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CONNIE: Uninvited guests--at the biggest party of the year! What happens if the punch bowl runs dry? Would God care about something like that? Stay tuned as we turn to the Bible for the answer. Giving God’s trumpet a Certain Sound for more than 70 years, this is the Voice of Prophecy.

CONNIE: Hello, I’m Connie Jeffery,

LONNIE: and I’m Lonnie Melashenko. Connie, today we
continue with the exciting series we’ve been sharing on since the beginning of the year.

CONNIE: The Joy of Jesus.

LONNIE: We’re on part 4--the last of the series today, and looking at another party story.

CONNIE: Most people don’t picture Jesus as being the type of person to attend a lot of parties, but when you read the Gospels, you do find Him attending feasts and celebrations quite often.

LONNIE: He wasn’t afraid to be joyful, and to share in the joy of others, and I’m glad to say that many Christians have found the joy of Jesus, too. I don’t think we should spend all our time going from party to party, but as Christians we certainly have a lot to be joyful about. One of the Christians I know who shares a lot of joy wherever he goes is my good friend, Dick Duerksen. And as we planned this series of programs, I wanted to bring Dick on the air with us to share a bit about how he finds joy in the Lord each day.

LONNIE: Dick Duerksen. My old buddy from La Serria University 35 years ago, great to have you on the line.

DICK: Thank you Lonnie, it’s a pleasure to be with you.

LONNIE: Now Dick you’re tucked there in the entertainment capital of North America and the world, Orlando, working for Florida Hospital. What is your mission there?

DICK: Well my mission Lonnie, is actually to help interpret the mission of Florida Hospital, which by the way is, “To extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ,” and my challenge is to help that make sense to all of our 18,000 employees.

LONNIE: 18,000, wow!

DICK: Yeah they actually get to try and teach that now to each other and the patients, it’s a good time.

LONNIE: Dick whether you’re speaking to 20,000 Pathfinders scouts in Colorado, or 24,000 in Pennsylvania you always embrace everything you do with exuberance and joy. What makes you tick?

DICK: Probably the place I would take you to answer that question is the New Testament, the book of Romans, chapter five the first few verses. The Message translates it by saying that when we through open our doors to God, we discover at the same moment He has already thrown open His door to us. Then we find ourselves standing where we always wanted to stand, out in the wide-open spaces of Gods glory and grace shouting our praise. I’ve discovered that no matter where I am, or what I’m doing, I can live that experience of standing tall in the wide open spaces of Gods glory and grace, and shout my praise.

LONNIE: Amen! That takes you into all kinds of dimensions. I mean you’re a writer, a photographer with some exquisite portraits, and a musician, always on the run always on the go, going all over the planet to speaking engagements, yet you just kind of bubble, you effervesce, Dick.

DICK: I think its because everywhere I go I look for some way to shout that praise. If I’m in Tasmania, Australia I find a waterfall where I can photograph the ferns living behind the waterfall. If I’m here, and I’m having a hard day, I quit an hour early and go out to Cape Canaveral, and photograph Roseate Spoonbills eating supper just as the sun goes down. I look for ways to rejoice in God.

LONNIE: Well how do we translate for people who can’t get out to a safari and take pictures of lions in Africa, who maybe are living Godly lives, but they’re suffering, they’re having physical pain. Is happiness laying low and buying a BMW, and going on these trips? How can we plug into that same kind of joy regardless of where we are?

DICK: Three quick answers. Happiness # 1 is waving to a friend across a busy room. Happiness #2, is opening an old well worn, well loved book, and reading that page again. The one that just fills you with joy. Happiness #3, is picking up a telephone, and calling somebody you haven’t talked to for 6 months or 16 years, and saying, “Hi, how are you”? Happiness #4 is finding a way to give of yourself to somebody else today, and in the process you end up shouting God’s praise. You don’t need lions, and tigers, and spoonbills.

LONNIE: I’m hearing you say Dick, that happiness is not at all in things. In fact that probably leads to despair. But it’s prioritizing and putting others first, you know the old joy, Jesus first, others second, yourself last.

