¤ [It Is Written Theme] ¤
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>: It has stood
the test of time.
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God's book, the Bible;
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still relevant in
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It Is Written,
sharing hope around the globe.
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JB: Thanks for joining me
today. This is It Is Written,
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and I'm John Bradshaw. I
don't think it would take
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a lot for me to convince you
that stress is a major problem
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in the world today.
Most people are dealing
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with more stress than
they would like to deal with,
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and many people are
unaware just how much stress
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is pressing down on
their lives. So many people
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at breaking point; so
many people just not sure
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how to deal with
stress. Well, today you're going
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to find out from a biblical
perspective how you can deal
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with stress. We're going to talk
about what it is and a divine
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prescription for turning
things around and dealing with
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the stress in your
life. Now, I am just so glad
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to be able to
welcome a special guest.
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Dr. David DeRose is
not only a specialist
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in internal medicine but
also in preventive medicine.
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He comes to us from
Compass Health Consulting
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in Northern California.
Dr. DeRose, thanks for
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joining me
today. DD: It's exciting
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to be with you, John. JB:
I'm excited, because we're
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talking about something that,
well, I know it affects me.
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And I don't mean to
say I'm super stressed out;
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but who isn't?
There's a lot of stress today.
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DD: I mean,
you're exactly right.
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All of us are
affected by stress.
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And if you look at the
leading causes of death,
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the leading causes of
morbidity or suffering,
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stress is on the list of just
about all of those conditions.
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JB: What's stress?
DD: We tend to think,
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when we're
speaking in lay circles,
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that stress is just
anything that's painful,
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anything that's difficult.
But when we speak about it
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medically we differentiate
between what we call stressors
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and the stress
response. So a stressor, John,
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is anything that comes at
you mentally, emotionally,
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physically. If they turn down
the temperature in a building,
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you can be stressed
physically from the cold air.
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JB: Amen. DD: So
stress comes at us
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in all these
dimensions of our personhood.
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Stress response is how we
respond to those stressors.
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There's a great story
in the Gospel of Mark,
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chapter 4, where
Jesus is on a boat
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crossing the Sea of Galilee.
The disciples, some of them--
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men who spent
their lives on that sea--
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are fearing for their
lives. The stressor is a storm;
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the stress response from
those disciples: Lord, save us!
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We're going to perish!
JB: Except that there was
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somebody on the boat who
appeared as though He wasn't
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very stressed at all. His stress
response to those very same
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stressors was really different.
The disciples were fearing for
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their lives; Jesus
was--what? Sleeping?
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DD: I love the Gospel of Mark,
because when we're speaking
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about stress it definitely
impacts on relationships.
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Mark to me is a
very relational Gospel.
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You look at the
Gospel writer, John Mark.
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And John Mark was this guy
who was one of the superstars,
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if you will, in
the Early Church.
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He was out there
on the front lines.
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He was out there on that
first missionary journey with
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Paul and Barnabas.
But you know the story.
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He bailed on
them. JB: Yeah. Yeah,
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he caused real
stress. He caused a rift,
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didn't he? That's his--
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DD: --That's exactly
right. So, Paul and Barnabas
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no longer ministered together
after that first journey,
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and I can imagine John
Mark walking into the church
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after that. Can you
imagine the synagogue,
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if you will. JB: It's you!
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You messed it up.
We had these two great
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missionaries out there.
They've split because of you!
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Can you imagine
what John Mark carried?
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DD: But when you
read the end of the story,
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Jesus kept appealing--
the Holy Spirit kept working
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in John Mark's life.
He later was called the
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"very son of Peter." Peter uses
that language for him, and Paul
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even found him
useful in his ministry,
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in his later
days. So it's a story
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about someone who
was touched by a Jesus,
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by a Holy Spirit
that keeps wooing us,
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keeps working on us.
And it just encourage me
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that no matter
what's happened in the past,
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there's a bright future through
Christ and His plans for us.
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JB: Right. So it
isn't that really we need
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to be trying to
get rid of all stress.
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That's not even
realistic, is it?
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DD: In fact, let's use a
different term for stressors.
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Call it "challenge." JB:
Okay. DD: We all know it.
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Some of us, we thrive on a
certain amount of challenge;
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others, that amount
of challenge is too much.
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What is too much for one person
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is optimal for another.
And we've known this for years.
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So, if we start using the
word "challenge" for stressors.
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A little bit of cold? I
like it, when I'm going out to
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exercise in the morning.
If it's nice and comfortable,
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nice and warm, I'm
not as motivated to get
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as good a workout, if you will.
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JB: So, there's got to
be an element here of people
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figuring out
what's right for them.
