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Program 6:Thy Word Have I Hid In My HeartThe importance of memorizing Scripture.Translators: Please make sure that any words emphasized in this narration script are also emphasized in your translations. Also, for clarity for the narrators, use the various font colors, too. And remember to delete any messages to the “translators”. Thank you!Narrators: As much as possible, we need a very natural speaking voice, not a reading voice. One thing that will help is to practice. Record yourself and then listen to it. Even though you’re reading, we want it to sound as though you are just talking. Feel free to insert “M-hm” or “Huh” or other vocalized pauses as the other is speaking, and ad lib any comments to make it sound as conversational as possible. Smile, put a laugh in your voice while speaking. All of these techniques help to make your tone sound warm and conversational.Note: Pronunciation of “Yahuwah” is actually more of a two-syllable, rather than three-syllable word, but the “wh” is quite pronounced, as in who or whom. You can ask Galal how he says it. It isn’t yah WHO wuh. It’s closer to YAH whuh.Intro: Sharon – A lot of excitement and energy in your voice for this introduction.This is W. B! C! Q! bringing World’s Last Chance Radio to you from Monticello, Maine, USA.[Little bit of music here. We want just a bit longer pause between the first sentence, above, and the following sentences.]Violent crime! Political unrest! Financial instability! Everything points to an impending crisis; a crisis like no other.Tune in to World’s Last Chance Radio to learn how you can spiritually prepare for what lies ahead.WLC Radio: preparing a people for the Saviour’s imminent return!Main Program: (Will & Chris)Translators: Where prompted, please insert the radio names used in your language. To delineate the various parts, I have used the names of the speakers in English. Please insert the names of the people speaking the various parts in your language.We need names used due to having multiple narrators. This helps the listening audience to know for sure which one is speaking. However, it is up to the narrator whether they wish to use their real name, first and last; just their first name; or an alias. Anytime someone lives where local laws would endanger them for using their real name, they may use an alias if they prefer.Narrators: It’s very important that you come in with your next statement quickly. It’s perfectly acceptable for one narrator to over lap the slightest bit on the other narrator. That happens all the time in spoken communication. Be careful to vary your intonation and use as natural a tone of voice as possible. Feel free to insert “M-hm” or “Huh” or other vocalized pauses as the other is speaking, and ad lib any comments to make it sound as conversational as possible. Smile, put a laugh in your voice while speaking. All of these techniques help to make your tone sound warm and conversational.Also, when speaking, please place emphasis on the words emphasized in the text.Part 1Chris: Hello, everyone! Welcome to WLC Radio where you will always find messages from Yah’s word on important topics you need to know to get ready for the Saviour’s return.I’m your host, [Miles Robey]. With me today is [Dave Wright].Will: Hello, there! Thanks for tuning in.Chris: Have you ever wanted—even needed—to remember something, only to not be able to remember it when you wanted to?Will, laughingly: Oh, sure! And it’s directly proportional to the amount of sleep I had the night before!Chris: Ha! Same here! Well, we’re not the only ones. You can even read articles that give you tips on how to retain information.Will: I’ll have to read some of those!Chris: Yeah, they actually have some really good ideas. And often the ways you memorize differs depending on whether you’re an auditory learner – you remember best if you hear something, or visual: you remember it only if you can read it. Well, of anything we need to remember, arguably the most important thing any of us can memorize and remember is Scripture.Will: That’s so true. The promises and reassurances recorded in the Bible are an unfailing source of wisdom, comfort and courage in our darkest moments.Chris: And yet, if we haven’t learned them, how can we call them to mind when we need them?Will: That’s the problem for most of us, isn’t it?Chris: Today, we’re going to be talking about memorizing Scripture. [Dave] will be sharing with us ideas on the best way to go about memorizing it to retain it.Will: Before we get into that, though, I want to just bring up something really quick if this is your first time tuning in. You’ll notice that whenever we talk about God, we like to use His personal name which is Yahuwah, or Yah. There’s actually quite a few words in Scripture that incorporate His name. Now, in various other languages, these may not be heard as well, but in Hebrew, Yah’s name was part of many other names and words. There’s Hallelujah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Obadiah, Zephaniah, Zechariah.