¤ [It Is Written Theme] ¤
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¤ Narrator>: 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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JB: This is It Is
Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
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Thanks for joining me today.
Seven hundred fifty million
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people watched as Diana
Spencer stepped out of the royal
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glass coach in front of
Saint Paul's Cathedral in London
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on July 29, 1981. The
fairy tale wedding of Prince
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Charles and Lady Diana
was the most watched event
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in television history. In
addition to the TV audience,
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2 million citizens lined the
streets, hoping to get a glimpse
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of the royal
couple. It was the wedding
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of the century. In the
United Kingdom, the day
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of the wedding was
declared a national holiday.
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Four thousand police,
2,100 military officers,
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dressed in their
decorated uniforms
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adding to the grandeur.
Regiments from all over the
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British
Commonwealth participated.
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It was a masterpiece
of planning and logistics.
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And so as not to offend anyone,
the guests were carefully
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selected. Every
one of the queen's
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governors general and almost
all of the crown heads of Europe
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attended. Now, imagine this.
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What do you think would
have happened if on the morning
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of July 29, 1981,
the streets of London
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were empty? If, in
spite of the holiday,
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no one paid
attention to the wedding?
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If none of the heads of
state bothered to attend?
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If even the TV network
crews were nowhere to be seen?
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A royal wedding is
a serious business.
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It's an honor to
receive an invitation.
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To ignore an
invitation like that would be
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an unforgiveable snub.
But according to one of the
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parables of Jesus, this
is exactly what happened.
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It's recorded in
Matthew chapter 22.
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"The kingdom of heaven is like
a certain king who arranged a
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marriage for his son, and sent
out his servants to call those
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who were invited to the wedding.
And they were not willing
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to come. Again,
he sent out other
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servants saying, tell
those people who are invited:
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See, I have prepared my dinner.
My oxen and fatted cattle
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are killed. And
all things are ready.
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Come to the wedding.
But they made light of it
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and went their
ways, one to his own farm,
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another to his
business, and the rest
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seized his servants,
treated them spitefully
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and killed them. But
when the king heard about it
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he was furious, and
he sent out his armies,
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destroyed those murderers
and burned up their city.
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Then he said to his
servants, the wedding is ready.
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But those who were
invited were not worthy.
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Therefore, go into the highways
and as many as you find,
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invite to the wedding. So
those servants went out into
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the highways and gathered
together all whom they found,
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both bad and good.
And the wedding hall was
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filled with guests. But
when the king came in to see
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the guests, he saw a man
there who did not have on
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a wedding
garment. So he said to him,
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friend, how do you come in
here without a wedding garment?
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And he was
speechless. Then the king said
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to his servants,
bind him hand and foot,
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take him away, and cast him
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into outer darkness.
There will be weeping and
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gnashing of teeth.
For many are called,
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but few are chosen."
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That's an amazing
story, packed with insights
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relevant for us
today. In it, Jesus covers
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the entire salvation history.
The fate of Israel is revealed.
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He warns about a coming judgment
and tells us how to be saved.
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Now, time won't let us
unpack all of the real details,
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but what's obvious is
that the king represents God.
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Jesus is the son,
and the wedding feast
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represents the kingdom of
God. The theme of the parable
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is salvation. Jesus
started out by saying,
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"The kingdom of
heaven is like..."
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Now, to the people
of that day it meant,
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this is the way to be saved.
The son of the king was getting
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married, and the king requested
the presence of his guests
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to share in the festivity.
To accept the invitation
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of the king and to attend
the feast--that was to be saved.
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Now, invitees had an option.
Either they could attend, which
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meant receiving eternal
life. Or they could decline,
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and be eternally lost.
The same truth is repeated by
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Jesus in the parable of the five
wise and five foolish virgins;
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because the five wise virgins
brought extra oil with them,
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they were able to
accompany the bridal couple
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into the wedding feast.
When the five foolish ones
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arrived a little later,
they found the door locked.
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The bridegroom responded
to their knocking by saying,
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"I don't know you."
All those who didn't attend
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lost their lives.
The ones who ignored the
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invitation were killed
by the soldiers of the king.
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The one who failed
to wear the wedding robe
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was cast into outer darkness.
