It has stood the test of time.
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God's book, the Bible.
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Still relevant in
today's complex world.
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It Is Written...
sharing hope around the globe.
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Thanks for joining me today.
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Back in 1985 the
movie "Back to the Future"
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was the biggest
movie of that year.
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It starred Michael J Fox as
Marty McFly, and Christopher
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Lloyd as Doctor Emmett Brown.
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Steven Spielberg was one
of the executive producers.
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Michael J. Fox's
character is accidentally
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sent back in time to
1955, and he comes back to
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the future and goes back
to the past getting himself
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into and out of all
kinds of various tangles.
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The movie was so popular even
President Ronald Reagan quoted
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from it in his State of
the Union address in 1986.
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Now the movie's plot was built
around a fascinating idea -
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Time Travel.
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The idea that a person
might be able to go back - and
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forward - in time and affect
the world and alter the way
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that lives play out.
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Of course the idea
of Time Travel wasn't
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originated by Hollywood.
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Charles Dickens' 1843
novel 'A Christmas Carol' had
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Ebenezer Scrooge traveling
to Christmases in the past
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and in the future.
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And shortly before the turn
of the 20th Century, HG Wells
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wrote 'The Time Machine'.
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Not too hard to
figure out what that might
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have been about.
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Well - just in
case Michael J Fox
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had you convinced, a
group of physicists in Hong Kong
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recently stated that
they have proven time travel
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is an impossibility.
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In case you missed this,
discussion aboutime travel
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has been significant in
various circles for some
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years, with some academics
taking the position that time
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travel is POSSIBLE.
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But now, the word
is it ISN"T possible.
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So that's that, I guess.
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I know - you're shocked.
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[Music in the background.]
There you were thinking that
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one day you might be able to
go back to the signing of the
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Declaration of Independence
and be part of history, or
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maybe go back to Pearl Harbor
in 1941 and prevent the attack
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of December 7 that year.
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But I have to confess that
when I read the announcement
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from the Hong Kong
scientists that time travel
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is impossible...
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I wasn't surprised.
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But I wonder if
this would surprise you.
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There's something
that is impossible for God.
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[Music in the
background] There's a prayer
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God cannot answer.
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In fact, it's the
prayer God doesn't want you
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to pray. Seriously.
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There's a prayer God doesn't
want us praying - a prayer
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He cannot answer.
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As impossible as time travel.
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So what's the prayer
God doesn't want us to pray?
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I'll tell you in just a moment.
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[Music in the background]
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It's time for today's question
I read in the Bible about God
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kicking Adam and
Eve out of paradise just
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for eating some fruit.
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I mean how bad can that be?
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If God was a cool guy,
wouldn't he have given them
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a second chance or something?
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Well, the way God actually did
handle Adam and Eve shows just
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what a cool guy God really is.
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Adam and Eve were
created by God and given every
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opportunity and every blessing.
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God told them they could have
it all in the Garden of Eden,
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except that they were not
to eat from the fruit or of the
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fruit that grew on
the Tree of the Knowledge
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of Good and Evil.
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Adam and Eve were to learn
obedience, or, faithfulness.
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Or, put another way,
complete reliance on God.
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When they ate that
fruit, they were doing more
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than just eating fruit.
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They were disobeying
God. They were sinning.
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Now, I don't to knock them
or condemn them, but that's
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what they were doing.
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The Bible says, Whatsoever
is not of faith, is sin.
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They weren't
acting in faith in God.
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They were going their own way.
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You know, the Bible says
that Sin separates from God.
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That's us saying, No,
Lord, at this moment I just want
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to do my own thing.
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Adam and Eve chose to step
out of that special relationship
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they had with God
and they said, We want to
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go our own way.
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The results of
that are catastrophic.
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Just look at a world that
has pretty much abandoned God.
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It hasn't worked well.
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Now, what about this
second chance asked about
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in the question?
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That, in fact, is
exactly what God gave them.
