Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001412A
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01:29 [Music]
01:40 [Music] 01:49 John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. 01:51 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me in Zimbabwe, Africa. 01:56 [Music] 02:06 [Music] 02:14 They are powerful, mighty. They're called the 02:17 king of beasts. Just the sound they make can 02:21 fill you with awe and fear. [Lion snarling] 02:24 If you've seen a lion, you were most likely in a zoo 02:27 at the time, and you were grateful for the fence 02:30 between you and the great Simba, as they're 02:32 known in much of Africa, or the Shuba, as they're called 02:35 in the Shona language here in Zimbabwe. This is lion country. 02:41 [African music] It wasn't far from here that 02:46 an enormous controversy erupted after an American hunter shot 02:51 and killed a well-known, iconic lion named Cecil, 02:56 outside Hwange National Park, just 250 miles from where 03:00 I'm standing right now. [Drums] 03:02 Cecil's death ignited controversy all around 03:06 the world─controversy that's ultimately going to affect 03:08 hunting and tourism and conservation, and maybe even 03:12 politics. You see, the lion is one of Africa's big five. 03:16 The big five is the lion, the elephant, the leopard, the 03:20 Cape buffalo, and the rhinoceros. And I've come here 03:24 to Antelope Park, not far from Gweru, to get up close 03:28 and personal with the lion. Now, those fences you were happy for 03:33 when you went to the zoo─no fences here for me today. 03:37 And honestly, I'm not sure just how at ease I am 03:41 with the situation. I've never done this before; 03:44 it's a first for me. But it's not a first for It Is Written. 03:49 During the 60 years of It Is Written, we've featured 03:52 animals from time to time, including a beautiful, 03:55 full-grown lion, and a tiger that got a little closer 03:58 to George Vandeman than we were expecting. So I'm hoping 04:02 everything works out okay. Now, I have been assured by 04:05 the people here that it is not very likely that I'll be eaten 04:09 alive by a lion. Although, in just a few minutes, I'm going 04:13 to introduce you to a man who had a close encounter with a 04:16 lion and came off second best. It's impossible, I think, to see 04:22 the magnificent animals in Africa and not think about the 04:25 God of creation. In Africa, well, this is a continent that 04:29 we associate with exotic, majestic, powerful, wonderful 04:33 animals─animals which all of them were designed 04:38 and created by a loving Creator thousands of years ago, 04:42 as He prepared a perfect planet for our original grandparents. 04:47 As Adam named the animals, they were all 04:49 at peace with each other. The wolves didn't attack the sheep, 04:53 the cats didn't hiss at the dogs. But then came the fall, 04:58 and sin entered the world. [Dramatic Piano Music] 05:01 With sin came a dramatic change in nature. Leaves died and fell 05:06 from the trees. Petals dropped from the roses. Other flowers 05:11 wilted and died. The animal kingdom changed as well. 05:16 Things were no longer peaceful among the animals. 05:19 It became a matter of survival of the fittest. 05:22 And imagine how that played out from Adam's point of view. 05:25 Now, this was Adam who saw leaves fall from trees where 05:29 once they did not, who saw the color of leaves 05:31 turn because leaves were dying when before they didn't. 05:34 And then, worse than seeing leaves die, Adam must have seen 05:39 the animals die. Perhaps a lion that had once been a trusted 05:43 companion killed a little lamb, and Adam happened upon that 05:47 and realized the consequences of sin. This just wasn't good. 05:54 Things had changed. The nature of even the animals had changed. 05:59 Which is why today we see what we see in the animal kingdom. 06:04 Which leads us to lions. Back then, before the fall, 06:08 if you saw a lion, you said, “Ah, a good thing.” Today, 06:11 if you see a lion while you're walking along a trail, you had 06:14 better do something fast, because that would not be good 06:18 news. Now, about those lions. We're going to meet some lions 06:21 in just a few moments. Don't go away. I'll be right back. 06:24 JB: Temptation is a very real part of every believer's daily 06:29 experience. But it doesn't have to defeat you. 06:31 You can have victory over temptation, and I'll tell how 06:35 in this week's free offer, “When the Lion Roars: 06:38 How to Overcome Temptation.” To get your free copy of this 06:42 important, life-changing book, call us at 1-800-253-3000. 