Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001354A
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00:09 It has stood the test of ti
00:14 God's book, the Bi Still relevant in today's 00:21 complex wo It Is Written ... 00:27 sharing hope around the gl [Music] 00:41 This is Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 00:44 known the world over for the Battle of Gettysburg 00:47 and President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg address. 00:50 In 1863 it was a town with a population of 2400 00:55 and in 1863 the Civil War was two years old. 01:01 The American Civil War went from 1861 to 1865. 01:06 The Confederacy was made up of 11 different states: Texas, 01:11 Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, 01:16 Florida, the Carolinas, Virginia and Tennessee, while 01:22 25 states, depending on how you count, made up the Union. 01:26 There were more than 3 million soldiers involved in 01:29 the Civil War. Two and a half million 01:31 on the side of the Union, 1.2 million on the side 01:35 of the Confederacy. It was a massive, massive war. 01:40 And what took place right here in Gettysburg, was the turning 01:45 point for the entire American Civil War. 01:48 Academics and historians have been discussing the Battle 01:52 of Gettysburg and the Civil War since both of them were ended. 01:55 But what took place here at Gettysburg goes way beyond 01:59 academics and history. The truth is there are some 02:03 very imptant spiritual lessons that can be learned 02:06 here, lessons that help us understand the great spiritual 02:11 battle that all of us are involved in. 02:15 This patch of earth right here is known as Cemetery Ridge. 02:21 Cemetery Ridge was the site of a very, 02:24 very significant battle. It was known as 02:27 Pickett's Charge. Gettysburg was the high 02:30 watermark for the Confederacy. This was the furthest into 02:33 Union Territory that the Confederacy ever got. 02:36 You look at a map, we're well north here of Washington, DC. 02:39 In fact, the Battle of Gettysburg was the only battle 02:42 that took place north of the Mason-Dixon line. 02:46 Pickets Charge occurred on the last day of the Battle 02:50 of Gettysburg. It was July 3, 1863. 02:55 Major General George Pickett was one of three Confederate 02:58 generals who lead the assault. General Robert E. Lee 03:02 ordered the attack against Major General George G. Meade's 03:05 Union position along this ridge. 03:08 General Lee was determined to take down the Union Army, 03:12 especially after attacks on both of their flanks had failed 03:15 in the previous days. But the Union soldiers 03:18 were ready. Thousands of Union soldiers 03:23 aimed 122 cannon or cannons into that field right there. 03:29 The Confederacy matched them with 152 cannon of their own. 03:33 At 1:00 PM, the fighting began. Those 274 cannon began 03:39 firing simultaneously. It is said that the resulting 03:44 cacophony was so loud that the noise could be heard 84 miles 03:49 away in Washington DC. Someone once said that this 03:52 was most likely the loudest manmade noise ever made 03:57 in the history of the world up to that time. 04:00 Pickett's Charge is only the beginning. 04:04 [Music] [Sound of firing, war, cries, 04:08 battle, men fighting] Once the Confederates who 04:12 were out there thought that the Union lines back here had 04:16 been softened up, 12 and a half thousand of their 04:19 soldiers began to march across that open space 04:22 from there to here. It's a stretch of one mile. 04:27 Yet, they were only able to make it three quarters of the 04:29 way before they had to head back. 04:31 They walked across this open space right into a blizzard 04:35 of heavy cannon fire. In fact, in three quarters of 04:39 an hour the Confederacy lost more than 50% of their men. 04:44 Some of the Confederates were able to breach this low 04:46 stonewall that shielded the Union defenders, 04:48 but they were not able to maintain their position 04:50 and they were forced to retreat. 04:54 Years later when he was asked why his charge at Gettysburg 04:57 failed, General Pickett replied by saying, "I've always 05:02 thought the Yankees had something to do with it." 05:06 There are many debates as to why this battle here actually 05:08 even took place at all. Some say the objective was to 05:11 gain control of the copse of trees over there behind me. 05:14 Or others say the objective was to get to Ziegler's grove 05:18 over there on Cemetery Hill. Perhaps we will never know. 05:21 Other questions are asked as well, questions such as 05:26 "Why did the Civil war itself even take place?" 05:29 Was it a question of state's rights? 05:32 Was it about federal tariffs? Was it labor laws and slavery? 05:35 Maybe we'll never know. Even the name "Civil War" has 05:40 been questioned and disputed down through the years. 