WEBVTT 00:00:09.419 --> 00:00:14.279 Welcome to ECB's weekly sermon podcast. ECB is 00:00:14.279 --> 00:00:16.600 an international church in Bangkok, Thailand, 00:00:16.739 --> 00:00:19.800 with dozens of nationalities worshiping together. 00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:23.000 We invite you to connect with us from wherever 00:00:23.000 --> 00:00:27.199 you are through our website ecb .asia or our 00:00:27.199 --> 00:00:31.059 mobile app. And now we pray that you are blessed 00:00:31.059 --> 00:00:38.009 by this week's sermon. Good morning. So today 00:00:38.009 --> 00:00:41.170 we are resuming the study on the book of Psalms. 00:00:41.170 --> 00:00:44.469 And next week will be the last study of the series 00:00:44.469 --> 00:00:47.490 with Pastor Phil. He will be concluding the study. 00:00:48.689 --> 00:00:51.549 And the purpose of this series that we did was 00:00:51.549 --> 00:00:57.409 to give you just a few songs to put in your repertoire. 00:00:58.600 --> 00:01:01.340 songs for your journey, because as we are following 00:01:01.340 --> 00:01:04.620 the Lord, there are different experiences that 00:01:04.620 --> 00:01:08.040 we go through. And the book of Psalms is a collection 00:01:08.040 --> 00:01:12.739 of songs that were written, ancient songs, each 00:01:12.739 --> 00:01:15.480 one of them with a very specific message for 00:01:15.480 --> 00:01:19.159 us. And as you have seen the studies, each one 00:01:19.159 --> 00:01:21.939 of them touching on a very different aspect. 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:28.030 So today I will... Lead the study on Psalm 147. 00:01:28.129 --> 00:01:30.510 But before we do that, please join me as I pray. 00:01:31.670 --> 00:01:38.750 Lord, it is powerful to know truth. Truth that 00:01:38.750 --> 00:01:43.750 can break through chains and deception and reach 00:01:43.750 --> 00:01:47.849 the deepest parts of our being to free us, to 00:01:47.849 --> 00:01:51.409 heal us. And I'm asking you, Lord, that today 00:01:51.409 --> 00:01:54.269 you will use your word exactly for that purpose. 00:01:55.689 --> 00:01:58.370 Will you use me in your power and your grace? 00:01:59.170 --> 00:02:08.169 In Jesus' name, amen. Psalm 147 is one of the 00:02:08.169 --> 00:02:12.310 psalms that is known as the psalms of praise. 00:02:13.169 --> 00:02:15.550 Now, do you remember how many chapters are in 00:02:15.550 --> 00:02:20.270 the book of Psalms? 150, right. This is the longest 00:02:20.270 --> 00:02:28.340 book in the Bible. The last five chapters of 00:02:28.340 --> 00:02:30.919 the book, there are songs that are called the 00:02:30.919 --> 00:02:34.560 Hallel Psalms, the Hallelujah, Praise the Lord 00:02:34.560 --> 00:02:39.180 Psalms, because each one of them starts and ends 00:02:39.180 --> 00:02:44.280 with a call to praise God. But each one of them 00:02:44.280 --> 00:02:47.759 has a very different background in the story. 00:02:49.259 --> 00:02:52.960 Now, I know, I write songs myself, so I know 00:02:52.960 --> 00:02:56.900 that different experiences inspire you to write 00:02:56.900 --> 00:03:00.960 certain songs. And in this particular song, we 00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:04.240 know what the background is. So you are in for 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:06.580 a treat because we'll be able to understand a 00:03:06.580 --> 00:03:08.860 little bit of what was the background before 00:03:08.860 --> 00:03:12.020 we even read the song. And the first thing that 00:03:12.020 --> 00:03:15.620 you have to picture in your mind is catastrophe. 00:03:16.939 --> 00:03:22.919 Think about it as a time of war, a time of destruction, 00:03:23.340 --> 00:03:28.680 a time of everything, worst case scenario, happened. 00:03:30.180 --> 00:03:33.599 And now after going through all this trauma, 00:03:33.800 --> 00:03:38.479 all of this suffering, a nation is going to start 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:43.520 experiencing a new beginning. And we are told, 00:03:44.199 --> 00:03:47.560 at the end of the book of 2 Chronicles, a summary 00:03:47.560 --> 00:03:50.740 of what this period of time was like for the 00:03:50.740 --> 00:03:55.759 nation of Israel. There was about two decades 00:03:55.759 --> 00:03:59.180 in which the nation, before they experienced 00:03:59.180 --> 00:04:03.099 the destruction, started going through decay, 00:04:03.259 --> 00:04:07.280 and then political crisis, and eventually war, 00:04:07.520 --> 00:04:11.360 and it kept deteriorating. Imagine two decades 00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:16.050 like that. And we know that the years in which 00:04:16.050 --> 00:04:20.610 Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar invaded Israel during 00:04:20.610 --> 00:04:23.389 that time, invaded Jerusalem during that time, 00:04:23.449 --> 00:04:27.589 was these three occasions in 605 before Christ, 00:04:27.810 --> 00:04:32.389 597 before Christ, and 586 before Christ. And 00:04:32.389 --> 00:04:36.730 during all of this time, 2 Chronicles summarizes 00:04:36.730 --> 00:04:39.750 these two decades simply saying these words. 00:04:40.720 --> 00:04:44.519 The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word 00:04:44.519 --> 00:04:48.060 to them through his messengers again and again 00:04:48.060 --> 00:04:51.540 because he had pity on his people and on his 00:04:51.540 --> 00:04:55.560 dwelling place. But they mocked God's messengers, 00:04:55.800 --> 00:05:00.399 despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets 00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:03.519 until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against 00:05:03.519 --> 00:05:08.160 his people and there was no remedy. They set 00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:11.519 fire, this is the Babylonians, set fire to God's 00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:15.860 temple, broke down the walls of Jerusalem. They 00:05:15.860 --> 00:05:19.860 burned all the palaces and destroyed everything 00:05:19.860 --> 00:05:25.040 of value there. So you can imagine the level 00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:30.160 of catastrophe, invasion, destruction, sacred 00:05:30.160 --> 00:05:34.959 places, places of political significance, everything 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:39.680 ruins. And on top of that, it says he carried 00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:44.680 into exile to Babylon the remnant who escaped 00:05:44.680 --> 00:05:47.339 from the sword. Yeah, because thousands of people 00:05:47.339 --> 00:05:51.480 were killed. And those that survived became captives. 00:05:51.500 --> 00:05:54.879 And they became servants to him and his successors 00:05:54.879 --> 00:05:59.339 until the kingdom of Persia came to power 70 00:05:59.339 --> 00:06:04.589 years later. So if you do the math. 20 years 00:06:04.589 --> 00:06:07.709 of decay until destruction. 70 years of captivity. 