Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001392A
|
00:00 ♪ [Dramatic Theme] ♪
00:06 It has stood the test of time. God's book. 00:13 The Bible. Still relevant in today's 00:18 complex world. It is written 00:24 sharing hope around the globe. 00:36 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me today 00:39 on It Is Written. Most people, when they hear 00:42 the name Rockefeller, think of a very rich American 00:46 family, or maybe the Rockefeller Center in New 00:49 York City, which is home to such famous places 00:52 as Radio City Music Hall and Christie's, the world's 00:54 largest auction house. Yet for many years the name 00:57 Rockefeller was hated and despised, it was a symbol 01:02 of corporate greed where the more powerful sweep away 01:04 the weaker and acquire more and more and more 01:08 for themselves--no matter who got crushed along the way. 01:13 No wonder. The founder of the dynasty, 01:15 John D. Rockefeller, started in the oil business 01:18 in Cleveland during the 1800s, and--through a series 01:21 of backroom deals he created the monster monopoly 01:24 of Standard Oil. Because it was so large, 01:28 Standard Oil could cut prices, forcing all 01:33 competitors either to sell to it or go bankrupt, in which 01:35 case Rockefeller would simply buy up the ruined company 01:37 at discount rates. Rockefeller would come to his 01:41 competitors, show them his own books, show them 01:45 the financial behemoth that they were up against--and then 01:48 make them an offer. If they refused, he simply 01:51 put them out of business and then get their company 01:53 anyway. He was ruthless. 01:56 He once told his brother Frank, who had been working 01:59 for a competing oil company: We are going to buy out all 02:02 the refiners in Cleveland. We will give everyone 02:05 a chance to come in. Those who refuse 02:08 will be crushed. If you don't sell your 02:11 company to us, it will be valueless. 02:14 Frank refused, and John D.--true his word--put his 02:18 own brother's company out of business! 02:21 Now what adds an interesting wrinkle to this sordid history 02:24 is that John D. Rockefeller was a church-going man. 02:28 Even worse, he rationalized his business dealings in, 02:31 of all things--the name of Christian charity! 02:35 He had convinced himself that he was actually doing good. 02:39 He said that all these forced acquisitions were the result 02:43 of the most prosperous business concern, his own, saying 02:47 to the smaller and less prosperous ones: 02:49 We will stand in for the risks and hazards of the refining 02:52 business . Come with us and we 02:54 will do you good. We will undertake to save you 02:57 from the wrecks of the refining business. 03:00 What others saw as cutthroat and villainous business 03:03 practices, John D. defined as Christian benevolence. 03:07 Now that would be rationalization 03:10 and presumption. Well I don t want to judge 03:13 John D. Rockefeller's heart, how he could justify 03:16 these nasty and vicious business practices in the name 03:18 of Christian charity really makes me wonder 03:22 This kind of thinking reminds me of a scene from a book by 03:25 Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky, in which a man 03:28 cries out, God, forgive me for Christ's sake! 03:32 and then cuts his friends throat with a knife and steals 03:34 his watch. Today we're going to take 03:38 a look at the Big Picture, really the biggest picture 03:40 you could imagine. It's clear that there's a battle 03:41 raging on Planet Earth. This is what the Bible writer 03:44 Paul was talking about when he said that we are not fighting 03:47 against flesh and blood, but against principalities 03:50 and powers. We're in a spiritual battle, 03:54 is what he was saying. Now let's see what we can learn 03:58 from Jesus and how he dealt with Satan, so that we can do 04:00 the same thing ourselves when faced with similar 04:03 struggles in this great controversy with a supernatural 04:06 cosmic power much greater than we are. 04:09 Now, I can imagine someone saying, Come on, John, 04:13 a supernatural cosmic battle? Been watching too many 04:17 Star Wars movies or something? No, we re not talking about 04:21 the kind of journalism found in the tabloid headlines, 04:24 like the one which said, 12 U.S. SENATORS 04:28 ARE SPACE ALIENS. (Someone said you can tell 04:30 that can't be true because the number is too low!) 04:33 You know, scientists working with the Search for Extra 04:37 Terrestrial Intelligence, believe that with the billions 04:42 of galaxies existing in the universe, there's a good 04:44 chance that other life might exist out there. 