[Will – please emphasize the “yah” sound in each word.]Chris: And then, of course, there’s the name of the Saviour Himself.Will: Right! Jesus is just the [English/Arabic/German,etc.] version of the Greek attempt to transliterate the actual name, even though they didn’t have a Y-sound in their language. You can hear Yah’s name in the Saviour’s real name, which is Yahushua.Chris: Thanks, [Dave]. Good to give a heads up to those who may be listening for the first time. If we say Yahuwah or Yah, know that we’re referring to God, the Father. And when we say Yahushua, we’re referring to His Son.Will: When I was about, oh, I don’t know. Twelve or thirteen. [Laughingly:] Let’s just say: I was old enough to know better, and young enough not to care!Chris, laughs: I resemble that remark! Will: Well, at around 12 or 13 I had a teacher that insisted we learn memory verses from the Bible. Every Monday, she’d give us a new text to memorize, and every Friday we’d be tested. Of course, there was quite a bit of grumbling, complaining that the passages were too long, that sort of thing.Well, one day, I think she’d had enough of our griping because she turned around and said, “Some day, you are going to need these and if you haven’t memorized them, you won’t have them when you need them most.”Now that week’s memory verse was from Psalm 34:7: “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him and delivereth them.”Chris, mockingly: Yeah, real long memory verse there, [Dave]! Will: What can I say? We were kids?Chris, laughsWill: Anyway, the teacher said: “This is a powerful promise: The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him and delivereth them. When would you need to claim this by faith?”Being a bit of a smart aleck I piped up and said, “When I am thrown into prison.”Chris, laughsWill: Then my best friend chimed in with: “Or get sent to the Head Master’s office.” Without missing a beat, the teacher said: “Precisely. So I suggest you gentlemen get started because you’ll be needing it a lot in the future!”Chris, laughsWill: It was actually very helpful to put it in those terms: under what circumstances would you use this promise or that? So, for the rest of the school year, every time she assigned us a new passage to learn, we’d talk about how it could be used.Chris: That’s actually one of the techniques suggested for retaining information.Will: It is?Chris: Yeah. First, being motivated to learn it. Secondly, making a connection to something else in your life. Clumping information helps us retain it.Will: Huh. Good to know. Well, it really helped us. I still remember those passages of Scripture and I’m thankful she required it of us because there have been times in my life—Chris, deadpan: Like when you went to jail . . .Will, laughs: No! Never managed to add that to my list of life experiences! But seriously, there have been times in my life when those words would flash through my mind at just the right time, and I’m thankful for it. AND, I still remember them and the reasons. For example, 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” There have been times I’ve done something I regretted, watched a movie that made my mind feel dirty afterward, and that promise was very precious. Not only did He forgive me, but He cleansed me, He cleansed my mind as well!Chris: What a gift!Will: It really is. A few years after university, we went through a really tough time. We had a toddler; my wife was pregnant with our second child . . . and I lost my job.Chris: Ooo, always a stressful time, especially once you’ve got kids.Will: It really was. And at that time, another memory verse I’d learned in school was especially precious and comforting. Psalm 37:25: “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” I’ll tell you, [Miles], I clung to that verse! And the One who made the promise, is the same One who kept His promise! I was able to find another job before the second baby came and it all worked out.But if I hadn’t committed that verse to memory, I wouldn’t have had it to fall back on.Chris: Would you have even known it was there TO cling to?Will: Well, probably not. That’s a good point.Chris: A few years ago, my father-in-law had a cancer scare. Eventually, he had surgery and everything worked out and he’s still alive and ornery as ever. [Said affectionately, not nastily.]Will: That’s good!Chris: As you can imagine, it was a very stressful time for all of us.Will: Oh, I’m sure!Chris: My wife enjoys embroidering cross-stitch. She makes really beautiful pictures that way. At the time, she made this one for her mum, had it framed, it was really nice. It was a promise from Isaiah 43 and it said: “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.”Will: That’s beautiful.Chris: It was incredibly encouraging to all of us. Her mum hung it up in their bedroom, across from the bed where it could always be seen. When we were sitting in the waiting room, waiting to hear back from the surgeon, I caught her mum whispering it to herself. The promise kept her steady during the scariest time of her life.Will: And they do that! These promises are what bring us comfort during our darkest trials. They put steel in our backbones to face, without flinching, whatever cross we’re called to bear. You know it was the promises of Yah that kept John Bunyan steadfast through the 12 years he spent in the Bedford County Jail when, with but a simple agreement to quit preaching, he would have been released.One of the last things, if not THE last thing Yahushua told His followers as He ascended (Text Deleted) to Heaven was: “Lo, I am with you always. Even to the end of the world.” But is He with you today, by His words in your mind?Chris, musingly: Hm. That’s a good point.Will: Chuck Swindoll [swin DOLL] is a Christian pastor, educator, and author. In his book, Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, he wrote: “I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture. . . . No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! “Your prayer life will be strengthened. “Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. “Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. “Your mind will become alert and observant. “Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. “Your faith will be solidified.” Chris: That’s true. That’s very true.Will: Well, think about this for a moment: Where would Christianity be today had Martin Luther NOT memorized Scripture?Martin Luther, the father of the Protestant Reformation, was just a Catholic monk. Visiting Rome, crawling on his knees up Pilate’s staircase as an act of contrition. All