Hello and
welcome to "Heartlift."
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I'm Jill
Morikone, and I'm so glad
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you have joined us today.
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We're on a journey
toward hope, toward healing,
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toward the transformation
that the Lord Jesus Christ
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wants to work in
your life and in mine
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as woman of God,
as his daughters.
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If you're just
joining us for the first time,
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we began with several
programs on forgiveness,
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the forgiveness that
the Lord Jesus Christ
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wants to extend to us.
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He wants to pour into
us, so that we can in turn
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extend it to someone else.
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The last couple
programs dealt with fear
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and how God wants to break
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asunder the bands
of the wicked one.
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Today, we're beginning a
journey, several programs,
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dealing with
sadness, pain and loss.
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And how God says,
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"You don't have to
stay stuck in that.
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You don't have to
be mired in that clay.
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I can set you free.
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I can turn your pain,
your sorrow into joy."
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In fact, our
scripture talks about that.
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Psalm 30:5, Psalm 30:5, it says,
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"Weeping may endure for a night,
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but joy comes in the morning."
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Let's pray.
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Father, we thank You,
thank You that no matter
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what we've experienced in life,
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because of something
Satan has thrown in our way,
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because of the
world of sin we live in.
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Whatever pain my sisters
at home are going through,
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I thank you that
you see, that you know,
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that you care and
understand and not only that,
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you want to bring
peace and even joy.
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Right now we open up
our hearts for Your healing
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and we thank You in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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I had my hands
in the bread dough.
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I was busily making bread.
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And all of a
sudden, the phone range.
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Gingerly I picked it up
because my hands were sticky
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and I picked it up
and I kind of cradled it
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to my ear like this
while my hands were dirty.
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And I recognized
the voice of our doctor.
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Instantly in that
moment when I heard his voice,
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my mind traveled
back through the years
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on the journey that Greg
and I had been traveling on.
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You see, when we
first got married,
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when we first said I do,
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our dream, our goal
was to have a family.
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I think most
people would say that,
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most couples
when you get married,
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pretty soon you think,
after a couple of years,
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our home is gonna
be filled with laughter
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and runny noises
with childish prattle
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and little kids,
little kids to mould
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and to train for the Lord Jesus.
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However, our
home remained quiet,
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safe for the test laid
flat on the bathroom countertop.
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You know, the one with
a little two pink lines
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we're supposed to
have, not pregnant again.
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Why God?
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We waited a year
before going to the doctor
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because that's what
all the experts say.
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You are not even
considered infertile
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until you can't conceive
after one year of trying.
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We waited a year,
then we went to the doctor.
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They did a round of
tests and they said,
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"We can't accurately
diagnose what's going on.
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You need to go
to some specialist."
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They send us up to St.
Louis here in Southern Illinois.
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If you want
further medical help,
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you go to St. Louis.
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We went up to St. Louis.
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We went to the
fertility clinic there
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and did more tests to ascertain
why couldn't we have kids.
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And all of a sudden, here I am,
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my hands in the bread dough,
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This might be the
moment of reckoning.
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And amazingly, it was.
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He actually told me
the news over the phone
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instead of in the office.
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He said, "Ma'am,
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I'm so sorry but I
have bad news for you.
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And you and your
husband are infertile."
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He used words
like rear, confusing
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but all of that, all
I heard was infertile.
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There was a
click in the dial tone
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and I was left
holding the phone.
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You can't really
pass that type of news out
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over the phone,
at least I couldn't.
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Greg was at work
and there was no way,
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I can call him on
the phone and say, hey,
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we got the results,
guess what, we can't have kids.
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I couldn't do that.
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And so, but I
couldn't stand the house
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and I just remember
as if it were yesterday,
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tears streaming down my face,
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I ran out of the
house down our gravel road.
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We live in the country.
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There is nice gravel road.
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It was spring
time when this happened
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and the leaves
were just unfurling
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their spring time green.
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The sky was a
brilliant blue overhead
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and the birds were singing.
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But all I could feel,
all I knew was a devastation
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of our hopes and our dreams.
