On that first Easter Sunday morning, some women went 00:00:09.70\00:00:11.26 to the tomb of Jesus to anoint His body for burial. 00:00:11.26\00:00:14.26 An angel met them and told the women Jesus was risen 00:00:14.26\00:00:17.00 from the dead, so they hurried 00:00:17.00\00:00:19.10 off to tell the eleven remaining disciples. 00:00:19.10\00:00:21.43 Luke 24:11 reveals the disciples surprising reaction. 00:00:21.43\00:00:26.16 In their disappointment, they forgot some of the 00:00:32.63\00:00:34.53 plainest statements Jesus had made to them. 00:00:34.53\00:00:38.56 Jesus had said, "I'm going up to Jerusalem, 00:00:38.56\00:00:39.73 and I'm going to die." 00:00:39.73\00:00:40.93 He said that He would be rejected by the elders 00:00:40.93\00:00:42.73 and the chief priests and the scribes, and that He'd 00:00:42.73\00:00:45.70 be killed, and He said He would rise again - 00:00:45.70\00:00:48.40 but the disciples didn't quite get it. 00:00:48.40\00:00:51.20 And now that the women were there telling the disciples 00:00:51.20\00:00:53.50 that Jesus' prophecies had been fulfilled, they 00:00:53.50\00:00:56.13 refused to believe. 00:00:56.13\00:00:57.53 Such is the power of preconceived ideas, and such 00:00:57.53\00:01:00.83 is the power of crushing disappointment. 00:01:00.83\00:01:03.53 The disciples were foolish to refuse to believe - they had 00:01:03.53\00:01:07.06 let what they saw totally destroy their faith in what 00:01:07.06\00:01:10.00 they couldn't see Maybe we make that mistake. 00:01:10.00\00:01:12.96 Because we don't see the big picture we might jump to a 00:01:12.96\00:01:15.36 wrong conclusion that doesn't involve hope. 00:01:15.36\00:01:17.83 The cross of Jesus tell us that victory often comes out 00:01:17.83\00:01:20.56 of defeat, and it reminds us that what we see is often 00:01:20.56\00:01:23.66 not the whole picture. 00:01:23.66\00:01:25.43 Trust God today, even if it seems your hopes have been 00:01:25.43\00:01:28.13 dashed, even if something just doesn't make sense. 00:01:28.13\00:01:30.83 The resurrection had taken place and yet the disciples 00:01:30.83\00:01:33.36 were all doom and gloom. 00:01:33.36\00:01:36.06 That resurrection says there's a God who is alive - and He's 00:01:36.06\00:01:39.13 working in your life right now. 00:01:39.13\00:01:41.80 Have faith to know that God isn't simply the God of what 00:01:41.80\00:01:44.80 you can see, He's also the God of what you cannot see. 00:01:44.80\00:01:50.40 I'm John Bradshaw for It is Written. 00:01:50.40\00:01:52.16 Follow us on Facebook and Twitter and let's live 00:01:52.16\00:01:56.60 today by Every Word. 00:01:56.60\00:02:00.50 ? [Music in background - ? ? "Were you there when ? 00:02:03.10\00:02:07.56 ? they crucified my Lord?"] ? 00:02:07.56\00:02:13.36 It has stood the test of time. 00:03:04.60\00:03:09.60 God's book, the bible. 00:03:09.60\00:03:10.76 Still relevant in today's complex world. 00:03:10.76\00:03:21.80 It Is Written sharing hope around the globe. 00:03:21.80\00:03:26.66 [Music in background] Kim Philby was destined to 00:03:35.56\00:03:49.20 make his mark in the world. 00:03:49.20\00:03:50.90 The son of a rather brilliant father, he was educated at the 00:03:50.90\00:03:53.80 best schools in England, including Trinity College 00:03:53.80\00:03:56.73 in Cambridge. 00:03:56.73\00:03:57.83 For 30 years Philby worked for British intelligence, rising 00:03:57.83\00:04:01.60 to a very high rank in the British Secret Intelligence 00:04:01.60\00:04:04.63 Service, M.I.6: he ran its entire counterespionage 00:04:04.63\00:04:09.06 programme - that is, he was in charge of stopping spies 00:04:09.06\00:04:12.76 collecting information on Britain - and set up the 00:04:12.76\00:04:15.63 section that spied on the Soviet Union. 