A Date With Destiny - The Judgment - SFC2210

SPEAKER A Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. SPEAKER B Would you like to better understand the Bible? How can you grow as a Christian and find personal peace? What happens at the second coming of Jesus? What is the relevance of Bible prophecy today? How do you identify a cult? What happens when you die? Here is your opportunity to find answers to these and many other questions by exploring 30 not only relevant, but life changing topics that await your discovery. Welcome to search for certainty. SPEAKER C I'm glad you could join us. I'm your host Gayl Fong, and with me in the studio today is Hana Nakagawa. Welcome, Hana. SPEAKER D Thank you, Gayl. SPEAKER C Well, we have a wonderful Bible study today, Hana. It's entitled A Date with Destiny or the Judgment. And last time we were doing Bible study together, we talked about the 2300 evening and morning and then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. So today we're looking at a date with destiny, the Judgment. We've discovered an amazing truth. We are living in judgment hour. The Bible refers to the judgment more than 1000 times. In 1844, God's prophetic time clock struck the hour. Revelation's angelic messenger announced the hour of God's judgment has come. That's in Revelation 14, verse seven in the judgment, Christ is revealed as fully just and loving in his handling of the sin problem. Each case is decided for life or death. The entire universe recognizes that God has done everything possible to save every single person in the judgment. God's heart of infinite love asks is there anything more I could have done? There is nothing more. Love has done all it could. All of heaven pauses to consider the choices each individual has made in the light of God's incredible desire to save them. Today's lesson unfolds the importance of our choices in the 21st century. So before we begin, Hana, would you open with prayer for us? SPEAKER D Sure. SPEAKER E Let's pray. SPEAKER D Heavenly Father, we come to you and we want to praise you because you are God, who is good, who is faithful, who is always father, as we. SPEAKER E Open your scriptures, we need your Holy Spirit. Please pour out your Holy Spirit to be with us, guide us, lead us, and give us understanding. We pray all these things in Jesus name. Amen. SPEAKER C Amen. Thank you so much, Hana. Well, how does the Bible describe the awesome scene of God's judgment in the heavenly courts? And we're going to turn to the ancient book of Daniel. Daniel, chapter seven, verses nine and ten. SPEAKER E It says I watched till thorn were put in place, and the ancient of days was seated. His garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head was like pure woo. His throne was a fairy flame, its wheels a burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him. A thousand ministered to him 10,000 times 10,000 stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were open. SPEAKER C Wow. Hana, so Daniel is being shown forward to this judgment scene. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER C And the Bible says, thrones were put in place and the ancient of Days was seated. Wow. Thousands upon thousands ministered to him. To him. So they would be angels. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E And the court was seated. SPEAKER C Seated. Wow. And the books were open. Opened. That does depict a judgment scene happening in heaven. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C All heaven is interested in this judgment. The destiny of the entire human race will be settled forever. The honor of God's throne is at stake. Well, Hana, how universal is God's judgment? We go to the New Testament, to two Corinthians, chapter five and verse ten. We'll also look in Romans as well, but we'll look at two Corinthians, chapter five and verse ten. SPEAKER E The Bible says, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each 1 may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad. SPEAKER C That's very inclusive. SPEAKER D That's right. We must all appear. SPEAKER C Wow. What does Paul write in the book of Romans? Romans, chapter 14 and verse twelve. SPEAKER E It says, so then each of us shall give account of himself to God. SPEAKER C So each of us, again, very inclusive for every human being. SPEAKER E Yeah. SPEAKER C So it is a serious matter. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER E All universe will be judged. SPEAKER C Wow. What records are kept that will provide an accurate description of our lives in the judgment? Is there a record kept? We turn to the book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible. Revelation, chapter 20 and verse twelve. SPEAKER E It says, and I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God. And the books were opened, and another book were opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works by the things which were written in the books. SPEAKER C So God keeps a record. He keeps books. Wow. You think of millions of pieces of information can be stored in the memory of sophisticated computers. Wow. God can easily preserve our character decisions. Whose names are in the Book of Life? We've got two verses to look at here in the New Testament. The first one, Hana, if you'd read for us, is from Philippians, chapter four and verse three. Whose names are in the book of Life? SPEAKER D Sure. SPEAKER E Philippians, chapter four, verse three. It says, and I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the Gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of Life. SPEAKER C That's very encouraging. So they were laborers together with Paul in the Gospel, or we call them fellow workers. SPEAKER D Fellow workers, yes. SPEAKER C They had a passion to share the good news with others. Wow. We're told that their names are in the book of Life. What about Revelation, chapter three and verse five? SPEAKER E The Bible says, he who overcomes shall be clothes in white garments and I will not blot out his name from the Book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before his angels. SPEAKER C Wow. So there. Hana, they're called overcomers. SPEAKER D Overcomers. SPEAKER E Yes. And they are closed in the white garment. SPEAKER C Wow. When we accept Jesus, we pass from spiritual death to spiritual life. Without Christ, we are dead in sin. Well, since the wages of sin is death, maybe. Hana, if you'd look up Romans chapter six and verse 23. SPEAKER D Sure. SPEAKER C Romans chapter six and verse 23, it. SPEAKER E Says, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. SPEAKER C That's the good news. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER C Obviously, we're deserving of death, but I love the second half of that verse. SPEAKER E Yes. SPEAKER C We have no possibility of living eternally without Christ. We truly needed a savior. Well, when we come to Jesus, we receive the gift of eternal life from Him, and our names are placed in the Book of life. Hana, when you accepted Jesus and that realization that he has taken your place on Calvary, his perfect life covers yours. I don't know if you remember how you felt or the joy that you experienced. SPEAKER D Wow. Well, it is so hard to express with a I can't explain it in a words, but I remember the moment there was an appeal that I made a decision, that I raised my hand, and that moment I was just crying. And there was a joy that I have never felt before. My heart was rejoicing and just coming back to God, who I really am. I felt that way. It's really beautiful that it's not what we do, but what God has done. We are saved. And that righteous robe, we can't have that by ourself. We just need to receive it as a gift. So it's nothing about our works or deeds, but receiving that gift in our heart. SPEAKER C Amen. That's beautiful. Hana I remember as a teenager, I think I was about 16 that I was just grasping more and more. Although I had accepted Christ as my personal savior, the realization and experience of that peace that he gives us and knowing that, yes, just what you've expressed, that he accepts us and he forgives us and he clothes us in his perfect robe of righteousness or his character covers my imperfection. It truly does bring joy to your heart. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER C Thank you for sharing that. Hana. Well, what does God record in his book of remembrance? In Malachi, chapter three and verse 16. SPEAKER E It says, then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them. So a Book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on his name. SPEAKER C Wow. So God likes to keep a record. SPEAKER E Yes, he listened and heard them. SPEAKER C I don't know if you ever had an autograph book if you did that in Japan as children growing up we used to have autograph books as we were growing up, and we would ask our parents, our grandparents, our friends to write little messages in our autograph book, and then they would sign it. And so we would look back on the little sayings that people had written in there, and they were generally meant to be wise sayings, or sometimes they were a little on the funny side. But I remember my grandmother wrote something about that. It's hard to find the towel when your eyes are full of soap, but the girl Worthwhile is a girl who can smile when everything goes wrong. And I remember that little diddy, and I thought it was a bit unusual at the time, but over the years, as I've looked back and I see what my grandmother wrote, it makes more sense to me, and it's become very precious because my grandmother has actually passed away. But when I think about God's Brag book, he wants to keep a book of remembrance. Wow. He clearly records a faithful record of our characters. His record books reveal what we actually are. There's no pretense or make believe with God. Hana, are our sins actually recorded before God? Jeremiah writes in Jeremiah 222, how does the prophet Jeremiah put it? SPEAKER E He said, for though you wash yourself with a lyle and use much soap, yet your iniquity is marked before me, says the Lord God. So our iniquity is also marked before God. We cannot wash it, we cannot hide it. SPEAKER C That's so true, Hana. And that word marked literally is stained. Yes. Or defiled. So we truly need help. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER C How detailed is the judgment? How deeply does it probe into individual lives? Hana, if you would turn to Matthew, chapter twelve, verse 36 and 37. We have a couple of verses on this question. SPEAKER E It says, But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, that will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. SPEAKER C So words are really important. SPEAKER D That's right. If you have to give account of it in a day of judgment, it's. SPEAKER C Something sobering to think about. SPEAKER D Yes. The tongue has a power. Water has a power. It bring people uplift to God, lift up God. But also we can discourage people with our tongues, so we need to be careful on that. SPEAKER C That is so true, Hana. Yes. And God is obviously keeping a record of every word that we say. Wow. What does Ecclesiastes twelve and verse 13 and 14? What does the Bible say in Ecclesiastes 1213 and 14? Of course, Ecclesiastes was written by King Solomon. SPEAKER D That's right. Wisest men. SPEAKER C Yes. Thank you, Hana, for reading that verse. SPEAKER D Sure. SPEAKER E He says, Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or bad. SPEAKER C Wow. Again, there's no hiding from God. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER C Hana, did you have siblings growing up? SPEAKER D Yes, I have older sister who is. SPEAKER E Three, four years older than me. SPEAKER C And were there ever any sibling little skirmishes in your family? I mean, it seems to happen in every family. I don't know how you used to fare, but I know in my family when things didn't go quite right and mum would come to settle disagreements or whatever, I know we used to think, well, God knows, god knows who's right. I don't know if those sort of things went on in your family. But God does know. SPEAKER D That's right. He's the just judge. SPEAKER C Yes. And we can't hide it. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER C From him. He knows every secret thing, whether it's good or whether it is evil. Wow. To think that God knows what we are on the inside. SPEAKER E Yes. SPEAKER C Will anything remain hidden from God? What does the Bible say? In one Corinthians chapter four and verse five? SPEAKER E The Bible says therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God. So it says, who will both bring to the light the hidden things of darkness. SPEAKER C Wow. So I guess Paul is really saying there that yes. God understands even our private motives. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER E That no. SPEAKER D 1 may know or even ourself may know, but God knows. SPEAKER C That's so true, Hana. It's something to stop and spend that quiet time to think about why am I doing this? What is my reason for doing this? What is my motive for doing this? And sometimes we don't like what we recognize in ourselves. Oh, I'm so glad we have a savior. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER C That we can run to when we see the ugliness in our own heart. SPEAKER D And it is only when we see ourselves in the comparing ourselves with God that's when it's possible to see how unworthy we are. Because oftentimes we compare ourselves with other people and look in other people and think oh, I'm pretty good. But then we need to compare ourselves with God and we never yeah. SPEAKER E No one can justify ourselves. SPEAKER C That is so true, Hana. Yes, and it is. It's so true that we sometimes do compare ourselves amongst ourselves. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER C But there is only one that is Jesus. SPEAKER D That's right. Just a quick story that when I was not a Christian but starting to get to know God and that time I was doing a volunteer for children in developing country and it's something that good things everyone would think that, oh, that's really good things. And I myself thought that I want to help kids, I want to make them happy. And that's why I was doing. But one day I heard this little voice asking me why do you do this? Why are you doing this. SPEAKER E And that was very gentle voice that asking me. SPEAKER D And I now know that that was the Holy Spirit. And that time I realized that, wait, I'm not doing this for other people, I'm actually doing this for myself. I say to people that I want to do this for others. But the motive, which I didn't even know, but the motive that God was convicting me was that I had the very big pride and selfishness in me that if I do this, maybe people would really think that I'm a good person or people will praise me. And God really knows the bottom of our heart like this. Hidden things. That was when I was starting the journey with God. But God spoke to me that thank. SPEAKER C You for sharing that testimony, Hana. And it's something you've never forgotten. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER C It was so impactful. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER C How special that moment was when God spoke to you. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C And he does that for others. We sometimes just have to be still to listen to his voice. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER C We may not even know it is his voice. SPEAKER D That's right. I did not know, like, oh, where is this voice coming from? But that's when I was realizing, oh, I'm actually a sinner, I'm very selfish person. But since until then, I didn't understand what it means that everyone is a sinner. I thought, I'm okay, I didn't think. SPEAKER C You were so bad. SPEAKER D I've never been into prison, I didn't kill anyone. I'm a good person. But God was touching my heart and I am a sinner. I'm in need of God. SPEAKER C Amen. By worldly standards, you were a good person, but in God's eyes yeah. He revealed that. He reveals that we are actually all sinners. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER C That's a very powerful testimony. Thank you for sharing that, Hana. Thank you. Does God consider the circumstances of our lives in the judgment? Return to the book of Psalms. Psalm, chapter 87, verses five and six. SPEAKER E Psalms 87, verse five and six. It says End of Zion. It will be said, this one and that one were born in her, and the Mosai himself shall establish her. The Lord will record when he registers the people. This one was born there. SPEAKER C Wow. So God takes account of even where we're born. SPEAKER D Yes. The background. SPEAKER C The background, the circumstances. And he would have known that you did not even have that opportunity to know God as a little girl, but he was still after your heart. What about John, chapter nine and verse 41? SPEAKER E John, chapter nine, verse verse 41. SPEAKER C But I do like that verse in Psalms because it gives so much hope, because some people might think, well, I didn't really grow up with Christianity. I did not know God. I thought God was a distant God. He didn't really care about me. But when you take it into account, that verse that he actually considers in the judgment where you were born, your circumstances, where you went to school where you were in the family, all of those details that matter to God because he's trying to bring people into heaven and not keep them out. SPEAKER E Yeah, that's true. SPEAKER D John, chapter nine, verse 41, it says. SPEAKER E Jesus said to them, if you are blind, you would have no sin. But now you say, we see, therefore your sin remains. SPEAKER C Interesting, this is when Jesus healed the blind man, and the Jews were rejecting what the blind man had said about the healing that Jesus had given to him. And it's interesting because they had the evidence right in front of them, but they still refused to believe. SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER C Which is so different from the person who was born in a situation where they had no opportunity to know God. Here, it's a verse saying these people had opportunity, but they actually refusing. SPEAKER D That's right. They were given the light, but they were not accepting that light. SPEAKER C Yeah. Wow. It's very important to embrace the light that's right. When it comes to us. SPEAKER E That's true, because if we did not. SPEAKER D Have that light, how can we do the right things? But when we are given the light, we are given the opportunity to actually choose that light. SPEAKER E That's all. SPEAKER C That's so true, Hana. The judgment reveals not only our actions, but also our attitudes. It delves into our motives. It considers our opportunities and the privileges God has given us. Well, who will preside during these proceedings in the heavenly court? John five, verse 22, it says, for. SPEAKER E The Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son. SPEAKER C So the son is Jesus. So Jesus will be there, and he will be our judge. Well, who is our defense lawyer? In the book of First John, chapter two and verse one. SPEAKER E The Bible says, my children, my little children, these things I write to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. SPEAKER C Wow. So Jesus is not only our judge. SPEAKER E But he's our advocate. SPEAKER C He's our advocate. SPEAKER D He's our defense. SPEAKER C He's both our lawyer and our judge. He stands in our behalf in the judgment jesus longs for us to be saved in the judgment. He is for us, not against us. He created us, he redeemed us, and now he lives for us. This is good news, Hana. SPEAKER D It is. Imagine the court that the judge is Jesus, but also he's beside you to defend you. How can we lose that battle, lose that court? We will never lose that court if we are with Jesus. SPEAKER C Amen. Well, when Satan condemns us in the judgment, what does Jesus say to him? In Zechariah, chapter three, verses one and. SPEAKER E Two, it says, Then he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at the right hand to oppose him. And the Lord said to Satan, the Lord rebuke you, Satan. The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you. Is this not a brand plucked from the fire? SPEAKER C Well, that certainly sounds like the Lord is on our side there. SPEAKER E Yes. SPEAKER C He's rebuking the devil. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER C He says that he has chosen Jerusalem. Is this not a brand plucked from the fire? He can say that because he has paid the redemption price. SPEAKER E Yes. Amen. SPEAKER C What type of clothing is Joshua wearing, and what new clothing does our Lord give him? In the next two verses, verses three and four of Zechariah, chapter three? SPEAKER E Yes. It says now, Joshua was closed with a filthy garment and was standing before the angel. Then he answered and spoke to those who stood before him, saying, take away the filthy garment from him. And to him he said, see, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes. SPEAKER A Wow. SPEAKER C Hana, that's beautiful. This is beautiful. This is the gospel. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER C Wow. As we commit our lives to Christ, Satan condemns us. He accuses us of all the sins we've ever committed, and he brings them up to our remembrance too. So we do feel so unworthy. But Jesus stands in our behalf, rebuking Satan, and our Savior takes away our filthy garments of sin and clothes us with the garments of his own righteousness. SPEAKER D Wow. Amen. Oftentimes we sometimes feel that we condemn ourself, or God is even condemning ourself. But this story really tells us who God really is. God is not the one who is accusing us. SPEAKER E Satan is, but God. Rebukes Satan. SPEAKER D This is amazing. We have the wonderful defender. SPEAKER C We do. And we have to keep remembering that. Yes, because the Devil will keep trying to discourage us and say, remember what you have done. You're not worthy. You may as well give up. All those negative thoughts is never from God. SPEAKER E Yes. SPEAKER C Well, what is God's standard in the judgment? James, chapter two and verse twelve. SPEAKER E The Bible says, for speak, and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. SPEAKER C So God's standard, Hana, is the law of liberty. We are not saved by God's law. We are saved by God's grace in the judgment. God does not weigh our good deeds against our bad deeds. We are accepted on the basis of Christ's righteousness, not ours. When Christ accepts us, he leads us to obedience. Obedience is the evidence of a changed life. Obedience is the evidence that our faith is genuine. Jesus and his law are inseparable. To willfully disobey it is to wound him. Will you not say in your heart, lord, I love you, cover my sins with your righteousness? Forgive me of my rebellion. Take away my desire to disobey. I choose now to be your obedient child? Well, we can make a decision to make that choice. And our decision today is loving Jesus with all my heart. I choose to obey Him now and forever. I would like to choose that. SPEAKER E Amen. SPEAKER C Me too. And I pray that our listeners would also like to make that choice today. Well, let us close in prayer. Our dear Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for teaching us through Your Word today, that we have not only just a loving Savior and loving God, but you are our loving judge and you are our defense lawyer. And that as we choose Jesus, that you stand for us in the heavenly courts, that Your perfect life will cover us as we confess our sins and as we repent of our sins, that you will blot out our sins in the judgment. We thank You, Lord for the assurance of salvation that we have in Jesus. And we ask, Lord, that those that are discovering these truths for the first time that you would bring that joy of forgiveness and acceptance into their hearts, that they may experience that peace that passes all understanding and knowing that their sins are forgiven and that they have a Savior who stands for them, who loves them and who died for them. Thank you Lord for hearing our prayer and thank you for teaching us through Your Word. In Jesus name, amen. SPEAKER E Amen. SPEAKER C Well, I've really enjoyed our Bible study today, Hana, and it's been wonderful having our listeners joining with us as well. And we hope that you will come again and listen again next time. But till then, God bless you and go in peace. SPEAKER A Light unto my path. You're the light unto my path. SPEAKER F If you have questions or comments about any of the programs you've heard, you can call three 3ABN Australia Radio within Australia on 024-97-3456, or from outside of Australia on Country Code 612-497-3456. Our email address is [email protected] that is radio at the number 3abnaustralia.org.au Our postal address is 3ABN, Australia, Inc. PO. Box seven five two. Morisset, New South Wales 2264, Australia thank you for your prayers and financial support. SPEAKER