51:00.02\00:51:07.25
that we need in Jesus.
00:51:08.05\00:51:11.17
I told you last night
about my sister being killed.
00:51:11.47\00:51:14.32
It was an
unbelievable dramatic time...
00:51:16.22\00:51:19.06
Dramatic is not the word.
00:51:20.12\00:51:21.74
Traumatic, thank you.
00:51:22.80\00:51:24.53
...in our life.
00:51:24.82\00:51:26.38
Before that, we'd been
a happy-go-lucky family.
00:51:27.04\00:51:29.67
We went on fishing
trips, we went on picnics.
00:51:30.10\00:51:33.61
We did all
these things together.
00:51:33.64\00:51:35.50
I remember some of those big
fish fry's that we would have
00:51:36.34\00:51:40.04
when all the men
would go out and they would
00:51:40.07\00:51:43.02
do all the catching of
the fish early in the morning.
00:51:43.05\00:51:46.26
I was just a little kid.
00:51:46.29\00:51:47.40
We would be running
around with our cousins.
00:51:48.15\00:51:50.94
And then they'd
have a big table outside.
00:51:51.81\00:51:56.52
And they would fry all that fish
and all that unhealthy stuff.
00:51:56.55\00:52:01.50
And they would
have it all there.
00:52:02.01\00:52:05.05
And I remember my
mom, she was always very
00:52:06.18\00:52:09.45
sensitive about flies.
00:52:09.48\00:52:10.77
So it was her job to keep the
flies off everything out there.
00:52:10.80\00:52:14.15
But she was
always there doing that.
00:52:14.18\00:52:16.21
Christmas time, all
the family together.
00:52:18.10\00:52:21.16
I've got a picture at home of
all the Gilley family together
00:52:22.29\00:52:27.13
at my grandmother's.
00:52:27.16\00:52:28.64
And you know, I
don't think we ever did it
00:52:29.28\00:52:33.63
after my sister died.
00:52:34.31\00:52:35.77
I don't remember any
family gatherings after that.
00:52:35.80\00:52:40.79
Things changed dramatically.
00:52:41.09\00:52:44.53
The first thing
that happened was that...
00:52:44.56\00:52:46.51
Dad... we had no
money to bury my sister.
00:52:48.84\00:52:51.70
I don't know where he
got it, but he came up with
00:52:52.75\00:52:55.00
enough money to do that.
00:52:55.03\00:52:56.68
No insurance,
nothing of that nature.
00:52:56.71\00:52:58.96
People urged him to sue
the drunk driver that had hit,
00:52:59.69\00:53:03.98
and he said, "That
won't bring my daughter back."
00:53:04.01\00:53:06.03
They said, "Yes, but at
least you'd get some money
00:53:06.81\00:53:08.77
to help with these expenses."
00:53:08.80\00:53:09.93
And he said, "I
don't want that money.
00:53:09.96\00:53:12.92
I don't want it, I don't
even want to think about that."
00:53:13.64\00:53:16.05
And he didn't.
00:53:16.47\00:53:17.52
Stress comes into the family.
00:53:18.44\00:53:20.25
They say that something
like 80% of marriages fail
00:53:20.28\00:53:24.25
after the loss of a child.
00:53:24.28\00:53:27.00
Even a teenager
like my sister was.
00:53:27.76\00:53:30.76
Something like
80% of marriages fail.
00:53:31.32\00:53:34.33
I'm sure that the marriage
was very close to stress,
00:53:35.77\00:53:40.06
right to the
stress limits in our home.
00:53:40.44\00:53:44.86
You know, the first
thing that dad told us...
00:53:46.18\00:53:48.85
This happened in November,
just before Thanksgiving.
00:53:48.88\00:53:52.20
I don't even remember
that we had a Thanksgiving.
00:53:52.23\00:53:54.64
And then he told us, "There's
no money for Christmas."
00:53:55.63\00:53:59.91
We never got too
much for Christmas anyway.
00:54:01.06\00:54:03.29
But there would be
no money for Christmas.
00:54:04.72\00:54:07.59
I would look forward...
00:54:09.07\00:54:10.33
I was 7 years old, had
just turned 7 that October.
00:54:10.36\00:54:14.26
I was seven and I'd
been promised a bike.
00:54:15.14\00:54:18.17
When you're
seven, you get a bike.
00:54:18.20\00:54:20.56
I had a scooter.
00:54:20.59\00:54:21.96
I had worn out that scooter.
