Participants: Pr. John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001202
00:07 It has stood the test of time.
00:12 God's book. 00:13 The Bible. 00:17 Still relevant in today's complex world. 00:22 It is written sharing hope around the globe. 00:36 I'm John Bradshaw. 00:38 Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written. 00:41 You know, it often seems as though we're living in a world 00:43 where everyone's fighting about something. 00:46 There's someone suing someone else. 00:49 Domestic bliss turning into domestic warfare. 00:52 Political parties that seem determined not to get along. 00:56 Or, worse and far more seriously, nations continue to 01:00 be engaged in wars that claim many lives. 01:04 Today, wars play out on 24-hour TV news channels. 01:07 Unlike years ago, if there's a conflict happening somewhere in 01:10 the world, graphic news footage brings the grim realities of 01:13 warfare right to our TVs, computers and mobile devices. 01:19 So why then has the world's media missed the biggest war of 01:23 them all? 01:25 The longest and most important conflict in all of history is 01:28 being totally ignored: you won't find it reported in the news 01:32 anywhere. 01:34 Today we'll examine this astonishing silence as 01:38 we focus on The War Behind All Wars. 01:46 Dr. Jeremy Stone stares in disbelief at the image on the 01:50 electron microscope monitor. 01:53 Here in this top-secret, five-level underground lab, he 01:56 and his team have worked through the night to isolate the 01:58 microbe, and they are running out of time. 02:01 Two days earlier, a classified military satellite named Scoop 02:05 VII-after developing instability in orbit-had been deliberately 02:09 brought down in the Arizona desert. 02:12 The two-man recovery team sent from Vandenberg Air Force Base 02:15 in California had tracked the satellite's locator signal to a 02:18 remote desert town of Piedmont, population 48. 02:23 Entering the village, the team reported that the streets were 02:26 littered with bodies. 02:28 At Vandenberg, where the progress of the recovery 02:31 operation was being monitored by radio, the staff at Scoop 02:35 Mission Control suddenly heard a high-pitched scream, followed by 02:40 a crunching noise. 02:41 Mission Control could not raise the two men again. 02:45 A second team, outfitted with airtight suits and helmets, had 02:50 then been dispatched to Piedmont. 02:52 There they recovered the satellite and, to their 02:54 surprise, found two survivors-an old man and an infant. 02:57 The survivors and the satellite were then rushed to the 03:01 underground Wildfire Lab just outside Flatrock, Nevada. 03:03 Searching for the cause of the mysterious deaths, the Wildfire 03:09 team had discovered what they had feared might be true. 03:13 The satellite had brought back from space a deadly 03:17 extraterrestrial life form. 03:20 And now, their eyes riveted to the wall monitor, Dr. Stone and 03:23 his colleagues watch the green crystal-like microbe multiply 03:27 rapidly. 03:28 Unless they can find a way to neutralize it-and soon-it will 03:32 quickly spread to destroy all life on earth. 03:38 So goes the chilling scenario of Michael Crichton's 1969 03:42 science-fiction best seller entitled The Andromeda Strain. 03:46 But today, we fear a possible space germ far less than we do a 03:50 number of very real and frightening diseases right here 03:53 on Earth. 03:55 HIV/AIDS is still a disease without a cure. 03:58 And there are other infectious diseases that appear suddenly 04:02 and threaten to spread out of control. 04:04 Diseases with strange names like SARS, hantavirus, ebola, West 04:08 Nile virus, Bird Flu and Mad Cow disease. 04:14 The world has seen its share of deadly epidemics. 04:17 Between 1334 and 1351 A.D., up to 75 million people died in 04:22 Eurasia of the plague known as The Black Death. 04:26 You know, more soldiers died during the Civil War of typhoid 04:29 fever than were killed in action. 04:31 Another 20 million perished worldwide in 1918 and 1919 of 04:36 influenza. 04:38 Tens of millions more have died of cholera, smallpox, and other 04:42 contagious diseases. 04:44 Yet the most lethal virus ever to devastate our planet is not 04:47 AIDS or bubonic plague. 