The Timeless Truth of Christ (Part 2 of 2)

I now we are overcome everything we know from Proverbs 31 that she left.

What is the US because the King is coming because he lives forever.

She lives forever less time on Focus on the Family we heard some really great encouragement from Ellie Lucero and we've got more to share today your hostess focus.

President Jim Daly and I John four Ellie is a very insightful Bible teacher and she is using the Old Testament account of how the Israelites crossed the Jordan River to illustrate some ideas on how we as Christians can overcome life's hardships, you know, Jesus told us in this world you will have trouble. But take heart. I've overcome the world.

And that's in John 1633 and we need to especially remember the first part of that verse where Jesus said we will have trouble being a Christian doesn't give us a free pass to avoid pain and instead we have the comfort of the Lord walking with us through any painful time in our lives and that is a promise that we can have great assurance in as we said last time Ellie Lucero is the author of several books. She's very sought after speaker for conferences and retreats, and she's originally from New York City. She and her husband Frank live in Reston Virginia and have three grown children were to roll back a bit for those who missed the program last time and pick up where Ellie pointed out just how important it is to be established in your faith before the hard times come here now Ellie Carol speaking at a women's conference on Focus on the Family What I call Christian life wife found her father feeling without me just mechanically announcing the ball all sitting there.

I took a casserole if you're Christian you need hospital bed with more than good luck if you're Christian you need to have something to say. When the casket is low. We are overcome is where women of substance, one may God we will live forever.

We will meet again.

I'm not going to live in a way praising him for all eternity answers why not making it. Why do people hating the children in my first family stop talking for so many years for dealer Brown when you get your opinions from these religion is personally personal. Everybody not everybody you know I don't want to wait in line with Sharon. The five don't show up.

If you live forever. July 1 to call you the phone is used a lot of garbage and when he's preparation.

You must be prepared and you must work God did not leave us dangling.he's not a sadist in the sky waiting to hit you with a rubber band or disease. He did leave directions.

He did leave instructions sex mother and was selling him. I love my mother lashing in the Frank some days I like to return again.

Three says in verse four you going to move out and follow it you will know which way to go. You haven't been this way before. For child before before situation that lay before me know which way to go. You know how to behave because you haven't been before verse five. Consecrate yourselves the creation changed from when you were a nonbeliever Christian to scrub any church car garage bagel bakery on C. Christian reason, we would love usually make Christians is no that she knows that she knows she say because she so wonderful she know she say because she's so rich and wealthy and she's really helped out at church now she know she's jump through all the right hopes when she was married to say, because God came to her and hung across the blood drip down and she's washed away clean anything she's ever done is not only forgiven its forgotten that I have no idea, but I'm so happy we must prepare ourselves. Separation Nellis and I cannot separate Christianity.

It bothers me.

If you only have Christians in your life.

Something's wrong. We moved to Virginia. My work for Christian history.

We put our kids in a Christian school I was a Christian speak who had a Christian church.

We had Christian friends and I said because your world become a bubble, it's important to be with people who don't look like you who don't smell like you who don't talk like you I'm nothing for you to hang out with old friends of bad habits and say to) along with the way you're going make sure that you don't handle those relationships were holier than thou affect anybody Jesus and when Congress by being divisive and derisive and derogatory.

He won converts by saying let's have lunch tray. Hey, I know with me reputation okay. It was mercy and goodness and kindness. Mother Teresa said judging people, you cannot love them is no time separation is important as far as some sense that you must make sure that you are not acting like the world anymore. You're not watching that garbage anymore you not reading that's not anymore you is cleaned up perfectly know what we getting yes Kristin a year ago five years ago.

Yes, show improvement in the first millennium monks called killer people and they decided they would let up on top of pillars, sides and rocks and bring enough provisions for six months or so their friends would come up and bring a few more couldn't thought they could get in trouble. Henry Jolley said this is possible to evade a multitude of sorrows by the cultivation of an insignificant life in the person's ambition is to avoid trouble. The recipe is simple, shady renditions cut the wings and every purpose and seek a little life with you purposes the relations in a few contacts if you want to get to the world with the smallest trouble reduce yourself to the smallest compass tiny cells can dive through life, bigger cells are blocked in every side is a person largest his or her life resistances are multiplied. If you are petty and selfish and just caring about yourself.

