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>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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Well, there are
sunnier subjects, I guess,
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but I'm not sure there are too
many that are more important.
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We're going to take
a few moments together
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to talk about history's most
hated father, and, honestly,
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it might be a subject
that arouses strong feelings,
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especially if your relationship
with your own father
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wasn't or isn't good.
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Examine history and you
find some tyrannical fathers.
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You'll find accounts
of emperors and kings
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who murdered their children.
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Look in the news and, of course,
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you're gonna find
truly disturbing reports
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of monsters who've treated
their children hideously.
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I'm not planning on
getting too far into that.
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But I am talking about much
more than the father who refused
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to buy ice cream or never
attended a game or a recital
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or the dad who
always worked late.
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That's careless
parenting, for sure,
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but I'm being very
specific about this.
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Not the worst father ever,
but history's most hated father.
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I'm going to tell you who it is,
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and you might be
surprised by who I identify.
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I don't think there's
any question about it.
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In fact, it's not even close.
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In the Bible you'll find fathers
who made terrible mistakes.
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Lot's mistake was moving his
family to about the worst place
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they could have gone,
but then he followed that up
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with getting drunk, and
what happened afterwards
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was not something he
would ever have been proud of.
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We can think of King
Manasseh, who made his children
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pass through fire, which
is really a euphemistic way
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of saying that he sacrificed
his children to the devil.
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But even after that,
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not even Manasseh is
history's most hated father.
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You might be thinking, Hitler.
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But it's not known that
Hitler had any children.
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Joseph Stalin
had several children.
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Probably wasn't
the perfect father,
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but there's nothing
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suggesting he was an
especially bad father, either,
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definitely not the most hated.
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So if you try to
figure out who wins the prize
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as history's most hated father,
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you need to set your
sights a little higher.
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Let's look at the
Bible, Genesis 1:1.
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"In the beginning God created
the heaven and the earth."
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This was the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit
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working together.
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Verse 26 says,
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"And God said, 'Let
us make man in our image,
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after our likeness.'"
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There's that plurality.
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The text doesn't
explicitly state three persons,
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but we can deduce that by
looking elsewhere in the Bible.
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Clearly, "us" is more than one.
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Genesis 1:27 says,
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"So God created
man in His own image,
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"in the image of
God created He him;
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male and female
created He them."
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Now, let's establish
that there is a Father God.
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Ephesians 4:6 speaks of
"one God and Father of all."
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In John 20, verse 17,
Jesus encountered Mary Magdalene
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shortly after His
resurrection and said,
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"Do not cling to me, for I have
not yet ascended to my Father;
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"but go to my
brethren and say to them,
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"'I am ascending to my
Father and your Father,
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and to my God and your God.'"
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Malachi 2, verse 10 says,
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"Have we not all one Father?
Has not one God created us?"
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Matthew 5:16, "Let your
light so shine before men,
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"that they may
see your good works,
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and glorify your
Father which is in heaven."
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In Matthew 6,
verse 9, Jesus says,
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"In this
manner, therefore, pray:
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Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name."
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So you get the idea:
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God, the Father, is our Father.
Clearest thing in the world.
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But how have His
children related to God?
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Let's look at
some biblical history.
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Let's go back to the time
before God's people had made it
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to the Promised Land.
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They'd recently left Egypt.
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Moses is on
Mount Sinai with God.
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Well, what are the people doing?
Exodus 32, starting in verse 3:
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"So all the people
broke off the golden earrings
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"which were in their
ears, and brought them to Aaron.
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"And he received the
gold from their hand,
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"and he fashioned it
with an engraving tool,
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"and made a molded calf.
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"Then they said,
'This is your god, O Israel,
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"that brought you out
of the land of Egypt!'
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"So when Aaron saw it,
he built an altar before it.
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"And Aaron made a
proclamation and said,
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"'Tomorrow is a
feast to the Lord.'
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"Then they rose
early on the next day,
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"offered burnt offerings,
and brought peace offerings;
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and the people sat down to eat
and drink, and rose up to play."
