Participants:
Series Code: IIWC
Program Code: IIWC202206S
|
00:00 >> Welcome and thank you for
00:02 joining us on It Is Written 00:03 Canada. 00:04 Now let me ask you a very 00:05 serious spiritual, 00:07 soul-searching question. 00:09 If you knew beyond a shadow of 00:11 a doubt what God's will was 00:12 for your life, would you 00:14 do it? 00:15 >> I believe I would. 00:17 And I believe most people 00:19 would do God's will if they 00:21 knew what it was. 00:23 >> And that's what many people 00:25 tell me. 00:27 They say, "If I knew without a 00:29 doubt what God wanted me to 00:31 do, I would definitely do it." 00:33 But then I probe, I ask a few 00:36 other questions. 00:38 >> Like what? 00:39 >> Like, "Is it God's will for 00:41 you to pray?" 00:43 I mean, not just at meal 00:44 times. 00:45 [RENÉ] I'm sure they say, 00:47 "Yes, it is God's will for me 00:48 to pray." 00:50 [MIKE] Every one says that, 00:51 but when I ask them, "How 00:53 often do you pray?" they put 00:55 their heads down and they say, 00:58 "Not too often." 01:00 And then I ask, "Would you say 01:01 that you pray an average of 01:03 ten minutes a day?" 01:05 "No, a lot less than that," 01:06 many say. 01:08 And so I ask another question: 01:10 "Is it God's will for you to 01:12 read the Bible, not just 01:14 at church." 01:15 [RENE] And I'm sure they say 01:16 "yes" to that question, too, 01:18 because Jesus says, "This is 01:20 eternal life to know God and 01:23 Jesus Christ," and God reveals 01:26 who He is in His holy word, 01:28 the Bible. 01:30 >> Yes, but when I ask people, 01:32 "How often do you read the 01:34 Bible?" they say, "OK, you got 01:38 me again. Not too often." 01:41 "So would you say that you 01:43 read it ten minutes a day?" 01:45 "No, less than that." 01:48 "What about once a week?" 01:51 "Probably not." 01:52 And so I encourage them with 01:54 these words of Jesus 01:55 where He says... 02:09 >> And here's what Jesus is 02:10 saying to all those who want 02:11 to know God's will 02:13 for their life. 02:15 Use what God has clearly given 02:17 you and do not worry about 02:19 that which is still unclear. 02:21 [MIKE] Yeah, why would God 02:23 give me, give you a deeper 02:25 knowledge of His will if we 02:27 are not faithfully doing what 02:29 we already clearly understand. 02:33 >> Our special guest on It Is 02:34 Written Canada today is 02:36 Professor Stephen Reasor who 02:38 is the chair of Religious 02:40 Studies at Burman University 02:42 in Lacombe, Alberta. 02:44 In a moment, Professor Reasor 02:46 will share with you some 02:48 deeper insights into how you 02:50 can know God's will 02:52 for your life. 02:56 ♪♪ 03:38 >> Welcome again to It Is 03:39 Written Canada. 03:41 We're going to look at the 03:42 Bible together with Professor 03:44 Stephen Reasor who is the 03:46 chair of Religious Studies at 03:48 Burman University in Lacomb, 03:50 Alberta. 03:52 >> Professor Stephen, welcome 03:53 to It Is Written Canada today. 03:55 >> Thank you, I'm really 03:56 delighted to be here. 03:57 >> So, Professor Reasor, we're 04:00 gonna look at the Bible and 04:01 we're gonna look at 04:02 God's will. 04:03 So why is this an important 04:04 question that we know God's 04:05 will for our lives? 04:07 >> Well, this is a question 04:08 that you get asked a lot... 04:09 [MIKE] It is, true. 04:10 >> ...and that I get asked a 04:11 lot and pastors and teachers 04:13 and parents often get asked, 04:14 "Well, how can I know what God 04:15 wants me to do?" 04:17 And the truth is when we come 04:19 to these moments of transition 04:21 in our lives and we're not 04:22 sure what to do, we want to 04:24 know what God's will is. 04:26 In fact, I just had a recent 04:28 graduate from Burman come and 04:30 talk to me and say, "What 04:32 should I do? I've got these 04:33 options. 