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When Adam and Eve rebelled,
God could have just done away
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with them and He would
have been justified in doing so.
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But here's where Adam and
Eve's fall allowed us to see
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what God is really like.
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Instead of ditching Adam
and Eve, or condemning them,
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God came to the Garden of Eden,
looked for them, and told them
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that a Deliverer would come
who would bring them victory
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in their battle with evil.
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Genesis 3:15 says,
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This was God saying
that Jesus - the seed
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of the woman - would come.
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This was God saying He was
giving the gift of repentance
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to the human family.
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Adam and Eve - the
rebels - could still have life,
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everlasting life,
through the coming Messiah.
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Seems to me that
God was pretty cool.
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If you have a question
you'd like answered, go to our
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website - www.ItIsWritten.com
and click on the questions tab.
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Submit your question,
and in a future program
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I'll answer your question.
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If you have a Bible question
for pastor John Bradshaw,
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please write to It Is
Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks,
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California 91359 or visit
our website itiswritten.com and
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send us your questions on-line.
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There are some
things in this world that
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shouldn't be attempted.
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I mentioned a moment ago
that scientists in Hong Kong
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claimed that they
have proof that time travel
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is not possible.
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(Who'da thought?) So
that being so, any attempts at
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traveling through time
are probably not advisable.
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And there are other things
you just shouldn't do: texting
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while driving.
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Not a good idea.
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I read about someone
who climbed into the lion's
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enclosure at a zoo.
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Made it out alive, but
it's really the sort of thing
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you don't want to do.
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When I saw someone had been
killed in his act as a human
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cannonball, I have to confess
I thought to myself, "Probably
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wiser not to do
that sort of thing..."
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Well, there's a prayer a
person should never pray.
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It shouldn't even be attempted.
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God can't possibly answer
this prayer in the affirmative,
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and this prayer can
ultimately be devastating to
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a person's faith.
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When my son was very young,
we were praying together one
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night before he went to
sleep, and he prayed the prayer
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a person should never pray.
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It's common for children
to pray this prayer, although
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many adults pray this
prayer as well and maybe because
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children pray it so much that
that's why it is so damaging.
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While my son was praying he
prayed the usual things - God
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bless Mommy and Daddy and
so on... and then he prayed,
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"And Lord, please help me
to be good." And there it was.
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"Please help me to be good."
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And when I heard that, I
knew I had to do SOMETHING
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before we had a real
problem on our hands.
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So I said to him gently
a moment later, "Son, let
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me suggest something.
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When you pray, let's not pray
that God would help you to be
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good." Now he knew I
wasn't going to suggest maybe he
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should pray that God
help him to be bad or help him
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not to be good, so
I had his attention.
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So why in the world would a
father tell his first-born not
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to pray that God
would help him to be good?
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There's a very good,
very Biblical reason for that.
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I explained it to him.
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And I knew it was hugely
important, because people who
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don't understand this
point set themselves up
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for lives of spiritual misery.
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That's why I said to my son,
"Son, you don't want to pray
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that God would make you good.
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Because the Bible says
there is none that does good.
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There is nobody who
is good, except for God.
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You're praying
for an impossibility.
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God says that
there's no one who is good.
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So when you're praying for
God to make you good, you're
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praying that God would do
something that according to
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the Bible God has said
He's not able to do." Understand
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me clearly here.
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If God has said that there
is nobody who is 'good', why in
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the world would I -
or you - want to ask God
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to make us good?
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We are sinners.
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Even the most righteous
person on earth has sinned
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many times at some
time during their lives.
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The Bible says there
is none that doeth good.
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Not one.
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As sinful people, we cannot
be made INHERENTLY good because
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the fact is we
are inherently flawed.
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We do want to be RIGHTEOUS,
and that's a different matter.
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You know something?
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I don't recall a single place
in the Bible where God tells
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us that we should be good.
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I just don't think it's here.