To attend is to be saved.
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To decline is to be lost.
The first part of the parable
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deals with Israel's
failure to fulfill its destiny.
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God's intention was to restore
life as it was before Adam
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and Eve sinned, through
the descendants of Abraham.
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Now, if Israel had accepted
God's will for them and ordered
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their lives after God's plans,
life to them would have been
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a banquet feast.
Poverty would have been
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eliminated.
Disease would have been
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eradicated. By
following the agricultural
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principles God gave them,
their land would have been
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transformed to
Garden of Eden beauty.
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They would have been the
wisest and richest nation
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in all the earth.
And to crown it all,
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the Messiah, the
divine King, would personally
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have reigned over
them and His capital would
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have been Jerusalem.
All the nations would have
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attached themselves
to the Messiah's kingdom.
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The rebellious would
have been annihilated.
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Peace and joy would have filled
the earth and death would have
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been banished. Now,
you'll notice the king
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instructs his servants to
call those who've been invited.
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God's first call
went to His own people.
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They knew all about the promises
of God--especially the promise
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of the Messianic King. The
reign of the Messiah was the
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focal point of their existence.
In their darkest hours,
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they hoped in the coming of the
Messiah, believing that He would
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come no matter how
harsh circumstances might be.
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God had promised. This
divine King would bring
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deliverance and would lead
Israel to conquer the world.
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The king's messengers in the
parable represent the prophets.
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Their message of
invitation rings throughout
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the Old Testament.
Turn from your apostasy,
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turn from your idolatry,
from your disobedience.
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Turn from your stubbornness.
Come to the feast of
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the Lord your God.
Come, and enter life
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in its fullness.
Come to the banquet feast
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of the Messiah's kingdom.
But we know that they would not.
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Sad. See, God is serious
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about salvation. He
knows more than anyone
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the horrors of the alternative.
In His infinite love
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God cries out,
"I have no pleasure
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in the death of the
wicked, but that the wicked
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turn from his ways and
live." That's Ezekiel 33:11.
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God will do whatever it
takes to save a lost person.
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Jesus' death on
the cross proved that.
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God loves every son and daughter
of Adam more than His own life.
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He wants everyone to
be in His eternal kingdom.
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So when His people didn't
respond to the first invitation,
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he again sent out messengers,
with a second invitation.
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I've done all the preparation,
the food is getting cold.
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Come on! So what would they do?
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What would they do?
Let's take a look at that.
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Let me ask you
this: the Old Testament.
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A God of love or a God of wrath?
We'll find out, straight ahead.
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¤ [Gentle Melody] ¤ >:
Every Word is a one-minute
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Bible-based daily devotional
presented by Pastor John
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Bradshaw and designed especially
for busy people like you.
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Look for Every Word
on selected networks,
00:08:36.68\00:08:39.35
or watch it online
every day on our website,
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ItIsWritten.com.
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¤ [Rythmic Melody]  ¤
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JB: I've been asked a lot
about how to know God's will
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in certain situations.
That can be a difficult question
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to answer at times.
But there are some things
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about God's will
that are easy to know.
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Listen to this. John 6:40 says,
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"And this is the
will of him who sent me.
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That everyone who sees
the son and believes in him
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may have everlasting
life. And I will raise him up
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at the last day."
Did you catch that?
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God's will is for you
to have everlasting life.
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Now, what adjective are you
going to use to describe that?
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Outstanding; remarkable;
extraordinary; phenomenal.
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If you believe in
Jesus, it's God's will
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that you live forever.
And if you don't believe in
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Jesus, it's God's will that you
do so you can have eternal life.
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God's will for you right now is
the best it could possibly be.
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Let that encourage you
today. I'm John Bradshaw
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for It Is Written. Let's
live today by every word.
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JB: I'm John Bradshaw
and this is It Is Written.
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Thanks for joining me.
Today, another program in our
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series on the Parables of
Jesus, Lessons for All Time.
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Today, the parable
of the wedding garment.
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A story of salvation, judgment
and squandered opportunities.
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Some see the God of the Old
Testament as a loveless God.
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A God of vengeance and wrath who
burdened Israel with laws they
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couldn't possibly keep.
