It has stood the test of time.
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God's book, the Bible.
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Still relevant in
today's complex world.
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It Is Written...
sharing hope around the globe.
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Thanks for joining me today.
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Back in 1985 the
movie "Back to the Future"
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was the biggest
movie of that year.
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It starred Michael J Fox as
Marty McFly, and Christopher
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Lloyd as Doctor Emmett Brown.
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Steven Spielberg was one
of the executive producers.
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Michael J. Fox's
character is accidentally
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sent back in time to
1955, and he comes back to
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the future and goes back
to the past getting himself
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into and out of all
kinds of various tangles.
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The movie was so popular even
President Ronald Reagan quoted
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from it in his State of
the Union address in 1986.
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Now the movie's plot was built
around a fascinating idea -
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Time Travel.
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The idea that a person
might be able to go back -
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and forward - in time and affect
the world and alter the way
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that lives play out.
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Of course the idea
of Time Travel wasn't
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originated by Hollywood.
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Charles Dickens' 1843
novel 'A Christmas Carol' had
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Ebenezer Scrooge traveling
to Christmases in the past
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and in the future.
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And shortly before the turn
of the 20th Century, HG Wells
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wrote 'The Time Machine'.
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Not too hard to
figure out what that might
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have been about.
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Well - just in
case Michael J Fox
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had you convinced, a
group of physicists in Hong Kong
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recently stated that
they have proven time travel
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is an impossibility.
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In case you missed this,
discussion about time travel
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has been significant in
various circles for some
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years, with some academics
taking the position that time
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travel is POSSIBLE.
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But now, the word
is it ISN"T possible.
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So that's that, I guess.
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I know - you're shocked.
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[Music in the background.]
There you were thinking that
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one day you might be able to
go back to the signing of the
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Declaration of Independence
and be part of history, or
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maybe go back to Pearl Harbor
in 1941 and prevent the attack
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of December 7 that year.
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But I have to confess that
when I read the announcement
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from the Hong Kong
scientists that time travel
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is impossible...
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I wasn't surprised.
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But I wonder if
this would surprise you.
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There's something
that is impossible for God.
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[Music in the
background] There's a prayer
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God cannot answer.
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In fact, it's the
prayer God doesn't want you
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to pray. Seriously.
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There's a prayer God doesn't
want us praying - a prayer
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He cannot answer.
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As impossible as time travel.
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So what's the prayer
God doesn't want us to pray?
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I'll tell you in just a moment.
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[Music in the background]
In Matthew 4:4, the Word
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of God says,
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Every Word is a one-minute
Bible-based daily devotional
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presented by Pastor
John Bradshaw and designed
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especially for
busy people like you.
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Look for Every Word on selected
networks or watch it on-line
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everyday on our
website, itiswritten.com.
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Receive a daily spiritual boost.
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Watch Every Word.
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You'll be glad you did.
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Here's a sample.
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Just a horrible story.
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A 14 year old boy in Syria
was overheard by rebels saying
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something they believed
was disrespectful to Mohammed,
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so they grabbed him, beat him,
executed him, and dumped his
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body back with his family.
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It says something
indescribably awful about
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people who would do
something so barbaric.
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But it also speaks
about the character of God.
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You can disagree with the
God of heaven, and He'll let you
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go right on.
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You can be disrespectful
and He will let you live.
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That's not to say you should
insult God, but God gave you
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freedom of choice -
which means you can reject Him
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should you wish to do so.
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The Bible says in Joshua 24:15,
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Force is not God's way.
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He is gracious enough to
allow us to agree to disagree.
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Let's live today by Every Word.
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There are some
things in this world that
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shouldn't be attempted.
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I mentioned a moment ago
that scientists in Hong Kong
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claimed that they
have proof that time travel
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is not possible.
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(Who'da thought?) So
that being so, any attempts at
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traveling through time
are probably not advisable.
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And there are other things
you just shouldn't do: texting
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while driving.
00:05:05.76\00:05:06.96
Not a good idea.
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I read about someone
who climbed into the lion's
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enclosure at a zoo.
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Made it out alive, but
it's really the sort of thing
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you don't want to do.
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When I saw someone had been
killed in his act as a human
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cannonball, I have to confess
I thought to myself, "Probably
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wiser not to do
that sort of thing..."
