Participants: Bill Santos
Series Code: IIWC
Program Code: IIWC201114
|
00:02 >>BILL: AS A THIRD CENTURY MAN WAS ANTICIPATING
00:03 DEATH, HE PENNED THESE LAST WORDS TO A FRIEND. 00:05 "IT'S A BAD WORLD, AN INCREDIBLY BAD WORLD BUT I 00:11 HAVE DISCOVERED IN THE MIDST OF IT, QUIET AND 00:12 HOLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE LEARNED A GREAT SECRET. 00:16 THEY HAVE FOUND A JOY WHICH IS A THOUSAND TIMES 00:22 BETTER THAN ANY PLEASURE OF OUR SINFUL LIFE. 00:23 THEY ARE DESPISED AND PERSECUTED BUT THEY CARE 00:28 NOT. THEY ARE MASTERS OF THEIR OWN SOULS. THEY HAVE 00:33 OVERCOME THE WORLD. THESE PEOPLE ARE THE CHRISTIANS 00:34 AND I AM ONE OF THEM." 00:42 (MUSIC) 00:52 >>ANNOUNCER: IT HAS STOOD THE TEST OF TIME . . . 00:54 GOD'S BOOK, THE BIBLE. 00:57 STILL RELEVANT IN TODAY'S COMPLEX WORLD. 01:01 IT IS WRITTEN . . 01:02 . SHARING MESSAGES OF HOPE AROUND THE WORLD. 01:08 (MUSIC) 01:27 THE APOSTLE PAUL LISTED NINE DIMENSIONS OF THE 01:28 FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IN GALATIONS 5 IN VERSES 22 01:30 AND 23. JOY WAS PLACED SECOND IN THE QUALITIES 01:36 THAT COMPRISE THE HARDEST OF THE SPIRIT. IT FOLLOWS 01:37 LOVE AND IT PRECEEDS PEACE. WILLIAM MORRIS SAYS 01:41 THAT THE FACT THAT JOY COMES SECOND IN THE LIST 01:46 SHOWS THE PROMINENT PLACE THAT IT HAD IN THE THOUGHT 01:47 OF THE APOSTLE PAUL WITH REGARD TO THE 01:52 CHRISTIAN PERSONALITY 1CORINTHIANS:13 MAKES IT 01:57 CLEAR THAT LOVE IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE GIFTS 01:58 OF THE SPIRIT TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. AND IN GALATIONS 02:01 5, LOVE COMES FIRST AMONG THE ASPECTS OF THE FRUIT 02:06 OF THE SPIRIT. FRUIT IS A PRODUCT OF GROWTH. LOVE 02:07 GROWS, JOY GROWS, PEACE GROWS. THE HOLY SPIRIT 02:14 ENERGIZES AND OVERSEES THIS GROWTH PROCESS IN THE 02:20 LIVES OF CHRISTIANS. I WANT TO WELCOME ALL OF OUR 02:21 VIEWERS TO THIS WEEK'S "IT IS WRITTEN" PROGRAM. 02:28 I WANT TO WELCOME THE TWO GUESTS THAT I HAVE INVITED 02:33 TO JOIN ME HERE AS WE STUDY THE FRUIT OF THE 02:34 SPIRIT. WE'RE ON TO THE SECOND ONE, JOY. JOINING 02:37 ME HERE IS PASTOR GERARDO OUDRI AND DR. ERROL 02:47 LAWRENCE. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND LET'S START 02:48 WITH - NOW, YOU'VE BEEN ON THE PROGRAM BEFORE AND, 02:51 BUT JUST A SHORT BIO ON WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU 02:57 SERVE TODAY. >>PASTOR GERARDO: WELL, IT'S A 02:58 PLEASURE TO BE HERE AGAIN AND THANK YOU FOR INVITING 03:01 ME. I'M PASTOR GERARDO OUDRI AND I PASTOR THE 03:05 BRONTE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH IN 03:06 OAKVILLE. SO, WE HAVE A WEBSITE, IF I 03:11 MAY? >> BILL: ABSOLUTELY. 03:11 >>PASTOR GERARDO: THAT IS BRONTESDA.ORG AND PEOPLE 03:14 CAN VISIT US THERE >>BILL: IT'S A WONDERFUL 03:18 CHURCH. I USED TO ATTEND THERE REGULARLY. AND FINE, 03:19 FINE PEOPLE. >>PASTOR GERARDO: VERY FRIENDLY 03:23 CHURCH, ABSOLUTELY >>BILL: THANK YOU PASTOR. 03:25 DR. LAWRENCE WELCOME TO THE "IT IS WRITTEN" 03:26 PROGRAM. >>DR. LAWRENCE: THANK YOU FOR HAVING 03:29 ME BILL. WONDERFUL TO BE HERE. >>BILL: WELL, WE'RE 03:31 THRILLED THAT YOU ACCEPTED OUR INVITATION TO JOIN US 03:32 I KNOW YOU'RE A BUSY MAN AND WE APPRECIATE THAT. 03:35 DR. LAWRENCE IS IN AN ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY, 03:39 TODAY, AT THE ONTARIO HEADQUARTERS OF THE 03:40 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH. MINISTERIAL 03:44 DIRECTOR, RIGHT PASTOR WHICH REALLY IS THE PASTOR 03:47 TO THE PASTORS. >>DR. 03:48 LAWRENCE: THAT'S WHAT THEY CALL ME. >>BILL: THAT'S 03:51 RIGHT. AND SO YOU HAVE ONE OF YOUR STAFF SITTING 03:52 NEXT TO YOU HERE. >>DR. 03:55 LAWRENCE: MY GOOD FRIEND GERARD, YES. >>BILL: 03:56 PASTOR, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, A LITTLE 03:59 BIT ABOUT YOU. DR. ERROL LAWRENCE. >>DR. LAWRENCE: 04:05 WELL, I'M A PASTOR. I LOVE THE LORD. I'M FROM JAMAICA 04:06 ORIGINALLY BUT I LIVE NOW IN CANADA IN OSHAWA, WORK 04:11 IN OSHAWA. I'VE LIVED IN MANY PLACES, ENGLAND AND 04:14 AFRICA, UNITED STATES AND SO FORTH BUT I JUST LOVE 04:15 MY NEW HOME, CANADA. AND I WORK FOR THE ONTARIO 04:22 CONFERENCE WITH OVER 120 PASTORS AND WE WORK 04:26 TOGETHER WELL. I THANK GOD FOR ALL THAT HE IS DOING 04:27 >>BILL: WONDERFUL. YOU KNOW PASTOR, WE'RE OFF 04:30 THE HOOK BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A BIBLICAL SCHOLAR HERE 04:34 SO.