[melodic symphony]
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JB: This is It Is
Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
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Thanks for joining me.
And welcome to New Zealand.
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New Zealand, in the
South Pacific Ocean,
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down near the
bottom of the world.
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The original inhabitants of this
country, the New Zealand Maori,
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named it Aotearoa,
the Land of the Long
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White Cloud. It's
famous for Kiwi and kiwi -
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and even the people
are referred to as Kiwis.
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People here might
greet you by saying "G'day,"
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your friend is your "mate,"
something good is "sweet as,"
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people wear jandals or
gumboots depending on the
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season (or maybe not),
the national sport is rugby
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(the All Blacks are the world
champions, the best team in
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the world), and the national
religion, well, that's rugby
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too. New Zealand
is known for movie
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directors, musicians,
actors, sportspeople, and a New
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Zealander was the first
person to split the atom.
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New Zealand is the world
leader in the dairy industry.
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New Zealanders breed magnificent
horses, and tourists flock to
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New Zealand from
around the world.
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And why do they come?
Because the country is
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beautiful.
Breathtakingly beautiful.
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So I'm bringing you
with me to New Zealand.
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And you might expect that I'd
take you to see the beautiful
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Bay of Islands up
north, or incredible Queenstown
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down south. Or Milford Sound.
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Or the thermal activity
in Rotorua, or the beaches
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of the Coromandel,
or the surfing beaches,
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or the wilderness
getaways. [upbeat guitar music]
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Or, as they say
here, 'Yeah, nah.'
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I'd like you to join me
in my hometown, Ngaruawahia.
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Ngaruawahia. Spelled
N-G-A-R-U-A-W-A-H-I-A.
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To spell it like a local
all you have to remember is,
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Nine Girls Are Running
Under A Wharf And Here I Am.
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It's surrounded by
richly productive dairy land,
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the Hakarimata Ranges
mark the northern edge of town,
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and a meat works was
the backbone of the town
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for decades. So what
can I tell you about it?
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Five thousand
people. Culturally diverse.
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A few churches. Oddly
enough, a number of the
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streets here are
named after astronomers.
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Galileo Street. Kepler Street.
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Ellery Street. Russell Avenue.
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Herschel Street. Newton Street.
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A couple of the streets here are
named after opera singers who
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came from this town.
But you know, when you think
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Ngaruawahia, you don't
typically think astronomers and
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opera singers. Since
the meat works employs a
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lot less people than it used to,
the town isn't as economically
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sound as it once was.
In the old days there was a
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men's outfitters, two
women's clothing stores, a movie
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theater, a busy post office
a department store, a pretty
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high-end restaurant.
But, you know, times change.
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But I love it. It's
beautiful and it's home.
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Home! There's something about
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being home. There
were several things about
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this town growing up here that
really affected my upbringing.
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Touchstones, I guess they were.
One of those was the river.
00:04:06.17\00:04:10.11
I grew up in the Waikato River.
Waikato means "flowing water,"
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which wouldn't surprise
you. Another, the bush -
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the Hakarimata.
Profoundly beautiful,
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peaceful...it's a jewel.
The marae, New Zealand's largest
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marae, and while I'm not Maori,
growing up here, it can become
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part of you. The
rugby league club, where I
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played as a kid for
about eight seasons.
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My high school - five
years there and I never once got
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the cane. Not bad going.
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And, of course, my
church, and my church school.
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St. Paul's Church and
St. Paul's primary school.
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It was a small school, never
a sporting powerhouse because we
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didn't have very many kids,
but a good school with a great
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reputation. Four
classrooms when I was going
00:05:00.33\00:05:03.50
to school here, four teachers,
and two of them were nuns who
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lived in a beautiful old home
across the street before, well,
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before progress,
some might call it.
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And my memories of going
to school here are great.
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Well, good. Well, mostly good.
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You know how that
goes. [soft piano music]
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My family was in
church every week.
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Dad was especially faithful,
made sure we were in church
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with him, and I
just never missed church.