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DD: That's right.
JB: And that's okay?
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It's okay if
someone's stress, or challenge,
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threshold is a little lower,
and someone else's stress,
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or challenge
threshold, is a little higher.
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That's okay? DD:
It's perfectly okay,
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but that's one of the
challenges we have in community.
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That's why we have--
I'll tell you about my uncle.
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My uncle owned a restaurant.
His strategy for dealing
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with the stress of temperature
was to unhook the thermostat
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from the system, and
then everyone could change
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the dial just a little
bit, and they felt like
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they were helping
themselves. 'Cause we all do
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best at a little bit different
physical stressor level,
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emotional stressor level.
Same with mental stressors.
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JB: Yeah. How
can we help a person
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understand where they are
in their challenge threshold?
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Because there are some people
who just figure that they're
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weak. Or someone who thinks that
that person there is a basket
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case and just can't take much.
It's okay then, is it, to be in
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a different place? DD: It is.
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But let me turn to a very
familiar verse in the Gospel of
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Mark. In chapter 1 of Mark
we get a glimpse into Jesus'
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devotional life. In
Mark 1, verse 35, it says,
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"Now in the
morning, having risen"--
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speaking of Jesus-- "a
long while before daylight,
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he went out and
departed to a solitary place,
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and there he prayed."
John, the reason that verse
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is so powerful to me:
we look at Jesus in that
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boat, sleeping.
Jesus was focused on His
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relationship with His Father.
And if we have that connection,
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if we have that
divine connection,
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our level-- our ability to
handle stressors-- changes.
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We're not just on our own;
it's not just what I can handle,
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but it's what God is calling
me to handle that I can handle,
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through His power.
JB: God is the one who can
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provide strength
in every situation.
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Even Jesus felt
that that was the way
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to approach life. He
didn't go a day without
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being connected to His Father.
And that's how He was able to
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sleep in the
storm, is that right?
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DD: That's key. Jesus was
on a mission. In fact, some
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people have gone so far to
say it wasn't just Jesus' daily
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devotional life that played into
this, but Jesus knew where He
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was in the prophetic timeline.
In fact, in the very Gospel of
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Mark Jesus refers
to the book of Daniel.
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JB: Yes, He does.
Right after He was baptized,
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Jesus says, "The
time is fulfilled."
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Oh, we've got to talk
about that. All right. Okay, now
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repeat that statement you made.
Something that helped Jesus was
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understanding where He
was in the prophetic timeline.
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DD: That's right. And
it's interesting, too.
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We're speaking about
the book of Daniel. One of
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Jesus' favorite ways to refer
to Himself was the Son of Man.
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And, this brings us back to the
imagery of the book of Daniel
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where the Son of Man
is coming to the Father.
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JB: Okay, powerful
stuff. Let's pick it up
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in just a moment.
Stress, what it is,
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what you can do about it,
and how Jesus demonstrates--
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how Jesus modeled--
how stress is best handled.
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I'll be back
with Dr. David DeRose
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in just a moment.
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¤ [Gently melody] ¤ >: You are
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watching the weekly
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Bradshaw and designed especially
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Look for Every Word on selected
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¤ [bright rythmic melody] ¤
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JB: Don't for a minute
think that God doesn't hear
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your prayer. In Daniel 8,
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Daniel receives a vision
that he didn't understand.
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He prayed for understanding,
and in verse 23 of chapter 9,
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the angel says to
Daniel, "At the beginning of
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your supplications the command
went out, and I have come to
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tell you: When you started
praying about this thing,
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Daniel, I received instructions
to come and help you.
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Daniel, when you
prayed, God heard you.
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And he told me to come
down here and help you."
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It's interesting to
wonder just how that all works,
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but what we do know
is that it does work.
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God notices when
we pray. He hears.
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No, we don't always
get the answers we want,
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and we don't always
get the answers we want
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when we want, but God
notices and God hears.
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If we know
that, we can trust Him
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to do the right thing
at exactly the right time.
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I'm John Bradshaw
for It Is Written.
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Let's live today by Every Word.
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JB: Thanks for joining me
today. This is It Is Written.
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I'm John
Bradshaw. Joining us both is
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Dr. David DeRose, a
physician who specializes
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in internal medicine
and preventive medicine.
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He comes to us from
Compass Health Consultants
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in Northern
California. Dr. DeRose,
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as we talk about
stress, let me ask you this.
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Before we go
and talk about Jesus
00:10:06.33\00:10:08.94
and the prophetic
timeline, how many people--well,
00:10:08.94\00:10:14.01
how many of your patients--
are dealing with significant
00:10:14.01\00:10:16.54
amounts of stress?