>>PASTOR GERARDO: THAT'S IT. >>BILL:.WHEN 04:35 THINGS GET TOUGH I'M JUST GOING TO LOOK, I'M JUST 04:39 GOING TO LOOK TO HIM AND THAT WILL BE THE CUE FOR 04:41 HIM TO GIVE US THE ANSWER. 04:41 >>PASTOR GERARDO: I'LL FOLLOW YOU. >>BILL: WOW, 04:43 WE'RE, WE'RE, WE DECIDED EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT WE 04:44 WOULD DO THIS STUDY ON THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT AND 04:52 THESE QUALITIES THAT BEGIN TO BE MANIFESTED 04:57 EXTERNALLY WHEN THE SPIRIT HAS DONE SOMETHING INSIDE 04:58 IN FACT, WE HAVE DONE A WHOLE STUDY OF THE BOOK 05:02 OF GALATIONS BUT THIS KIND OF JUMPS OUT BECAUSE, YOU 05:08 KNOW, PAUL HERE IS SAYING YOU CAN EITHER HAVE THE 05:09 DEEDS OF THE FLESH WHICH ARE PROBABLY THE THINGS 05:14 THAT COME MORE NATURALLY TO US. YOU KNOW, ENVY AND 05:20 JEALOUSLY AND ANGER BUT THEN HE SAYS YOU, WHEN YOU 05:21 WALK WITH THE SPIRIT THERE IS FRUIT. AND THERE'S 05:27 THESE QUALITIES AND JOY IF ANYBODY ON THIS PLANET 05:34 SHOULD BE JOYFUL IT SHOULD BE THE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS 05:35 CHRIST. >>PASTOR GERARDO: ABSOLUTELY. >>BILL: 05:38 SHOULDN'T IT? >>DR. 05:39 LAWRENCE: I AGREE WITH THAT. I AGREE WITH THAT. 05:40 >>BILL: AND, YOU KNOW, I'M A REALIST. I'LL TELL YOU, 05:46 I GET TO VISIT A LOT OF CHURCHES AS DR. LAWRENCE 05:47 YOU DO, ALL ACROSS THIS COUNTRY, AROUND THE WORLD. 05:52 I JUST GOT BACK FROM THE PHILLIPIANS. AND ON 05:54 OCCASION I WILL GO INTO SOME CHURCHES AND I WILL 05:55 NOT SEE A WHOLE LOT OF SMILES. AND THAT'S, 05:59 THAT'S, THAT'S TOUGH. 06:00 IT'S TOUGH FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND. WE SHOULD 06:04 BE THE MOST JOYFUL OF ALL PEOPLE. >>PASTOR GERARDO: 06:07 ABSOLUTELY. >>BILL: SHOULDN'T WE? >>PASTOR 06:08 GERARDO: ABSOLUTELY. 06:10 >>BILL: I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE APOSTLE PAUL IS 06:11 SAYING HERE, ISN'T HE? 06:12 >>PASTOR GERARDO: YES. 06:12 ABSOLUTELY. I STARTED READING THESE ADVENTIST 06:14 TRIBUTES AND I DON'T FIND THE WORD TRUTH IN 06:15 HERE AND I DON'T WANT TO MINIMIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF 06:20 TRUTH BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL LEAD 06:24 PEOPLE INTO TRUTH. BUT I THINK THAT WE'RE LOOKING 06:25 AT THE SIGNS OF THOSE THAT FOLLOW CHRIST, THAT HAVE 06:30 CHRIST IN THEIR HEART, AS YOU WERE SAYING I WAS 06:35 THINKING THE SAME THING. 06:35 JOY IS ONE OF THOSE. 06:36 >>BILL: YES. >>PASTOR GERARDO: I THINK FOR 06:38 CENTURIES WE'VE HAD, AS CHRISTIANS, THIS IDEA THAT 06:41 IF WE FOLLOW GOD WE HAVE TO BE REALLY SERIOUS, YOU 06:42 KNOW. AND YET THE SECOND ATTRIBUTE IS JOY. SO I 06:49 AGREE WITH YOU. WE HAVE TO BE JOYFUL. >>DR. LAWRENCE: 06:53 ONE OF OUR CHALLENGES IS THAT WE TRY TO INTEGRATE 06:54 JOY WITH HAPPINESS. AND HAPPINESS COMES WITH 06:58 HAVING THIS AND HAVING THAT AND IF WE DON'T HAVE 07:03 THEN WE'RE NOT HAPPY. 07:03 WHEREAS JOY IS THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT THAT COMES 07:07 FROM GOD WHERE IN SPITE OF WHAT WE GO THROUGH WE CAN 07:08 BE JOYFUL. AND THE CONTEXT OF THE TEXT HERE IN 07:13 THE SCRIPTURE, EVEN AS PAUL WRITES TO THE 07:17 THESSALONIANS THEY'RE GOING THROUGH ROUGH 07:18 TIMES.>>BILL: YES. YES. 07:20 >>DR. LAWRENCE:.BUT HE'S SAYING, YOUR JOY IN THE 07:21 LORD. THAT'S THE THING THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US AS 07:26 CHRISTIANS. SO NO MATTER WHAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH 07:30 WE CAN BE JOYFUL. 