And they say that in the New
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Testament, He somehow changed
into a God of love and mercy,
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His grace delivering us
from the curse of the Law.
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But you know, this
idea can't possibly be true.
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You see, God is changeless.
If He changes, He can't be God.
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There's as much grace in
the Old Testament as there is in
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the New Testament. The
Bible tells us Noah found
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grace in the sight of
God. You read about Lot, being
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mentioned in
connection with God's grace.
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God didn't suddenly become
gracious or invent grace when
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New Testament times arrived.
And in this parable is a display
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of the grace of God, as He sends
out invitation after invitation.
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But the day came when the
king dispatched not messengers
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with another
invitation but soldiers,
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with orders to exterminate.
The results were tragic.
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The murderers were executed
and their city went up in smoke.
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Now, really, this is
exactly what happened to Israel.
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Jesus came with
a last invitation.
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Passionately He
preached: Repent.
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The Kingdom is at
hand. But to no avail.
00:11:20.88\00:11:23.88
He predicted that the Roman army
would come and their city would
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be destroyed. Less
than 40 years later, Titus,
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the commander of the Roman
army, watched as the smoke of
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Jerusalem bellowed up to heaven.
It's popular to preach about
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God's unconditional love,
but we should never confuse
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unconditional love
with never-ending mercy.
00:11:41.40\00:11:45.17
Unconditional love means
we don't have to meet any
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conditions for God to love us.
He accepts us just as we are.
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No sin is so heinous
that God won't still love you.
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No prodigal son or daughter
can be so defiled that he or she
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will not receive a warm
embrace by the Father when
00:12:00.82\00:12:04.62
they come home. But
the Bible is equally clear
00:12:04.62\00:12:08.32
that God's mercy
can be exhausted.
00:12:08.32\00:12:11.36
In Noah's day He announced that
the end of all flesh had come.
00:12:11.36\00:12:14.83
God's options had run
out. To extend more mercy back
00:12:14.83\00:12:19.10
then would have
been just foolishness.
00:12:19.10\00:12:21.14
No matter what else God would
have done, it wouldn't have
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changed the hardened
hearts of Noah's contemporaries.
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When mankind reached
that place, God's mercy ceases
00:12:27.74\00:12:31.78
because it's
useless. God is a God of love,
00:12:31.78\00:12:35.78
no question. But
He doesn't flinch from
00:12:35.78\00:12:38.49
making hard decisions.
After waiting 120 years, the day
00:12:38.49\00:12:42.32
came when He shut the door of
the ark, called for the flood,
00:12:42.32\00:12:47.83
and a world population
was swept to its doom.
00:12:47.83\00:12:52.87
And this also
happened to the Jewish nation.
00:12:52.87\00:12:55.30
God prepared a
banquet. Is there anything else,
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anything better,
He could have done?
00:12:58.64\00:13:00.84
Let's look together
in Isaiah chapter 5.
00:13:00.84\00:13:03.11
Isaiah 5 and verse 4.
"What could have been done more
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to my vineyard that
I have not done in it?"
00:13:08.15\00:13:11.85
That's a question God asks.
This was no ordinary banquet
00:13:11.85\00:13:15.39
Jesus spoke of in that
parable. It was a banquet
00:13:15.39\00:13:18.29
of the King of heaven.
Invitation after invitation
00:13:18.29\00:13:21.60
was sent, not to
come and dig ditches
00:13:21.60\00:13:24.37
or break rocks but to
enjoy a kingly banquet.
00:13:24.37\00:13:28.30
What excuse can you
offer for turning down such
00:13:28.30\00:13:31.11
a gracious invitation?
What better or more exciting
00:13:31.11\00:13:34.81
invitation could God have given?
But they made light of it.
00:13:34.81\00:13:39.05
A direct translation
would be: They were careless.
00:13:39.05\00:13:43.15
They didn't care. More
invitations wouldn't have
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convinced them. Now,
00:13:45.79\00:13:47.69
notice this important point:
God didn't reject those people.
00:13:47.69\00:13:51.59
Israel rejected God.
And He was simply obliged
00:13:51.59\00:13:56.26
to respect their
decision. Listen to the parable,
00:13:56.26\00:13:59.33
it's crucial.