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Now, He does tell us
that we should be HOLY.
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That's for sure.
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But not good.
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Stay with me.
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Remember when the Rich
Young Ruler came to Jesus
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and called Him 'Good Master'?
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And what did Jesus say to him?
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"There is none good, except
for God." So I said to my son,
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"Son, you don't want to
pray that God would help
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you to be good.
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What you want to pray
is that Jesus would live
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His life in you.
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That Jesus would
dwell in your heart.
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And when He does that, you're
certainly not going to be bad.
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You're going to have Jesus'
righteousness." See friend
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that's the healthy
way to approach it.
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I want you to see the
difference here between
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two things.
00:10:36.10\00:10:37.06
Human beings have sinned.
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They have lost their
'goodness', let's say.
00:10:37.96\00:10:41.83
We are sinners - sinful.
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But God wants us
to be restored, to be
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at one with Him.
00:10:47.46\00:10:48.70
He wants us to
reflect His character.
00:10:48.70\00:10:51.13
But how can we do that when
we are fundamentally flawed?
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Certainly not by
trying our hardest to be good.
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You know what
happens to so many people?
00:10:57.96\00:11:01.23
They have this idea that
they're supposed to be good.
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And so they try and try.
00:11:03.60\00:11:06.30
The swearer tries and tries to
stop swearing, but realizes in
00:11:06.30\00:11:09.93
the vast majority of cases
that he or she cannot stop.
00:11:09.93\00:11:12.86
The smoker tries
desperately to quit smoking
00:11:12.86\00:11:16.23
but finds she just can't do it.
00:11:16.23\00:11:17.80
The person with lustful
thoughts or a wandering eye
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does all he can to keep
his mind pure, but he keeps on
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falling back into the
same old habit patterns.
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The sinner wants to go
straight, wants to be good,
00:11:27.83\00:11:30.60
but doesn't have
the ability to do so.
00:11:30.60\00:11:34.06
So, what does he
or she so often do?
00:11:34.06\00:11:36.46
That person prays to God
that God would help her or him
00:11:36.46\00:11:39.80
to 'be good.' But is
that a reasonable prayer?
00:11:39.80\00:11:42.93
No.
00:11:42.93\00:11:44.50
Listen to what Jeremiah
wrote, in Jeremiah 13:23 ..
00:11:44.50\00:11:50.20
Jeremiah 13:23
00:11:50.20\00:11:52.60
Let's answer
that: Can the Ethiopian
00:11:57.53\00:11:59.13
change his skin?
00:11:59.13\00:11:59.73
Can a black man
become a white man?
00:11:59.73\00:12:01.96
I think we know that
answer to that question.
00:12:01.96\00:12:04.10
Question for you.
00:12:04.10\00:12:05.06
Did you ever see a leopard
trade in his spots and start
00:12:05.06\00:12:07.86
sporting stripes like a zebra?
00:12:07.86\00:12:10.76
That doesn't happen
very often, does it?
00:12:10.76\00:12:13.06
So God poses the question
to us, and there's only one
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answer: "
00:12:15.20\00:12:16.73
No.
00:12:21.46\00:12:23.20
And then God
follows that by saying this,
00:12:23.20\00:12:26.26
Let's get this straight.
00:12:33.06\00:12:34.60
God says it's as possible
for someone doing evil to ON HIS
00:12:34.60\00:12:40.26
OR HER OWN start doing good,
as it is for a black man to
00:12:40.26\00:12:44.40
change his skin
color or a leopard to start
00:12:44.40\00:12:47.43
wearing a new style.
00:12:47.43\00:12:49.23
So if "being good" is an
impossibility, why in the
00:12:49.23\00:12:52.90
world would anyone want to
ask God to help them to be good?
00:12:52.90\00:12:56.13
You'd be praying an impossible
prayer, and asking God to do
00:12:56.13\00:12:59.20
something that He can not do.