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In fact, as an altar boy, there
was a time I went to church
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every day for about
three and a half years.
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And, in fact, from here, up in
the Hakarimata Ranges, I think
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we can just about see the church
I attended growing up here in
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this town. We had great priests,
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good people, not a
negative word to say
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about any of them, not
from me or anybody else,
00:05:54.48\00:05:57.99
for that matter. Now,
I do remember one priest
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who used to spend an awful
lot of time in one of the local
00:06:00.59\00:06:02.96
pubs, and there were
times early in the morning,
00:06:02.96\00:06:05.79
I'd have to go to his
house because a crowd of us had
00:06:05.79\00:06:08.20
gathered at church,
and there was no priest,
00:06:08.20\00:06:11.17
and we were locked
outside and couldn't get in,
00:06:11.17\00:06:13.37
and so I was nominated to go
to his house, knock on the door,
00:06:13.37\00:06:16.94
"Father, Father!"
Knock on the door.
00:06:16.94\00:06:19.61
Call out again.
Eventually he'd stir, I'd go
00:06:19.61\00:06:23.01
back to the church with the
good news, he'd saunter over,
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say Mass, go right
on, like nothing had ever
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happened. Those were the days.
00:06:29.55\00:06:33.69
A lot of my
formative experiences surround
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the church. When I
was 7 years old or so,
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I made my first confession and
then my first holy communion,
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as you do.
Later I was confirmed.
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I attended primary or elementary
school here from the age of 5 to
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the age of 12, when I
left and went to high school.
00:06:51.61\00:06:54.98
And this is where
I learned about God.
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God was present in pretty
well every part of our lives.
00:07:02.25\00:07:05.65
We prayed before we ate.
I prayed every night before
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I went to sleep. At
church school, of course,
00:07:08.69\00:07:11.46
God is front and
center. I never once doubted the
00:07:11.46\00:07:14.60
existence of God. I
never doubted the love of God.
00:07:14.60\00:07:18.00
But when you're raised in a
certain church or raised with
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certain values or with a certain
belief system, there must come a
00:07:21.64\00:07:25.04
time that you step back and
you say, "Is this really true?"
00:07:25.04\00:07:30.95
And as I was growing
up, just as sure as night
00:07:30.95\00:07:33.48
follows day,
questions started to arise.
00:07:33.48\00:07:37.82
[Music] For example, if you're a
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believer in God, then the
question of sin is very real.
00:07:45.93\00:07:49.86
And then what to
do about those sins.
00:07:49.86\00:07:52.73
In the tradition in which I
was raised, an important part of
00:07:52.73\00:07:55.97
that was confession. As
a little child I made my
00:07:55.97\00:07:59.64
first confession,
known as the ' Sacrament of
00:07:59.64\00:08:03.45
Reconciliation', or
the 'Sacrament of Penance.'
00:08:03.45\00:08:05.68
And in confession the penitent,
the sinner, would go and
00:08:05.68\00:08:10.12
see the priest. He or
she would confess his or
00:08:10.12\00:08:13.09
her sins, and the
priest, in behalf of God, would
00:08:13.09\00:08:17.46
grant absolution to the
sinner, and would declare -
00:08:17.46\00:08:21.73
I think almost always
- that the penitent had
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been forgiven. And
then because you'd been
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forgiven you had
to do some penance.
00:08:26.80\00:08:29.74
Ordinarily for me it was
the Lord's Prayer, to say that a
00:08:29.74\00:08:33.81
couple of times, and
along with the Lord's Prayer,
00:08:33.81\00:08:36.08
maybe two or three Hail Mary's.
00:08:36.08\00:08:39.01
And by the time we knew how to
pray those prayers, all of that
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penance would take approximately
one minute to get through.
00:08:42.32\00:08:45.35
We'd get up off our
knees and we'd go out the door,
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and we were forgiven. [Music]
00:08:47.52\00:08:54.30
But if you're a thinking person,
you've got to at least have to
00:08:54.30\00:08:57.73
ask yourself if that's the
way forgiveness should come.