Matthew 22, verses 8 and 9.
00:13:59.33\00:14:01.07
"Then he said to his
servants. The wedding is ready,
00:14:03.27\00:14:07.18
but those who were
invited were not worthy.
00:14:07.18\00:14:10.01
Therefore, go into the highways
and as many as you find,
00:14:10.01\00:14:14.42
invite to the wedding."
The king dispatched his army,
00:14:14.42\00:14:18.55
they killed the murderers
and burned up their city.
00:14:18.55\00:14:21.42
Because they rejected the
invitation, they were counted
00:14:21.42\00:14:24.16
not worthy. Then He
sent out His servants
00:14:24.16\00:14:26.76
again. But now,
not to those who'd been
00:14:26.76\00:14:29.10
invited but to
whoever they could find.
00:14:29.10\00:14:31.90
After the Jews
rejected Jesus, the gospel went
00:14:31.90\00:14:34.80
to the whole world.
His servants gathered
00:14:34.80\00:14:37.61
everyone who was
willing, the good and the bad.
00:14:37.61\00:14:40.84
By God's grace and
love, no one is excluded
00:14:40.84\00:14:43.68
from the gospel invitation.
God makes it clear that a great
00:14:43.68\00:14:46.72
multitude will be saved.
In Revelation, John saw them
00:14:46.72\00:14:50.42
standing on the sea of glass,
from every tribe and tongue
00:14:50.42\00:14:54.32
and nation. If the
wedding invitation is an
00:14:54.32\00:14:57.56
invitation to be saved,
and if the good and the bad
00:14:57.56\00:15:00.90
accept that invitation,
does it mean that good and bad
00:15:00.90\00:15:05.10
people will be saved?
The popular idea is that good
00:15:05.10\00:15:08.94
people go to heaven
and bad people go to hell.
00:15:08.94\00:15:12.07
[sound of raging fire]
So, how do we understand this?
00:15:12.07\00:15:15.21
I'll have more in just a moment.
00:15:15.21\00:15:18.15
¤ [Kettle drum roll ¤
¤ and thoughful melody] ¤
00:15:18.61\00:15:22.45
JB: The uttermost part of the
earth seems like an appropriate
00:15:26.15\00:15:28.89
way to describe
Mongolia, sandwiched between
00:15:28.89\00:15:33.46
China and
Siberia. It Is Written's
00:15:33.46\00:15:36.87
"Mission Mongolia" is
bringing the good news of
00:15:36.87\00:15:39.90
Jesus Chrsit to the people
of Mongolia, and your support
00:15:39.90\00:15:44.07
makes this happen. Your
support of Mission Mongolia
00:15:44.07\00:15:46.91
will bring the gospel to more
Mongolians than ever before.
00:15:46.91\00:15:53.08
Bibles are needed in the
Mongolian language, and your
00:15:53.75\00:15:56.99
help will make it possible
for people to own their very own
00:15:56.99\00:15:59.55
Bible for the first
time and learn of Jesus.
00:15:59.55\00:16:04.16
Other humanitarian needs will
also be met, as Mission Mongolia
00:16:04.16\00:16:08.60
provides for many people who are
being left behind by a society
00:16:08.60\00:16:13.40
relentlessly rushing
forward. Don't leave Mongolians
00:16:13.40\00:16:17.24
in the dark. Your
help will make it possible
00:16:17.24\00:16:20.48
for Mission Mongolia to
introduce people to Jesus.
00:16:20.48\00:16:25.61
Call now, (800)
253-3000. That's (800) 253-3000
00:16:25.61\00:16:33.72
to support Mission
Mongolia. Or visit us online at
00:16:33.72\00:16:38.13
www.ItIsWritten.com.
00:16:38.13\00:16:42.83
JB: The Bible is clear.
Both good and bad people go to
00:16:43.77\00:16:47.57
heaven, and both good
and bad people will be lost.
00:16:47.57\00:16:51.74
Now, we know that bad people
will go to heaven simply by
00:16:51.74\00:16:54.41
looking at the
thief on the cross.
00:16:54.41\00:16:56.71
A thief is a
criminal not a choirboy.
