Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW018169A
01:29 ♪[Music]
01:40 ♪[Music] 01:49 [Sound of train] 01:53 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. 01:55 I'm John Bradshaw. 01:56 Thanks for joining me. 01:58 Seems like a strange sort of a name for a war. 02:02 The Great War. 02:04 They said it would be the war that would end all wars. 02:08 And, of course, it wasn't. 02:10 Now, there is a war that will end all wars. 02:14 Maybe we should call that one the Greatest War. 02:16 And to dig into it, 02:18 we're going to learn some lessons from the past today, 02:21 that will help us better understand our future. 02:25 Now, some things get started in some odd places. 02:28 And this surely seems like an odd place 02:32 for a global conflict to kick off in. 02:35 But kick off it did, right here. 02:39 ♪[Music] 02:41 This is Sarajevo. 02:42 It was once a part of the Ottoman Empire, 02:45 or the Turkish Empire, 02:47 which stretched through the Balkans 02:49 into Greece and Turkey, 02:50 the Middle East and North Africa, 02:52 and which ruled for hundreds of years. 02:56 After the Ottoman Empire, 02:57 Sarajevo was in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. 03:01 For the better part of the 20th century 03:02 it was part of Yugoslavia, communist for half a century. 03:07 And since 1992 it's been the capital 03:10 of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 03:13 It's a city with an especially painful past [sound of gunfire], 03:17 littered with war and conflict and bloodshed and loss of life. 03:22 A rose in Sarajevo means something different 03:25 to what it means where you live. 03:27 I'll explain later. 03:30 The Winter Olympics coming here in 1984 03:33 suggested this was a city with a bold, bright future. 03:37 Instead, less than a decade after Sarajevo hosted 03:41 the Winter Olympics, 03:42 the city was plunged into chaos. 03:44 And the conflicts that have marked the history 03:48 of this beautiful city speak of a bigger, 03:51 bloodier conflict that threatens the world today. 03:57 The key event that led to the start of World War I 04:00 happened here, in Sarajevo. 04:03 The war to end all wars began here. 04:06 In fact, right there. 04:10 It was 1914, and Bosnia and Herzegovina was under 04:14 the rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. 04:17 The Austro-Hungarian Empire existed for about 50 years, 04:21 and it controlled not only Austria and Hungary, 04:25 but what today we'd call the Czech Republic, 04:27 Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia, parts of Poland, 04:31 Romania and the Ukraine, part of Italy, and the north of Serbia. 04:37 Many people who were getting tired 04:39 of being ruled by outsiders. 04:41 Feelings of nationalism were heating up all across Europe. 04:43 Ethnic minorities were struggling 04:46 to forge their own unique identities. 04:49 Democracy was rising In the early 20th century, 04:52 but Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Russia 04:55 were controlled, basically, by generals and officials 04:58 around the monarch. 05:00 No democracy there. 05:02 Europe was basically divided into two factions: 05:06 Austria-Hungary and Germany on one side, 05:09 with Great Britain, France, and Russia on the other. 05:15 Industrialization had pressed society forward, 05:18 but a lot of people who worked long hours 05:20 and lived in deplorable conditions 05:22 didn't see much advantage. 05:25 Conditions were ripe for revolution. 05:28 And on June the 28th, 1914, the revolution began. 05:34 It's interesting when you consider 05:36 how a war can get started. 05:37 But there's another war we're going to take a look at 05:39 that has a far more surprising start, 05:43 and a much more far-reaching influence. 05:44 ♪[Music] 05:46 Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the throne 05:49 of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. 05:52 He'd been invited by the Governor of Bosnia 05:54 and Herzegovina, 05:55 which at that time was a province in the empire, 05:58 to come to Sarajevo and spend three days 06:00 watching troops on maneuvers. 06:03 When the procession in which the archduke was traveling 06:05 passed the main Sarajevo police station, 06:08 a would-be assassin threw a grenade at the car 06:11 in which he was traveling. 06:13 Two men in the car were seriously wounded. 