Foolproof Health [Part 2]

Allen Wright, pastor, Bible teacher, and author of his latest book, The Power to Bless. Do you understand what this means?

It means that God the Father doesn't look upon you as the son of folly, but the son of wisdom, and his heart is made glad. That's Pastor Alan Wright. Welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light. I'm Daniel Britt, excited for you to hear the teaching today in the series, Foolproof, as presented at Reynolda Church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program, I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now. It can be yours for your donation this month to Allen Wright Ministries. So as you listen to today's message, go deeper if we're happy to send you today's special offer. Just contact us at pastorallen.org, that's pastorallen.org, or call 877-544-4860.

That's 877-544-4860. We'll have more on this special offer later in the program. But now, let's get started with today's teaching.

Here is Allen Wright. Lamentations 3 said, his mercies knew every morning to us. In fact, Jesus' ministry and his teaching was in one theme, teaching people to appreciate the moment. Consider the lilies of the field. They neither toil nor spin, but I tell you Solomon in all of his glory was not arrayed like them. Consider the birds of the air, his eyes on the sparrow.

You can be sure that he watches you. So you can consider these things and think about the beauty that's in this moment. The happiest people on earth learn to enjoy the moment that they're in. They don't delay their lives, they don't postpone life until they reach a certain new goal.

They don't spend their time rehashing yesterday's regrets. They learn to live in that moment and appreciate what's happening in that moment. I don't know why I was thinking of all these things this week and the Lord just brought to mind a beautiful image, a woman named Blanche in the first church that I served. When I arrived at that church as a young man, she was an old woman and she was already in failing health and she'd been through many difficult things. She'd had loved ones who had died, she didn't have much family in the area, she had very little money, and then she had to endure several significant surgeries from which she didn't ever fully recover and she required ongoing assistance and was living in a skilled nursing facility and I would visit her whenever I could get a chance. And I'll tell you Blanche was happy.

You think, how can you be happy in those circumstances? She was happy. She was legitimately, authentically happy and I would go visit Blanche and she'd say things like, well, I'd say, how are you Blanche?

You know, because as pastor we're trained to, we're trained to get you to talk about your problems and I put my most sad face on and I'd say, how are you feeling this week, Blanche? And she said, oh, well, I got aches and pains, but she said, you know, it could be worse. I'll tell you one day, she was so much happier than I was and one day I almost blurted out, I said, well, what could be worse, Blanche?

Just tell me, somebody that's got it worse. But I'll never forget, you know how you have these little moments where the Holy Spirit just speaks to you and teaches you something you never forget? You never forget the rest of your life? And I just remember this moment, she had a little small square box of a window in that skilled nursing facility that was not a nice one. And we were talking and she looked up to the window and she said, look at that squirrel. And they had one little tree, one small tree outside her window and sometimes the squirrels would come and get in the tree. And she said, look at that cute little thing.

And she said, I just love watching the squirrels play around in that tree. And Blanche Carver was more happy in that moment watching a squirrel in a tree than half the people I've seen in this prosperous world that have everything going for them. Somebody that learns to live in a moment, see the moment, and understand that moment has value, those people are happy. We've got the gift of the gospel that sets us free from worry about tomorrow and regret about yesterday.

And we're invited into this moment, which is the only moment we have. The second thing that modern science is suggesting to people about how to be happy, and I'm absolutely for this one also, but we've got this one from antiquity, is the importance of letting go of negative feelings and becoming resilient enough that you can come back to a healthy state of mind or a positive state of mind after you've endured stressful things. And the psychologists are calling this resilience. The problem, they say, with our immune systems and so much of what's happening to us and our health and our bodies is that we have this complicated endocrine system and all these hormones and stress hormones that we really need because if you are getting chased by a bear, you need to be at your fastest and you need your heart rate to go up and you need things to happen in your body and God made a really elaborate system where this could happen. But what happens when we're under stress and perceived stress and our thought life is always about the stress, it's like one researcher said, we're like people on alert who have seen a wolf, but there is no wolf. And you're not supposed to live life as if there's a wolf all the time.

And the more that we think like that to the wolf, there's a wolf, there's a wolf, everything's negative, everything's difficult, everything's bad, everything's stressful. The more that you think like that, what science is revealing is the more that you think like that, the brain adapts to it. And I know we're still just learning a lot about this, but it's very curious to me that I guess the brain's like some kind of neural super highway and connections are made and you actually can become better at negative thinking. I mean you just get wired that way. But what they've learned is that if you start practicing some more positive ways of thinking, if you start becoming a more grateful person, for example, you start seeing things more positively, that it likewise can change your brain.

