Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001389A
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00:01 [Dramatic Theme]
00:06 It has stood the test of time. 00:11 God's book. The Bible. 00:17 Still relevant in today's complex world. 00:22 It is written sharing hope around the globe. 00:36 Thanks for joining me today. I4m John Bradshaw and this 00:39 is It Is Written. You know, every four years 00:43 the whole world forgets momentarily about its 00:45 quarrels and problems and focuses for two weeks 00:49 on something that seems to be a fascination for just about 00:51 everybody--- the Olympic Games. 00:53 You can't get away from it. Around the world warnings 00:56 were given to people about the problems of coming in to 00:59 work in the morning tired and the effect that this 01:02 might have on their health. But of course record numbers 01:05 of people watched the games in spite of the warnings 01:08 of the health professionals. Before the London Olympics 01:10 in 2012 there were reports about some of the issues 01:13 that were plaguing the games: there were structures 01:15 --buildings--that may not be ready on time; it was 01:18 thought there might not be enough security people 01:20 to make sure the organization ran smoothly throughout 01:23 the actual games. Once the games started 01:25 all those concerns were forgotten. 01:27 The minds of people were turned to their nation's 01:29 competitors and the question of whether or not they would 01:31 win medals - with gold being metal of the preferred kind. 01:36 One country that entered the London Olympic Games 01:38 with stellar expectations was Australia. 01:42 Over the years the Aussies have always punched well above 01:44 their weight in the Olympic Games and at London 01:47 they were expecting to do the same thing - especially 01:50 in the swimming pool. [Triumphant Music under] 01:51 They had assembled a strong team of swimmers, many of 01:54 whom had been successful at the Beijing Olympics four 01:56 years earlier, as well as at the world championships. 02:00 So when the Australian swimmers took to the pool 02:02 there was an expectation in Australia that they'd do 02:04 well and to bring back a significant number of medals 02:07 back to Australia. And one of their mostly 02:09 highly favored swimmers was a man named James Magnussen. 02:13 Now James Magnusson was the reigning world champion in 02:15 the 100 meters freestyle -- that4s one of swimming's 02:18 glamour events. At the 2011 world 02:21 championships in Shanghai, China, Magnussen became 02:24 the first Australian to win the gold medal in that event. 02:27 He was a national hero in Australia. 02:29 Aussies nicknamed him "the missile". 02:32 Understandably he placed great expectations on 02:35 himself. In fact, he said he thought 02:37 he would win in London. He was now the best in the 02:39 world and he had swum the fastest time in history over 02:42 100 meters for any swimmer wearing a conventional 02:45 swimsuit. Now, that4s in contrast to 02:47 those high tech swimsuits that were worn a few years 02:50 ago but then banned from competition. 02:52 No one was able to match James Magnussen in his 02:55 favored event. So when the London Olympics 02:57 arrived James Magnussen was expected to win gold for 03:00 Australia. Before the men's 100 meters 03:03 was the men's 4 x 100m relay and Australia was expected 03:07 to dominate that race as well. 03:09 They won their heat comfortably and all 03:12 the country thought that they would win the final 03:14 in a canter. Magnusson swam first in 03:16 the final and went out hard. In his second lap Australia 03:19 waited for the missile to fire, but it didn't happen. 03:22 When Magnussen finished his leg of the relay Australia 03:25 was placed third --and they ended winning bronze. 03:29 In many countries Third in the world would be cause 03:31 for celebration. But for Australia there was 03:34 real disappointment. Magnussen himself was 03:36 dejected. The weight of a nation was 03:38 on him. He felt like he had let his 03:40 country down. At the post race interview 03:42 he couldn't find words to speak and he faded into the 03:45 background. There was no real 03:47 explanation. The game plan simply hadn't 03:49 worked. Now the whole of Australia 03:52 began to worry about how James would do in the 100 03:54 metre race itself. After some soul searching 03:57 and time with his coach Magnussen lined up in the 04:00 100 meter heat. He swam well and came 04:02 second. He won his semi-final quite 04:04 convincingly. It seemed like the missile 04:07 was back. The whole of Australia was 04:09 there with him, it seemed. In his home town of Port 04:11 Macquarie - a beautiful seaside city on the coast of 04:14 New South Wales -- almost the whole town got up in the 04:17 early hours of the morning to watch the final. 