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Well, there's a prayer a
person should never pray.
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It shouldn't even be attempted.
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God can't possibly answer
this prayer in the affirmative,
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and this prayer can
ultimately be devastating to
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a person's faith.
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When my son was very young,
we were praying together one
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night before he went to
sleep, and he prayed the prayer
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a person should never pray.
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It's common for children
to pray this prayer, although
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many adults pray this
prayer as well and maybe because
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children pray it so much that
that's why it is so damaging.
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While my son was praying he
prayed the usual things - God
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bless Mommy and Daddy and
so on... and then he prayed,
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"And Lord, please help me
to be good." And there it was.
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"Please help me to be good."
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And when I heard that, I
knew I had to do SOMETHING
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before we had a real
problem on our hands.
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So I said to him gently
a moment later, "Son, let
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me suggest something.
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When you pray, let's not pray
that God would help you to be
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good." Now he knew I
wasn't going to suggest maybe he
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should pray that God
help him to be bad or help him
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not to be good, so
I had his attention.
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So why in the world would a
father tell his first-born not
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to pray that God
would help him to be good?
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There's a very good,
very Biblical reason for that.
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I explained it to him.
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And I knew it was hugely
important, because people who
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don't understand this
point set themselves up
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for lives of spiritual misery.
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That's why I said to my son,
"Son, you don't want to pray
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that God would make you good.
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Because the Bible says
there is none that does good.
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There is nobody who
is good, except for God.
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You're praying
for an impossibility.
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God says that
there's no one who is good.
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So when you're praying for
God to make you good, you're
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praying that God would do
something that according to
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the Bible God has said
He's not able to do." Understand
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me clearly here.
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If God has said that there
is nobody who is 'good', why in
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the world would I -
or you - want to ask God
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to make us good?
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We are sinners.
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Even the most righteous
person on earth has sinned
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many times at some
time during their lives.
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The Bible says there
is none that doeth good.
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Not one.
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As sinful people, we cannot
be made INHERENTLY good because
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the fact is we
are inherently flawed.
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We do want to be RIGHTEOUS,
and that's a different matter.
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You know something?
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I don't recall a single place
in the Bible where God tells
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us that we should be good.
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I just don't think it's here.
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Now, He does tell us
that we should be HOLY.
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That's for sure.
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But not good.
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Stay with me.
00:08:15.20\00:08:16.20
Remember when the Rich
Young Ruler came to Jesus
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and called Him 'Good Master'?
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And what did Jesus say to him?
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"There is none good, except
for God." So I said to my son,
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"Son, you don't want to
pray that God would help
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you to be good.
00:08:27.16\00:08:28.73
What you want to pray
is that Jesus would live
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His life in you.
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That Jesus would
dwell in your heart.
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And when He does that, you're
certainly not going to be bad.
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You're going to have Jesus'
righteousness." See friend
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that's the healthy
way to approach it.
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I want you to see the
difference here between
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two things.
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Human beings have sinned.
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They have lost their
'goodness', let's say.
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We are sinners - sinful.
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But God wants us
to be restored, to be
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at one with Him.
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He wants us to
reflect His character.
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But how can we do that when
we are fundamentally flawed?
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Certainly not by
trying our hardest to be good.
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You know what
happens to so many people?
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They have this idea that
they're supposed to be good.
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And so they try and try.
00:09:17.86\00:09:20.23
The swearer tries and tries to
stop swearing, but realizes in
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the vast majority of cases
that he or she cannot stop.
00:09:24.60\00:09:28.33
The smoker tries
desperately to quit smoking
00:09:28.33\00:09:31.00
but finds she just can't do it.
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The person with lustful
thoughts or a wandering eye
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does all he can to keep
his mind pure, but he keeps on
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falling back into the
same old habit patterns.
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The sinner wants to go
straight, wants to be good,
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but doesn't have
the ability to do so.
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So, what does he
or she so often do?
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That person prays to God
that God would help her or him
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to 'be good.' But is
that a reasonable prayer?
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No.
00:09:57.40\00:09:58.40
Listen to what Jeremiah
wrote, in Jeremiah 13:23 ..
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Jeremiah 13:23
Let's answer that:
00:10:03.70\00:10:06.96
Can the
Ethiopian change his skin?