07:30 >>BILL: YOU KNOW, IN THE INTRODUCTION I TALKED 07:32 ABOUT THE THIRD CENTURY NOTE THAT SAID THEY'RE 07:33 GOING THROUGH PERSECUTION, THEY'RE HATED, THEY'RE 07:37 THIS BUT THEY HAVE FOUND THIS JOY. THEY HAVE FOUND 07:43 THIS, THIS - I MEAN, AGAIN, WE TALK ABOUT THIS, 07:44 ALL OF THESE, SORT OF, THAT'S WHY THEY'RE CALLED 07:48 FRUIT OF THE, THEY ALL SORT OF BLEND, YOU KNOW, 07:51 TOGETHER. I SEE JOY AND PEACE BEING VERY 07:51 MUCH TOGETHER, RIGHT? A CONTENTMENT, A PEACE, 07:58 A TRANQUILITY. I SEE YOU SEARCHING THERE.>>PASTOR 08:01 GERARDO: YES. IT JUST SORT OF REMINDED ME AS 08:02 DR. LAWRENCE MENTIONED THESSALONIANS, 08:04 IN 1THESSALONIANS 21 IN VERSE 6 PAUL WRITES TO THE 08:08 CHURCH AND HE SAYS, "YOU BECAME FOLLOWERS OF US 08:09 AND OF THE LORD HAVING RECEIVED THE WORD IN MUCH 08:13 AFFLICTION". AND THEN THE NEXT PHRASE SAYS, "WITH 08:16 JOY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT". 08:17 >>BILL: WOW. >>PASTOR GERARDO: HOW CAN YOU PUT 08:20 THOSE TWO TOGETHER? YOU KNOW, MUCH AFFLICTION, 08:21 PERSECUTION BUT WITH JOY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. >>DR. 08:25 LAWRENCE: AND JOY COMES FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT. 08:28 >>PASTOR GERARDO: ABSOLUTELY. >>DR. 08:29 LAWRENCE: SO HERE PAUL IS SAYING NO MATTER WHAT 08:31 YOU'RE GOING THROUGH, YOU'VE GOT GOD ON YOUR 08:33 SIDE. AND IN SPITE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE 08:34 HAD YOU HAVE THIS QUALITY THAT SAYS GOD GIVES ME 08:38 PEACE AND JOY. >>PASTOR GERARDO: AND ALSO IN THIS 08:43 TEXT WE SEE THE WORD FOR JOY HERE IS "HADA" WHICH 08:44 IS RELATED TO HADIES, WHICH IS GRACE. SO I THINK 08:50 THAT THOSE TWO ARE CLOSELY RELATED. WE HAVE JOY BUT 08:55 WE HAVE RECEIVED THE GRACE OF GOD. IT'S THROUGH HIS 08:56 GRACE THAT WE EXPERIENCE JOY. >>DR. LAWRENCE: 08:59 BECAUSE HAPPINESS COMES AND GOES, DOESN'T IT? YOU 09:02 KNOW, AND THIS GRACE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STAYS, 09:03 IT'S GODLY, IT'S ETERNAL. 09:08 IT DOESN'T WAIVER. AND SO, WE NEED TO SEEK THAT FROM 09:09 GOD ALL THE TIME AND SO THAT'S WHAT THE BIBLE 09:14 IS TRYING TO GET AT HERE LET'S FIND THIS HADES OF 09:17 GOD, THIS PEACE. >>BILL: SO, YOU SAID SOMETHING 09:18 INTERESTING HERE. 09:19 HAPPINESS COMES AND GOES. 09:20 SO, IS IT THAT, WHAT I HEAR FROM THAT IS THE 09:26 SUGGESTION THAT HAPPINESS IN LARGE PART IS DUE 09:27 TO OUR CIRCUMSTANCES, THE CONDITION WE HAPPEN TO 09:31 FIND OURSELVES IN. WHEREAS JOY/GRACE REMAINS. SO, ARE 09:39 YOU SAYING I MAY BE T A FUNERAL- I WAS JUST A THE 09:40 FUNERAL OF A FRIEND'S DAD AND YOU'RE NOT HAPPY AT A 09:47 FUNERAL BUT IS IT POSSIBLE TO STILL HAVE JOY? >>DR. 09:53 LAWRENCE: JOY. >>PASTOR GERARDO: I BELIEVE SO. 09:54 >>DR. LAWRENCE: THERE'S A FAMOUS TEXT THAT SAMUEL 09:56 SAYS, "WEEPING MAY ENDURE FOR A NIGHT BUT JOY COMES 10:00 IN THE MORNING". THERE'S SOMETHING BEYOND THIS 10:01 AND THERE'S A BETTER DAY COMING AND THE CHRISTIAN 10:06 HAS THAT HOPE SO THAT KEEPS US LOOKING UP. IT 10:10 BUOYS OUR SPIRITS UP BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE'RE 10:11 PASSINGTHROUGH HERE AND WE WILL HAVE TRIALS. YOU 10:15 KNOW, IN JOHN16:33 JESUS SAYS, "IN THIS WORLD 10:20 YOU'LL HAVE TROUBLE BUT CHEER OR BE JOYFUL BECAUSE 10:21 I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD". >>PASTOR GERARDO: 10:25 I THINK FOR ME ANOTHER IMPORTANT THING IN THIS 10:32 TEXT AND THIS WORD 'JOY' IS HOW SPIRITUALITY AND 10:33 OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AFFECTS OUR WHOLE BEING. 10:37 NOT JUST OUR INTELLECT BUT OUR EMOTIONS AND OUR 10:44 ATTITUDES TOO. AND AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO MINIMIZE 10:45 OUR INTELLECTUAL EXERCISES AND TRUTH AND KNOWING, 10:51 KNOWLEDGE BUT IF WE FOLLOW CHRIST EVERYTHING IS 10:57 EFFECTED BY THAT. 10:58 AND SOMEONE SAID, "JOY IS FEELING WHAT WE BELIEVE". 