00:08:57.73\00:09:01.87
Confess your sins to a man? A
man who the night before might
00:09:01.87\00:09:06.57
have been propping up a
bar? Well, I started to read
00:09:06.57\00:09:10.71
the Bible. And
when you read the Bible,
00:09:10.71\00:09:13.38
that's when things can happen.
I'll be back with more in just
00:09:13.38\00:09:17.59
a moment. [Music]
00:09:17.59\00:09:25.43
If you're looking for
the security of salvation,
00:09:25.43\00:09:28.00
let me suggest that you call
and request today's free book,
00:09:28.00\00:09:30.70
"Steps to Christ." This
book will help you in your
00:09:30.70\00:09:33.87
daily walk with Jesus.
Please call or write us, and
00:09:33.87\00:09:38.14
"Steps to Christ"
will be on its way to you.
00:09:38.14\00:09:41.14
There's no cost
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00:09:41.14\00:09:43.61
It's our free gift to
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00:09:43.61\00:09:49.02
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00:09:49.02\00:09:52.09
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00:09:54.29\00:09:56.29
Lines are open 24 hours daily.
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00:10:06.47\00:10:09.90
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00:10:14.81\00:10:17.31
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00:10:17.31\00:10:21.78
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00:10:35.66\00:10:39.43
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00:10:48.01\00:10:51.38
[Music] Here's
today's Bible question:
00:10:52.91\00:11:10.70
I accepted Jesus into
my life over 20 years ago,
00:11:10.70\00:11:13.87
but after a time I fell
into sins of a moral or immoral
00:11:13.87\00:11:17.47
nature. I've
asked over many years
00:11:17.47\00:11:19.77
for forgiveness. But
what I read in the Bible
00:11:19.77\00:11:22.28
about those who do what I have
done says that they're not able
00:11:22.28\00:11:25.58
to enter into God's kingdom.
I committed these sins after
00:11:25.58\00:11:28.52
I became a Christian.
Will God ever forgive me for
00:11:28.52\00:11:31.75
these awful sins? I ask
God nearly every day for
00:11:31.75\00:11:35.39
these sins to be forgiven.
That's a meaningful question.
00:11:35.39\00:11:39.53
Please listen very carefully
to this very simple answer.
00:11:39.53\00:11:42.26
Here's what the Bible
says; I'll give you two verses.
00:11:42.26\00:11:45.23
Write down these Bible
references if you need to,
00:11:45.23\00:11:47.80
and never forget
them. First John 1:9, and
00:11:47.80\00:11:51.54
Matthew 12:31.
Firstly, Matthew 12:31.
00:11:51.54\00:11:54.78
It says, and this is Jesus
speaking, "All manner of sin and
00:11:54.78\00:11:59.18
blasphemy shall be
forgiven unto men."
00:11:59.18\00:12:03.12
He goes on to say that the sin
against the Holy Spirit won't be
00:12:03.12\00:12:05.59
forgiven, but that's not what
you've committed, don't worry
00:12:05.59\00:12:08.16
about that. But I
hope you got that.
00:12:08.16\00:12:10.36
"All manner of sin and
blasphemy shall be forgiven."
00:12:10.36\00:12:13.36
And that would
include what you have done.
00:12:13.36\00:12:15.30
Shall be forgiven. First
John 1:9 says, and I want
00:12:15.30\00:12:18.20
you to mark this down and
memorize it, it says this:
00:12:18.20\00:12:20.87
"If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us
00:12:20.87\00:12:25.54
our sins, and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness."
00:12:25.54\00:12:29.88
You've sinned. Yes, you have.
00:12:29.88\00:12:33.55
But you have
confessed sincerely.
00:12:33.55\00:12:35.95
And based on God's own word, we
know that He has forgiven you.
00:12:35.95\00:12:39.62
My advice to you is to
stop asking God to forgive these
00:12:39.62\00:12:43.43
sins, because He
has already done so.
00:12:43.43\00:12:45.76
Instead, thank Him
that He has forgiven you.