00:10:06.96\00:10:09.03
Can a black man
become a white man?
00:10:09.03\00:10:11.93
I think we know that
answer to that question.
00:10:11.93\00:10:14.50
Question for you.
00:10:14.50\00:10:16.53
Did you ever see a leopard
trade in his spots and start
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sporting stripes like a zebra?
00:10:21.90\00:10:25.33
That doesn't happen
very often, does it?
00:10:25.33\00:10:27.33
So God poses the question
to us, and there's only one
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answer: "
00:10:30.00\00:10:32.93
No.
00:10:36.00\00:10:37.60
And then God
follows that by saying this,
00:10:37.60\00:10:40.36
Let's get this straight.
00:10:48.30\00:10:49.40
God says it's as possible
for someone doing evil to ON HIS
00:10:49.40\00:10:54.36
OR HER OWN start doing good,
as it is for a black man to
00:10:54.36\00:10:58.90
change his skin
color or a leopard to start
00:10:58.90\00:11:01.30
wearing a new style.
00:11:01.30\00:11:03.40
So if "being good" is an
impossibility, why in the
00:11:03.40\00:11:07.36
world would anyone want to
ask God to help them to be good?
00:11:07.36\00:11:10.66
You'd be praying an impossible
prayer, and asking God to do
00:11:10.66\00:11:13.63
something that He can not do.
00:11:13.63\00:11:15.33
A key point is this:
right living, right behavior,
00:11:15.33\00:11:20.86
correct deportment is
not something a person
00:11:20.86\00:11:24.16
can produce in themselves.
00:11:24.16\00:11:26.23
People have a problem
that is within - sin -
00:11:26.23\00:11:28.46
and they need help from above.
00:11:28.46\00:11:30.83
If there was someone who
needed to understand this,
00:11:30.83\00:11:35.00
it was King David.
00:11:35.00\00:11:36.50
[Music playing.] King
David messed things up big time.
00:11:36.50\00:11:40.36
He fell into bad sin,
stealing a man's wife and
00:11:40.36\00:11:43.43
having the man killed.
00:11:43.43\00:11:44.43
And then, he
covered up the whole affair.
00:11:44.43\00:11:48.00
So when he needed to go
straight, what did David ask
00:11:48.00\00:11:51.93
God to do?
00:11:51.93\00:11:52.93
Did David ask God
to help him to be good?
00:11:52.93\00:11:56.66
No he did not.
00:11:56.66\00:11:58.10
What did David do?
00:11:58.10\00:11:59.13
David prayed a special prayer.
00:11:59.13\00:12:02.86
We'll find out what
that is in just a moment.
00:12:02.86\00:12:05.60
[Music in background]
00:12:05.60\00:12:11.60
Time for today's Bible question.
00:12:23.26\00:12:25.26
Could you explain 1 John 5:16
and the sin that leads to death?
00:12:25.26\00:12:30.96
Sure.
00:12:30.96\00:12:31.96
Let's read the passage together.
00:12:31.96\00:12:33.96
"If any man sees his brother
sin a sin which is not unto
00:12:33.96\00:12:36.60
death, he shall ask and he
shall give him life for them
00:12:36.60\00:12:40.83
that sin not unto death.
00:12:40.83\00:12:43.26
There is a sin unto death.
00:12:43.26\00:12:45.43
I do not say that
he shall pray for it."
00:12:45.43\00:12:48.83
So there are sins that lead
to death and sins that don't.
00:12:48.83\00:12:52.83
Keep in mind
here's what Paul wrote.
00:12:52.83\00:12:54.83
He wrote in Romans 6:23,
"The wages of sin is death."
00:12:54.83\00:12:59.26
Sin leads to death and that's
not just death by heart attack.
00:12:59.26\00:13:03.53
Paul is talking about the second
death, the one you read about
00:13:03.53\00:13:06.53
in Revelation 20.
00:13:06.53\00:13:07.53
Final and forever
separation from God.
00:13:07.53\00:13:11.20
But John wrote this,
"If we confess our sins,
00:13:11.20\00:13:13.86
he is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins."
00:13:13.86\00:13:17.20
So who is right?
00:13:17.20\00:13:18.46
The fact is they are both right.