04:47 The scientific term for this is called astrobiology 04:51 and it's a serious attempt to seek out life in other parts 04:54 of the universe. Now, with all due respect, 04:57 while these folks are aiming their radio telescopes into 04:59 the sky hoping for something from some far-away alien 05:03 civilization, the Bible teaches not only that extra-terrestrial 05:08 life exists, but that some of these beings are HERE, 05:11 on earth, and that some are hostile to us as well. 05:16 Look at these verses, from Revelation 12 and we ll begin 05:20 with verse 7: And there was war in heaven: Michael and his 05:23 angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon 05:25 fought and his angels, And prevailed not; 05:29 neither was their place found any more in heaven. 05:32 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called 05:36 the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: 05:39 he was cast out into the earth, and his angels 05:43 were cast out with him (Revelation 12:7-9, KJV). 05:47 A war in heaven?! A war here on earth, 05:50 that s one thing. But in heaven? 05:53 How can that be? The short answer comes down 05:57 to one word. Love. 05:59 Because love is the overarching moral principle that permeates 06:02 God's universe, and love demands 06:05 freedom. You can t love God, 06:08 or anyone, if you don't have moral freedom. 06:10 You can't have love without freedom any more than you 06:13 could have a triangle without three sides. 06:16 Now in a moment, the man who was married to a robot, 06:20 and why that didn't work out so well. 06:23 ♪ [Gentle Music] ♪ In Matthew 4:4 06:26 the Word of God says, "It is written, 06:28 'Man shall not live by bread alone 06:30 but by every word that proceeds from of the mouth of God'" . 06:34 Every Word is a one minute Bible-based daily devotional 06:37 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw and designed especially 06:41 for busy people like you. Look for Every Word on selected 06:45 networks or watch it on-line everyday on our website 06:48 itiswritten.com. Receive a daily spiritual boost. 06:52 Watch Every Word. You'll be glad you did. 06:58 ♪ [Rythmic Melody] ♪ 07:05 Thanks for joining me. I don't think anyone likes 07:07 being deceived. But in the last book 07:09 of the Bible, God warns about massive deception 07:11 affecting the whole world. In the middle chapter 07:14 of the book of Revelation, John writes these words, 07:16 Revelation 12:9. "So the great dragon was cast 07:18 out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, 07:22 who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, 07:24 and his angels were cast out with him." 07:27 Deception is almost as old as the world itself. 07:30 Can we be deceived spiritually? We're told Satan is going to 07:33 deceive the entire world. But you can avoid being caught 07:36 up in that by asking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 07:38 Jesus is the "Truth", he said in John 14. 07:42 A total commitment to Him will keep us on the right path. 07:45 The Bible says the whole world will head 07:46 in the wrong direction. But you don't need to, 07:49 through Jesus Christ. I'm John Bradshaw 07:52 for It Is Written. Let's live today by Every Word. 07:58 [Thoughtful Melody] 08:06 The uttermost part of the earth seems like 08:08 an appropriate way to describe Mongolia, 08:12 sandwiched between China and Siberia. 08:16 It Is Written's Mission Mongolia is bringing the Good News 08:20 of Jesus Christ to the people of Mongolia. 08:23 And your support makes this happen. 08:25 Your support of Mission Mongolia will bring the Gospel to more 08:29 Mongolians than ever before. 08:34 Bibles are needed in the Mongolian language. 08:36 And your help will make it possible for people to own their 08:39 very own Bible for the first time, 08:42 and learn of Jesus. Other humanitarian needs 08:45 will also be met, as Mission Mongolia provides 08:49 for many people who are being left behind by a society 08:53 relentlessly rushing forward. Don't leave Mongolians 08:57 in the dark. Your help will make it possible 09:00 for Mission Mongolia to introduce people to Jesus. 