05:42 I've got a question for you. Whose side was God on 05:47 in the Civil War? The Bible does help us 05:50 understand that and the answer may surprise you. 05:54 And what about the original civil war that took place long 05:57 before Gettysburg was even thought of. 05:59 We'll talk about that in just a mome 06:06 In Matthew 4:4, the Word of God says, It is written, 06:09 man shall not live by bread alone but by every word 06:13 that proceeds from the mouth of God. 06:16 Every Word is a one-minute Bible-based daily devotional 06:20 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw and designed 06:23 especially for busy people like you. 06:26 Look for Every Word on selected networks or watch it 06:30 on-line everyday on our website, itiswritten.com. 06:33 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 06:35 Watch Every Word, you'll be glad you did. 06:41 Here's a sample. Have you ever noticed how 06:48 songs get stuck in your mind? And sometimes you can't get 06:52 rid of them no matter how hard you try. 06:55 There are times I'll hear a song I haven't heard 06:56 in 30 years - and I can still remember 06:58 every word, every key change, every harmony, as though 07:01 I'd been studying the song the day before. 07:04 God understood this, which is why he said in 1 Chronicles 07:07 16:9, "Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; talk of all 07:12 His wondrous works!" 1 Chronicles 16:9 NKJV Here's 07:14 something that will help you get God's word into your mind: 07:16 if you'll sing hymns or songs of praise, or learn Scripture 07:20 songs - that's Bible verses put to music - they'll stay in 07:23 your mind and you'll never forget them. 07:25 If you've filled your mind with the songs of the world, 07:28 you'll be blessed if you reprogram your mind with 07:31 the songs of God. Let the power of music work 07:34 FOR you. Let's live today by Every Word. 07:37 [Music Eyes for India is giving 07:48 sight to the blind and you can be a part of this amazing work 07:52 that God is doing. Fifteen million blind people 07:55 live in India, more than any other country in the world 07:59 and many of the blind in India could see again. 08:02 If only they could have simple cataract surgery. 08:05 It Is Written is making that happen. 08:08 Would you support Eyes for India. 08:11 For just $75 you will be giving the gift of sight to 08:15 someone who desperately wants to see. 08:18 Here's all you need to do. Call 1.800.253.3000. 08:23 That's 1.800.253.3000 to donate and support 08:28 Eyes for India. Or, you can write to 08:31 It Is Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks, 08:34 California, 91359. You'll also find Eyes for India 08:38 on-line at itiswritten.com. Every $75 you give gives 08:44 someone the precious gift of sight. 08:47 Eyes for India. Doing the work of Jesus 08:49 in opening the eyes of the blind and opening hearts 08:53 to the love of God. Call 1.800.253.3000 or write 08:58 to Box O, Thousand Oaks, California 91359 or visit 09:05 itiswritten.com. [Gunshot] 09:11 [Marching drum music] The American Civil War. 09:14 North against the South. I'm in Gettysburg, 09:17 Pennsylvania, the sight of the Battle of Gettysburg during 09:21 the American Civil War and I'm here right now, 09:24 in a place that is known as Devil's Den. 09:28 It saw a lot of action on July 2, 1863. 09:31 It changed hands a couple of times but by the end of the 09:33 day, it was a Confederate stronghold. 09:36 A lot of people died here. Just over there is an area 09:41 that is known as the slaughter pen. 09:44 I will leave it to you to figure out why it was called 09:47 the Slaughter Pen. More than 700,000 soldiers 09:53 died during the American Civil War. 09:56 American had more casualties, lost more soldiers in that one 09:59 great conflict than in all wars from the Revolutionary 10:04 War to the Vietnam War combined. 10:08 The reason is quite obvious. That's because during the 10:12 American Civil War, everybody who died was an American. 10:16 And you know, with so much bloodshed, people have asked 10:21 from time to time, whose side was God on? 10:25 Now don't worry. I'm not going to get into any 10:27 sticky, political territory. Instead, I am going to get 10:31 into the Bible. This reminds me of a Bible 10:33 story you read about in the book of Joshua. 10:36 God's people had been brought out of the wilderness and into 10:41 the promised land, finally, after 40 years of wondering. 10:44 But now that they had come to the Promised Land, they find 10:46 that the Promised Land is filled with the enemy. 10:49 So, God commands them to consecrate themselves and he 10:53 leads them down to the walls of the city of Jericho and as 10:57 they are marching down to the walls surrounding the city of 11:00 Jericho, something really strange takes place. 11:04 Joshua 5:13, And it came to pass, when Joshua was by 11:08 Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked and behold 11:14 a man stood opposite him with a sword drawn in his hand 11:18 and Joshua went to him and said to him, 11:20 'Are you for our adversaries?'" Now think about this. 11:27 Joshua was very close to God and just a couple of chapters 11:30 before this took place, God had said this to Joshua. 