00:13:18.46\00:13:20.83
Sin leads to death.
00:13:20.83\00:13:22.43
But if we genuinely
ask for forgiveness,
00:13:22.43\00:13:24.86
God forgives us.
00:13:24.86\00:13:25.86
He cleanses us.
00:13:25.86\00:13:27.33
He justifies us or he treats
us as if we had never sinned.
00:13:27.33\00:13:32.13
So if someone sins, but they
are repentant, God can restore
00:13:32.13\00:13:35.40
that person.
00:13:35.40\00:13:36.56
On the other hand,
there is someone in open
00:13:36.56\00:13:38.56
rebellion against
God, sinning, while knowing
00:13:38.56\00:13:40.56
it is wrong, and gladly
living a life of separation
00:13:40.56\00:13:43.13
from God, well, that
is likely a different
00:13:43.13\00:13:46.16
story.
00:13:46.16\00:13:47.16
Now, John is not staying
that certain sins don't matter
00:13:47.16\00:13:50.13
because he says in verse
17: "All unrighteousness is sin"
00:13:50.13\00:13:53.33
He stresses the
deadly nature of sin.
00:13:53.33\00:13:56.70
It is dangerous to live a
life of separation from God.
00:13:56.70\00:13:58.76
And he isn't saying we
shouldn't pray for people who
00:13:58.76\00:14:02.06
are living a sinful
life, just that if we do,
00:14:02.06\00:14:05.66
he can hardly guarantee
that God will answer prayers
00:14:05.66\00:14:08.66
for people who have
deliberately turned from him.
00:14:08.66\00:14:11.66
There is no way of being
certain they are ever going
00:14:11.66\00:14:14.66
to turn back.
00:14:14.66\00:14:15.66
So the best idea is this:
Cling to God and don't let go.
00:14:15.66\00:14:19.73
There are many more
answers to Bible questions
00:14:19.73\00:14:22.16
on our website.
00:14:22.16\00:14:23.16
I invite you to go to
studies.itiswritten.com.
00:14:23.16\00:14:26.06
And if you have a question
you would like me to answer
00:14:26.06\00:14:28.53
on this program, go to
itiswritten.com and ask your
00:14:28.53\00:14:31.70
question there and I will do
my best to answer your question
00:14:31.70\00:14:35.10
in a future program.
00:14:35.10\00:14:36.10
[Music in background]
00:14:36.10\00:14:40.96
It Is Written is
dedicated to sharing the gospel
00:14:43.30\00:14:45.90
around the world.
00:14:45.90\00:14:47.00
To discover more about It is
Written, I invite you to visit
00:14:47.00\00:14:49.76
our website, itiswritten.com
and browse the dozens of pages
00:14:49.76\00:14:54.16
that describe what
we do and how we do it.
00:14:54.16\00:14:56.43
Let's get to know
each other better.
00:14:56.43\00:14:58.66
Visit our website
itiswritten.com today.
00:14:58.66\00:15:01.83
Today, we're talking about the
prayer you should never pray.
00:15:02.96\00:15:06.23
You know, too many
people pray and ask God to help
00:15:06.23\00:15:09.20
them to be good.
00:15:09.20\00:15:10.60
But the Bible says we
are as capable of doing good
00:15:10.60\00:15:13.03
as a leopard is of
changing its spots.
00:15:13.03\00:15:15.36
No doubt, God wants us to be
righteous, he wants us to live
00:15:15.36\00:15:19.66
right but if we don't
understand how that can happen
00:15:19.66\00:15:22.76
in our life, we'll end up
being very unhappy people.
00:15:22.76\00:15:26.00
King David gave us a
correct example in this.
00:15:26.00\00:15:29.40
He had a series of terrible
failings where he seriously
00:15:29.40\00:15:32.33
made a mess of his life.
00:15:32.33\00:15:34.10
Guilty of dishonestly,
adultery and murder, David
00:15:34.10\00:15:38.30
eventually went to God and
pleaded with God to help him
00:15:38.30\00:15:41.36
to get back to
where he needed to be.
00:15:41.36\00:15:43.36
And what was his prayer?
00:15:43.36\00:15:44.76
Did David pray, "Lord, help
me to be good?" No he didn't.