09:05 Call now, 1-800-253-3000. That's 1-800-253-3000, 09:14 to support Mission Mongolia. Or visit us online at 09:18 www.itiswritten.com. Or you can support this work or 09:23 learn more about it by writing to It Is Written, P O Box 6, 09:28 Chattanooga, Tennessee 37401. 09:33 There was a sci-fi story about a man who, having lost 09:36 his wife to death, got a robot replacement. 09:40 He had everything about her programmed in: looks, 09:43 vocabulary, diction, actions, everything was the same 09:46 as his actual wife. From all outward appearances, 09:50 it was his wife. Except that it was robot, 09:53 a machine, and it did everything his wife did, not because 09:57 it truly loved him, but because it was programmed 10:02 to do so. It had no more choice than my 10:06 computer does to start up when I hit the start-up bottom. 10:08 And in the end he got rid of it because the most important 10:11 ingredient was missing, and that was love 10:15 --which can only exist when one has freedom, only when one 10:21 has the option NOT to love. And this powerful being, 10:25 Satan--given free will--chose the not-to-love option 10:29 and eventually rebelled against God. 10:31 As a result, he and these other rebellious creatures, 10:33 who had free will too, were cast out of heaven 10:39 and are now here on earth. Here again is the Bible, 10:41 Revelation 12. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, 10:44 and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters 10:48 of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down 10:50 unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth 10:54 that he hath but a short time (Revelation 12:12, KJV). 10:58 Woe to us! Why? 11:01 Because the devil has come down unto you and he is full 11:04 of wrath. It s a real mistake 11:08 to allegorize Satan, to make him out to a figment of human 11:11 imagination, just a symbol of our darker side or the like. 11:16 My Bible talks again and again about a literal being 11:20 who is at war with us and with God. 11:22 Look at the following texts and keep in mind two points 11:26 that are found in them: first, the reality of the 11:29 devil; and second, the fact that he is working against 11:32 us. Firstly, 1 Peter 5:8, 11:36 the Bible says: Be sober, be vigilant; because 11:42 your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, 11:44 walketh about, seeking whom he may devour 11:50 Ephesians 6:11, KJV Put on the whole armour of God, 11:56 that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil 11:57 And 2 Corinthians 2:11, KJV, Lest Satan should get 12:02 an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices 12:05 And before I go further, there s one more text I want 12:09 to look at because it's one of the most important ones 12:13 in all the Bible, one of the most important 12:16 texts that can help us understand the nature 12:20 and the outcome of this great controversy. 12:22 Talking about Jesus, the Bible says in Hebrews 2:14 12:24 that: Forasmuch then as the children are partakers 12:33 of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise 12:34 took part of the same; that through death he might 12:36 destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil 12:42 (Hebrews 2:14, KJV). Notice that He will destroy 12:46 the one who had the power of death, that is the devil. 12:49 Satan's ultimate fate is to be destroyed. 12:52 We might be in a war, in a battle, in a controversy, 12:56 but we know beforehand that the good side wins, 12:57 that God wins and, in a nutshell, what God 13:01 is saying to us in the Bible is this: Come on over 13:06 to the winning side. Jesus has won the battle 13:09 for you, and He offers you the fruits, the promise, 13:11 the guarantee of His victory against Satan. 13:14 Talk about an offer! I'd like to say, It's an offer 13:17 you can't refuse, but in God's universe, 13:21 we all have free choice, and so we can refuse. 13:26 The question is, Why would we? 13:29 When God offers us everything and the devil offers us only 13:33 death and destruction, why would we chose anything else? 13:36 If we do, it's because we are allowing Satan to deceive us. 13:41 Remember, the Bible says that he deceives the whole world. 