06:47 That's 1-800-253-3000. Or visit us online 06:51 at ItIsWritten.com. You can write to us at P.O. Box 6, 06:56 Chattanooga, TN 37401. Make sure you ask for this week's free 07:01 offer, “When the Lion Roars: How to Overcome Temptation,” and 07:05 experience victory instead of defeat. Now, supplies are 07:09 limited, so please call soon. That's 800-253-3000. Or visit us 07:15 online at ItIsWritten.com to get your free copy of 07:18 “When the Lion Roars: How to Overcome Temptation.” 07:24 Remember, It Is Written is a faith-based ministry, 07:28 and your support makes it possible for us to share God's 07:31 good news with the world. Your tax-deductible gift can be sent 07:34 to the address on your screen, or through our website at 07:38 ItIsWritten.com. Thank you for your continued prayerful 07:41 support. Again, our toll-free number is 800-253-3000, 07:46 and our web address is www.ItIsWritten.com. 07:52 [Music] Planning for your financial 07:55 future is a vital aspect of Christian stewardship. 07:59 For this reason, It Is Written is pleased to offer 08:01 free planned giving and estate services. 08:04 For information on how we can help you, please call 08:07 (800) 992-2219. Call today, or visit our special website, 08:13 www.HisLegacy.com. 08:20 [African music] This is It Is Written. 08:24 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me today in Zimbabwe. 08:28 Here in Africa, there's an abundance of wildlife. There are 08:32 giraffes and elephants and cheetahs and hippopotami 08:35 and rhinos, and so many other fantastic creatures that speak 08:39 of a genius maker, a creative God who loves to show 08:44 His children just how gracious He really is. Chief among 08:49 the animals is the lion. It's referred to as the king 08:53 of beasts. It's the largest and most powerful member of the cat 08:57 family. It's also one of the largest carnivorous animals in 09:00 the world. A team of lions working together can take down 09:04 an elephant. Lions don't seem to fear anything at all. A male 09:09 lion can grow to be 10 feet long and weigh up to 550 pounds, 09:15 with the biggest lion ever recorded being 688 pounds─not 09:21 much less than a Harley Davidson. Lions are social 09:25 creatures and live in groups called a pride, and typically 09:28 live about 10 to 14 years. They can run as fast as 09:32 50 miles an hour. They sleep 20 hours a day, and the roar 09:38 of a lion can be heard five miles away. 09:40 [Snarl of lion] A lion can eat nearly 80 pounds 09:45 of meat in a single meal. And seeing as I'm visiting the lions 09:48 today, I'm not so sure how good I feel about that. So this is 09:53 our rendezvous point. They're bringing the lions to us. 09:58 You didn't think we were just going to walk out into the wild 10:01 and rustle up some lions. Hyaw! Get around back. Bring my 10:06 sheepdog, who also happens to be good with lions. Whistle him up, 10:10 and he'll run this way and that. Doesn't work like that; 10:13 not here. They are bringing the lions to us. If I seem 10:18 a little bit nervous, I wasn't, until I saw them. And you know 10:25 what I just saw walking by them? Cats. They're not on leashes. 10:31 I would have expected they're on leashes, and that you put 10:33 one of them things over their, over their head like you do over 10:35 dogs so the dog can't bite you. People put those things on dogs. 10:40 And here's a couple of lions walking towards me, no muzzle 10:43 on, no nothing. But we soon got acquainted, and before long, 10:48 we were getting on like old friends. You've seen them in 10:51 zoos, I know. But when you get up close, you see lions have 10:54 got really big feet. They're breathtaking creatures. And, 11:00 of course, I couldn't let the photo opportunity pass me by. 11:04 You know, there's something kind of odd or ironic or interesting 11:07 about this. I'm walking with a couple of magnificent lions, 11:11 and what I'm worried about most of all is getting a really good 11:16 selfie. That's kind of weird, isn't it? What was weird was 11:21 how entirely at ease I'd become with a couple of the most 11:24 powerful animals on the planet, which really got me thinking. 