00:15:44.76\00:15:49.70
David instead prayed the
beautiful prayer found in
00:15:49.70\00:15:52.56
Psalm 51.
00:15:52.56\00:15:54.00
Here's what he prayed to God.
00:15:54.00\00:15:56.00
David understood what he needed.
00:16:05.33\00:16:07.33
His own goodness had been
powerless to keep him out of
00:16:07.33\00:16:09.66
the mud of shame and sin.
00:16:09.66\00:16:11.70
What He needed was
God's presence and power.
00:16:11.70\00:16:16.16
He needed God's
Spirit - in his life.
00:16:16.16\00:16:19.40
He goes on to
pray, David was saying,
00:16:19.40\00:16:28.36
"What I need is not
anything that comes from me,
00:16:28.36\00:16:31.06
what I need is
something that comes from you.
00:16:31.06\00:16:33.30
I need YOU living your life
in me." That's the way the Bible
00:16:33.30\00:16:37.73
portrays Christian living.
00:16:37.73\00:16:39.03
Paul wrote to the Colossians
and he told them that the
00:16:39.03\00:16:42.43
essence of the gospel was
00:16:42.43\00:16:44.43
Not "you being good,
the hope of glory." But,
00:16:46.33\00:16:48.63
"Christ in you - Christ living
His life in you." With Jesus
00:16:48.63\00:16:52.70
in you, you can hardly be bad!
00:16:52.70\00:16:55.33
If you've never grabbed
this, if you've never understood
00:16:55.33\00:16:57.50
this, this concept will
revolutionize your life!
00:16:57.50\00:17:01.20
Writing to the Galatians,
Paul wrote this, this is
00:17:01.20\00:17:03.56
Galations 2:20.
00:17:03.56\00:17:05.36
Paul said,
00:17:05.36\00:17:07.36
You can see
Paul's repeated emphasis.
00:17:24.36\00:17:26.56
What a person needs is Jesus
living His life in him or her!
00:17:26.56\00:17:30.53
And that's VERY different
from saying, "Lord, help ME
00:17:30.53\00:17:34.56
to do something.
00:17:34.56\00:17:35.40
Help ME to be something.
00:17:35.40\00:17:36.00
Help me to be good."
00:17:36.00\00:17:37.30
The right approach is to be
is 'surrendered', made available
00:17:37.30\00:17:41.26
to God, yielded to Him so that
God can do the work He wants
00:17:41.26\00:17:46.70
to do in your life.
00:17:46.70\00:17:48.63
And you know what happens
when we pray that God would
00:17:48.63\00:17:51.03
help us to be good?
00:17:51.03\00:17:53.23
Discouragement sets in.
00:17:53.23\00:17:54.96
A disabling, destructive,
disheartening discouragement.
00:17:54.96\00:17:59.03
I'll tell you why.
00:17:59.03\00:18:01.46
[Music in the
background] Let's say you've got
00:18:01.46\00:18:03.10
someone who is...
00:18:03.10\00:18:04.16
I don't know...
00:18:04.16\00:18:05.06
someone who is having
issues with anger, let's say.
00:18:05.06\00:18:07.63
A kid has an ager problem
and knows that he shouldn't.
00:18:07.63\00:18:09.86
And he's told that he'll be
okay if he prays and asks God
00:18:09.86\00:18:13.50
to help him to be good.
00:18:13.50\00:18:15.56
[Child complaining, ...
00:18:15.56\00:18:17.30
"this doesn't work"
... "this better work."
00:18:17.30\00:18:24.46
Angry ...
00:18:24.46\00:18:26.03
"still doesn't work".
00:18:26.03\00:18:27.56
As a teenager
he's still angry ...
00:18:36.03\00:18:40.06
[ Voice of younger man...
00:18:40.06\00:18:44.33
"this better work this
time" But he's praying harder
00:18:44.33\00:18:47.03
than ever that Jesus
would help him to be good.
00:18:47.03\00:18:48.90
He gets older, still
praying, but very frustrated.
00:18:48.90\00:18:54.36
[Sound of a the car of a
motor turning ... "come on."
00:18:54.36\00:19:02.63
Sound of motor turning.
00:19:02.63\00:19:03.76
Angry, yelling .
00:19:03.76\00:19:04.46
"COME ON !!!