13:46 But we don't have to be fooled. We just don t have to be, 13:50 as Paul wrote, ignorant of his devices, and one of the ways 13:53 we can know his devices is through studying 13:56 the temptation in the wilderness, 13:59 and how Satan tried to use his devices on Jesus 14:02 and failed. First, Satan tried to tempt 14:06 Jesus in the area of appetite, telling Jesus 14:10 to use His power to turn stones into bread. 14:12 How did Jesus respond? He used the power of God's 14:16 Word, saying to Satan: It is written, Man shall not 14:18 live by bread alone, but by every word 14:23 that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 14:27 (Matthew 4:4, KJV). Jesus didn't argue with Satan, 14:30 he didn't get into a theological debate, and he didn't try 14:33 to reason with him. He simply went to the Bible 14:37 and he quoted the Bible. And that was enough to shut 14:40 the devil down. There s an important lesson 14:43 there, when we struggle with temptations. 14:46 We can go to God s Word and claim His promises 14:48 for victory, just as Jesus did. So, what happened next 14:53 in the wilderness? That first ploy didn't work, 14:56 so Satan tried something else. Here s Matthew s account 15:00 of the second temptation of Jesus: Then the devil taketh 15:05 him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle 15:08 of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son 15:12 of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give 15:16 his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they 15:21 shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot 15:24 against a stone. Jesus said unto him, 15:27 It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord 15:31 thy God That's Matthew 4:5-7 Look at what s going on here. 15:38 Jesus used Scripture against the devil, and so what does 15:42 the devil do? He comes back to Jesus 15:43 and tempts him, this time quoting Scripture himself! 15:48 Jesus used the Bible as His means of countering 15:51 the devil's first attack in the wilderness, 15:53 and so the devil tried to meet Jesus on His own ground, 15:55 quoting Scripture back at Him. And yet here's an important 16:00 point. Though the devil quotes 16:02 Scripture, he really misquotes it, taking it out of context 16:06 and trying to get it to say something different 16:08 from what it meant. This has been his ploy 16:11 for millennia now, and often used for horrendous 16:14 purposes too. The devil has plenty of folks 16:18 willing to misquote and misuse the Bible 16:21 for their own ends. The difference between 16:24 presumption and faith. That's straight ahead. 16:30 ♪ [Adventurous Music] ♪ 16:45 Time for today's Bible question and here it is. 16:48 People say that Jesus couldn't have worked miracles such as 16:52 raising the dead and healing the blind as these things 16:57 just aren't possible. How can I believe in miracles? 17:02 Good question. Let me try to give you 17:04 a good answer. There's a reason we call them 17:07 miracles, because they're extraordinary, 17:09 they're supernatural, not the sort of thing 17:11 you can explain by ordinary means. 17:14 So, can God do the extraordinary and the supernatural? 17:19 Keep in mind - this is GOD we're talking about! 17:22 If you asked me if my own father could have worked miracles, 17:25 I'd say no he couldn't. Now his ability to read my mind 17:27 was sometimes pretty incredible, but miracles? 17:30 No. But this is God! 17:33 The One who framed the universe! The One who created the world 17:37 and made people and created water and who made air. 17:41 If God can do that - can't He work miracles? 17:44 All of that was a miracle. You might also want to 17:47 consider this: there are some things 17:49 in our world that are pretty incredible. 17:52 We can't call them miracles because we can explain them 17:54 scientifically, but, for example, 17:57 even the idea that you can pick up a phone, 17:59 press some buttons, and then use it to talk to 18:02 somebody on the other side of the world... 