Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001321
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00:07 It has stood the test of time.
00:09 God's book, the Bible. 00:14 Still relevant in today's complex world. 00:22 It Is Written ... sharing hope around the globe. 00:36 I'm John Bradshaw. 00:37 Thanks for joining me on It Is Written. 00:40 In 1903 the Ford Motor Company was born. 00:43 It was founded by a 40-year-old man named Henry Ford, 00:47 who had tried before to get into the automobile 00:49 manufacturing business but without a lot of success. 00:52 This time around, within ten years Ford had introduced 00:55 the assembly line into his manufacturing process 00:58 and in less than twenty years was producing a million 01:01 cars a year. 01:02 Doubling his employees' pay not only meant they were better 01:05 off but there were a whole lot more people who could 01:08 afford to buy Ford vehicles. 01:10 And that helped Henry Ford. 01:13 Ford produced the famous Model T and the Model A 01:16 and sold millions of each. 01:18 ♪ [Music playing] ♪ [old time car horn] 01:27 The first car I ever owned was a Ford - a white 1969 01:31 Mark 2 Ford Cortina, a thing of beauty that I 01:35 could start with a screwdriver. 01:37 Unfortunately, it ended up in a wrecker's yard after 01:41 I was hit by a drunk driver, but that's another story. 01:44 Thank the Lord, I walked away unhurt. 01:46 Ford bought Lincoln in 1922 and then he brought the Mercury 01:49 brand into the Ford fold in the 1930s, and down through 01:52 the years Ford has proced some classic vehicles, 01:55 like the Thunderbird [Big V8 rumble/purr] 01:57 and the Mustang. 02:00 ♪[Music]♪ There's been the Falcon 02:03 and the Taurus and the Fiesta and the Explorer 02:06 [Many car horns] ♪ [music] ♪ 02:08 and outside the United States the Mondeo... and... 02:13 And in the 1950s Ford started work on a car it hoped 02:16 would take the automotive world by storm. 02:18 They poured hundreds of millions of dollars into making 02:21 the car a success, and named it in honor of Henry Ford's 02:24 son - Edsel. 02:27 But a success it was not. 02:30 In 1958, the first year the Edsel went on the market, 02:33 more than 63,000 Edsels sold - which was way short 02:37 of what was hoped for. 02:38 In 1959 that number dropped by about a third. 02:42 In 1960, less than 3,000 Edsels sold. 02:46 Ford lost a boat load of money - about two billion dollars 02:51 in today's value - and the Edsel became synonymous with failure. 02:55 To be honest with you I'm not really sure why. 02:57 It's said that the car failed because of styling, 02:59 engineering and marketing. 03:01 If you ask me the Edsel wasn't the "ugliest"car ever, 03:04 it wasn't even the ugliest Ford ever made. 03:07 The Edsel wasn't that different technologically from 03:09 other cars that were a success, and in fact it boasted 03:12 some improvements. 03:13 The failure of the Edsel might even have had something 03:16 to do with the media. 03:17 Whatever the reasons, the Edsel sank like a rock. 03:22 And what was the ultimate fallout 03:24 of that colossal failure? 03:26 Today, Ford is the fifth-largest maker of automobiles 03:29 in the world, second largest 03:32 in the United States. 03:34 The top-selling vehicle in the United States 03:37 is often a Ford. 03:37 No question the failure of the Edsel hurt Ford 03:39 at the time, but over the years the Ford company 03:43 - like so many others - learned to weather failure 03:48 and turn it around and enjoy success. 03:51 Now, I've got another failure story for you. 03:54 I wonder if you can figure out who I'm talking about. 03:58 This is the story of a young man whose life began with great 04:00 promise, but unlike Henry Ford when this man 04:05 was 40 years old his life was falling apart. 04:07 (Don't worry - the story has a happy ending.) As a baby 04:11 he narrowly escaped death, then was raised in privilege, 04:15 a member of the Royal Household of a prominent 04:19 Middle-Eastern country. 04:21 He was given a world-class education. 04:24 He was destined to be a high-ranking member 04:26 of the royal family. 04:27 But then one day as a young man with the world at his feet, 04:31 he witnessed an act of injustice that made him 04:34 so angry that he murdered a man. 04:36 He saw slaves being mistreated, and flew into a rage 04:40 so intense that he murdered the man who was mistreating 04:43 the slaves. 