00:12:59.20\00:13:01.83
A key point is this:
right living, right behavior,
00:13:01.83\00:13:06.76
correct deportment is
not something a person
00:13:06.76\00:13:10.13
can produce in themselves.
00:13:10.13\00:13:11.90
People have a problem
that is within - sin -
00:13:11.90\00:13:14.10
and they need help from above.
00:13:14.10\00:13:16.80
If there was someone who
needed to understand this, it
00:13:16.80\00:13:19.93
was King David.
00:13:19.93\00:13:22.23
[Music playing.] King
David messed things up big time.
00:13:22.23\00:13:25.36
He fell into bad sin,
stealing a man's wife and
00:13:25.36\00:13:29.06
having the man killed.
00:13:29.06\00:13:30.43
And then, he
covered up the whole affair.
00:13:30.43\00:13:33.06
So when he needed to go
straight, what did David ask
00:13:33.06\00:13:36.16
God to do?
00:13:36.16\00:13:37.73
Did David ask God
to help him to be good?
00:13:37.73\00:13:41.90
No he did not.
00:13:41.90\00:13:43.60
What did David do?
00:13:43.60\00:13:45.16
David prayed a special prayer.
00:13:45.16\00:13:48.53
We'll find out what
that is in just a moment.
00:13:48.53\00:13:54.80
In Matthew 4:4
the Word of God says
00:13:54.80\00:13:57.40
Every Word is a one minute
Bible-based daily devotional
00:14:03.66\00:14:07.06
presented by Pastor
John Bradshaw and designed
00:14:07.06\00:14:09.83
especially for
busy people like you.
00:14:09.83\00:14:12.80
Look for Every Word on
selected networks or watch
00:14:12.80\00:14:15.83
it on-line everyday on
our website itiswritten.com.
00:14:15.83\00:14:19.66
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:14:19.66\00:14:22.06
Watch Every Word.
00:14:22.06\00:14:23.20
You'll be glad you did.
00:14:23.20\00:14:24.36
[Music in background]
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00:14:24.36\00:14:29.96
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00:14:29.96\00:14:32.03
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00:14:32.03\00:14:34.56
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00:14:34.56\00:14:37.20
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00:14:37.20\00:14:38.80
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00:14:38.80\00:14:41.33
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00:14:43.80\00:14:49.10
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00:14:49.10\00:14:52.40
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00:14:52.40\00:14:55.06
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00:14:55.06\00:14:56.46
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00:14:56.46\00:14:59.53
You'll be glad you did.
00:14:59.53\00:15:02.46
Today, we're talking about the
prayer you should never pray.
00:15:02.46\00:15:07.20
You know, too many
people pray and ask God to help
00:15:07.20\00:15:10.20
them to be good.
00:15:10.20\00:15:11.63
But the Bible says we
are as capable of doing good
00:15:11.63\00:15:14.70
as a leopard is of
changing its spots.
00:15:14.70\00:15:17.23
No doubt, God wants us to be
righteous, he wants us to live
00:15:17.23\00:15:19.76
right but if we don't
understand how that can happen
00:15:19.76\00:15:21.93
in our life, we'll end up
being very unhappy people.
00:15:21.93\00:15:26.73
King David gave us a
correct example in this.
00:15:26.73\00:15:30.10
He had a series of terrible
failings where he seriously
00:15:30.10\00:15:32.93
made a mess of his life.
00:15:32.93\00:15:34.30
Guilty of dishonestly,
adultery and murder, David
00:15:34.30\00:15:38.73
eventually went to God and
pleaded with God to help him
00:15:38.73\00:15:41.96
to get back to
where he needed to be.
00:15:41.96\00:15:44.36
And what was his prayer?
00:15:44.36\00:15:45.40
Did David pray, "Lord, help
me to be good?" No he didn't.
00:15:45.40\00:15:49.70
David instead prayed the
beautiful prayer found in
00:15:49.70\00:15:52.80
Psalm 51.