DD: Well, I'm sure if you
00:10:16.54\00:10:19.71
interviewed them coming
into my office, most of them
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would say they are.
And for this very reason,
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I don't measure their
blood pressure when they first
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walk into my office.
I wait till we've talked
00:10:26.76\00:10:29.46
and interacted a while,
and then check their pressure.
00:10:29.46\00:10:32.46
JB: Okay, now,
you mentioned before.
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We were talking about Jesus,
in a very stressful situation.
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There's a storm on a
lake. The hardened fisherman,
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who've lived on that
lake, they're freaking out.
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They're worried about--
they think they're going to die.
00:10:44.74\00:10:47.38
Jesus is sleeping.
And He's sleeping because
00:10:47.38\00:10:51.18
He has trust in
His heavenly Father.
00:10:51.18\00:10:53.75
You mentioned a moment
ago that something else that
00:10:53.75\00:10:56.25
alleviated Jesus' stress
level was that He understood
00:10:56.25\00:10:58.92
where He was in
the prophetic timeline.
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Explain that.
DD: As you mentioned,
00:11:01.99\00:11:03.79
multiple times Jesus spoke
about His time having come,
00:11:03.79\00:11:07.50
or my time is not
yet here. JB: Yes.
00:11:07.50\00:11:09.93
DD: Jesus had
this sense of timing,
00:11:09.93\00:11:12.13
and the book of Daniel--
that was apparently pivotal
00:11:12.13\00:11:15.20
in Jesus'
understanding His own ministry--
00:11:15.20\00:11:17.87
speaks about some very
definite timelines as far as
00:11:17.87\00:11:21.64
when Jesus' ministry would
begin and when it would end.
00:11:21.64\00:11:25.68
JB: Okay. Let's walk through
those timelines, a little bit.
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Name one. Help me understand.
00:11:28.62\00:11:30.12
DD: Okay. So, Jesus'
very baptism is prophesied,
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the timing, in
the book of Daniel.
00:11:33.32\00:11:36.62
In Daniel chapter 9 it
speaks about the Messiah,
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the Prince. Jesus was
anointed--which was something
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that was done in biblical
times for priests and kings--
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this anointing occurred
at the time of His baptism.
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If you actually study the
prophecy of Daniel, chapter 9,
00:11:50.47\00:11:53.04
you would find that
Jesus' ministry would stretch
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3 1/2 years.
Half a week. And so,
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early in Jesus' ministry,
as He is crossing the lake--
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mindful of that
prophetic timeline.
00:12:02.62\00:12:05.32
I can't tell you, John,
what was in Jesus' mind,
00:12:05.32\00:12:08.79
but the evidence suggests
that He was aware that His time
00:12:08.79\00:12:13.06
to die had not yet come.
To me, what's interesting
00:12:13.06\00:12:15.90
on the subject of stress is
beginning in about chapter 8 of
00:12:15.90\00:12:19.10
the Gospel of Mark, Jesus starts
preparing His disciples for
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that very event.
JB: And they don't,
00:12:25.47\00:12:27.48
they don't get it.
DD: No, they don't get it.
00:12:27.48\00:12:28.78
They don't get it.
But He repeatedly does it.
00:12:28.78\00:12:30.85
He repeatedly speaks to
them. What we know today,
00:12:30.85\00:12:33.72
just like we speak about
vaccinations or inoculations--
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and, that's a big controversy
in medical circles today--
00:12:37.09\00:12:39.85
but Jesus, the evidence suggests
00:12:39.85\00:12:42.52
was inoculating His
disciples in the area of stress.
00:12:42.52\00:12:46.09
We actually speak about it
in medical circles. We call it
00:12:46.09\00:12:48.33
"stress inoculation."
It's preparing people
00:12:48.33\00:12:51.27
r what's going to come so
they can better handle it.
00:12:51.27\00:12:55.00
JB: How can people
better handle stress?
00:12:55.00\00:12:59.81
That's a vast question, I
mean a very broad question,
00:12:59.81\00:13:03.35
because there's the
stress that comes from finance.
00:13:03.35\00:13:07.15
And there are ways that
people can inoculate themselves
00:13:07.15\00:13:09.95
against financial stress.
Stressors. There's the stress
00:13:09.95\00:13:13.46
that comes from
illness, and my expectation is
00:13:13.46\00:13:17.36
that if you're not dealing
with medical stress well,
00:13:17.36\00:13:22.03
you're just going to exacerbate
a difficult medical situation.
00:13:22.03\00:13:25.13
Is that fair to say that?