00:04:15.63\00:04:24.93 [Music in the background] But what nobody knew was that 00:04:24.93\00:04:32.80 while Kim Philby was in charge of an important part of Great 00:04:32.80\00:04:36.56 Britain's spy programme, he himself was in fact a DOUBLE 00:04:36.56\00:04:40.13 AGENT: while supposedly protecting Britain from spies, 00:04:40.13\00:04:46.36 Philby was a spy himself, working for the Soviet Union. 00:04:46.36\00:04:52.00 He provided a lot of information to the Soviets 00:04:52.00\00:04:54.53 that led to the deaths of a large number of agents, 00:04:54.53\00:04:57.16 and he inflicted real damage on both American 00:04:57.16\00:05:00.13 and British intelligence. 00:05:00.13\00:05:03.96 Kim Philby died in Moscow in 1988. 00:05:15.70\00:05:18.66 A brilliant man, a capable man, but a double agent. 00:05:18.66\00:05:23.66 Nobody really knew just whose side he was on. 00:05:23.66\00:05:30.16 I've wondered often just how many people know 00:05:30.16\00:05:34.66 whose side GOD is on. 00:05:34.66\00:05:36.30 I'm not suggesting for a second that God is a double 00:05:36.30\00:05:38.63 agent, but that many people aren't entirely sure just whose 00:05:38.63\00:05:41.86 side He is on, as life plays out here on Planet Earth. 00:05:41.86\00:05:45.60 God gets blamed for an enormous amount of bad things: 00:05:45.60\00:05:49.80 in 2005, not long after Hurricane Katrina, 00:05:49.80\00:05:53.00 Time Magazine featured an article titled, 00:05:53.00\00:05:55.56 "Where Was God?" 00:05:55.56\00:05:57.43 It investigated the myriad responses from people about 00:05:57.43\00:06:00.73 the cause of the calamity - masses felt that it was God's 00:06:00.73\00:06:04.63 judgment for just about everything. 00:06:04.63\00:06:07.30 After the Asian tsunami, the Archbishop of Canterbury 00:06:07.30\00:06:09.86 said, "Of course, this makes us doubt 00:06:09.86\00:06:12.36 God's existence." 00:06:12.36\00:06:14.46 So very often when personal tragedy strikes, 00:06:14.46\00:06:17.60 the question asked is "Why did God allow this?" 00:06:17.60\00:06:20.76 That's not always a bad question - even Jesus cried 00:06:20.76\00:06:25.03 out, My God, My God, Why hast thou forsaken me? 00:06:25.03\00:06:28.96 But all too often present in the question is the suggestion 00:06:28.96\00:06:32.70 that God is the villain. 00:06:32.70\00:06:35.33 And the question gets murky for some when we start to 00:06:35.33\00:06:38.40 wrestle with matters of personal sin - "Does God still 00:06:38.40\00:06:41.63 care for me, does God still love me, is God still with me 00:06:41.63\00:06:45.03 after what I've done?" How far does the love and patience 00:06:45.03\00:06:49.43 and acceptance of God stretch in the case 00:06:49.43\00:06:52.66 of sinners committing sin? 00:06:52.66\00:06:54.63 Serious questions. 00:06:54.63\00:06:56.46 And the Bible provides us with serious answers. 00:06:56.46\00:07:00.36 You don't really have to go far in the Bible to 00:07:00.36\00:07:02.60 figure this thing out. 00:07:02.60\00:07:03.80 John chapter 8 describes how Jesus handled a broken life. 00:07:03.80\00:07:08.83 We find Jesus in the temple where you'd expect it to be 00:07:08.83\00:07:12.70 very reverent, very quiet, when something 00:07:12.70\00:07:17.10 strange happens. 00:07:17.10\00:07:18.60 A group of apparently upstanding men bring to Jesus 00:07:18.60\00:07:21.40 a woman who had just been caught in an act of immorality. 00:07:21.40\00:07:25.90 Angry men, a cowering, perhaps a weeping woman, there's 00:07:25.90\00:07:30.60 tension in the air as justice is being demanded. 00:07:30.60\00:07:34.80 Here's how John describes the scene. 