00:15:52.80\00:15:54.93
Here's what he prayed to God.
00:15:54.93\00:15:56.60
David understood what he needed.
00:16:05.83\00:16:07.90
His own goodness had been
powerless to keep him out of
00:16:07.90\00:16:10.86
the mud of shame and sin.
00:16:10.86\00:16:12.43
What He needed was
God's presence and power.
00:16:12.43\00:16:16.40
He needed God's
Spirit - in his life.
00:16:16.40\00:16:19.50
He goes on to pray,
00:16:19.50\00:16:21.33
David was saying,
"What I need is not anything
00:16:27.53\00:16:30.70
that comes from me,
what I need is something
00:16:30.70\00:16:31.93
that comes from you.
00:16:31.93\00:16:33.46
I need YOU living your life
in me." That's the way the Bible
00:16:33.46\00:16:38.10
portrays Christian living.
00:16:38.10\00:16:39.53
Paul wrote to the Colossians
and he told them that the
00:16:39.53\00:16:42.30
essence of the gospel was
00:16:42.30\00:16:43.63
Not "you being good,
the hope of glory." But,
00:16:46.96\00:16:48.76
"Christ in you - Christ living
His life in you." With Jesus
00:16:48.76\00:16:52.83
in you, you can hardly be bad!
00:16:52.83\00:16:55.13
If you've never grabbed
this, if you've never understood
00:16:55.13\00:16:58.06
this, this concept will
revolutionize your life!
00:16:58.06\00:17:02.13
Writing to the Galatians,
Paul wrote this, this is
00:17:02.13\00:17:03.70
Galations 2:20.
00:17:03.70\00:17:06.30
Paul said,
00:17:06.30\00:17:08.16
You can see
Paul's repeated emphasis.
00:17:24.03\00:17:26.96
What a person needs is Jesus
living His life in him or her!
00:17:26.96\00:17:30.46
And that's VERY different
from saying, "Lord, help ME
00:17:30.46\00:17:34.20
to do something.
00:17:34.20\00:17:35.56
Help ME to be something.
00:17:35.56\00:17:36.60
Help me to be good."
00:17:36.60\00:17:37.93
The right approach is to be
is 'surrendered', made available
00:17:37.93\00:17:41.46
to God, yielded to Him so that
God can do the work He wants
00:17:41.46\00:17:46.40
to do in your life.
00:17:46.40\00:17:48.80
And you know what happens
when we pray that God would
00:17:48.80\00:17:51.73
help us to be good?
00:17:51.73\00:17:53.50
Discouragement sets in.
00:17:53.50\00:17:55.43
A disabling, destructive,
disheartening discouragement.
00:17:55.43\00:17:58.60
I'll tell you why.
00:17:58.60\00:18:00.90
[Music in the
background] Let's say you've got
00:18:00.90\00:18:04.76
someone who is...
00:18:04.76\00:18:05.83
I don't know...
00:18:05.83\00:18:06.86
someone who is having
issues with anger, let's say.
00:18:06.86\00:18:09.93
A kid has an ager problem
and knows that he shouldn't.
00:18:09.93\00:18:12.00
And he's told that he'll be
okay if he prays and asks God
00:18:12.00\00:18:15.63
to help him to be good.
00:18:15.63\00:18:16.33
[Child complaining, ...
00:18:16.33\00:18:17.16
"this doesn't work"
... "this better work."
00:18:17.16\00:18:25.00
Angry ...
00:18:25.00\00:18:26.03
"still doesn't work".
00:18:26.03\00:18:36.13
As a teenager
he's still angry ...
00:18:36.13\00:18:40.76
[ Voice of younger man...
00:18:40.76\00:18:44.16
"this better work this
time" But he's praying harder
00:18:44.16\00:18:46.90
than ever that Jesus
would help him to be good.
00:18:46.90\00:18:48.83
He gets older, still
praying, but very frustrated.