00:16:56.71\00:16:59.51
Now this man didn't have the
opportunity to demonstrate any
00:16:59.51\00:17:02.38
kind of change in his
life, but Jesus promised that he
00:17:02.38\00:17:05.55
will be with Him in paradise.
Paul makes an even more radical
00:17:05.55\00:17:09.39
statement in the book of Romans.
We'll look in Romans chapter 4
00:17:09.39\00:17:13.23
and verses 4 and 5.
"Now to him who works,
00:17:13.23\00:17:17.07
the wages are not
counted as grace but as debt.
00:17:17.07\00:17:21.20
But to him who does not
work but believes on him
00:17:21.20\00:17:23.77
who justifies the
ungodly, his faith is accounted
00:17:23.77\00:17:28.21
for righteousness." To
be justified means that
00:17:28.21\00:17:31.68
God pardons you and
accounts you righteous.
00:17:31.68\00:17:34.15
And, if He declares you
righteous, you're saved.
00:17:34.15\00:17:37.15
That's radical,
and it's the gospel.
00:17:37.15\00:17:40.29
The great truth is
that our salvation rests
00:17:40.29\00:17:42.79
on the perfection of
Jesus and not our own.
00:17:42.79\00:17:46.43
And there are good
people who will be lost.
00:17:46.43\00:17:49.40
Jesus said so. We read
it in Matthew chapter 7,
00:17:49.40\00:17:52.83
verses 22 and 23.
"Many will say to me in that
00:17:52.83\00:17:57.04
day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy name, and in
00:17:57.04\00:18:01.48
thy name have cast out
devils, and in thy name done
00:18:01.48\00:18:04.21
many wonderful works.'
And then will I profess
00:18:04.21\00:18:07.38
unto them, 'I never knew you.
00:18:07.38\00:18:10.05
Depart from me, ye
that work iniquity.'"
00:18:10.05\00:18:13.82
Now, they sound
like good people to me.
00:18:13.82\00:18:15.59
People who
confess Jesus as Lord,
00:18:15.59\00:18:17.49
people who work
miracles in His name.
00:18:17.49\00:18:19.59
Even devils obeyed
them. Yet Jesus said,
00:18:19.59\00:18:23.10
"I never knew you. You
were workers of iniquity."
00:18:23.10\00:18:28.20
Sound good. We
might even call them good.
00:18:28.20\00:18:31.71
But not saved. If
good and bad people both go
00:18:31.71\00:18:34.98
to heaven, and if good
and bad people are both lost,
00:18:34.98\00:18:38.75
we're faced with a
conundrum. How can it be?
00:18:38.75\00:18:42.15
Well, maybe the difference lies
whether you accept or reject
00:18:42.15\00:18:45.45
the wedding
invitation, is that it?
00:18:45.45\00:18:48.06
That would have been a good
answer, had Jesus not included
00:18:48.06\00:18:51.73
in the story the man who didn't
have on the wedding garment.
00:18:51.73\00:18:55.30
He had accepted the invitation.
Now here's a very important
00:18:55.30\00:18:59.67
truth Jesus
doesn't want us to miss.
00:18:59.67\00:19:02.30
Yet many Christians,
even, are missing it entirely.
00:19:02.30\00:19:06.57
Not everyone who accepts the
gospel invitation will be saved.
00:19:06.57\00:19:09.94
Now think this through with
me. Jesus knew this would be the
00:19:09.94\00:19:12.98
attitude of many
people, even in our day.
00:19:12.98\00:19:15.42
That's why He included the
wedding garment in the parable.
00:19:15.42\00:19:19.39
Millions of people stake
their hope on what it says in
00:19:19.39\00:19:21.89
Romans chapter
10. Let's read there.
00:19:21.89\00:19:24.66
Romans 10 and
we'll start in verse 9.
00:19:24.66\00:19:28.86
"If you confess with your mouth
the Lord Jesus, and believe in
00:19:28.86\00:19:33.27
your heart that God has
raised him from the dead,
00:19:33.27\00:19:36.37
you will be saved. For
with the heart one believes
00:19:36.37\00:19:39.91
unto righteousness and with
the mouth confession is made
00:19:39.91\00:19:43.68
unto salvation."