A It could hold diamonds in my head own a thousand mansions by the sea write the secrets of the universe and endless mysteries but they could never set my spirit free you can have the stars just give me Jesus. You can roll just give me Jesus you can take tomorrow I will still believe for the love he's given me is all I'll ever need you can have everything just give me Jesus in my heart calm the stones. With whispers of his love now I know that I could never live without his tender touch I never knew I needed him all so you can have the star just give me Jesus you can roll the moon just give me Jesus you can take to moral I will still believe for the love he's given me all I ever need you can have everything just give me Jesus all the treasures of this earth all the pleasures of this life turn it down in the light of his life you can have the star just give me Jesus you can roll the moon just give me Jesus just give me Jesus you can take I will still believe for the love he's given me is all I ever need. You can have everything. Just give me Jesus. SPEAKER C That was Marleta Fong singing give me Jesus. And coming up next, Fountain View Academy will sing why me? SPEAKER G Why me, Lord? What have I ever done to deserve even one of the pleasure I've known? Tell me, Lord what did I have heard you that was worth loving you for? The kindness You've shown. SPEAKER A Lord help me, Jesus I've wasted it, so help me. SPEAKER G Jesus I know what I. SPEAKER A Am now that I know that I need you so help me, Jesus my soul in Your hands. SPEAKER G Try me, Lord if you think there's a way I could ever repay all I've taken from you. Maybe, Lord, I could show someone else what I've been through myself on my way back to you. SPEAKER A Know that I needed you so help me, Jesus my soul in your hand oh, now that I know that I needed you so jesus, my soul. SPEAKER H Hello, I'm Kaysie Butler, and I want to welcome you to healthy living around the world. I am recording here on site at Cedarvalel Health and Lifestyle Retreat, which is located in the beautiful Kangaroo Valley a couple of hours south of Sydney in Australia. With me today is a special guest, Sarah Silas. Welcome to the program, Sarah. SPEAKER I Thank you. SPEAKER H Now, Sarah, tell me, where are you from originally? SPEAKER I Well, I'm from Vanuatu. SPEAKER H From Vanuatu? SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER I Very nice. I have been there before once. SPEAKER H It's a beautiful place. SPEAKER I Thank you. SPEAKER H And tell me, how has it come about that you're here in Australia, you're here at Feederbell? SPEAKER C Yeah. SPEAKER I It's a long story. I stayed with a doctor from Australia working in Vanuatu, and I worked with him for three years. He asked me that, is it okay if I want to go and stay in a health treatment? And I'm like, oh, that sounds interesting. So, yeah, that's where the story goes. And I've ended up here. SPEAKER H Okay, so he put you in touch with the first year, and now you've come here, and you've been here a little while now. Tell me, what kind of things have. SPEAKER I You been doing here? Yeah, I just do the massage and hydrotherapy colon, like contra shower and flavor mineral pad and yeah, a lot of natural remedies and this stuff. SPEAKER H So you've been learning to give a variety of treatments? SPEAKER I Yes, that's it. And also help in the kitchen cooking? That's what I do. SPEAKER H So you're here as a student, is that correct? SPEAKER I Yeah. SPEAKER H Learning about all these different things to help people with their health? SPEAKER I Yeah. SPEAKER H Very good. Now, tell me, with the work that you did with the doctor in Vanuatu, which you did before you came here, was that to do with natural health related treatments? SPEAKER I Yes. The doctor I stayed with him for the last three years is taking patients to his clinic and looking after them. That doesn't mean he only treat them with drugs like medicine and all this stuff, but also encouraging them to change the diet and yeah, it's all to do with healthy living and all this. So I'm also bad in what he's doing there. SPEAKER H So it's been a few years now that you've been doing quite a lot with helping people with healthy living. SPEAKER I Yeah. SPEAKER H Okay, that's excellent. Can you tell me how you came to appreciate healthy living? For you personally, you're doing a lot of things that are helping other people, and you're learning how to do that, but how has living a healthy lifestyle helped you? SPEAKER I Well, back then, before I started coming to contact with the doctor, I didn't know anything about healthy living and all this. I didn't care much about my health. But after, when I landed here, we need to look after our body and taking the right food and all this because it will affect our health. So I really appreciate that. I came to learn more about health, healthy living, and for now, I feel like, yeah, I'm so happy that I know it. And I also like to encourage more people to try to take their health more