04:34 How can I know what God wants 04:35 me to do?" 04:37 >> So it's in those transition 04:38 places where we're not just 04:40 living as we normally live, 04:43 you know, from day to day, but 04:44 all of a sudden, "Oh, now what 04:45 do I do? 04:47 What's the next step?" 04:48 [STEPHEN] That's right, those 04:49 forks in the road where we 04:51 have a life choice, as we call 04:52 them, to make. 04:53 >> So, Professor Reasor, how 04:55 important is it to discern 04:56 God's will? 04:58 >> Well, if you're gonna be a 04:59 Jesus-follower, then you need 05:01 to know what He wants you 05:02 to do. 05:05 He is our boss, the word, 05:07 "Lord," "kurios," in the New 05:10 Testament, it means a person 05:14 who is the boss over every 05:16 aspect of your life and if 05:18 He's gonna be our Lord, then 05:20 we need to know what He wants 05:21 us to do. 05:23 Can you imagine going to work 05:24 and your boss tells you, "I 05:26 want you to write the yearly 05:28 report today," and you say, 05:30 "Well, what do you want to 05:32 have in it?" and your boss 05:33 says, "All the important 05:35 stuff," and then walks away. 05:37 That'd be a really tough 05:38 report to write and we would 05:41 probably need to be touching 05:42 base with the boss throughout 05:44 the day to find out what is 05:45 supposed to be in this report. 05:47 Well, our responsibility to 05:50 God is far greater than that 05:53 and we are not just His 05:55 employee, we're part of His 05:57 family and that's why it's 05:59 important to know His will. 06:01 There's this beautiful verse 06:03 that Jesus says in Mark 3:35. 06:05 He says, "For whoever does the 06:07 will of God," that's what we 06:09 wanna do right, we wanna do 06:10 God's will, "Whoever does the 06:12 will of God, he is my brother 06:14 and sister and mother." 06:16 So if you wanna be a part of 06:18 God's family, knowing God's 06:19 will is important. 06:21 >> I love that. 06:23 So we are a child of God, not 06:25 an employee of God, we're a 06:26 part of His family. 06:27 That kind of is a bit 06:29 challenging for some people 06:30 because God being our father, 06:32 some families, we don't look 06:34 up to the father as being in 06:36 control, you know, but God is, 06:38 you now, He's so wise and He's 06:40 not like a control freak, but 06:42 He is in control in the sense 06:43 that He wants the very best 06:45 for us as a loving father. 06:47 So when we talk about this, I 06:48 know you're an expert on 06:50 Greek, what are we talking 06:51 about when we use that word or 06:53 the word for "to know God's 06:54 will" in Greek? 06:56 >> Sure, well, in the New 06:58 Testament, there's two related 07:00 words that-- one's a verb and 07:03 one's a noun and so if we're 07:04 talking about the verb, the 07:06 verbal action, which is 07:08 "thelo" and that means "to 07:10 desire, to want, to will, to 07:14 purpose for something to 07:16 happen," and then there's the 07:17 noun version of that, 07:19 "thelema" and that's the 07:20 object of that willing or 07:22 desiring, so the passions that 07:24 we have and the desires and 07:25 things that we want. 07:29 When we talk about God's will, 07:31 God's will is all-encompassing 07:34 and it accounts for all of 07:36 those verbal aspects and a 07:39 lot more than that because, of 07:41 course, God's a universal God 07:42 and He has a universal will. 07:44 So a friend of mine, 07:46 T. Michael W. Halcomb, in a 07:47 Podcast just a couple weeks 07:49 ago, made a statement I'm 07:51 gonna read here, he said... 07:58 And if God's will is that 08:00 encompassing, then maybe it is 08:01 that encompassing in our life 08:03 to follow God's will. 08:05 Of course, we could, if we 08:06 misunderstand what God's will 08:08 is, we could take that to an 08:09 extreme and say, "Well, I'm 08:11 not gonna do anything until 08:12 God tells me to do it." 08:14 But there are different types 08:16 of God's will and we wanna 08:18 clear that up right away. 08:20 There's three types that I'd 08:21 like to talk about. 08:23 The first is God's salvific 08:24 will, His will for salvation, 08:27 the second is His moral will, 08:29 and the third, which is what 08:30 we're really talking about 08:32 today is His directive will. 08:34 So God's salvific will is the 08:38 same for all of us, He wants 08:40 everyone to be saved. 