00:06:08.129 --> 00:06:11.889 That's 90 years. So that's about a century of 00:06:11.889 --> 00:06:16.430 turmoil and catastrophe in the nation. Until 00:06:16.430 --> 00:06:20.129 suddenly God starts taking them into a season 00:06:20.129 --> 00:06:23.490 of restoration. And now that they are experiencing 00:06:23.490 --> 00:06:27.930 the season of restoration. After hoping and grieving 00:06:27.930 --> 00:06:32.730 and being wounded for so many years. Finally. 00:06:33.370 --> 00:06:36.910 They start coming back. And that's why I call 00:06:36.910 --> 00:06:43.850 Psalm 147, Wounded Soul. Because this nation, 00:06:43.970 --> 00:06:47.189 this group of people were in a season in which 00:06:47.189 --> 00:06:50.509 they had experienced so much suffering of all 00:06:50.509 --> 00:06:57.990 sorts. And their souls were wounded. But can 00:06:57.990 --> 00:07:02.089 God meet them there? Will God do something about 00:07:02.089 --> 00:07:06.740 that? And the reasons why I want to share this 00:07:06.740 --> 00:07:10.199 psalm with us today is because I understand that 00:07:10.199 --> 00:07:13.040 a wounded soul was not just the experience of 00:07:13.040 --> 00:07:15.060 their journey, but it's the experience of our 00:07:15.060 --> 00:07:18.699 journey too. If we would make a big circle here 00:07:18.699 --> 00:07:21.199 and everybody got to share their story of their 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:25.399 journey, you will discover so much pain and grief 00:07:25.399 --> 00:07:29.759 and things that are unimaginable. And we will 00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:32.560 not have enough tissues to pass around. As we 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:38.420 hear these stories. Our journey has also been 00:07:38.420 --> 00:07:41.180 marked by trauma and things that have happened 00:07:41.180 --> 00:07:46.240 in our lives. But that is not the problem. The 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:50.360 problem really is have I healed from those wounds? 00:07:51.079 --> 00:07:54.899 Have those traumas been addressed? And have I 00:07:54.899 --> 00:07:59.079 encountered God's healing power in my life? Or 00:07:59.079 --> 00:08:03.000 I have simply learned just to survive, just go 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:06.560 into that survival mode, and just try to ignore 00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:09.819 the wounds, try not to think about them, and 00:08:09.819 --> 00:08:12.439 yet continue to follow God even though I'm wounded. 00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:17.300 You see, that is the problem. The problem is 00:08:17.300 --> 00:08:20.740 that we have learned to just follow God without 00:08:20.740 --> 00:08:25.759 addressing the wounds. And what Psalm 147 will 00:08:25.759 --> 00:08:28.459 do for us, is that will give us a perspective. 00:08:30.360 --> 00:08:33.220 So as we read it, one of the things that I want 00:08:33.220 --> 00:08:36.480 to do is that because each one of the three sections 00:08:36.480 --> 00:08:39.720 of the psalm starts with the call to praise, 00:08:39.960 --> 00:08:44.100 I highlighted it. And that will be the hint for 00:08:44.100 --> 00:08:46.379 you. When you see the beginning of the section 00:08:46.379 --> 00:08:48.940 highlighted, you will read that out loud and 00:08:48.940 --> 00:08:52.080 I will read the rest. So let's see how we can 00:08:52.080 --> 00:08:54.399 sing this song together without actually singing. 00:08:56.940 --> 00:09:04.960 Here it goes. How good to sing praises to our 00:09:04.960 --> 00:09:11.039 God. How delightful and how fitting. The Lord 00:09:11.039 --> 00:09:14.840 is rebuilding Jerusalem. And bringing the exiles 00:09:14.840 --> 00:09:21.200 back to Israel. He heals the broken hearted. 00:09:21.299 --> 00:09:26.799 And bandages their wounds. He counts the stars. 00:09:27.019 --> 00:09:31.600 Calls them by name. How great is our Lord. His 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:36.580 power is absolute. His understanding is beyond 00:09:36.580 --> 00:09:40.700 comprehension. The Lord supports the humble. 00:09:41.399 --> 00:09:46.000 But he brings the wicked down into the dust. 00:09:46.960 --> 00:09:55.250 End of first section. Second section. Sing praises 00:09:55.250 --> 00:10:01.169 to our God with a harp. He covers the heavens 00:10:01.169 --> 00:10:05.809 with clouds. Provides rain for the earth. And 00:10:05.809 --> 00:10:10.009 makes the grass grow in mountain pastures. He 00:10:10.009 --> 00:10:13.029 is the one who gives food to the wild animals. 00:10:13.250 --> 00:10:18.210 And feeds the young ravens when they cry. He 00:10:18.210 --> 00:10:21.830 takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse 00:10:21.830 --> 00:10:27.220 or in human might. No. The Lord delights in those 00:10:27.220 --> 00:10:31.799 who fear Him. Those who put their hope in His 00:10:31.799 --> 00:10:38.379 unfailing love. End of second section. Third 00:10:38.379 --> 00:10:50.360 section. Praise your God, O Zion. For He has 00:10:50.360 --> 00:10:53.879 strengthened the bars of your gates. And bless 00:10:53.879 --> 00:10:58.139 your children within your walls. He sends peace 00:10:58.139 --> 00:11:03.200 across your nation. And satisfies your hunger 00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:08.179 with the finest wheat. He sends his orders to 00:11:08.179 --> 00:11:13.200 the world. How swiftly his word flies. He sends 00:11:13.200 --> 00:11:17.360 the snow like white wool. His cutters frost upon 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:21.259 the ground like ashes. He hurls the hail like 00:11:21.259 --> 00:11:24.980 stones. Who can stand against his freezing cold. 00:11:26.200 --> 00:11:31.340 Then at his command. It all melts. He sends his 00:11:31.340 --> 00:11:37.600 winds. And the ice thaws. He has revealed his 00:11:37.600 --> 00:11:41.779 words to Jacob. His decrees and regulations to 00:11:41.779 --> 00:11:46.120 Israel. He has not done this for any other nation. 00:11:46.600 --> 00:11:51.059 They did not know his regulations. Praise the 00:11:51.059 --> 00:11:59.019 Lord. And that is the end of the song. The song 00:11:59.019 --> 00:12:06.639 of the wounded soul. I do not know your journey 00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:11.740 of woundedness. But despite the different journeys 00:12:11.740 --> 00:12:14.340 that we all bring. Whether it be the ancient 00:12:14.340 --> 00:12:17.820 journey of this song that we just heard. Or your 00:12:17.820 --> 00:12:23.409 own. The symptoms of a wounded soul are very 00:12:23.409 --> 00:12:30.610 similar. We suffer from addictions. We engage 00:12:30.610 --> 00:12:33.889 in behaviors that bring us shame, and we don't 00:12:33.889 --> 00:12:36.009 want them in our lives, but there we keep going 00:12:36.009 --> 00:12:40.970 back to them. We call those compensating mechanisms. 00:12:41.429 --> 00:12:44.429 There's a wound that needs to be addressed, but 00:12:44.429 --> 00:12:47.490 because I have not addressed it, I am compensating. 