06:15 After attending a reception at City Hall, 06:18 the archduke requested that he be taken to the hospital 06:20 to visit the two wounded men. 06:23 The governor decided the archduke should not travel 06:26 through the center of the city for the sake of his safety, 06:29 and he decided that he should instead go another route. 06:33 But somebody forgot to tell the driver. 06:37 When they were crossing the Miljacka River 06:39 on the Latin Bridge, 06:41 the governor then realized they were going the wrong way. 06:44 He asked the driver to turn around. 06:47 So the driver put the vehicle in reverse and started to back up. 06:50 He was therefore traveling very slowly, 06:53 and it was then that a 19-year-old Serbian 06:57 with a pistol and a grudge against the empire 07:00 stepped out of the crowd and fired two shots, 07:03 hitting the archduke's wife, Sophia, 07:06 and the archduke himself. 07:08 Both were dead within an hour. 07:11 ♪[Music] 07:16 A month later, 07:17 Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. 07:21 Less than a week later, Germany, Austria-Hungary's close ally, 07:26 declared war on Russia, 07:28 which had begun to mobilize its troops. 07:30 Germany invaded Luxembourg and declared war on France, 07:34 which it wanted to invade. 07:36 Germany invaded Belgium. 07:38 Britain declared war on Germany. 07:41 Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia. 07:44 Britain declared war on Austria-Hungary. 07:47 And before you knew it, there were, 07:48 depending on how you count, 07:50 40 or so countries involved in World War I. 07:54 Great Britain, Russia, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary, 07:58 as well as Panama, 08:01 Cuba, Siam (that's today's Thailand), 08:05 Nepal, New Zealand, Australia, 08:08 Rhodesia (that's today's Zimbabwe), South Africa. 08:13 War has a habit of affecting an awful lot of people. 08:18 The United States joined World War I in 1917 08:22 and sent two million men and women overseas. 08:26 New York sent 368,000. 08:29 Pennsylvania, 298,000. 08:32 Illinois, a quarter of a million. 08:34 Ohio, 200,000. 08:36 One hundred thousand went from both Iowa and Minnesota; 08:40 75,000 each from Kentucky and Tennessee. 08:44 And there were many more. 08:46 One hundred and sixteen thousand Americans died, 08:49 more than half due to disease. 08:52 Three and a half million prisoners of war were held 08:55 during World War I. 08:57 It's estimated 5 million civilians perished 09:00 as a result of the war. 09:02 About 65 million soldiers fought and over 9 million of them died. 09:09 One in three French men between the ages of 18 and 30 09:14 had died by 1917. 09:18 That's a lot of death. 09:21 Almost 40 years before, 09:22 General Sherman had made his famous statement when he said, 09:26 “War is hell.” 09:28 Now, soldiers were finding that out for themselves. 09:31 [Sounds of marketplace] 09:33 Most of the men who went off to war 09:35 thought that they were in for a glorious adventure. 09:36 They thought the conflict be short 09:39 and that they'd be home by Christmas. 09:41 Well, it wasn't, and they weren't. 09:44 And it all began here in Sarajevo, 09:48 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country with a population today 09:52 of around three and a half million people, 09:54 smaller than West Virginia. 09:56 An unlikely place for a war to start. 09:59 But wars can begin in unlikely places. 10:02 And the greatest war of all began in the one place 10:06 that you would never expect. 10:08 It involves everyone in the world, 10:10 and whether you like it or not, you're involved too. 10:13 I'll tell you more in just a moment. 10:17 ♪[Theme music] 10:26 >>Announcer: In Old Testament times, ancient Babylon fell. 10:30 The Book of Revelation says Babylon is going to fall again. 10:33 ♪[Music] 10:35 Understand the fall of Babylon in Earth's last days. 10:38 Receive “The Fall of Babylon” 10:40 absolutely free. 10:41 Call us at 800-253-3000. 10:45 That's 800-253-3000. 10:49 You could write to the address on your screen, 10:51 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 10:56 >>John: I'm in the Bahamas. 10:57 It's a slice of paradise, really. 10:59 And as beautiful as it is, it's a place with a colorful past. 11:04 Once upon a time, the Bahamas was a haven for pirates. 