This is a very hopeful thing, isn't it? That you can actually have your brain change in that sense. And so there are some people whose brains, their very mind can experience a stressful event and return more quickly to normal or positive feelings where someone else, it's like it gets stuck there and it just keeps going. And science is looking for ways to try to change that of actually rerouting your brain's wiring. Well listen, beloved, this is wonderful news to science, but it's something that we've already known because Paul told us, didn't he, that you can be transformed by the renewing of your mind. And I come to see it more and more literally. You know the more I walk with God and the more I study His Word, it's more and more literal to me.

I mean God spoke these things and put them through the pins of people that lived in their day with very limited scientific knowledge. And yet we see so much of this is just God is literally showing us incredible truths. You see what we have in the Gospel is the mystery of forgiveness. We have the capacity to forgive others and forgive ourselves. If you can't forgive others and forgive yourselves and you don't have a supernatural aid in doing so, then your mind's going to get locked into negative thinking. And all the old wounds, because we're going to experience hard things in this world and all the struggles and strains and all the old wounds in our lives, they're going to stay on our minds. Except when you're in Christ, you can forgive because He's forgiven you. And you can forgive yourself. And the people that learn to do this and have this mystery that Hebrews says is letting no bitter roots spring up that defiles many, including yourself. The people that discover this capacity to let go and live with God's grace.

These are happy people. That's what science is showing. Let me just give you a couple other things that science is learning and suggesting to people that try to teach them because people are really confused about.

And this one's an important one. People tend to think that spending money on physical possessions will make them happy. And finally, modern science is telling them, no, it's not.

They've done lots of studies on this. Now, if you're poor and you have very, very little, then that's difficult and it'll take away from your happiness. But what we learned is being rich doesn't make you happy. In fact, there's a certain level of income, not that high, just a good standard of living that once you reach that, there's no measurable increase in happiness, according to the studies.

I'm not saying, oh, therefore don't make money. Make a lot of money and give a lot to the Lord. That's Alan Wright, and we'll have more teaching in a moment from today's important series. Ever feel like something's holding you back as if you lack an important key that could change everything?

Is there someone you love who seems stuck? You'd like to help them, but how? What's missing? Blessing. We all need a positive, faith-filled vision spoken over our lives. You can learn how to embrace the biblical practice of blessing through Pastor Alan Wright's new book, The Power to Bless, which quickly became an Amazon number one bestseller after its recent release. Until now, the hardcover book has only been available through retail sales, but this month, Alan Wright Ministries wants to send you the book as our thank you for your donation. When you give this month, you'll not only receive the bestselling book, but you'll also receive a free five-session video course in which Pastor Alan teaches how to bless and covers content not found in the book.

The video course includes a detailed study guide perfect for personal growth or small group discussion. Make your gift today and discover the power to bless. The gospel is shared when you give to Alan Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support.

When you give today, we will send you today's special offer. We are happy to send this to you as our thanks from Alan Wright Ministries. Call us at 877-544-4860. That's 877-544-4860. Or come to our website, PastorAlan.org.

Today's teaching now continues. Here once again is Alan Wright. What I'm just saying, but please don't think that, you know, having more so that you can buy more is going to make you happy. Um, it absolutely is, is not, but you know, what's interesting, just a side fact where the studies show that the kind of money when you spend it that does make you actually happier is on experiences.

Um, really, honestly, you're, you're better off instead of buying another shiny pair of shoes or whatever, you're better off to, uh, spend it on a nice meal with friends or maybe a trip that you've been wanting to take. Um, because you, you remember these things, it's about relationships and, uh, and those things actually do do Jesus said, why do you lay up treasures on earth for a moth and rust destroy? You think, gee, he's not laying down some heavy law. You understand this is the wisdom of God speaking to you. He said, I don't, I want, he wants you to be, he wants you to have a joyful heart. He said, Jesus, look at me, say, people are spending on what doesn't bring happiness. And he taught a parable of a rich man who built additional storehouses so that, um, this man said, oh, I've been so successful. I'll tell you what I'm gonna do.