04:49 This killer has proven far more horrific, and has swept away 04:54 more millions, than any other epidemic in world history. 04:58 And whether you realize it or not, every human being alive 05:04 today is infected and is burdened daily with the 05:07 appalling symptoms of this lethal pandemic. 05:11 This super virus, to which all other diseases on Earth trace 05:14 their origin, is called SIN. 05:19 Sin is the ultimate cause of disease and death, of accidents, 05:24 tragedies, and disasters. 05:26 Grief and pain and violence and war and an endless host of other 05:31 horrors exist solely as a result of the merciless invasion of the 05:36 sin virus. 05:38 An urgent, haunting question is: Where did sin come from? 05:43 God Himself answers that question for us in His message 05:47 to us-the Bible. 05:49 The Bible takes us back to a time when there was no sin, no 05:52 trouble, no evil. 05:57 It takes us back to a time long, long ago-to a place far, far 06:00 away--a place called Heaven. 06:05 Heaven was populated with angels who loved God because they 06:08 wanted to - because they CHOSE to - and not because they HAD 06:10 to. 06:11 They had been made with freedom of choice - they weren't created 06:15 as if they were computers who had to be programmed to be 06:18 loved. 06:20 But that very freedom of choice meant that they also had to be 06:23 free to choose against Him. 06:26 That's the risk God took. 06:29 And the highest-ranking angel over them all, was tehthe one 06:34 called Lucifer -"the shining one" was the "covering cherub" 06:39 who stood in the immediate presence of God. 06:43 He is described in Ezekiel chapter 28. 06:47 "You were anointed as a guardian cherub," God said of Lucifer, 06:49 "for so I ordained you. 06:51 You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery 06:56 stones." 06:58 (Ezekiel 28:14) A couple verses earlier Ezekiel says this: "You 07:02 were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in 07:05 beauty." 07:07 (Ezekiel 28:12) In perfect peace and sinlessness, the years of 07:09 eternity past moved on. 07:12 How long Lucifer had lived in Heaven since his creation the 07:15 Bible does not tell us. 07:17 Perhaps thousands of years, maybe millions. 07:20 But as time continued, Lucifer apparently became increasingly 07:25 conscious of his own beauty and wisdom. 07:29 And apparently he felt that he should be elevated to an even 07:33 higher position in Heaven's line of authority. 07:36 Continuing in Ezekiel, the Bible says, "Your heart became proud 07:41 on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom 07:44 because of your splendor." 07:47 (Ezekiel 28:17) "You corrupted your wisdom." 07:49 In other words, Lucifer wasn't thinking straight. 07:52 His judgment had become distorted by a false picture of 07:55 himself that he had chosen to believe. 07:58 Because of his wisdom, his position, and his beauty, 08:02 Lucifer slowly came to see himself as more important in 08:06 Heaven's scheme of things than he actually was. 08:09 He had become proud. 08:12 Self-centered. 08:13 Pride-an exaggerated sense of one's importance-sets one up for 08:18 a fall. 08:19 And fall, Lucifer eventually did. 08:22 After his fall, God would say this of him, "You were blameless 08:26 in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was 08:31 found in you." 08:32 (Ezekiel 28:15) And over in the book of Isaiah we find this 08:35 comment about Lucifer. 08:38 "How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the 08:40 dawn! 08:43 You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to the heavens; I will 08:46 raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on 08:51 the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mt. 08:54 Zaphon. 08:58 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself 09:00 like the Most High.'" (Isaiah 14:12-14) Lucifer's promotion 09:05 never came. 09:07 If he had been thinking clearly, he would never have lost sight 09:10 of the fact that while God was the Creator, Lucifer was and 09:14 could only ever be the creature. 09:18 So he waited with increasing frustration in anticipation of 09:22 something that could never happen. 