04:44 Murder, as you know, is a serious business and he 04:47 realized he had to leave town in order to save his own life. 04:51 So he fled the royal household and spent the next 40 years 04:54 living in an arid wilderness. 04:57 This young man had been bound for great things. 05:00 God had especially set him up to be a high-achiever, 05:03 to be a man of great influence in the world. 05:06 And what did he do? 05:08 He took God's gifts and he threw it all away. 05:12 Even his adoptive father was determined to kill him. 05:15 Imagine that. 05:16 Having it all, and then failing so badly 05:20 you lose it all. 05:22 In place of luxury and wealth this man became a fugitive, 05:27 a criminal with a murder charge on his record, on the run 05:30 in a Middle Eastern desert. 05:33 And how do you think this turned out? 05:35 Or let me ask you this: how do you think it 05:39 SHOULD have turned out? 05:40 He was bound for greatness but murdered a man. 05:42 What do you think he deserved? 05:44 Believe it or not, believe it or not ... that man is in 05:48 heaven right now. I'm serious. 05:51 We've got evidence for it. 05:54 This man who was a colossal failure is in heaven. 05:59 How did that happen? 06:00 I'll tell you more in just a moment. 06:04 In Matthew 4:4 the word of God says, 06:07 It is written, man shall not live by bread 06:09 alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth 06:12 of God. 06:14 Every Word is a one-minute Bible-based daily devotional 06:16 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw and designed 06:20 especially for busy people like you. 06:22 Look for Every Word on selected networks or watch it 06:25 on-line everyday on our website, 06:27 itiswritten.com. 06:29 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 06:32 Watch Every Word. 06:33 You'll be glad you did. 06:34 Here's a sample: 06:45 Go into any major bookstore and you'll 06:47 find plenty of books on the subject of raising children, 06:50 and some of those books might even contain some useful 06:51 advice. 06:52 But perhaps e best thing you can do for a child is 06:55 mentioned in 2 Timothy 3:15. 06:58 Paul says to the young church leader Timothy, 07:01 "From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, 07:03 which are able to make you wise for salvation through 07:05 faith which is in Christ Jesus." 07:08 When a mind is young, you want to put the very best 07:11 into it, and the best you can put into a mind 07:14 is God's word. 07:15 You can give your kids advice and model the best and most 07:17 virtuous behavior, but the best thing for a child 07:21 is to be connected to God, and to know the word of God. 07:23 If there are children in your life, 07:26 do the very best for them and encourage them to know 07:28 God's word for themselves. 07:31 I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. 07:33 Let's live today by Every Word. 07:38 Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written. 07:41 I'm John Bradshaw. 07:42 Today, Faith and Failure. 07:45 A young man raised in privilege, a young man with 07:48 the world at his feet, a young man raised in 07:51 a Middle Eastern Royal Family... 07:53 murders someone, and leaves behind his life of privilege 07:56 and flees to live in an arid wilderness. 07:59 A classic example of a man throwing his life away. 08:02 You couldn't call the man much other than a failure. 08:06 Yet the Bible tells us that this man is in heaven while we're 08:10 talking here today. 08:11 Seriously. 08:12 I'll tell you why that is. 08:13 Because God is able to take our failures and turn 08:18 them into victories. 08:19 It's a terrible thing to fall so far, to lose everything you 08:21 have, everything you've worked for, maybe lose everything 08:24 someone else has worked for for you. The shame can be 08:27 unbearable and the disappointment 08:29 can be crushing. 08:30 But God is able to take our messes and somehow get us 08:33 on to a better tomorrow. 08:37 And how can I be so sure about that? 08:39 Because that's what God did for Moses, our young Middle 08:44 Easterner who was raised in Pharaoh's household but fled 08:47 when he murdered someone. 