The Scripture says,
00:19:43.68\00:19:47.15
"Whoever believes on him
will not be put to shame."
00:19:47.15\00:19:51.59
Now that person's going
to read this and go to bed
00:19:51.59\00:19:53.59
in peace, thinking that
they will be saved because
00:19:53.59\00:19:55.39
they responded to an
altar call, or they've confessed
00:19:55.39\00:19:58.36
Jesus as Lord. But
that would be reading into
00:19:58.36\00:20:01.16
the passage what
the passage doesn't say.
00:20:01.16\00:20:04.13
Now, according to the
parable, you first must clear
00:20:04.13\00:20:08.54
the judgment before
you can enter the Kingdom.
00:20:08.54\00:20:12.67
Now, some will
say this is ludicrous.
00:20:12.67\00:20:14.58
It contradicts the gospel.
If our performance doesn't
00:20:14.58\00:20:18.98
determine our salvation,
why would God judge us?
00:20:18.98\00:20:22.48
This is exactly what
the Bible teaches, though.
00:20:22.48\00:20:24.42
Jesus said that the king came to
the feast to inspect the guests.
00:20:24.42\00:20:29.29
Whether we believe it or not,
there will be an inspection,
00:20:29.29\00:20:32.33
or a judgment if you
please, before salvation
00:20:32.33\00:20:34.93
is granted to anyone.
God makes clear that saved
00:20:34.93\00:20:38.13
people must wear
the wedding garment.
00:20:38.13\00:20:41.87
Salvation is free.
There's no question.
00:20:41.87\00:20:44.94
Yet we must
participate in this experience.
00:20:44.94\00:20:47.61
We can't save ourselves.
All the good works we could do
00:20:47.61\00:20:51.01
in a hundred lifetimes
will never be enough to purchase
00:20:51.01\00:20:53.48
salvation. Notice something.
00:20:53.48\00:20:55.82
Everything the
king offers is free.
00:20:55.82\00:20:58.49
The wedding
invitation. That's free.
00:20:58.49\00:21:00.96
The banquet, that's
free. The wedding garment
00:21:00.96\00:21:03.06
is free also.
Salvation is a gift.
00:21:03.06\00:21:05.66
And a gift by its
very nature has to be free.
00:21:05.66\00:21:09.00
If someone offers you
a brand-new Rolls Royce
00:21:09.00\00:21:11.37
for 10 cents, it's a bargain
00:21:11.37\00:21:14.54
but it's not a gift. If
we think we must provide
00:21:14.54\00:21:18.77
anything for our
salvation, then we are wrong.
00:21:18.77\00:21:22.48
Salvation is the gift of God.
But in order to be saved, we've
00:21:22.48\00:21:26.95
got to participate with God
in the salvation He provides.
00:21:26.95\00:21:31.02
What we must do is
wear the wedding garment.
00:21:31.02\00:21:34.89
The wedding garment is
the perfect life of Jesus.
00:21:34.89\00:21:38.03
Clothed in this garment,
we can face the judgment
00:21:38.03\00:21:40.50
with confidence.
Our life of sin will be
00:21:40.50\00:21:43.20
completely hidden behind
the sinless life of Jesus.
00:21:43.20\00:21:46.33
And based on His perfect life,
we'll have the right to enter
00:21:46.33\00:21:49.67
into His kingdom.
So, what does it mean
00:21:49.67\00:21:52.74
to wear the wedding
garment? It's more than just
00:21:52.74\00:21:56.24
confessing Christ.
Anyone can do that.
00:21:56.24\00:21:59.01
The wedding garment represents
the righteousness of Christ.
00:21:59.01\00:22:02.52
The character of Christ.
So while it's very true that
00:22:02.52\00:22:07.12
many good people don't go to
heaven, and that many bad people
00:22:07.12\00:22:10.56
do go to heaven, it's really
important to realize that all
00:22:10.56\00:22:14.73
who go to heaven will be
holy. They'll be righteous.
00:22:14.73\00:22:18.67
They'll be cleansed.
The thief on the cross was
00:22:18.67\00:22:21.74
repentant and we can be sure
that if he'd been able to get
00:22:21.74\00:22:24.37
off that cross, he would have
lived a life that honors God.