18:05 The idea that these pictures you are looking at right now 18:08 are being transmitted to you. Even people can do 18:11 some pretty incredible stuff. Now if you want to put upon God 18:16 the limitations of faulty, frail human beings, 18:20 and say God can't do what we can't do - 18:22 go ahead and do that. But if you believe there is 18:25 a God at all - the One who gave life 18:29 - you shouldn't be too surprised that He can 18:31 give that life back. Surely the One who made eyesight 18:35 can restore it. From a human standpoint, 18:38 miracles are unlikely, and even impossible. 18:41 But God is not a mere human being. 18:44 God is God and he rides high 18:48 above the limitations of humanity. 18:51 And how can you believe in miracles? 18:54 You can believe in miracles and God's miracle working power 18:57 by faith. The Bible says they happened, 19:00 and your faith in the Bible as believable and accurate and 19:04 trustworthy can lead you to the place where you can say, 19:08 If the Bible says it, I can believe it. 19:11 People try to limit God sometimes. 19:13 But God is not small. He's big - and He's great. 19:18 Send your Bible questions to us at www.itiswritten.com. 19:23 ♪ [Adventurous Theme] ♪ 19:29 ♪ [Heartfelt Melody] ♪ Planning for your financial 19:32 future is a vital aspect of Christian Stewardship. 19:35 For this reason, It Is Written is pleased to offer free planned 19:38 giving and estate services. For information on how we can 19:41 help you, please call 1.800.992.2219. 19:46 Call today or visit our special website: www.hislegacy.com. 19:56 One of the worst examples of somebody misquoting the Bible 19:59 was when, during a religious war in Europe, a commander 20:03 stood over the city they were about to attack and his aide 20:06 asked him, How are we going to know who is on our side 20:09 who is the enemy? The commander responded, 20:13 Kill em all and then, quoting Scripture, or actually 20:16 misquoting it, added, the Lord knoweth them that are 20:19 his. And this is what 20:22 Satan does here. In Matthew 4:6 he says 20:24 to Jesus, For it is written: He shall give His angels charge 20:29 over you, and, In their hands they shall bear you up, 20:35 Lest you dash your foot against a stone. 20:37 " Now that all sounds nice but the devil doesn't quote 20:40 it in its entirety. He just takes a certain part 20:43 of it, omitting the rest. The texts were from Psalm 91 20:47 and read like this: For he shall give his angels charge 20:53 over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 20:55 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash 20:59 thy foot against a stone (Psalm 91:11-12, KJV). 21:02 He leaves out the most important part. 21:05 God will give His angels charge over you, to keep thee 21:09 in all thy ways, that is, in all thy ways and paths 21:13 of righteousness, of obedience of faithfulness. 21:18 That s the crucial qualifier that Satan leaves out, trying 21:21 to give Jesus the idea that it doesn't matter what He 21:24 does, God will protect Him and be with Him. 21:27 But, as we saw, that s not what the texts said. 21:31 The devil misquoted the Scriptures and He 21:35 certainly didn t fool Jesus. How did Jesus respond 21:37 to this temptation? Back to Matthew, Ch 4. 21:42 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not 21:48 tempt the Lord thy God (Matthew 4:7, KJV). 21:52 ' He said it is written again. 21:56 Jesus went back to the Bible. He didn t argue with Satan, 21:59 and He didn t point out Satan's misuse of the Bible, 22:02 either. Jesus just went right 22:04 to the Word of God and responded with a text that rebuked 22:08 the devil s attempt to lead Him into presumption. 22:11 Now I don't know any promises in the Bible which tell me 22:14 I can deviate from obedience and expect God to pour out 22:18 His blessings on me. You still might get blessed, 22:22 you still might have success, but that doesn't mean 22:26 it's from the Lord. I find it hard to believe 22:28 that it was God s will for John D. Rockefeller 22:30 to put all those folks out of business and swallow up 22:32 their companies through his shady and greedy practices. 