04:19 There was a big screen in the town centre. 04:22 Many people went down there to watch. 04:23 [Sports Music] The big screen event started 04:25 at 4:30 am. James' race would start at 04:28 5:15. All sorts of of people from 04:31 Port Macquarie showed up to watch their home town hero. 04:36 The result of the final is now in the history books. 04:38 James Magnussen competed. He swam incredibly well. 04:42 When the race ended many Australians thought their 04:44 man had carried the day. But the cruel truth for 04:47 Australia was that James Magnussen had been beaten by 04:50 Nathan Adrian from Bremerton, Washington by the 04:53 smallest measurable margin in swimming: 1 100th 04:57 of a second. This much. 05:00 Magnussen was gracious in defeat, but the smiles were 05:03 forced and everyone in Australia was feeling what 05:06 he felt. The disappointment of being 05:08 so near and yet so far. And then Australia began 05:14 the post mortem. For the first time since 05:17 Montreal 1976 Australia hadn't won an individual 05:21 swimming medal. Instead, they had "only" won 05:24 a single gold (in a relay), six silvers and three 05:28 bronze. Only five countries won more 05:31 swimming medals than Australia. 05:33 Yet one Olympic champion swimmer from Australia said 05:35 that the swimmers didn't try hard enough. 05:37 Coaches were blamed for not adequately preparing 05:39 the athletes, and the coaches themselves said that they 05:42 didn't have enough resources which were being diverted to 05:45 other programs... and on it went. 05:48 Now contrast that with another Australian Olympian. 05:52 Jessica fox raced in the final of the K1 canoe 05:56 slalom. She wasn't expected to do 05:58 very well but Jessica made the final. 06:00 Now her mother had won a bronze in the same event 06:03 at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. 06:05 After her final run Jessica found herself with the fastest 06:08 time of all of the competitors and she held on to that 06:10 top spot until until a French paddler 06:13 paddled her final run. Jessica was ultimately 06:16 beaten by just six tenths of a second. 06:19 The Eighteen years old and a silver medalist. 06:21 So how did Jessica react? She was ecstatic and when 06:28 being interviewed she said that she was still 06:30 'in the clouds'. What a contrast between 06:33 Jessica and James Magnusson. They both competed. 06:36 They both came second. Neither of them won. 06:39 They both walked away with a silver medal. 06:42 They both felt very differently about it. 06:44 But let4s shift this just a little bit. 06:46 What is it do you think that God most wants from our 06:49 lives? Is God sitting on the edge 06:51 of His throne during the Olympics - waiting to see 06:54 who will win gold? Is he cheering 06:57 competitors on? The truth is God wants every 06:59 one of us to win something golden - but His sights are 07:03 set on far more than simply a gold medal. 07:06 I'll have more in just a moment. 07:09 ♪ [Gentle Music] ♪ Every Word is a one 07:11 minute Bible-based daily devotional presented 07:14 by pastor John Bradshaw and designed especially for busy 07:17 people like you. Receive a daily 07:19 spiritual boost. Watch Every Word. 07:23 ♪ [Rythmic Melody] ♪ 07:31 He threatened to blow up a restaurant with what? 07:35 No joke - police in China were held in an hour-long stand-off 07:38 with a man trying to hold up a restaurant. 07:40 The man threatened to blow the whole place up if he wasn't 07:43 given all the money in the till. Police thought he had explosives 07:46 and detonators strapped to his body but it turn out the man was 07:49 armed only with - pork sausages. 07:53 They were under his clothes strapped around his waist. 07:56 No, I don't get it either. Paul wrote in Romans 7:15, 08:00 "For what I am doing, I do not understand." 08:04 If you're not led by the Holy Spirit - surrendered 08:07 - you'll find yourself doing things that will leave you 08:09 say-ing, "What was I thinking?" It's better to live a life 08:13 without regrets. The grace of God can lead you 08:15 today in that kind of life. I'm John Bradshaw 08:18 for It Is Written. Let's live today by Every Word. 08:24 This is It Is Written. Thanks for joining me today. 08:26 You know in the book of Mark chapter 10 and verse 45, 08:30 the Bible says this, "For the Son of man also has not 08:34 come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as 08:38 redemption for many". When I look closely at 08:42 the words of Jesus I find it hard to think that Jesus 08:44 is going crazy over the Olympics, that he is setting 08:46 his clock so that he does not miss any of the events. 