seriously because sometimes we take it for granted and we didn't realize that what we're taking. And then we get suffer after that, get different diseases and all this. But I really encourage everyone to look like, take more, consider more on looking after their body and taking the right things into their body that they won't get affected later, like years after. SPEAKER H So since you've been living a healthier lifestyle, have you noticed any changes in your own health? SPEAKER I Yes, I found that when I started to get more into health and all this, it helps me a lot, especially with sleeping and the way I think, I feel like, wow, I think more clearly, I guess. Okay, you've noticed. Yeah, I noticed that. And also I feel more because I do exercise. At first I didn't do exercise. Math a new thing. Everything is like new for me. So excited because now I do lots of exercise and I find that actually I'm not really fit, but I find that yeah, it helps me a lot. And I have problem with sleeping and I don't know, but when I started doing exercises and all this, it helps me with my sleeping habits now. Right. I don't know how it works. I found that, yeah, you've found since. SPEAKER H You'Ve been exercising, you're sleeping much better. SPEAKER I Yeah. SPEAKER H That's so good. So many people struggle with sleeping. So the fact that you found that improvement, that's really encouraging. So what would be your most favorite lifestyle habit that you've now put in place in your life? SPEAKER I Yeah, I grew up in a family. We used to have meat and everything, but for now I find that I feel like I won't get any more meat. I want to be like, vegetarian. But anyway, before that, because I grew habiting a lot of meat, and I find it so hard to let go of meat. But something that I did, maybe it will encourage what I'm sharing, will encourage some of us who is, like, struggling with food, especially eating meat and all this. And if you want to make a start, then that's what I did. I find it so hard to let go all the meat because I think I became vegetarian only three years from now, quite recently. But before that, well, I find it so hard to let go all the meat. And for the first few months, I just become one of the meat. I think fish is my favorite. Yes. So I just eat fish, and then I stop all the other meat. And then I slowly try to not have fish regularly. So I have fish, like, once a week. At first, I start once a week. It's a hard so once a week. And then slowly I go once a month or twice a month and then go once, and then I feel like, okay, then now I can go without meat. SPEAKER H Right, so you just take it a little step. SPEAKER I Yeah, that's right. That's what I did. Because I find it so hard, I use this method, and I find that oh, yeah, that's help. And slowly I get that jazz. SPEAKER H Wow, that's really interesting how you were able to do that in just little increments at a time. And I guess those increments were achievable for you, and therefore, in the long run, you've been able to sustain that change. That's really encouraging. SPEAKER I Yeah. And my family is like, every one of us in the family, we hit meat. So sometimes it's a challenge for me when I stay back with my family, even now. Yeah, okay. Because my food will be different from them. So sometimes be like, oh, maybe it's rude that I have my own type of food and they have this. But anyway, I was encouraged that, yeah, I think I need to learn more about getting money, recipes and all this and I can prepare the food for my family and all this and try to introduce them to healthy food like vegetarian diet and all this because I found that it helped me, so it might help them also. SPEAKER H Wow, that's a good way of approaching that challenge, because instead of just saying, oh, no, I can't handle it, because they're all eating the other way, you're saying, well, I can introduce them to this good food, and maybe they'll enjoy it, too. That's a really good approach. How has your healthy lifestyle changes that. SPEAKER I You'Ve put in place? SPEAKER H How has that affected your spiritual life? SPEAKER I Well, I think when I started to change my diet and try to introduce doing exercise and all this, I feel like, it helps me to think more clearly. So when I read the word of God and I feel like, wow. Because sometimes I just read for the sake of reading, and, well, I didn't get what I'm reading. But when I try to live a healthy life and trying to get the right food, doing a lot of exercise and follow the principle of health new stat, I think some people might know that. SPEAKER H Those eight principles healthy living, nutrition. SPEAKER I Exercise, water, all of those ones. SPEAKER H Sunshine. Yes. SPEAKER I So when I follow those eight principles of health and I find it it helps me to think more clearly and also to descend, like, trying to make right decision, choice and all things. So, yeah, it really helps me with especially my spiritual life. And also, remember Bible says in Vescondian, where it says that whatever