22:36 Just because something is what the world would deem 22:38 successful, isn't necessarily the same thing as being blessed 22:41 by God. Hugh Hefner, by the world's 22:46 standards, is being successful, but who would say 22:50 that God was blessing him? People invoke God s name 22:54 in all sorts of schemes; people will misquote Scripture 22:58 to justify even the most sordid deeds; people will do the most 23:01 outrageous things, believing for whatever reason 23:06 that God will bless their efforts even if those 23:07 efforts are completely contrary to His revealed will. 23:13 This is all presumption, and that is what Jesus 23:15 refused to fall for and we should refuse to fall 23:20 for it too when we are tempted to do things in the name of God 23:22 that He would never sanction. Presumption is the counterfeit 23:28 of faith. Faith trusts in God's 23:31 promises, and brings forth the fruits of obedience in 23:35 response to those promises. Presumption, on the other hand, 23:39 claims those promises but then uses them to excuse 23:42 or justify wrong actions. Faith trusts that if we obey 23:49 God, if we walk in the path of obedience, if we comply 23:52 with the conditions sets forth in the Word, then God 23:55 will bless us according to His will. 23:58 Presumption, on the other hand, claims the promises 24:01 of God but ignores or defines the conditions upon which 24:06 they based. We are in the midst 24:10 of a universal battle between Christ and Satan. 24:14 And you can be sure that the devil is using 24:17 every device and every scheme he can toward each of us, 24:20 especially if we profess faith in God. 24:26 Presumption is a sin of the believer, 24:27 not the atheist. The atheist doesn't presume 24:31 on God because he doesn't believe in God--though 24:35 I heard of someone who said, Thank God, I'm still 24:37 an atheist. And there's good news. 24:40 Christ's death on the cross covers even the sin 24:42 of presumption. If you have presumed upon 24:45 God, if you have sought for the promises without 24:50 following the conditions, then flee to Jesus and flee 24:53 to the cross. You can repent of your sins, 24:55 whatever they are, even that of presumption, and you can 24:58 receive Christ's forgiveness. And then, in faith 25:01 and in obedience, you can press on, 25:05 claiming all the promises offered us in His Word. 25:08 And that's not presumption. That s faith. 25:12 Let s pray together. Father in heaven, I pray that 25:17 where we have been presumptuous you would 25:20 forgive us and lead us to be people of faith. 25:24 I pray that we would never lean on the Bible 25:27 and use it to excuse things we should not be doing. 25:31 I pray the Bible wouldn't be a cloak that somehow conceals 25:36 our sins but that your Word would be powerful enough 25:39 to create in us clean hearts. Help us to come clean 25:43 and have faith truth faith in your word 25:47 and not to stoop to presumption. We thank you that you can be 25:50 trusted, we thank you that your word is perfect, we thank you 25:52 that your ways are right. Lead us in them please, 25:55 I pray in Jesus'name, amen. 26:07 ♪ [Gentle Musical Interlude] ♪ 26:21 If you could just go back in time 26:23 and do things differently! Perhaps you have struggled 26:27 with regret and the added weight of guilt. 26:29 While there is no way to undo the past, 26:31 God offers us a forgiveness so complete 26:34 that it comes with the promise of a life that will never end. 26:38 Sound too good to be true? Well see what the Bible says! 26:41 Our booklet, "Hope for a Planet in Crisis," 26:44 will walk you through the Bible's teachings 26:46 about sin and forgiveness and show you how a new start 26:49 can be yours. Just call (800) 253-3000 and 26:54 request your FREE copy of "Hope for a Planet in Crisis." 26:58 If the line's busy, please keep on trying. 27:01 Or write to It Is Written, P.O. Box 6, 27:04 Chattanooga, TN 37401. We'll mail a free copy to your 27:09 address in North America. It Is Written is a faith-based 27:12 ministry and your support makes it possible for us to share 27:16 God's good news with the world. Your tax-deductible gift can be 27:20 sent to the address on your screen, or through our website 27:24 at itiswritten.com. Thank you for your continued 27:27 prayerful support. Again, our toll-free number is 27:30 (800) 253-3000, and our website address is 27:35 itiswritten.com. 27:40 Thanks for joining me today. Look forward to seeing you 27:42 again next time. Until then be sure to remember 27:46 It Is Written: man shall not live 27:49 by bread alone, but by every word 27:52 that proceeds from the mouth of God. 27:56 ♪ [Music Swells] ♪ |
Revised 2016-02-08