of a sudden, the words of Scripture thunder in his ears: “The just shall live by faith!”It was like a bucket of cold water poured on a sleeping person. Speaking of the experience later, Luther said: “Thereupon I ran through the Scriptures from memory.” He wanted to confirm, from Scripture, his realization. As soon as the import of those words sunk in, he leaped to his feet, rushed down the stairs, and never again did he participate in any works of the flesh in an attempt to be justified. The heart burden for the entire rest of his life was righteousness by faith. And through him, Christianity throughout the rest of the world was impacted.Now, again, where would Christianity be today if he hadn’t committed those words to memory?Chris: We certainly wouldn’t be where we are today, would we?Will: Absolutely not! John Piper, the founder of , shares six, very good reasons for memorizing Scripture. Now, I’m sharing these reasons because if a person isn’t motivated to learn something, guess what? They’re not going to learn it! Memorizing Scripture is one of the most important things you can ever do. It’s an investment into your spiritual life and, really, even your future!So I want to go over these six reasons because I want to inspire our listening audience to put forth the effort to commit Yah’s promises to memory. It’s worth every moment you spend!Piper says the first and most important reason any of us should memorize Scripture is: Conformity to Yahushua. When we memorize Scripture, it begins to change us, transform us into His image. In Second Corinthians, Paul wrote that “we all, . . . beholding the glory of Yahushua, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” Chris: That’s a good point. In fact, in First Samuel 3, we read: “Yahuwah revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of Yah.” The word of Yah reveals to us His character. Will: Yes, and when we memorize it, when we, if you will, masticate the Bread of Life, it becomes absorbed into our inner being. It becomes part of us and we are transformed, from glory into glory.Chris: Reminds me of David’s words in Psalm 119: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee.”Will: Precisely. That’s what it does. And that brings me to the second reason Piper gives for memorizing Scripture: It aids in helping us gain daily victories over sin. You quoted Psalm 119. That same psalm also says: “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” But how can you do that if you don’t even know what His word says?!In Romans 8, Paul tells us how to fight the good fight. He says: “BY THE SPIRIT, you put to death the deeds of the body.”Okay, then. Ephesians 6 tells us: “Put on the whole armor of Yah, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Then he goes on and lists the various pieces of armor. There’s the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation. Do you remember what the sword is?Chris: Absolutely! It’s the “sword of the spirit.”Will: That’s right! Hebrews 4 says: “For the word of Yah is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”It’s right there: the secret to overcoming. As Satan lures us into sin, into doing what is wrong, words of Scripture committed to memory become a sword in our hand to slay the temptation because we see that the beauty and love of Yahuwah are far greater than anything the world has to offer.Chris: That’s very true. You’re inspiring me to go and commit more verses to memory. Even though I don’t have a lot memorized right now, I can say that of those I know, they really have had an impact on my life. The Spirit of Yah brings them to mind just when I need them.Will: Another reason we should memorize Scripture is that, Scripture is what enables us to gain daily victories over Satan. When Yahushua was in the wilderness and the devil came and tempted Him, how did He triumph? Here He is, weak, hungry, exhausted—and when you’re weak, hungry, and exhausted, your will is weakened—and right then is when the devil comes to tempt Him. How did the Saviour, in the hour of temptation, triumph?Chris: By quoting Scripture.Will: That’s exactly right. But had He not first committed it to memory, He wouldn’t have had it available to use in the struggle with Satan!Chris: We’re going to take a quick break and when we come back, [Dave] is going to share with us some pointers on how to memorize Scripture. Stay tuned! Ad (Laura Lee) – Ad #11Many people find that it can be very difficult to get employers to accommodate believers’ needs for time off work for religious observances. If you need to speak to your boss or approach your school about scheduling conflicts, we can help! World’s Last Chance can help you acquire the skills you need for negotiating accommodations for both work and school. Besides explaining how best to approach your employer or school administrator, we also offer a variety of letters you can use as templates when requesting work or school accommodation. Check out our website at . Look for “Worship & Job Conflicts” in the left hand tabs’ column on . Let us help you get the time you need for worship. Part 2:Chris: Welcome back to the next segment of our program. I’m [Miles Robey]. [Dave Wright] has been sharing with us the importance of memorizing Scripture. [Dave?]Will: Thanks, [Miles]. Earlier I started sharing with you John Piper’s six reasons for memorizing Scripture. The first three were: One – Hiding Scripture in our heart helps us conform to the image of Yahuwah;Two – It aids us in triumphing over sin.Three – It helps us gain daily victories over the devil. Yahushua in the wilderness of temptation quoted Scripture and came off more than conqueror. That’s how we are to triumph as well.The last three reasons for memorizing Scripture are other-centered.Most of us don’t have our Bibles on our person at all hours of the day. Often when a