I'm gonna tear down my current storehouses, build bigger ones so I can fill them up with more grain. And then the parable, the man's life is required of them that very, that very nice. Like, well, what good did that do you? We're discovering this in science, but we've known this for, for the timelessness of God's word. There's something else. Science is learning and we've known forever is that meaningful connection. I mean, real relationships and friendships help make you happy. Very, if you don't have, uh, three or more friends, the chances of being happy is very slim according to the studies. And people who have five friends are 50% more likely to describe themselves as very happy. You know, what's very interesting also is that, uh, basically people who go to church are happier.

I'm glad that stat came in. But, uh, but what they found even that is that it's not just people who go, well, almost everybody goes to church. They say they report being happier, but the people who go to church and they have close relationship within church uh, report being happier. So, in other words, what science is finding is that if you go to church and develop at least a few good friends within your church, um, you're going to be by far happier person.

Thank you, modern science. But we've already known that. Did you see, we understand we're the body of Christ and we have something more than just, oh, we don't go to church and we just have something in common because, oh, you go to all the church. Beloved, we have something mystical and powerful and wonderful and rich. We have the very holy spirit of the living triune God living inside of each believer so that the same spirits in me is in you. And so, though the way that I express God's presence and the way that I interact with God might not be exactly the same way you do, we have the same Jesus.

And he is our head and we are so integrated with one another that we are actually called the body of Christ on earth. We are inseparable. We are mystically united. We're more than friends.

We're kononia. We are the body of Christ and it causes us joy. Here's something that may be the most important of all that science is learning that we've known forever. Gratitude produces happiness. Being thankful. People who keep a gratitude journal are 25% happier than those who don't. People who notice the good things, remember good things are far happier. You know, how you look on your life and how you remember things and the way that you shape your gratitude around it is, well, it's going to shape your happiness. That's something I saw from God's word long, long ago that the way that you remember yesterday is going to determine how you live tomorrow. And listen, every single person goes through hardships and trials and difficulties in this world.

There's nobody that's immune from that. But God has been at every point in your life doing good things. And I'll tell you what happens to the mind that's illumined by the word of God, to the spirit that is connected to the Holy Spirit, that what you do is you begin to see God in places where you didn't see Him before and you practice what was given to the people of Israel at the Passover. Remember this day and commemorate it and teach it to your children.

You know what you do in families is when you have good things that are blessings from the Lord, celebrate the blessings, talk about the blessings and how wonderful it is and how wonderful God is. And wasn't that a wonderful time? You know, eight years ago we had this blissful, wonderful sabbatical and we took a trip out west. It was one of the best things we ever did. We just went out to all national parks.

Abby was I think 11, Bennett was 15. And it was just a great time of life. And the Lord looked after us and, and we made it back safely. And we had all these memories and we talked, we tell stories. We talk about it all the time. We just, we went to see an IMAX the other day and it was a story of big, about all the national parks. And we look, oh, we've been there. Oh, isn't that great? And we just relive the stories.

And what happens when you do that? You're just so grateful for all that. You know, the interesting thing about it is that I don't go back and remember the difficult things on the trip. Like every couple of days, loading up every suitcase and trying to get a family of four all packed up into the van again to go somewhere else.

And we'd stay about two nights and then we move on somewhere else. I don't remember that. I don't remember. I have to think hard to go back and remember that I did have a few days.

My back was bothering me. And I don't, I don't remember some of the difficult challenges we had along the way. I had almost forgotten until I forced myself to think about it, how I had to take a detour from our plans and get to a car shop because I was just sure that I had burned out the brakes coming down a big hill out of Yosemite.

And I was worried about that. I don't think about all those things. I just think about, I just think about all the joy in it.

I just think about it. You see the way you remember your life. You got to remember God's been in your life and He's been so good to you and every good thing that He's done. You know, it's interesting also, part of gratitude is not sitting around comparing yourself to other people and what they have or what they've done.

You're thankful for what God's done in your life. You know, one study researchers asked less happy people, the people who didn't rank very high on the happiness scale, they asked them, said, well, who did they compare themselves with? And the researcher said, they went on and on about who they compare themselves with. But the researcher said that the happy people that he interviewed, and he asked them, who do you, with whom do you compare yourself, said, quote, said, happy people didn't know what we were talking about. I said, happy people aren't comparing themselves to anybody else.

We've had this since the time the 10 commandments were given, thou shalt not covet. Grateful people don't covet because they're so grateful that God's done what He's done for them. Brene Brown, the secular researcher in Houston said, I made a commitment to never talk about joy for the rest of my career without talking about gratitude because in 12 years of research, I've never interviewed a single person with the capacity to really experience joy who does not also actively practice gratitude. I'm in a hurry now, but let me just tell you one more thing that scientists have seen that produces happiness, giving.