08:42 We can talk about being 08:43 pre-destined by God's will to 08:45 salvation because that's what 08:46 He wants for us and that's 08:48 true for everybody in the 08:49 whole universe, but especially 08:51 here on earth. 08:52 >> So that is something we 08:54 would have to choose as well. 08:55 He wants that, He is 08:57 pre-destining us to be saved, 09:00 but is everyone going to 09:01 be saved? 09:03 >> Right, and that's the funny 09:04 thing about God's will. 09:06 As powerful as God is, He 09:07 doesn't force His will on 09:09 anyone, even His salvific 09:11 will, His great desire to save 09:13 everyone doesn't overwhelm the 09:15 right that He's given to us to 09:17 say, "No thanks, God." 09:19 And we can say "no thanks" to 09:20 His salvation, we can say "no 09:22 thanks" to the revealed moral 09:24 law that He's provided and we 09:26 can always choose to not take 09:28 the path that He's directing 09:30 us on. 09:31 So that's an important thing 09:32 to keep in mind when we talk 09:34 about God's will is it is not 09:35 going to overwhelm ours. 09:39 So God's moral will, which is 09:41 the second type of will, is 09:44 the desire that He has for us 09:46 of how we live our lives day 09:47 by day. 09:49 And this requires, to follow 09:50 God's moral will, we have to 09:52 really submit to Him on a 09:53 daily basis because inside of 09:56 me there is desires for things 09:58 that are outside of His moral 10:00 will and it's a constant 10:01 battle, it's a constant 10:03 process of giving in to God, 10:06 but if I will follow that 10:09 moral will, that's going to 10:11 help me when it comes time to 10:13 discern His directive will. 10:16 >> Mmm, explain that. 10:17 >> So let's say I'm embezzling 10:19 from my employer, there's 10:20 gonna be my conscience, 10:22 there's going to be things 10:23 that God puts as obstacles in 10:25 my path to keep me from doing 10:27 that, there's gonna be all 10:28 kinds of ways God's gonna be 10:30 communicating with me, 10:31 "Stop stealing." 10:33 And in order to continue 10:35 embezzling, I'm going to have 10:37 to block and harden myself and 10:40 not respond to God's voice 10:42 when I hear it. 10:43 >> I think of John 16 where He 10:45 says the Spirit, the Holy 10:47 Spirit, will convict us, 10:48 right, of sin, of 10:50 righteousness, and of 10:51 judgment and so you're saying 10:53 He's going to try convict our 10:55 conscience, tell us what's 10:56 right, but if we don't do it, 10:59 we're hardening our hearts 11:01 towards it. 11:02 >> That's right, yeah. 11:02 Sorta like Pharaoh did, 11:04 did, he hardened his heart. 11:05 And when we do that, we can't 11:08 discern God's directive will 11:11 in our lives if there is a 11:14 problem in my heart and God's 11:16 convicting me of it and I'm 11:17 ignoring God. 11:19 I can't ignore His voice and 11:20 also listen to His voice and 11:21 discern His voice at the 11:22 same time. 11:24 So living according to God's 11:26 moral requirements on a 11:29 day-to-day basis and, again, 11:31 following the guide of the Holy 11:32 Spirit, following His voice as 11:33 I read in scripture and I'm 11:35 convicted how to live and how 11:37 not to live, that's going to 11:39 help with the third type of 11:41 will and the third type of 11:42 will is God's directive will. 11:44 That's where God says, "In 11:46 this specific instance, in 11:48 this circumstance, I want you 11:50 to go and do this, I want you 11:51 to go and do that." 11:52 And that's what we're really 11:54 talking about when we say, 11:55 "What does God want me to do?" 11:57 Paul talks about God's will in 11:59 terms of Paul plans to do one 12:01 thing or do another thing, but 12:04 it's always couched in if it is 12:05 God's will. 12:07 He's recognizing that he has 12:09 plans, but that God may have 12:11 different plans and he's open 12:11 to that, 12:14 including things that Paul 12:16 would rather not have happen. 12:18 And that's true in our lives. 