00:12:45.76\00:12:49.46
And ask him to keep you clean.
Remember, Paul wrote that,
00:12:49.46\00:12:52.40
"where sin abounds,
grace does much more abound."
00:12:52.40\00:12:56.24
It's right to feel bad
about what you've done.
00:12:56.24\00:12:58.27
You should. But you
should also rejoice that
00:12:58.27\00:13:00.88
you are forgiven. Don't
worry about this for even
00:13:00.88\00:13:03.65
another moment.
You've been forgiven, friend,
00:13:03.65\00:13:05.78
and that is good news. If
you'd like me to answer your
00:13:05.78\00:13:08.55
Bible question on this
program, go to ItIsWritten.com,
00:13:08.55\00:13:11.35
send me a question,
I'll do my best to answer it
00:13:11.35\00:13:14.09
on this program.
00:13:14.09\00:13:16.26
[Piano music]
00:13:22.83\00:13:31.07
This is It Is
Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
00:13:35.44\00:13:38.85
Thanks for joining me in
my hometown of Ngaruawahia,
00:13:38.85\00:13:43.32
New Zealand. It's
been a long time since
00:13:43.32\00:13:45.79
I lived here, but
this is where I grew up.
00:13:45.79\00:13:48.46
And I've got great memories
of living here for 20 years.
00:13:48.46\00:13:52.06
[Music] And an enormous part of
00:13:52.06\00:13:58.60
my life here
was my local church.
00:13:58.60\00:14:01.60
I was baptized here -
well, christened, actually -
00:14:01.60\00:14:04.67
when I was just a few days old.
This is where I came to church,
00:14:04.67\00:14:08.31
and I never missed
Mass on Sunday, not ever.
00:14:08.31\00:14:12.68
I kept up my streak for
years and years and years.
00:14:12.68\00:14:16.02
See, to miss Mass voluntarily,
or of your own volition, was
00:14:16.02\00:14:21.16
considered to be a mortal
sin, one that would condemn you
00:14:21.16\00:14:24.36
to hell. So that
was a pretty powerful
00:14:24.36\00:14:26.80
motivator to come
to church every week.
00:14:26.80\00:14:29.73
At least, it was for me.
Now, one of the first things you
00:14:29.73\00:14:33.03
do growing up in a church like
this - that is, when you get
00:14:33.03\00:14:35.74
to about 7 or 8 years
old - is you make your first
00:14:35.74\00:14:38.41
confession, after
which you're free to go
00:14:38.41\00:14:41.68
and confess your sins to a
priest and receive absolution
00:14:41.68\00:14:45.65
for your sins. And
so, that's what we grew up
00:14:45.65\00:14:48.68
doing. We'd come to church here,
00:14:48.68\00:14:50.52
sit in the back couple of
rows, and when it was your turn,
00:14:50.52\00:14:53.29
you slipped into the
confessional, a little booth,
00:14:53.29\00:14:55.89
behind a gauze-covered screen,
and confessed your sins to
00:14:55.89\00:15:00.60
the priest. I
would begin by saying,
00:15:00.60\00:15:03.53
"Bless me,
Father, for I have sinned.
00:15:03.53\00:15:05.90
It has been, oh, let's say, two
weeks since my last confession.
00:15:05.90\00:15:09.37
Here are my sins." Now,
by that time the priests
00:15:09.37\00:15:12.91
were speaking in English.
But some of them still slipped a
00:15:12.91\00:15:15.44
little Latin into what
they did. And at the end of the
00:15:15.44\00:15:18.38
confessional service the priest
would say, "Ego te absolovo."
00:15:18.38\00:15:23.85
"I absolve you."
00:15:23.85\00:15:27.69
[Music] Now, no
matter how you cut it,
00:15:29.39\00:15:36.13
what you have is a situation
where a human being is being
00:15:36.13\00:15:39.57
inserted into a transaction
that should be between God
00:15:39.57\00:15:43.51
and the sinner alone. In
the Word of God we have some
00:15:43.51\00:15:46.98
pretty clear instruction
about how confession of sin and
00:15:46.98\00:15:50.55
forgiveness of
sin ought to operate.