You have no trouble. If you are interested in the agenda of Christ yourself will be increased on every side. My next book is called God's good people, not really, but I think it's a good title people. When you think you can find the perfect person's name is Jesus. My worldview certainly all the love songs you know the center of my life with you I'm born again baby or everything last the week must be some separatism must be some separation so that you know you know I can love them. I can pray for them anymore. It is so powerful to see the women in my neighborhood, Bible study, forcing them to stop this up. That stuff is stuff that only now Ellie, I'm so comfortable anymore with that group or with bad humor also currently more with that tedium in my house is so hard his latest keeper of the gay friend who works hard and long.

He flies out of the country. Sometimes I am watching what goes on in the house. That's my job.

I run I'm an engineer job easy and my kids are sharp in their culture they want to do things they want to see things.

I love the story of the three children. I went in a Christian father, please. We know you have a strict rule about already moving, but please just daddy. This was said that we thought it was so intense he said sure his new movie. It's just really great and has pros and cons but that is just a couple of times a couple of curses that we asked some people in charge who said not too many cars and sex scene, but it's not right on the screen is blank just off me about the pros and actresses in Hollywood. Great cast is a great storyline is a great plot that is like a redemption seat at the end all it is a lot of special-effects assembly will like never, please reconsider just this one movie you guys really thought about this. Give me a day they left the room. The three teenagers high-fiving each week on next night they came back in and they said well that what you think you know I've given a lot of thought like to see the movie but first you have to have one of my brownies turned all around the coffee table was a plate of freshly baked brownies special couple of pros and cons in the pros brownies have been made with the most choice ingredients Francis Francis chocolate the most premium wellness is brownies have frosting on brownies were made by your father's own loving hands. Brownies are moist beyond voice only one car in dog poop 350. I think I killed the bacteria left the room's hardware being the keeper of the gate but you can consider yourself separated doing the same old same old. Now listen to me. Those of you who have husbands deal with issues of pornography and other such things. I'm not suggesting that you have control over everything in your house. You have control over many things. The people that you gave birth to should not be honoring you around. You are in charge of your home and you need to find a counselor if you need to find a pastor if you need to dial one 800 a family you do it and you take back those rains submissive does not mean subservient were not doormats unless we lay down ladies I my heart is broken hearted for the women who just feel like the prisoners in her own home. When did that happen is not God's way. We must be separated but it has to be an issue of the holiness. There has to be some sense where you are different you are different harasses 15 cheese and honors freshman English.

I taught English for 10 years. I don't care about my kids, gotta get involved with it. I say two months and then when asked for help.

I did fifth-grade I was, I did very well besides project the project the project to the parking lot next year but I really don't like like a Lieut. Col. was the first writer to do rough drafts when my son will be in the street is making some connection between the city and not making it in life.

Don't be so hard to has to be a sense there has to be a sense that we are separated.

My daughter has a wildly liberal English teacher, with wild ideas with wild philosophies and she keeps thinking about classics and it's really killing me because I want to tell them what books to teach and okay be quiet you the money. Don't get involved in anything that she comes back with this mumbo-jumbo the wobbling cookie book on all the philosophies in one chapters about how the words of Jesus really can't be substantiated. So she had to refuse that and I decided to get involved. We spent two and half hours.

We talked about the synoptic Gospels. We talked about Josephus, the Hebrew historian. We talked about all kinds of things.

She came back two days later we got a D in Paris learned about what it is to be separate what it is to be separate and apart.

My daughter thinks I'm so popular because of his Bible study and I say no in Paris for every woman sitting in the Bible study. There are two or three of her friends who do not like me you will not be patted on the back. When you become a Christian, you will not be high-fived every time you do the right thing, your Christian you follow Jesus.

They killed him. When you think what happened to you. Life is not easy. God promises trouble will be across they will be burgers when you have faith, we don't have faith life has trouble I want to go through life of faith. Every problem makes me better a better better better is preparation and the separation in his anticipation three and 12 now then take few sales 12 men from the top tribes of Israel. One man for each tribe, I shall come on the soles of the feet of the priest to carry the ark when they're in the water in anticipation in verse 14, so it came that when they set off an attempt to cross the Jordan with the priest they followed the patient is excitement. This for this day Dorothy and I spoke just a little bit six months ago here in and then when the lens can cause weekly talks more. I got a promise. We can only dissipation I get excited. I get excited to come to Venice and what a privilege to be able to just come and address it would be to encourage or help you excited about today and hope you are just spending a little money to get Olympus today is excitement because we can meet God here we to be with other women within a come together with unity and solidarity going to hear from the word wannabe incurs in our hearts and have some laughter as anticipation, the Jews were told to anticipate getting ready something great to get in the river when they get in the river. The water will be stopped. I love that I like the story of the senior woman who was passing slowly with the sickness and she called on her pastor to a single. She never had children. She wanted to review her funeral plans and she told him everything she wanted Madras and in her Bible and she wanted to hold that and she wanted to be in a certain way and the confidence she wanted certain music play and before he left. She said one more thing pastor yes what is I want to have a fork in my right hand fork and she said yes my right grew up in the South and on Sundays is a long way to church. We stay there all day. We had church and then we had picnic we had pot luck at church tonight after lunch when the when the man said keep the fork keep you fork it meant something really good was common not Jell-O pudding but German chocolate cake, apple pie, I want people to see the fork there and I want them to say what's with the fork and I want you to tell the pastor the something vendors coming. Something good is coming anticipation anticipation, the senior citizens only visit the Christian women in their 80s and 90s visit non-Christians in their 60s and 70s. You would not believe that there is that age difference. They look the same age because one's better than ones that one is waiting to die. One is angry at the world. One feels like nobody's thanked one feels like she's never gotten her day in the sun. Ships never coming in. One feels she has every promise given to her and that she has eternity to enjoy the one knows that she see her mother again her baby again.