DD: No, it's definitely fair.
00:13:25.13\00:13:27.60
JB: Okay. So, the question
I'm asking is very, very broad.
00:13:27.60\00:13:29.90
And maybe you can pick
some one area and say here's,
00:13:29.90\00:13:32.44
in practical terms, how a
person can help themselves
00:13:32.44\00:13:37.01
when stress comes.
DD: Let's look at another
00:13:37.01\00:13:39.61
surprising text in
the Gospel of Mark.
00:13:39.61\00:13:41.58
And the reason I'm
so interested in this,
00:13:41.58\00:13:43.25
over the last several
years, I've been walking through
00:13:43.25\00:13:46.49
the Gospel of Mark
with groups of people,
00:13:46.49\00:13:49.06
looking at medical
angles in this Gospel.
00:13:49.06\00:13:52.36
And what's interesting,
in Mark 6, there's something
00:13:52.36\00:13:54.63
here that most people
just take for granted,
00:13:54.63\00:13:56.83
but it is only Mark's
Gospel that gives us this detail
00:13:56.83\00:14:00.50
about Jesus. In Mark 6, verse 3,
00:14:00.50\00:14:05.04
referring to Jesus
when He's there in Nazareth.
00:14:05.04\00:14:07.61
It says, "Is this
not the carpenter?"
00:14:07.61\00:14:11.91
Everybody says, well, we know
00:14:11.91\00:14:13.42
Jesus was a carpenter.
This is the only place.
00:14:13.42\00:14:15.75
JB: The only place. DD:
Where Jesus--and Matthew's
00:14:15.75\00:14:17.55
account of the
same, it mentions Jesus
00:14:17.55\00:14:19.19
being the son of a
carpenter. JB: Right.
00:14:19.19\00:14:21.46
DD: But here, Jesus is
identified as "the carpenter."
00:14:21.46\00:14:23.66
What this has to do with stress,
John, on a totally different
00:14:23.66\00:14:26.90
nsion that we
haven't really spoken about,
00:14:26.90\00:14:29.43
is Jesus was engaged throughout
much of His life in useful,
00:14:29.43\00:14:34.14
physical work. We know today
that one of the most powerful
00:14:34.14\00:14:38.34
things to help mitigate the
effects of stress is physical
00:14:38.34\00:14:41.74
activity. And probably the
most powerful physical activity,
00:14:41.74\00:14:45.35
when it comes to
stress relief, is activity
00:14:45.35\00:14:49.05
that engages us.
Especially if it's something
00:14:49.05\00:14:51.05
useful that we're
doing with our hands.
00:14:51.05\00:14:53.69
JB: Exercise is
good for stress, right?
00:14:53.69\00:14:56.59
DD: Definitely. JB: Okay. So,
00:14:56.59\00:14:58.19
getting on a treadmill
for 20, 25, 30 minutes.
00:14:58.19\00:15:00.36
Running around the
block four or five times.
00:15:00.36\00:15:02.16
Riding my bicycle for 15
miles. That's really good.
00:15:02.16\00:15:05.93
DD: Well, it may be really
good for you, but for some
00:15:05.93\00:15:08.04
of those patients
that walk into my office,
00:15:08.04\00:15:10.44
riding the bike
around the block may be so
00:15:10.44\00:15:12.97
physically stressful that they
drop dead. If you're outside,
00:15:12.97\00:15:15.78
working in your garden.
If you're mowing the lawn
00:15:15.78\00:15:19.28
with a push mower.
If you're chopping wood.
00:15:19.28\00:15:22.68
Whatever you're doing physically
not only engages your body,
00:15:22.68\00:15:27.29
but it engages your brain
if you're doing useful labor.
00:15:27.29\00:15:30.23
Much more powerful when
it comes to stress relief.
00:15:30.23\00:15:33.63
JB: The forms of
exercise that are best for you
00:15:33.63\00:15:36.16
when you're dealing with stress
are those forms of exercise
00:15:36.16\00:15:38.77
that engage your
body and your mind.
00:15:38.77\00:15:41.74
DD: Exactly. JB:
Okay. So I could be
00:15:41.74\00:15:43.14
riding my bike and
all I'm thinking about
00:15:43.14\00:15:44.64
is I've got an assignment
due, I've got a boss at work,
00:15:44.64\00:15:47.74
he's going to rip me
today because I messed up
00:15:47.74\00:15:50.08
yesterday. However--
00:15:50.08\00:15:52.41
and I'm sure this is true too,
if I was chopping wood-- but,
00:15:52.41\00:15:55.05
if I'm working in the garden,
that's, I'm getting a workout
00:15:55.05\00:15:59.52
physically and mentally as well.
