What's Behind Rising Crime, Violence and Immorality? - SFC2211

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, today we're going to be looking at what's behind rising crime, violence and immorality. So this follows on last time we were sharing together and studying together, we studied about the judgment. But what's behind the dramatic increase in violent crime in our society? A major US magazine describes the American nation as America the violent. Another article tragically stated that 23 700 people were murdered in America. In a recent year, the average 18 year old has witnessed 200,000 violent acts on television, including 40,000 murders. That truly is a lot of violence. Murder, robbery, rape, school violence, drugs, terrorism. What's going wrong? Why is the moral fabric of society disintegrating? Is there an answer? Our society appears to be drifting on an uncharted sea without a moral compass. We seem to be wandering in confusion, desperately looking for some North Star to guide us. Well, in our lesson today, we will discover the truth about what's gone wrong with our society and God's solution to crime and violence in the 21st century. Hana, would you open with prayer for us as we begin? SPEAKER D Sure. Heavenly Father, lord, thank you so much that you have given us the Word and given us the Bible. Thank you that we can come to your words and learn the truth. And Father, we know that we cannot understand without you. So please fill us with your Holy Spirit. And I pray, Lord, that you will be the teacher. You will guide us, lead us, and I pray that you will touch our heart. Pray all these things in Jesus name, amen. SPEAKER C Amen. Thank you, Hana. Well, we're going to open with this question. What urgent call does God give to a society living on the verge of social collapse and moral decay? We're turning to the last book of the Bible, revelation, chapter 14 and verse seven. SPEAKER D Bible says, saying with a loud voice, fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of his judgment has come, and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water. So fear God and give glory to Him. That's the message. SPEAKER C That is the message, Hana. There. To fear God means to respect or reverence God. It's a call to obedience. God's call to judgment implies accountability and moral choices. It's a call to a higher standard, a standard outside of ourselves. How do we fear or respect God? Let's turn to the ancient book of Ecclesiastes, chapter twelve and verse 13. I think we were in that book the last time we studied together. Ecclesiastes, chapter twelve and verse 13. SPEAKER D It says, Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is man's. All. SPEAKER C Interesting. So we fear God by keeping his commandments, by being obedient to man's all or man's duty. Well, is our own heart or mind an adequate judge of what is right or wrong? What does Jeremiah write in Jeremiah, chapter 17 and verse nine? SPEAKER D It says, the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? This is a very strong word, deceitful above all things. So it's very deceitful that we don't even know that we are deceived. So it's very dangerous to follow our heart. SPEAKER C That's so true, Hana. Since our natures are fallen, our hearts deceive us at times. It's easy to justify our behaviour based on our own personal desires. We need a higher standard outside of ourselves. SPEAKER D That is so true. SPEAKER C Well, how does the Bible describe those who trust in their own minds to guide them in making moral decisions? We turn to the Book of Proverbs, chapter 28 and verse 26. SPEAKER D It says, he who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered. SPEAKER C I like that proverb. That's very powerful. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C So those who trust their own insight are foolish. SPEAKER D Yes. But the society always tells us, follow your heart, follow what you think, what you like, what you desire. That's what the world tells us. But the Bible said, that is fool if we follow our heart and trust. SPEAKER C Ourselves, but to walk in wisdom, the wisdom of God's word, it's not, I'll do it my way. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C That's a dangerous path. Wow. In Revelation, the Bible's last book, what did John see in God's temple in heaven? In Revelation, chapter eleven and verse 19. SPEAKER D It says then the temple of God was open in heaven, and the Ark of His Covenant was seen in his temple. And there were lightning noises, thunderings, an earthquake and great hail. SPEAKER C Wow. So the temple of God, as it was opened, what became visible? Hana? SPEAKER D Ark of his covenant. SPEAKER C Wow. When God commanded the Israelites in the Old Testament to build a sanctuary, he commanded them to make the Ark of the Covenant, to contain the Tables of Stone, or the Ten Commandment Law. So the temple in heaven containing the Ark of the Covenant contains God's law, the foundation of his character. Revelation's answer to lawlessness is found in heaven at God's throne, in his eternal standard of righteousness, his Law. Well, the Law of God is a transcript of his character, a description