11:10 Blackbeard sailed these waters. 11:12 Pirates lived, or live, outside the law. 11:16 They are lawless. 11:18 And the fact is, they were thieves, murders. 11:22 This isn't a game. 11:24 We still see lawlessness today. 11:28 The battle is real. 11:30 Undoubtedly you've experienced it. 11:32 You might be caught in the middle of it now. 11:34 Can you see yourself in that picture, 11:37 doing the things that you know you should not? 11:39 See yourself in that picture? 11:41 You want a way out of lawlessness? 11:43 You want a way out of slavery to the old life? 11:47 Jesus is that way. 11:50 “Lawless.” 11:51 Watch now on itiswritten.tv. 11:56 ♪[Sound of car driving by/music]♪ 11:59 Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written. 12:01 I'm in Sarajevo, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 12:04 This is where World War I began. 12:07 World War I ended in 1918. 12:09 But that did not mean peace would come to Bosnia. 12:14 Far from it. 12:16 War is waged ostensibly to bring about 12:18 or to restore peace and order. 12:21 But that doesn't always happen. 12:22 In fact, sometimes war brings about more war. 12:27 After World War I ended, 12:29 Europe inherited communism, Nazism, and fascism. 12:33 And 21 years later, World War II. 12:37 So where did all this begin? 12:39 Where did human beings develop their penchant, 12:42 their inclination for war? 12:45 The most surprising of places. 12:49 You read about it in Revelation 12, verse 7: 12:52 “And there was war in heaven: 12:54 Michael and His angels fought against the dragon; 12:58 and the dragon fought and his angels.” 13:01 War began in Heaven. 13:02 From heaven it came to the earth. 13:06 And on earth, it continues. 13:08 So why did it begin? 13:09 Well, let's ask ourselves, why did World War I begin? 13:14 Well, Gavrilo Princep shot the archduke, right? 13:19 Well, yes, but it goes deeper. 13:21 People didn't want to be ruled over, 13:22 especially by outsiders. 13:25 Why should Bosnians or Serbs be ruled by 13:27 Austrians and Hungarians? 13:30 And why should Austrians and Hungarians presume to want to 13:33 rule over Bosnians and Croats and Serbs 13:35 and Romanians and Czechs? 13:37 Now we can understand a little better why war began in heaven. 13:42 Long ago, Satan said in his heart, 13:45 “I will be like the Most High.” That's Isaiah 14:14. 13:50 A desire to sit in God's place. 13:54 At once, a refusal to submit to just leadership, 13:57 and a desire to set himself up as a ruler over others. 14:01 Before long, Satan had deceived a third of the angels in heaven. 14:05 You see that in Revelation 12, verse 4: 14:07 And he came to the earth to get the worship 14:10 he wasn't able to get in heaven. 14:13 But peace doesn't come following a war 14:16 unless someone is willing to do something decisive. 14:19 ♪[Music] 14:20 The Great War didn't end war, 14:22 because it couldn't fix the broken human heart. 14:27 After World War I, 14:28 Bosnia and Herzegovina was pressed into Yugoslavia, 14:32 along with Slovenia, Serbia, 14:34 Croatia, Montenegro, and Macedonia. 14:37 But when communism collapsed in the early 1990s, 14:40 the fight was on for who would control what, 14:43 and who would control who, in the form of Yugoslavia. 14:47 Bosnians wanted to control their own affairs. 14:50 But not everyone saw it that way. 14:53 There was a push to create a Bosnian Serb state. 14:57 Some planned to have Bosnia and Herzegovina 15:00 split between Serbia and Croatia. 15:03 Sarajevo was under siege by Serbs for four years, 15:07 the longest any capital city has ever been under siege. 15:12 The horrors of the Bosnian war were horrible. 15:17 Many people were killed. 15:19 War crimes were committed. 15:21 Ratko Mladic became known as the Butcher of Bosnia 15:25 for his role in the Bosnian war. 15:28 Mass murder. 15:29 Torture. 15:30 Mutilation. 15:32 Rape. 15:34 It was after the Bosnian war that mass rape 15:36 was acknowledged as a war crime. 15:39 The group Doctors Without Borders says, 15:42 “Systematic rape was used as part of the strategy 15:46 of ethnic cleansing” 15:47 by Serbian troops during the Bosnian War. 15:51 Eight thousand men and boys were massacred over three days 15:55 in the town of Srebrenica, 15:57 less than a hundred miles from here. 16:00 Mladic is currently serving a lifetime prison sentence 16:04 in the Hague in the Netherlands. 