00:12:49.379 --> 00:12:54.960 There's anger. You become easily angry towards 00:12:54.960 --> 00:12:58.860 your children in your job. There's this feistiness. 00:12:58.919 --> 00:13:02.139 There's this thing. Why do you feel that way? 00:13:02.340 --> 00:13:05.580 You do not know. But you're trying to manage 00:13:05.580 --> 00:13:10.440 anger rather than heal the source of it. There's 00:13:10.440 --> 00:13:14.700 also the overachieving. We focus on things so 00:13:14.700 --> 00:13:16.759 that we don't have to pay attention to the wound 00:13:16.759 --> 00:13:20.279 and the pain. So we succeed and we focus on the 00:13:20.279 --> 00:13:23.139 things we're good at because those bring praise 00:13:23.139 --> 00:13:27.340 from people. But it doesn't matter how high you 00:13:27.340 --> 00:13:30.139 are in your job or how much money you have achieved 00:13:30.139 --> 00:13:34.320 all of these years, you have no peace. And there's 00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:37.440 no amount of money that can heal your wounds. 00:13:38.820 --> 00:13:41.879 And we experience all of these symptoms throughout 00:13:41.879 --> 00:13:45.460 our lives and we have learned to follow God by 00:13:45.460 --> 00:13:49.470 managing the symptoms. Well, all along, what 00:13:49.470 --> 00:13:54.389 God wants to do is to heal us, not help us manage 00:13:54.389 --> 00:13:58.190 it. That's why this psalm is so significant. 00:13:58.649 --> 00:14:01.889 Because a wounded soul, if it's ever going to 00:14:01.889 --> 00:14:05.389 experience healing, will have to ask some important 00:14:05.389 --> 00:14:08.350 questions in that journey. And the first question 00:14:08.350 --> 00:14:11.389 that we have to ask as we are journeying with 00:14:11.389 --> 00:14:17.179 our wounded soul is, Who is God? Because if I 00:14:17.179 --> 00:14:21.820 believe that God is the very person who is guilty 00:14:21.820 --> 00:14:26.500 and responsible for my wounds, it's like, why 00:14:26.500 --> 00:14:30.179 do I want to even follow that God? It's almost 00:14:30.179 --> 00:14:34.220 like the woman that was raped and then is forced 00:14:34.220 --> 00:14:37.960 to marry the person who raped her. It's like, 00:14:38.039 --> 00:14:41.860 why would you do that? And if you think that 00:14:41.860 --> 00:14:46.610 God is the one that is against you, Understandably, 00:14:46.610 --> 00:14:49.889 you will want to have nothing to do with that 00:14:49.889 --> 00:14:56.769 God. But what if God is actually not that? What 00:14:56.769 --> 00:15:00.970 if God is a different God altogether than the 00:15:00.970 --> 00:15:04.929 one you are picturing? That's why this psalm 00:15:04.929 --> 00:15:08.250 matters. Because it tells us after everything 00:15:08.250 --> 00:15:12.529 that had happened. And all the catastrophes that 00:15:12.529 --> 00:15:17.720 the nation experienced. This is what the psalm 00:15:17.720 --> 00:15:26.320 says. God heals the broken hearted. And he bandages 00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:30.480 their wounds. Would you read that aloud with 00:15:30.480 --> 00:15:34.559 me one more time? He heals the broken hearted 00:15:34.559 --> 00:15:39.080 and bandages their wounds. This is who God truly 00:15:39.080 --> 00:15:46.830 is. He is interested. In your wounds. And your 00:15:46.830 --> 00:15:51.350 healing. And this is the very first hint. That 00:15:51.350 --> 00:15:54.090 helps us in the journey. Of the wounded soul. 00:15:54.230 --> 00:15:57.009 Because you know. There's a big difference between 00:15:57.009 --> 00:16:04.669 being fixed. And being healed. Let me say it 00:16:04.669 --> 00:16:09.350 this way. My car can break down. And I send it 00:16:09.350 --> 00:16:12.629 to the mechanic. And I say to the mechanic. you 00:16:12.629 --> 00:16:15.669 need to fix my car. I'm not going to say, you 00:16:15.669 --> 00:16:20.710 need to heal my car. No, fixing is like, I put 00:16:20.710 --> 00:16:23.570 this part here, here, here, done. So I will tell 00:16:23.570 --> 00:16:26.110 the mechanic, look, I really need the car in 00:16:26.110 --> 00:16:29.029 three days. And he says, no problem. Pay me extra, 00:16:29.210 --> 00:16:31.889 I'll just work extra hours and get your car done 00:16:31.889 --> 00:16:38.230 in three days. Fixing. Healing. I break my arm. 00:16:38.710 --> 00:16:41.970 I go to the doctor. And I said, doctor, I broke 00:16:41.970 --> 00:16:46.210 my arm. You need to fix this. So I need my arm 00:16:46.210 --> 00:16:49.549 fixed in three days. And he says, okay, sure. 00:16:50.129 --> 00:16:52.289 Pay me extra and three days your arm will be 00:16:52.289 --> 00:16:55.169 healed. No, it doesn't work that way, does it? 00:16:56.090 --> 00:16:59.590 The doctor cannot heal my arm. She can give me 00:16:59.590 --> 00:17:03.049 a treatment. But the body will have to heal it. 00:17:04.369 --> 00:17:07.809 And the person can tell me it may take between 00:17:07.809 --> 00:17:10.849 two to three weeks. Before you can move it again. 00:17:11.029 --> 00:17:14.849 And it ends up being three months. And in the 00:17:14.849 --> 00:17:17.390 healing process, as it's healing, maybe I mess 00:17:17.390 --> 00:17:21.029 up. And now the wound becomes worse. And now 00:17:21.029 --> 00:17:25.009 healing takes a year. Healing is a messy process. 00:17:26.890 --> 00:17:30.569 It's not in a timeline. It's much more in a direction. 00:17:31.849 --> 00:17:35.730 And did you notice what God is interested in? 00:17:36.299 --> 00:17:38.640 Is he interested in fixing you or in healing 00:17:38.640 --> 00:17:43.160 you? Ah, he's interested in healing your wounds. 00:17:44.579 --> 00:17:48.819 He knows you have a broken heart. And he cares 00:17:48.819 --> 00:17:52.099 about that. Right, of course, when we're in the 00:17:52.099 --> 00:17:54.500 midst of the pain, we can be under the deception 00:17:54.500 --> 00:17:57.259 that God doesn't care. Because if he really cared 00:17:57.259 --> 00:17:59.680 to start with, this wouldn't have happened. It 00:17:59.680 --> 00:18:05.069 makes sense. But it happened. So God does really 00:18:05.069 --> 00:18:09.950 see me? Does he really care about my pain? That's 00:18:09.950 --> 00:18:12.230 why the following verse says right away, look, 00:18:12.349 --> 00:18:17.309 God counts the stars and calls them all. By what? 00:18:17.970 --> 00:18:22.690 By name. All of them. Not even today with the 00:18:22.690 --> 00:18:25.049 technology and the telescopes that are in orbit 00:18:25.049 --> 00:18:29.210 today. We know all the stars. We know that there 00:18:29.210 --> 00:18:32.779 are too many to count. And astronomers give some 00:18:32.779 --> 00:18:39.339 of them a name, a number. But God knows all the 00:18:39.339 --> 00:18:46.859 stars by name. And his understanding is beyond 00:18:46.859 --> 00:18:55.109 any comprehension. His power is absolute. Which 00:18:55.109 --> 00:18:58.829 means that I am in that place of pain with my 00:18:58.829 --> 00:19:02.069 wound. I have to understand that I'm not going 00:19:02.069 --> 00:19:06.450 