08:49 That Jesus entered into the sorrow that James Magnusson 08:52 experienced at his loss. I don't think that Jesus 08:56 is going to be spending his days planning for that great 08:59 Olympics in the sky when he will assemble the greatest 09:01 athletes ever to fight for the title of swimmer 09:03 of the galaxy. I don't think it's going to 09:05 happen that way. I don't think that when 09:07 Jesus is taking his people into his kingdom he will be 09:09 lining them up according to the amount of Olympic gold 09:12 medals they have won. Or even by our professions 09:14 so that the brightest scholars all line up first. 09:18 No - God will be lining us up according to our 09:19 characters. Now am I saying that God is 09:22 not interested in what you or I are doing or what 09:24 athletes are doing? Oh, no I don't mean that. 09:27 In fact the apostle Paul speaks at some length about 09:31 the athletes of his day. The beginning of organized 09:34 games began with Alexander the Great after he had 09:36 conquered the world. He had organized games 09:39 for Greece and for his soldiers. Sports were introduced into 09:42 Palestine and a gymnasium was erected in Jerusalem. 09:44 During the time of the apostle Paul the games were well 09:47 established and by then everyone had heard of the Greek 09:50 Olympic Games. The Gentiles loved the games 09:53 but they were repugnant to the pious Jews because they 09:56 were of a demoralizing character. 09:59 And there was good reason for the Jews to be put off. 10:03 Those who took part in the contests competed naked. 10:07 The Olympic games were held every four years in Olympia 10:09 in honor of the god Zeus. They had a variety of games 10:12 including leaping, and racing, and quoits, spear 10:15 throwing, and wrestling. They had chariot racing, 10:18 boxing, running in armor. Now you just didn't turn up 10:22 on the day and compete. The competitors usually went 10:24 on a special diet and preparation, they stayed 10:26 under supervision at one place, they exercised their 10:29 bodies regularly and when they competed, they had to 10:32 obey all the rules. Very much like today. 10:34 Paul was aware of this when he wrote to the Corinthians. 10:38 He wrote to the Corinthians and said these words, 10:41 "And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate 10:44 in all things. Now they do it to obtain 10:46 a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible" 10:49 (That's I Corinthians 9:25). And to his young friend 10:54 Timothy he wrote these words, he said, 10:58 "And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not 11:01 crowned, except he strive lawfully" (II Timothy 2:5). 11:07 When an athletic event was completed, a herald 11:10 proclaimed aloud the name of the victor and the city from 11:13 which he came. He was presented with a palm 11:15 branch by the judges, and the prizes were given out 11:17 on the last day of the games. There was only one winner 11:21 per event, crowned with an olive wreath made 11:23 of wild-olive leaves from a sacred tree near the temple 11:26 of Zeus at Olympia. This was a matter of honor 11:29 for the competitors. But nevertheless Paul says 11:32 that their reward was something that they strove 11:34 after even though there was only one reward per event. 11:39 But then Paul contrasts the reward that the athlete 11:42 received with the reward that the Christian receives. 11:46 He said these words, "so run to win! 11:51 They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we 11:54 do it for an eternal prize. (1 Cor 9 24-25). 11:59 So we are called on to "run to win". 12:04 Peter had the same thought in mind when he wrote this 12:06 in 1 Peter 5:4, the Bible says this, "you will receive 12:14 the crown of glory that does not fade away" 12:18 (1 Peter 5:4). James Magnusson was clearly 12:19 disappointed when he lost and yet he was only reaching 12:22 for something that WOULD fade away. 12:24 According to he Bible it's a whole lot better to be 12:26 a nobody and yet be striving for the crown that God will 12:29 give to those that love Him. God wants to give us 12:32 something that we can have for all eternity -- 12:34 not simply a prize we have for just a short time before 12:36 the memory of it becomes consigned to the history 12:39 books. Do you remember the name 12:41 Johnny Weissmuller? Johnny Weissmuller won two 12:43 gold medals for swimming during the 1920s. 12:45 You might remember that he went on to become 12:49 the "Tarzan" of his era. But I can't think of any 12:51 other Olympian from that time. They have faded from 12:54 the mind of mankind and now the only memory of them is held 12:57 online or in the library. And even it I read about 13:00 them I doubt if I would have heard of any of them. 13:03 Paul said "They do it to obtain a corruptible crown; 13:07 but we an incorruptible" This will be placed on our 13:11 heads by Jesus' own hand. What a day that will be! 13:14 For each of God's children there'll be a crown of 13:17 victory. Each of us will receive 13:19 the victor's palm and the shining harp. 13:22 Then we will live with God for all eternity. 