08:48 Now, no matter which way you measure this thing, 08:51 Moses had made a complete mess of his life. 08:53 He had been given so much but had thrown it away. 08:56 Instead of being the success he was raised to be, 08:58 he was an abject failure. 09:00 But God is in the business of working with failures. 09:03 According to the Bible Moses is in heaven right now - 09:07 he appeared with Jesus when Jesus was transfigured, 09:10 and it says this in the book of Jude verse 9, 09:27 Evidently Moses' body was resurrected and he was taken 09:29 to heaven. A murderer. 09:32 A failure. 09:33 Resurrected and taken to heaven! 09:36 You see, that's what God can do with our failures - 09:41 if you'll let him. 09:43 Moses is really the Biblical poster boy for failure. 09:47 God miraculously spared his life, and then not only did 09:51 he murder the Egyptian and then spend 40 years in the 09:54 wilderness, but leading God's people for another 40 years, 09:57 on the borders of the Promised Land, after having seen God 10:00 and spoken with God and having stood at the burning bush 10:02 and after leading Israel through the Red Sea and after seeing 10:05 the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire and after 10:09 eating manna sent from God for four decades - 10:12 he blew it again! 10:14 In a pique of anger he struck the rock to bring out water 10:17 instead of speaking to the rock, and God had to explain 10:20 to Moses that his offense was so serious he couldn't 10:23 enter the Promised Land. 10:25 Two strikes against him. 10:28 And then what? 10:28 Moses was resurrected and taken to the Heavenly 10:34 Promised Land. 10:36 You know, too many people are ready to quit because 10:37 of their failures. 10:37 It happens in everyday life. 10:39 I've heard of people who gambled away 10:41 everything they had - [Police siren] 10:43 and they killed themselves. 10:47 I know of people who've lost everything due to bad business 10:50 deals or due to a challenging economy, and have ended their 10:54 lives - or have gone nuts on drugs or alcohol and lost 10:56 their family and friends. 10:58 And it happens in church or in a person's relationship 11:00 with God. 11:02 The person will stumble, fall, embarrass themselves or their 11:05 family, and then they feel they aren't worthy 11:08 of God's mercy - which is true, incidentally: we're not worthy 11:11 but God gives it to us anyway - and very often people decide 11:15 to give up on their faith - they give up on God. 11:18 [Single sharp pistol shot] Look: if Moses can murder 11:22 someone and still be commissioned by God 11:24 to lead the exodus, there has to be hope for you. 11:27 If Moses can blow it at the rock and still be resurrected 11:30 and taken to heaven... 11:32 What does that say about the hope we have - 11:34 even when we foul things up? 11:35 Let's think about King David. 11:37 Knowing better, he took another man's wife. 11:41 He deliberately had the woman's husband killed in 11:42 battle, he lied about it, he brought calamity 11:46 upon his family... 11:48 If David can go through all that, and STILL be God's man, 11:51 the leader of God's people, that has to reassure you that 11:55 God is in the business of using broken people to 11:58 accomplish great good. 12:00 Now I want to be careful about something. 12:02 This is not to say that the sins of Moses 12:04 and David weren't of consequence or weren't serious. 12:07 They were! 12:07 The Bible says in Romans 6:23 12:13 Sin is a serious business! 12:15 But what Moses and David did was they repented - and they 12:19 were accepted by God when they saw the seriousness of their sin 12:22 and asked God to "cleanse" them of their sin. 12:27 Look at David's repentance with me. 12:29 We read about it in Psalm 51. 12:32 Remember what David had done. 12:33 Adultery, murder, dishonesty, he'd disgraced his throne 12:38 and sadly misrepresented his God. 12:40 But he comes to God understanding something. 12:44 He understands that God is the God of the new start. 12:47 David knows that he can rely on God to forgive him 12:50 and let him begin again. 12:54 Psalm 51 is where we will read. 12:57 I want you to think about how encouraging this is if YOU'VE 12:59 ever made mistakes, if you've ever done something 13:01 you're not proud of. 13:02 If you've ever failed, even spectacularly. 13:05 This is what David says, 13:27 Then in verse 7 David says this, 13:37 Hyssop was used at the Passover to sprinkle blood upon 13:40 the doorposts of the homes, and it was used in special 13:43 cleansing ceremonies in the Old Testament. 