00:15:50.55\00:15:53.65
Let's think of at
least two examples.
00:15:53.65\00:15:56.05
In one, a woman taken in sin
is brought to the feet of Jesus.
00:15:56.05\00:16:00.86
She is repentant.
And Jesus says to her,
00:16:00.86\00:16:03.76
"Neither do I condemn
thee. Go and sin no more."
00:16:03.76\00:16:08.73
No mention of an earthly
priest being brought into that
00:16:08.73\00:16:11.80
situation. In a
parable Jesus taught,
00:16:11.80\00:16:14.94
two men are
praying in the temple.
00:16:14.94\00:16:17.01
One has issues
of spiritual pride.
00:16:17.01\00:16:19.74
The other strikes his breast and
he says, "God be merciful to me,
00:16:19.74\00:16:25.55
a sinner." And the
Bible says that man went
00:16:25.55\00:16:28.25
down to his house justified
or, in other words, forgiven.
00:16:28.25\00:16:32.79
No earthly priest required;
this was between the sinner
00:16:32.79\00:16:36.26
and God alone.
First John 1:9 says,
00:16:36.26\00:16:39.89
"If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just
00:16:39.89\00:16:42.90
to forgive us our
sins and to cleanse us from
00:16:42.90\00:16:45.73
all unrighteousness."
First Timothy 2:5 makes
00:16:45.73\00:16:49.14
it clear: "There is one mediator
00:16:49.14\00:16:51.44
between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus."
00:16:51.44\00:16:55.84
If you search the Bible, and if
the Bible is your standard, will
00:16:55.84\00:17:01.08
you find any mention of the need
for an earthly priest in this
00:17:01.08\00:17:06.69
dispensation, to be involved
in the sin issue between a
00:17:06.69\00:17:11.36
human being and
God? No, you won't.
00:17:11.36\00:17:14.20
You won't find
that anywhere at all.
00:17:14.20\00:17:16.90
Now, that's clear, isn't it?
One mediator, and that's Jesus.
00:17:16.90\00:17:22.00
So from a biblical perspective,
is there anything to suggest
00:17:22.00\00:17:25.97
that God's will is that
we have a human mediator?
00:17:25.97\00:17:30.78
Well, no, there isn't.
Now, in the Bible you do read
00:17:30.78\00:17:34.42
about an earthly priesthood,
and that's appropriate.
00:17:34.42\00:17:37.99
That's in the Old Testament, in
the sacrificial system, where it
00:17:37.99\00:17:41.29
was necessary to have a priest
interceding between God and men.
00:17:41.29\00:17:45.89
But once that sacrificial system
was made obsolete, the only
00:17:45.89\00:17:50.07
priesthood that you read about
in the Bible concerning people
00:17:50.07\00:17:53.20
on earth is the
priesthood of all believers.
00:17:53.20\00:17:57.14
And all believers in Christ are
to be part of that priesthood.
00:17:57.14\00:17:59.94
In fact, the writer to the
Hebrews in the book of Hebrews
00:17:59.94\00:18:04.08
made it very clear that our
priest today is a heavenly high
00:18:04.08\00:18:07.38
priest, and that he is Jesus,
and that anybody, no matter
00:18:07.38\00:18:15.32
how sinful, no matter how weak,
no matter how big a failure,
00:18:15.32\00:18:18.86
can come to God
through faith in Jesus,
00:18:18.86\00:18:21.16
and directly find
forgiveness for his or her sins.
00:18:21.16\00:18:25.23
There are some
incredible promises in the Bible
00:18:25.23\00:18:27.30
talking about this.