13:24 In a moment - the apostle Paul compares himself to an 13:28 Olympic athlete. I'll be right back. 13:32 ♪ [Adventurous Theme] ♪ 13:49 Time For today's bible question and thanks for submitting 13:52 bible questions to us here at It Is Written 13:54 How can a person really believe the Bible 13:57 is true? It was written years ago, 14:00 it has been copied so many times, it was written 14:03 by a lot of different people and those people wrote different 14:05 parts of the Bible at different times. 14:08 Help me believe the Bible is believable. 14:11 Great question. Thank you. 14:13 I'll do my best. You know what's funny? 14:16 There are historical books that not many people 14:20 question when it comes to authenticity. 14:23 An historian named Tacitus wrote The Annals 14:27 of Imperial Rome. Few people question 14:30 its accuracy or its veracity, even though what is 14:32 available today comes from a copy and doesn't NEARLY date 14:36 back to the original. Now I'm not knocking Tacitus 14:39 and the Annals of Imperial Rome. 14:42 I'm just pointing out that there's a bit of a double 14:44 standard when it comes to considering the accuracy 14:47 of the Bible. Now there are several 14:49 reasons you can trust the Bible. 14:51 I'll name just a few. Historically it stands up. 14:53 Luke, who wrote Luke and the Book of Acts, is a very 14:56 accurate historian, and the historical details found 15:00 in what he wrote stand the test of thorough scrutiny. 15:04 Archaeology has validated the Bible again and again. 15:08 On numerous occasions it has been said that portions 15:10 of the Bible couldn't be trusted because they 15:12 couldn't be validated by the archaeological record. 15:16 But again and again archaeologists have found 15:19 records of cities or other evidences that show 15:24 the Bible record was accurate after all. 15:27 It's happened many, many times. 15:29 Then there are the manuscripts. There are hundreds of old 15:32 manuscripts or portions of manuscripts that show us 15:35 that what has come down to us today is consistent 15:38 with what was written hundreds and hundreds of years ago. 15:41 The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in the late 1940s 15:45 and early 1950s are compelling evidence that the Bible 15:48 is legitimate. They date back as far 15:51 as before the time of Christ, and they show us that 15:54 the Bible we read today is fundamentally the same 15:57 as what was written way back then. 16:00 Now the 'differences' that exist in manuscripts 16:02 are generally so small that they're just irrelevant. 16:06 You don't find a manuscript where Jesus says He is not 16:08 the Son of God, or where the Christ is teaching something 16:11 bizarre. And consider prophecy. 16:15 Many prophecies of the Bible that have been fulfilled 16:18 and this demonstrates, I think, conclusively that the Bible 16:21 can be trusted. When you've got predictions 16:24 made that name a king before he is born or that name 16:29 an certain invader or conquerer before he is born and then 16:32 these things come to pass... When you have got all those 16:35 prophecies about Jesus coming to the world, 16:37 one saying He would be crucified, another saying 16:40 not a bone would be broken, another saying He would 16:42 be born in Bethlehem, another saying He would die in dishonor, 16:45 another saying He would be rejected by the ones He came 16:49 to save, and on and on... You've got a real problem 16:51 if you want to argue against the inspiration of the Bible. 16:55 What are you going to do with all that evidence? 16:58 But you know what? At the end of the day we 17:01 accept the Bible by faith. The Bible's critics do raise 17:05 fair questions at times - sometimes questions that 17:08 aren't easy to answer, especially to everyone's 17:10 satisfaction. But there is enough clear - 17:13 what I would call - "evidence" for us to know 17:16 the Bible really is the word of God. 17:19 You can accept it by faith. Not blind faith, but reasonable, 17:23 studied faith. There are many, many good 17:26 reasons to trust the Bible. So many that I'm not sure 17:30 how somebody can really be confident in rejecting 17:33 the Bible. If there's a question you'd 17:36 like answered, please send it to me at itiswritten.com. 17:39 I'll do my very best to get your Bible question 17:42 answered. [Adventurous Theme] 17:51 ♪ [Thoughful Melody] ♪ 17:59 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost 18:03 is come upon you: and ye shall be 18:04 witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, 18:07 and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, 18:09 and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 18:14 The uttermost part of the earth seems like an appropriate way to 18:18 describe Mongolia, sandwiched between China 18:23 and Siberia. About two and a half percent of 18:26 Mongolians are Christians. Or to put it another way, 18:31 Mongolia is 97.5 percent non-Christian. 