to understand why God allowed this or not. There's 00:19:06.450 --> 00:19:09.569 no way I will ever figure it out. It's beyond 00:19:09.569 --> 00:19:14.470 my understanding but not beyond His. And if He 00:19:14.470 --> 00:19:18.210 knows the stars by name, He knows me by name. 00:19:19.529 --> 00:19:23.009 And if He knows me by name, He knows about my 00:19:23.009 --> 00:19:26.289 journey. He knows about my wounds. And He tells 00:19:26.289 --> 00:19:28.849 me, I care about you and your journey and your 00:19:28.849 --> 00:19:32.730 wounds. And if you would just let me, I want 00:19:32.730 --> 00:19:35.890 to take you through a process of healing. Because 00:19:35.890 --> 00:19:43.029 I can give you peace. It makes such a difference 00:19:43.029 --> 00:19:47.170 to understand who God is. Because if we have 00:19:47.170 --> 00:19:49.630 the wrong perspective, we will never invite him 00:19:49.630 --> 00:19:53.569 into that healing place. We will keep him away. 00:19:56.109 --> 00:20:00.049 There was a young guy in the U .S. that did not 00:20:00.049 --> 00:20:04.710 have a good relationship with his parents. So 00:20:04.710 --> 00:20:08.970 especially dad, he felt abandoned by his father. 00:20:09.670 --> 00:20:12.809 But he started growing as a teenager and then 00:20:12.809 --> 00:20:17.980 he became an adult. Whenever you have that trauma 00:20:17.980 --> 00:20:20.900 with your dad or the absence of your dad, we 00:20:20.900 --> 00:20:25.799 call that the father wound. Because you learn 00:20:25.799 --> 00:20:31.079 to just move on with life. But a bad relationship 00:20:31.079 --> 00:20:34.539 with your father wounded you. And the effect 00:20:34.539 --> 00:20:40.160 of that can last for decades. And so it happened 00:20:40.160 --> 00:20:44.569 with him. As a teenager, he got into music. He 00:20:44.569 --> 00:20:46.750 was good at singing. He got together with some 00:20:46.750 --> 00:20:48.470 friends. They were all Christians. They believed 00:20:48.470 --> 00:20:51.529 in Jesus. They were following the Lord. And then 00:20:51.529 --> 00:20:54.349 they started getting some gigs here and there. 00:20:54.549 --> 00:20:56.490 So they started singing in different venues. 00:20:56.829 --> 00:20:59.170 And before you know it, they became a famous 00:20:59.170 --> 00:21:04.230 band. So he was the co -founder of a band called 00:21:04.230 --> 00:21:09.549 Newsboys. And as he became very famous and he 00:21:09.549 --> 00:21:12.680 started... Giving big concerts. And making lots 00:21:12.680 --> 00:21:16.980 of money with his band. John James is his name. 00:21:18.740 --> 00:21:24.559 He realized that. His father wound. Never healed. 00:21:26.380 --> 00:21:29.099 And you know what happens with a wound. That 00:21:29.099 --> 00:21:34.779 is not healing. Gets infected. So now the pain 00:21:34.779 --> 00:21:37.039 is worse than when it started. So by the way. 00:21:37.099 --> 00:21:40.230 Take your antibiotics for that reason. In the 00:21:40.230 --> 00:21:43.210 process of healing something. Because it gets 00:21:43.210 --> 00:21:47.130 infected. It gets worse. More pain. But also 00:21:47.130 --> 00:21:49.750 if it starts developing certain kind of infection. 00:21:50.029 --> 00:21:53.990 Then it starts stinking. And with the wound of 00:21:53.990 --> 00:21:58.950 the soul. It's kind of like that. For John. He 00:21:58.950 --> 00:22:01.829 started focusing on his career. The success and 00:22:01.829 --> 00:22:04.769 everything. But because his wound had not healed. 00:22:05.190 --> 00:22:09.329 He was engaging. And immoral behaviors on the 00:22:09.329 --> 00:22:14.809 side. And he started having a dual life. Imagine 00:22:14.809 --> 00:22:18.589 being invited for a Christian concert with the 00:22:18.589 --> 00:22:20.849 goal of ministering spiritually to everybody. 00:22:20.970 --> 00:22:24.910 While during the week he is engaging with women 00:22:24.910 --> 00:22:29.470 and other things. So he was feeling miserable. 00:22:30.349 --> 00:22:33.579 But he could not break it. He kept going through 00:22:33.579 --> 00:22:36.940 all of that time after time until it became known 00:22:36.940 --> 00:22:40.220 to the band. And the band asked him to step down. 00:22:40.819 --> 00:22:43.799 Then his wife that tried to work with him says, 00:22:43.839 --> 00:22:46.779 you know what? This is the end of our marriage. 00:22:47.619 --> 00:22:51.940 He lost his band. He lost his marriage. And now 00:22:51.940 --> 00:22:56.579 that he has hit bottom, he is wondering about 00:22:56.579 --> 00:23:00.789 this God that he follows. And he prays, he talks 00:23:00.789 --> 00:23:03.190 to God in a moment of desperation. And he says, 00:23:03.230 --> 00:23:06.809 God, how are you ever going to fix someone like 00:23:06.809 --> 00:23:11.549 me? Because that's how you feel as a wounded 00:23:11.549 --> 00:23:16.190 soul. It's disorienting. I keep making a mess 00:23:16.190 --> 00:23:20.670 out of my life. And I hate it, but I keep doing 00:23:20.670 --> 00:23:26.509 it. So God, am I beyond redemption? Am I beyond 00:23:26.509 --> 00:23:31.869 your power? But one thing that John had to understand 00:23:31.869 --> 00:23:35.089 was that he didn't need fixing because he was 00:23:35.089 --> 00:23:40.130 in a car. What he needed was healing. And healing 00:23:40.130 --> 00:23:46.650 is painful. Because now you have to be willing 00:23:46.650 --> 00:23:49.309 to start talking about things that you decide 00:23:49.309 --> 00:23:52.549 that you would prefer to forget. You have to 00:23:52.549 --> 00:23:57.049 start getting face to face with truth and the 00:23:57.049 --> 00:24:03.160 shame. And all the complications of what it has 00:24:03.160 --> 00:24:07.640 done in your life. That's why he says, letting 00:24:07.640 --> 00:24:10.799 God heal the wound of the abandonment and the 00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:14.519 rejection and the unfaithfulness. I can tell 00:24:14.519 --> 00:24:19.460 you, it was the most God -wrenching experience 00:24:19.460 --> 00:24:23.799 of dying to self I ever, ever had in my life. 00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:30.440 But that pain was healing pain. And that is what 00:24:30.440 --> 00:24:33.900 started leading to restoration in his life. And 00:24:33.900 --> 00:24:37.519 that is where he started experiencing God as 00:24:37.519 --> 00:24:40.799 the one who heals the brokenhearted and bandages 00:24:40.799 --> 00:24:44.440 their wounds. That's why he concludes in his 00:24:44.440 --> 00:24:48.740 testimony and he says, I believe that God is 00:24:48.740 --> 00:24:52.640 not only the God of the mountaintop, but the 00:24:52.640 --> 00:24:56.500 God of the valley, of the storm, of the grief, 00:24:56.759 --> 00:25:03.130 of the shipwreck. Of the loss. Of the pain. And 00:25:03.130 --> 00:25:09.769 he is there. Every step of the way. It has to 00:25:09.769 --> 00:25:13.210 be. Because if God is interested in your healing. 