00:22:24.37\00:22:28.94
There are people going to church
every week who don't have the
00:22:28.94\00:22:31.51
character of Christ,
and their lives don't
00:22:31.51\00:22:33.78
represent Jesus in any
way. When a person bad or good,
00:22:33.78\00:22:38.42
and remember we know
that there's no one good
00:22:38.42\00:22:40.46
but the Father, but
you know what I mean
00:22:40.46\00:22:42.46
when any person bad
or good comes to Jesus,
00:22:42.46\00:22:45.39
that person's life changes.
And it's lived for the glory
00:22:45.39\00:22:49.93
of God. Those
who wear the wedding
00:22:49.93\00:22:52.63
garment are those who love Jesus
with all their heart and mind
00:22:52.63\00:22:55.14
and soul, and
therefore they act like Him.
00:22:55.14\00:22:58.07
Their life is transformed.
It's easy for the king to
00:22:58.07\00:23:01.21
determine who wears the
wedding garment and who doesn't.
00:23:01.21\00:23:04.18
He does it like this. In
fact, Jesus spoke about it.
00:23:04.18\00:23:07.25
Matthew chapter 25,
looking from verse 34.
00:23:07.25\00:23:11.15
"Then the king will say
to those on his right hand,
00:23:11.15\00:23:13.39
"Come, you blessed of my father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared
00:23:13.39\00:23:16.59
for you from the
foundation of the world.
00:23:16.59\00:23:18.86
For I was hungry and you gave me
food, I was thirsty and you gave
00:23:18.86\00:23:21.46
me drink, I was a stranger and
you took me in, I was naked and
00:23:21.46\00:23:25.73
you clothed me.
Sick, and you visited me.
00:23:25.73\00:23:28.30
I was in prison
and you came to me.
00:23:28.30\00:23:30.67
Assuredly, I say to you,
inasmuch as you did it to one of
00:23:30.67\00:23:34.38
the least of these, my
brethren, you did it to me.'"
00:23:34.38\00:23:38.18
This is what it means to
wear the wedding garment.
00:23:38.18\00:23:40.25
If we're not surrendering to God
and striving in the grace of God
00:23:40.25\00:23:43.52
through the Holy
Spirit to emulate Him,
00:23:43.52\00:23:46.35
our confession is
empty. We're not saved.
00:23:46.35\00:23:49.66
Good works never save us.
But, they are the evidence that
00:23:49.66\00:23:55.50
we have a Savior
and that He saves.
00:23:55.50\00:23:58.57
A life that meets with the
life of God will be transformed,
00:23:58.57\00:24:03.30
and that transformation
will be demonstrated, or rather
00:24:03.30\00:24:06.34
that transformation
will be demonstrated
00:24:06.34\00:24:09.51
in the way a life is lived.
Now, Jesus ends this parable
00:24:09.51\00:24:13.01
by a statement that
should grip our attention.
00:24:13.01\00:24:16.08
He said, "Many are
called, but few are chosen."
00:24:16.08\00:24:21.39
This parable relates
God's desperate attempt
00:24:21.39\00:24:23.86
to save sinners. He
tried His best with Israel,
00:24:23.86\00:24:26.66
but the vast majority
rejected His invitations.
00:24:26.66\00:24:30.37
Then He invited the whole world.
Many came, but few will wear the
00:24:30.37\00:24:34.20
wedding garment. What
Jesus is saying is that
00:24:34.20\00:24:37.14
only a few will be saved. So
today, Jesus is inviting you.
00:24:37.14\00:24:42.58
He wants you to be among
the few who will be saved.
00:24:42.58\00:24:45.88
The comparative few. But
ultimately, it's up to you.
00:24:45.88\00:24:50.59
You've received the invitation,
which makes you special
00:24:50.59\00:24:53.39
in the sight of
God. The banquet is free.
00:24:53.39\00:24:56.39
And then there's
the robe. It's free too,
00:24:56.39\00:24:59.53
but it's for you to wear
it. In other words, to let Jesus
00:24:59.53\00:25:03.90
have your life completely.
And when you think about it,
00:25:03.90\00:25:08.27
why would you
want it any other way.