DICK: My dad always used to say, “Boredom is not something others do for you, boredom is something you do for yourself, you can choose joy instead”.

LONNIE: So when Jesus did say, all who live Godly lives will suffer, yet He says I’ve come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly. Talk about that for just a minute.

DICK: Well the word abundantly is translated in so many fun different ways, and different versions, mine is, I think the living Bible where it says, Fill it to where it is overflowing with joy. Some days it doesn’t feel like its overflowing. Some days it feels empty, but remember how Dr. Kay Kuzma, the child-raising expert would say, the cup, although it may only have a little bit of love in it. The only way to get it to grow is to pour that out to somebody else and you will suddenly discover your cup is overflowing.

LONNIE: You know, that was illustrated more than once in the Bible, wasn’t by the miracle of, by getting involved and doing something you keep that widow’s cruise flowing.

DICK: That’s right. That poor women of Zarephath. If she hadn’t poured it out she would have starved.

LONNIE: Give us a specific, just this past week, of somewhere that joy just came, burst, overflowed and filled your love cup.

DICK: I had a friend who called and said could we talk for a few minutes, and in that conversation he shared some really deep hurts, deep pains. The fact that he was willing to call and share with me gave me joy. The fact that we were able to pray together gave me joy, and the fact that in the process helped decide two things he could do the rest of the week to resolve the challenge, gave me even greater joy.

LONNIE: Beautiful. You have been a friend for 35 years, and we’ve bonded, and there’s always been something about the chemistry of you and me, it’s always a joy to reconnect with you. Its kind of like Campolo, the kingdom of heaven with Dick Duerksen is a party.

DICK: It’s just a party, it’s got to be Lonnie.

LONNIE: 20 Seconds, final wrap.

DICK: Oh my! Easiest I know is to go back to that text in Romans. When I open my door to God, I discover He’s already opened His door to me, and He’s standing there encouraging my joy. Embracing me with His love.

LONNIE: Thanks Dick Duerksen.

DICK: Thank you Lonnie.

CONNIE: There are a lot of ways to find happiness--or at least to pursue happiness--in the world, but Del Delker shares the real route to lasting joy in this song, “I’ve Discovered the Way of Gladness.”

. “I’ve Discovered the Way of Gladness”, Del Delker, from VOPML

CONNIE: True gladness, true joy, has to spring from deep inside a person, doesn’t it?

LONNIE: That’s true, Connie, and the best way to have joy in your heart, is to accept the joy of Jesus in--which is what Del Delker was singing about.

CONNIE: Our program today uses two classic Voice of Prophecy recordings from the days when we had our own music department right here in our studios, with Del and the King’s Heralds working on new arrangements and new songs all the time, so, unfortunately we can’t offer these songs on a CD.

LONNIE: But both Del and the Heralds do have a number of CDs available, and you can learn more about them, and even shop for their music in our online bookstore that’s part of our web page located at VOP.COM.

CONNIE: And our store will soon have a new book added to its shelves, but it’s not there yet.

LONNIE: Why not?

CONNIE: It’s just hot off the press, and right now we’re actually giving away copies of this book, The Joy of Jesus that our whole broadcast staff has had a part in putting together.

LONNIE: That’s right, today’s the last time we’ll be offering it for a while, so if you don’t have your copy of The Joy of Jesus yet, now’s the time to ask for it.

CONNIE: Give us a call at 1-800-872-0055, if you’d like to reserve your copy of this brand new book. We’ll tell you more, and give you our mailing address a bit later. We want you to have this book, so get a pen and paper ready to write down the information.

LONNIE: Today we’re looking at the story of Jesus’ first miracle--the one performed at the wedding in Cana. And Ken Wade has a little background information for us, to help us understand just what was going on there that night. Share with us, Ken.

We read in John 2:1 that there was a wedding one day in Cana-in-Galilee, and that Jesus’ mother was there. Sounds like a pretty simple thing. You and I attend weddings all the time--pop into the church a few minutes before the ceremony starts, maybe stay around for a meal afterwards, and that’s about it. Three or four hours and we’re on our way home.