00:18:48.83\00:18:53.93
[Sound of a the car of a
motor turning ... "come on."
00:18:53.93\00:18:59.76
Sound of motor turning.
00:18:59.76\00:19:01.66
Angry, yelling .
00:19:01.66\00:19:03.10
"COME ON !!!
00:19:03.10\00:19:03.40
..." banging something ..
00:19:03.40\00:19:04.76
" WHY DOESN'T THIS
EVER JUST WORK FOR ME !!!
00:19:04.76\00:19:06.56
NOTHING EVER WORKS FOR ME!!
00:19:06.56\00:19:08.90
ARGH, WHY CAN'T
THINGS JUST WORK OUT!!!
00:19:08.90\00:19:11.66
NOTHING EVER WORKS!!
00:19:11.66\00:19:13.03
ARGH!!!
00:19:13.03\00:19:16.60
Now, maybe there are now
other sins that he's praying God
00:19:16.60\00:19:18.76
would make him good
enough to stop committing.
00:19:18.76\00:19:22.50
You know what
eventually happens?
00:19:22.50\00:19:24.80
This person gets to the
place where he or she says,
00:19:24.80\00:19:27.00
"It just doesn't work.
00:19:27.00\00:19:28.90
I've tried and tried and
I've prayed and prayed, and I'm
00:19:28.90\00:19:31.13
still angry," or
whatever the sin might be.
00:19:31.13\00:19:34.33
That person will eventually
conclude -and they will
00:19:34.33\00:19:36.50
conclude correctly - that God
hasn't make him or her 'good.'
00:19:36.50\00:19:41.30
So, he or she either says to
him or herself, "I guess I'll
00:19:41.30\00:19:43.80
always be this way" and he
stays in church miserable and
00:19:43.80\00:19:48.90
defeated, or says,
"This doesn't work.
00:19:48.90\00:19:54.60
I've prayed so long for
God to help me to be good.
00:19:54.60\00:19:58.16
It isn't happening and
I've prayed and so therefore God
00:19:58.16\00:20:02.10
is a myth, and this whole
Bible thing doesn't work."
00:20:02.10\00:20:07.40
Many people have done that.
00:20:07.40\00:20:09.16
That person then
turns his back on God.
00:20:09.16\00:20:12.16
And that's a tragedy.
00:20:12.16\00:20:15.86
What God offers us is this.
00:20:15.86\00:20:17.36
God pledges to come into our
lives and bring His goodness.
00:20:17.36\00:20:21.40
He brings His righteousness.
00:20:21.40\00:20:24.36
I want to share a Bible verse
with you that I am certain can
00:20:24.36\00:20:28.80
absolutely change your life.
00:20:28.80\00:20:31.56
You read it in Philippians
2:13, Philippians 2:13 says,
00:20:31.56\00:20:36.43
Did you catch that?
00:20:46.70\00:20:48.73
And did you see
where the focus is?
00:20:48.73\00:20:51.16
"It is God who works in
you..." In terms of living a
00:20:51.16\00:20:53.90
life for God, did you see
where God puts the emphasis?
00:20:53.90\00:20:56.43
"It is God who works in you."
00:20:56.43\00:20:59.16
So here's the key for
successful living - and a key
00:20:59.16\00:21:02.23
for successful praying.
00:21:02.23\00:21:04.33
What God is telling us is
that when it comes to working in
00:21:04.33\00:21:07.00
your life - when it comes to
getting out of your life what
00:21:07.00\00:21:09.60
shouldn't be in and getting
into your life what shouldn't
00:21:09.60\00:21:12.63
be out - GOD will
do that work in you.
00:21:12.63\00:21:16.03
That's what is meant
when Paul wrote that we:
00:21:16.03\00:21:17.90
We let Christ
live His life in us.
00:21:23.90\00:21:25.40
So why is that so radical?
00:21:25.40\00:21:26.16
Because if you're going
to try and do the impossible
00:21:26.16\00:21:27.56
in your own strength,
you are doomed to fail.