13:45 David saw his need of cleansing. 14:07 And God DID forgive David, to the extent that Jesus 14:09 was referred to as the "Son of David". 14:12 David is quoted in the New Testament and included among 14:15 the great faithful ones in Hebrews 11. 14:18 So if you've failed, there's hope for you. 14:21 Think of some of the other failures in the Bible, people 14:23 who God then worked with and made new. 14:26 There was the woman taken in adultery. 14:29 A group of men were prepared to stone her, 14:31 but what did Jesus do? 14:32 He said to her, " 14:37 He didn't justify her sin, but he understood her 14:39 repentance and accepted it, and sent her on her way 14:44 forgiven and cleansed. 14:46 There was the woman at the well. 14:47 Jesus said to her, 14:51 Hardly a picture of stability and domestic bliss. 14:54 But Jesus sought her out so he could forgive her and give her 14:58 hope - He didn't seek her out to condemn her. 15:02 Now we're familiar, many of us, with John 3:16, 15:06 "God so loved the world", but not as many people 15:08 are familiar with the next verse, John 3:17. 15:14 Even though it's one of the most hopeful verses in the Bible, 15:16 and it talks about God's plan to lift up the fallen, 15:18 to turn around the lives of those who have failed. 15:22 I'll share that hopeful verse with you in just a moment. 15:25 [Music] 15:41 Time for today's Bible question. 15:42 Here it is: When Cain was driven out after he killed his brother, 15:46 it is said he dwelt in the land of Nod and then the record 15:50 says that "Cain knew his wife". 15:51 But the world had just been created, 15:53 where did the other people come from since according 15:56 to the written word, only Adam and Eve and their two 15:58 children would have been the inhabitants. 16:00 In other words, where did Cain's wife come from? 16:04 Now, don't be shocked at what I am about to say 16:07 but the fact is that Cain married his sister. 16:11 Now we don't know how old Cain was at the time or how old she 16:13 was or if they grew up together or perhaps if they 16:15 didn't even know each other for the majority of their life 16:18 until they met later on. 16:19 See, Adam and Eve lived to be very old 16:21 and it seems that Eve had many children over a long 16:24 period of time. 16:25 Adam was 130 years when he fathered Seth who came after 16:28 Cain and Abel. 16:29 Seth was 105 when he fathered Enos. 16:34 Now Cain did certainly did not get married at 22, 16:35 or 20, or 19 or 18 years old. 16:36 He was older. 16:38 By then, he would have had a sister who was old enough 16:41 to be his wife. 16:43 As distasteful as this sounds, keep in mind that we have got 16:47 examples in the Bible where similar things happened. 16:51 Abraham married his half sister, for example. 16:53 Now later, God strictly forbade, 16:56 he strictly prohibited this, but early on there weren't 16:59 the genetic issues that we face today that would 17:01 make this sort of marriage a problem based 17:03 on health grounds. 17:05 So Cain married his sister ... 17:07 a little creepy, perhaps, but we are talking about 17:09 thousands of years ago and really, really, 17:11 it could not have been any other way. 17:14 If you would like me to answer your Bible question, 17:15 please go to itiswritten.com, you'll see the link and you 17:18 could submit your question there and I might be able 17:20 to answer your Bible question in a future program. 17:26 Planning for your financial future is a vital aspect 17:29 of Christian stewardship. 17:30 For this reason, It Is Written is pleased 17:32 to offer free planned giving and estate services. 17:35 For information on how we can help you, 17:37 please call 1.800.992.2219. 17:41 Call today or visit our special website, 17:44 www.hislegacy.com. 17:52 I'm glad you've joined me today. 17:54 I'm John Bradshaw and this is It Is Written. 17:56 Today - Faith and Failure. 17:59 God is so good that even when we fail He is able 18:02 to give us hope. 18:03 I have a good friend who's studying right now 18:05 to be a Christian minister. 18:07 He came to faith in Christ in a jail cell. 18:09 His life was at rock bottom. 