12:19 If we're gonna be looking for 12:20 God's will in our life, we 12:22 have to be open to the fact 12:23 that His will might not be 12:24 what we want, might not be 12:26 what we would choose. 12:28 That doesn't mean that when 12:30 bad things happen it's God's 12:31 will, absolutely not. 12:33 There's-- this is a rebellious, 12:35 sinful world and so there's a 12:37 lot of atrocities, a lot of 12:39 tragedies that take place that 12:41 we shouldn't look at someone 12:43 else's tragedy and say, "Well, 12:44 this is God's will." 12:46 We may find that in our own 12:47 situation, we may see God's 12:49 will in it, but that's ours 12:50 to find. 12:51 But Paul continually says, 12:53 "Whatever God wills, that's 12:55 what I want to have happen 12:56 even though I have other 12:58 plans." 12:59 So we often will site Jeremiah 13:01 29:11, it's a very famous 13:03 verse, it talks about the good 13:04 plans that God has for us. 13:06 But I think maybe it'd be 13:07 helpful for us to think about 13:09 John 16:33 a little more 13:11 often, too, and John 16:33 13:13 says, "In the world you have 13:17 tribulation," that's just the 13:18 reality. 13:19 The good news, of course, He 13:21 says, "Take courage, I have 13:22 overcome the world." 13:23 But that doesn't mean the 13:25 tribulation, the trouble, 13:26 will stop. 13:28 >> But it's comforting to know 13:30 that during the tribulation, 13:32 God is with us and He's 13:35 holding our hand and guiding 13:37 us through that. 13:39 So, Professor Reasor, what can 13:40 we do to improve our 13:43 discernment of God's will? 13:46 >> And that question really 13:48 means what can we do to 13:49 discern our-- improve our 13:51 discernment of God's directive 13:53 will, right? 13:55 And the answer to that is we 13:57 start with God's moral will, 14:00 we live according to God's 14:01 moral will to the best of 14:03 our ability. 14:04 That's not going to be 14:06 perfect, but when we have that 14:08 pang of conviction to either 14:10 do something or to not do 14:12 something, we listen to that 14:14 and respond and when we get 14:18 used to hearing God's voice 14:19 and responding to God's voice, 14:21 then when we're in those 14:23 situations where we're not 14:24 sure which path to take, which 14:26 door to open, which window to 14:27 jump out of, then we're gonna 14:29 be able to better hear God's 14:30 voice. 14:32 What fights against us is 14:34 something that I call "The 14:36 Three P's." 14:37 It's my desire for pleasure, 14:39 profit, or power. 14:41 And, of course, that means 14:43 ungodly pleasure and abuse of 14:46 power or unjust profit. 14:49 And if I am going after those 14:52 things and God's saying "no," 14:54 then I'm ignoring Him. 14:55 That really hurts my ability 14:57 to hear if I suddenly say, 14:59 "Hey, God, I think you should 15:01 tell me what to do in this 15:02 situation." 15:03 >> Can you give us some 15:04 guidelines of how we can 15:06 determine what God's will is 15:08 in a given situation? 15:10 >> Great question. 15:12 There are so many ways we can 15:14 determine God's will and we 15:15 can hear God's voice. 15:17 Being a mature Christian means 15:20 exploring and being able to 15:22 understand those things. 15:25 Now, of course, we want a 15:27 vision or a dream or maybe 15:30 God's audible voice speaking 15:32 down to us, that would be 15:33 fantastic when we aren't sure 15:36 what to do. 15:37 Those are very rare 15:39 occurences. 15:40 The more common occurence is 15:43 that we will encounter someone 15:45 who is a faithful follower of 15:47 God and as they're speaking to 15:49 us, we will hear God speaking 15:51 through them, we'll see our 15:53 situation arranged in such a 15:54 way that we see divine 15:56 providence working things out 15:57 for us. 15:58 We may have time in scripture 16:02 as we're reading scripture 16:03 that God is speaking to our 16:05 hearts and actually this is my 16:06 go-to, I know when I'm facing 16:08 a decision, I'm not sure what 16:10 to do, I open scripture and go 16:12 to the Bible. 