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So let's think this through.
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God liberated them
from Egyptian slavery.
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God miraculously saved
them from certain death.
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He made an
incredible way of escape.
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He opened up an ocean,
or at least the Red Sea.
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And as God is giving
Moses the Ten Commandments,
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His very own people are
at the bottom of the mountain
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breaking every one of them.
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So someone says,
"They were tempted.
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"They didn't know
what had become of Moses,
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"and it was a
moment of weakness.
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They'd been influenced
by their time in Egypt."
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Okay.
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But did things get
better? Not exactly.
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Much later, we read
that Israel wanted a king.
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God had been guiding them
through prophets and judges,
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but that wasn't good
enough for many of them.
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And God said to Samuel
in 1 Samuel 8 in verse 7,
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"Heed the voice of the people
in all that they say to you;
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"for they have not rejected
you, but they have rejected me,
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that I should
not reign over them."
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This is God
speaking, and He says,
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"They have rejected me."
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Speaking of Jesus the
Son of God, Isaiah wrote,
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"He is despised
and rejected of men,
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"a man of sorrows,
and acquainted with grief;
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"and we hid as it
were our faces from Him;
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He was despised, and
we esteemed Him not."
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That's Isaiah 53:3.
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Of course, this was a
rejection of the Father.
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A similar thought is
expressed in the New Testament,
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starting in Mark 12 in verse 6:
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"Therefore still having one son,
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"his beloved, he also
sent him to them last,
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"saying, 'They will respect
my son.' But those vinedressers
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"said among themselves, 'This is
the heir. Come, let us kill him,
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"and the inheritance will
be ours.' So they took him
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and killed him and cast
him out of the vineyard."
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Mark 12:6-8.
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They killed the
son and, in doing so,
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were rejecting the
authority of the father.
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In Jeremiah 2:5, God asks,
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"What injustice have
your fathers found in me,
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"that they have gone far
from me, have followed idols,
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and have become idolators?"
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He goes on to say, "I brought
you into a bountiful country,
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"to eat its
fruit and its goodness.
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"But when you entered,
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"you defiled my land and made
my heritage an abomination....
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"For my people have
committed two evils:
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"they have forsaken me,
the fountain of living waters,
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"and hewn themselves cisterns--
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broken cisterns
that can hold no water."
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You see what was happening?
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God had made them,
created them, loved them,
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fed them with manna from heaven,
brought water out of a rock,
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opened up the Red Sea,
and yet He was out-and-out
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rejected by His people.
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In Isaiah 5, God asks,
"What more could have been done
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to my vineyard that
I have not done in it?"
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Isaiah 5, verse 4.
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Really, has there ever
been a more hated father?
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Hated and rejected by
people all over the entire world
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for thousands of years.
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Even one in three
angels warred against God
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in hatred and rebellion.
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Has to be a tough job being God.
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In a moment, what is God's
response to this rejection?
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And what if you
had a lousy father?
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How do you cope with that?
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I'll have that when I come back.
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¤[music swells and ends]¤¤
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>>Announcer: There is nothing
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00:09:31.70\00:09:34.34
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
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History's most hated father?
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No doubt about it. That's God.
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Sure, God has His supporters,
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but that number is
steadily shrinking;
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at least that's what
the statistics suggest.
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A recent Gallup
poll stated that in 2020
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less than 50
percent of Americans
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claim to be members of a
church, synagogue, or mosque
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for the first time
since records were kept.
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In 1999, that
number was 70 percent.
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It's now 47 percent.
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People are definitely
drifting away from God.
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But in addition to apathy,
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there's also a lot of straight-
out hostility towards God.
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One television host spoke
for many people when he said,
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"A more psychopathic
character you will not ever find
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"in fiction. Just the
idea that people worshiped
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"the God of
this Bible is insane.
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There is no more psychopathic
mass murderer than God."
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And when that
statement was made,
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there were few, if
any, dissenting voices.
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The website of a
well-known atheist describes God
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as "narcissistic," a
"sociopath," and a "psychopath."