11:34 This day, I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, 11:38 that they may know that as I was with Moses, 11:41 so I am with you. Now, Joshua likely knew that 11:45 the Being in the road was a divine Being. 11:48 Joshua was well acquainted with God. 11:51 You know that Joshua was with the Israelites when they left 11:53 Egypt on their way to the Promised Land. 11:56 Joshua had wandered through the wilderness for four decades 11:59 with the children of Israel and he had seen God work. 12:02 Think about what he saw. He was a witness when God sent 12:06 the 10 plagues in Egypt. He saw what God did there. 12:10 He was there when God split the red sea wide open 12:12 so the Israelites could evacuate Egypt. 12:15 Joshua saw what God had done. While on the wilderness 12:19 wanderings, Joshua ate the Manna that God 12:22 had sent, the Manna that carpeted the ground. 12:24 Joshua gathered it up with his bare hands and ate it himself, 12:28 knowing that this blessing had come from God. 12:30 He saw the pillar of fire by night and the pillar 12:33 of cloud by day. He was acquainted with God. 12:37 He says to this being, "whose side are you on? 12:40 Are you with us or are you with our enemy? 12:42 And he got a very surprising answer. 12:46 I mean, I would expect that a divine being, a heavenly 12:50 being, would say plainly and simply, "I'm on your side. 12:54 I'm with the children of Israel." 12:57 You certainly would not expect them to say, "I'm with your 12:59 enemies." What did God say? 13:02 Did God say, "Joshua, I'm with you. You're my man 13:05 and I'm with you and my people. 13:09 God didn't say that at all. Here's what God said. 13:13 God said neither. I'm with neither of you. 13:17 Here's what the Bible says. Joshua 5:14. 13:21 "Neither, he replied. But as commander of the Army 13:24 of the Lord I have now come." Then Joshua fell face down to 13:29 the ground in reverence and asked him "what message does 13:32 my Lord have for his servant?" Now this is Joshua we're 13:36 talking about, the one who was chosen by God 13:39 to lead God's people. If God was going to be on 13:42 anybody's side at all, you'd think that he would 13:44 be on Joshua's side. So what was going on here? 13:46 Had Joshua done something wrong? 13:48 Had God's people slidden into apostasy again? 13:51 Well no, as a matter of fact, they had recently reconsecrated 13:54 themselves to God and they built an altar. 13:57 You've got to look at the big picture. 13:59 There's a big picture to view when considering this passage. 14:02 A couple of things to consider, and one of them is this. 14:05 God is on his own side. God is committed to His mission 14:11 of saving all men and women redeeming the world 14:15 and bringing them to himself through Jesus. 14:17 That's what God is all about. John 3:16 says, For God 14:22 so loved the world that he gave his only Begotten Son, 14:25 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have 14:28 everlasting life. And it says in Ephesians 14:31 1:11, 12, In him also we have obtained an inheritance, 14:36 being predestined according to the purpose of him 14:39 who works all things according to the counsel 14:41 of his will, that we who first trusted in Christ 14:46 should be to the praise of his glory. 14:48 Abraham Lincoln recognized this and that's why he included 14:51 these words in his writings: "In meditations on 14:55 the divine will, the will of God prevails. 15:00 In great contests, each party claims to act in accordance 15:04 with the will of God. Both may be and one 15:07 must be wrong. God cannot be for and against 15:12 the same thing at the same time. 15:14 In the present Civil War, it is quite possible that God's 15:17 purpose is somewhat different from the purpose of either 15:20 party and yet the human instrumentality is working 15:23 just as they do, are of the best adaptation to affect us." 15:28 He want to say it at the second inaugural address. 15:30 "Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God. 15:34 And each invokes his aid against the other. 15:37 It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just 15:41 God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of 15:44 other men's faces. But let us judge not that we 15:47 be not judged. The prayers of both could not 15:50 be answered, that of neither has been answered fully. 15:54 The Almighty has his own purposes. 15:57 Woe unto the world because of offenses, for it must needs 16:00 be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom 16:04 the offense commeth." That isn't to suggest that God 16:07 was indifferent to the Battle of Gettysburg .... 16:10 Far from it. God is always on the side of 16:12 truth and justice and liberty. God is on the side of lifting 16:15 men and women up, of ennobling people, and giving them 16:18 the opportunity to live whole lives. 16:22 But whereas we see the small picture, Gettysburg, Bullrun, 16:26 Manases, God sees the big picture. 