16:13 Not that the words are gonna 16:15 tell me, but this is when God 16:17 speaks most clearly to us, 16:18 through His word. 16:21 When we do that, we need to be 16:24 open to the possibility that 16:26 even then we won't hear a very 16:29 clear answer to our specific 16:31 question in this specific 16:32 situation. 16:34 Sometimes that may be because 16:36 God wants us to wait. 16:38 Often I think it's because God 16:40 is OK with either choice. 16:42 >> So you could have more than 16:43 one option and all of them 16:45 could be part of God's will? 16:46 Or He could work His will 16:48 through all of them? 16:49 >> Right, both maybe. 16:52 So let's say God's will is for 16:54 you to get to point C and He 16:57 could take you from point A 17:00 and take you through different 17:01 routes to point C. 17:03 He may say, "At this 'Y' that 17:06 you're facing, it doesn't 17:07 really matter which way you 17:09 take, if you keep following 17:10 Me, we'll get you where you 17:11 need to go." 17:12 He may have a hundred ways. 17:14 When we serve a God who is 17:18 unfathomable in His wisdom and 17:20 knowledge, we need to be open 17:22 to the fact that He is able to 17:24 do with us what we can't even 17:27 imagine and His foresight is 17:29 better than our hindsight. 17:31 So sometimes it may be that He 17:33 doesn't give us clear 17:34 direction on a specific 17:36 choice. 17:37 Now that doesn't mean that we 17:38 should wait and not do 17:40 anything, it means we should 17:42 probably go ahead and make 17:44 a choice. 17:45 If we haven't heard from God, 17:47 go a head and move in faith. 17:50 The problem with that is that 17:52 when we do that, we need to 17:54 make sure that we are open to 17:55 God stopping us. 17:57 Like Paul when he'd say, "If 17:59 it's according to Your will, 18:00 Lord, I think I'm gonna take 18:01 Path B." 18:03 And if God stops us and sends 18:05 us back, we need to be OK with 18:06 that, we need to have the 18:08 humility to-- we need to be 18:10 the "living sacrifices," is 18:12 actually the term that Paul 18:13 uses here and I wanna read 18:15 from Romans chapter 12, verses 18:16 1 and 2 where he says, "I urge 18:18 you brethren, by the mercies 18:20 of God, to present your bodies 18:22 a living and holy 18:23 sacrifice..." 18:25 So a "living sacrifice," that 18:26 means you're heading down the 18:27 path, you're not just sitting 18:29 and waiting, you're actually 18:30 actively living your life. 18:31 "...Acceptable to God, which 18:33 is your reasonable service of 18:34 worship." 18:48 So sometimes we have to head 18:49 down the road before we will 18:51 know whether that path is 18:52 God's will or not. 18:53 >> So not to get stuck in 18:54 indecision. 18:56 It's better to make a decision 18:58 and also be open to God 19:02 putting the brakes on, right, 19:04 and saying, "OK, you've made a 19:06 decision, you're going in this 19:07 direction, I just wanna 19:08 redirect you." 19:10 >> That's right, yeah. 19:11 There's a humility to that, 19:13 there's also a boldness. 19:15 It takes some courage to not 19:18 be fully clear on what lies 19:20 ahead and to head out in that 19:22 direction anyway. 19:24 Especially if we have a desire 19:26 for something. 19:27 If God's-- if we have a 19:29 passion for one path over the 19:31 other, that's not a bad thing, 19:32 it's not a wrong thing, as 19:34 long as it's a Godly desire, 19:36 and so we look for the 19:37 opportunities and we 19:38 follow them. 19:40 In Romans chapter 1, we have 19:41 this amazing insight into 19:44 Paul's prayer life. 19:47 Romans chapter 1, verses 9 and 19:48 10, he says... 20:06 So Paul had in his heart, he 20:08 wanted to go see the Romans, 20:09 he wanted to be with them and 20:12 he kept trying, he kept trying 20:13 and it seemed like it just 20:14 wasn't working out and so he's 20:16 praying and praying and 20:17 praying and doing all he 20:19 could, but, again, putting it 20:20 into the context of if it is 20:21 God's will, it will work out. 20:24 And, of course, we find out 20:25 eventually it does work out, 20:27 he does end up in Rome. 20:29 This type of faith and 20:33 discernment of God's will 20:35 requires maturity because it 20:37 requires experience with God, 20:39 it's something that we learn 20:40 in hindsight. 