00:25:15.410 --> 00:25:18.509 He is going to walk with you. Until the healing 00:25:18.509 --> 00:25:23.089 is complete. And some healing. Will never be 00:25:23.089 --> 00:25:28.410 complete. Until you are in God's presence. That's 00:25:28.410 --> 00:25:31.349 why the apostle Paul says, I'm confident that 00:25:31.349 --> 00:25:34.750 the one who began the good work in you will complete 00:25:34.750 --> 00:25:39.069 it until the day of Jesus Christ. Because if 00:25:39.069 --> 00:25:41.410 God is the healer, he will walk with you through 00:25:41.410 --> 00:25:46.250 the process, but be ready for the pain. I remember 00:25:46.250 --> 00:25:50.150 somebody once described it like holding an onion 00:25:50.150 --> 00:25:53.529 in your hand. Would you imagine you have an onion 00:25:53.529 --> 00:25:56.890 in your hand? All like this, pick it up. Okay, 00:25:56.910 --> 00:26:02.910 now you have to peel it. Ah, well, you go through 00:26:02.910 --> 00:26:06.490 one layer, out. Oh, there's another one there. 00:26:06.690 --> 00:26:09.630 Let me take it out. Oh, there's another one there. 00:26:10.250 --> 00:26:14.509 So many layers. And the time you peel one and 00:26:14.509 --> 00:26:16.009 then you peel the other, what starts happening 00:26:16.009 --> 00:26:20.690 to your eyes? Oh, you want to cry, right? It's 00:26:20.690 --> 00:26:23.289 like, I cannot contain my tears. It's like, I 00:26:23.289 --> 00:26:26.059 don't know what's happening. Welcome to healing. 00:26:27.039 --> 00:26:31.180 You are that onion. Your wound is that onion. 00:26:31.420 --> 00:26:36.220 You have so many layers. And you think you're 00:26:36.220 --> 00:26:38.099 done. Thank you, Lord. And God says, no, look 00:26:38.099 --> 00:26:44.279 at it. Really? Okay. And then another one? How 00:26:44.279 --> 00:26:49.319 long is this going to take? As long as you... 00:26:50.360 --> 00:26:54.880 Because I see you and I want to heal your broken 00:26:54.880 --> 00:26:57.240 heart and bandage your wounds. Would you let 00:26:57.240 --> 00:27:01.180 me? And if you need to cry all along, I'll cry 00:27:01.180 --> 00:27:11.440 with you. God heals. Would you let him? The first 00:27:11.440 --> 00:27:13.839 question that we have to ask in the wounded soul 00:27:13.839 --> 00:27:19.769 journey is, who is God? Do I see him as the one 00:27:19.769 --> 00:27:25.029 that can heal me deep inside or not? Because 00:27:25.029 --> 00:27:29.609 if that is true, as long as you are trying to 00:27:29.609 --> 00:27:32.009 find healing anywhere else, you will never be 00:27:32.009 --> 00:27:38.470 able to experience healing. Only fixing. The 00:27:38.470 --> 00:27:42.230 second thing the psalm tells us. Is that there's 00:27:42.230 --> 00:27:44.369 a second question of the wounded soul. And that 00:27:44.369 --> 00:27:48.349 has to do with what is my attitude. About the 00:27:48.349 --> 00:27:53.369 pain I have and the wound I carry. Because one 00:27:53.369 --> 00:27:56.349 of the things that will happen. If you are going 00:27:56.349 --> 00:28:00.210 to be in avoidance mode. Rather than invite God 00:28:00.210 --> 00:28:02.509 to heal these aspects of your journey in your 00:28:02.509 --> 00:28:07.190 life. If instead of doing that. You just keep 00:28:07.190 --> 00:28:10.539 him aside. And you just try to manage it. then 00:28:10.539 --> 00:28:15.420 you are going to develop attitudes that are going 00:28:15.420 --> 00:28:19.339 to try to make you rely on your own strength, 00:28:19.460 --> 00:28:24.680 on your own plan, on your own control. Because 00:28:24.680 --> 00:28:27.279 as long as you control the outcome, you will 00:28:27.279 --> 00:28:31.859 find security. And one of the things that we 00:28:31.859 --> 00:28:36.359 have discovered in the study of abuse and sexual 00:28:36.359 --> 00:28:40.410 molestation, is that a large people who have 00:28:40.410 --> 00:28:43.269 experienced these things in their childhood, 00:28:43.589 --> 00:28:48.269 they end up working in sectors that are standing 00:28:48.269 --> 00:28:52.250 for justice. They are missionaries. They are 00:28:52.250 --> 00:28:56.789 helping the displaced, the poor, the people that 00:28:56.789 --> 00:29:00.170 are in a position where they need someone to 00:29:00.170 --> 00:29:07.079 defend them. So this wound suddenly starts becoming 00:29:07.079 --> 00:29:11.019 the reason why you start pursuing a career in 00:29:11.019 --> 00:29:16.140 your own strength. But what happens is you start 00:29:16.140 --> 00:29:18.519 pursuing your career in your strength while your 00:29:18.519 --> 00:29:21.539 wound has not healed. You know what happens? 00:29:22.900 --> 00:29:26.920 That wound remains. And you will continue with 00:29:26.920 --> 00:29:29.980 the same symptoms time after time after time. 00:29:30.779 --> 00:29:33.539 It's not in our strength that these things are 00:29:33.539 --> 00:29:39.519 addressed. The psalm says it very clearly. He 00:29:39.519 --> 00:29:41.960 takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse 00:29:41.960 --> 00:29:46.819 or in human might. You're not a horse, so that 00:29:46.819 --> 00:29:50.400 doesn't apply to you, but you're human. And God 00:29:50.400 --> 00:29:52.539 is not interested in you saying, God, I figured 00:29:52.539 --> 00:29:56.559 it out, all fixed. That's not going to happen. 00:29:56.839 --> 00:30:00.309 You can't figure it out. It's too complex and 00:30:00.309 --> 00:30:03.369 deep for you. It doesn't matter how many counseling 00:30:03.369 --> 00:30:07.369 books you read. They will help you understand. 00:30:07.690 --> 00:30:12.750 But understanding is not healing. God heals. 00:30:14.650 --> 00:30:18.250 And you have to start by realizing that, God, 00:30:18.289 --> 00:30:24.250 I need help. I'm not strong. I'm weak. I'm wounded. 00:30:25.839 --> 00:30:29.740 Would you encounter me in that place? That's 00:30:29.740 --> 00:30:33.160 why he says at the end. No. The Lord delights 00:30:33.160 --> 00:30:36.380 in those who fear him. Those who put their hope 00:30:36.380 --> 00:30:49.319 in what? In what? Oh. I can only experience healing. 00:30:50.940 --> 00:30:55.569 If I can rest in the fact that God. Loves me. 00:30:55.650 --> 00:31:00.569 With an unfailing. Never ending. Never disappointing. 00:31:02.509 --> 00:31:09.009 Never changing. Love. And it's when I rest. That 00:31:09.009 --> 00:31:11.609 is not my strength. I don't need to figure out. 00:31:11.789 --> 00:31:16.049 It's his strength. His power. His love. I'm just 00:31:16.049 --> 00:31:17.970 like the person that goes to the doctor. And 00:31:17.970 --> 00:31:22.230 says surgery. Just put me out. I have no idea 00:31:22.230 --> 00:31:24.640 what you're going to do. But I know I can trust 00:31:24.640 --> 00:31:27.799 you because you know what you're doing. God, 00:31:27.819 --> 00:31:31.119 I will never be able to understand you, but can 00:31:31.119 --> 00:31:35.339 I trust in your love? Because at the end of the 00:31:35.339 --> 00:31:38.839 day, that is the question. If you are stuck in 00:31:38.839 --> 00:31:41.880 the, but why Lord? Why that? Why this? Remember, 00:31:42.039 --> 00:31:44.859 it's not an issue of understanding for you, but 00:31:44.859 --> 00:31:50.019 it is an issue of trust. Will you trust in God's 00:31:50.019 --> 00:31:57.609 love? Now, something that happened in the life 00:31:57.609 --> 00:32:01.750 of Laura. It was an amazing journey of the wounded 00:32:01.750 --> 00:32:07.049 soul. Because Laura grew up in a home that they 00:32:07.049 --> 00:32:09.230 were all Christians. She went to church, but 00:32:09.230 --> 00:32:11.130 she did not have a good relationship with mom. 00:32:11.950 --> 00:32:14.910 And then she experienced sexual molestation as 00:32:14.910 --> 00:32:18.650 a child from a friend. And then as a teenager, 00:32:18.769 --> 00:32:21.450 she became promiscuous. And then she started... 