DD: But don't miss this point:
00:15:59.52\00:16:04.06
Riding a bicycle around
the block is much better than
00:16:04.06\00:16:07.13
riding the stationery bike,
because you are engaged in your
00:16:07.13\00:16:10.70
surroundings; you're
watching the traffic.
00:16:10.70\00:16:12.63
So even though those
problems may be there,
00:16:12.63\00:16:14.84
you're not just stewing on them,
as you're pedaling that bicycle
00:16:14.84\00:16:19.04
in your exercise room.
JB: Okay. So, exercise that
00:16:19.04\00:16:21.94
engages the body and the
mind, when it comes to stress,
00:16:21.94\00:16:25.41
that's best. DD: And
we have Jesus' example.
00:16:25.41\00:16:27.38
And Jesus is really harkening
back to the very program
00:16:27.38\00:16:31.69
He gave mankind
in the beginning.
00:16:31.69\00:16:33.29
In Genesis 2, He
gave Adam the job of
00:16:33.29\00:16:36.39
dressing and keeping the
garden. JB: Is this just a bit
00:16:36.39\00:16:39.29
of a stretch, or do you think
medically it is rock solid.
00:16:39.29\00:16:42.86
Jesus was a
carpenter, so I guess,
00:16:42.86\00:16:45.37
I guess particularly in
His day too, there was a lot of
00:16:45.37\00:16:47.54
hard physical activity going
on. But we're not stretching it
00:16:47.54\00:16:51.41
here, are we.
This is solid science.
00:16:51.41\00:16:54.28
DD: There is evidence,
looking at this very point that
00:16:54.28\00:16:56.58
I'm mentioning and
speaking about the benefits
00:16:56.58\00:16:58.41
of this type of approach.
JB: Magnificent. Thank you.
00:16:58.41\00:17:00.78
Don't go away, we'll
be right back with more on
00:17:00.78\00:17:02.55
stress and the Bible, and
how God can help you deal with
00:17:02.55\00:17:06.96
stress in a way that's good
for you physically, emotionally,
00:17:06.96\00:17:12.16
and spiritually.
We'll be back with more
00:17:12.16\00:17:14.00
in just a moment.
00:17:14.00\00:17:15.23
[bright thoughtful melody]
00:17:15.43\00:17:17.43
JB: Planning for your financial
Future is a vital aspect of
00:17:17.73\00:17:20.24
Christian
stewardship. For this reason,
00:17:20.24\00:17:22.57
It Is Written is pleased to
offer free planned giving and
00:17:22.57\00:17:25.47
estate services.
For information on how
00:17:25.47\00:17:27.78
we can help you,
please call 1 (800) 992-2219.
00:17:27.78\00:17:33.18
Call today, or
visit our special website,
00:17:33.18\00:17:35.98
www.HisLegacy.com.
00:17:35.98\00:17:40.06
JB: Thanks for joining
me today on It Is Written.
00:17:41.69\00:17:43.63
I'm John
Bradshaw, joined today by
00:17:43.63\00:17:45.73
Dr. David DeRose. We've
been talking about stress.
00:17:45.73\00:17:49.30
We all deal with it, and
it's not that stress is bad.
00:17:49.30\00:17:53.10
What we've learned,
too, is there are differences
00:17:53.10\00:17:55.40
between stressors--
those things that are
00:17:55.40\00:17:57.97
challenges to us--
and our stress response.
00:17:57.97\00:18:01.78
DD: Right. JB: And
there are ways that we
00:18:01.78\00:18:04.28
can respond to stress, or
learn to deal with stress;
00:18:04.28\00:18:07.98
exercise that engages
the body and the mind,
00:18:07.98\00:18:11.05
being very important.
And that's an interesting
00:18:11.05\00:18:13.56
distinction between exercises
merely that engages the body.
00:18:13.56\00:18:16.66
Devotional
life; trusting in God.
00:18:16.66\00:18:19.76
Jesus was able to
sleep in the storm,
00:18:19.76\00:18:22.03
the same storm that was causing
His best friends to panic.
00:18:22.03\00:18:25.07
And Jesus was sleeping through.
What are some other things,
00:18:25.07\00:18:28.87
Dr. DeRose, that
help us deal with stress?
00:18:28.87\00:18:32.27
DD: Another powerful thing, that
we're actually losing touch with
00:18:32.27\00:18:35.38
to some extent in our culture,
is social connectedness.