16:06 Radovan Karadzic was sentenced to 40 years. 16:10 Slobodan Milosevic attempted to orchestrate the creation 16:13 of a greater Serbia, and Bosnia would have fallen 16:16 victim to Milosevic's plans had they succeeded. 16:20 Milosevic died in prison. 16:26 Today there are still divisions along ethnic 16:29 and religious lines in Bosnia. 16:31 Some of the scars of war here 16:34 can still be seen in the buildings. 16:37 The Sarajevo rose I mentioned earlier? 16:40 Sarajevo roses don't grow on bushes. 16:42 The Sarajevo rose is a mark left in concrete 16:46 by an exploded mortar shell 16:48 that has since been filled with red resin, 16:52 as a reminder of what has taken place here. 16:57 You didn't want to be here during the siege of Sarajevo. 17:01 Dangerous, dangerous place. 17:05 Planet Earth is currently under siege. 17:07 According to the Bible, we're all involved in a war. 17:12 And it's serious. 17:14 That verse we looked at a moment ago, 17:16 Revelation 12:7: 17:18 “And there was war in heaven: 17:20 Michael and His angels fought against the dragon; 17:23 and the dragon fought and his angels.” 17:25 Verse 8: 17:26 “And prevailed not; 17:28 neither was their place found any more in heaven.” 17:31 And now verse 9: 17:33 “And the great dragon was cast out, 17:36 that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, 17:39 which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, 17:44 and his angels were cast out with him.” 17:47 The focus of the war in heaven 17:50 has become the war here on earth. 17:52 And we see its effects everywhere. 17:55 Sin entered the world when Adam and Eve 17:57 yielded to the temptations of Satan. 18:00 And sin brought death and pain and sorrow and injustice 18:04 and cruelty and war and ethnic cleansing. 18:08 And so it goes. 18:10 In God is life. 18:12 Separated from God, there is no life. 18:15 And because God has given everybody freedom of choice, 18:20 it's up to each person to decide individually 18:23 what side he or she wishes to be on. 18:27 But in a war, you can choose to be on the right side 18:32 and still get wounded. 18:34 Imagine being here in Sarajevo during the war, 18:38 and having to duck down or hide as you move about 18:42 from place to place, 18:43 to make yourself less of a target for a sniper. 18:47 Because being on the right side doesn't guarantee your safety. 18:52 During World War I, German U-boats sank the Lusitania, 18:57 a passenger ship with almost 2,000 people on board; 19:02 1,200 died. 19:04 The Germans said that, because she was carrying hundreds 19:07 of tons of munitions, she was a legitimate target. 19:09 The people on the ship thought they were safe 19:12 and wouldn't be targeted. 19:14 They were innocent, but, during war, 19:18 innocent people often suffer. 19:23 And that's why people suffer today. 19:25 Innocent people: a child, a follower of Jesus. 19:30 People suffer because there's a spiritual war raging. 19:35 And there's an enemy looking to cause casualties. 19:38 The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:8, 19:41 “Be sober, be vigilant; 19:43 because your adversary the devil, 19:45 as a roaring lion, walketh about, 19:48 seeking whom he may devour.” 19:51 Now, that's serious. 19:52 There's an enemy who's actively looking to take lives. 19:55 He's trying to ruin, well, you and me. 20:00 So what are you doing, proactively, 20:03 to keep yourself safe in this war? 20:05 What are you doing intentionally to safeguard your soul? 20:08 How can a person be safe? 20:11 What can you do to make sure you experience victory in this war? 20:16 Let's talk about that in just a moment. 20:19 ♪[Theme music] 20:28 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 20:30 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 20:34 To support this international life-changing ministry, 20:37 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 20:41 You can send your tax-deductible gift 20:43 to the address on your screen, 20:44 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 20:48 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 20:51 Our number again is 800-253-3000. 20:55 Or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 20:58 ♪[Music] 21:01 >>John: Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written. 