I'll look at them with you in
00:18:27.30\00:18:29.57
just a moment. [male narrator]
00:18:29.57\00:18:32.21
"Every Word" is a one-minute,
Bible-based, daily devotional
00:18:32.21\00:18:34.74
presented by Pastor John
Bradshaw and designed especially
00:18:34.74\00:18:37.65
for busy people like
you. Look for "Every Word" on
00:18:37.65\00:18:41.52
selected networks, or watch it
online every day on our website,
00:18:41.52\00:18:44.79
ItIsWritten.com. [upbeat music]
00:18:44.79\00:18:54.56
JB: The day before Thanksgiving
in 1971, a man who became
00:18:54.56\00:18:57.03
known as D. B. Cooper
hijacked a plane in Seattle
00:18:57.03\00:18:59.70
and demanded $200,000. He
disappeared with the money
00:18:59.70\00:19:03.61
when he parachuted from the
plane at 10,000 feet, and he
00:19:03.61\00:19:06.84
was never seen again. To
this day, the FBI doesn't
00:19:06.84\00:19:09.68
know who D. B. Cooper was.
But several years ago the FBI
00:19:09.68\00:19:13.35
reopened the case, hoping they'd
get it worked out finally.
00:19:13.35\00:19:17.45
And you know, the Bible is like
that D. B. Cooper case for many
00:19:17.45\00:19:21.09
people: a mystery.
But it really doesn't have
00:19:21.09\00:19:24.29
to be. Jesus
said in John 8:31-32,
00:19:24.29\00:19:27.40
"If you continue in my
word, then are you my disciples
00:19:27.40\00:19:29.96
indeed. And ye
shall know the truth, and
00:19:29.96\00:19:32.07
the truth shall make you
free." You shall know the truth.
00:19:32.07\00:19:35.64
God wants to guide you in
your understanding of the Bible.
00:19:35.64\00:19:38.31
If it's a mystery to
you, continue in God's Word
00:19:38.31\00:19:41.01
and He'll show you
what you need to know.
00:19:41.01\00:19:43.38
I'm John Bradshaw
for It Is Written.
00:19:43.38\00:19:45.18
Let's live today by every
word. [driving piano solo]
00:19:45.18\00:20:06.57
Thanks for joining me today
on It Is Written in my hometown
00:20:06.57\00:20:09.00
of Ngaruawahia, New Zealand.
Growing up here, faith in God
00:20:09.00\00:20:12.97
was very important
to me, to my family.
00:20:12.97\00:20:15.94
And, of course, anything
involving faith in God has to
00:20:15.94\00:20:19.15
have something to do
with what to do when you sin.
00:20:19.15\00:20:21.38
You confess your sins;
everybody's taught that.
00:20:21.38\00:20:24.82
And I was taught to confess
my sins to God through a priest.
00:20:24.82\00:20:29.62
The priest had been authorized
by the church to dispense the
00:20:29.62\00:20:32.39
grace of God via the
sacrament of reconciliation.
00:20:32.39\00:20:36.03
And so the priest had an awful
lot to do, everything to do
00:20:36.03\00:20:40.44
with me getting right with God.
Well, when I got a little bit
00:20:40.44\00:20:44.84
older, I started
to read the Bible.
00:20:44.84\00:20:47.78
And I discovered that the Bible
doesn't support such a thing.
00:20:47.78\00:20:53.08
Instead, when you read the
book of Hebrews, you discover
00:20:53.08\00:20:55.78
several things.
Number one: Jesus is divine.
00:20:55.78\00:20:59.22
Number two: Jesus is
man. In addition to that,
00:20:59.22\00:21:03.59
you discover that
Jesus, even though He wasn't
00:21:03.59\00:21:05.99
from the tribe of
Levi, is qualified to be a
00:21:05.99\00:21:08.86
priest. And
then, Hebrews tells us,
00:21:08.86\00:21:12.00
Jesus is our High Priest
in the heavenly sanctuary.
00:21:12.00\00:21:16.57
Listen to this: Hebrews 4:15-16.
"For we have not an High Priest
00:21:16.57\00:21:21.54
which cannot be touched with the
feelings of our infirmities, but
00:21:21.54\00:21:25.58
was in all points tempted like
as we are, yet without sin."