16:30 And it's when we look beyond Gettysburg and we see 16:34 the big picture that we see the war behind all wars. 16:38 We see the original civil war. We see the universal battle 16:43 that all of us are involved in. I'll be back with more 16:46 in just a moment. [Music] 16:54 An ancient city ris the most wicked city on ea 17:10 The prophets said it would be destroyed ... 17:13 they were right. It has never been rebuilt. 17:23 Yet, the ancient prophets saw her rising and then 17:33 the world ends. Babylon Rising .... 17:43 Do you know what's coming? Babylon Rising is a dynamic 17:53 book by Pastor John Bradshaw that describes the significance 17:56 of Babylon in Bible prophecy. Right now this powerful book 18:00 is available free from It Is Written. 18:03 Just call 1.800.253.3000. Ask for the book, 18:06 Babylon Rising, or write to It Is Written, 18:09 Box O, Thousand Oaks, California 91359, and we will 18:13 mail a copy to your address in North America. 18:16 Please note this free book is limited to the supply on hand. 18:19 For even faster access you can download a free electronic 18:22 version of the book Babylon Rising from our website. 18:25 Babylon Rising is also a four-part seminar presented 18:27 by John Bradshaw. For details, please visit 18:30 our website itiswritten.com and discover more about 18:34 Babylon Rising and many other inspirational resources. 18:37 It Is Written is a faith-based outreach made possible 18:40 by viewers like you. Thank you for your 18:42 continued support. Our toll-free number 18:46 is 1.800.253.3000 and our web address, 18:48 itiswritten.co [Sounds of crickets in the 18:55 background] This is Gettysburg, 18:57 Pennsylvania. It's an almost sacred place, 19:01 the sight of the Battle of Gettysburg. 19:04 During the Battle of Gettysburg, both the Union 19:05 side and the Confederate side suffered about the same amount 19:08 of casualties. About 23000 per side. 19:12 And there were 3000 deaths suffered by the Union ... 19:16 a little more than 3000, and a little less than 5000 deaths 19:18 suffered by the Confederacy. The Civil War often even split 19:24 families, split communities. It was not uncommon to have 19:27 a brother on one side, be it Union or Confederate, fighting 19:31 against his own literal blood brother on the other side. 19:35 Before he became the president, Abraham Lincoln described 19:38 the United States as a house divided, using words that came 19:43 straight from the lips of Jesus, words Lincoln 19:45 borrowed from the Gospels. Abraham Lincoln understood 19:49 this concept from first-hand experience. 19:52 His own brother-in-law was a Confederate General who lost 19:57 his life shortly after Gettysburg at the battle 20:00 of Chickamauga just outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee. 20:04 What about a conflict that not only divided communities or 20:09 divided a nation, but what about a conflict that would 20:12 divide heaven. It seems hard to imagine, 20:15 doesn't it? But doesn't it also seem hard 20:17 to imagine, thinking back, Americans taking up arms 20:22 against Americans and fighting to the death? 20:25 Just seems so unlikely. Even the leaders, many of them 20:28 on the Confederate side, the Union side, 20:30 some of them were friends, many of them were educated 20:33 together at the same military schools. 20:36 Seems hard to fathom now. But just as hard to fathom 20:40 as that is is this concept of a war that divides heaven, 20:44 a conflict that divides haven. And here is what the Bible 20:47 says about that in Revelation 12, from verse 7. 20:50 It says, "And there was war in heaven. 20:53 Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and the 20:56 dragon fought, and his angels, and prevailed not, neither 21:00 was their place found anymore in heaven. 21:03 There was a conflict so dramatic that a third of the 21:07 angels were evicted from heaven and why in the world 21:12 would that take place? Well, to find out that, 21:15 we look in the book of Isaiah and Chapter 14. 21:20 "How are you fallen from heaven, oh Lucifer, 21:22 son of the morning? How are you cut down to the 21:25 ground, you who weakened the nations, for you have said in 21:29 your heart, "I will ascend into heaven. 21:32 I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. 21:36 I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the 21:38 farthest sides of the north. I will ascend above the 21:43 heights of the clouds. I will be like the Most High." 21:49 For reasons that I don't think we can adequately comprehend, 21:53 Satan decided that he wanted to sit in God's place. 21:56 Actually, Lucifer, before he was Satan, had these 21:59 ideas that he would sit in God's place. 22:02 He wanted to receive the honor that only God was due. 22:05 He wanted to receive the homage that God was getting. 22:09 Simply put, Satan wanted to receive worship. 