you take, like you do, whatever you heat or drink, do it all for the glory of God. So, yeah, sometimes I didn't think when I just at first I grabbed anything just because it tastes good and that's all. I just have them. But now I find that, wow, is this bring glory to God if I drink this or if I eat that? And so, yeah, now when I learn more about the health, I think more about what I'm taking in and all this, I think, yeah. SPEAKER H So it sounds to me like your healthy living is not only making your mind clearer so that you can have a better relationship with God, but your relationship with God is also influencing what you're doing with your body. Now, because the quote so I can. SPEAKER I Ask a question, yeah, this is what God wants me to have it or not. SPEAKER H Yeah, they're influencing each other. That's very interesting. Yeah, it goes both ways. So that's very good. What would you say to someone then, because you've had experience where you've made changes in your own lifestyle and you're helping others here and back in Vanuatu before with their lifestyles. What would you say to someone who is wanting to make changes with their lifestyle and wanting to be successful at it? Is there anything that you would recommend in terms of strategies or tips for them in that situation? SPEAKER I I will encourage everyone, my family. I will also encourage them that they will, like, just have a try. It's good to try, and it's not easy at first, but if you continue, keep on trying and all this, and slowly you will see the change happening and you will appreciate it. It doesn't be like when you did it and you can see the change happening at the same time. It's like a process. Okay, well, that's what I'm speaking from experience, like what I'm going through. SPEAKER H So it's not like an instant, overnight, magical change that happens, but it takes time. SPEAKER I So don't be discouraged if you try and you feel like, oh, I didn't see any change because like I've said, it takes time. And when you continue on, you try your best and all this and pray about it because it's not really easy. But when you pray about it and God will help for me, God helped me. I found it so hard, but I read a lot of Bible and all this and I prayed about it and I keep on trying. Sometimes I fail, to be honest, I fail sometimes and then I feel like I have to continue on. I want people and that's all. I just changed back to the normal lifestyle I used before. But when I fail, I just pray and ask God to give me strength and all this. So I encourage everyone that we can do it with God's help. And nothing is impossible for God. And if that's what God wants, for us to have good health in order to do his work, then we'll try it. God will also help us. SPEAKER H That's very encouraging. Yes. So often people can try really hard and it feels like it's impossible for them to do make these changes. But it's encouraging that not only we will see the results, even though it might take some time, but there's also a source of strength. God is wanting to help us be healthy. That's so encouraging. SPEAKER I So it's the same as in exercise. Like when you started doing exercise, you don't do much. SPEAKER D Like. SPEAKER I You run for 1 something for the first time. You're like, oh, that is because after that you will feel like, oh, you don't like it. But if you go slowly and then you start improving okay, then, yeah, it will help because if you try your best and you try to make a big change, like quickly as possible, but sometimes you will feel like, oh, you don't like it anymore and then it will discourage you. Then you feel like, oh, I'm done, I don't want to do it anymore. Like I've said, it takes time. SPEAKER H Yeah, well, we don't want people to give up. So you very much encourage us to not give up because you've put things in place in your life and it's taken time, but it's been worth it, right? SPEAKER I Yeah, it's worth it. SPEAKER H Very good. SPEAKER I And when you see the result, you really appreciate what you're doing and you feel like, oh, yes, I'm happy that I did the right thing. SPEAKER H That's so good. Well, thank you so much for sharing with us your experience today. I think it's been very encouraging, very interesting to hear what things you have learned and the fact that you've been able to make some positive changes in your own life and are helping others do the same, I think that will really be a blessing for people to hear. Thank you for tuning in on this program. You've been listening to healthy living around the world and we have been recording today on site at Cedarvale Health and Lifestyle Retreat in the Kangaroo Valley south of Sydney in Australia. With me has been a guest from Vanuatu, Sarah Silas, and she has been sharing her experience of working here at Cedarvale Health and Lifestyle Retreat. I am your host, Kaysie Butler. And until next time, God bless you in your endeavors to live a healthier life. Bye for now. You have been listening to a production of three ABN Australia radio.