20:42 We can't know going into it 20:43 how it's gonna work out, but 20:44 as we look back over our 20:46 lives, we can see that God has 20:47 been faithful. 20:49 So when my wife, Patty, and I 20:51 were nearing graduation from 20:53 Burman University 20 years ago 20:54 now, we had lined up a few 20:57 different options. 20:59 We'd kinda thought we could do 21:01 this or this or this and, of 21:02 course, some of those we 21:04 weren't in control of, right, 21:07 but we had a list of things 21:10 that we would be OK with the 21:12 next step and we had kinda put 21:14 that before God and we had one 21:16 that we liked the best and 21:18 that was that I would be able 21:20 to pastor in a community and 21:22 she'd be able to teach in that 21:23 same community. 21:25 And, of course, that was what 21:27 we wanted, that was our ideal, 21:29 and that possibility came 21:32 about. 21:33 We had an opportunity to go to 21:35 a community and both work 21:37 there. 21:39 And the temptation could be, 21:43 "I'm not sure if that's God's 21:45 will 'cause it's also my will. 21:46 Maybe I should go do something 21:48 I don't want because that's 21:49 what God's will will be, 21:50 right, something I don't 21:52 want," but that's not always 21:53 the case. 21:55 God often puts passions on our 21:56 hearts and then opens doors 21:58 for us to do what He's called 22:00 us to do and to put on our 22:01 hearts. 22:02 And so we went in that 22:04 direction and we took that 22:06 path, asking that God shut the 22:09 door if that wasn't His will 22:12 and-- or to make sure it 22:14 didn't happen. 22:16 But we had a sense of peace 22:17 about it and I've learned over 22:19 the years that having that 22:20 sense of peace is a sure sign 22:22 that I am heading down a path 22:25 that God can bless. 22:28 >> And what does that look 22:29 like, that sense of peace? 22:31 >> Great question. 22:33 It's the singular sign that I 22:36 look for from God. 22:38 I don't toss a lot of fleeces 22:40 out and say, "God, show me a 22:41 sign of what I should do." 22:43 I live my life looking for 22:47 peace with God in my 22:50 day-to-day walk because He 22:52 removes my peace when I stray 22:53 off, especially when I'm not 22:55 living according to His moral 22:57 will, He's gonna rob my peace, 23:00 He will take my sense of peace 23:02 away and that's part of His 23:04 correction to guide me back. 23:06 And when I make big life 23:08 decisions, and my family does, 23:11 and we pray about it and we 23:13 will move and we look for the 23:15 peace and often find ourselves 23:18 in very difficult situations, 23:20 situations that could go 23:22 wrong, that could not work 23:23 out, and we keep looking for 23:26 the peace in that 23:27 circumstance. 23:29 And with the power of God's 23:30 peace, it's a very powerful 23:32 thing, you can walk through 23:33 difficult things even if you're 23:36 not happy with the situation. 23:38 >> That's very powerful. 23:40 We've just got a few more 23:42 minutes, but I just wanna 23:43 explore that thing, the idea 23:45 of peace, and that is that 23:47 Jesus offers us the peace that 23:48 surpasses understanding. 23:50 When you and Patty made that 23:52 decision to go ahead, 23:55 did you-- was it comfortable? 23:58 Sometimes people think, 24:00 "OK, peace, that means you're 24:02 comfortable." 24:03 >> Right. 24:04 Definitely not. 24:05 And as most graduates will 24:08 find when they leave 24:10 university and they head out 24:11 in their first job, they often 24:13 encounter things that they 24:15 weren't-- they didn't think 24:16 that they would face. 24:18 There are situations and 24:20 difficulties and requirements 24:22 that are a struggle. 