That’s not the way they did weddings in Cana in AD 27. A wedding was a really big deal, taking up most of the afternoon, all of the evening, and in some instances going on day after day, for a whole week.

Things got underway in the afternoon, when the bridegroom and a group of his friends gathered at his house to begin the procession to claim his bride. If the friends had swords or other weapons available, they’d often carry them along in the procession. The bridegroom--for this one day in his life--was treated as royalty. And royalty needed an armed guard.

Meanwhile excitement was building at the bride-to-be’s house. She and her maidservants--for this day she was treated as a queen with a full sleight of serving girls and courtiers--scurried about, preparing for their own procession. Then at the appointed hour, usually just about sundown, the bride would put on her finest robes, all the jewelry she owned, plus some borrowed from friends, a tiara on her head, and a thick veil covering her face, and head out into the village streets with her own procession.

The pipers would pipe, the singers would sing, there would be laughing and merriment all along the way, and then the great moment would come when the two processions would meet and the party would get into full swing. After much merriment at the meeting place, the two groups would form one mass procession headed for the groom’s house, where the festivities would continue late into the night.

Of course this is the picture we get in Jesus’ famous parable of the ten virgins. These young women had been invited to the wedding feast, so they must have gone out to the place where the bride and groom were to meet--ready to join in the celebration.

But things didn’t go as planned--somehow the bridegroom was delayed, and the girls decided to take a little nap while they waited. They probably hadn’t planned on being outside long after dark--the wedding party usually moved inside around sundown. So some hadn’t taken extra oil with them. They fell asleep just after dark, and when they awoke the “batteries” on their “flashlights” were dead. After all their planning and preparation, they found themselves on the outside looking in at the biggest party of the year! What a disappointment.

Among wealthy families these types of celebration might continue for as long as a week, with a new party beginning about sundown each evening.

It was a joyous time, a big event, that probably involved almost everyone in town. And that’s the kind of event Jesus and His first five disciples attended that night in Cana.

But that particular night of joy almost turned into a night of embarrassment and sorrow for the happy couple. This time it wasn’t oil that ran out, but wine. Would the family end up sorrowing like the five foolish virgins? Or would Jesus make sure their joy continued?

CONNIE: Jesus was a Man of joy, as well as a Man of Sorrows. In his message today, Lonnie takes us through some of the ups and downs of Jesus’ ministry, and reminds us of the source of ultimate joy.

The Joy of Jesus--4

Wednesday night was party night in Cana. At least this particular Wednesday night, because a blushing young bride--probably a girl of about 15 or so--was getting married. Her bridegroom, a young man a few years older, had been betrothed to her sometime within the past few months, through arrangements worked out between the two young people’s fathers.

Jesus, and Nathanael, and Andrew, and John, and Peter, and Philip had just arrived in town, after a very long journey, and they were guests at the wedding.

In fact it seems possible that the bride and groom may have been close friends of Jesus, maybe even relatives.

The story’s told in the Gospel of John, chapter 2, but I don’t think it starts there. There’s a little bit of the story back in chapter 1 as well, I think.

Here it is, in chapter 1, verse 43: The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me." (NKJV)

Jesus seemed to have had a schedule for getting to Galilee. John 2:1 tells us that On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee. It seems likely that Jesus left the area where He had gathered His first disciples--down by the Jordan where John the Baptist was baptizing--just in time to make the three-day journey to Cana specifically to attend the wedding.

Now, notice something else about the prologue to the story of the wedding: Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote-- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

It’s not mentioned here, but it just so happens that Nathanael’s hometown was none other than Cana of Galilee! Maybe that’s why Philip thought of him when Jesus decided to head for Galilee.

Anyhow, it seems clear that Jesus found His way to that wedding celebration on purpose. He didn’t just happen into town at an opportune moment.

Would you walk for three days to get to a wedding? I’m not sure I would. But Jesus did. Because He wanted to be there to share in that joyful time with His friends! And by the way, the distance He had to travel was far more than a three-day’s journey. He and His disciples must have had to walk pretty fast to get there on time.