18:10 He'd made some terrible errors of judgment, and while he was 18:14 in prison he reached out to God and God lifted Him up. 18:17 Today, very much a free man, his life is dedicated to sharing 18:21 hope with others. 18:23 I've come to know men in prison on murder charges, 18:26 men who have realized that a failure in this world 18:28 doesn't have to mean eternal failure. 18:31 They've learned that God is able to change a life 18:33 and change a heart. 18:34 And while that in no way means that God condones the crimes 18:37 that were committed, there are people in prisons all over 18:40 the world who know that God has given them new life. 18:43 Their spiritual failures have been turned 18:46 into spiritual victory. 18:48 One night Jesus spoke with a man named Nicodemus 18:52 and He said this to him. 18:53 You'll find it in John 3:17. 18:57 Here is what Jesus said to Nicodemus, 19:10 If Jesus wanted to condemn you for your mistakes 19:14 He surely could! 19:14 Paul wrote in Romans 3:23, 19:20 But what God wants to do is forgive, He wants 19:22 to remake, He wants to recreate and transform. 19:25 Think of some of the great failures in the Bible. 19:28 Peter denied Jesus. 19:31 Outright denied Him. 19:33 And what did Jesus do? 19:34 After His resurrection He sent a special message to Peter. 19:38 Remember? 19:39 An angel said to Mary at the tomb in Mark 16:7, 19:57 There was reassurance for Peter. 19:59 "Peter, I'm not done with you. 20:00 You're still special to me. 20:01 I still love you and I've still got a plan for you." 20:05 Imagine how Peter must have felt to get that message 20:07 from Jesus! 20:09 There's no doubt he felt terrible for what he had done, 20:11 and he probably was beating himself up badly. 20:14 But Jesus reassures him. 20:15 "I haven't forgotten you, Peter." Even though 20:19 you failed. 20:20 Think of King Manasseh. 20:22 The Bible says a lot about him - and almost all of it is very 20:26 uncomplimentary. 20:28 It says he sinned more than the heathen nations 20:31 that the Lord destroyed; it says he did abominations, 20:33 he made Israel sin with his idols; he shed 20:37 innocent blood so that he filled Jerusalem from one end 20:40 to the other. 20:41 That's what the Bible says. 20:42 And what became of Manasseh? 20:44 2 Chronicles 33 tells us he repented and he died 20:49 a saved man. 20:51 Manasseh was a failure, a disgrace. 20:54 He was a despicable individual - but he came back from his 20:58 failures and found faith in the God of heaven. 21:03 There was Solomon had all those wives and concubines - 21:06 hundreds of them - and worshiped pagan gods, 21:09 and yet God forgave him when he repented. 21:11 I think about Abraham lying about Sarah, saying she was 21:14 his sister and not his wife. 21:18 His son Isaac did the same thing, lying about 21:21 Rebekah, his wife. 21:22 saying that Rebekah was his sister 21:24 Both men almost lost their way because they were cowardly 21:27 and lied. 21:29 Yet God forgave their spiritual failures. 21:33 It's a wonder, but it seems their wives forgave them too! 21:35 There was Aaron, the brother of Moses, made an idol of gold 21:40 - a golden calf - when Moses was up on the mountain 21:43 receiving the ten commandments. 21:44 I mean - what was he thinking?! 21:47 And he comes up with a lame excuse saying that, oh, 21:49 we just threw a bunch of gold in the fire and what do 21:50 you know? 21:52 This calf just came out? 21:55 I mean... that's ridiculous. 21:57 And yet Aaron served God as God's high priest. 22:02 The good news is, Spiritual failure doesn't need to mean 22:07 the end for you and me. 22:08 Now again, I'm not minimizing the danger of sin 22:11 or of dishonoring God. 22:13 There's a high price to pay for that. 22:16 Our spiritual failures may come back and cause us 22:18 trouble in our lives. 22:19 That's true. 22:20 But it is good to know that failing spiritually once, 22:23 or twice, OR over a period of years, doesn't mean that God 22:27 is done with us and can't use us. 22:29 And that we cannot enjoy everlasting life. 22:31 We all need to hear that. 22:33 We all have our issues, some more than others, 22:36 and every day there are people crashing and burning 22:39 spiritually. 22:40 And the devil wants those people to think that God 22:44 is finished with them. 22:45 Well, He isn't. 22:48 Now, I'll mention some other Bible characters. 22:50 Judas. Sold Jesus to His murderers. 