00:19:04.46\00:19:05.06
..." banging something ..
00:19:05.06\00:19:05.70
" WHY DOESN'T THIS
EVER JUST WORK FOR ME !!!
00:19:05.70\00:19:06.93
NOTHING EVER WORKS FOR ME!!
00:19:06.93\00:19:09.06
ARGH, WHY CAN'T
THINGS JUST WORK OUT!!!
00:19:09.06\00:19:11.83
NOTHING EVER WORKS!!
00:19:11.83\00:19:14.40
ARGH!!!
00:19:14.40\00:19:16.56
Now, maybe there are now
other sins that he's praying God
00:19:16.56\00:19:18.83
would make him good
enough to stop committing.
00:19:18.83\00:19:22.73
You know what
eventually happens?
00:19:22.73\00:19:24.73
This person gets to the
place where he or she says,
00:19:24.73\00:19:26.96
"It just doesn't work.
00:19:26.96\00:19:28.60
I've tried and tried and
I've prayed and prayed, and I'm
00:19:28.60\00:19:31.06
still angry," or
whatever the sin might be.
00:19:31.06\00:19:33.40
That person will eventually
conclude -and they will
00:19:33.40\00:19:36.23
conclude correctly - that God
hasn't make him or her 'good.'
00:19:36.23\00:19:41.40
So, he or she either says to
him or herself, "I guess I'll
00:19:41.40\00:19:44.00
always be this way" and he
stays in church miserable and
00:19:44.00\00:19:49.70
defeated, or says,
"This doesn't work.
00:19:49.70\00:19:54.20
I've prayed so long for
God to help me to be good.
00:19:54.20\00:19:57.23
It isn't happening and
I've prayed and so therefore God
00:19:57.23\00:20:02.90
is a myth, and this whole
Bible thing doesn't work."
00:20:02.90\00:20:07.00
Many people have done that.
00:20:07.00\00:20:09.06
That person then
turns his back on God.
00:20:09.06\00:20:11.80
And that's a tragedy.
00:20:11.80\00:20:15.40
What God offers us is this.
00:20:15.40\00:20:16.66
God pledges to come into our
lives and bring His goodness.
00:20:16.66\00:20:21.20
He brings His righteousness.
00:20:21.20\00:20:24.50
I want to share a Bible verse
with you that I am certain can
00:20:24.50\00:20:28.83
absolutely change your life.
00:20:28.83\00:20:31.00
You read it in Philippians
2:13, Philippians 2:13 says,
00:20:31.00\00:20:34.13
Did you catch that?
00:20:47.36\00:20:48.46
And did you see
where the focus is?
00:20:48.46\00:20:50.20
"It is God who works in
you..." In terms of living a
00:20:50.20\00:20:53.83
life for God, did you see
where God puts the emphasis?
00:20:53.83\00:20:57.66
"It is God who works in you."
00:20:57.66\00:20:59.26
So here's the key for
successful living - and a key
00:20:59.26\00:21:01.56
for successful praying.
00:21:01.56\00:21:04.70
What God is telling us is
that when it comes to working in
00:21:04.70\00:21:06.93
your life - when it comes to
getting out of your life what
00:21:06.93\00:21:10.26
shouldn't be in and getting
into your life what shouldn't
00:21:10.26\00:21:13.26
be out - GOD will
do that work in you.
00:21:13.26\00:21:16.60
That's what is meant
when Paul wrote that we:
00:21:16.60\00:21:19.73
We let Christ
live His life in us.
00:21:20.93\00:21:23.76
So why is that so radical?
00:21:23.76\00:21:25.50
Because if you're going
to try and do the impossible
00:21:25.50\00:21:28.03
in your own strength,
you are doomed to fail.
00:21:28.03\00:21:31.56
If you've got an anger
issue or a lust problem or a
00:21:31.56\00:21:34.23
substance problem, you might
try and try all you care to,
00:21:34.23\00:21:38.53
and you're not going to be
able to change because TRUE
00:21:38.53\00:21:41.83
change takes place in the heart.
00:21:41.83\00:21:44.20
[Sound of motor turning.]
Young man's voice ... "Come on"
00:21:44.20\00:21:47.36
[Sound of motor turning]
And there's not a person
00:21:47.36\00:21:51.76
alive who can change
his or her own heart.