18:38 Per capita, there are less Christians in Mongolia today 18:42 than there are in Saudia Arabia Official statistics say there 18:47 are more Christians in North Korea 18:49 than there are in Mongolia. 18:52 In 1989 there were four Christians in all of Mongolia. 18:58 There's simply very little knowledge of Christianity. 19:02 The church hasn't made real inroads here. 19:05 And according to the Bible, somehow or other, 19:09 Mongolians will all be given an opportunity to know Jesus. 19:14 It Is Written's Mission Mongolia is bringing the Good News of 19:18 Jesus Christ to the people of Mongolia. 19:22 People here must be reached, and they are being reached 19:25 with Mission Mongolia People are having their health 19:29 needs met. Those who need clothing to protect themselves 19:32 against the brutally cold winter are being helped also. 19:37 Your support of Mission Mongolia will make it possible for 19:40 It Is Written to send teams of missionaries 19:42 to Mongolia, to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 19:46 Doctors, nurses and other medical workers will minister to 19:49 those needing medical attention. Bibles are needed in the 19:53 Mongolian language. And your help will make it 19:56 possible for people to own their very own Bible 19:59 for the first time, and learn of Jesus. 20:03 Other humanitarian needs will also be met, as Mission Mongolia 20:07 provides for many people who are being left behind by a society 20:12 relentlessly rushing forward. Don't leave Mongolians 20:16 in the dark. Your help will make it possible 20:19 for Mission Mongolia to introduce people to Jesus. 20:24 Call now, 1-800-253-3000. That's 1-800-253-3000, 20:32 to support Mission Mongolia. Or visit us online at 20:37 www.itiswritten.com. Or you can support this work or 20:42 learn more about it by writing to It Is Written, P O Box 6, 20:47 Chattanooga, Tennessee 37401. 20:53 Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written 20:55 The Apostle Paul compared himself to an Olympic racer 20:58 when he wrote these words: I press toward the mark for 21:00 the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" 21:04 (Philippians 3:14). And he says in 21:07 2 Timothy 4:7: "I have finished my course". 21:11 The writer to the Hebrews sees the Christian's race 21:13 as being run with endurance before a great crowd 21:17 of spectators. We read this in 21:19 Hebrews 12:1. "Therefore we also, since we 21:23 are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us 21:28 lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily 21:30 ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that 21:34 is set before us" And that advice belongs to us today. 21:39 Paul refers to this when he talks about wrestling, 21:42 a modern day sport for sure. The contest with Satan he 21:45 likens to a wrestling match. In those wrestling bounds in 21:49 the ancient olympic games, the winner was the wrestler 21:52 who succeeded in first throwing down, and then 21:54 holding down his opponent with his hand upon his neck. 21:56 When Paul wrote to the Romans: "Strive together 22:00 with me in your prayers" (Romans 15:30), he was 22:03 wanting them to put the same energy into their prayers as 22:06 a wrestler would put into his efforts to win his 22:08 contest. In writing to the Corinthians 22:11 Paul also refers to boxing. Here is what he says, 22:14 he writes: "Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 22:21 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection" (I 22:23 Corinthians 9:26-27). He is thinking of keeping 22:28 his body under control lest if he fails to do so he be 22:31 disqualified as an effective Christian worker. 22:35 And what applies to Paul in that situation certainly 22:38 applies to us. As we can see the Apostle 22:40 Paul was fond of making use of popular sporting events 22:42 to illustrate truth. To the Philippians he spoke 22:46 of "striving together for the faith of the gospel" 22:49 (Philippians 1:27). The words "striving 22:52 together" actually mean "acting as athletes in 22:54 concert." In the language of modern 22:57 athletics, he was thinking of the importance of what we 22:59 call "team spirit" in the church. 