00:18:35.38\00:18:39.48
Now, people say,
well, we're more socially
00:18:39.48\00:18:41.48
connected than ever. I
mean, you know, we've got
00:18:41.48\00:18:42.78
Twitter and Facebook, and
we're sending text messages.
00:18:42.78\00:18:46.72
But how much time do we
really spend with other people,
00:18:46.72\00:18:49.72
and how
integrated are we socially.
00:18:49.72\00:18:52.19
This is a very
powerful factor when it comes to
00:18:52.19\00:18:54.83
physical health and our
ability to deal with stressors.
00:18:54.83\00:18:57.90
JB: Give me one
example. DD: Okay, one of the
00:18:57.90\00:19:00.54
biggest studies, ongoing studies
in the world, is the nurses'
00:19:00.54\00:19:02.97
health study, being coordinated
by Harvard University.
00:19:02.97\00:19:06.04
Back in the '90s
they started looking at
00:19:06.04\00:19:09.31
how connected the nurses were,
and they looked at those who
00:19:09.31\00:19:12.95
developed cancer. Some
2800 women in this group,
00:19:12.95\00:19:17.45
between 1992 and 2002,
had received the diagnosis
00:19:17.45\00:19:21.82
of breast cancer. They
followed them over that
00:19:21.82\00:19:23.99
10-year period of time,
and they looked at their
00:19:23.99\00:19:26.90
assessment of how
socially connected they were.
00:19:26.90\00:19:30.27
Those who were socially isolated
had over double the likelihood
00:19:30.27\00:19:34.87
of dying in a decade from the
breast cancer, as those who were
00:19:34.87\00:19:38.21
socially connected.
JB: Wow. So, it's important
00:19:38.21\00:19:40.21
to be socially
connected. DD: Oh, no question.
00:19:40.21\00:19:42.11
JB: Now, we might even
want to drill down a little bit
00:19:42.11\00:19:43.68
into that data,
but the first thing is,
00:19:43.68\00:19:47.12
someone's
watching and saying, yeah,
00:19:47.12\00:19:48.35
I have no friends,
I go to the office,
00:19:48.35\00:19:49.78
I work in my cubicle, I
don't interact with anybody.
00:19:49.78\00:19:52.02
What's a person to
do, because clearly being
00:19:52.02\00:19:54.92
socially connected
is good for your health?
00:19:54.92\00:19:58.09
DD: The thing I love about
the Gospels is Jesus basically
00:19:58.09\00:20:01.50
keeps saying,
over and over again,
00:20:01.50\00:20:03.83
there's a place for you
in My family. The church has
00:20:03.83\00:20:09.04
room for everyone. And someone
who feels socially isolated,
00:20:09.04\00:20:11.54
they said, well, I showed up at
church and those people were--
00:20:11.54\00:20:14.71
JB:
--unfriendly. DD: You got it.
00:20:14.71\00:20:17.18
But the point is, if they
were unfriendly to you, they
00:20:17.18\00:20:20.75
might be unfriendly to someone
else. You need to be there to be
00:20:20.75\00:20:23.02
a friend for
someone else who shows up.
00:20:23.02\00:20:24.95
JB: That's right.
Exactly right. It's someone
00:20:24.95\00:20:26.69
needs to be there, to be
welcoming to the people who,
00:20:26.69\00:20:30.13
like you, are looking
for a place to plug in.
00:20:30.13\00:20:32.13
DD: And the whole point
is, Jesus kept showing it.
00:20:32.13\00:20:34.36
He reaches out to
Levi Matthew, the publican.
00:20:34.36\00:20:37.93
I mean, this was
a despised class.
00:20:37.93\00:20:40.74
By the way, on the subject of
stress, we know that one of the
00:20:40.74\00:20:45.17
things that adds to our
stress level is discrimination.
00:20:45.17\00:20:48.81
This has actually
been shown in the medical
00:20:48.81\00:20:50.81
research literature.
This connection, for example,
00:20:50.81\00:20:53.42
between poverty and poor
health--part of it is explained
00:20:53.42\00:20:58.42
by the stress that comes
from being discriminated against
00:20:58.42\00:21:03.29
because you don't have
as much in the way of means.
00:21:03.29\00:21:06.66
Is the church, even
if a local congregation
00:21:06.66\00:21:10.03
doesn't seem to
have room for you,
00:21:10.03\00:21:11.27
Jesus is saying you
have a place in My family.
00:21:11.27\00:21:13.94
Realize that, and
act on it. We speak about
00:21:13.94\00:21:17.04
the Christian walk, and
Jesus wants to walk beside us.