00:21:51.76\00:21:55.23
So instead, here's what you do.
00:21:55.23\00:21:57.23
You pray, "Lord, I want to
be different, I want to get some
00:21:57.23\00:22:01.76
things straightened
out, I want to change,
00:22:01.76\00:22:03.80
but I cannot change myself.
00:22:03.80\00:22:07.50
So I need you to come into my
life and do in me what I cannot
00:22:07.50\00:22:11.56
do in myself." When you
pray THAT prayer, God can't
00:22:11.56\00:22:16.13
fail to answer.
00:22:16.13\00:22:18.00
What you'll discover is
that when you surrender to Him,
00:22:18.00\00:22:22.03
God comes into your
life and remakes you.
00:22:22.03\00:22:25.50
As Paul wrote to
the Corinthians, ...
00:22:25.50\00:22:28.50
A few years ago
I was with a group
00:22:34.13\00:22:35.53
of ministerial workers
in training, and I asked
00:22:35.53\00:22:38.73
them a question.
00:22:38.73\00:22:40.23
I said, "Now we know the Bible
says that salvation comes by
00:22:40.23\00:22:43.36
grace through faith." "But,"
I said, "there's another verse
00:22:43.36\00:22:48.90
that says we should strive to
enter in - to heaven - through
00:22:48.90\00:22:54.76
the narrow gate." So I asked
these ministerial trainees -
00:22:54.76\00:22:59.30
strive to enter in
through the narrow gate?"
00:22:59.30\00:23:02.96
Nobody offered an answer.
00:23:02.96\00:23:04.80
But then a
6-year-old boy said spoke up.
00:23:04.80\00:23:09.00
"Daddy," he said, "I
think I know." You know, there's
00:23:09.00\00:23:14.90
an old saying that
says, "Bradshaws rush in where
00:23:14.90\00:23:18.40
angels fear to tread."
00:23:18.40\00:23:21.00
So there I was hoping
my little boy wasn't going
00:23:21.00\00:23:23.46
to embarrass himself too badly.
00:23:23.46\00:23:25.50
"Daddy, I think I know".
00:23:25.50\00:23:27.80
"Okay, what is it, son?"
00:23:27.80\00:23:29.43
I asked him in front of
everybody, thinking to myself
00:23:29.43\00:23:32.53
'Oh, This'll be
interesting.' "Well," he said.
00:23:32.53\00:23:36.53
"I've been listening to
'Christiana'." (Now I don't
00:23:36.53\00:23:38.53
know if you know this but
Christiana is the second part
00:23:38.53\00:23:41.63
of Pilgrim's Progress
story, the great book written
00:23:41.63\00:23:43.96
by John Bunyan.
00:23:43.96\00:23:44.96
Christiana was the wife,
rather, of Christian, and this
00:23:44.96\00:23:49.26
second book was the
story of HER journey
00:23:49.26\00:23:51.70
to the Celestial City.
00:23:51.70\00:23:52.70
My son had been listening
to the story on tape or CD or
00:23:52.70\00:23:55.53
something...) "You've
been listening to Christiana,
00:23:55.53\00:23:58.13
son..." "Yes, Dad.
00:23:58.13\00:23:59.70
And on her way to the Celestial
City she came across all kinds
00:23:59.70\00:24:02.80
of hazards.
00:24:02.80\00:24:04.20
There was Mr. Worldly Wiseman,
and the Slough of Despond...
00:24:04.20\00:24:07.40
all sorts of things.
00:24:07.40\00:24:09.66
(I was wondering where this
was going.) It could have been
00:24:09.66\00:24:12.66
a disaster, Dad, but she was
told she'd be okay, if she kept
00:24:12.66\00:24:18.53
her eyes on the light.
00:24:18.53\00:24:22.10
And Dad, that's what I
think Jesus is telling us
00:24:22.10\00:24:24.20
we should do.
00:24:24.20\00:24:25.43
He's saying, We'll
be okay, if we strive to
00:24:25.43\00:24:29.53
keep our eyes on the light..."
00:24:29.53\00:24:32.83
And everyone in the room
realized that a 6-year-old
00:24:32.83\00:24:36.50
had expertly
answered the question that all
00:24:36.50\00:24:39.13
of these
students couldn't answer.