22:54 King Saul, just fell apart, really, and lost his way 22:56 spiritually. 22:57 Achan, who stole the gold and the clothing from the enemy 23:00 and died as a result. 23:02 You know, God could have forgiven them. 23:04 God "would have" forgiven them, except they never came 23:07 to God to be forgiven. 23:09 They didn't repent. 23:11 And so they owned their failures and weren't forgiven. 23:16 The greatest basketball player to ever play the game 23:19 was Michael Jordan. 23:22 An NBA champion 6 times and won two Olympic gold medals. 23:27 Yet here's what he says. 23:50 And basketball's just a game that doesn't mean a thing 23:52 in the final analysis. 23:54 But that's the attitude of a winner. 23:55 And it's the attitude of a Christian who trusts 23:56 in Jesus. 23:58 I might have failed over and over again, but I know God 24:02 isn't finished with me and I'm pushing forward. 24:06 I'm hanging on. 24:08 Reminds me of Thomas Edison. 24:09 He said, 24:16 ♪ [Music] ♪ He said, 24:29 I hope you'll remember today that God doesn't cast off 24:32 those who stumble and fall. 24:35 He is not finished with you when you fail, but welcomes 24:39 you back to forgive you and give you a new start. 24:44 In fact, He has promised to do so. 24:47 Today, I want to offer you this special free book on 24:50 the subject of God's promises, including some of the very 24:54 promises God makes to us to reassure us that He is there 24:57 for us even when we fall. 24:59 You'll find it very encouraging. 25:01 It's called, "God's Promises", dozens of promises from the 25:04 word of God with encouragement for you to know God and grow 25:08 in His grace. 25:09 This is going to help you in your daily walk with Jesus. 25:12 Just call or write and I'll send you "God's Promises". 25:15 There's no cost or obligation. 25:16 It's absolutely free. 25:18 Just call 1-800-253-3000, ask for "God's Promises". 25:25 You can call 24 hours a day. 25:27 If the lines are busy, please just keep trying. 25:29 You can also request your free copy of "God's Promises" 25:32 by writing to: It Is Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks, CA 91359, 25:38 and we will mail a copy to your address 25:39 in North America. 25:42 Please note: this free book is limited to the supply 25:43 on hand. 25:46 For immediate access, you can download a FREE electronic 25:50 version of this book God's Promises from our website: 25:53 itiswritten.com It Is Written is a faith-based ministry made 25:56 possible by viewers like you. 25:58 I want to say Thank you to you for your support 26:01 of It Is Written. 26:01 To support the worldwide outreach of It Is Written 26:04 and to make it possible for people to continue 26:06 receiving this broadcast, your tax-deductible gift 26:08 may be sent to the same address. 26:11 Or you can give online at: itiswritten.com. 26:14 Thank you for your continued support. 26:16 Our toll-free number is: 1-800-253-3000. 26:19 And our web address is: itiswritten.com. 26:25 Today we've talked about faith and failure. 26:27 I imagine if you're anything like me, it's not hard 26:30 to remember your spiritual failures. 26:33 I want to pray with you right now and ask that God will give 26:36 you success in the place of defeat and disappointment. 26:40 Let's pray. 26:43 Our Father in heaven, we thank you that you are the God 26:46 of the new start. 26:47 We thank you that you are able to take a failure and turn 26:51 that person into a spiritual success. 26:53 We thank you that you see beyond our mistakes, beyond 26:56 our shortcomings, beyond our weaknesses, and you see 26:59 what we can be through faith in Christ. 27:02 So at least to day, Lord, let that be in our lives. 27:05 Give us the grace not to repeat our past 27:08 errors and give us the encouragement we need 27:10 that when we are low because of our stumbles 27:12 and falls, to look up and remember that you welcome us 27:15 into your arms and that you will cleanse us 27:18 and forgive us. 27:20 We thank you today that there is victory in Jesus and we 27:24 pray in Jesus' name, Amen. 27:34 ♪ [Music] ♪ 27:45 Thank you for joining me today. 27:47 I look forward to seeing you next time. 27:49 Until then, remember the Bible says 27:51 It is written, man shall not live by bread alone but by 27:57 every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 28:01 ♪ Theme Music ♪ |
Revised 2015-02-05