00:21:17.04\00:21:20.38
So I get my focus at the
beginning of the day, and then
00:21:20.38\00:21:23.24
Jesus is walking beside me,
even if I don't feel like He's
00:21:23.24\00:21:26.65
at my right hand,
He is there to bless
00:21:26.65\00:21:29.25
and to guide. JB:
Okay. So learning how to
00:21:29.25\00:21:31.95
dwell in the presence of
God; learning to involve Christ
00:21:31.95\00:21:36.19
in your daily life
from the beginning of the
00:21:36.19\00:21:38.39
day to the end of the
day; recognizing His presence;
00:21:38.39\00:21:41.46
communing with Him in the
Word of God; reading often;
00:21:41.46\00:21:45.13
accepting Him;
connecting with Him.
00:21:45.13\00:21:47.04
Prayer, the importance of prayer
and talking to God. And in faith
00:21:47.04\00:21:50.77
that says He is with me.
He is with me everywhere I go;
00:21:50.77\00:21:54.14
He is with me at all times.
00:21:54.14\00:21:55.84
Okay. I wonder,
social connectedness
00:21:55.84\00:22:00.32
and good health,
that's such a powerful thing.
00:22:00.32\00:22:03.82
You mentioned the nurses' study.
Where else can we look and say,
00:22:03.82\00:22:06.25
okay, here's an example of
how being connected socially
00:22:06.25\00:22:10.93
really benefits a
person? DD: A fascinating study,
00:22:10.93\00:22:14.23
looked at a cross section
of the American population--
00:22:14.23\00:22:16.90
those with cardiovascular
disease. So, disease of
00:22:16.90\00:22:19.77
the heart and blood vessels.
Some 4- to 5,000 people--
00:22:19.77\00:22:22.94
again, this is designed
to represent the whole U.S.
00:22:22.94\00:22:26.07
population--that's how these
people were randomly chosen.
00:22:26.07\00:22:29.14
They found that those who were
volunteering, were sharing their
00:22:29.14\00:22:33.08
time roughly about four hours
a week, had a significantly
00:22:33.08\00:22:38.29
decreased risk of future
cardiovascular events compared
00:22:38.29\00:22:42.52
to those who weren't socially
engaged in a way of sharing.
00:22:42.52\00:22:46.53
JB: Jesus said something really
profound. This is talking about
00:22:46.53\00:22:50.50
connecting with
God, connecting with Him.
00:22:50.50\00:22:53.47
In Matthew 11, in
verse 28. "Come unto me,
00:22:53.47\00:22:57.34
all ye that labor
and heavy laden"--
00:22:57.34\00:23:01.14
He's addressing stress
there; you who are bearing
00:23:01.14\00:23:04.58
difficult burdens--
"And I will give you rest."
00:23:04.58\00:23:10.92
So if you're laboring through
life and things are really
00:23:10.92\00:23:13.12
pressing you down
and weighing you down,
00:23:13.12\00:23:14.72
Jesus promises I will
alleviate that burden.
00:23:14.72\00:23:17.56
DD: That's right.
JB: That's a promise.
00:23:17.56\00:23:19.96
"Take my yoke upon
you and learn of me."
00:23:19.96\00:23:22.10
Take MY yoke, and
you know, the yoke
00:23:22.10\00:23:25.13
was that thing that connected a
couple of oxen together so that
00:23:25.13\00:23:27.97
they could work. So He didn't
say I'm going to relieve you
00:23:27.97\00:23:31.94
of all of the
stressors in this life.
00:23:31.94\00:23:35.28
He said, as you confront
them, yoke together with Me.
00:23:35.28\00:23:39.95
Face your burdens with
Me. Deal with stress with Me.
00:23:39.95\00:23:45.49
"For I am meek and lowly in
heart, and you shall find rest
00:23:45.49\00:23:50.76
unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy,
00:23:50.76\00:23:54.46
and my burden is
light." Isn't that something?
00:23:54.46\00:23:57.13
DD: Powerful. JB: Jesus says,
00:23:57.13\00:23:58.53
if you're burdened, if
you're stressed, come to Me
00:23:58.53\00:24:02.30
and I will get you
through. Thank God for that.
00:24:02.30\00:24:06.01
DD: Amen. JB: What a
blessing to know that
00:24:06.01\00:24:08.81
no matter what situation
you confront in the world,
00:24:08.81\00:24:11.21
in your life, in your day-to-day
00:24:11.21\00:24:13.31
challenges--and there
can be so many, can't there?
00:24:13.31\00:24:15.98
Health challenges and
difficulties with children
00:24:15.98\00:24:19.12
or parents, siblings, at
work, finances, you name it.