00:24:39.13\00:24:42.43
Strive to keep
your eyes on the light.
00:24:42.43\00:24:46.70
Striving to be
good is a loser's game.
00:24:46.70\00:24:49.30
Jesus said there is
none that does good.
00:24:49.30\00:24:51.30
We're broken.
00:24:51.30\00:24:52.50
Goodness isn't what we are.
00:24:52.50\00:24:54.83
But - Jesus can come
into your life if you ask Him.
00:24:54.83\00:24:59.80
He will live His life in you,
and with Jesus in your life,
00:24:59.80\00:25:05.10
there's nothing to stop
Him making you everything
00:25:05.10\00:25:08.60
you want to be.
00:25:08.60\00:25:10.66
Why pray to be good, when you
can pray that God would bring
00:25:10.66\00:25:14.20
His goodness into your
life and remake you completely?
00:25:14.20\00:25:18.56
When He does that, everything
in your life and everything
00:25:18.56\00:25:23.13
about you will be just
what God wants it to be.
00:25:23.13\00:25:26.56
Let me pray with you that
we'll both experience God's
00:25:26.56\00:25:29.90
goodness in our lives.
00:25:29.90\00:25:31.66
[Music] Our father in heaven,
00:25:31.66\00:25:33.66
we thank you today for Jesus,
the one who is good and we
00:25:33.66\00:25:37.16
pray now that you would
send your Spirit into our lives
00:25:37.16\00:25:40.06
in a great way.
00:25:40.06\00:25:41.06
Let Christ live in us
and bring His goodness into
00:25:41.06\00:25:45.70
our lives so that spiritually
speaking we will not be
00:25:45.70\00:25:48.26
failing, we would not be
falling, but that we would be
00:25:48.26\00:25:52.36
kept by your power and your
grace and that the goodness of
00:25:52.36\00:25:55.66
Jesus will be seen in
us and help us, please,
00:25:55.66\00:26:00.80
to strive to keep
our eyes on the light.
00:26:00.80\00:26:06.13
And this we pray
in Jesus' name, Amen.
00:26:06.13\00:26:10.66
[Music]
00:26:12.20\00:26:15.86
Perhaps our program
today has touched your heart
00:26:31.10\00:26:33.20
and impressed you
with a personal need for
00:26:33.20\00:26:35.20
deeper Bible study.
00:26:35.20\00:26:36.90
If you desire to listen to
God and follow where he leads,
00:26:36.90\00:26:40.13
we've got a wonderful resource
that can help you do that in a
00:26:40.13\00:26:42.56
systemic way, the
Discover Bible Guides.
00:26:42.56\00:26:46.46
These study guides will
take you through the essential
00:26:46.46\00:26:48.60
truths taught in Scripture.
00:26:48.60\00:26:49.66
They give you the big
picture showing how it
00:26:49.66\00:26:52.86
all fits together.
00:26:52.86\00:26:54.13
The Discover Bible Guides
are a wonderful way for you to
00:26:54.13\00:26:56.93
become grounded in the
Word of God and to see how Jesus
00:26:56.93\00:27:00.30
Christ relates to all
the areas of our lives.
00:27:00.30\00:27:03.80
Please call or write us and
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00:27:03.80\00:27:06.80
be on their way to you.
00:27:06.80\00:27:07.96
If you live in North America,
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00:27:07.96\00:27:11.26
free of charge.
00:27:11.26\00:27:12.30
Or for even easier and
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00:27:12.30\00:27:15.13
around the world, you can get
these wonderful Bible lessons
00:27:15.13\00:27:18.30
on our website itiswritten.com.
00:27:18.30\00:27:22.10
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00:27:22.10\00:27:25.30
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Call right now and tell us
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00:27:29.46\00:27:32.80
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00:27:32.80\00:27:34.63
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00:27:34.63\00:27:36.03
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00:27:42.96\00:27:43.96
Thank you for your letters
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00:27:43.96\00:27:47.16
Thanks for joining me today.
00:27:48.73\00:27:49.86
I look forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:49.86\00:27:52.36
Until then, remember: It is
written, man shall not live by
00:27:52.36\00:27:56.53
bread alone but by every word
that proceeds from the mouth
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of God.
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[Music]
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