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Now, for the sake of definition,
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a psychopath, "in
general, [has] a hard time
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"forming real emotional
attachments with others.
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"Instead, they form artificial,
shallow relationships designed
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"to be manipulated in a way that
most benefits the psychopath.
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"People are seen as
pawns to be used to forward
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"the psychopath's goals.
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"Psychopaths rarely feel guilt
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"regarding any
of their behaviors,
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no matter how
much they hurt others."
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And those are the attributes
that some attribute to God.
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That's what some
people say about the One
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that the Bible says is love.
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Now, not all atheists
are nearly as uncharitable,
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but millions and millions and
millions of people reject God.
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They just do it
in a less jarring,
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maybe more
socially acceptable way.
00:11:51.27\00:11:54.24
But how would that feel to God,
00:11:54.28\00:11:55.74
to see His people
turning their backs on Him?
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Jesus asked a
profound question when He said,
00:11:58.81\00:12:02.52
"But why do you
call me 'Lord, Lord,'
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and do not the
things which I say?"
00:12:05.39\00:12:07.96
Luke 6:46.
00:12:07.99\00:12:10.06
That's a challenge today:
people who despise God politely.
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God is God.
00:12:14.56\00:12:16.43
And He asks for our
hearts for the simple reason
00:12:16.46\00:12:18.87
that without our
consent, without our agreement,
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without our
recognition of who He is,
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and without realizing we
are lost without the salvation
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He provides, there's
really not a lot God can do
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to save a
person-- nothing, in fact.
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As long as we keep
Him at arm's length--
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think now, people keeping
the Creator at arm's length--
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as long as we do that, we're
really saying the same thing
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as the people in
the parable who said,
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"We will not have
this man to reign over us."
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Very unfortunately,
there's a subset of people
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for whom Father's
Day is uncomfortable.
00:12:57.34\00:13:01.04
They're the people
who had a lousy father.
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And there are plenty of them.
00:13:04.05\00:13:06.15
Not too much need
to go into detail here,
00:13:06.18\00:13:08.38
but it could be that
the father was a monster,
00:13:08.42\00:13:10.89
or deserted the family or was
mean or rough or absent or lazy,
00:13:10.92\00:13:15.12
or, or a hundred things.
00:13:15.16\00:13:18.13
So what do you do if you have,
or, or had, a terrible father?
00:13:18.16\00:13:23.43
Let me suggest several things.
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First, if he's
living, pray for your father.
00:13:26.50\00:13:30.57
Second, accept that
some people are faulty.
00:13:30.61\00:13:34.91
In fact, we're all
faulty, every last one of us.
00:13:34.94\00:13:38.15
Then try to really understand
00:13:38.18\00:13:39.45
what your father was
going through or facing.
00:13:39.48\00:13:41.35
Now, now, let me
pause here and say this.
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I, I'm not suggesting this
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in case of
something really extreme.
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I'm not trying to
sweep something awful
00:13:46.89\00:13:49.99
and, and
traumatic under the carpet.
00:13:50.03\00:13:52.96
I'm speaking in general terms.
00:13:52.99\00:13:54.36
And this is what I think
most of us can relate to.
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I'm not saying
this so you can excuse
00:13:57.80\00:13:59.57
your father's bad
behavior, but the truth is,
00:13:59.60\00:14:02.64
if your dad had a
really demanding job
00:14:02.67\00:14:04.77
and he tried to
spend more time at home,
00:14:04.81\00:14:06.34
but his job as a, I don't
know, a long-haul truck driver
00:14:06.37\00:14:09.21
meant that he was away a lot,
00:14:09.24\00:14:11.15
it's worth trying
to understand that.
00:14:11.18\00:14:13.82
If your father
didn't have a role model,
00:14:13.85\00:14:15.92
if he wasn't
raised by his father,
00:14:15.95\00:14:18.79
if he never had
love demonstrated,
00:14:18.82\00:14:21.06
it was always going to be hard
00:14:21.09\00:14:22.76
to be the kind of
father that you needed
00:14:22.79\00:14:24.53
or the kind of father that
he most likely wanted to be.