00:54:22.81\00:54:24.85
It had started out
red and now it was rusty
00:54:24.86\00:54:27.21
and it had no color, no
paint on it hardly at all.
00:54:27.24\00:54:31.33
And I would run with that
scooter up and down the driveway
00:54:31.36\00:54:35.96
and anywhere I
could find any type of...
00:54:35.99\00:54:38.60
And that was gravel but I
still did it with that scooter.
00:54:38.63\00:54:41.96
And I would push it with
my right leg and I'm going.
00:54:42.60\00:54:46.26
And my brother would
tease me and he'd say,
00:54:46.29\00:54:47.93
"You better start using your
left leg because that right leg
00:54:47.96\00:54:50.46
is getting a lot
bigger than the left leg."
00:54:50.47\00:54:52.74
And I was hoping to
get a bicycle where I could
00:54:53.46\00:54:55.56
use both legs.
00:54:55.59\00:54:57.22
And dad said, "Son, I'm sorry.
00:54:58.80\00:55:00.77
But I can't get you a bike.
00:55:01.91\00:55:03.62
And I don't want you to be
expecting it, because I can't."
00:55:03.65\00:55:06.81
My older brother
Ed, 12 years older,
00:55:07.41\00:55:10.08
he knew I was heartbroken.
00:55:10.96\00:55:13.56
And he came to me and he
said, "Let me have your scooter.
00:55:14.74\00:55:18.99
I'm going to
fix that scooter up.
00:55:19.98\00:55:21.33
What do you
want me to do to it?"
00:55:21.34\00:55:22.73
I said, "I want it blue."
00:55:22.76\00:55:24.40
Because I'd seen a blue
motorcycle that I thought
00:55:24.90\00:55:27.26
was beautiful;
a Harley Davidson.
00:55:27.29\00:55:29.68
And I wanted a blue scooter.
00:55:30.04\00:55:32.19
And I said, "Put some
reflectors on the front."
00:55:32.70\00:55:36.11
I wanted real lights
but that was impossible.
00:55:36.14\00:55:38.22
So reflectors so I can
play like I'm a policeman.
00:55:38.25\00:55:41.72
You know.
00:55:41.75\00:55:42.89
And he said, "I'll do it."
00:55:43.34\00:55:44.67
And he started telling
me all the different things
00:55:44.68\00:55:46.67
he was going to
do to that scooter.
00:55:46.70\00:55:50.56
And it made me
forget about a bicycle.
00:55:51.77\00:55:53.86
And so I kept
looking forward, "When,
00:55:54.91\00:55:59.43
when is it going to be ready?"
00:56:00.47\00:56:02.28
"It'll be there
Christmas morning."
00:56:02.58\00:56:04.24
Christmas morning came.
00:56:04.27\00:56:06.09
Oh man, I could
hardly wait until daybreak.
00:56:06.98\00:56:09.30
I jumped out of the
bed and I ran into where
00:56:09.33\00:56:13.26
the Christmas tree was.
00:56:13.29\00:56:14.96
And I knew there would
be a scooter there, painted.
00:56:14.99\00:56:19.89
But it was not there.
00:56:21.48\00:56:23.05
In its place was a
little 20 inch bicycle.
00:56:24.53\00:56:29.17
My brother, only
19 years old himself,
00:56:30.56\00:56:35.03
had gone out on credit
and bought that bicycle.
00:56:35.79\00:56:39.84
He paid a little bit
down and was paying it off
00:56:40.99\00:56:42.88
a dollar or two a week.
00:56:42.91\00:56:44.26
But he got it.
00:56:45.31\00:56:46.72
I kept that bike until
Camille and I were married.
00:56:47.09\00:56:50.53
I'd still have it
but when I got back home,
00:56:51.58\00:56:53.87
mom had given it away.
00:56:53.90\00:56:55.45
You know how mom's do.
00:56:56.15\00:56:57.27
She gave away my
baseball cards too.
00:56:57.28\00:56:59.64
They'd be worth a fortune.
I could retire on those today.
00:56:59.67\00:57:02.84
But you know, we've got
a big brother like that;
00:57:04.42\00:57:07.60
Jesus.
00:57:07.63\00:57:09.19
He's coming,
because He loves us.
00:57:10.21\00:57:13.73
Trust Him.
00:57:14.35\00:57:15.45
He's our Lord, He's our God.
00:57:15.85\00:57:19.05
And He's our Savior.
00:57:19.49\00:57:21.25
And He cares for us.
00:57:21.93\00:57:24.08
And He wants us to
keep on keeping on with Him.
00:57:24.53\00:57:30.30