00:07:34.80\00:07:37.50 John Chapter eight 00:07:37.50\00:07:39.46 Well, what could He say? 00:07:59.80\00:08:01.30 If she's guilty, she's guilty. 00:08:01.30\00:08:02.86 Really, that settles it. 00:08:02.86\00:08:05.46 But aren't you glad that it doesn't actually settle it in 00:08:05.46\00:08:09.06 the mind of God? 00:08:09.06\00:08:11.26 Not right away. 00:08:11.26\00:08:12.33 If guilt "settled it", our collective goose would have 00:08:12.33\00:08:15.23 been well and truly cooked a long time ago. 00:08:15.23\00:08:17.60 And according to the Bible, we're all in 00:08:17.60\00:08:19.33 the same situation. 00:08:19.33\00:08:21.06 Romans 3:23 says, 00:08:21.06\00:08:22.93 If our misdeeds settled it, if our sins settled it, 00:08:28.36\00:08:32.13 none of us would ever have the slightest hope 00:08:32.13\00:08:35.36 of going to heaven. 00:08:35.36\00:08:36.33 We'd be done! 00:08:36.33\00:08:37.63 So how did Jesus respond? 00:08:37.63\00:08:39.10 John 8, we pick it up in verse 6 00:08:39.10\00:08:42.23 Now, they were right. 00:09:02.33\00:09:04.63 She was a sinful woman, and she had done wrong. 00:09:04.63\00:09:07.73 But Jesus challenges these individuals and tells them to 00:09:07.73\00:09:13.03 go right ahead and stone this poor creature as long as they 00:09:13.03\00:09:17.56 themselves were without sin. 00:09:17.56\00:09:21.13 You know, when the woman heard Jesus say that, she no doubt 00:09:21.13\00:09:25.76 thought she was dead. 00:09:25.76\00:09:27.00 These holy, righteous men, she thought. 00:09:27.00\00:09:29.46 They come off as being so holy they'll probably all be 00:09:29.46\00:09:32.30 throwing rocks at me. 00:09:32.30\00:09:33.83 It'll be a blizzard! 00:09:33.83\00:09:35.93 But instead, they drop their rocks and walk away, leaving 00:09:35.93\00:09:40.40 Jesus, the perfect, holy, righteous Son of God - God in 00:09:40.40\00:09:45.70 the flesh - alone with this miserable, wicked, corrupt 00:09:45.70\00:09:50.90 individual, who really did deserve to have the 00:09:50.90\00:09:54.10 book thrown at her. 00:09:54.10\00:09:55.70 Now let's see how this story ends. 00:09:55.70\00:09:57.63 John 8, again we pick it up in verse 10. 00:09:57.63\00:10:00.43 Can you imagine how she felt?! 00:10:22.46\00:10:23.90 You know how good you felt when you got pulled up for 00:10:23.90\00:10:26.33 speeding and the police officer let you off with 00:10:26.33\00:10:27.80 just a warning, right? 00:10:27.80\00:10:29.86 And all you avoided was a $100 fine. 00:10:29.86\00:10:32.90 This woman escaped with her life. 00:10:32.90\00:10:35.66 Now why did Jesus do that? 00:10:35.66\00:10:38.30 Because that's whose side Jesus is on. 00:10:38.30\00:10:44.03 Do you remember the famous verse in John 3:16, but what 00:10:44.03\00:10:46.20 about John 3:17? It says this: 00:10:46.20\00:10:49.50 God is in the business of SAVING people. 00:10:59.76\00:11:02.36 In fact, God gives us an incredible illustration to 00:11:02.36\00:11:06.16 help us understand just whose side He is on today. 00:11:06.16\00:11:09.36 God had Israel build Him a dwelling place, a sanctuary. 00:11:09.36\00:11:14.46 In Exodus 25:8 it says: 00:11:14.46\00:11:19.46 God wanted to spend time with His people. 00:11:27.06\00:11:29.73 The sanctuary was mobile - it traveled with the Israelites 00:11:29.73\00:11:34.10 through the wilderness. 00:11:34.10\00:11:35.23 And it was magnificent - gold plated boards set 00:11:35.23\00:11:38.46 in sockets of silver, fine linen, beautiful curtains, 00:11:38.46\00:11:43.23 a golden candlestick with seven lamps giving light 00:11:43.23\00:11:47.30 day and night, gold-plated furniture and 00:11:47.30\00:11:49.60 items of pure gold. 00:11:49.60\00:11:54.86 And most magnificently, the Shekinah Glory was in there 00:12:00.66\00:12:05.33 the presence of God Himself. 