00:14:24.56\00:14:27.76
Now, I think that he could
have and should have read books
00:14:27.76\00:14:29.96
or gone to a class or
asked for advice, something.
00:14:30.00\00:14:33.80
But he didn't.
00:14:33.84\00:14:35.17
Endeavoring to understand why he
was what he was and how he was
00:14:35.20\00:14:39.67
doesn't let him off the hook,
00:14:39.71\00:14:42.18
but it gives you the
opportunity to understand,
00:14:42.21\00:14:44.68
and that can lessen your
bitterness or disappointment.
00:14:44.71\00:14:48.25
Maybe you had some terrible
argument with your father,
00:14:48.28\00:14:50.35
and he didn't
handle himself well.
00:14:50.39\00:14:52.42
It's worth trying to understand
that maybe he was disappointed
00:14:52.45\00:14:55.32
or hurt or simply
made a bad choice.
00:14:55.36\00:14:59.33
Think about fathers who
were raised a few years ago,
00:14:59.36\00:15:01.56
and suddenly their children are
playing this loud rock music,
00:15:01.60\00:15:04.87
and they're wanting
to go out to parties,
00:15:04.90\00:15:06.30
and their sons
were growing their hair,
00:15:06.33\00:15:08.60
and their sons and
daughters were using drugs.
00:15:08.64\00:15:11.31
That's what
families had to wrestle with
00:15:11.34\00:15:12.64
in the late '60s and early '70s.
00:15:12.67\00:15:14.88
Society as a whole was changing.
00:15:14.91\00:15:17.11
It was uncharted
territory for a lot of fathers.
00:15:17.15\00:15:20.98
They were dealing with things
00:15:21.02\00:15:22.02
that no one had
dealt with before.
00:15:22.05\00:15:25.12
I'd suggest this if
you feel your own father
00:15:25.15\00:15:27.82
didn't do a good job.
00:15:27.86\00:15:30.13
Try to understand him.
00:15:30.16\00:15:32.19
Try to understand his situation.
00:15:32.23\00:15:33.83
Again, not to
excuse his failings,
00:15:33.86\00:15:37.37
but understanding
will help you to let go
00:15:37.40\00:15:40.37
of some of the bitterness.
00:15:40.40\00:15:42.17
And there's one
more thing I'd say.
00:15:43.17\00:15:45.21
If you had a bad father,
00:15:45.24\00:15:47.84
remember that you
have a heavenly Father.
00:15:47.88\00:15:51.65
David wrote something
interesting in Psalm 27,
00:15:51.68\00:15:54.02
verse 10:
00:15:54.05\00:15:54.98
"When my father and
my mother forsake me,
00:15:55.02\00:15:57.62
then the Lord will take me up."
00:15:57.65\00:16:00.66
When your parents let you
down, you still have a parent,
00:16:00.69\00:16:05.49
a perfect
parent, and that's God.
00:16:05.53\00:16:10.00
And how do you
understand what God is like?
00:16:10.03\00:16:13.07
In John 14,
Philip said to Jesus,
00:16:13.10\00:16:15.64
"Lord, show us the Father,
and it is sufficient for us."
00:16:15.67\00:16:18.94
And Jesus answered by saying,
00:16:18.97\00:16:21.41
"He who has seen me
has seen the Father."
00:16:21.44\00:16:25.15
So if you want to know what
your heavenly Father is like,
00:16:25.18\00:16:28.28
look at Jesus, who
went about doing good,
00:16:28.32\00:16:31.92
who came to heal and help and
lift up and bless and forgive.
00:16:31.95\00:16:37.46
All those beautiful
attributes you see in Jesus,
00:16:37.49\00:16:40.76
they show you what
your Father is like.
00:16:40.80\00:16:44.80
Now, if you're a father and
you're wanting to up your game,
00:16:44.83\00:16:48.17
in fact, if you're a parent
and you'd like to do better
00:16:48.20\00:16:50.44
at parenting, I've got
10 suggestions for you.