of his will. Without the law, there is no sin. Hana, would you read for us. Romans, chapter four and verse 15. SPEAKER D Sure. It says, Because the law brings about rust, and where there is no law, there's no transgression. SPEAKER C That's pretty clear, isn't it? SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C No law, no transgression, nothing to show that you've done anything wrong. SPEAKER D That's very interesting. If there's no law, then there's no sin, no savior. SPEAKER C Then we don't need a savior if we're not sinners. SPEAKER D Wow. SPEAKER C It would have been senseless for God to come to rescue us, rescue us if there was no sin, no sinners. SPEAKER D That is true. SPEAKER C What is the function of God's law? Romans three and verse 20 it says. SPEAKER D Therefore, by the deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For by the law is the knowledge of sin. SPEAKER C So the function of God's law is never to save us. Hana. SPEAKER D It is the knowledge of sin. We can know what sin is, what is right and wrong through the law. SPEAKER C Yes. Hana, what is the eternal, unchangeable standard of God's government? What does the psalmist write in Psalms 111, verses seven and 811, verse seven and eight? SPEAKER D It says, the works of his hands are verity and justice. All his precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness. SPEAKER C Wow. So all his precepts are sure. I like that. And they stand fast forever and ever. Wow. What about Psalm 89 and verse 34? SPEAKER D It says, my covenant I will not break nor alter the word that has gone out of my lips. He will not break his law. He would not change his word. SPEAKER C Wow. God's commandments truly are trustworthy. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C And they truly stand fast forever. Well, God's law is the basis of his government. It was established to ensure the peace, order, harmony and unity of the universe. A broken law brings sorrow, suffering, bondage and death. Maybe, Hana, you could look up Proverbs, chapter five and verse 22. SPEAKER D Sure. Proverbs 522. It says, his own iniquities entrap the wicked man, and he's caught in the cause of his sin. SPEAKER C So, yes, we can be held captive by our sin. We become a slave to our sins. Really? SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER C I guess if you've ever been addicted to something I've seen family members that have been addicted to cigarettes, for instance, and I remember the struggle that they had in overcoming that habit, and they said, oh, I'm not addicted to this. But the truth of the matter was, they truly were. But it took something very, very drastic. They got seriously ill. And it was at that time that they said, just throw the cigarettes away, which I thought was fantastic. And they've never looked back and never taken it up again. Wow. And I see that as the power of God. But addiction, when you're addicted to something, you truly struggle to overcome. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER C And I did see that God gave them strength at that time to overcome. SPEAKER D That addiction in a sense that we are all addicted to sin. It might be different. Everyone has a different struggle, different sin. But without God, we are all addicted to something. But only God can break the bondage and actually give us the victory. SPEAKER C That is so true, Hana. And it doesn't matter what it is. If it is standing between us and God, we are truly in bondage. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C What does Romans, chapter six, verse 16 say as well? And verse 23 on that, verse 16. SPEAKER D Said do you not know that to whom you present yourself slaves to obey? You are the ones slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness. Verse 23, it says, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. SPEAKER C There's the option again. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER C The gift that God gives to each one of us that we need to accept because yes, Hana, as you said, actually, we all deserve death. Death. We've all broken God's holy law. Wow. To what does the Bible compare God's law? James, chapter one, verse 23 to 25. SPEAKER D The Bible says, for if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror. For he observes himself, goes away and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. SPEAKER C And verse 25 yes, but he who. SPEAKER D Looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. SPEAKER C So the law is like a mirror? SPEAKER D Mirror, yes. SPEAKER C That enables us to see ourselves and recognize our need of saving. Grace shows us where the smudges are in our character or in our heart. The Law reveals what sin is. Without the Law, we may think that we're doing okay. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER C It provides a moral standard outside of ourselves. SPEAKER D We may have no idea what sin is in our own standard, in our own judgment. That's why we need this moral standard outside of ourself to tell us higher being. SPEAKER C That's so true. And it's not until you look into the Law that you actually see where the smudges are in your character. What is the role of grace in all of this? Ephesians, chapter two and verse eight. SPEAKER D The Bible says, for by grace you have been saved through faith. And that not of yourself, it is the gift of God. SPEAKER C Wow. So God saves us by his grace. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER C But we have to believe that's right. SPEAKER D Because God has died for all of us. Grace is always there. But we need to reach that grace through our faith. It's always the grace is there, parcel source is there. But we need to connect with a I don't know what to say. Yeah, we need to connect to it. SPEAKER C We can't take credit for it, Hana, isn't it because it is God's gift to us? Well, grace is God's unmerited favor to bring us back into harmony with him. The sole basis of our salvation is grace. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER C Grace has always existed. It means pardon, mercy, love and kindness. And we've got some verses here. Let's see. Let's look up genesis, chapter six and verse eight. SPEAKER D Genesis, chapter six and verse eight. It says, But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. SPEAKER C That's interesting, Hana. Now, noah. What task did God give to Noah? SPEAKER D Well, Noah had to preach 120 years that the flood is coming and calling people to be ready for that. SPEAKER C So his character, God, could see that he was a person that was faithful to God. He'd accepted God. And I love that. Right there in Genesis, there was grace. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER C It's not something just only found in the New Testament, but very much so, right there in the book of Genesis. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C Well, what about Romans, chapter four, verses one through to four? SPEAKER D Romans, chapter four, one to four? SPEAKER C Yes. SPEAKER D It says, what then shall we say that Abraham, our Father, has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he was something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture said? Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Now, to him for works, the wages are not counted as grace, but as death. SPEAKER C So, Hana, what did Abraham do that was accounted to him for righteousness? SPEAKER D He believed God. SPEAKER C Believed God. SPEAKER D And it's not really like do it's believe. SPEAKER C And the biggest test was saved for him in his latter years when God asked him to sacrifice his son Isaac. Isaac? SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C He didn't question it. He just obediently followed the instruction with an extremely heavy heart, not understanding, but not questioning, but just trusting God and believing. The Bible says that he could even raise Isaac from the grave because it was through this son that he had been told that his descendants would be as the stars of the heaven or as the sand of the sea. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C And so he's known as the father of the faithful, he's called a friend of God. But, yes, he believed God's word. And he never had to sacrifice Isaac because God provided a ram caught in the thicket just at that moment when he was going to take the life of his son, because God had something deeper to show him that that is the Gospel message. That for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER C So we understand God sacrificed so much better because of the test that Abraham had. But, yes, he believed God, and it was accounted to him righteousness sake. What about Ephesians, chapter two, verses four through two eight? SPEAKER D It says, But God, who is rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in trespasses made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved and raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the age to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith and not of yourself. It is the gift of God. SPEAKER C Wow. So for ages to come, Hana, our right to heaven will always be because of God's grace. SPEAKER A Amen. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER C Grace frees us from the condemnation of the law. By grace we pass from death to life. By faith we accept the grace of God. Like to look up Romans, chapter three and verse 28. SPEAKER D The Bible says, therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. SPEAKER C Yes. Because the law is only there to show us what sin is. That's its purpose. This verse tells us how we are justified or made right with God, because keeping the law is not the basis of our salvation. So, yes, Hana, as you read there, we are made right with God through faith, not by obeying his law. And that's the confusion. The Christian world may want to throw out God's law, but the law serves the purpose. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER C Showing us what sin is. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER C Well, does faith give us freedom to break God's law? Romans three, verse 31. SPEAKER D It says, do we then make void of the Lord through faith? Certainly not. On the contrary, we establish the law. SPEAKER C So, Paul's, not throwing out the law that's right. But establishing it there. What about Romans six and verse 15? SPEAKER D It says, what then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? Certainly not. SPEAKER C So the law shows us that we're guilty, and then we run to Jesus because we need a Savior, and he offers us grace because he's taken our place. What is the converted person's relationship to God's law? Romans seven, verse 22, it says, for. SPEAKER D I delight in the law of God according to the inward man, so I delight. SPEAKER C We love God's law. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER C The Holy Spirit writes God's law upon our heart. Well, Billy Graham has a question. Some religious people I know tell me that the Ten Commandments are part of the law and do not apply to us today. They say that as Christians, we are free from the law. Is that right? Hana? What was the answer that Billy Graham gave? SPEAKER D Answer? No, it is not right. And I hope you will not be misled by these false opinions. It is very important to understand what the New Testament means when it says that Christians are free from the law. It certainly does not mean that they are free from the obligation of the moral law of God and at liberty to sin. Conversion always lead us to delight to do God's will. When Christ changes our heart and converts us, we have one spring desire to obey Him. He has done so much for us that we gladly serve Him. Obedience is not a legalistic requirement. It is part of a loving heart's response to God. SPEAKER C Wow. I love that. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER C We have a verse for that. John, chapter 14 and verse 15. What did Jesus teach his disciples about the importance of keeping his law? SPEAKER D John 1415 if you love me, keep my commandments. SPEAKER C Amen. So they go together. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER C Love and obedience. Did Jesus teach that he came to do away with God's law? Matthew, chapter five, verse 17 and 18. SPEAKER D Matthew 517 and 18. It says, do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For assuredly I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. SPEAKER C So Jesus didn't come to destroy the law? SPEAKER D That's right, he didn't. And one jot or one tittle, just a little thing in the law. It cannot be changed at all. SPEAKER C Wow. What is the genuine test of knowing God? First John, chapter two, verses three through to five. SPEAKER D First John, chapter two, verse three to five. It says now by this we know that we know Him if we keep his commandments. He who says I know Him and does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in Him. But whoever keeps his word truly the love of God is perfected in Him. By this we know that we are in Him. SPEAKER C That's a powerful verse, don't you think, Hana? The evidence of the internal change called conversion is a changed life. Grace always leads to obedience. The more we love God, the more we desire to obey Him. SPEAKER D Wow. SPEAKER C It becomes a natural outflow from the heart. SPEAKER D Yes, that's true. Some other religion may have this idea of, oh, you do good things, maybe count good things, and also bad thing, and calculate, and if there's more good things, like you will be saved. But it's not about that. We are saved through by grace, through faith. And when we are saved, we just want to do good. We just want to please God. We just want to follow Him. SPEAKER C Amen. That's so true, Hana. I was watching this documentary on the weekend, and it was in the mountains behind Bangladesh, and very sincere people were using the prayer wheels just round and round and round. They hold them and just rattle them around and around. Because I think the more prayer you say, the more merit you get with your God. But that's not the God we serve. SPEAKER D No. SPEAKER C He's looking for a sincere heart, a heart that will turn to Him in love and obedience, the genuineness of our faith in Revelation's final call to a planet rapidly disintegrating into lawlessness. How does God describe his people? In Revelation, chapter 14 and verse twelve. SPEAKER D The Bible says, here is the patience of the saints. Here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. SPEAKER C Wow. A genuine commitment to God leads to loving obedience. We've said that a few times throughout this Bible study. At the end time, God will have a group of people who reveal to the whole universe the joy of living obediently. They have been saved by grace. They love God so much that they enthusiastically obey Him. They accept his standards of conduct. They're convinced his way is best. It's interesting, Hana, there are so many verses in the Scripture, and some we've already looked up, but there are verses in the Scripture that describe God's character, and there are verses in the Scripture that describe God's holy law. And the interesting thing is that God's law and God's character are the same. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C And perhaps we could just look up a verse or two on that, because God is perfect, god is a God of truth. God is holy and just and good. God is unchanging, god is spiritual, God is love, god is righteousness. But his holy law is also all these things. So it would make sense that coming from our God, who is holy, pure, true, righteous, unchangeable, that the law that would govern the universe would reflect our God's character. So, Hana, if you would look up for us, let's look up Romans, chapter seven and verse twelve. SPEAKER D Sure. Romans seven, verse twelve. It says, therefore the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good. SPEAKER C Excellent. So that's talking about God's law, Hana, if you would look up for us about God's character. Isaiah, chapter six and verse three. SPEAKER D Sure. It says, and one cried to another and said, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory. SPEAKER C Amen. So the law is holy and God is holy. SPEAKER D Holy. Yes. SPEAKER C He's also just and good. Hana, what about let's look at the word love. Love. And we'll go to Matthew, chapter 22, verses 37 to 40. We're looking at God's law being a law of love. SPEAKER A Yes. SPEAKER D 37 to 40, Jesus said to him, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hung all the law and the prophets. SPEAKER C Excellent. So God's law is a law of love. SPEAKER D That's right. SPEAKER C The first four commandments teach us how to love God. The last six, how to love our fellow man. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C Hana, if you would read for us in one John, chapter four and verse eight. This verse tells us about God's character. SPEAKER D It says, he who does not love does not know God, for God is love. SPEAKER C Amen. So God's character is love. His law is a law of love. What about truth? Let's have a look at this in Psalms 119 and verse 142, what does the Bible say about God's law? In Psalm 119 and verse 142. SPEAKER D It says, your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and your law is truth. SPEAKER C Excellent. So God's law is truth. Let's have a look at God's character in the book of John. The Gospel of John john, chapter 14 and verse six, it says, Jesus said. SPEAKER D To him, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. SPEAKER C Wow. So God also is a God of truth. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C I like this one, too. In Matthew chapter five and verse 18. I think we did read it before, but Hana, if you wouldn't mind reading it again. Talking about God's law as being an unchangeable law? SPEAKER D Yes. For assuredly I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. SPEAKER C Wow. So it's an unchangeable law. Now we want to look at God's character. In Malachi, chapter three and verse six. SPEAKER D It says, for I am the Lord, I do not change, therefore you are not consumed, all sons of Jacob. SPEAKER C Okay, we'll just look at one more verse. There are so many verses we could look up, Hana, but I'd like to finish on this one in Hebrews, chapter ten and verse 16, because God promises to place his law where hebrew chapter hebrews, chapter ten and verse 16. SPEAKER D Sure. It says, this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them. SPEAKER C Amen. Wow. To have God's law written upon our hearts. Well, Hana, since I love Jesus with all my heart, I choose to obey Him joyfully. I gladly accept the principle of his law as the guide of my life. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER C And I pray that for those listening that this would be the desire of your heart as well. Shall we close in prayer? Our loving Father in heaven, we do thank you that it is Your desire to give us life, to give us an abundant life. And as we choose you, as we accept this wonderful, amazing grace that comes to us, not that we're deserving, but because we are sinners in need of a Savior. As we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, that you write your holy law of love upon our heart so that we delight to do Your will. Heavenly Father. We're choosing to love Jesus. We're choosing to obey you not because of fear, but because we truly love and respect you and reverence you and adore you for all that you have done and are doing and will continue to do. Bless each person that's listening, I pray. May they discover the joy of walking with Jesus is my prayer. In Jesus name, amen. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER C Well, thank you so much Hana. I've really enjoyed this Bible study and we'd like to thank our listeners for joining us as well. And until next time, may God bless you and go in peace. SPEAKER A Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. You're the light unto my path. SPEAKER E 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 Sacious. Lord, take my hand. Lead me home. Let me stand? I am tired. I'm Weak? I am warm. Through the stone through the night? Lead me on to the light? Take my hand. Precious? Load me home. When my way grow street precious London my life is all gone hear my cry hear my call hold my endless take my hand precious love lead me home precious Lord take my hand lead me on let me stand I am tired I am. We I am. Through the stone, through the night lead me on to the light take my precious love lead me home when the darkness appear and the night draws me and the day close I go at the river? God