00:12:05.33\00:12:07.20 Of course, in time the mobile sanctuary 00:12:07.20\00:12:11.00 was superseded by the temple. 00:12:11.00\00:12:13.33 Yet you'll remember that when Jesus died the veil in that 00:12:13.33\00:12:18.23 temple was torn in two by an act of God. 00:12:18.23\00:12:22.26 God was signifying that the temple services were now 00:12:22.26\00:12:25.73 obsolete - the True Lamb had come and died. 00:12:25.73\00:12:29.23 As such, it was redundant for God's people to offer animal 00:12:29.23\00:12:32.20 sacrifices anymore. 00:12:32.20\00:12:33.43 In fact, you could say it was offensive - to have faith in a 00:12:33.43\00:12:37.30 lamb sacrifice would be to fail to recognize the True 00:12:37.30\00:12:40.30 Lamb had died. 00:12:40.30\00:12:42.00 The temple had really served its purpose. 00:12:42.00\00:12:45.06 So what is the Bible talking about when it talks about 00:12:45.06\00:12:48.10 a sanctuary that is still important to us today? 00:12:48.10\00:12:51.40 In the book of Hebrews we discover a sanctuary 00:12:51.40\00:12:55.03 in heaven. 00:12:55.03\00:12:56.70 And according the book of Exodus, Moses was told to by 00:12:56.70\00:13:01.76 God to build the earthly sanctuary and pattern it after 00:13:01.76\00:13:05.00 the heavenly. 00:13:05.00\00:13:07.13 Now why is that important? 00:13:07.13\00:13:08.73 The simple existence of the building itself isn't the item 00:13:08.73\00:13:12.20 of most major importance. 00:13:12.20\00:13:15.20 What is most important is what is going on in that sanctuary. 00:13:15.20\00:13:20.80 What is going on there shows us where God's mind is towards 00:13:20.80\00:13:23.20 the sinners of this world. 00:13:23.20\00:13:26.53 I4ll tell you in a moment where Jesus is and what he 00:13:26.53\00:13:29.50 is doing. 00:13:29.50\00:13:30.90 And the answer will bless you incredibly. 00:13:30.90\00:13:34.16 [Indian folk Music] 00:13:35.76\00:13:38.36 Eyes for India is giving sight to the blind and you can be 00:13:38.86\00:13:41.70 a part of this amazing work that God is doing. 00:13:41.70\00:13:44.70 Fifteen million blind people live in India, more than any 00:13:44.70\00:13:47.70 other country in the world, and many of the blind in India 00:13:47.70\00:13:50.86 could see again, if only they could have simple cataract 00:13:50.86\00:13:54.33 surgery. 00:13:54.33\00:13:55.73 It Is Written is making that happen. 00:13:55.73\00:13:58.73 Would you support eyes for India. 00:13:58.73\00:14:01.73 For just $75, you'll be giving the gift of sight to someone 00:14:01.73\00:14:06.16 who desperately wants to see. 00:14:06.16\00:14:08.63 Here's all you need to do. 00:14:08.63\00:14:10.00 Call 1.800.253.3000 to donate and support Eyes for India, 00:14:10.00\00:14:17.06 or you can write to It Is Written, Box O, 00:14:17.06\00:14:19.83 Thousand Oaks, California 91359. 00:14:19.83\00:14:23.80 You will also find Eyes for India on-line 00:14:23.80\00:14:26.36 at It Is Written.com. 00:14:26.36\00:14:28.36 After Jesus died on the cross, we know where He went. 00:14:31.40\00:14:33.86 He went to the grave. 00:14:33.86\00:14:36.00 I know it says in the Apostles' Creed - "He descended 00:14:36.00\00:14:38.00 into hell, on the third day He rose again..." - 00:14:38.00\00:14:40.60 but that is true in the Biblical sense where the word 00:14:40.60\00:14:42.76 'hell' is often used to mean the grave. 00:14:42.76\00:14:45.43 Jesus descended into the grave. 00:14:45.43\00:14:48.00 When he died, he didn4t go to a hot place in the center 00:14:48.00\00:14:49.80 of the earth. 00:14:49.80\00:14:50.60 That is just fantasy with no biblical basis at all. 00:14:50.60\00:14:52.70 The wonderful news is, though, that the grave could 00:14:52.70\00:14:56.76 not hold Jesus! 