00:16:50.47\00:16:54.04
These are not the 10
commandments of parenting,
00:16:54.08\00:16:57.21
but they're 10 very good
suggestions of parenting.
00:16:57.25\00:17:00.58
Now, get ready
to take some notes
00:17:00.62\00:17:01.92
because these
principles will really help.
00:17:01.95\00:17:04.59
How to be a better
parent, that's coming right up.
00:17:04.62\00:17:08.69
¤[music swells and ends]¤¤
00:17:08.72\00:17:15.70
>>Announcer: There is nothing
in this world more precious
00:17:18.07\00:17:20.10
than a meaningful
relationship with Jesus Christ.
00:17:20.14\00:17:23.14
Today's free
offer, "Steps to Christ,"
00:17:23.17\00:17:25.21
is one of the
best books ever written
00:17:25.24\00:17:27.08
on how to build a successful
relationship with Jesus
00:17:27.11\00:17:30.05
that will see you
through to eternity.
00:17:30.08\00:17:32.18
To receive your free copy,
00:17:32.21\00:17:33.31
call 800-253-3000
00:17:33.35\00:17:36.12
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:17:36.15\00:17:39.65
Get "Steps to Christ" today:
00:17:39.69\00:17:41.59
800-253-3000
00:17:41.62\00:17:44.33
or online at iiwoffer.com.
00:17:44.36\00:17:47.20
>>John Bradshaw: His
name is mentioned 294 times
00:17:48.00\00:17:51.30
in the Bible.
00:17:51.33\00:17:52.57
He's known as the friend of God
and the father of the faithful.
00:17:52.60\00:17:56.74
His life was a life of faith,
00:17:56.77\00:17:59.14
and he plays an important role
in the history of God's people.
00:17:59.17\00:18:03.41
Join me for another
episode of our series
00:18:03.45\00:18:06.05
"Great Characters of the Bible"
00:18:06.08\00:18:08.15
as we look at
the life of Abraham.
00:18:08.18\00:18:11.32
God told him to go,
and by faith he went,
00:18:11.35\00:18:14.92
even though he didn't
know where he was going.
00:18:14.96\00:18:17.73
God told him he would have a
son, and by faith he believed,
00:18:17.76\00:18:22.16
despite the fact
that he was 100 years old.
00:18:22.20\00:18:26.40
Abraham's story reminds us
that God keeps His promises,
00:18:26.43\00:18:30.11
that you can trust God
even when you don't understand,
00:18:30.14\00:18:34.31
and that if you have faith,
00:18:34.34\00:18:36.18
God can do amazing
things in your life.
00:18:36.21\00:18:39.31
"Great Characters
of the Bible: Abraham,"
00:18:39.35\00:18:42.55
brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:18:42.58\00:18:45.69
>>John Bradshaw: If a father
is looking to raise his game
00:18:48.69\00:18:51.96
as a parent, what should he do?
00:18:51.99\00:18:54.73
It's easy, in theory.
00:18:54.76\00:18:57.67
Love your children. Love them.
00:18:57.70\00:19:01.20
Now, how do you do that?
00:19:01.24\00:19:02.67
Well, one
important way is to remember
00:19:02.70\00:19:04.57
that love can
be spelled T-I-M-E.
00:19:04.61\00:19:10.21
Spend time with your children.
00:19:10.25\00:19:13.42
You don't have time?
00:19:13.45\00:19:15.12
Find time.
00:19:15.15\00:19:16.42
You think you have
more important things to do?
00:19:16.45\00:19:18.72
You don't. Your other
responsibilities are secondary.
00:19:18.75\00:19:22.86
Take time. Do
things with your kids.
00:19:22.89\00:19:26.63
Show up to school
events. Go to their games.
00:19:26.66\00:19:30.03
Get down on the
floor and play with them.
00:19:30.07\00:19:32.90
Now, it sounds
obvious, doesn't it?