person is hurting and in need of comfort or godly council, we don’t have our Bible with us. At those times, if we have committed Bible passages to memory, the Holy Spirit can bring the right words to our mind that will be a blessing to the one in need.Chris: That’s true. It reminds me of the verse in Proverbs that says: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”Will: Yes, and by using the words of Scripture, we don’t have to rely on our own human wisdom! I don’t know if you’ve ever had anyone come to you for advice and not known what to say—Chris: Oh, yeah. It’s awkward.Will: It is. You want to be a blessing, but what are you supposed to say? Well, with Yah’s word hidden in your heart, you don’t have to worry about that. The Holy Spirit will bring to your mind what you are to say when needed. But it can’t do that if we haven’t first taken the time to HIDE the Scripture in our heart!Okay, the next reason to have a treasure trove of Scripture stored in our memory is to enable us, at all times, to be able to witness to others.Chris: That’s actually a really good reason. In normal, every day conversation and interactions with others, opportunities to witness come up, but if we don’t have something to share with them, they can fly by as lost opportunities.Will: Yep! And I’ve had that happen before. Listen. Scripture carries weight. Peter, in the first epistle bearing his name, admonishes believers to “Sanctify Yahuwah in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.”The only way we can do that is if we have previously taken the time to learn what the Bible says and hide its treasures in our hearts.Chris: The time we take to learn and memorize Scripture is really an investment in soul-winning, isn’t it?Will: Absolutely. The last reason Piper gives for why we should learn Scripture is that it allows us to commune with the Father in our hearts. Just before His death, Yahushua prayed: “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Yahushua whom You have sent.” We commune with Yah by prayer and meditating upon His word. How are you going to meditate and commune when you’re sitting in traffic if you don’t have His word hidden in your heart?Well, I’ll tell you! You’re not going to! You’re going to turn on the radio and fill your mind with the news or other items that have no eternal value. You’ll focus on your problems, rather than your blessings. Your mind will be drawn to your trials, rather than the One who can save you FROM your trials!Chris: I can attest to that! It’s so true. And the older we get, the more problems arise we have to face. I hate being awakened at night. My mind just fills with the problems of the day, bills to be paid, etc. It’s hard to relax enough to get back to sleep.Will: I hear you, [Miles]! Same here. But if we have Yah’s word in our hearts, instead of worrying over the mortgage, or the latest office politics, we will be able to fill our mind and heart with the assurance of divine love. We can quote Joshua 1:9: “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for Yahuwah thy Eloah is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”How can your heart not be filled with peace when the words flow through your mind: “Yahuwah is merciful and gracious,Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.He has not dealt with us according to our sins,Nor punished us according to our iniquities.For as the heavens are high above the earth,So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;As far as the east is from the west,So far has He removed our transgressions from us.As a father pities his children,So Yahuwah pities those who fear Him.For He knows our frame;He remembers that we are dust.”Chris: Amen! Amen. With such words to comfort and encourage, we have nothing to fear! So, now, do you have any advice on how we can go about memorizing and retaining Scripture? I know for myself, and probably for others, too, you get out of school, and it’s easy to get out of the habit of memorizing information. Will: You get out of school, you join the work-a-day world, and you don’t have as much time, either.Chris: There’s that, too. So what is the best way you have found to memorize Bible verses?Will: Well, first of all, you have to commit, make the mental decision to set aside a bit of time to focus on it. My wife’s a great multi-tasker. Between her job, the kids school activities, their sports and music lessons, the dog, cooking, and on, and on, and on . . . basically, she’s amazing. I don’t know how she does it all. But you can’t multi-task when you’re trying to memorize something. It just won’t stick. You’re not going to be able to retain much of anything.Have you ever gone into a room, then forgotten what you went there to get?Chris: Oh, yeah.Will: Chances are that occurred because you were multi-tasking. You were talking on the phone, or you were planning on asking your boss about a raise, while going to retrieve something, and then you couldn’t remember why you’d gone in there. That’s what happens when we try to multi-task too much. It affects your memory in not-so-good ways.An article in Psychology Today pointed out that memory is a function of concentration. Chris: So don’t try to multi-task while trying to commit something to memory!Will: Exactly. Instead, think about dead zones in your day and utilize them. Maybe it’s when you’re eating lunch at work. Maybe you take the bus or ride the Underground to work. Use those times to focus on memorizing a particular verse.Chris: That’s a good idea! Those “dead zone” minutes, as you call them, can really add up!Will: Secondly, be aware of how YOU learn.Chris: What do you mean?Will: Well, do you learn better by hearing, by reading, or by doing?Chris: Uhh, probably hearing.Will: Okay. For me, it’s reading. If I see it, I can remember it. If I have to only hear it, I’m not