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I cried and I talk to
God and I cried and I walked.
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And then pretty
soon for that moment,
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I sort of ran out of tears.
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And then it was
like, in that moment I felt
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God speak to me, not
a voice, but a whisper.
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You know when the
Holy Spirit speaks to you.
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And he said, "Jill,
my precious daughter,
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count your blessings."
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Had I heard right?
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I wanted a little pity
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and God was
concerned with praise.
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I had no idea
what God was doing,
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but I really
wanted to follow Him.
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And so I searched my
mind, what are my blessings,
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that tells you the
frame of mind I was in
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because I have
the ton of blessings.
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What are my
blessings, and so I thought,
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oh, I have a good husband.
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So, God, I thank you for Greg.
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I thank You that
he is the man of God
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and I began to
thank God for Greg.
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Then I said, God,
thank You for my family,
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thank You for my friends.
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Thank You for
ministry and church.
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And then pretty soon
my praise began to center
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around God, His goodness,
His faithfulness, His love.
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You know what happened?
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A change occurred at
that moment in my heart.
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I began to see the rainbow
as it came out after the rain.
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I could see the leaves.
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I could feel the
warmth of the sun on my face.
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I could hear the
birds singing again.
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Now, that's not to say
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that we didn't go through
more battles with this grief.
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But that is to say
that in that moment,
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God brought me relief.
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I don't know what
pain you're struggling with
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in your life right now.
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Maybe you're dealing with
the loss of the loved one,
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someone that you love
more than your life itself
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and the pain is so
sharp, you can hardly breathe.
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Maybe you're in the
midst of the painful divorce
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and it seems like
death is preferable to life.
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Maybe you can't even identify
the source of your sorrow,
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but it seems
like you walk everyday
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under a perpetual gray mist,
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cloudy skies and you
can't find the face of Jesus.
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No matter when you
feel you are right now,
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God says I know, I hear,
I love you and I understand
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and He wants to
bring deliverance.
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Let's go to our self evaluation.
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We want to do this at
the start of each emotion
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that we're dealing
with here with Heartlift.
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Our self evaluation is
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how much does sorrow
and sadness affect my life?
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Number one.
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Sorrow fills my
every waking moment,
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and haunts my dreams at night.
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I'm depressed and
wonder why God created me.
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Life is a burden.
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Maybe you are in that
depressed state right now.
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Number two.
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I walk under a perpetual mist,
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and just can't
seem to find the sun.
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I can't identify the
source of my sorrow or my pain,
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but every day
feels gray and cloudy.
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I just can't find
the face of Jesus.
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Number three.
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I experience the normal
ups and downs of everyday life.
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Days when I feel
happy and satisfied,
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and other times when I
feel sad, or a bit down.
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And number four.
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Joy fills my heart
and even bubbles over.
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I experienced the normal
hurts and frustration of life,
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but as soon as they arise,
I surrender them to Jesus,
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and He enables my soul to
rise above my circumstances
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to the realm of joy and peace.
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I don't know where you feel
you are in those descriptions.
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Wherever you are, it's
okay, because God says,
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He came to turn
our sorrow into joy.
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We're going to
look at two different
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types of sorrow
that we experience.
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I think the first
type is sorrow from loss.
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There was a tightly-knit home.
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All day had squabbles
as most childhood kids do.
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But as they grew up,
somehow their bond deepened
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and they became closer.
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When they were
adults, they became friends
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with the radical new
rabbi there in Israel.
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His name was Jesus.
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In fact, Jesus
loved them so much
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that he came
often to their home,
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two sisters and a brother.
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He came often to their
home and He visited with them.
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I'm sure you know by
now who we're talking about.
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This is Mary and
Martha and Lazarus.
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And the Bible doesn't
say what happened to Lazarus.
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It just says
that he became sick.
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We don't know, did
it begin with the cold,
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then did he have a
fever, what caused the sickness,
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we have no idea?
00:10:53.35\00:10:54.82
But we do know at one point,
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the sisters became very worried
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and they sort of
feared for his life,
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so they send the
message to Jesus.