11:28 I'll tell you one thing that I've learned while spending 11:33 a little time with these lions, and that's this: when you first 11:37 see a lion, you say, “Oh my goodness, that's a lion.” 11:42 And you can be rather casual about it. I didn't even ask 11:46 permission, and I reached out and, and, and patted this guy 11:49 on the, on the back. And, uh, to begin with, it's really rather 11:57 nerve-wracking. It's a lion, after all. But after a while, 12:01 it's kind of like no big deal. You just get remarkably used 12:07 to them. Now, don't get me wrong; I maintain a healthy 12:11 respect for these guys. But I'm standing within 18 inches 12:14 of a lion and not really thinking twice. That's how 12:17 temptation can be. You know, you know the Devil 12:20 is dangerous. But at the same time, after a while you can just 12:24 get really close to him and not worry about it. And get very 12:26 casual about it, and sort of blasé. And, uh, it's probably 12:32 not a very healthy way to be. Too many of us 12:45 take the Devil by the tail─think it's kind of fun. But you do 12:50 that too long, and it won't be long before that lion turns 12:54 around and bites you. Now, the owner of Antelope Park here, 12:58 just outside of Gweru in Zimbabwe, is a character named 13:01 Andrew Connolly. Mr. Connolly had his own close encounter with a 13:06 lion and, thankfully, did live to tell the story. 13:10 [Music, bird chirping] JB: Andrew, tell me where 13:16 we are, what this place is. AC: Antelope Park is a, is a 13:19 tourism facility. In fact, we've won many awards as being the 13:23 best private game reserve in the country of Zimbabwe. 13:26 JB: We're on about 3,000 acres here. 13:28 AC: We are on about 3,000 acres, but it's a tourism facility that 13:31 supports and funds many conservation and education and 13:35 community programs around us. JB: Now, people come here for 13:38 a number of reasons, one of which is, you have 13:40 some interesting residents here, roaming around here. 13:43 What have you got? AC: Well, there's, there's 13:45 elephants. Um, elephants here are not wild elephants. 13:48 The elephants were saved from a horrific drought 13:51 we had in 1992 in Zimbabwe. Then we've got about 19 different 13:54 species of small antelope and antelope and giraffe and kudu 13:57 and zebra and wildebeest, and waterbuck and jackal and 14:02 warthog and gessibee, and many other species. 14:03 And then we've got over 200 bird species as well. A lot 14:07 of water fowl on the like around here too. 14:09 JB: A few lions as well. AC: Yeah, there are a 14:11 few lions, which is part of our whole program. 14:13 JB: Now, this is lion country, isn't it? 14:15 AC: Correct. And our whole focus is really─and the focus of my 14:20 life is on the African lion. JB: So tell me some things 14:23 about lions. I mean, I don't know much about them. You do. 14:26 What are, what are some of the things that in all your years of 14:30 working with lions, you can say, “I've learned this about lions”? 14:33 You may not read it in the textbook, but there are some 14:36 insights that you have into lions─or some of the other 14:38 interesting animals you've got here. 14:40 AC: You know, I, I think the thing about a lion is, 14:45 what I love about lions is that they are the most courageous 14:48 animals, and they're just supremely confident. They just 14:52 ooze confidence. They don't care if it's an elephant or 14:55 a crocodile that's double its size. And I think there's lots 14:58 of other things, obviously, but I think, you know, to put it 15:01 mildly, it's the supreme confidence, bravery, courage 15:05 of a lion. They are absolutely fearless. They'll take on 15:07 something five times bigger than them, without batting an eyelid. 15:11 And I think that that's the key thing about them. It is, without 15:14 a doubt, the king of beasts. I mean, there's nothing, there's 15:17 nothing on this earth, as far as superiority, supreme confidence 15:23 and courage and bravery, to match the lion. There's just no 15:26 other animal on earth to come near it. And I think that's how 15:28 God created it. He is the king of beasts. 