00:21:27.56\00:21:31.36
If you've got an anger
issue or a lust problem or a
00:21:31.36\00:21:34.83
substance problem, you might
try and try all you care to,
00:21:34.83\00:21:39.76
and you're not going to be
able to change because TRUE
00:21:39.76\00:21:41.90
change takes place in the heart.
00:21:41.90\00:21:43.93
[Sound of motor turning.]
Young man's voice ... "Come on"
00:21:43.93\00:21:46.36
[Sound of motor turning]
And there's not a person
00:21:46.36\00:21:51.90
alive who can change
his or her own heart.
00:21:51.90\00:21:55.76
So instead, here's what you do.
00:21:55.76\00:21:58.70
You pray, "Lord, I want to
be different, I want to get some
00:21:58.70\00:22:03.33
things straightened
out, I want to change,
00:22:03.33\00:22:04.70
but I cannot change myself.
00:22:04.70\00:22:06.83
So I need you to come into my
life and do in me what I cannot
00:22:06.83\00:22:11.76
do in myself." When you
pray THAT prayer, God can't
00:22:11.76\00:22:16.33
fail to answer.
00:22:16.33\00:22:18.36
What you'll discover is that
when you surrender to Him, God
00:22:18.36\00:22:23.00
comes into your
life and remakes you.
00:22:23.00\00:22:25.80
As Paul wrote to
the Corinthians, ...
00:22:25.80\00:22:27.63
A few years ago
I was with a group
00:22:34.03\00:22:36.46
of ministerial workers
in training, and I asked
00:22:36.46\00:22:38.96
them a question.
00:22:38.96\00:22:40.13
I said, "Now we know the Bible
says that salvation comes by
00:22:40.13\00:22:44.70
grace through faith." "But,"
I said, "there's another verse
00:22:44.70\00:22:47.63
that says we should strive to
enter in - to heaven - through
00:22:47.63\00:22:51.13
the narrow gate." So I asked
these ministerial trainees -
00:22:51.13\00:22:56.66
strive to enter in
through the narrow gate?"
00:22:56.66\00:23:01.83
Nobody offered an answer.
00:23:01.83\00:23:04.80
But then a
6-year-old boy said spoke up.
00:23:04.80\00:23:09.46
"Daddy," he said, "I
think I know." You know, there's
00:23:09.46\00:23:15.46
an old saying that
says, "Bradshaws rush in where
00:23:15.46\00:23:18.90
angels fear to tread."
00:23:18.90\00:23:20.40
So there I was hoping
my little boy wasn't going
00:23:20.40\00:23:23.90
to embarrass himself too badly.
00:23:23.90\00:23:25.80
"Daddy, I think I know".
00:23:25.80\00:23:27.66
"Okay, what is it, son?"
00:23:27.66\00:23:29.66
I asked him in front of
everybody, thinking to myself
00:23:29.66\00:23:32.76
'Oh, This'll be
interesting.' "Well," he said.
00:23:32.76\00:23:36.43
"I've been listening to
'Christiana'." (Now I don't
00:23:36.43\00:23:39.70
know if you know this but
Christiana is the second part
00:23:39.70\00:23:42.16
of Pilgrim's Progress
story, the great book written
00:23:42.16\00:23:44.90
by John Bunyan.
00:23:44.90\00:23:46.26
Christiana was the wife,
rather, of Christian, and this
00:23:46.26\00:23:49.56
second book was the
story of HER journey
00:23:49.56\00:23:52.93
to the Celestial City.
00:23:52.93\00:23:54.40
My son had been listening
to the story on tape or CD or
00:23:54.40\00:23:56.30
something...) "You've
been listening to Christiana,
00:23:56.30\00:23:58.76
son..." "Yes, Dad.
00:23:58.76\00:24:01.46
And on her way to the
Celestial City she came
00:24:01.46\00:24:03.43
across all kinds of hazards.