00:11:01.36\00:11:03.36
I'm in John 11.
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John 11, they send the
message to Jesus in verse 3,
00:11:04.96\00:11:09.26
"Lord who you love,
the man you love is sick."
00:11:09.30\00:11:12.87
And in verse 4 he
says, when Jesus heard that,
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the news that Lazarus was sick.
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He said, "This
sickness is not unto death
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but for the glory of
God that the Son of Man
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might be glorified through it."
00:11:25.65\00:11:29.22
And amazingly, Jesus stayed.
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Remember that, Jesus stayed,
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He stayed where he was.
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He didn't go to
the home of Mary,
00:11:35.92\00:11:38.73
Martha and Lazarus
although He loved them.
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He didn't go to
their home, He waited,
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Lazarus died.
00:11:45.23\00:11:47.77
The sister grief,
I'm sure was unimaginable
00:11:47.80\00:11:51.57
because they
thought, we know someone
00:11:51.61\00:11:53.54
who could have healed him,
00:11:53.58\00:11:54.91
but now what can He
do, Lazarus is dead.
00:11:54.94\00:11:57.81
And so they buried him.
00:11:57.85\00:11:59.21
Four days after the
burial, Jesus shows up.
00:11:59.25\00:12:02.85
And you know what He does?
00:12:02.88\00:12:04.32
He brings Lazarus back to life.
00:12:04.35\00:12:08.42
you know, Jesus
said in John 11:4,
00:12:08.46\00:12:11.09
"The sickness is not unto death,
00:12:11.13\00:12:12.46
but for the glory of God."
00:12:12.49\00:12:15.16
God was working all
things out for good.
00:12:15.20\00:12:17.97
Even though Martha and Mary
didn't know it at that time.
00:12:18.00\00:12:24.77
You see, if God had
healed a sick Lazarus
00:12:24.81\00:12:27.78
that would have
been a small miracle
00:12:27.81\00:12:29.34
and most certainly a blessing,
00:12:29.38\00:12:31.51
but when He
raised the four days dead
00:12:31.55\00:12:34.55
Lazarus back to life,
00:12:34.58\00:12:37.05
the story of that
miracle was unstoppable.
00:12:37.09\00:12:41.89
Maybe someone that
you love is suffering
00:12:41.92\00:12:44.16
with disease right now
and you're watching someone
00:12:44.19\00:12:47.36
that you love suffer know
00:12:47.40\00:12:49.43
that the Lord Jesus
Christ is sitting beside you,
00:12:49.46\00:12:53.44
that He loves you,
that His tears are even
00:12:53.47\00:12:57.41
mingling with yours.
00:12:57.44\00:12:59.44
Matthew 11:28, He says,
00:12:59.47\00:13:02.18
"Come to Me, all you who labor
00:13:02.21\00:13:04.21
and are heavy laden. I
want to give you rest."
00:13:04.25\00:13:09.32
John 16:20, He says,
00:13:09.35\00:13:11.09
"I want to turn
your sorrow into joy."
00:13:11.12\00:13:16.22
And then Deuteronomy
33, I'm jumping over here
00:13:16.26\00:13:19.53
because I can't quote
it, Deuteronomy 33:27,
00:13:19.56\00:13:23.10
"The eternal God is your refuge,
00:13:23.13\00:13:25.87
and underneath are
the everlasting arms."
00:13:25.90\00:13:28.80
The arms of Jesus can
carry you through the pain,
00:13:28.84\00:13:33.88
through the sadness and those
difficult points in your life.
00:13:33.91\00:13:38.25
And it says, "He
would thrust out the enemy
00:13:38.28\00:13:40.58
from before you
and say, 'Destroy."
00:13:40.62\00:13:44.42
'Maybe what you're dealing with,
00:13:44.45\00:13:46.12
the sorrow that
you're dealing with
00:13:46.15\00:13:48.02
has nothing to do with
disease or sickness or death.
00:13:48.06\00:13:51.16
Maybe it's the loss of a dream.