Her best friend again.

One is excited beautiful reminder from Ellie Lucero today on Focus on the Family about the eternal promises of God are so appreciated her picture. There are word pictures. She wrapped up that message explaining the confidence that these senior Saints have as they anticipate heaven, you know, John.

A lot of those senior Saints volunteer Focus on the Family and we really enjoyed getting to know there are a blessing to all of us. They have such wisdom and maturity. Many have been around the world as missionaries and they have wonderful stories to share as well. Let me encourage you befriend a senior site today and we've certainly been able to do it in our own lives, so you know, for the pandemic hit my wife Tina was able to visit her mom in the assisted living facility every day and she got to know all the ladies around her mom, but maybe knew her often.

Sure story and it was really really nice, kind of an unanticipated ministry field and everybody was benefiting from that time, a visiting event. You know Jim, I'm reflecting on Ellie's message thinking there might be somebody listening to is wondering what my circumstances are just too extreme.

There's just too much negative stuff going on. I can overcome it. All I need help. What advice you have for them like psychologists. We are here to meet those needs were staffed with caring Christian counselors who were here every day to spend some time on the phone with you.

Pray with you, help you find a like-minded counselor in your own area to follow-up with just give us a call during business hours. Leave your name and number and a counselor will call you back as soon as they can just depends on how many calls were getting in a given day, but please let us provide that listening year. It would be our privilege. In fact, here's a great success story, we recently received from Anna, my son's unruly behavior. She said made my husband and I feel like failures as parents instead of working together as a team we would often blame each other. Frankly, we were headed for divorce. All that changed when I had a conversation with one of your counselors. My husband put into practice the suggestions that the counselor made even better. We asked the Lord for help with our marriage and her parenting efforts and became unified in our approach. Our son is doing so much better and there's a greater sense of calm in our family and our extended family notice to when they asked what happened. We simply said thank God and Focus on the Family that's a great story and when extended family members.

Notice there's something special going on. It's a terrific endorsement of the work. Our counseling team does every day we offer these counseling services for free as part of our ministry outreach to families and that's thanks to all of you who donate regularly to Focus on the Family. Simply put, we couldn't do without you.

We need your partnership to help families thrive in Christ and if you can give today with the donation of any amount would be happy to send you a CD of this two-part message from Ellie Lofaro so that you can listen again her shirt with a friend who might be struggling and need some encouragement so donate to and request the CD when you call 800 K in the word family 800-232-6459 or follow the link in the episode notes to donate to the work of Focus on the Family and request that CD and as Jim said call us if you'd like to have a call back from whatever caring Christian counselors that number again 800 K in the word family join us next time you practical advice to instill a love of the Bible in your children one day at a time.

Well I think that our kids are mirrors of you if you notice if parents live baseball. The kids usually grow up Televisa so I think we communicate to our kids how important and wonderful God's word is a lot of times, by the way that we respond with their little we can read using a prophet or different voices every week and make it fun and exciting on behalf of Jim Daly and the entire team. Thanks for joining us for this Focus on the Family podcast. If you enjoy these episodes. Please take a moment sure rating and review helps others find us spreads the word force thanks and I'm John Fuller inviting you back once more help you and your family thrive in Christ you've read accounts in the Bible about Christ. So many people, but we really know very little about the lives of those early followers of Jesus chosen I've called you by name imagines what life was like those who followed Christ based on the widely acclaimed TV series. The chosen this Focus on the Family book by best-selling author Jerry Jenkins rings color depth to the people surrounding Christ. Find out more@focusonthefamily.com/chosen