15:31 JB: A lion is the symbol of power. Nations have identified 15:36 with the lion as their mascot. You'll have seen lions depicted 15:39 on flags and coats-of-arms. A lion can look terrifying and 15:44 scary, or majestic and regal. Lions appear in many places 15:50 throughout the Bible, and in a number of fascinating ways─ 15:53 some of them ways you might not expect. I'll be back with 15:57 more in just a moment. [Music] 15:59 Announcer: In Matthew 4:4, the Word of God says, 16:03 "It is Written, "man shall not live by bread alone, but by 16:06 every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 16:10 Every word, is a one minute bible based daily devotional 16:13 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw and designed especially 16:16 for busy people like you. Look for "Every Word" on selected 16:21 networks or watch it online every day on our website 16:23 itiswritten.com. Recieve a daily spiritual boost, watch 16:28 "Every Word" You'll be glad you did. Here's a sample. 16:34 [Theme music] A five-year-old boy was playing 16:41 at home, outside with his brother, near Aspen, Colorado, 16:45 when he was attacked by a mountain lion. His mother 16:48 ran to save him and, according to the police statement, 16:51 physically removed her son from the mountain lion. 16:53 The boy was injured but is doing okay. And his mother, she was 16:56 hurt as well. But what else would a mother do? It reminds me 16:59 of two things. Proverbs 31:28 says "Her children rise up and 17:05 call her blessed." And it reminds me also of Jesus. 17:08 You know, the Bible refers to the devil as a lion. 17:12 When he has you in his grip, who is it that comes to your rescue? 17:15 That's Jesus, who was more than injured saving you from sin. 17:20 That boy has an awful lot to thank his mother for. And we 17:24 have everything to thank Jesus for. I'm John Bradshaw for 17:28 It Is Written. Let's live today by every word. [Theme music] 17:35 [Music] 17:40 JB: Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written. 17:42 You know, lions feature prominently in the Bible. 17:45 David told King Saul that he killed a lion that had attacked 17:50 his father's sheep. A little earlier in the Bible, in the 17:52 book of Judges, there's a remarkable account of a man who 17:56 killed a lion with his bare hands. And when you see what 18:00 you can see here at Antelope Park in Zimbabwe, that story 18:04 takes on a whole new meaning. "So Samson went down to Timnah 18:06 with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. 18:13 Now, to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. 18:17 And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore 18:21 the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, 18:24 though he had nothing in his hand. Judges 14:5-6 18:30 And then there's that magnificent story in the Bible 18:32 of Daniel in the lion's den. 18:34 By now, Babylon had given way to Medo-Persia. And Daniel was 18:39 a government official in the government of that empire. 18:42 He was faithful to God, and there were evil men who just 18:45 didn't like Daniel. And so, they maneuvered to get Daniel into 18:49 deep trouble with the king. You will either obey what the king 18:53 says and worship how the king has decreed, or else you'll die. 18:57 Daniel obeyed God, shunning the law that had been put in place 19:03 by these evil, manipulative men. So, he was sentenced to death─ 19:08 death by going into the lion's den. The king didn't like it 19:12 at all. That night, the night Daniel had been cast into the 19:15 lion's den, the king couldn't sleep, and he tossed and turned, 19:19 wondering how Daniel was faring. The next morning? The next 19:23 morning the king goes down to the lion's den. Here's what 19:26 happens. Then the king arose very early in the morning and 19:30 went in haste to the den of lions. And when he came 19:34 to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. 19:38 The king spoke, saying to Daniel, "Daniel, servant 19:42 of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, 19:46 been able to deliver you from the lions?" 