Do you suppose they were extra thirsty when they finally arrived? Do you suppose their thirst could have had anything to do with the crisis that developed--that threatened to spoil the festivities? Jesus’ mother was invited to the wedding, and no doubt Jesus was too. But what about those five thirsty fellows He brought with Him. No host could turn them away--but what about the wine supply? Would it hold out with so many extra guests?

Now, just a word about the type of wine we’re discussing here. There’s been a lot of discussion through the years of whether Jesus drank fermented wine or not, and as I understand it, the words used in the original Greek can refer either to unfermented or fermented grape juice. People in those days did have ways of preserving unfermented juice, so it could have been either. But personally, I find it hard to picture Jesus, the Son of God, drinking wine that would intoxicate Him. How about you? I’m convinced that if Jesus was partaking of the wine, it wasn’t the bubbly kind!

But whatever the rest of the crowd was drinking, it ran out far too early in the evening.

Picture the scene that unfolded when the master of ceremonies realized that the punch bowl was going dry. A wedding was a big event in a town like Cana--something people looked forward to and planned for for months. It was an important time for the bridegroom’s family to shine--to make a name for themselves in the community--by having the biggest, most successful celebration anyone could remember.

But if things went wrong, if the refreshments ran out, before the evening was over--well, just think of the gossip that would float around the town the next day, and for weeks, maybe months to come. It would be a humiliating situation--and one that could haunt the newlyweds for the rest of their lives. An unmitigated social disaster!

Jesus’ mother soon became aware of the crisis-in-the-making, and somehow she thought that Jesus would know what to do about it. He was, after all, her oldest son, and apparently she was a widow by now, because Joseph isn’t mentioned in this story.

Now, you’ve no doubt heard this story before, and you know what Jesus did. But just for a minute, try to hear the story with new ears. Try to imagine what was running through Mary’s mind, and through Jesus’ mind, as the following exchange took place:

And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." (John 2:3-5 NKJ)

Stop for a moment now. Pretend you don’t know the end of the story. Ask yourself--what did Mary expect Jesus to do about that situation? Did she expect a miraculous solution to the problem? Or was she, maybe, just suggesting gently to Jesus “You know, you’re the one that brought the five extra guests--maybe you ought to send someone out to get some more punch!” Were her words to the servants “Whatever He says to you, do it” simply her way of authorizing them to follow Jesus’ instructions to go buy more wine and put it on the family’s tab?

I don’t know what Mary expected. I don’t know what the servants expected, or what the host expected. But I do know that they got something much better than they could ever have hoped for. Because Jesus turned water to wine--new, fresh, invigorating, sweet wine--the best anyone had tasted that night.

Jesus didn’t want the party to break up in disgrace. He didn’t want His host to be embarrassed. He didn’t want the bride and groom to lose face. He was attending a joyous event, and He wanted it to stay that way. And so He shared His joy in a unique and marvelous way that people still remember today.

There was a lot of joy in Jesus’ life. He shared joy with thousands. But there was also trouble and sorrow in His life--especially as He contemplated how it would end--on a cruel cross.

But I want you to notice something about Jesus. Even as He faced that horrible night of sorrow, notice this. These words come right down at the end of Jesus’ life, at the Last Supper:

Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom" (Matt 26:27-29, NKJV).

Jesus’ first miracle involved giving wine to people at a wedding. At the end of His ministry, He worked another miracle to provide a Passover meal for His disciples, and during that meal, He took the cup of wine, and in drinking it, invited His disciples, and you and me, to come to the biggest, baddest celebration of them all--the wedding supper of the Lamb--in heaven!

Jesus spread joy wherever He went on earth, 2000 years ago. But all the while, He was looking forward to the time--still in our future--when He would give ultimate, supreme, excitement and joy to all who would accept the wine He gives--His blood--His life--for you and me.

That makes me joyful. Whatever comes in life, nothing can take that joy away from me.

How about you, friend. Do you have the joy of Jesus in your life? If not, won’t you accept Him--and His life--His joy, today?