00:24:19.12\00:24:23.39
These things can weigh us down,
but Christ says there's a way
00:24:23.39\00:24:28.16
forward; there's a way
through. And that's My way.
00:24:28.16\00:24:33.17
When you and I get
together-- together,
00:24:33.17\00:24:36.60
and confront these
issues together, with Jesus
00:24:36.60\00:24:41.31
there's a way through
stress. A way out of stress--
00:24:41.31\00:24:44.68
is it fair to say
that? DD: Well, I don't know
00:24:44.68\00:24:47.12
if we'll say out of
stress, but it's a way not to be
00:24:47.12\00:24:50.02
overly stressed. JB:
Not to be overwhelmed
00:24:50.02\00:24:52.05
by stress. My yoke is easy
00:24:52.05\00:24:54.99
and my burden is light.
Words from the Bible that we can
00:24:54.99\00:24:58.19
take seriously
today. ¤ [bright interlude ¤
00:24:58.19\00:25:03.10
JB: The Bible is known for
its power to transform lives
00:25:05.37\00:25:08.14
spiritually, but does it
offer insight for physical
00:25:08.14\00:25:12.31
transformation as
well? Dr. David DeRose,
00:25:12.31\00:25:15.88
a board-certified specialist
in both internal medicine
00:25:15.88\00:25:18.78
and preventive
medicine, thinks it does.
00:25:18.78\00:25:21.98
He shares his perspectives
in an eight-part series called
00:25:21.98\00:25:24.65
"Healing Insights
from the Gospel of Mark."
00:25:24.65\00:25:27.69
And now, as a special
offer from It Is Written,
00:25:27.69\00:25:30.26
part one of that series is
available to you at no cost.
00:25:30.26\00:25:34.46
All you need to do
is call (800) 253-3000
00:25:34.46\00:25:39.03
and ask for the free
DVD called "Healing Insights
00:25:39.03\00:25:42.70
form the Gospel of
Mark." If the line is busy,
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please do try
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It Is Written, P. O. Box
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It's only with your
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00:26:15.04\00:26:18.21
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00:26:18.21\00:26:23.14
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00:26:23.14\00:26:28.55
JB: Dr. DeRose, thanks.
Thanks for joining me today.
00:26:28.78\00:26:31.19
DD: It was a privilege,
John. JB: We've got more to talk
00:26:31.19\00:26:32.69
about. Let's talk
again. DD: Sounds good.
00:26:32.69\00:26:34.26
JB: I appreciate it.
Before we go, let's take the
00:26:34.26\00:26:36.09
opportunity to pray, and
pray that God will help us,
00:26:36.09\00:26:40.30
and us all, meet
stress in the right way.
00:26:40.30\00:26:45.43
Let's pray together.
¤ [tender underscore] ¤
00:26:45.43\00:26:47.40
Our Father in
heaven, we are thankful today
00:26:47.40\00:26:50.74
that we don't have to face
the difficulties of this world
00:26:50.74\00:26:52.57
on our own, and that You have
given to us tools, techniques,
00:26:52.57\00:26:56.14
things that we can do to
alleviate the difficulties
00:26:56.14\00:26:59.55
of stress. We are not praying
that You would remove all of the
00:26:59.55\00:27:03.12
stressors from our lives.
Those things aren't all bad.
00:27:03.12\00:27:07.36
But some of us, we're
dying under the weight
00:27:07.36\00:27:09.42
of stress. Some of us are
being consumed, our spiritual
00:27:09.42\00:27:14.03
lives are falling apart
because of external pressures.
00:27:14.03\00:27:18.90
I pray with thanks that
in Christ there is hope.
00:27:18.90\00:27:23.30
I thank You that we
have Christ's example,
00:27:23.30\00:27:26.31
and that His practice
can be ours of being able
00:27:26.31\00:27:30.31
to confront stress in such
a way that we are the better
00:27:30.31\00:27:33.82
for it and not the worst.
Bless and keep us, please,
00:27:33.82\00:27:37.42
we pray. In Jesus' name. Amen.
00:27:37.42\00:27:41.36
DD: Amen. ¤
[musical interlude] ¤
00:27:41.36\00:27:49.36
¤ [It Is Written
Theme] ¤ JB: I'm grateful
00:27:53.30\00:27:54.70
you've joined me
today, and I look forward to
00:27:54.70\00:27:56.20
seeing you again next
time. Until then remember,
00:27:56.20\00:27:58.54
It Is Written, man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:58.54\00:28:03.41
but by every word that proceeds
00:28:03.41\00:28:06.55
from the mouth of God.
00:28:06.55\00:28:08.78
¤ [music continues] ¤
00:28:08.82\00:28:13.15