19:49 Then Daniel said to the king, "O king live forever! My God 19:54 sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, 19:58 so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent 20:02 before him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you." 20:08 Then the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded 20:11 that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel 20:15 was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found 20:19 on him, because he believed in His God. Daniel 6:19-23 20:26 Now, not all who have been thrown to the lions like 20:29 Daniel have had the same outcome. It's said that many 20:33 early Christians died in the arena after being attacked 20:37 by lions. The word lion is mentioned more than 80 times 20:41 in the Bible. Daniel's encounter with the lions occurs in Daniel 20:44 6. In the very next chapter, we see another picture of a lion. 20:50 There's a prophecy in the book of Daniel, in chapter 7, where 20:54 a series of kingdoms is represented by animals. 20:59 The first kingdom is Babylon. Daniel wrote: I saw in my vision 21:04 by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring 21:08 up the Great Sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea 21:14 each different from the other. The first was like a lion, 21:19 and had eagle's wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; 21:24 and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two 21:26 feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it. 21:30 Daniel 7:1-4 It seems that a kingdom 21:34 as powerful as Babylon could only be represented by 21:37 an animal as powerful as the lion. We think of a dog as man's 21:42 best friend. But when it comes to the lion, we don't usually 21:46 see them as friendly. They're fierce and ferocious. And while 21:52 people in parts of rural Africa have to be vigilant about lions, 21:57 you and I both need to be vigilant about a lion spoken 22:00 of in scripture. It's interesting, isn't it? Satan is 22:05 spoken of as a lion. And that's probably easy enough 22:09 to understand. Fierce. Bent on destruction. Able to do immense 22:15 damage, in the blink of an eye. 22:18 It's interesting that in the Bible the lion 22:21 is applied as a figure in two different ways. First Peter 5 22:27 and verse 8 says: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary 22:31 the devil as a roaring lion walks about 22:35 seeking whom he may devour. 22:37 And when you get close to a lion, 22:39 and you observe their behavior─ in fact, you don't even have to 22:42 get close. But you know that lions are devourers. Lions are 22:47 killers. That's not to paint them in a bad light. They are 22:50 just mighty and strong, and you don't want to get on the 22:53 wrong side of them. As a matter of fact, I remember having 22:55 my son at a lion park once when he was very little. We walked 22:59 past the lion's cage, and a lion got─it was a cage─the lion got 23:03 down with its head on its paws and started to track us, 23:06 as though he was hunting his prey. And I thought of 23:08 that verse right then and there, and I realized that, 23:10 if not for that fence, my son or myself, well, both of us would 23:14 now be history. The devil walks about seeking whom he may 23:20 devour─like a hunting lion. And that's the enemy of souls. 23:22 He hunts. Sin isn't happenstance. It doesn't just 23:26 occur. It's the result of the enemy of souls planning and 23:31 plotting and picking you off. And when you are without 23:34 defense, and when you stray into his territory, that mighty 23:38 lion is going to take you down, just like a lion in 23:43 a place like this would take down an impala or a zebra 23:47 or something similar. But then on the other side of the coin, 23:52 the lion is also a symbol for Jesus. Revelation, chapter 5 23:57 and verse 1, describes Jesus as the lion of the tribe of Judah. 24:03 Why then would it be, how can it be, that this dreadful 24:08 symbol--the killer, the stalker, the devourer--is also a symbol 24:14 for Jesus? Now, remember, before sin, back in the Garden 24:18 of Eden, lions were not feared. Lions would have been 24:22 admired. You would have loved to have been with a lion 24:25 then. Imagine Jesus and compare Jesus to the might 24:30 of a lion without sin being in the picture. Now you have 24:35 someone who is courageous, someone who knows no fear, 24:38 someone who will do whatever he needs or she needs to do to 24:42 defend those he or she loves. This is Jesus, the lion of the 24:47 tribe of Judah, the pure one who is mighty. And when you get 24:51 close to the lions, and they're docile and they're friendly, and 24:55 when you take them by the tail, and when you rub them on the 24:58 side, and you look into those big, beautiful eyes, and you 25:02 