going to remember it.Chris: Yeah. It’s just the opposite for me.Will: All right. You’re an auditory learner. I’m a visual learner. So, for an auditory learner, you’re going to need to listen to it. Glance over the text to acquaint yourself with what it says, then read it, with conviction out loud! You’re going to remember what you hear, so you have to read it so you can hear it.Chris, chuckles: ‘Course, you can’t do that on the Underground.Will: I don’t know, [Miles]. Could be a good way to witness! [Both chuckle.] No, but if you have a recording app on your phone, you can read it into that and then listen to it over, and over, and over again. Chris: That’s a good idea! All right, for visual learners like you, do you have any tips?Will: Certainly do! The best way I’ve found to learn a verse quickly is to write it on an index card. Of course, you can always type it into your smart phone to have it available for review, but there is something about the act of writing it out longhand, that helps your brain retain it.Chris: I can see how that would help.Will: On one side of the index card, write the memory verse. Then, on the other side, write JUST the first letter of each word. You’d be surprised how you are able to remember by having just that little reminder there to glance at. It’s really helped me not only learn Scripture quickly, but retain it as well.[Translators: If you are translating into Mandarin or other languages that do not have a phonetic alphabet, you will have to tweak the above statement. Maybe delete the entire above comment save for the very last sentence.]Chris: That’s good because, as you say, it’s not just storing it in our short term memory banks. We want to be able to retain it for the rest of our lives, being able to call upon it as needed.Will: The Israelites understood the importance of committing Scripture to memory. The Sanhedrin was their ruling council of 70 elders. This came from the days of Moses when, in the Wilderness, Moses’s father-in-law, Jethro, saw how overwhelmed he was and suggested he appoint elders to help bear the burden of leading so many people. That was the origin of the Sanhedrin.Well, I don’t know whether it’s true or not, but I remember reading a number of years ago that a Jewish boy, well-educated and being raised to become a member of the council, was expected to have all of the books of Moses memorized by age 12.Chris: Age 12?? All the books of Moses. All by age 12.Will: That’s what I read at any rate. Look, our minds are amazing things. They’ll retain what we feed them. If we feed our kids a steady diet of the latest TV shows for kids, that’s what they’ll retain. If we teach the Scripture, they’ll retain Scripture!Chris: That’s true. And sometimes, they retain what we’d rather they not!Will, laughs: Oh, yeah! Anyway. One thing I found interesting as I got older and read the Bible for myself was how frequently Yahushua quoted Scripture. Over, and over, and over, He quoted Scripture!In fact, and this you’ll find really interesting—Chris: What’s that?Will: On the cross, virtually everything Yahushua was recorded as saying was a quote from Psalm 22.Chris: Seriously.Will: Well, let’s take a look at it. Flip over in your Bible to Matthew 27 and I’ll turn to Psalm 22.Okay, when you get there, read verse 35.Chris: All right. It says . . . “Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots.”Will: Good. Now, listen to this. Psalm 22, verse 18 says: “They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.”Now read Matthew 27, verses 39 to 40. Chris: Okay . . . “Those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, ‘You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of Yah, come down from the cross.’”Will: All right, here’s what Psalm 22, verses 16 to 17, say: “For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;?I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me.”Chris: That’s incredible! Why don’t we ever hear sermons on this?Will: Oh, it gets better. Read Matthew 27:41-43.Chris: All right. Uh, it says: “Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, ‘He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in Yah; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of Yah.’”Will: Now listen while I read the prophecy of that event from Psalm 22. Verses 6 to 8 say: “I am a worm, and no man;A reproach of men, and despised by the people.All those who see Me ridicule Me;They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,“He trusted in Yahuwah, let Him rescue Him;Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”Chris: Incredible!Will: Isn’t it? There’s a lot more, but let’s do just one more verse. Read Matthew 27:46.Chris: Umm . . . “And about the ninth hour Yahushua cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”Will: Now listen to Psalm 11, verse 1: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning?”Chris: That just blows me away.Will: It did me, too, the first time I stumbled across this! But here’s the thing. Do you know why Yahushua was quoting Scripture while hanging on the cross?Chris: Why?Will: He did it, because it strengthened His faith in the Father. The fate of the world hung in the balance. Eternal life for all believers, or eternal death for all. Which way would the balance tip?Heaven itself watched with baited breath. In this time of ultimate danger, in the extreme of mental and emotional agony when the Saviour FELT the wrath of Yah, when He FELT forsaken of Yah, the way He strengthened His faith was to quote Scripture.He’d memorized Psalm 22! That’s how Yahushua had it in His mind to even be able to quote it! He knew it was a prophecy of the experience He was going through at that very moment. Not quoted by Yahushua on the cross, but surely running through His mind, was the rest of the psalm which contained these words:“You have answered Me. I