11:04 AND I LIKE THAT. ALTHOUGH, I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S 11:05 A FEELING WE ARE SAYING, IT'S NOT JUST AN EMOTION, 11:10 IT'S PROBABLY AN ATTITUDE TOWARDS LIFE. BUT I THINK 11:14 THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH EMOTIONS TOO AND 11:15 EXPRESSING OUR EMOTIONS POSITIVELY FOR GOD. >>DR. 11:19 LAWRENCE: AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, GOD IS 11:22 PRESENT WITH US, OR HIS GRACE. HE IS PRESENT 11:23 WITH US. HE NEVER LEAVES. 11:27 >>BILL: RIGHT. >>DR. 11:28 LAWRENCE: THEREFORE, JOY NEVER LEAVES. >>BILL: 11:30 RIGHT. >>DR. LAWRENCE: SO WE CONTINUE TRUSTING HIM 11:31 AND WE'RE HAPPY IN HIM. 11:34 EVEN WHEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE, GOD 11:35 IS THERE. >>BILL: JOY IS NOT A WORD THAT WE USE 11:38 VERY MUCH ANYMORE IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. >>PASTOR 11:42 GERARDO: NO. >>BILL:..IS IT? WE TEND TO USE 11:42 HAPPINESS AND WITH THAT, AS YOU SAID EARLIER, THAT 11:45 ALWAYS COMES ASSOCIATED WITH SOMETHING. HAPPINESS 11:48 ALWAYS COMES FROM HAVING A LOT OF MONEY, HAPPINESS 11:49 COMES FROM HAVING A LARGE HOME, YOU KNOW, THE 11:52 LATEST MODEL CAR. >>PASTOR GERARDO: OR WINNING A 11:56 GAME... >>BILL: WINNING A GAME.>>PASTOR GERARDO:.OF 11:57 RACKETBALL, LIKE I DID LAST NIGHT. >>BILL:.THAT'S 11:59 RIGHT. >>PASTOR GERARDO:.SO I WAS VERY 12:01 JOYFUL. >>DR. LAWRENCE: YOU WERE JOYFUL. WHAT A 12:02 JOY. >>BILL: BUT WE DON'T HEAR THE WORD JOY. IT'S 12:04 NOT SOMETHING THAT IS CAUGHT IN OUR VOCABULARY 12:08 ANYMORE. AND I THINK THE MEANING OF IT IS A LITTLE 12:09 BIT FOREIGN BUT THIS IDEA THAT IT REMAINS AND 12:15 IF GOD IS WITH US AND HE'S THE SOURCE OF JOY AND HE'S 12:19 NEVER GOING TO LEAVE US, THEN JOY.>>PASTOR 12:20 GERARDO THERE IS A PHRASE.>>BILL:.THEN WE 12:23 SHOULD ALWAYS BE JOYFUL >>PASTOR GERARDO:.YES. 12:26 THERE IS A PHRASE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT THAT APPEARS 12:27 OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND THAT IS 'THE JOY OF THE 12:32 LORD'. NEHEMIAH TALKS ABOUT IT AND DAVID TALKS 12:36 ABOUT IT, ISAIAH AND MANY OTHER WRITERS. AND I THINK 12:37 THAT WE GO BACK TO THAT IDEA OF GOD BEING THE 12:43 SOURCE OF TRUE JOY. 12:43 AND EVENTHOUGH WE ARE COMPARING JOY TO 12:48 HAPPINESS, I WOULD ALSO SAY TRUE HAPPINESS COMES 12:53 FROM GOD. SO, IT'S THAT DEEP SENSE OF JOY COMES 12:54 FROM GOD. >>BILL: YES. 12:59 >>DR. LAWRENCE: AS YOU SAID, NEHEMIAH SAID, "THE 13:00 JOY OF THE LORD IS OUR STRENGTH. AND EVEN AS YOU 13:03 LOOK AT JESUS'S LIFE, HE WAS ABLE TO, AS THE TEXT 13:07 SAYS, ENDURE THE CROSS BECAUSE THE JOY SET BEFORE 13:08 US.>>PASTOR GERARDO: EXACTLY. >>DR. 13:11 LAWRENCE:.SO IT'S NOT JUST A PRESENT THING BUT IT'S A 13:13 PRESENT AND A FUTURE. 13:13 AND SO, YOU CAN SEE THERE YOU HAVE SOMETHINGTHAT IS 13:17 HAPPENING RIGHT NOW BUT SOMETHING MORE IN THE 13:19 FUTURE SO YOU CAN REJOICE AND THAT'S WHERE YOU 13:23 GET THE WORDS.>>BILL: SO FIXING OUR EYES ON WHAT IS 13:25 TO COME ALLOWS US TO GET THROUGH THE TRIALS AND 13:26 TRIBULATIONS NOW.>>DR. 13:30 LAWRENCE: RIGHT. 13:31 >>BILL:.WHILE STILL BEING JOYFUL. >>DR. LAWRENCE: 13:35 RIGHT. >>PASTOR GERARDO: AND BY THE WAY, THIS WORD 13:36 JOY APPEARS OVER AND OVER AGAIN THROUGHOUT SCRIPTURE 13:37 SO, IT SHOULD BE A COMMON THEME FOR THE CHRISTIAN. 13:43 SOMETHING, AGAIN, IT'S NOT JUST A FEW TIMES HERE IN 13:44 GALATIONS AND ONE OR TWO TIMES - IT'S OVER AND OVER 13:49 AGAIN. I WAS THINKING OF ONE OF JESUS' PARABLES IN 13:54 MATTHEW 13 WHEN JESUS' MEN FIND A HIDDEN TREASURE AND 13:55 HE TALKS ABOUT THE JOY OF FINDING THAT TREASURE. 14:03 AND THEN, OF COURSE, HE'S TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE FIND 14:07 GOD, WE TRULY HAVE THAT ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS. THAT 14:08 IS A SOURCE OF TRUE JOY. 14:11 SO, AGAIN, THE HOLY SPIRIT MAINTAINS AND HELPS 14:12 UP GROW THAT JOY BUT ALSO ENCOUNTERING GOD AND 14:19 HAVING THAT AND I WISH THAT FOR ALL OUR VIEWERS. 