interact with the lion cubs, you say, “Yeah, that's what lions 25:05 ought to be like.” That's what the world ought to be like. 25:08 You know something? That's what the world is going to be like. 25:12 The Bible says one day soon the lion is going to lie down with 25:16 the lamb. How fantastic will that be? If you can never walk 25:19 with lions in a game park, if you can never go to some 25:21 beautiful place in Africa and see them in the wild, remember 25:24 this: you'll be in that place, through faith in God, where 25:28 the lion will lie down with the lamb. You'll be in that 25:31 place with Jesus, the great lion, the mighty one, 25:35 the lion of the tribe of Judah. The earth will be made new. 25:39 There will be no more sin, and it'll be us and Him, Jesus the 25:44 lion, forever. And that's going to be fantastic. 25:49 [Music] 25:54 Eyes for India is giving sight 25:56 to the blind, and you can be part of this amazing work God 25:59 is doing. Fifteen million blind people live in India--more than 26:03 any other country in the world. And many of the blind in India 26:06 could see again if only they could have simple cataract 26:10 surgery. It Is Written is making that happen. Would you support 26:14 Eyes for India and the worldwide outreach of It Is Written? 26:18 You'll be giving the gift of sight to someone who desperately 26:20 wants to see. Here's all you need to do. Call 800-253-3000 26:23 to donate and support those who are in need. Or you can write 26:29 to It Is Written, P.O. Box 6, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37401. 26:35 You'll also find additional information about Eyes for India 26:38 online at itiswritten.com. Call 800-253-3000, or write to 26:45 P.O. Box 6, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37401. 26:50 Temptation is a very real part of every believer's daily 26:54 experience. But it doesn't have to defeat you. You can have 26:57 victory over temptation, and I'll tell how in this 27:00 week's free offer, “When the Lion Roars: How to Overcome 27:04 Temptation.” To get your free copy of this important, 27:07 life-changing book, call us at 1-800-253-3000. 27:12 That's 1-800-253-3000. Or visit us online at ItIsWritten.com. 27:19 You can write to us at P.O. Box 6, Chattanooga, TN 37401. 27:25 Make sure you ask for this week's free offer, 27:27 “When the Lion Roars: How to Overcome Temptation,” 27:30 and experience victory instead of defeat. Now, supplies are 27:34 limited, so please call soon. That's 800-253-3000. Or visit us 27:40 online at ItIsWritten.com to get your free copy of “When the 27:44 Lion Roars: How to Overcome Temptation.” Remember, 27:49 It Is Written is a faith-based ministry, and your support makes 27:54 it possible for us to share God's good news with the world. 27:58 Your tax-deductible gift can be sent to the address on your 28:00 screen, or through our website at ItIsWritten.com. Thank you 28:05 for your continued prayerful support. Again, our toll-free 28:09 number is 800-253-3000, and our web address is 28:13 www.ItIsWritten.com. 28:19 Let's pray together. Our Father in Heaven, I thank you 28:22 that in this beautiful place we have seen a revelation both 28:26 of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, and the enemy 28:30 of souls, who is powerful and is seeking to devour those 28:34 who wander or stray or lose hold of their connection with you. 28:39 We thank you today for Jesus, the lion of the tribe 28:43 of Judah, that he is mighty and that he defends and he saves. 28:48 We thank you for the beauty of nature that reminds us that you 28:50 are a great, glorious, creative, wonderful God. Keep us, we 28:55 pray. And friend, if you've not chosen to stand with Jesus, 29:00 the mighty lion of the tribe of Judah, would you choose to do so 29:03 now? Simply open up your heart to God and say, “Yes, I choose 29:06 Christ. I wish to be defended by the lion of the tribe of Judah. 29:11 I choose Jesus as my Lord and Savior.” Now, Father, thank you 29:15 for hearing our prayer. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. 29:20 Thanks for joining me in Gweru, Zimbabwe. I'm looking forward to 29:24 seeing you again next time. Until then, remember: 29:26 “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone but 29:31 by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” 29:34 [Music] |
Revised 2017-03-25