00:13:51.19\00:13:53.60
It's the loss of the
job you always wanted
00:13:53.63\00:13:56.46
or the marriage you never had.
00:13:56.50\00:13:59.23
It's the loss of health
you had always hoped for
00:13:59.27\00:14:02.07
or the money you never had,
00:14:02.10\00:14:04.97
the house you
always wanted to live in
00:14:05.01\00:14:07.44
or the children
you could never have.
00:14:07.48\00:14:10.38
In the midst of our
infertility journey,
00:14:10.41\00:14:12.85
Greg wrote down a question
that really stuck with me.
00:14:12.88\00:14:17.05
He said, "How do you let go
of something you never had."
00:14:17.09\00:14:22.09
Now, this is true,
not only for Greg and I,
00:14:22.12\00:14:24.29
for whatever
dream you might have had
00:14:24.33\00:14:28.60
that is not being realized,
that you can't achieve.
00:14:28.63\00:14:32.53
How do you let go off
something you can have,
00:14:32.57\00:14:36.37
you never had.
00:14:36.40\00:14:38.74
We talked about
sorrow from loss.
00:14:38.77\00:14:40.98
There is also
sorrow from choice.
00:14:41.01\00:14:46.51
An anguish cry burst forth
in the Sanhedrin's chambers.
00:14:46.55\00:14:52.65
You could hear the
tinkle of silver as it was cast
00:14:52.69\00:14:55.72
at the feet of the high priest.
00:14:55.76\00:14:58.13
And Judas, one of
the twelve apostles,
00:14:58.16\00:15:01.56
one of the men who
betrayed the Son of God
00:15:01.60\00:15:03.87
and saying, "He
is an innocent man,
00:15:03.90\00:15:07.14
let me return this silver."
00:15:07.17\00:15:09.70
We find that
story in Matthew 27.
00:15:09.74\00:15:13.11
Matthew 27, we're gonna
read verses 1 through 5.
00:15:13.14\00:15:17.88
"When morning come,
all the chief priests
00:15:17.91\00:15:19.95
and elders of the people,
they plotted against Jesus,
00:15:19.98\00:15:22.32
they wanted to put him to death.
00:15:22.35\00:15:24.45
And when they had
bound him, they led him away,
00:15:24.49\00:15:26.89
and delivered him
to Pontius Pilate,
00:15:26.92\00:15:28.59
the governor."
00:15:28.62\00:15:30.33
Then Judas, he is starting
to feel a little bit of remorse.
00:15:30.36\00:15:35.33
"His betrayer, seeing
that He had been condemned,
00:15:35.36\00:15:37.80
was remorseful and brought
back the thirty pieces of silver
00:15:37.83\00:15:42.07
saying I have sinned by
betraying innocent blood."
00:15:42.10\00:15:46.37
And they said, "Why do we care?
00:15:46.41\00:15:49.01
What is that to us?
00:15:49.04\00:15:51.45
You seeded that
and so he threw down
00:15:51.48\00:15:53.82
the thirty pieces of
silver and he went out
00:15:53.85\00:15:56.99
and he hanged himself.
00:15:57.02\00:15:59.09
I don't think Judas is
sorrow for what he did was
00:15:59.12\00:16:03.19
because of a love for Jesus.
00:16:03.22\00:16:05.06
Neither was it
from the conviction
00:16:05.09\00:16:07.00
that he himself had
sold the Son of God,
00:16:07.03\00:16:10.33
his sorrow was the fact
00:16:10.37\00:16:12.03
that Jesus hadn't freed himself.
00:16:12.07\00:16:15.44
That Jesus hadn't set up
00:16:15.47\00:16:17.07
his earthy kingdom that
his plans had gone awry,
00:16:17.11\00:16:22.14
that his conniving
and greed had failed
00:16:22.18\00:16:24.15
to achieve his heart's desire.
00:16:24.18\00:16:27.18
I believe there is two ways
00:16:27.22\00:16:28.55
that we can
experience sorrow from choice.