will declare Your name to My brethren;In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.”Notice. This is future tense. It told the Saviour He would triumph over death and the grave. Then the psalm comforts with these words:“He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;Nor has He hidden His face from Him;But when He cried to Him, He heard!”What a comfort to the breaking heart of the Saviour!The next several verses prophesy of the results of the Saviour’s great sacrifice. That many would be saved. And the psalm ends with this beautiful prophesy:“They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,That He has done this.”Chris, solemnly: Amazing. That is simply incredible.Will: It’s how Yahushua triumphed over Satan. He had hid the words of Yah in His heart so that He might not sin against the Most High. And in the hour of His greatest trial, when the fate of the world hung in the balance, Yahushua was able to bring those words to mind, recite them to Himself, and be comforted. THIS is how Yahushua triumphed, and how we are to triumph as well.Chris: That is . . . that is, wow. There are no words. I never realized this before. And since Yahushua is our example in all things, THIS is how WE are to triumph as well!Will: Amen. That’s right.Chris, deep breath: Wow. Thank you for sharing that. It’s a lot to take in.Don’t go away folks. When we return, we’ll be answering your questions sent in to our Daily Mailbag. Stay tuned.Mid-point call letters: (Sharon) You are listening to World’s Last Chance Radio on WBCQ, at 9330 kilohertz on the 31-meter band.World’s Last Chance Radio! Preparing a people for the Saviour’s SOON return!Mid-point ad: (Laura Lee) – Ad #12Would you like to learn more about last day events? World’s Last Chance has over 50 articles on prophecy alone! If you want to know who the Anti-Christ is, if you wish to know what the mark of the beast really is, if you would like to learn about the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, visit our website at or, look for WLC Videos on Youtube! Prophecy is Heaven’s gift to the last generation so YOU won’t be taken by surprise! Get studying today at , or watch WLC Videos on Youtube!Daily Mailbag: (Will & Chris)[Translators: Please replace names and locations of letter writers, with a name and location appropriate for your language and the area where your language is spoken.]Chris: Time for WLC Radio’s Daily Mailbag! Will: What do you have for us today, [Miles]?Chris: Well, our first question today comes from Lindsay in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. She says: “I was checking out your videos on Youtube and came across your video on Christmas. I love Christmas! It’s my favorite season of the year. Why are you so against it?”Will: Thank you for asking, Lindsay. It’s a fair question. More than any other holiday, Christmas seems to embody the ideal of warm, family togetherness. And, because for a lot of people, there aren’t other holidays throughout the year that draws family together quite like Christmas, it can seem impossible to give up.There’s a good reason to lay it aside, however, and that is that it is pagan. Yahushua was not born on Christmas day! [Chuckles] In fact, from contextual evidence in Luke, as well as archetypal suggestions based on the Israelite feasts, it is likely He was born in the fall.Chris: So He wasn’t born on December 25. I don’t think anyone today honestly believes that the Saviour was born on Christmas. And, yeah. I think everyone is aware of the pagan origins. But it’s still a good time to remember His birth, don’t you think?I mean, we’ve got family that live in the U.S. In the U.S., they’re all the time saying, “Let’s put the Christ back into Christmas.” You don’t think it can still be a time to remember the Saviour’s birth and spend time with family?Will: I know a lot of people reason that way, but to be honest, [Miles], it’s inconsistent. What is the one reason Christians give for excusing the error believed by heathens?Chris: Ummm. . .you mean, ignorance? They don’t know any better?Will: Right! In Paul’s sermon on Mars Hill, he referred to the ignorance of the pagans when he said: “Truly, these times of ignorance Yahuwah overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained.”Chris: Yeah. I remember that. Okay?Will: What did Yahuwah overlook? Their . . .Chris: Their ignorance.Will: Correct. And yet what reason do Christians give for why they should be able to observe Christmas? I’ve heard them say it myself! They say: “Well, I know Yahushua wasn’t really born then! It’s OK because I’m not deceived.”Chris, chuckles: Wow! That’s, that’s pretty inconsistent, isn’t it? Yahuwah overlooks times of ignorance, and yet, it’s the very lack of ignorance that many Christians try to use as a reason why they should be able to observe a pagan holiday! That’s, [laughs], yeah, that’s not a good argument. Are there any other reasons?Will: Yes, just real quick. In addition to Christmas being a pagan holiday and NOT the birth of the Saviour, there is not a single reference to Christmas in the entire New Testament! In fact, the only birthday celebrations we hear reference to are pagan. Herod celebrated his birthday—Chris: And the result was the death of John the Baptist.Will: Right. But the early believers did not have such celebrations, so why would they celebrate His birth? They were remembering the triumph over sin at His death!Christmas entered Christianity via the Roman Catholic Church. Catholicism embraced and absorbed a lot of paganism in an attempt to win followers.Chris, scoffs: Never a good idea!Will: Noooo! Alexander Hyslop, in his book, The Two Babylons, wrote: "... within the Christian Church no such festival as Christmas was ever heard of till the third century, and . . . not till the fourth century was far advanced did it gain