23:02 When Jude urged his readers to "earnestly contend for 23:05 the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" 23:08 (you read that in Jude 3), he was using another 23:10 athletic word. One of the chief forms of 23:13 amusement among the Romans -- the early Christian era 23:16 -- was to condemn criminals, and especially Christians, 23:18 to fight with lions, bears, elephants, or tigers in the 23:22 amphitheatres of the empire before huge crowds of 23:25 spectators. The crowds would urge on the 23:28 beast by throwing darts or by shouting in sort of a 23:31 maddening spirit. Then they'd watch the poor 23:34 victim be torn to pieces by the animal. 23:37 Paul referred to this practice when he said, 23:40 "If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts 23:43 at Ephesus" (I Corinthians 15:32). 23:46 So what is God's counsel us to do today? 23:49 Most of us will never have to prepare for an Olympic 23:51 games. But we do have a far greater 23:52 prize to reach for. Not a medal that will 23:56 eventually be forgotten about but a life that we 23:58 will live for all of eternity with Jesus. 24:01 That is a wonderful thing to strive for. 24:03 We can explore the universe with Jesus as our guide. 24:07 There are some simple things that Jesus advises us to do. 24:09 In the book of Joshua (24:15) Joshua said 'choose 24:13 you this day whom you will serve... 24:16 but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord". 24:21 What good advice. You can wake up each morning 24:24 and put the day into God's hand. 24:27 The first thing we can do every day is to reach out to 24:31 God and say "Lord I dedicate this day to you, please use 24:33 me in your service that I might serve you and give 24:36 honour to you during this day. 24:39 In Luke 13:24 Jesus tells us to "strive to enter through 24:44 the narrow gate" Like an athlete that is striving for 24:48 a gold medal, God wants us to strive. 24:51 In the days of Paul there was only one winner. 24:54 Everyone else was a loser. With God we can all winners. 24:56 He doesn't line us up according to what we have 24:59 won or achieved in this life. 25:02 If that were the case only the fortunate, or well off, 25:04 or well educated would reach his kingdom. 25:06 God looks upon us according to our characters - and the 25:10 good news is that He will give us His righteousness 25:13 and live His life in us. You can't be a loser - 25:17 and you'll always be a winner - when you choose Jesus 25:20 as your own. 25:23 ♪ [Bright Musical Interlude] ♪ 25:28 When you hear the word "heaven," 25:30 what comes to your mind? If it's little more than harps 25:33 and clouds, my guess is you might not be too excited about 25:35 spending an eternity there! But the Bible has good news 25:39 for you! Heaven is a very real place 25:41 for real people! And God has great things 25:44 in store for you there. If you'd like to know what the 25:46 Bible says about heaven, let me send you 25:48 a booklet called, "As Good As It Gets." 25:50 It's absolutely FREE. Just call 1 (800) 253-3000 and 25:55 ask for "As Good As It Gets." If the line's busy, 25:58 do keep on trying. You can write to It Is Written, 26:01 at P.O. Box 6, Chattanooga, TN 37401, 26:06 and we'll mail a free copy to your address in North America. 26:09 It Is Written is a faith-based ministry supported by 26:12 people like you. Your help makes it possible for 26:14 us to share God's good news with the world. 26:17 Your tax-deductible gift can be sent to the address 26:19 on your screen, or you can support us 26:21 online at itiswritten.com. Thank you for your continued 26:25 prayerful support. Our toll-free number is 26:28 1 (800) 253-3000 and our web address 26:31 is itiswritten.com. 26:40 Let's pray together. Our Father in heaven, 26:43 we thank you today for the certainty that we can win 26:47 through Jesus and salvation never has to be for us a 26:50 loss or even a matter of coming in second. 26:53 I thank you that you encourage us to strive, 26:55 that is, to strive to yield, to strive to surrender, to put 26:58 the important things first, and to press towards 27:02 the mark. Bless us this day 27:05 because soon we know Jesus is coming back. 27:08 On that wonderful day we will receive as Paul said, 27:12 not a gold medal, but a golden crown, 27:15 a crown of gold that will never fade away. 27:18 I ask that that day will come soon. 27:21 In Jesus' name, amen. 27:32 ♪ [Thoughful Musical Interlude]♪ 27:47 Thanks for joining me today. I look forward to seeing you 27:49 next time. Until then, remember 27:52 it Is Written: man shall not live 27:54 by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds 27:58 from the mouth of God. ♪ [Theme Music Swells] ♪ |
Revised 2016-02-08