00:19:32.93\00:19:34.64
But if you're not doing it,
or if you think you can get away
00:19:34.67\00:19:37.51
without it, I'm
telling you otherwise.
00:19:37.54\00:19:40.31
Take time with your children.
00:19:40.34\00:19:41.78
Children need their
father in their life.
00:19:41.81\00:19:45.15
In a report from the
U.S. Department of Health
00:19:45.18\00:19:47.08
and Human Services,
00:19:47.12\00:19:48.42
"The Importance of Fathers
in the Healthy Development
00:19:48.45\00:19:52.02
of Their Children,"
00:19:52.05\00:19:53.52
there's a section titled
"Ten Ways to Be a Better Dad."
00:19:53.56\00:19:57.63
Number two is, "Spend
time with your children."
00:19:57.66\00:20:02.40
I'm going to give
you the other nine.
00:20:02.43\00:20:05.17
The first point listed is,
00:20:05.20\00:20:07.30
"Respect your
children's mother."
00:20:07.34\00:20:09.77
They say one of the best things
a father can do for his children
00:20:09.80\00:20:13.88
is to respect their mother.
00:20:13.91\00:20:16.08
It doesn't take a
genius to figure out why.
00:20:16.11\00:20:19.11
Parents who love
and respect each other
00:20:19.15\00:20:21.82
provide security
for their children.
00:20:21.85\00:20:24.12
If you haven't been doing
this, don't wait any longer.
00:20:24.15\00:20:29.39
First step to
being a better dad:
00:20:29.42\00:20:32.03
Respect your children's mother.
00:20:32.06\00:20:35.06
Number two, now, that was,
"Spend time with your children."
00:20:36.06\00:20:40.64
Will ya have to let go of
some things in order to do this?
00:20:40.67\00:20:43.00
Probably, but it's about the
best thing you could ever do.
00:20:43.04\00:20:47.68
Number three: "Earn
the right to be heard."
00:20:47.71\00:20:51.88
Talk with your
children early in their lives
00:20:51.91\00:20:54.52
so they'll feel
comfortable talking with you.
00:20:54.55\00:20:57.65
Establish a trust relationship.
00:20:57.69\00:21:00.56
Listen to your kids.
00:21:00.59\00:21:02.32
Find out what's
going on in their lives.
00:21:02.36\00:21:05.26
And care about it.
00:21:05.29\00:21:07.13
I'll give you number
four: "Discipline with love."
00:21:07.20\00:21:11.10
Just don't discipline in anger.
00:21:11.13\00:21:15.04
There's nothing
healthy about it.
00:21:15.07\00:21:17.24
And I add to this by
saying, don't yell at your kids.
00:21:17.27\00:21:21.64
Just don't. It never helps.
00:21:21.68\00:21:25.18
Unless, of course, your
child is on the railroad track,
00:21:25.21\00:21:28.05
and there's a train coming,
00:21:28.08\00:21:28.98
but you know I'm
not talking about that.
00:21:29.02\00:21:32.45
Some men have the idea that
being hard and tough as a dad
00:21:32.49\00:21:36.12
somehow equates to manliness or
it'll turn your son into a man.
00:21:36.16\00:21:40.56
Oh, discipline is necessary,
but remember that the words
00:21:40.60\00:21:43.30
"discipline" and "disciple"
are very closely related.
00:21:43.33\00:21:48.20
Disciplining your children is
merely discipling your children.
00:21:48.24\00:21:53.04
Discipline needs
to be redemptive.
00:21:53.07\00:21:55.44
You're preparing
your kids for eternity.
00:21:55.48\00:21:58.78
Discipline should
lead them closer to you
00:21:58.81\00:22:01.48
and closer to God's ideal
for them and closer to God.
00:22:01.52\00:22:06.59
So discipline with love,
and don't yell at your kids.
00:22:06.62\00:22:10.99
By the way, of course, kids
are going to do stupid stuff.
00:22:11.03\00:22:16.97
They're kids. Their
brains haven't fully developed.