00:16:28.58\00:16:31.99
Sorrow from choice
sounds a bit hard, doesn't it?
00:16:32.02\00:16:35.12
To me it does. But hear me out.
00:16:35.16\00:16:38.33
The first way experience sorrow
00:16:38.36\00:16:40.10
from choice is by the
poor choices that we make.
00:16:40.13\00:16:44.93
Let me explain.
00:16:44.97\00:16:46.30
Galatians 6, Galatians 6:7, 8
00:16:46.33\00:16:51.61
is the law of
sowing and reaping.
00:16:51.64\00:16:56.18
"Do not be
deceived, God is not mocked,
00:16:56.21\00:16:58.68
whatever a man sows,
that shall he also reap.
00:16:58.71\00:17:02.98
For he who sows to his flesh
00:17:03.02\00:17:05.29
will of the
flesh reap corruption,
00:17:05.32\00:17:07.56
but he who sows to the Spirit
00:17:07.59\00:17:09.66
will of the Spirit
reap life everlasting."
00:17:09.69\00:17:13.40
We reap what we sow.
00:17:13.43\00:17:16.00
That's a biblical principle.
00:17:16.03\00:17:17.83
We can sow negative
emotions or negative feelings.
00:17:17.87\00:17:21.30
Maybe I can sow selfishness,
00:17:21.34\00:17:23.77
revenge, jealousy.
00:17:23.81\00:17:26.37
You know what I'm going to reap?
00:17:26.41\00:17:27.74
A bountiful harvest
of broken relationships,
00:17:27.78\00:17:31.55
bitterness of soul, betrayal.
00:17:31.58\00:17:34.88
For we don't
always sow emotions,
00:17:34.92\00:17:37.42
we can sow positive emotions,
00:17:37.45\00:17:40.56
not just negative.
00:17:40.59\00:17:42.29
Well, if you show,
sowed love, kindness,
00:17:44.66\00:17:48.60
forgiveness, you
could reap friendship,
00:17:48.63\00:17:52.43
peace and even
joy, that's the emotions
00:17:52.47\00:17:57.71
that we can sow.
00:17:57.74\00:17:59.24
What if we sow decisions?
00:17:59.27\00:18:02.08
We might sow a bad decision.
00:18:02.11\00:18:04.31
I might say, I know
this man is not godly,
00:18:04.35\00:18:08.35
but I'm going to change him
00:18:08.38\00:18:09.72
and he is going to come to Jesus
00:18:09.75\00:18:11.09
after we're married.
00:18:11.12\00:18:13.69
What going to happen?
00:18:13.72\00:18:15.06
You might reap a
bitter, turbulent marriage.
00:18:15.09\00:18:18.49
Maybe even divorce.
00:18:18.53\00:18:21.00
Maybe you'll say,
00:18:21.03\00:18:22.73
you're so bad
with financial decision
00:18:22.76\00:18:25.93
and you'll say I
know I should not co-sign
00:18:25.97\00:18:28.37
for my friend but
they're my friend,
00:18:28.40\00:18:32.24
they're not gonna
default on the loan.
00:18:32.27\00:18:33.71
I know, I don't have
the money if they do default
00:18:33.74\00:18:36.14
but I'll still co-sign anyway.
00:18:36.18\00:18:39.05
What's gonna happen?
00:18:39.08\00:18:40.42
At the very least
00:18:40.45\00:18:41.78
you're gonna reap
some financial hardship
00:18:41.82\00:18:43.59
if your friend
defaults on that loan.
00:18:43.62\00:18:47.16
What if we sow
choices in entertainment?
00:18:47.19\00:18:49.66
And we say, I
can watch anything,
00:18:49.69\00:18:52.23
I can do anything,
00:18:52.26\00:18:54.13
it doesn't matter
because I'm strong in Jesus.
00:18:54.16\00:18:57.40
We might reap a
severance or disconnect
00:18:57.43\00:19:01.37
in our walk with Jesus.
00:19:01.40\00:19:04.17
But sowing decisions works
on the positive side as well.