00:32:21.930 --> 00:32:24.730 Not walking with God. And that led her into a 00:32:24.730 --> 00:32:31.690 path. Into adulthood. Where she decided. That 00:32:31.690 --> 00:32:36.829 the solution to her inner world. And the feelings 00:32:36.829 --> 00:32:40.309 that she was having. Was that she needed to become 00:32:40.309 --> 00:32:44.970 a man. So she did. She had all surgeries. All 00:32:44.970 --> 00:32:48.630 done. Then she went and did all the paperwork. 00:32:48.950 --> 00:32:53.140 And she became legally. And her name now was 00:32:53.140 --> 00:32:58.279 Jack. And now as Jack, she was working in different 00:32:58.279 --> 00:33:01.619 companies. And she always introduced herself 00:33:01.619 --> 00:33:05.839 to people as a man named Jack. And then she started 00:33:05.839 --> 00:33:08.180 dating this person. And then she started living 00:33:08.180 --> 00:33:11.799 with this partner. And now she had a relationship. 00:33:13.700 --> 00:33:19.329 All of it as Jack. Until... The God who heals 00:33:19.329 --> 00:33:25.690 the broken hearted. Started calling her. And 00:33:25.690 --> 00:33:28.210 she had an encounter with the gospel of Jesus 00:33:28.210 --> 00:33:32.869 Christ. And now she started following Jesus. 00:33:34.230 --> 00:33:37.730 And as she started following Jesus. She reasoned 00:33:37.730 --> 00:33:41.230 and she thought. Okay. Jesus you are my savior. 00:33:41.549 --> 00:33:43.970 I'm going to follow you. But I'm going to be 00:33:43.970 --> 00:33:49.700 the most faithful man until death. To you. So 00:33:49.700 --> 00:33:51.900 she was going to follow Jesus until the end. 00:33:51.900 --> 00:33:55.859 As Jack. Obviously. I'm already a man. She thought. 00:33:57.880 --> 00:34:02.539 But one day. As she was seeking God. She says 00:34:02.539 --> 00:34:04.799 that she had this impression. As God asking her. 00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:07.880 So if you were to come to my presence today. 00:34:08.460 --> 00:34:13.380 What name do you want me to call you? And at 00:34:13.380 --> 00:34:17.670 that moment. She started feeling tension. It's 00:34:17.670 --> 00:34:22.150 as if God was pointing to the onion, and she 00:34:22.150 --> 00:34:25.929 didn't want to look at it. But then it continued, 00:34:26.289 --> 00:34:29.949 and then one day, as she's seeking God, she says, 00:34:29.969 --> 00:34:33.269 you know, I felt in my heart as if God was really 00:34:33.269 --> 00:34:40.570 directly asking me this question. Would you let 00:34:40.570 --> 00:34:48.460 me tell you who you are? And it was at that moment 00:34:48.460 --> 00:34:52.900 that the realization started slowly becoming 00:34:52.900 --> 00:34:56.599 completely open in her mind that all of these 00:34:56.599 --> 00:35:00.780 years what she had been trying to do was to pursue 00:35:00.780 --> 00:35:05.099 an identity of her own in order to bury the wounds 00:35:05.099 --> 00:35:09.440 that she had been carrying all along. And now 00:35:09.440 --> 00:35:13.000 God was inviting her to a place of healing, not 00:35:13.000 --> 00:35:16.860 fixing. A journey that was messy and complex. 00:35:17.159 --> 00:35:22.900 Not a strategy. And she writes and she says, 00:35:22.980 --> 00:35:25.980 I had been running from God all my life. Trying 00:35:25.980 --> 00:35:30.699 to define myself. Trying to discover who I was. 00:35:31.659 --> 00:35:36.500 When all along, all I had to do was to ask Him. 00:35:37.550 --> 00:35:41.670 Then I knew that only God could define me because 00:35:41.670 --> 00:35:46.949 He had created me and there was freedom in that. 00:35:47.670 --> 00:35:52.110 That was the wrestling of her wounded soul. She 00:35:52.110 --> 00:35:55.050 had to come to terms with the realization that 00:35:55.050 --> 00:36:00.050 if God had created her and that if God loved 00:36:00.050 --> 00:36:05.809 her, could she trust her identity in God's love? 00:36:09.480 --> 00:36:13.719 And until she did, the messy journey of healing, 00:36:13.940 --> 00:36:19.619 the painful journey of healing began. And there 00:36:19.619 --> 00:36:24.139 was the moment in which she felt that that healing 00:36:24.139 --> 00:36:28.960 God was leading her to now embrace her identity 00:36:28.960 --> 00:36:33.119 as Laura. God had created her a woman and maybe 00:36:33.119 --> 00:36:36.619 God knew what he was doing and she was going 00:36:36.619 --> 00:36:41.230 to trust in God's love. She did not know that 00:36:41.230 --> 00:36:43.750 that was the beginning of a whole new season 00:36:43.750 --> 00:36:47.989 of her life that was going to lead her into getting 00:36:47.989 --> 00:36:54.190 married and also into serving God. And now her 00:36:54.190 --> 00:36:56.630 journey is completely different from where she 00:36:56.630 --> 00:36:59.469 was when the God who heals the broken heart had 00:36:59.469 --> 00:37:03.730 met her. Because that's the way that God works. 00:37:03.869 --> 00:37:06.489 He meets you in your woundedness, but He doesn't 00:37:06.489 --> 00:37:09.349 want to leave you there. He's there to walk with 00:37:09.349 --> 00:37:12.150 you to healing, whatever that healing looks like 00:37:12.150 --> 00:37:18.989 and whatever long it takes. She wrote her entire 00:37:18.989 --> 00:37:21.250 testimony in this book called Transgender to 00:37:21.250 --> 00:37:25.710 Transform, which is raw. She says it as it is. 00:37:26.769 --> 00:37:30.110 And she talks about the whole experience of going 00:37:30.110 --> 00:37:34.219 through the wrestling. In this time of healing 00:37:34.219 --> 00:37:37.260 in her life. So if this is a topic that matters 00:37:37.260 --> 00:37:40.760 to you, this is a book that might help you see 00:37:40.760 --> 00:37:43.619 through the eyes of someone that has gone through 00:37:43.619 --> 00:37:47.860 that journey. So I have to ask you that question. 00:37:48.019 --> 00:37:52.300 What is your attitude? Are you trusting in God's 00:37:52.300 --> 00:37:57.340 love? That He actually cares for you and your 00:37:57.340 --> 00:38:01.000 future? And that if you come to him with the 00:38:01.000 --> 00:38:04.179 messiness of your journey and your woundedness, 00:38:04.280 --> 00:38:06.719 that perhaps he does have the power to bring 00:38:06.719 --> 00:38:13.860 order to chaos. You will have, if you want to 00:38:13.860 --> 00:38:17.960 experience healing, you will have to stop trying 00:38:17.960 --> 00:38:20.900 to be this strong and to figure it out on your 00:38:20.900 --> 00:38:24.360 own. And you will have to accept that you are 00:38:24.360 --> 00:38:27.420 broken, wounded, and you need to simply come. 00:38:27.869 --> 00:38:31.769 To the one that knows better. And cares for you. 00:38:34.170 --> 00:38:37.630 Powerful psalm. And this is what the nation experienced. 