00:14:56.76\00:14:58.20 He came forth triumphant. 00:14:58.20\00:14:59.10 Then where did He go? 00:14:59.10\00:15:01.56 He went to heaven. 00:15:01.56\00:15:03.30 And what did He go to heaven for? 00:15:03.30\00:15:05.43 Was it just to bide His time as He waited for 00:15:05.43\00:15:07.76 the Second Coming? 00:15:07.76\00:15:08.83 No, Jesus went to heaven to do far more than that. 00:15:08.83\00:15:12.76 According to the book of Hebrews, Jesus is performing 00:15:12.76\00:15:16.66 a specific role in heaven. 00:15:16.66\00:15:18.90 Hebrews 4:14 says, 00:15:18.90\00:15:21.86 Jesus went to heaven to be our High Priest. 00:15:31.73\00:15:34.73 Now let's look at Hebrews 8, verses 1 and 2. 00:15:34.73\00:15:40.33 Jesus has gone to heaven, to the heavenly sanctuary 00:15:56.36\00:15:58.60 that God made, so that He can be 00:15:58.60\00:16:01.33 our High Priest. 00:16:01.33\00:16:03.50 Now think about what that means for us. 00:16:03.50\00:16:06.40 The old sanctuary service was essentially the gospel in 00:16:06.40\00:16:10.23 types and shadows. 00:16:10.23\00:16:11.93 How could God help Israel understand what the plan of 00:16:11.93\00:16:14.76 salvation was really all about? 00:16:14.76\00:16:17.53 He taught them - it's like this, He said. 00:16:17.53\00:16:20.40 Sin causes death. 00:16:20.40\00:16:21.93 I want to show you how it will cause the death of my Son, 00:16:21.93\00:16:24.76 so I'll put that in the figure of 00:16:24.76\00:16:26.60 the death of a lamb. 00:16:26.60\00:16:27.76 Because of your sin the lamb dies. 00:16:27.76\00:16:31.56 Here's what they'd do. 00:16:31.56\00:16:32.73 The sinner would take a lamb to this sanctuary. 00:16:32.73\00:16:36.23 He'd confess his sins over the lamb, and his sins would 00:16:36.23\00:16:39.10 be transferred - figuratively, obviously 00:16:39.10\00:16:41.96 - to the lamb. 00:16:41.96\00:16:43.76 The Lamb would be killed, and the blood would be taken 00:16:43.76\00:16:46.90 inside the sanctuary, some of the blood. 00:16:46.90\00:16:50.53 In that way, the sin was transferred into 00:16:50.53\00:16:54.53 the sanctuary. 00:16:54.53\00:16:56.10 At the end of the year the entire sin record would 00:16:56.10\00:16:58.66 be dealt with, on the Day of Atonement. 00:16:58.66\00:17:01.06 The sanctuary would be cleansed, and the people would 00:17:01.06\00:17:04.83 rejoice that they stood before God absolutely pure and clean. 00:17:04.83\00:17:08.66 Does this relate to our salvation today? 00:17:08.66\00:17:10.70 You bet it does. 00:17:10.70\00:17:12.86 When we need cleansing from sin, we come to Jesus. 00:17:12.86\00:17:16.13 The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, and then prompts 00:17:16.13\00:17:19.80 us to come to God. 00:17:19.80\00:17:21.30 We come - we are drawn to Him by God Himself. 00:17:21.30\00:17:24.70 We confess our sins. 00:17:24.70\00:17:26.16 Who takes our sins? 00:17:26.16\00:17:27.93 Jesus, the Lamb. 00:17:27.93\00:17:29.46 He died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins 00:17:29.46\00:17:32.73 once and for all. 00:17:32.73\00:17:34.43 So we come to Christ, we profess faith 00:17:34.43\00:17:36.83 in the sacrifice of the Lamb when Jesus died on the cross, 00:17:36.83\00:17:40.20 and God takes our sins away. 00:17:40.20\00:17:42.16 Now, back in the OT time, when the sinner confessed, 00:17:42.16\00:17:46.56 there was a middle man - a priest, or a 00:17:46.56\00:17:49.26 high priest. 00:17:49.26\00:17:50.43 Today, there's a Middle Man - our High Priest, Jesus. 00:17:50.43\00:17:55.56 Look at what we read in 1 John 2:1 - The Bible says, 00:17:55.56\00:18:03.63 As our High Priest in heaven, Jesus intercedes for us. 00:18:17.50\00:18:20.26 We come to Him with our sins, repentant. 