24:24 And my first year as a pastor 24:25 was pretty rough, my wife's 24:27 first year as a teacher, it 24:28 was tough, it was a tough year 24:29 and I think most pastors and 24:31 teachers can relate to that. 24:33 But through it, we were not 24:38 uncertain that God was still 24:40 leading, that we were off track 24:44 as far as God's will was, we 24:45 were still at peace that this 24:47 is the direction that was a 24:50 direction He was pleased with 24:52 and was part of His will. 24:54 >> Well, I think about us, 24:56 when we immigrated to Canada 24:58 from South Africa, I didn't 25:00 wanna leave my family behind 25:03 and we first decided not to 25:05 come, but then we didn't have 25:07 that peace, there was a 25:09 certain kind of restlessness. 25:11 And then when we decided we 25:13 were gonna go forth with the 25:15 immigration and pack up 25:17 everything and move hundreds 25:19 and thousands of miles away, 25:21 we did have that peace, that 25:23 peace, like you said, you 25:24 can't explain it, it's 25:27 unexplainable. 25:29 But it certainly was not 25:31 comfortable moving away, you 25:34 know, from home and being here 25:36 and starting off in a new 25:37 country, a new life, but in 25:41 hindsight, like you mentioned 25:43 earlier on, I can see that we 25:46 did that and that opened up so 25:48 many doors and led our life in 25:50 such a beautiful way. 25:52 If we didn't come to Canada, 25:54 we wouldn't be where we are 25:55 today, you know, so... 25:58 >> And now that you've been 25:59 through that and had that 26:01 experience, the next time it 26:02 happens, it's recognizable. 26:04 "Oh, I'm at peace in this 26:06 tumultuous-- and I wasn't 26:07 before. 26:08 OK, I think we're on the right 26:09 track." 26:10 [RENÉ] That's so true. 26:11 >> So learning God's will and 26:13 following God's will is a 26:14 matter of maturity. 26:15 It's almost like learning a 26:17 language, right, the language 26:18 of heaven and discerning 26:20 His voice. 26:22 >> We grow in humility, we 26:24 grow in maturity, and that's 26:25 what having a relationship 26:27 with Jesus is, it's walking 26:28 with Him and seeking His 26:30 guidance, day in and day out. 26:32 >> Well, Professor Reasor, 26:34 we've come to the end of our 26:35 program, I wonder if you can 26:37 please pray for us before we 26:38 do end. 26:40 >> I'd be delighted to. 26:41 Heavenly Father, You have 26:43 promised that You will give us 26:47 wisdom, that You will give us 26:49 guidance, that You won't leave 26:51 us in this world by ourselves, 26:53 and yet sometimes we face 26:55 situations where we wanna hear 26:56 Your voice. 26:57 Father, we pray that You will 26:59 give us the patience and the 27:02 humility and the boldness to 27:04 be living sacrifices, to walk 27:07 humbly with You, seeking Your 27:09 will in the mundane day-to-day 27:12 things, learning to hear Your 27:14 voice, that You will direct 27:15 us, You will stop us if need 27:17 be, but that You will be with 27:18 us, amen. 27:20 [MIKE & RENÉ] Amen. 27:21 >> Thank you, Professor 27:23 Reasor, for your prayer and 27:24 also thank you for sharing 27:25 these practical guidelines 27:27 from God's word on how to know 27:28 God's will for your life. 27:30 >> Yep, my absolute pleasure. 27:33 >> Friends, as Professor 27:35 Stephen Reasor shared with us 27:37 today, the word of God is the 27:40 source of wisdom and truth 27:42 that we can always count on. 27:44 And so we wanna help you to 27:45 understand God's word, the 27:47 Bible, for yourself even 27:49 better. 27:50 And so our free offer for you 27:51 today is our Bible Study 27:53 Guides. 27:55 [RENÉ] Whether you want to 27:56 learn the major teachings of 27:57 God's word or Bible prophecy, 28:00 we can assist you to find 28:01 answers for how to face the 28:03 issues and challenges you deal 28:05 with every day. 28:08 Here is the information you 28:09 will need to receive your own 28:11 free Bible study guides today. 28:15 >> We want you to experience 28:16 the truth that is found in the 28:18 words of Jesus when He said, 28:20 "It is written, 'Man shall not 28:22 live by bread alone, but by 28:24 every word that proceeds out 28:26 of the mouth of God.'" 28:28 ♪♪ |
Revised 2022-12-07