00:24:03.43\00:24:05.26
There was Mr. Worldly Wiseman,
and the Slough of Despond...
00:24:05.26\00:24:08.40
all sorts of things.
00:24:08.40\00:24:09.80
(I was wondering where this
was going.) It could have been
00:24:09.80\00:24:12.90
a disaster, Dad, but she was
told she'd be okay, if she kept
00:24:12.90\00:24:18.03
her eyes on the light.
00:24:18.03\00:24:23.13
And Dad, that's what I
think Jesus is telling us
00:24:23.13\00:24:25.26
we should do.
00:24:25.26\00:24:26.83
He's saying, We'll
be okay, if we strive to
00:24:26.83\00:24:29.26
keep our eyes on the light..."
00:24:29.26\00:24:31.10
And everyone in the room
realized that a 6-year-old
00:24:31.10\00:24:35.80
had expertly
answered the question that all
00:24:35.80\00:24:38.80
of these
students couldn't answer.
00:24:38.80\00:24:41.90
Strive to keep
your eyes on the light.
00:24:41.90\00:24:46.43
Striving to be
good is a loser's game.
00:24:46.43\00:24:49.96
Jesus said there is
none that does good.
00:24:49.96\00:24:52.93
We're broken.
00:24:52.93\00:24:54.00
Goodness isn't what we are.
00:24:54.00\00:24:55.53
But - Jesus can come
into your life if you ask Him.
00:24:55.53\00:24:59.93
He will live His life in you,
and with Jesus in your life,
00:24:59.93\00:25:05.13
there's nothing to stop
Him making you everything
00:25:05.13\00:25:08.56
you want to be.
00:25:08.56\00:25:11.16
Why pray to be good, when you
can pray that God would bring
00:25:11.16\00:25:14.70
His goodness into your
life and remake you completely?
00:25:14.70\00:25:18.63
When He does that, everything
in your life and everything
00:25:18.63\00:25:23.70
about you will be just
what God wants it to be.
00:25:23.70\00:25:27.06
Let me pray with you that
we'll both experience God's
00:25:27.06\00:25:30.03
goodness in our lives.
00:25:30.03\00:25:32.10
[Music] Our father in heaven,
00:25:32.10\00:25:34.10
we thank you today for Jesus,
the one who is good and we
00:25:34.10\00:25:37.66
pray now that you would
send your Spirit into our lives
00:25:37.66\00:25:40.80
in a great way.
00:25:40.80\00:25:41.76
Let Christ live in us and
bring His goodness into our
00:25:41.76\00:25:45.30
lives so that spiritually
speaking we will not be
00:25:45.30\00:25:48.86
failing, we would not be
falling, but that we would be
00:25:48.86\00:25:52.36
kept by your power and your
grace and that the goodness of
00:25:52.36\00:25:55.83
Jesus will be seen in us and
help us, please, to strive to
00:25:55.83\00:26:01.60
keep our eyes on the light.
00:26:01.60\00:26:05.56
And this we pray
in Jesus' name, Amen.
00:26:05.56\00:26:15.56
[Music] Perhaps our program
00:26:23.96\00:26:32.20
today has touched your
heart and impressed you with a
00:26:32.20\00:26:35.40
personal need for
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00:26:35.40\00:26:38.23
If you desire to listen to
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00:26:38.23\00:26:40.90
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00:26:40.90\00:26:43.26
systemic way, the
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00:26:46.40\00:26:49.10
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They give you the big
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00:26:50.70\00:26:52.93
all fits together.
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The Discover Bible Guides
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00:26:54.13\00:26:57.16
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00:26:57.16\00:27:00.50
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00:27:00.50\00:27:03.36
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00:27:43.26\00:27:49.06
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00:27:49.06\00:27:50.63
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00:27:50.63\00:27:52.63
Until then, remember: It is
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00:27:52.63\00:27:56.33
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00:27:56.33\00:28:00.56
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