00:18:20.26\00:18:22.76 He takes our sins from us, appeals to God in our behalf, 00:18:22.76\00:18:27.30 and gives His own perfect righteousness in place 00:18:27.30\00:18:31.93 of our sins. 00:18:31.93\00:18:33.10 What this tells us is that in heaven there is a Saviour who 00:18:33.10\00:18:37.60 invites us to come to Him, just as we are, knowing that 00:18:37.60\00:18:41.46 He will have mercy on us. 00:18:41.46\00:18:44.30 Remember what it said back in Hebrews 4:14? 00:18:44.30\00:18:48.76 If you're a sinner who has faith in Jesus 00:19:00.06\00:19:02.70 and you've got your struggles, the answer is not to let go! 00:19:02.70\00:19:06.66 The knowledge that a holy, righteous Jesus is your High 00:19:06.66\00:19:09.86 Priest in heaven absolutely must inspire you 00:19:09.86\00:19:13.23 to hang on tight! 00:19:13.23\00:19:14.93 The Greek word that is translated into "hold fast" 00:19:14.93\00:19:18.16 means "to cling to tenaciously." That's like 00:19:18.16\00:19:21.96 a barnacle clinging to the side of a ship. 00:19:21.96\00:19:24.66 You can hardly pry those things off! 00:19:24.66\00:19:28.03 And when you know that Jesus is on your side in heaven, 00:19:28.03\00:19:30.73 that ought to give you confidence to live on in on 00:19:30.73\00:19:34.66 such a way that nothing can pry you off. 00:19:34.66\00:19:39.76 Continuing in Heb 4:16 00:19:39.76\00:19:44.96 We are to come with confidence, because Jesus is our High 00:19:56.86\00:19:58.76 Priest, and our intercessor. 00:19:58.76\00:20:01.60 I spoke to someone recently who said to me, 00:20:01.60\00:20:03.70 I hope I'm good enough to go to heaven. 00:20:03.70\00:20:06.16 And you know what I told this person? 00:20:06.16\00:20:07.56 I said, You'll never be good enough. 00:20:07.56\00:20:10.06 That's why we need Jesus! 00:20:10.06\00:20:12.06 And in fact, if you're hoping to ever be good enough for God 00:20:12.06\00:20:15.76 to save you, you need to stop hoping that right now. 00:20:15.76\00:20:19.43 Now, if what you mean is that you hope to be ready, 00:20:19.43\00:20:22.70 or you hope to see Jesus, well that's fine. 00:20:22.70\00:20:25.43 But if you're hoping to be good enough to go to heaven, 00:20:25.43\00:20:27.93 you've got another thing coming. 00:20:27.93\00:20:29.83 Now this might surprise you, but I've taught my children to 00:20:29.83\00:20:32.80 never pray that God will help them to be good. 00:20:32.80\00:20:37.40 Now why would I say that? 00:20:37.40\00:20:38.36 I'll tell you why in a moment. 00:20:38.36\00:20:40.36 Planning for your financial future is a vital aspect 00:20:43.30\00:20:45.90 of Christian stewardship. 00:20:45.90\00:20:48.00 For this reason, It Is Written is pleased to offer free 00:20:48.00\00:20:50.06 planned giving and estate services. 00:20:50.06\00:20:52.80 For information on how we can help you please call 00:20:52.80\00:20:54.76 1.800.992.2219. 00:20:54.76\00:20:59.00 To receive additional material on the advantages of life 00:20:59.00\00:21:01.83 income plans such as a Charitable Gift 00:21:01.83\00:21:05.03 Annuity, which can provide you with tax benefits and income 00:21:05.03\00:21:07.13 for life, call today or visit our special website: 00:21:07.13\00:21:10.63 www.hislegacy.com. 00:21:10.63\00:21:14.93 You can also write to It Is Written, Planned Giving 00:21:14.93\00:21:17.70 and Trust Services, Box O, Thousand Oaks, California, 00:21:17.70\00:21:21.23 91359. 00:21:21.23\00:21:23.43 Our toll free number again is 1.800.992.2219 and our web 00:21:23.43\00:21:29.20 address www.hislegacy.com. 00:21:29.20\00:21:35.00 It Is Written is dedicated to sharing the gospel around 00:21:37.80\00:21:40.23 the world. 