09:26 As time passed with no indication that God was 09:29 preparing for Lucifer's imminent elevation, the prince of the 09:33 angels was at first puzzled, then bitterly disappointed-and 09:38 finally, angry and jealous. 09:40 And who do you think got the blame? 09:46 This will surprise you. 09:47 I'll tell you in just a moment. 09:49 In Matthew 4:4 the Word of God says "It is written 'Man shall 09:54 not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of 09:59 the mouth of God'." 10:01 Every Word is a one minute Bible-based daily devotional 10:06 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw and designed especially 10:09 for busy people like you. 10:10 Look for Every Word on selected networks or watch it on-line 10:13 everyday on our website itiswritten.com. 10:16 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 10:18 Watch Every Word. 10:19 You'll be glad you did. 10:21 Here's a sample. 10:31 Most everyone loves a good deal. 10:33 In the Bible, God offers us the best deal you could possibly 10:37 imagine. 10:38 In Luke 11:13, Jesus said "If you then, being evil, know how 10:42 to give good gifts to your children, how much more will 10:44 your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask 10:47 Him!" 10:48 What a deal! 10:49 The Holy Spirit. 10:50 .The personal presence of Jesus Christ given to us absolutely 10:53 free. 10:54 People get excited when they find peanut butter on sale at 10:57 the supermarket. 10:58 Find cheap gas and you might even all a friend. 11:01 But God promises to give us the Holy Spirit, the greatest of all 11:05 gifts absolutely free. 11:08 All he says we need to is ask. 11:09 Have you asked God to give you this most incredible gift? 11:12 If not, it's probably time you did. 11:16 Make Luke 11:13 part of the fabric of your life. 11:22 I'm John Bradshaw from It IS Written. 11:24 Let's live today by every Word. 11:24 Who gets the blame when things go wrong? 11:27 It seems strange that this sort of thing could happen in heaven 11:30 of all places, but when Lucifer didn't what he was hoping for, 11:35 he could only conclude one of two things. 11:38 Either the problem was with God-or it was with himself. 11:43 Since the problem could not possibly be within himself, 11:47 Lucifer he reasoned, then it had to be with God. 11:50 And Lucifer's discontent with God soon spread to the other 11:54 angels in heaven, to the extent that the Bible says there was a 11:58 full-scale revolt. 11:59 Look at this description in the book of Revelation. 12:03 "Then war broke out in heaven, Michael [Christ] and his angels 12:06 fought against the dragon [Lucifer], and the dragon and 12:09 his angels fought back. 12:12 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in 12:16 heaven. 12:17 The great dragon was hurled down-that ancient serpent called 12:21 the devil or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. 12:27 He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him." 12:29 (Revelation 12:7-9 A third of the angels accepted and believed 12:32 Lucifer's false picture of God and were thrown out of Heaven 12:36 with him. 12:38 We read about this a few verses earlier in the same chapter. 12:39 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them 12:43 to the earth. 12:44 (Revelation 12:4) The great battle between Christ and 12:50 Lucifer-now called the devil or Satan-had begun. 12:53 The war behind all wars-the war that would include and be the 12:59 cause of every war ever fought on earth-was now raging. 13:04 But how is it that you and I are involved in this great war 13:06 between God and His government of love, and Satan and his 13:09 insurrection of selfishness? 13:12 How did the great conflict move from angels to human beings? 13:20 Evicted from Heaven, Satan and the other fallen angels set up 13:24 the headquarters of their new counter-government on the small 13:29 planet called Earth and pledged themselves to everlasting 13:33 hatred-and the ultimate destruction-of their own 13:37 Creator. 13:38 The Bible's first book-Genesis-tells us that on 13:42 this earth, God chose to create a different order of beings. 13:46 Not as powerful as angels, but made in God's own image. 13:50 On the sixth day of creation, God said, in the book of 13:53 Genesis... 13:55 "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness . 14:00 so God created man in His own image; in the image of God He 14:03 created him; male and female He created them." 14:10 (Genesis 1:26, 27) God created Adam and Eve with the same 14:12 freedom of choice He had given the angels. 14:14 He also created a beautiful garden called Eden as the home 14:18 for our first parents. 14:20 Now God did not allow the fallen Satan to have free access to the 14:24 man and woman He had created, confining him to just one tree 14:28 in the center of the garden. 14:30 And God warned Adam and Eve to stay away from the tree and 14:34 commanded them to never eat the fruit of it. 14:38 Then came a tragic day that would change earth and human 14:42 history forever. 14:44 Let me sketch out the story for you as described in the book of 14:47 Genesis chapter 3. 14:50 Eve hadn't intended to wander away from Adam. 14:52 But somehow, happily preoccupied with her work, she suddenly 14:57 found herself alone, looking up at the tree God had warned them 15:00 about. 15:02 "You may eat the fruit from any tree in Eden," He had said. 15:05 "But do not eat fruit from the tree in the center of the 15:08 garden. 15:10 If you do, you will most certainly die." 15:13 Now, as she looked curiously at the tree and noticed its 15:16 attractive fruit, Eve wondered why God had declared this one 15:21 tree off limits. 15:23 "Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any of the trees 15:26 here in Eden?" 15:29 Startled, Eve searched for the source of the questioning voice. 15:33 But all she could see was a serpent draped across the lower 15:37 branches of the tree, and she noticed it was talking. 15:41 She was fascinated (can't blame her, can you, for being 15:46 fascinated) and responded to the snake. 15:47 "We are free to eat from any tree in the garden but this one. 15:50 God says that if we eat fruit from this tree-or even if we 15:53 touch it-we will die." 15:56 "You're kidding!" 15:58 the serpent laughed. 15:59 "Believe me, you definitely will not die! 16:03 Anyone who eats this moves up to a higher level of consciousness. 16:08 In fact, those who eat this fruit will have the same 16:12 knowledge and power that God has." 16:17 And Satan was insinuating that God's way wasn't fair or just. 16:22 So Eve ate the forbidden fruit, and before long she'd shared it 16:27 with Adam. 16:29 Later that same day, as Lucifer and his forces gleefully 16:32 celebrated their great victory, Adam and Eve heard God calling 16:37 to them in the Garden of Eden. 16:39 Normally when God called, they ran gladly to meet Him. 16:42 But this evening, the Bible says, they hid themselves. 16:48 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden 16:52 in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from 16:57 the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. 17:01 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where 17:04 art thou? 17:06 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, 17:10 because I was naked; and I hid myself. 17:15 (Genesis 3:8-10) Adam, afraid of God? 17:18 See that's what happens when sin breaks the harmony that exists 17:22 in a relationship with God. 17:25 Ever since that day in Eden, most people have been uneasy 17:28 around God-even afraid of Him. 17:29 Somehow sin is like that. 17:32 Sin brings a break in our relationship with our Maker that 17:34 causes us to see God, not as He really is, but in a totally 17:39 false light. 17:41 I don't know what your picture of God is like at the moment. 17:44 But I do know that if you are in the least afraid of Him, or 17:47 angry at Him, or uneasy around Him, it's more than likely 17:51 because the separation of sin is keeping you from seeing God as 17:55 He really is. 17:57 Separated from God, we begin to imagine all sorts of things 18:00 about God that simply aren't true. 18:03 We begin to blame God for the pain our own sin brings us. 18:07 We come to see Him as basically against us-as our stern judge or 18:11 our frowning Father, if not our outright enemy. 18:21 And in creating these false pictures of God, we have a lot 18:25 of help. 18:27 Satan, the fallen Lucifer, is constantly at work slinging mud 18:31 at God's reputation to picture Him as the worst of criminals. 