Here's my favorite study. One study showed two year olds, listen to this, two year olds were happier giving away goldfish crackers from their own stash rather than someone else's pile. If you want to teach your children to be happy, teach them to give. I mean, just come back to this text of ours, the joyful heart is good medicine, is a good cure, it's good healing.

A joyful heart's a good part of your health program and it's set in the midst of this otherwise confusing and intriguing context of the Father whose joy or sorrow is linked to the folly or the wisdom of His Son. A joyful heart's found in a wise son, a crushed spirit, and a foolish son. By implication, it is to say, if you want to find a perfectly happy father, you'd have to find one who had a perfectly wise son. And there's only been one perfectly wise son, Jesus of Nazareth. He never had a moment in which He said no to His Father's wisdom. He and the Father were one.

He never had a moment when He went off in folly. And this perfectly wise son, Jesus, told a story about a man who had two sons and one of his sons went off in abject folly and squandered his inheritance on a faraway land. But when the son came back and came out of his foolishness and became wise again and he returned to his father, the Father didn't shame him but the Father ran to him and fell upon him with affection and wept upon his neck and threw a huge party, a big celebration.

And you know what the Father was doing? His joy was full because his foolish son had become wise and this Father was treating this son as if he'd never been foolish, but He treated him as this perfectly wise son and had this wonderful celebration. And Jesus was saying, this is what God is like and this is what the kingdom of God is like.

God saw there was no wise human son and so He sent His only begotten son to come and live as the perfectly wise son. And so the Father's Father's heart is spilling over with perfect joy and delight in His wise son. And when you come into the kingdom of God, you come into Christ and when you come into Christ, you have been reckoned to be the righteousness of Jesus.

Do you understand what this means? It means that God the Father doesn't look upon you as the son of folly but the son of wisdom and His heart is made glad. It means He loves you, He teaches you, He corrects you, but He delights in you and God's heart is happy. That which He said of His own son, this is my son in whom I'm well pleased, He says of you in Jesus Christ. And what this means therefore, beloved, is when Jesus said to His disciples, my joy I give unto you, not as the world gives unto you, He's not saying I'll give you a joy that is like my joy, He's saying I'll give you my joy. You in Christ are given the gift of the Holy Spirit who has joy and it is the Father's own joy who is a Father who is ultimately perfectly delighted in the wisdom of His son Jesus Christ and you and I are caught up into that grand joy.

Well, I'm glad that modern science has gotten around to finding it out. Solomon told us 3,500 years ago, a joyful heart is good medicine and that's the gospel. Alan Wright, today's teaching on Full Proof Health from the series Full Proof. Alan's back with us in the studio here in just a moment sharing a part in good news thought for the day. Please stay with us. Ever feel like something's holding you back as if you lack an important key that could change everything?

Is there someone you love who seems stuck? You'd like to help them but how? What's missing? Blessing. We all need a positive faith-filled vision spoken over our lives. You can learn how to embrace the biblical practice of blessing through Pastor Alan Wright's new book, The Power to Bless, which quickly became an Amazon number one bestseller after its recent release. Until now, the hardcover book has only been available through retail sales but this month, Alan Wright Ministries wants to send you the book as our thank you for your donation. When you give this month, you'll not only receive the best-selling book but you'll also receive a free five-session video course in which Pastor Alan teaches how to bless and covers content not found in the book.

The video course includes a detailed study guide perfect for personal growth or small group discussion. Make your gift today and discover the power to bless. The gospel is shared when you give to Alan Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you give today, we will send you today's special offer. We are happy to send this to you as our thanks from Alan Wright Ministries. Call us at 877-544-4860.

That's 877-544-4860 or come to our website, pastoralan.org. Back here in the studio, Alan, and sharing our good news thought for the day has something to do with joy, I'm sure, right? Absolutely. You know, joy is by one definition the complete absence of worry. If you've ever had a moment where you just could say, that's what it feels like to have a light heart. We're going to go through difficult things in this world, but it's God's plan for us to live with a light heart because of our capacity to trust in Him. And it is His plan that we, having the gift of the Holy Spirit, would have the ongoing fruit of joy. So I want to just say to all our listeners, if you're going through something difficult now, don't postpone joy. Don't postpone rejoicing. No matter what you're going through now, there may be even sadness and grief, but there can be a quiet joy that is in the midst of it. And when there is something worth celebrating in life, beloved, go ahead and celebrate it because joy is good medicine.