my feet? And hold my hand? And take my hand? Precious? Love me home? Precious lord, take my hand? Leave me all? And let me stand? I? And I am all? Through the stone? Through the night lead me on to the light take my precious love lead me home take my hand close precious Lo. SPEAKER C As Marleta Fong singing precious Lord, take my hand and coming up next, Fernando Ortiga will sing. SPEAKER A I Need Thee. Every hour I need oh, bless me now my savior I come to sam SA the end of my life I need me all I need every hour I need now my savior I come to me oh, bless me now my savior I come to the. SPEAKER F Hello, I'm Kaysie Butler, and welcome to healthy living around the world. I am on site at Centre for Health in Bulgaria today and with me is Rositsa Erfurt. Welcome to the program Rosi. SPEAKER G Thank you. SPEAKER F It's lovely to have you with us and it's lovely to be here too, visiting this place. Obviously this is a lifestyle center where we are out on location. And you have been working here I understand for quite a bit of time, is that right? SPEAKER G Actually the first time I came before this place. Was open, there was a short training, a summer training, and this is the first time when I found out about lifestyle medicine and all these different treatments. SPEAKER F Okay. SPEAKER G And yeah, later I did the longer course and this is when they invited me to help also in the health center as part of the team. SPEAKER F Good. So what kind of things do you do in your work here? SPEAKER G Yeah, well, one of the main things is massages, also helping with the hydrotherapies teas and juicy smoothies, all these kind of things. Sometimes a little bit with health lectures, exercise, anything that's needed and that I can help with. SPEAKER A Okay. SPEAKER F So quite a variety of different sort of treatment things with the lifestyle guests. SPEAKER G Yeah. What I like about these places through the years, I really love the team. I worked with the doctor and gathered people from the team and they are really helping me develop in different areas I'm interested in. And yeah, I really like that. SPEAKER F That's good. You've got those chances to gain experience. SPEAKER C Yeah. SPEAKER F So can you share with me maybe how you've come to appreciate lifestyle health principles? Obviously, working in a lifestyle center, you would naturally be picking up some things and applying them in your own life. Can you share with me some of that? SPEAKER G Appreciation really came with application as soon as I started applying it, seeing the benefits for myself. This is when I started getting excited about it and also sharing others. What these principles, these simple things have done in my life, like exercise, whenever I have a lot of stress or many things to do, or even more mental work, for example, this has been the best, the more intense exercise I do or like simple things like conscious showers. This is just so great for it's giving me energy to manage better with what's coming and just having experienced that, I can encourage also others. Just as soon as I apply something and see how it works, then you. SPEAKER F Begin to really appreciate it, right? SPEAKER G Yeah. SPEAKER F Very good. So is there one of those principles that is your favorite that you actually really like? SPEAKER G It's the one that I'm really struggling with on a regular basis, I'm struggling, but when I have stressful moments, it's when I know I need it. It's like my emergency fuel. But what I really love is healthy cooking and wild edibles smoothies and all these things. I love experimenting with foods and both of my husband, we are both interested in this area and we just love cooking, baking and trying different tastes and just seeing and also showing others how healthy food can be also very tasty. SPEAKER F Yes, that's always good to hear. SPEAKER G And there are just so many possibilities with these foods. It's just endless. Also when you start adding the different wild edibles from the different areas, they have their own taste and it's interesting to learn. We've been traveling a lot around Europe and learning about the different cultures, more a specific way of eating. And it's been really interesting to learn and applying things in our way of eating. SPEAKER F So you said something about wild edibles. Is that greens? SPEAKER G Yeah, that we pick from the when we go to the forest or the field. SPEAKER F Okay. SPEAKER G Like dandelion and sting nettles and some other interesting. SPEAKER F So you just gather these from out in the forests and make smoothies or different cooking with it. SPEAKER G I love it. Sometimes eating them just like that or in salad smoothies. We have even made like little candies from these. SPEAKER F Wow. SPEAKER G Yeah. In combination with dates or honey. And I just love the combination of greens and sweet or something like that, like in a smoothie. It's my energy drinks. SPEAKER A Interesting. SPEAKER G And what I appreciate about edibles, like for example, in my country, it's quite expensive to buy greens from the store. And also the question comes, how do they grow these? Do they use some pesticides or you never know. So the