00:21:40.23\00:21:41.26 To discover more about It Is Written, I invite you to visit 00:21:41.26\00:21:43.80 our website, itiswritten.com and browse the dozens of pages 00:21:43.80\00:21:47.76 that describe what we do and how we do it. 00:21:47.76\00:21:50.26 Let's get to know each oer better. 00:21:50.26\00:21:52.83 Visit our website itiswritten.com today. 00:21:52.83\00:21:56.23 You know, I4ve taught my children to never 00:21:57.43\00:21:59.10 pray to be good. 00:21:59.10\00:22:01.33 I remember my little boy praying that - "Dear Jesus, 00:22:01.33\00:22:03.86 help me to be good." 00:22:03.86\00:22:06.20 And I said, No, we are not going to pray that way. 00:22:06.20\00:22:07.76 Not that I want my children to pray to be bad, 00:22:07.76\00:22:10.63 you understand! 00:22:10.63\00:22:12.16 But what happens if you pray to be good? 00:22:12.16\00:22:15.30 You're doomed to fail. 00:22:15.30\00:22:16.50 In Romans chapter 3, Paul is quoting the Psalms when he 00:22:16.50\00:22:19.40 writes these words: 00:22:19.40\00:22:21.23 And then verse 12 adds. 00:22:28.00\00:22:29.63 So you're going to try to be good, 00:22:33.93\00:22:36.16 or pray to be good? 00:22:36.16\00:22:37.90 All you can do is FAIL! 00:22:37.90\00:22:40.13 The person who prays to be good is sooner or later going 00:22:40.13\00:22:42.63 to figure out that such an approach cannot work, 00:22:42.63\00:22:45.30 and before long one of a couple of things 00:22:45.30\00:22:48.00 is going to happen: they're either going to give 00:22:48.00\00:22:49.90 up on God, or just as bad, they're going to stay in the 00:22:49.90\00:22:53.63 church and be miserable and feel condemned. 00:22:53.63\00:22:56.63 But God didn't ever ask us to be good. 00:22:56.63\00:22:58.93 He asked us to be HOLY! 00:22:58.93\00:23:02.00 And where are you going to get holiness from? 00:23:02.00\00:23:05.00 Not from yourself, that's for sure! 00:23:05.00\00:23:07.00 I've encouraged my children to pray instead that Christ will 00:23:07.00\00:23:10.73 live in their hearts; that God would forgive them 00:23:10.73\00:23:14.10 and give them new hearts. 00:23:14.10\00:23:15.40 See, if you are praying to be good, it'll never work. 00:23:15.40\00:23:18.66 If you pray for Jesus to live in your heart, 00:23:18.66\00:23:21.33 it'll never fail! 00:23:21.33\00:23:22.66 When Jesus comes into your life He brings His goodness, 00:23:22.66\00:23:25.30 His righteousness, and His holiness. 00:23:25.30\00:23:29.16 And that's what we need. 00:23:29.16\00:23:30.90 And we can get that - sinners like us! 00:23:30.90\00:23:34.76 We can receive Christ's holiness freely when we come 00:23:34.76\00:23:38.80 confidently to the throne of grace. 00:23:38.80\00:23:41.63 So what's the worst thing that can happen if you admit to God 00:23:41.63\00:23:43.90 that you are a sinner? 00:23:43.90\00:23:45.30 Do you think God is going to be shocked to find that out? 00:23:45.30\00:23:47.26 I don't think so! 00:23:47.26\00:23:49.76 When Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, 00:23:49.76\00:23:51.33 He wasn't referring to just the holy folks! 00:23:56.40\00:23:58.63 If you are burdened, if you are weary, if you are feeling 00:23:58.63\00:24:02.03 crushed by the weight of the mess in your life, Come to 00:24:02.03\00:24:05.73 Jesus, just as you are!!! 00:24:05.73\00:24:09.16 Hebrews 9:24 is a powerful text. 00:24:09.16\00:24:12.53 It tells us that Jesus has gone... 00:24:12.53\00:24:18.53 Now I'm not attempting to minimize the seriousness 00:24:27.90\00:24:29.76 of the spiritual mess we find ourselves in, 00:24:29.76\00:24:32.26 but I'm telling you it4s impossible to overstate 00:24:32.26\00:24:35.56 the importance of the wonderful truth that Jesus is in heaven, 00:24:35.56\00:24:40.26 as our High Priest, FOR US! 00:24:40.26\00:24:43.80 Not against us, but FOR us! 00:24:43.80\00:24:47.90 That means He will give you spiritual help. 00:24:47.90\00:24:50.80 He will provide emotional help. 00:24:50.80\00:24:53.63 He will not cast you off the moment you make a mess. 00:24:53.63\00:24:56.73 Hebrews 7:25 says this 00:24:56.73\00:25:00.46 Jesus lives "to make intercession" for us. 00:25:12.96\00:25:14.90 You can know where Jesus is - He4s in heaven. 