00:21:25.58\00:21:32.59
Jesus lived on Earth as a man,
He understands our battle with
00:21:32.59\00:21:37.03
sin, He was tempted in all
points just like we are tempted,
00:21:37.03\00:21:42.00
and yet He did
not sin. Now verse 16.
00:21:42.00\00:21:45.13
The book has been saying Jesus
is our High Priest, and then it
00:21:45.13\00:21:49.07
says, "Let us therefore come
boldly to the throne of grace,
00:21:49.07\00:21:53.07
that we may obtain mercy, and
grace to help in time of need."
00:21:53.07\00:22:00.12
No matter who you are, no
matter what you've been through,
00:22:00.12\00:22:04.29
no matter what sort of
past mistakes you've made,
00:22:04.29\00:22:07.02
no matter how bad you've
been, you can come confidently
00:22:07.02\00:22:12.56
to Jesus. We're
invited to come to His
00:22:12.56\00:22:15.60
throne, and notice the Bible
calls it a throne of grace.
00:22:15.60\00:22:20.50
And what do we find
there? We find mercy and grace
00:22:20.50\00:22:25.34
to help us. It's
just a phenomenal thought.
00:22:25.34\00:22:28.64
Sin brings separation
from God. Sin brings death.
00:22:28.64\00:22:33.11
Sin caused the
death of God's own Son.
00:22:33.11\00:22:36.28
And yet God says you
can come directly to Him.
00:22:36.28\00:22:39.19
He's willing to hear from you.
He will forgive you and He will
00:22:39.19\00:22:42.29
cleanse you and He
will make things right.
00:22:42.29\00:22:44.49
You can go straight to God
and know that He welcomes you to
00:22:44.49\00:22:47.86
do so. It's
important we get this
00:22:47.86\00:22:50.30
right. If we
don't, we're going to find
00:22:50.30\00:22:53.34
ourselves slightly off track,
that is, with the Bible and
00:22:53.34\00:22:58.21
in our
experience with God. [Music]
00:22:58.21\00:23:09.18
You know, a lot has changed
in the 40 years since I used
00:23:09.18\00:23:11.99
to come here, climb these
very trees, swim right here
00:23:11.99\00:23:15.59
in the river right behind
me. A lot has changed between
00:23:15.59\00:23:18.19
now and then. But some
things haven't changed,
00:23:18.19\00:23:21.93
including the need for the human
heart to be reconciled to God.
00:23:21.93\00:23:27.64
And God knows that.
Which is why He invites us to
00:23:27.64\00:23:30.67
come to Him directly
through faith in Jesus Christ.
00:23:30.67\00:23:35.28
And you can come; you don't need
a human intermediary, but come
00:23:35.28\00:23:39.31
to God in the name of Jesus.
And come to Him right away.
00:23:39.31\00:23:42.62
Think of some of the people
in the Bible who came to God in
00:23:42.62\00:23:45.65
repentance: Manassas.
With a history like his,
00:23:45.65\00:23:49.39
you might have thought
Manassas didn't have a chance,
00:23:49.39\00:23:51.43
but he came to God
in repentance, and God
00:23:51.43\00:23:53.43
forgave him. Solomon,
who drifted so far away
00:23:53.43\00:23:57.17
from God. What did God do?
00:23:57.17\00:23:59.93
He welcomed Solomon
back and reestablished him.
00:23:59.93\00:24:03.77
David, with all of
his profound problems.
00:24:03.77\00:24:06.04
Saul, who became Paul.
Each one of these came from the
00:24:06.04\00:24:10.58
position of wickedness and
sin back to faith in God, and
00:24:10.58\00:24:16.28
they did so directly.
Now, think of the invitations
00:24:16.28\00:24:19.32
given us in the
Bible. Isaiah 1:18 says,
00:24:19.32\00:24:23.06
"Though your sins are as
scarlet, they shall be as
00:24:23.06\00:24:26.19
white as snow. Though
they be red like crimson,
00:24:26.19\00:24:29.83
they shall be as wool."