best is, even if it's organic, there's still a question mark. SPEAKER F Yes. Right. SPEAKER G Even though in European Union there are certain regulations, you never know what on the way to the store. So for me, the safest thing is I just go in a clean place in the nature where I know that it's clean and it has had enough sun. And the more I've been learning, they're really so dense in nutrients and they are also free, which is so exciting. I love these, especially my steam nettle smoothie. It's like people who drink coffee in the morning. For me, this is my energy drink. It's just so tasty. SPEAKER F Do you put fruit with it? SPEAKER G Yeah, well, sometimes banana. Banana? That's my favorite combination. But any other fruit will work. And I like to make it more like creamy with less liquid, but also with any milk. Like, I love to make tahini milk. It's just the easiest because it's not so easy to find vegan milks in my country. So I just put a little bit of tahini with water, some fruits and the steam nettles. And it's just the perfect start of the day. SPEAKER F Wow, that's amazing. That's so practical and simple, but obviously. SPEAKER G And also cheap, affordable. SPEAKER F That is a huge thing. A lot of people struggle with food and paying for food. There's also the struggle of finding that the healthy food is more expensive and. SPEAKER G Then what to do, especially in a country like Bulgaria. We're still a developing country. In the European Union, we entered later than other countries. And like in Germany, it's very affordable to be eating plant based. You can find everything, sometimes even cheaper than eating a different type of diet. But in Bulgaria, people say, how can I eat this way? It's just I cannot afford it. But then you can show that you can get a lot of nutrients and even more just by these few simple. SPEAKER F Tips, like picking greens, just wild greens growing that's interesting. That's so good. Thank you so much for sharing those things. I'm sure that will be helpful for people. What I'm wondering now is how has your experience with living a healthy lifestyle influenced your spiritual life? SPEAKER G Well, I've really noticed whenever I am really keeping these things, drinking water and doing exercise and eating this way, my mind is so much more clear. And also being at the sun, breathing fresh air is the best medicine and also prevention against disease. And whenever I was neglected for some reason, bit stress or too much to do, and I would just forget or neglect it. I just see right away how my mind wouldn't be as clear when I sit and read my Bible or yeah, just any mental work actually is much harder. Takes more time to concentrate and understand things out. If I apply these principles during my day. So it's really clear connection. SPEAKER F Okay, you've noticed quite clear kind of connection. It's helping you to be sharpest, more spiritually as well as mentally. So that applies to everyday life in what you do too, doesn't it? SPEAKER C Yeah. SPEAKER F Very good. Now, so if you were to meet someone, obviously you meet people a lot here in the center, people who are wanting to change their lifestyle. What kind of things would you tell them? I guess that would be good strategies or principles to think about if they're wanting to make changes in their lifestyle. SPEAKER G Well, one thing would be to apply principles craduly as they can make it possible in their schedule. Okay. Like, sometimes I put too high goals and then I get too disappointed and discouraged early when if I put more possible goals and achieve them one by one. So it's like starting up with one thing, one principle, one simple thing. Like I'll drink two liters of water a day. When I create this habit and I make it without thinking too much, I can apply the next thing and then the next thing. In this way, I will create these habits one by one and I will build up to this lifestyle. SPEAKER F Okay. And eventually it'll be more and more. SPEAKER G Successful with all the bits than having ups and downs, eventually giving up too early from something that's really worth it. SPEAKER F Yes. SPEAKER G If we just have the persistency yes. SPEAKER F Okay. I think that's a very good way to think about it. One step at a yeah, perfect. Yes. Yes. No, definitely. Because we have a saying, I don't know if it's over here in Bulgaria, but in Australia sometimes we have this saying and it says, you eat an elephant one bite at a time. In other words, if something seems so big, you just start small and you'll get there. So that's so encouraging for people. Yeah. Which is exactly what you're sharing. I think that's great. Well, thank you so much for sharing with us your experience. SPEAKER C Thank you. SPEAKER F And your little bits of advice. We have been recording here on site at Centre for Health Lifestyle retreat in Bulgaria. And we've been talking with Rositsa Erfurt, and she's been sharing her experience. And thank you so much for listening to this program, Healthy Living Around the World. I'm your host, Kaysie Butler. SPEAKER C God bless. SPEAKER F Till next time. You've been listening to a production of. SPEAKER C Three ABN Australia radio.