00:38:38.409 --> 00:38:42.090 And they write it for us to know. But then they 00:38:42.090 --> 00:38:45.070 say one more thing. At the end of the psalm. 00:38:45.090 --> 00:38:47.449 Which does not have to do anymore with what I 00:38:47.449 --> 00:38:50.010 think of God. Or the attitude I have about him. 00:38:50.210 --> 00:38:55.199 But it talks about what is my foundation. Because 00:38:55.199 --> 00:38:57.800 whenever you are in a process of woundedness, 00:38:58.119 --> 00:39:01.579 naturally if you want to find healing, you're 00:39:01.579 --> 00:39:04.860 going to seek help. But in the process of seeking 00:39:04.860 --> 00:39:07.460 help, one of the things you discover is that 00:39:07.460 --> 00:39:10.059 not all the voices tell you the same message. 00:39:11.380 --> 00:39:14.599 Not all the experts agree on what you need to 00:39:14.599 --> 00:39:19.440 do. And therefore you talk to this person, and 00:39:19.440 --> 00:39:21.760 if they are experts in their field, but they 00:39:21.760 --> 00:39:23.719 do not believe in God, they tell you one thing. 00:39:25.949 --> 00:39:28.389 But you talk to another expert in the field that 00:39:28.389 --> 00:39:29.849 believes in God, tells you a different thing. 00:39:30.050 --> 00:39:32.250 And then you talk to a religious leader, they 00:39:32.250 --> 00:39:35.150 tell you another thing. And then you read a book, 00:39:35.190 --> 00:39:38.869 and it tells you another thing. What is your 00:39:38.869 --> 00:39:42.389 foundation? Is there a foundation that actually 00:39:42.389 --> 00:39:48.730 is like a light to light the path? This is what 00:39:48.730 --> 00:39:51.849 the psalm says at the end. Yes, there is a foundation 00:39:51.849 --> 00:39:55.639 that the book of Psalms calls the light. And 00:39:55.639 --> 00:40:01.659 to our path. And they write it like this. God 00:40:01.659 --> 00:40:06.300 has revealed his words. To Jacob. His decrees 00:40:06.300 --> 00:40:09.579 and regulations. To Israel. He has done this 00:40:09.579 --> 00:40:13.980 for no other nation. They do not know the regulations. 00:40:14.039 --> 00:40:16.300 They have complete different foundations. But 00:40:16.300 --> 00:40:20.340 we have the word of God. And God revealed his 00:40:20.340 --> 00:40:27.969 word to us. And that is true. From Moses, to 00:40:27.969 --> 00:40:31.530 the Psalms, to the prophets, to the New Testament, 00:40:31.929 --> 00:40:36.369 to the Gospels, to the letters, to Revelation. 00:40:36.449 --> 00:40:40.050 From beginning till end, the word of God was 00:40:40.050 --> 00:40:44.190 revealed to the Jews. It was entrusted to Israel. 00:40:45.110 --> 00:40:48.550 And we owe the word of God to the nation of Israel. 00:40:49.769 --> 00:40:54.119 It was after that. That we Gentiles heard about 00:40:54.119 --> 00:40:57.480 the love of God. And that Jesus was the Messiah 00:40:57.480 --> 00:41:02.820 that came to die for our sins. We have for centuries 00:41:02.820 --> 00:41:06.039 and millennia. The foundation given to us by 00:41:06.039 --> 00:41:09.320 God himself. And you have it now in your language. 00:41:09.420 --> 00:41:12.760 You have it in many versions. In many types of 00:41:12.760 --> 00:41:15.139 covers. But the problem is not whether you have 00:41:15.139 --> 00:41:18.780 it or not. The problem is do you trust it? Do 00:41:18.780 --> 00:41:22.079 you believe that God's word is the ultimate foundation 00:41:22.079 --> 00:41:26.539 to give you the direction and the clarity in 00:41:26.539 --> 00:41:29.340 the time of confusion so that it will lead you 00:41:29.340 --> 00:41:35.000 into the healing? It was a very interesting story 00:41:35.000 --> 00:41:38.760 because in the case of Cheryl, she did not know 00:41:38.760 --> 00:41:42.610 God. She was not a Christian. She just was focused 00:41:42.610 --> 00:41:46.429 on her career, living like what we call in the 00:41:46.429 --> 00:41:50.010 U .S. the American dream. You got the career, 00:41:50.190 --> 00:41:52.630 you got the job, you have the money, you have 00:41:52.630 --> 00:41:56.849 the family. Just be as affluent as you can be 00:41:56.849 --> 00:42:01.489 and enjoy life. So she was and her husband both 00:42:01.489 --> 00:42:06.750 very successful in their careers. But then she 00:42:06.750 --> 00:42:09.300 started... Feeling dissatisfied with her marriage, 00:42:09.380 --> 00:42:11.619 she started becoming more fake. And she started 00:42:11.619 --> 00:42:15.420 thinking that she didn't really love him. But 00:42:15.420 --> 00:42:17.559 at her job, she was getting all the attention 00:42:17.559 --> 00:42:20.300 as the executive. And she was getting all the 00:42:20.300 --> 00:42:23.699 attention from some co -workers. And in one of 00:42:23.699 --> 00:42:26.039 those business trips at a hotel, she had an affair 00:42:26.039 --> 00:42:28.719 with one of the co -workers. And she decided, 00:42:28.840 --> 00:42:31.159 you know what, I'm done with my marriage. And 00:42:31.159 --> 00:42:35.650 so they ended the marriage in divorce. Husband 00:42:35.650 --> 00:42:39.170 was completely heartbroken because of the betrayal. 00:42:39.329 --> 00:42:42.510 He could not believe. She didn't recognize who 00:42:42.510 --> 00:42:48.710 this woman was. But it was in their time of brokenness 00:42:48.710 --> 00:42:50.809 and that journey that they heard about Jesus 00:42:50.809 --> 00:42:53.690 individually from each other. Just a few weeks 00:42:53.690 --> 00:42:56.889 apart, they both gave their lives to Christ. 00:42:57.610 --> 00:43:01.809 And at that moment, God started working deeper 00:43:01.809 --> 00:43:05.889 in their lives separately from each other. And 00:43:05.889 --> 00:43:08.690 one of the things that Cheryl started sensing 00:43:08.690 --> 00:43:15.670 was, God wanted her to not get remarried, but 00:43:15.670 --> 00:43:19.989 to wait for the healing of her marriage. Really? 00:43:20.369 --> 00:43:22.909 Would he ever take me back after everything I 00:43:22.909 --> 00:43:26.789 did? So she talked to him. And she says, look, 00:43:26.989 --> 00:43:29.570 I am following Jesus now. I heard you are following 00:43:29.570 --> 00:43:34.150 Jesus too. I think that God is wanting us to 00:43:34.150 --> 00:43:36.630 restore our marriage. And I just need to know. 00:43:37.829 --> 00:43:39.849 Is this something that you will be willing to 00:43:39.849 --> 00:43:44.309 do? And with all the bitterness that was in his 00:43:44.309 --> 00:43:48.389 heart, he looks at her and says, never. Don't 00:43:48.389 --> 00:43:50.969 ever think about it. Don't ever bring it again. 00:43:51.130 --> 00:43:57.010 I will never do this. He was wounded, of course. 