00:22:17.00\00:22:21.17
In fact, science
says that doesn't happen
00:22:21.20\00:22:23.07
until they're in their 20s.
00:22:23.10\00:22:25.31
Kids are young;
00:22:25.34\00:22:26.74
that's why we call them kids,
and we don't call them adults.
00:22:26.78\00:22:30.98
They're immature.
00:22:31.01\00:22:32.85
They're going to make
mistakes, so get used to it.
00:22:32.88\00:22:36.85
Now, keep in mind, you choose
how you react to your kids.
00:22:36.89\00:22:41.36
They don't force
you to do anything.
00:22:41.39\00:22:45.66
Number five: "Be a role model."
00:22:45.69\00:22:49.36
Show your son how a man acts
with honesty and responsibility.
00:22:49.40\00:22:54.40
Demonstrate for your daughter
the respect that she deserves
00:22:54.44\00:22:57.51
from others.
00:22:57.54\00:22:58.97
Number six: "Be a teacher."
00:22:59.01\00:23:01.64
Life is full of
teaching moments.
00:23:01.68\00:23:03.98
Teach your children
as they go through life.
00:23:04.01\00:23:06.65
Do it kindly,
respectfully, but take advantage
00:23:06.68\00:23:09.95
of the opportunities you
get to instruct your children.
00:23:09.98\00:23:12.99
They are precious opportunities.
00:23:13.02\00:23:16.56
Seven: "Eat
together as a family."
00:23:16.59\00:23:19.86
Hugely important--and
much more difficult
00:23:19.89\00:23:22.80
as society keeps
everyone so busy.
00:23:22.83\00:23:25.60
But it's a great time for
families to bond and connect.
00:23:25.63\00:23:28.64
You get to
listen to your children.
00:23:28.67\00:23:30.41
You'll find out what's
going on in their lives.
00:23:30.44\00:23:32.51
It's valuable together time.
00:23:32.54\00:23:35.68
Point number eight:
"Read to your children."
00:23:35.71\00:23:39.21
It's impossible to overstate
the importance of this.
00:23:39.25\00:23:43.12
You're educating them.
00:23:43.15\00:23:44.55
You're going on
adventures with them.
00:23:44.59\00:23:46.35
You're imparting
valuable life lessons to them.
00:23:46.39\00:23:49.06
You're giving them a
chance to learn good values.
00:23:49.09\00:23:51.56
Read to your
children. You just have to.
00:23:51.59\00:23:55.90
But make sure you're
reading instructional,
00:23:55.93\00:23:58.23
educational, value-building
books to your kids.
00:23:58.27\00:24:01.40
Dispense with the garbage
00:24:01.44\00:24:03.64
and make sure you
read the good stuff.
00:24:03.67\00:24:07.11
Now, number
nine: "Show affection."
00:24:07.14\00:24:10.08
Even if it doesn't
come naturally to you.
00:24:10.11\00:24:12.21
Kids need to know
that they're loved,
00:24:12.25\00:24:14.28
and showing your child
affection helps your child
00:24:14.32\00:24:17.12
to feel secure
and loved and valued.
00:24:17.15\00:24:20.79
Point number 10: "Realize a
father's job is never done."
00:24:20.82\00:24:25.43
Your influence and
role in their lives
00:24:25.46\00:24:27.60
extends far beyond
their childhood years.
00:24:27.60\00:24:31.27
And I'm going to
add an 11th point.
00:24:31.30\00:24:33.44
The Department of
Health and Human Services
00:24:33.47\00:24:35.40
didn't put this one in
their report, and that is,
00:24:35.44\00:24:38.01
pray with your children.
00:24:38.04\00:24:40.31
Have family worship in your
home, a family devotional time.
00:24:40.34\00:24:44.88
Read the Bible and pray
together with your children.
00:24:44.91\00:24:49.05
Pray for your children and
tell them that you're doing so.