Psalm 86:5 says, "You, Lord,
00:24:29.83\00:24:34.80
are good and ready to forgive."
He's ready to forgive you;
00:24:34.80\00:24:39.71
He'll do it now. It
doesn't cost you anything.
00:24:39.71\00:24:42.34
It's not hard work. Just
be willing to accept Jesus
00:24:42.34\00:24:45.85
Christ into your
life. God will forgive you.
00:24:45.85\00:24:49.08
Jesus will live in you.
He'll not only forgive you, but
00:24:49.08\00:24:52.59
He'll also cleanse you from your
sins, and bring a power into
00:24:52.59\00:24:56.56
your life so that you don't
have to go back to your own ways
00:24:56.56\00:24:59.43
ever again. Let's
pray together - I'd love
00:24:59.43\00:25:03.00
to pray for you. Our
Father in Heaven, thank you
00:25:03.00\00:25:05.73
that we can come to you
through faith in Jesus Christ.
00:25:05.73\00:25:08.57
Thank you that you
are willing to forgive.
00:25:08.57\00:25:11.01
Thank you that you're
good, that you are a God who is
00:25:11.01\00:25:13.94
gracious and kind and loving.
Right now, I know that there are
00:25:13.94\00:25:18.15
some - many - who need to make
things right with you, that is,
00:25:18.15\00:25:21.75
they need to throw off the
weight of guilt that they carry
00:25:21.75\00:25:25.32
around, and accept freedom
and pardon and forgiveness
00:25:25.32\00:25:29.16
in its place. I pray
that as you invite us to
00:25:29.16\00:25:31.86
lay our burdens at
your feet, we will do so.
00:25:31.86\00:25:34.30
Thank you that Jesus
would live His life in us.
00:25:34.30\00:25:36.60
Thank you that we can go from
this moment of prayer forgiven,
00:25:36.60\00:25:38.93
and one with you. We
thank you, we praise you, and
00:25:38.93\00:25:44.77
we pray in Jesus'
name, Amen. [Music]
00:25:44.77\00:26:12.27
What does it mean to be saved?
00:26:22.61\00:26:24.48
The answer can be
found in a little book called
00:26:24.48\00:26:26.51
"Steps to Christ."
It's our free book offer
00:26:26.51\00:26:29.18
for today. This book
will help you in your
00:26:29.18\00:26:31.69
daily walk with Jesus.
Please call or write us and
00:26:31.69\00:26:35.99
"Steps to Christ"
will be on its way to you.
00:26:35.99\00:26:38.86
There's no cost
and no obligation.
00:26:38.86\00:26:41.33
It's our free gift to you.
Just call 1-800-253-3000 and ask
00:26:41.33\00:26:47.20
for the book "Steps to Christ."
Lines are open 24 hours daily.
00:26:47.20\00:26:52.21
They may be busy, so
please do keep trying.
00:26:52.21\00:26:54.98
You may also request
this free book by writing to
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It Is Written, P O Box 6,
Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37401,
00:26:57.85\00:27:03.72
and we'll mail a copy to
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00:27:03.72\00:27:07.29
For immediate access, you
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00:27:07.29\00:27:10.33
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00:27:10.33\00:27:12.33
website, ItIsWritten.com.
It Is Written is a faith-based
00:27:12.33\00:27:17.97
ministry made
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00:27:17.97\00:27:21.70
If you wish to help
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00:27:21.70\00:27:24.07
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00:27:26.94\00:27:30.21
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Thank you for your
00:27:30.21\00:27:34.15
correspondence and for
your continued support.
00:27:34.15\00:27:37.92
Thanks for joining me today.
I look forward to seeing you
00:27:46.03\00:27:47.40
again next time.
Until then remember,
00:27:47.40\00:27:49.93
it is written: Man shall
not live by bread alone but by
00:27:49.93\00:27:54.47
every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God.
00:27:54.47\00:27:58.67
[Music]
00:27:58.67\00:28:28.47