00:25:14.90\00:25:18.50 You can know what He is doing - He4s acting as your 00:25:18.50\00:25:20.30 High Priest. 00:25:20.30\00:25:21.53 And you can know that He is for you, 00:25:21.53\00:25:24.33 and not against you. 00:25:24.33\00:25:26.20 And that's good news. 00:25:26.20\00:25:28.73 I want to thank him for that right now. 00:25:28.73\00:25:31.56 Why don't as we pray, we commit ourselves to accepting 00:25:31.56\00:25:35.96 Christ, his ministry as our High Priest, and why don't we 00:25:35.96\00:25:41.43 ask God for help to trust that Jesus, through His ministry, 00:25:41.43\00:25:44.93 will do with our lives everything He wants to do. 00:25:44.93\00:25:47.93 Let's pray together. 00:25:47.93\00:25:51.26 Our Father in heaven, we thank you today that we have a High 00:25:51.26\00:25:53.26 Priest in heaven. 00:25:53.26\00:25:54.36 Jesus isn't AWOL. 00:25:54.36\00:25:55.20 He isn't missing. 00:25:55.20\00:25:56.36 We know where He is - in heaven's temple, 00:25:56.36\00:25:59.36 heaven's sanctuary. 00:25:59.36\00:26:01.20 And we know what he is doing. 00:26:01.20\00:26:02.03 He is not sitting around on a fluffy cloud eating grapes, 00:26:02.03\00:26:05.03 hanging out with angels, just waiting to return 00:26:05.03\00:26:08.46 to this earth. No. 00:26:08.46\00:26:10.33 He is actively engaged in our salvation, interceding for us 00:26:10.33\00:26:13.60 in Your presence and so we thank you. 00:26:13.60\00:26:17.26 We thank you for his blood, shed that we might be cleansed 00:26:17.26\00:26:20.76 from all of our sins. 00:26:20.76\00:26:22.66 Lord, give us grace to have faith in you. 00:26:22.66\00:26:25.70 Give us confidence knowing Jesus is in heaven for us 00:26:25.70\00:26:30.30 and not against us! 00:26:30.30\00:26:34.10 And we pray with thanks today, in Jesus' name, amen. 00:26:34.10\00:26:38.73 [Prayer Music] 00:26:40.70\00:26:47.33 Perhaps our program today has touched your heart and 00:27:04.90\00:27:07.63 impressed you with a personal need for deeper Bible study. 00:27:07.63\00:27:10.86 If you desire to listen to God and follow where he leads, 00:27:10.86\00:27:13.10 we've got a wonderful resource that can help you do that 00:27:13.10\00:27:15.50 in a systemic way, the Discover Bible Guides. 00:27:15.50\00:27:17.90 These Bible guides are easy to use and can be yours 00:27:17.90\00:27:21.00 absolutely free. 00:27:21.00\00:27:23.70 If you live in North America, we'll send you these 00:27:23.70\00:27:25.86 full-color guides. 00:27:25.86\00:27:27.53 Or you can find them on our website, itiswritten.com 00:27:27.53\00:27:29.30 Request the Discover Bible Guides by calling our toll 00:27:29.30\00:27:34.10 free number 1 800 253 3000. 00:27:34.10\00:27:37.56 You may also request today's offer by writing to 00:27:37.56\00:27:40.06 It Is Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks, 00:27:40.06\00:27:42.60 CA 91359. 00:27:42.60\00:27:45.23 Thanks for joining me today. 00:27:46.30\00:27:48.16 Look forward to seeing you next time. 00:27:48.16\00:27:50.10 And until then, be sure to remember: It Is Written: 00:27:50.10\00:27:54.60 man shall not live by bread alone, 00:27:54.60\00:27:57.63 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God 00:27:57.63\00:28:03.06