14:25 >>BILL: SO, WOULD IT BE FAIR TO SAY THEN THAT IF 14:26 I'M A FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST AND I'M NOT 14:28 EXPERIENCING JOY THEN I DON'T HAVE THAT REAL 14:32 RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. >>DR. LAWRENCE: THE 14:33 RELATIONSHIP IS IMPORTANT. 14:34 THAT'S RIGHT. BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE THAT RELATIONSHIP 14:35 KNOWING, YOU KNOW, KNOWING, TRUSTING THE 14:37 ONE THAT YOU BELIEVE IN SO MUCH, SOMETHING WILL SHOW. 14:40 AND IT HAS TO BE REAL. 14:40 OVERWISE, WE'RE BEING PHONIES. >>BILL: YEAH. 14:47 >>DR. LAWRENCE: AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, C.S. 14:48 LEWIS SAYS THAT JOY IS THE SERIOUS BUSINESS OF 14:50 HEAVEN. WHEN YOU THINK OF IT, THAT'S ALL HEAVEN IS 14:56 ABOUT, IS JOY. THE BIBLE SAYS THERE'S JOY IN 14:57 HEAVEN, ONE SHOULD SHOW REPENTENCE, REJOICE 15:02 IN THE LORD NO MATTER WHAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH. IF A 15:06 CHRISTIAN HAS A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THEN 15:07 HE OR SHE CAN BE JOYFUL. 15:12 BUT LACK OF THAT RELATIONSHIP THEN SAYS, 15:12 WELL I'M NOT SO SURE. 15:15 >>BILL: RIGHT. 15:15 >>DR. LAWRENCE: AND THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE DEPEND 15:18 ON MORE THINGS, YOU KNOW, MAKING US HAPPY HERE 15:18 AND THERE. >>BILL: RIGHT. 15:21 >>DR. LAWRENCE: BUT TRUSTING IN GOD AND HAVING 15:22 THAT CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM SAYS, HEY, I KNOW 15:24 WHATEVER I'M GOING THROUGH HE'S THERE WITH ME. 15:26 >>PASTOR GERARDO: JUST, IF I MAY.>>BILL: ABSOLUTELY. 15:27 ABSOLUTELY. >>PASTOR GERARDO:.WE'RE TALKING 15:30 ABOUT JOY BEING THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT AND IN JOHN 15:36 15 JESUS GIVES A WONDERFUL ILLUSTRATION. HE SAYS, 15:37 "I AM THE TRUE VINE; MY FATHER IS THE VINE DRESSER 15:41 AND EVERY BRANCH IN ME THAT DOES NOT BEAR FRUIT". 15:46 HE'S TALKING ABOUT FRUITS AGAIN AS REMAINING 15:47 IN HIM AS BEING THE BRANCHES.>>BILL: RIGHT. 15:49 >>PASTOR GERARDO:.HE'S THE VINE. BUT THEN FURTHER 15:51 DOWN, I'M READING JOHN 15, AND VERSES 9 AND 10 HE 15:52 SAYS, "AS THE FATHER LOVED ME I ALSO HAVE LOVED YOU. 16:00 ABIDE IN MY LOVE". LOVE FIRST AND THEN HE SAYS, 16:06 "IF YOU KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS YOU WILL 16:07 ABIDE IN MY LOVE JUST AS I HAVE KEPT MY FATHER'S 16:10 COMMANDMENTS AND ABIDE IN HIS LOVE". THEN IN VERSE 16:13 11, "THESE THINGS I HAVE SPOKEN TO YOU, THAT MY JOY 16:14 MAY REMAIN IN YOU AND THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL". SO 16:19 WE WILL HAVE COMPLETE JOY AS WE ABIDE IN HIM AND IN 16:25 HIS LOVE. >>DR. LAWRENCE: YOU READ IN THE NEW 16:26 TESTAMENT, I'M LOOKING AT AN OLD TESTAMENT PASSAGE 16:32 IN THE PSALMS, PSALMS 16 AND VERSES 8 AND 9, THE 16:36 PSALMIST SAYS, DAVID SPEAKING, "I HAVE SET 16:37 ALWAYS THE LORD BEFORE ME BECAUSE HE IS AT MY 16:40 RIGHT HAND. I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN. THEREFORE, MY 16:45 HEART IS GLAD AND MY TONGUE REJOICES. MY BODY, 16:46 ALSO, WILL REST SECURE." 16:52 AND THEN HE GOES ON TO SAY BECAUSE HE KNOWS THAT GOD 16:53 WILL NOT ABANDON HIM AND SO ON AND SO ON. SO, HERE 16:56 AGAIN, RESTING IN GOD, TRUSTING IN GOD, HAVING 17:00 THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. WHATEVER HAPPENS 17:01 REJOICE. >>BILL: OKAY. 17:04 PAUL TALKS ABOUT CONTENTMENT, RIGHT? AND 17:05 BEING ACCEPTING. I THINK THAT ALL FACTORS INTO THIS 17:11 WHOLE THINKING OF JOY. YOU KNOW, AS YOU WERE TALKING 17:15 ABOUT JOY IN THIS RELATIONSHIP AND 17:15 UNDERSTANDING THE TRUE RELATIONSHIP, THAT 17:18 WHEN YOU HAVE THIS TRUE RELATIONSHIP YOU CAN'T 17:20 HELP BUT BE JOYFUL. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DR. KNIGHT, 17:21 DR. GEORGE KNIGHT, WHO, IN FACT, DID A SERIES ON 17:26 GALATIONS AND HAS WRITTEN MANY THINGS. YOU KNOW, 17:31 WE'RE ALL SABBATH KEEPERS AND HE POSED A QUESTION 17:32 ONE TIME THAT I THOUGHT WAS VERY INTERESTING. 17:35 HE SAID, 'AS A SABBATH KEEPER, WHEN IS A SABBATH 17:39 KEEPER MOST JOYFUL? AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SABBATH 17:40 OR AT THE END OF THE SABBATH?' >>PASTOR 17:46 GERARDO: AT THE END. 17:47 >>BILL: AND THAT SHOULD BE A JOYFUL TIME SHOULDN'T 17:50 IT? >>PASTOR GERARDO: ABSOLUTELY. >>BILL: THAT 17:53 GOES TO SHOW THAT WHEN WE DON'T HAVE A PROPER 17:54 RELATIONSHIP OR A PROPER UNDERSTANDING WE'RE NOT 17:58 EXPERIENCING THE JOY. AND THAT'S WHAT GOD WANTS. HE 18:02 WANTS HIS CHILDREN TO BE JOYFUL IN THE SAME WAY 18:03 THAT WE'RE PARENTS AND WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO BE 18:05 JOYFUL. >>PASTOR GERARDO: ABSOLUTELY. >>BILL: HE 18:07 SAYS, JUST COME TO ME, ABIDE IN ME. >>PASTOR 18:08 GERARDO: ABSOLUTELY. >>DR. 18:09 LAWRENCE: WHAT BOTHERS ME SOMETIMES IS THAT YOU HAVE 18:10 CHRISTIANS THAT ARE VERY SULKY AND THEY SAY, WELL, 18:13 I'M HAPPY IN MY HEART BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT 18:17 TO SEND A MESSAGE TO YOUR FACE EVERY NOW AND AGAIN. 18:18 >>BILL: SEND A MESSAGE TO YOUR FACE. THAT'S 18:20 RIGHT. >>PASTOR GERARDO: SO I.>>BILL: GO AHEAD. 18:21 >>PASTOR GERARDO:.WAS GOING TO SAY THAT THERE 18:22 ARE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, AS I LOOK IN SCRIPTURE, 18:27 NUMBER ONE AS WE'VE BEEN SAYING AS CHRISTIANS WE 18:32 SHOULD BE THE MOST JOYFUL PEOPLE ON PLANET EARTH 18:33 AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT REASONS WHY WE ARE 18:38 JOYFUL. THE FIRST IS THAT WE ENCOUNTER JESUS AND THE 18:42 BEAUTIFUL NEWS, GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL. THAT IS A 18:43 GREAT SENSE OF JOY. THEN AS WE ABIDE IN HIM HE 18:46 COMPLETES THAT JOY. AND THEN PAUL TALKS IN ROMANS 18:51 12 ABOUT THE REJOICE IN YOUR HOPE. SO WE ENCOUNTER 18:52 JESUS, GREAT NEWS, JOY, WE GROW IN HIM AND HE 19:04 COMPLETES THAT HOPE BUT THEN WE LOOK FORWARD TO A 19:07 GREAT FUTURE AND THAT IS ALSO A SOURCE OF HOPE AND 19:08 JOY, YOU KNOW. THAT HOPE FEEDS OUR JOY, I THINK. WE 19:13 LOOK FORWARD TO SOMETHING GREAT. AND, YOU KNOW, WE 19:20 ALL HAVE AND WHEN THEY EXPECT SOMETHING GREAT - 19:21 WE WENT CAMPING, YOU KNOW, LAST WEEKEND AND OUR 19:27 DAUGHTER WAS SO EXCITED AND SAID, 'WHY IS IT THAT 19:32 WE WAIT AND TIME NEVER GOES BY WHILE WE ARE 19:33 WAITING FOR SOMETHING GREAT BUT THEN WHEN THE 19:38 TIME COMES THINGS PASS BY SO QUICKLY AND THEN IT'S 19:41 OVER'. WELL GUESS WHAT? 19:42 WHEN WE, THE HOPE THAT HAVE FOR THE FUTURE IS 19:45 SOMETHING THAT WILL NEVER END AND THAT BRINGS JOY 19:46 TO OUR HEARTS. >>BILL: THE SAME PAUL THAT SAID, 19:50 YOU KNOW, WHAT GOD HAS IN STORE FOR HIS CHILDREN THE 19:53 EYE HAS NEVER SEEN, NOR EAR HAS EVER HEARD, 19:54 OR HAS ENTERED INTO THE IMAGINATION OF ANYONE. 19:57 >>PASTOR GERARDO: EXACTLY. 19:57 >>BILL: THAT'S WHAT HAS SUSTAINED CHRISTIANS SINCE 20:01 THE BEGINNING OF TIME >>DR. LAWRENCE: YES. ONE 20:07 OTHER THING THAT I FIND ABOUT CHRISTIANS IS THAT 20:08 WE ARE ALL SINNERS AND WE COME AND PRAY TO GOD 20:12 AND ASK HIM FOR HIS FORGIVENESS BUT WE 20:15 SOMETIMES FORGET THAT HE'S FORGIVENESS AND SO, 20:16 THERE'S NOT THAT JOY OF FORGIVENESS. AND WE DREAD, 20:20 OH I'M SO BAD I'M NOT SURE IF I'M RIGHT WITH GOD. 20:24 AGAIN, THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM WOULD HELP US 20:25 TO SEE THAT HEY, IT'S ALL GONE. I'VE FORGIVEN YOU. 20:28 REJOICE. >>PASTOR GERARDO: YES. >>DR. LAWRENCE: THAT 20:30 WOULD MAKE US HAPPIER PEOPLE AS WE GO ALONG 20:31 >>BILL: YOU KNOW, PAUL HAD BEEN PART OF THAT, HE HAD 20:33 BEEN STRESSING THAT HERE IN GALATIONS THAT WHY ARE 20:37 AS SOME WERE SAYING THAT YES IT'S GRACE BUT THERE'S 20:38 THE WORKS PART, YOU HAVE TO DO YOUR PART. PAUL IS 20:44 STRESSING THE FACT THAT SALVATION IS GRACE. 