00:43:57.969 --> 00:44:00.269 But he was in that journey now that God started 00:44:00.269 --> 00:44:04.179 speaking to him. And you know how long that healing 00:44:04.179 --> 00:44:09.400 took? Seven years of divorce until the wound 00:44:09.400 --> 00:44:14.179 was healed. And now God called them to come back 00:44:14.179 --> 00:44:18.480 together. And now both were able to start building 00:44:18.480 --> 00:44:22.599 a marriage that was founded on the Word of God. 00:44:24.900 --> 00:44:27.300 Once you realize that the Word of God is the 00:44:27.300 --> 00:44:32.099 true foundation, it's amazing. What God can do 00:44:32.099 --> 00:44:36.420 in your life. If you just trust his word. And 00:44:36.420 --> 00:44:41.460 don't trust those that disagree with it. He heals 00:44:41.460 --> 00:44:45.239 the broken hearted. He can't heal infidelity. 00:44:45.920 --> 00:44:49.860 He can't heal a broken marriage. He can. And 00:44:49.860 --> 00:44:51.880 even though it is true that in his wisdom he 00:44:51.880 --> 00:44:56.250 has allowed some marriages to end. And die. He 00:44:56.250 --> 00:44:59.429 has the power to heal wounds that other people 00:44:59.429 --> 00:45:04.769 will say this will never happen. This is the 00:45:04.769 --> 00:45:10.630 God who heals the brokenhearted. If you are looking 00:45:10.630 --> 00:45:14.769 back at the past that you have left behind, and 00:45:14.769 --> 00:45:20.159 you feel this is beyond redemption, Look at the 00:45:20.159 --> 00:45:22.940 words that Cheryl wrote because she says, I look 00:45:22.940 --> 00:45:25.500 at what I left behind and I realize I made such 00:45:25.500 --> 00:45:29.820 a huge mistake. You know that weight? What have 00:45:29.820 --> 00:45:34.619 I done? The mess I've created? God, would you 00:45:34.619 --> 00:45:39.019 ever be able to fix someone like me? Those are 00:45:39.019 --> 00:45:42.039 the prayers of the wounded soul. And the answer 00:45:42.039 --> 00:45:46.679 here that Psalm tells us is yes. There is hope, 00:45:46.679 --> 00:45:50.050 there is future if you allow God. To heal you. 00:45:50.869 --> 00:45:54.449 So is the word of God your foundation? Or you 00:45:54.449 --> 00:45:57.570 have bought into the deception. That you cannot 00:45:57.570 --> 00:46:02.150 trust God's word. Antiquated. Cannot tell you 00:46:02.150 --> 00:46:04.789 how to live life today. Because it's too old. 00:46:04.849 --> 00:46:10.829 Life is different today. Not so. So with this 00:46:10.829 --> 00:46:15.530 in mind. I want to remind you. That God wants 00:46:15.530 --> 00:46:19.780 to encounter you. In your journey. He doesn't 00:46:19.780 --> 00:46:23.139 want you to just get used to the wound. He wants 00:46:23.139 --> 00:46:26.760 you to address it and heal it. And he can indeed 00:46:26.760 --> 00:46:29.320 meet you in that place. That's why the words 00:46:29.320 --> 00:46:34.179 of Jesus who are the invitation to us. He says 00:46:34.179 --> 00:46:41.079 this to you and to me. Come to me. To me. Not 00:46:41.079 --> 00:46:46.800 to them or to that. Come to me. All you who are 00:46:46.800 --> 00:46:50.340 weary and burdened. And I will give you rest. 00:46:51.300 --> 00:46:56.579 I can give you peace if you let me. But how could 00:46:56.579 --> 00:46:59.000 you ever experience my peace if you don't trust 00:46:59.000 --> 00:47:05.960 in my love? So in conclusion for this study. 00:47:06.099 --> 00:47:09.639 If you are a wounded soul today. No matter how 00:47:09.639 --> 00:47:14.460 complex your journey is. These are the three 00:47:14.460 --> 00:47:16.820 convictions that will lead you to healing if 00:47:16.820 --> 00:47:20.380 you listen to what God is saying to you today. 00:47:22.400 --> 00:47:25.320 First thing, remember that God is interested 00:47:25.320 --> 00:47:29.539 in your healing, not in your fixing. Therefore, 00:47:29.559 --> 00:47:32.739 you have to be willing to engage with the mess 00:47:32.739 --> 00:47:36.639 and the pain for as long as it takes. God is 00:47:36.639 --> 00:47:43.199 willing, but are you? Secondly, God loves you. 00:47:44.619 --> 00:47:49.420 And you have to rest and trust in his love if 00:47:49.420 --> 00:47:52.960 you will ever be able to endure the process. 00:47:53.820 --> 00:47:59.539 He loves you. And thirdly, you will have to trust 00:47:59.539 --> 00:48:02.039 in the direction that he has given you in his 00:48:02.039 --> 00:48:06.300 word. Because that direction is the one that 00:48:06.300 --> 00:48:08.380 will lead you through the path of confession 00:48:08.380 --> 00:48:12.039 all the way to healing. And one day, who knows, 00:48:12.260 --> 00:48:15.480 after you have gone through the 70 years of captivity 00:48:15.480 --> 00:48:19.940 in your own life, you will be able to sit down 00:48:19.940 --> 00:48:23.960 and write your own song of praising God because 00:48:23.960 --> 00:48:27.320 of what He did in your life. And you will be 00:48:27.320 --> 00:48:30.000 able to join the voices of all of these people 00:48:30.000 --> 00:48:34.340 that said, God heals the brokenhearted and bandages 00:48:34.340 --> 00:48:40.869 their wounds. Praise God! And I just pray that 00:48:40.869 --> 00:48:44.869 that will be your journey. Lord, it is in your 00:48:44.869 --> 00:48:52.969 presence that we acknowledge you. The one who 00:48:52.969 --> 00:49:00.710 created us, who designed us, who loves us. The 00:49:00.710 --> 00:49:03.789 one who is interested in our wounds and our journey. 00:49:04.510 --> 00:49:07.269 The one who is willing to walk with us all the 00:49:07.269 --> 00:49:11.889 way till the end. The one that is not here to 00:49:11.889 --> 00:49:18.909 fix us. But to love us through healing. We proclaim 00:49:18.909 --> 00:49:23.230 and agree with what your word says. You are the 00:49:23.230 --> 00:49:25.710 God who heals the broken hearted and bandages 00:49:25.710 --> 00:49:30.190 our wounds. We believe that. So it is in Jesus 00:49:30.190 --> 00:49:33.510 name that I ask you Lord that as we worship you. 00:49:33.900 --> 00:49:38.019 You let this true be like a sword that is breaking 00:49:38.019 --> 00:49:44.559 chains. Like a balm that is reaching the deepest 00:49:44.559 --> 00:49:48.800 parts of our being. Beginning the healing process 00:49:48.800 --> 00:49:55.280 that you are inviting us to. Holy Spirit, lead 00:49:55.280 --> 00:50:00.280 us into truth. Truth that heals. You are the 00:50:00.280 --> 00:50:04.750 one that convicts. So as we worship, convince 00:50:04.750 --> 00:50:08.630 our hearts and speak into our wounded souls in 00:50:08.630 --> 00:50:18.070 Jesus' name. Thank you for tuning in to the ECB 00:50:18.070 --> 00:50:22.110 Sermon Podcast. Whether near or far, if you are 00:50:22.110 --> 00:50:25.170 looking for community or are in need of prayer, 00:50:25.489 --> 00:50:28.710 we welcome you to engage by sending us an email 00:50:28.710 --> 00:50:34.079 to office at ecb .asia. If God is calling you 00:50:34.079 --> 00:50:36.800 to support our ministries, you will find giving 00:50:36.800 --> 00:50:40.599 options on our website. And remember to join 00:50:40.599 --> 00:50:42.679 us next week. God bless you.