much observance. How, then, did the Roman Church fix on December 25th as Christmas-day?”Then he answers his own question, saying: “Long before the fourth century, and long before the Christian era itself, a festival was celebrated among the heathen, at that precise time of the year, in honour of the birth of the son of the Babylonian queen of heaven! And it may fairly be presumed that in order to conciliate the heathen, and to swell the number of the nominal adherents of Christianity, the same festival was adopted by the Roman Church, giving it only the name of Christ. This tendency on the part of the Christians to meet Paganism half-way was very early developed ... Upright men strove to stem the tide, but in spite of all their efforts, the apostasy went on, till the Church, with the exception of a small remnant, was submerged under Pagan superstition. That Christmas was originally a Pagan festival, is beyond all doubt. The time of the year, the ceremonies with which it is still celebrated, prove its origin. In Egypt, the son of Isis, the Egyptian title for the queen of heaven, was born at this very time, 'about the time of the winter solstice.’”Chris: Well, that answers that. Why would you even want to associate with something that is nothing but pure paganism, through and through?Will: My thoughts exactly. Do you have anything else for us?Chris: Uh, yeah. This one’s from Karl, in Hamburg, Germany. It’s sort of about Christmas as well. He says: “Doesn’t Jeremiah 10:1-4 condemn Christmas trees?” Will: Christmas trees originated in Germany. I can see why he’d want to know.Karl, thanks for writing. I know the passage you’re talking about. Verses three and four talk about cutting a tree out of the forest, decorating it with silver and gold, fastening it with hammer and nails so it doesn’t move—Chris, interrupting, laughing: Which anyone who’s ever attempted to stabilize a Christmas tree can relate to!Will laughs, too: Oh, yeah! It certainly sounds like it, at least in certain translations of the Bible, especially the English translation. However, the context makes it clear that the passage is describing the manufacture of an idol or image that is inlaid with precious metal. A more direct application to Christmas would probably be the start of verse three that says the “customs of the people are in vain.” The word “customs” in [English] comes from a Hebrew word that is frequently used in Scripture to apply to annual holidays.People who want to keep to a Biblical faith do not make non-Biblical holidays of great importance, especially if there are pagan connotations involved. And, as we’ve seen, there certainly are with Christmas.[Translators: please tweak for your language. Look up Jeremiah 10:3 for the word used there for “customs”.]Chris: You’re right, Dave. There are plenty of Heaven’s holidays we can keep. The annual feasts, as listed in Leviticus 23, are anniversaries of events in the plan of salvation! What better than to remember and celebrate them?Will: I agree! And something I’ve noticed is that when you keep Yahuwah’s holidays, there is no “let down” afterward. A lot of people are terribly depressed at Christmas time. In fact, out of all the months of the year, December, I’ve read, has the highest rate of suicides.Chris: Really??Will: Really. There’s this huge hype that no single day can ever live up to, plus, it’s pagan! There’s so much pressure, so much stress, so much build up, and it’s over so quickly. People get the “Christmas blues” but I’ve never experienced the “blues” following any of Yahuwah’s holidays.Chris: You know, now that you mention it, I haven’t either! Thanks, [Dave!] You always bring out really interesting points to consider.That’s all we’ve got time for today, but please. Feel free to send us your questions and comments, too. Something you’re wondering about? Don’t know the answer to? Go to our website at and click on Contact Us. We’ll do our best to answer, either on air, or in our Q&As on the website. Drop us a note! We love hearing from our listeners.[Translators: Instead of telling them to click on “Contact Us,” tell them to click on the Radio WLC icon.]Daily Promise: (Laura Lee)[Translators: In place of “Gladys Ryder” insert a feminine name, first and last, from the language into which you are translating.]This is [radio name] with your daily promise from Yah’s word.I want to tell you about my great-aunt. Being the oldest of 6 kids is never easy. But being the oldest of 6 kids, being the one left in charge while mother and father are away, is not only difficult, but can be very scary, too.That is just the situation in which teenage Gladys Ryder found herself. Mother and father had expected to return a week before, but so far they had not returned, nor had they sent word when they would return. The world was at war. The money was all gone and there was very little food left to feed so many.Scared, depressed, and not knowing what to do, Gladys slipped out of the house and down to the pasture beyond the barn. Sinking down, she buried her face in her hands and began to cry. A gentle hand was placed on her shoulder and she heard a man say, “Men ought always to pray and not to faint.”Turning, she looked up. There was no one there! It sounded like something she had read in the Bible, but she didn’t know where. Between caring for the children, taking care of the farm animals, and endless cooking and cleaning, Gladys searched and searched for that phrase in the Bible. She finally found it in Luke 18, verse 1, which says: “And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.”And pray she did! She still didn’t know when her parents would return. She had no money and very little food, but she knew she could pray to a prayer-answering Heavenly Father. And so she did.Just as the last of the food gave out, Mother and Father returned. Throughout