18:35 Satan is consumed with the goal of making God look bad by 18:40 misrepresenting Him, by lying about Him. 18:43 So when trouble invades our lives-tragedy, pain, illness, 18:47 grief-Satan immediately presses us to put the blame on God. 18:52 Now, what's the right way to view God? 18:58 I'll have that for you in just a moment. 19:02 Perhaps something in today's program has sparked your 19:04 interest in greater Bible study. 19:06 We invite you to visit our website itiswritten.com where 19:10 you will find a host of inspirational resources 19:13 including free Bible study guides, there's also a complete 19:15 archive of past television programs and special video 19:20 seminars that you can view on-line or download. 19:22 Discover more at itiswritten.com Long ago, Lucifer convinced a 19:29 third of all the angels in heaven that God was unfair and 19:33 unjust. 19:34 He managed to convince Eve in the Garden of Eden that God was 19:37 unfairly withholding good things from her. 19:40 And today, Satan is still peddling his ideas that God is 19:43 unfair and unkind. 19:44 It is common for people to refer to calamities as "Acts of God", 19:49 as though God somehow willingly causes misery to come to some 19:54 innocent, unsuspecting people. 20:00 And when trouble strikes, all too often God gets the blame. 20:03 On August 1, 2007, the fifth-busiest bridge in the 20:06 state of Minnesota - a bridge across the Mississippi River on 20:09 Interstate 35 West - suddenly collapsed during the evening 20:13 rush hour. 20:15 145 people were injured, and 13 people were killed. 20:19 One of them was a 32 year-old mother of two who was returning 20:26 from her cosmetology classes. 20:27 Her ex-husband said this, he said: "God can be so cruel 20:30 sometimes." 20:33 While my heart goes out to people in situations like that, 20:36 I do wish they could know that Satan is the architect of misery 20:40 and death, not God. 20:42 Maybe you've heard of the Bible story about the wheat and the 20:45 tares. 20:46 A farmer discovers someone has sown weeds in his wheat field. 20:50 And don't sell this short: this was a massive inconvenience to 20:53 the affected farmer. 20:55 His servants asked him how it happened. 20:58 Here is how the Bible records his reply. 21:01 "He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' (Matt 13:28) An 21:06 enemy. 21:07 When you hear of another child randomly killed in a drive-by 21:10 shooting, one took place two miles of where I was staying one 21:15 time, or of a baby with cancer, or of a family devastated when a 21:20 tornado rips though their home and their lives, don't ask "Why 21:27 did God do this?" 21:28 Jesus all too often gets the blame. 21:32 Instead, we ought to be saying as Jesus said: "An enemy has 21:38 done this." 21:39 Here's is how the Bible describes God. 21:42 1 John 4:8 we read that "God is love." 21:50 and verse 16 adds: And we have known and believed the love that 21:53 God has for us. 21:55 God is love. 21:58 (1 John 4:8, 16) Matthew 11:28 has Jesus inviting everyone in 22:03 this way, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, 22:07 and I will give you rest. 22:08 (Matthew 11:28) The Apostle Peter, the one who denied Jesus, 22:14 wrote that God loves all his children and does not want a 22:17 single one to be lost. 22:18 He wrote: The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some 22:21 count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, and is 22:24 not willing that any should perish but that all should come 22:32 to repentance. 22:33 (2 Peter 3:9) That's what God wants! 22:35 He wants the very best for you and me. 22:37 And Psalm 16 describes the joy found in God's presence. 22:41 In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are 22:46 pleasures forevermore. 22:49 (Psalm 16:11) Rather than God being the source of woe and 22:55 misery, God invites people, appeals to people, draws people 23:00 to come to Him and be blessed, not cursed. 23:02 In fact, in the book of Isaiah, God even says to people who have 23:04 rebelled against Him, "Come now, and let us reason together... 23:10 Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. 23:14 Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." 23:20 The God who would be perfectly within His rights to cast us off 23:23 and forget about us forever instead says, "If you come to 23:30 me, I'll bless you and make you really happy." 