22:13 He wasn't able to get that worship in heaven and so he was 22:16 cast down here to the earth. But before he was cast down 22:19 to the earth, Satan went on a campaign in heaven like a good 22:23 politician to win the angels of heaven, as many as he 22:27 could, over to his side. Now, there are times that 22:32 it really makes me wonder why even a single angel would 22:36 have entertained Lucifer's Chicanery 22:40 Lucifer had to be campaigning and complaining about God. 22:44 Why would even one perfect angel in heaven listen? 22:46 It just doesn't even make sense. 22:49 But perhaps...perhaps there was something mysterious 22:51 about sin, something that wasn't very well 22:54 understood that caused the angels to stop 22:57 and consider and listen and give Lucifer 23:00 a little more of their time than they otherwise would have. 23:03 And perhaps, think about this, perhaps Lucifer was just 23:06 a good campaigner. Perhaps he knew how to speak 23:09 and phrase and frame things in such a way that certain 23:12 of the angels said .... "well, maybe 23:15 he's got a point." I mean, let's think about this. 23:17 We think of Nazi Germany. There were multiplied thousands 23:21 of Germans who listened to Adolf Hitler 23:24 with wrapped attention. They were swept along in 23:27 the hysteria that he generated. We say, "how in the world 23:30 could that have happened?" But many people living today 23:32 look back and say, "I understand only too well how 23:35 that could have happened." Perhaps it was a little bit 23:37 like that with Satan. Thousands died here 23:40 at Gettysburg ... the many cemeteries mark 23:44 the final resting place of many of them. 23:47 It was in November of 1863 that President Lincoln came 23:50 here to Gettysburg and he delivered at 23:52 the dedication of the Soldiers National Cemetery 23:56 the Gettysburg Address. Now what's interesting is that 23:59 many people don't realize that Abraham Lincoln wasn't even 24:02 the featured speaker that day. The one who gave the keynote 24:06 speech was a man named Edward Everett. 24:09 Everett had been the Secretary of State for the United States. 24:11 He had been the Governor of the State of Massachusetts. 24:14 Everett had been the President of Harvard University 24:16 and he was a renowned orator. When he spoke that day, 24:20 his speech lasted more than two hours. 24:24 But today, there is virtually nobody who remembers anything 24:28 that Edward Everett said. By contrast, 24:31 Abraham Lincoln spoke. The Gettysburg Address lasted 24:35 just a little more than two minutes and it's made up 24:39 of ten sentences. And it was in the Gettysburg 24:43 Address that Abraham Lincoln said these words .... 24:48 "It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great 24:51 task remaining before us. That from these honored dead 24:56 we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave 25:01 the last full measure of devotion." 25:08 In looking forward to the last great conflict soon to come to 25:11 this world, perhaps we can look back and think of those 25:14 who gave everything to advance the cause of Christ, 25:17 the cause of truth, the cause of the Bible. 25:20 Perhaps we can think back to that original rebellion, that 25:24 original Civil War, the one that took place in heaven. 25:27 And we can remember that when the Universe was split in two, 25:31 Jesus did everything he could to bring it back together. 25:36 When Jesus had rebels on his hands, Jesus willingly came to 25:40 the battlefield called earth and gave his life so that 25:44 the rebels might have life. Jesus died for you, friend, so 25:48 that in place of rebellion, you could be 25:50 in harmony with him. In place of guilt, 25:53 you could experience forgiveness. 25:55 In place of shame, you could have no shame. 25:58 In place of tyranny, there would be liberty. 26:01 In place of sin, Jesus would give you salvation. 26:05 Would you accept that from Jesus today? 26:09 Jesus .... Who crossed that vast field 26:12 between heaven and earth and came down here 26:17 and gave his life, dying on the battlefield, so that we need 26:22 not remain on the battlefield, but that we can enjoy 26:25 everlasting life in the presence of Jesus. 26:28 Would you like that friend? Would you choose that and 26:31 accept that today from him? Let me pray for you. 26:35 Our Father in heaven, we thank you today for Jesus, 26:37 the freedom giver. We thank you for Jesus, 26:40 the Liberator. We thank you for Jesus, who 26:43 when he had a group of rebels on his hands, came to this 26:46 earth to give life in the place of death. 26:49 Father, we accept that today. I pray for everyone hearing 26:54 the sound of my voice and saying: Yes, I will choose 26:57 freedom in Jesus. I w ill choose life in Jesus. 27:01 Thank you for giving life in the place of death and freedom 27:04 in the place of slavery, and joy in the place of sorrow, 27:09 and everlasting life that will measure with life of God. 27:14 We thank you for that today and we pray in Jesus' name. 27:19 Amen [M 27:43 Thanks for joining me today. Look forward to seeing you 27:45 again next time. Until then, remember, 27:47 It is written, man shall to live by bread 27:50 alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of |
Revised 2015-06-28