the rest of her life, Gladys never forgot the lesson she learned that day. Through trials large and small, she always remembered that, no matter what happens, we can pray and we have a loving Father who hears, and WILL ANSWER our prayers!We’ve been given great and precious promises. Go and start claiming!Ending Points: (Chris & Will)Chris: Welcome back! This is [Miles Robey]. [Dave Wright’s] been sharing with us the benefits and how-tos of memorizing Scripture.Will: Thanks, [Miles]. Scripture is not some magical incantation. The promises are not something you recite like a Hail Mary. They are the Bread of Life. They must be meditated upon, absorbed into the heart and soul, if they are to have a lasting impact on the mind and soul. Scripture is food for the soul. If you don’t eat, you don’t grow. Chris: That’s a good analogy. And we all know, input equals output. If you only feed your body with fats and sugars, you’re not going be strong and healthy. However, if you are careful of your intake, to consume only that which is nutritious and promotes health, you’ll likely be healthy! Likewise with what we feed our spirit and our soul.Will: That’s true. Martin Luther, as we discussed earlier, was someone who really understood the importance of knowing and understanding Scripture, the importance of making it central to your life. He said: “I am afraid that the schools will prove the very gates of hell, unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures and engraving them in the heart of the youth.”Chris: Absolutely. Youth is such an important time to form the thoughts and character after Heaven. But even if our own youth is past, it’s not too late to begin absorbing Scripture now.Will: It’s really not! And you can be assured that Heaven will bless our attempts to commune with Yah and make Scripture a part of us.Chris: It reminds me of when Yahushua taught at the synagoge in Capernaum. John 6 quotes Him as saying:“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. ?Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”Will: Now obviously, He was speaking metaphorically.Chris: Oh, yeah. Because He explained it to His disciples. A few verses later it says: “When Yahushua knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before??It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”Will: But they won’t change our lives if we don’t do our part to absorb them. Author, Anne Lamont, says: ““There's a lovely Hasidic story of a rabbi who always told his people that if they studied the Torah, it would put Scripture on their hearts. One of them asked, ‘Why on our hearts, and not in them?’ The rabbi answered, ‘Only Yah can put Scripture inside. But reading sacred text can put it on your heart, and then when your hearts break, the holy words will fall inside.’” And that’s what Yahuwah wants to do for us today! With everything that is coming down on our heads, with the political unrest, with financial instability, with the sheer chaos that is shortly to be unleashed upon the world, Yah’s people need a faith that, honestly, we don’t yet have.Chris: That’s so true. In order to stand firmly in the face of universal scorn, ridicule and hate, it’s going to take supernatural strength.Will: Supernatural strength we can only get from Heaven. Listen. The image of the beast is being formed right now, even as we speak. When the mark of the beast is enforced—and remember, Scripture says that it will be enforced on pain of death—when it’s enforced, the only thing that will keep us strong and faithful then, is the exact same thing that kept Yahushua strong, faithful, and comforted on the cross. And that is, the Word of Yah. The promises of Yah!Chris: Amen. Amen. And now is the time, now while we still have a chance, NOW is the time to start laying them up in our hearts, like hidden treasure.Will: Did you know there is a prophecy in Scripture about this very thing?Chris: Really? No, I didn’t know that. Where?Will: Jeremiah 31. Listen while I read it. It’s such an uplifting and encouraging promise. It says:“Behold, the days are coming, says Yahuwah, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says Yahuwah.?But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says Yahuwah: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their Eloah [their God], and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know Yahuwah,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says Yahuwah. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”It’s time—right now, today—for this prophecy to be fulfilled.If not now, when? If not us, who?[Narrators: be careful not to read the Scripture passage too rapidly.]Chris: Amen! Come, Yahushua, and get us ready.Well, we’re out of time again. I wish we could keep going. There is such beauty in the word of Yah. I love dwelling on spiritual things.Please join us again tomorrow, and until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust![Narrator: don’t rush that last line. Say it gently but with emphasis.]Pre-recorded Sign off (Sharon)You have been listening to WLC Radio. This program, as well as past episodes of Radio WLC, are available for downloading on our website. These are great for sharing with friends and Bible studies! It is also a wonderful resource for those worshipping Yahuwah alone or at home. If you would like to listen to Radio WLC programs, visit our website at .Click on the Radio WLC icon at the top left of the homepage. This will allow you to download the episodes in your preferred language. There are also articles and videos available in a variety of languages. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message on WBCQ, at 9330 kilohertz on the 31-meter band.World’s Last Chance Radio! Preparing a people for the Saviour’s SOON return! ................
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