100%, 20:49 100% GRACE. AND I THINK THAT, RIGHT, IF WE DON'T, 20:50 WE DON'T ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT OUR LOVING FATHER 20:57 CAN BE AS LOVING AND AS FORGIVING AS HE IS. AS HE 21:03 IS. THAT DOES, THAT DOES DRAW AWAY OUR JOY, YOU 21:04 KNOW, RIGHT? HOW COULD HE, HOW COULD HE FORGIVE 21:12 ME? HOW COULD HE BE THAT LOVING TO ME? BUT HE IS. 21:20 >>DR. LAWRENCE: THAT'S RIGHT. >>BILL: HE IS. WE 21:21 CAN'T EXPLAIN IT. WE CAN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND 21:23 IT SOMETIMES BUT HE IS >>PASTOR GERARDO: AND I 21:25 THINK THAT, I'M THINKING THAT PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, WE 21:26 HAVE SOME VIEWERS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH SOME ROUGH 21:32 TIMES.>>BILL: NO QUESTION. 21:33 >>PASTOR GERARDO:.AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, FACING 21:35 DEPRESSION OR DIVORCE OR EVEN WE MAY HAVE SOME 21:40 PEOPLE CONTEMPLATING SUICIDE. WHO KNOWS? I 21:41 WOULD REALLY LIKE TO INVITE THEM TO CONSIDER 21:44 TRYING JESUS AND GIVING HIM A CHANCE. BECAUSE I 21:52 ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS NOT JUST THEORY, 21:53 IT IS A REALITY. AND WHEN WE TRUST HIM AND WE 21:57 GIVE OUR LIVES TO HIM WE EXPERIENCE THE REALITY OF 22:03 THE SPIRIT AND ONE OF THEM IS JOY. IT'S A REALITY NOT 22:04 JUST A THEORY. >>BILL: IT ACTUALLY CHANGES PEOPLES 22:07 LIVES. >>PASTOR GERARDO: YES, AND PERSPECTIVE ON 22:14 LIFE. >>BILL: YEAH, FOLKS WOULD SOMETIMES SAY, WHAT 22:15 YOU GUYS ARE TALKING - WE GET WRITERS, PEOPLE WRITE 22:18 INTO US AND SAY THAT'S JUST A FAIRY TALE. BUT 22:21 WHEN YOU SEE IT PLAYED OUT IN SOMEONE'S LIFE,YOU 22:22 KNOW, AND THEY STAND BEFORE YOU OR BEFORE A 22:29 CONGREGATION AND SAY THIS WHAT I WAS AND THIS IS 22:32 WHAT I NOW AM, BOY, I TELL YOU, I'VE NEVER SEEN 22:33 A FAIRY TALE LIKE THAT. 22:36 THAT'S JUST THE POWER OF GOD. DR. LAWRENCE WE'VE 22:37 GOT ABOUT TWO MINUTES LEFT. ANY CLOSING GEMS, 22:41 PEARLS OF WISDOM. >>DR. 22:41 LAWRENCE: I WAS JUST THINKING AS WE TALKED 22:48 ABOUT JOY. I REMEMBER YEARS AGO WE HAD A FAMILY 22:50 WITH US. WE WERE HAVING, JUST, WORSHIP ONE EVENING 22:51 THERE WITH US AND THERE WAS A LITTLE GIRL ABOUT 22:56 FOUR AND WE ASKED HER, WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE 22:58 SONG? AND SHE SAID 'JOY'. 22:58 J-O-Y, J-O-Y, SURELY IT MUST BE JESUS FIRST, 23:02 YOURSELF LAST, AND OTHERS IN BETWEEN. AND TO ME 23:03 THAT'S REAL JOY, ISN'T IT? 23:09 AND THAT IS WHY WE DON'T EXPERIENCE THE JOY, 23:10 BECAUSE WE'RE FIRST. WE NEED TO PUT JESUS FIRST, 23:13 YOURSELF LAST, AND OTHERS IN BETWEEN. AND WHEN WE DO 23:16 THAT WE EXPERIENCE REAL JOY. >>BILL: PASTOR OUDRI. 23:17 >>PASTOR GERARDO: PERHAPS I'M THINKING OF PAUL'S 23:22 WORDS IN PHILLIPIANS, "REJOICE IN THE LORD, 23:29 ALWAYS". ALWAYS REJOICE. 23:29 HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? 23:30 HUMANLY SPEAKING, I BELIEVE IS IMPOSSIBLE 23:36 BECAUSE WE ALL FACE TRIALS. WE CAN BE SMILING 23:39 HERE OR WE GO TO CHURCH AS CHRISTIANS, FOR THOSE OF 23:40 US WHO GO TO CHURCH, AND PUT A SMILE AND SAY I'M 23:44 GREAT, HOW ARE YOU DOING BUT WE - IT IS A REALITY 23:49 WE FACE CHALLENGES. 23:49 HOWEVER, I ALSO BELIEVE IT IS TRUE AND IT IS REAL 23:54 THAT WE CAN REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS. BUT THAT TRUE 23:55 JOY ONLY COMES FROM GOD. 24:01 AND SO, IT IS ONLY AS I ABIDE IN HIM THAT I CAN 24:02 EXPERIENCE THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IN MY LIFE. AND 24:07 AGAIN, I THINK THAT FOR ME IT IS SO, SO KEY THAT 24:13 THESE ATTRIBUTES ARE UNIVERSAL. WHO DOESN'T 24:14 WANT TO EXPERIENCE JOY.>>BILL: ABSOLUTELY. 