00:25:08.27\00:25:12.04
¤ [Musical Interlude]  ¤
00:25:12.71\00:25:16.85
JB: Today I'd like to
offer you an exciting resource
00:25:18.85\00:25:21.72
from It Is Written. It's
called "The War Is Over,"
00:25:21.72\00:25:25.05
and it will walk you through
what it means to know God,
00:25:25.05\00:25:27.46
to surrender to Him,
and to grow in His grace.
00:25:27.46\00:25:30.73
This important step-by-step
study will connect you with the
00:25:30.73\00:25:33.09
power of God and lead you to
develop the character of Jesus.
00:25:33.09\00:25:37.13
The secrets of the
genuine Christian experience are
00:25:37.13\00:25:39.80
outlined in "The War Is Over."
To receive your free copy in
00:25:39.80\00:25:44.31
North America, call
now at (800) 253-3000.
00:25:44.31\00:25:48.88
There's no obligation
and it's totally free to you.
00:25:48.88\00:25:52.05
Call now. If the
line's busy when you
00:25:52.05\00:25:54.08
call, please do call
again. If you prefer to write,
00:25:54.08\00:25:57.99
our address is It
Is Written, P.O. Box 6,
00:25:57.99\00:26:01.39
Chattanooga, TN 37401,
and request your copy of
00:26:01.39\00:26:06.66
"The War Is Over."
You'll be blessed in a big way.
00:26:06.66\00:26:11.27
To support the worldwide
ministry of It Is Written,
00:26:11.27\00:26:14.10
a faith-based ministry,
you can write to the address
00:26:14.10\00:26:17.44
on your screen or
you can support us at
00:26:17.44\00:26:19.97
ItIsWritten.com.
You can give online.
00:26:19.97\00:26:23.14
Our web address
is ItIsWritten.com.
00:26:23.14\00:26:26.65
And I want to thank you
for your prayerful support.
00:26:26.65\00:26:29.38
Again, our phone
number is (800) 253-3000,
00:26:29.38\00:26:33.69
and you'll find us
online at ItIsWritten.com.
00:26:33.69\00:26:37.96
JB: I'd like to take a moment to
pray with you now and ask God to
00:26:39.19\00:26:41.86
give you His
righteousness and His character.
00:26:41.86\00:26:44.77
Let's pray. ¤ [Gentle Melody] ¤
00:26:44.77\00:26:46.50
Our Father in
heaven, You are good.
00:26:46.50\00:26:47.80
You sent Jesus into this
world to save us when we didn't
00:26:47.80\00:26:50.04
deserve it, and now
You offer us salvation.
00:26:50.04\00:26:53.88
We accept that gift, and in
that we want to receive of You
00:26:53.88\00:26:58.41
the righteousness of Jesus.
That robe of righteousness.
00:26:58.41\00:27:02.18
The wedding garment. And
Father, right now there is
00:27:02.18\00:27:04.79
someone participating in this
prayer, recognizing his or her
00:27:04.79\00:27:09.79
desperate need of Jesus. I
pray that You would take that
00:27:09.79\00:27:13.40
heart and make it Your
own. Give that person Your
00:27:13.40\00:27:15.26
righteousness, and with
it, assurance that that man,
00:27:15.26\00:27:18.70
that woman, is
now a child of God.
00:27:18.70\00:27:21.67
Forgiven, cleansed, and kept
in the hands and in the heart
00:27:21.67\00:27:26.71
of heaven. We thank
You for Your goodness.
00:27:26.71\00:27:29.94
Take our
hearts, make them Yours.
00:27:29.94\00:27:32.58
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
00:27:32.58\00:27:36.12
¤ [Musical Interlude]  ¤
00:27:37.69\00:27:42.26
JB: Thank you so
much for joining me today.
00:27:48.53\00:27:50.33
I look forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:50.33\00:27:51.90
Until then,
remember: It is written.
00:27:51.90\00:27:54.70
Man shall not
live by bread alone,
00:27:54.70\00:27:57.01
but by every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God.
00:27:57.01\00:28:01.68
¤ [Theme Music Swells] ¤
00:28:01.88\00:28:05.98