00:24:49.08\00:24:53.19
Every family should gather
together for family worship
00:24:53.22\00:24:56.32
to focus on the things of heaven
00:24:56.36\00:24:58.19
and to draw
together close to God.
00:24:58.23\00:25:01.50
Oh, and point 12:
00:25:01.53\00:25:03.30
Take your children to church.
00:25:03.33\00:25:06.03
Don't send them to
church. Take them to church.
00:25:06.07\00:25:09.17
Go with them. Be that example.
00:25:09.20\00:25:12.14
Raise your children to
know God, to love Jesus,
00:25:12.17\00:25:16.98
and let them see Jesus in you.
00:25:17.01\00:25:20.32
Incredibly, sadly,
the most hated father
00:25:20.35\00:25:25.02
in all of human
history surely has to be God.
00:25:25.05\00:25:30.23
The One who created the
world, gave life to everyone
00:25:30.26\00:25:33.23
who's ever lived,
and yet has been ignored,
00:25:33.26\00:25:35.36
rejected, and even despised
00:25:35.40\00:25:37.57
by the vast majority of
people throughout the ages.
00:25:37.60\00:25:40.67
Whether you're a
father or a mother,
00:25:40.70\00:25:42.10
whether you're a
parent or a child,
00:25:42.14\00:25:44.47
you can bring joy to
the heart of God right now
00:25:44.51\00:25:48.41
by responding to His love.
00:25:48.44\00:25:50.81
Allow God to be
the God of your life.
00:25:50.85\00:25:54.28
Surrender your life to Him.
00:25:54.32\00:25:56.45
Let Him be loved by you.
00:25:56.48\00:25:59.75
Embrace God and
you're embracing life.
00:25:59.79\00:26:04.43
Allow God into your heart today.
00:26:04.46\00:26:05.83
Won't you do that?
00:26:05.86\00:26:07.23
Allow Him to give you eternal
life through Jesus His Son.
00:26:07.30\00:26:12.70
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:26:13.97\00:26:15.84
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:26:15.87\00:26:19.27
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:26:19.31\00:26:22.44
please call us
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00:26:22.48\00:26:26.78
You can send your
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00:26:26.82\00:26:28.25
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00:26:28.28\00:26:29.72
or you can visit us
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00:26:29.75\00:26:33.56
Thank you for your prayers
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00:26:33.59\00:26:36.39
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:26:36.42\00:26:40.56
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:40.60\00:26:43.57
>>John Bradshaw:
Let's pray together now.
00:26:44.70\00:26:45.93
Our Father in heaven, we thank
You that You are a good Father.
00:26:45.97\00:26:49.44
And we who are parents need
Your grace in raising children,
00:26:49.47\00:26:53.01
that they can grow to
know You and love You.
00:26:53.04\00:26:56.38
I pray for mothers. Bless them
in their vitally important role.
00:26:56.41\00:26:59.95
And we're thinking
especially today of fathers.
00:27:00.05\00:27:02.78
Lord, would You bless the
dads and allow them to reflect
00:27:02.82\00:27:06.12
to their children the
love that You reflect to us?
00:27:06.15\00:27:09.42
I know many dads, the
vast majority of dads,
00:27:09.46\00:27:12.43
would look inwards and say,
"I haven't always got it right."
00:27:12.46\00:27:16.23
This is where we pray for
Your mercy and Your blessing.
00:27:16.26\00:27:19.27
And don't worry, dad, if
you've made some mistakes.
00:27:19.30\00:27:21.30
Who hasn't?
00:27:21.34\00:27:22.50
It's not too late now to
turn those over to God and say,
00:27:22.54\00:27:24.81
"Lord, please, help me now to
reflect You and demonstrate You
00:27:24.84\00:27:30.01
and model You
before my little flock."
00:27:30.05\00:27:33.01
So, Father in
heaven, we pray for the dads.
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Bless them all; draw them close;
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let them grow in
the grace of Jesus.
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And we pray with
grateful thanks, in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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Thanks so much for joining me.
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Looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
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Until then, remember:
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"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
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but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
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¤[music ends]¤¤
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