24:18 >>PASTOR GERARDO:.IN LIVES? SO, WE'RE NOT 24:21 TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A DIFFERENCE IN DOCTRINES OR 24:22 THIS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REAL THINGS THAT WE CAN 24:25 EXPERIENCE IN OUR LIVES SO I LEAVE THAT CHALLENGE 24:28 AS I SAID BEFORE, TRY GOD, TRY IT, YOU KNOW. >>BILL: 24:29 THANK YOU. THANK YOU GENTLEMEN. YOU KNOW, MEN 24:33 HAVE PURSUED JOY IN EVERY AVENUE IMAGINEABLE. SOME 24:38 HAVE SUCCESSFULLY FOUND IT WHILE OTHERS HAVE NOT 24:39 PERHAPS IT WOULD BE EASIER TO DESCRIBE WHERE JOY 24:44 CANNOT BE FOUND. NOT IN UNBELIEF. VOLTAR WAS AN 24:50 INFIDEL, THE MOST PROFOUND TYPE AND HE WROTE, 'I WISH 24:51 I HAD NEVER BEEN BORN'. 24:55 IT'S NOT FOUND IN PLEASURE. LORD BYRON LIVES 24:56 A LIFE OF PLEASURE, IF ANYONE DID AND HE WROTE, 25:00 'THE WORM, AND CANKER, AND GRIEF ARE MINE ALONE'. NOT 25:03 FOUND IN MONEY, JAY GOULD, THE AMERICAN MILLIONAIRE 25:05 HAD PLENTY OF MONEY. WHEN HE WAS DYING HE SAID, 25:09 'I SUPPOSE I AM THE MOST MISERABLE MAN ON EARTH'. 25:13 JOY IS NOT FOUND IN POSITION AND FAME; LORD 25:14 BEACONSFIELD ENJOYED MORE OF HIS FAIR SHARE OF 25:18 BOTH. HE WROTE, 'YOUTH IS A MISTAKE, MANHOOD A 25:21 STRUGGLE, OLD AGE A REGRET'. JOY IS NOT 25:22 FOUND IN MILITARY GLORY. 25:25 ALEXANDER THE GREAT CONQUERED THE KNOWN WORLD 25:26 IN HIS DAY. HAVING DONE SO HE WEPT IN HIS TENT BEFORE 25:31 HE SAID, 'THERE ARE NO MORE WORLDS TO CONQUER'. 25:37 THEN WHERE IS REAL JOY FOUND? THE ANSWER IS 25:38 SIMPLE, MY FRIEND. IT IS FOUND IN CHRIST AND IN HIM 25:43 ALONE. PASTOR OUDRI, WOULD YOU LEAD US IN PRAYER? 25:48 >>PASTOR GERARDO: SURE. 25:48 LET US BOW OUR HEADS. 25:49 HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH THAT WHEN WE 25:55 COME TO YOU WE EXPERIENCE TRUE JOY IN OUR LIVES. NOT 26:01 JUST SUPERFICIAL HAPPINESS BUT TRUE JOY. AND AS WE 26:02 CLOSE I WOULD LIKE TO PRAY FOR OUR VIEWERS. 26:09 ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE FACING A CHALLENGE IN 26:15 THEIR LIVES, STRUGGLING WITH DIFFERENT ISSUES, I 26:16 PRAY THAT YOU WOULD WORK IN THEIR HEARTS SO THAT 26:18 TODAY AS THEY WATCH, THAT THEY CAN BEGIN TO 26:20 EXPERIENCE A WALK WITH YOU AND BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE 26:21 TRUE JOY. >>BILL: YES. 26:25 >>PASTOR GERARDO: WE ASK AND WE PRAY IN 26:26 JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 26:29 (music) 26:45 >>BILL: IF YOU'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT THE 26:46 BIBLE SAYS ABOUT HOW YOU CAN EXPERIENCE JESUS 26:49 CHRIST AND TRUE JOY, ONE OF THE WAYS OF DOING THAT 26:54 IS THROUGH THE DISCOVER BIBLE STUDY GUIDES. A 26:55 GREAT WAY TO LEARN THE BIBLE IN YOUR HOME AT YOUR 26:59 PACE. IT IS A GIFT FROM 'IT IS WRITTEN'. HERE IS 27:04 THE INFORMATION YOU NEED IN ORDER TO GET 27:05 YOUR FIRST STUDY GUIDE. 27:42 >>BILL: GENTLEMEN, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME 27:44 AND BEING WITH US ON THE 'IT IS WRITTEN' PROGRAM. 27:46 >>PASTOR GERARDO: THANK YOU. >>BILL: I WANT TO 27:49 THANK OUR FAITHFUL VIEWERS THAT TUNE IN EACH AND 27:50 EVERY WEEK. REMEMBER THE WEBSITE, 27:52 ITISWRITTENCANADA.CA THERE YOU CAN PRE-ORDER 27:56 THIS SERIES ON DVD. WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT AVAILABLE 27:57 AT THE END OF THE SERIES. 28:01 WE'D BE HAPPY TO SEND THAT TO YOU FOR A DONATION 28:02 OF $40 TO HELP KEEP THIS MINISTRY ALIVE. YOU CAN 28:07 ALSO SEND US YOUR PRAYER REQUESTS AND FIND OUT 28:11 WHERE THE 'IT IS WRITTEN' TEAM WILL BE APPEARING 28:12 ACROSS THIS GREAT NATION. 28:15 YOU CAN WATCH THE PROGRAMS ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL 28:16 AND YOU CAN FOLLOW US ON TWITTER. UNTIL NEXT WEEK, 28:19 BE THE GOOD LORD WILLING, WE WILL BE HERE AGAIN. I 28:23 HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US. 28:24 REMEMBER, IT IS WRITTEN; MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY 28:28 BREAD ALONE BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS 28:29 FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD. 28:35 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ |
Revised 2015-02-06