23:32 Of course, that does NOT mean God is there to give us 23:35 everything we want, and to provide for our every desire. 23:40 The Bible is the story about God, not Santa Claus. 23:44 Bad things still happen in our lives, and God isn't there to 23:47 prevent every accident and stop every calamity, although 23:52 sometimes of course you wish he would be. 23:57 You see, God's first priority isn't our material or even our 24:01 physical well-being -as important as those things are. 24:07 God's first priority is our 'spiritual' well-being. 24:09 With God's help, our faith can grow and our trust in God can 24:12 grow to the place that no matter what happens, we understand God 24:21 to be just, and just who He says He is - our loving Father wh 24:24 allowed His Son to die for us. 24:26 And if we can learn to trust God even when bad things happen... 24:32 then we are really growing in grace. 24:34 Would you like to have that sort of faith in God today- the sort 24:37 of faith that trusts in God no matter what? 24:40 The sort of faith that allows you to look towards God 24:43 trustingly, even though your world would be falling apart? 24:50 You can have that sort of faith. 24:52 Together, why don't we ask God for that sort of faith right 24:53 now. 24:54 Let's pray. 24:55 Our father in heaven, it seems that our plant is just 24:59 constantly at war and sometimes it seems like our own lives are 25:09 jus full of warring, stress and strife and no peace. 25:10 When what we really want is peace. 25:12 Now we know that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. 25:17 So please, let him live his life in us and bring to us peace, 25:21 even amidst the storm and faith even in the midst of difficulty. 25:32 Lord, help us to trust you. 25:34 We know you are not the cause, the source of sadness and woe. 25:37 We know an enemy has done this. 25:38 Give us faith to trust you now and always I pray and we thank 25:42 you for it and we believe it as we pray in Jesus; name, amen. 25:58 Perhaps our program today has touched your heart and impressed 26:00 you with a personal need for deeper Bible study. 26:05 Do you desire to listen to God and follow where he leads? 26:07 We've got a wonderful resource that can help you do that in a 26:10 systemic way, the Discover Bible Guides. 26:15 These study guides will take you through the essential truths 26:17 taught in Scripture. 26:18 They give you the big picture showing how it all fits 26:23 together. 26:24 The Discover Bible Guides are a wonderful way for you to become 26:26 grounded in the Word of God and to see how Jesus Christ relates 26:28 to all areas of our lives. 26:32 So please call or write us and the Discover Bible Guides will 26:35 be on their way to you and the entire course is absolutely 26:38 free. 26:39 For even easier access, you can obtain these wonderful Bible 26:41 lessons on-line at our website. 26:42 Here's the information you need. 26:51 You may request today's offer, The Discover Bible Guides, by 26:52 calling our toll free number 1 800 253 3000. 26:54 Call right now. 26:56 The operator needs only your name, address and phone number, 26:58 plus the name of today's offer, The Discover Bible Guides. 27:01 Lines are open 24 hours daily. 27:03 They may be busy so keep trying. 27:06 You may also request today's offer by writing to It Is 27:08 Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks, CA 91359. 27:12 Our free offer is for an address in North America only. 27:16 The Discover Bible Guides are also available on the Internet. 27:19 Just visit our website itiswritten.com. 27:23 Also on line is a complete script of today's program. 27:27 If you wish to help the worldwide outreach of It is 27:29 Written, your tax deductible gift may be sent to the same 27:31 address or you may make a gift on line at itiswritten.com Thank 27:36 you for your letters and continued support. 27:39 Our toll free number is 1800 253 3000 and our web address 27:44 itiswritten.com Thanks for joining me today. 27:51 I'm look forward to seeing you next time. 27:53 Until then, remember...It is written, man shall not live by 27:57 bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of 28:02 God. |
Revised 2015-02-05