00:19:04.21\00:19:08.04
We might choose a godly spouse
00:19:08.08\00:19:09.94
and reap a beautiful marriage
00:19:09.98\00:19:11.95
and an abundant
happiness in this life
00:19:11.98\00:19:14.98
and in the life to come.
00:19:15.02\00:19:16.45
We might make
wise financial choices
00:19:16.48\00:19:18.85
and reap financial blessings.
00:19:18.89\00:19:21.46
We might make
discerning entertainment choices
00:19:21.49\00:19:24.93
and reap a closer,
closer walk with Jesus.
00:19:24.96\00:19:29.86
Now, there is a
biblical principal
00:19:29.90\00:19:32.30
at work here.
00:19:32.33\00:19:33.67
Remember Romans 8:28, God says,
00:19:33.70\00:19:36.97
"All things work
together for good,
00:19:37.01\00:19:38.77
to those who love him,
to those who are called
00:19:38.81\00:19:40.88
according to his purpose."
00:19:40.91\00:19:42.38
and you're saying, okay,
Jill, there is no hope for me.
00:19:44.88\00:19:47.68
I sowed a bad decision,
00:19:47.72\00:19:49.95
there is nothing
I can do about it.
00:19:49.98\00:19:52.49
That's not the case.
00:19:52.52\00:19:54.02
God says, "Come to Me right now
00:19:54.06\00:19:57.79
and He wan turn
even your bad decision,
00:19:57.83\00:20:00.50
the situation you're in now,
00:20:00.53\00:20:02.70
He can turn
that around for good.
00:20:02.73\00:20:06.53
That is the power of the gospel.
00:20:06.57\00:20:08.87
Joel 2:25, it says,
"I will restore to you
00:20:08.90\00:20:15.64
the years that
the locust has eaten,
00:20:15.68\00:20:18.48
the crawling
locust, the chewing locust,
00:20:18.51\00:20:21.15
the consuming locust."
00:20:21.18\00:20:23.15
He really covers
all those locusts.
00:20:23.18\00:20:24.92
But what he is saying is that
even if we've made bad choices,
00:20:24.95\00:20:29.72
God can redeem our past.
00:20:29.76\00:20:32.89
You don't have to live today
00:20:32.93\00:20:35.16
and that guilt or condemnation
00:20:35.20\00:20:36.60
of what you've done in the past,
00:20:36.63\00:20:38.17
go to God, confess
and know that from today,
00:20:38.20\00:20:42.07
He can work to
restore your past.
00:20:42.10\00:20:46.01
I think there's two
ways that we experience
00:20:46.04\00:20:48.08
sorrow from choice.
00:20:48.11\00:20:49.44
The first is in the
choices that we make.
00:20:49.48\00:20:51.41
The second is in
not responding to trials
00:20:51.45\00:20:54.95
and afflictions God's way.
00:20:54.98\00:20:58.09
Let me explain.
00:20:58.12\00:20:59.45
We all experience sorrow.
00:20:59.49\00:21:01.02
We all experience
bitterness of heart.
00:21:01.06\00:21:03.59
We all experience
times when we have grief,
00:21:03.63\00:21:08.23
but what do we do with it?
00:21:08.26\00:21:09.73
Do we choose to wallow in that,
00:21:09.76\00:21:12.20
even while it
turns to self pity,
00:21:12.23\00:21:15.64
into bitterness of spirit
00:21:15.67\00:21:17.61
or do we choose to surrender
in the midst of our pain
00:21:17.64\00:21:20.78
and allow God to pour
His healing into our lives
00:21:20.81\00:21:25.01
and to turn our sorrow into joy.
00:21:25.05\00:21:28.82
I think sorry from loss
00:21:28.85\00:21:30.42
leads one of two different ways.
00:21:30.45\00:21:32.55
It can lead me closer to God.
00:21:32.59\00:21:34.42
Psalm 16:11, "You will
show me the path of life:
00:21:34.46\00:21:38.06
in your presence
is fullness of joy,
00:21:38.09\00:21:40.66
at your right hand are
pleasures for ever more."
00:21:40.70\00:21:45.07
God, if I turn to
God, if I surrender,
00:21:45.10\00:21:48.47
God can turn my sorrow into joy.
00:21:48.50\00:21:53.21
Perhaps, you have met women
00:21:53.24\00:21:56.14
who have been deeply hurt.
00:21:56.18\00:21:58.28
Women who have struggled
in their own walk with God,
00:21:58.31\00:22:02.32
who have been hurt
by death, by divorce,
00:22:02.35\00:22:05.52
by whatever, yet they
still radiate joy and peace.
00:22:05.55\00:22:09.86
They still live for Jesus.
00:22:09.89\00:22:11.63
What has happened?
00:22:11.66\00:22:12.99
They've turned
to God in their pain
00:22:13.03\00:22:16.80
and they allowed
Him to comfort them
00:22:16.83\00:22:20.47
and they allowed Him
to work in their lives.
00:22:20.50\00:22:25.21
2 Corinthians 1,
2 Corinthians 1:3,
00:22:25.24\00:22:30.85
"God says blessed be the Father
00:22:30.88\00:22:32.85
and God of our
Lord Jesus Christ,
00:22:32.88\00:22:34.75
the Father of mercies
and the God of all comfort,
00:22:34.78\00:22:37.69
who comforts us
in our tribulation."
00:22:37.72\00:22:41.22
So that we in turn extend
this comfort to someone else.
00:22:41.26\00:22:45.33
What does God say?
00:22:45.36\00:22:46.83
Of course, all
things aren't good.
00:22:46.86\00:22:49.16
Of course, there's
pain and there's sorrow,
00:22:49.20\00:22:51.87
but in the midst of
that, if we turn to God,
00:22:51.90\00:22:54.70
if we allow Him to work
in our hearts and lives,
00:22:54.74\00:22:59.07
He will pour
His comfort into us,
00:22:59.11\00:23:01.38
so that we can
extend that to someone else.
00:23:01.41\00:23:05.51
Sorrow from choice.
00:23:05.55\00:23:07.92
If we experience
sorrow from loss,
00:23:07.95\00:23:10.42
we can either have
it push us towards God
00:23:10.45\00:23:13.22
and toward fullness of joy
00:23:13.25\00:23:15.19
or we can choose to have
it push us away from God.
00:23:15.22\00:23:20.56
Perhaps, you have met women
00:23:20.60\00:23:22.06
who maybe have
been divorced for years,
00:23:22.10\00:23:24.57
yet their bitterness,
their vindictive spirit,
00:23:24.60\00:23:27.30
their self pity is as strong
as the day they were divorced.
00:23:27.34\00:23:32.01
They've indulged that
spirit and it has grown
00:23:32.04\00:23:35.24
and taken route in their hearts.
00:23:35.28\00:23:38.11
No matter where you
feel you are right now,
00:23:38.15\00:23:41.48
the Lord Jesus
says, it doesn't matter
00:23:41.52\00:23:43.55
what you've done in the past,
I can forgive and I can redeem
00:23:43.59\00:23:48.02
whatever you've
done in the past.
00:23:48.06\00:23:50.53
It doesn't matter what pain
you're experiencing right now,
00:23:50.56\00:23:54.26
He says, "Turn to Me
00:23:54.30\00:23:57.13
and I can turn
your sorrow into joy."
00:23:57.17\00:24:01.90
Our next two programs, we
want to look at the steps,
00:24:01.94\00:24:06.07
the keys the Lord Jesus
Christ can take you and I on
00:24:06.11\00:24:10.08
to experience fullness
of joy in His presence,
00:24:10.11\00:24:13.65
to experience peace.
00:24:13.68\00:24:15.45
Once again, to
experience His joy.
00:24:15.48\00:24:19.92
We're gonna take a
short break at this time
00:24:19.95\00:24:22.69
and when we come back,
we're going to be discussing
00:24:22.72\00:24:25.43
a practical application,
something you can do this week.
00:24:25.46\00:24:29.60