21:04 The city of Sarajevo in Bosnia Herzegovina 21:07 was where World War I was born. 21:10 A Serb named Gavrilo Princip shot and killed the heir 21:14 to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire 21:17 as well as the heir's wife, 21:19 setting the wheels in motion that would result in millions 21:22 of deaths and untold horror. 21:25 ♪[Music] 21:26 This same city was under siege for four years by Serbians 21:30 who were trying to take the territory and divide it 21:33 between themselves and Croatians. 21:36 Four years of shelling and sniper attacks. 21:39 More than 100,000 deaths, a city devastated, 21:43 and a long, hard recovery process which is far from over. 21:48 [Bell ringing] 21:51 [Traffic noise] 21:57 About 50 miles in a straight line from here 22:00 is the town of Mostar. 22:02 Mostar is famous for its old bridge, 22:05 the Stari Most. 22:07 Except, the old bridge in Mostar today isn't old. 22:10 It's really very new. 22:12 The original was completed in 1576 or thereabouts, 22:16 and it stood for 427 years, 22:18 until it was destroyed by Croat forces in the Bosnian War. 22:23 Now, the bridge wasn't of any strategic importance at all, 22:27 so it seems the destruction of the bridge 22:30 was simply an attempt to wipe out traces of Bosnian culture. 22:35 Now, keep this in mind about the Bosnian war. 22:38 Bosnia is a majority Muslim country. 22:41 The Croats are largely Catholic, 22:43 while the Serbians are basically Orthodox, 22:46 which is pretty much Catholic. 22:48 So while this war was about territory, 22:52 it was also about religion. 22:55 The new bridge was completed in 2004. 22:58 No, it's not the original, but it is still regarded today 23:01 as one of the most iconic bridges in all of the world. 23:06 Now, speaking of destroyed, in 1984, 23:11 Sarajevo was the host city for the XIV Winter Olympics. 23:16 ♪[Music] 23:28 The bobsled track hasn't been used in years. 23:32 It was left to go to ruin, really, 23:35 a fitting symbol for what happened 23:36 to the city of Sarajevo. 23:38 The other Olympics Games facilities were either neglected 23:42 or destroyed in the war, 23:44 a war that came to Bosnia just eight years after 23:47 the Olympic Games. 23:49 The Bosnian war has pretty well been forgotten by the world, 23:52 and it's a lot like that with the Great War. 23:56 Here's what we know. 23:57 ♪[Music] 23:58 An angel named Lucifer rebelled in Heaven. 24:01 Unhappy with his place, he wanted worship. 24:05 Cast out of heaven, he came to the newly created earth, 24:08 and led Adam and Eve into sin. 24:12 God then had a rogue planet on His hands. 24:16 What would He do? 24:17 John 3:16 says that 24:19 “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, 24:24 that whoever believes in Him should not perish 24:27 but have everlasting life.” 24:29 When the planet rebelled and sin entered the world, 24:32 God could have simply decided He was done with it. 24:35 But He didn't. 24:36 A couple of reasons why. 24:38 One, the angels didn't understand all the issues. 24:41 If God destroyed Lucifer when rebellion occurred, 24:45 heaven would then have been filled with fear and not love. 24:48 The universe would have been plunged 24:50 into disarray and confusion. 24:52 Beyond that, God had a plan. 24:56 He said, I'll show the world that I'm good. 24:58 I'll let them see that God is love, 24:59 and offer everyone who wants it the gift of everlasting life. 25:05 When the saved get to heaven, nobody's going to say, 25:07 if only God had destroyed Lucifer. 25:10 Everyone's going to say, we are glad He waited for us. 25:15 And think about, think about who paid the most for sin. 25:19 Sin cost God far more than anybody else. 25:23 He paid a gigantic price. 25:25 Jesus, the divine Son of God, would bear the sin of the world. 25:31 There's no other belief system in the world 25:33 that offers you what God offers you in Jesus Christ. 25:37 The Great War continues, but victory is now guaranteed. 25:43 Back in the Garden of Eden, 25:45 God told Satan that while the serpent 25:47 would bruise Jesus' heel, 25:50 Jesus would bruise the head of the serpent. 25:53 Satan would be defeated. 25:55 At Calvary, the outcome of the Great War was decided. 26:01 So the war rages on, 26:03 as a defeated fallen angel tries to do as much damage 26:06 as possible and keep as many people 26:08 as possible away from faith in God. 26:12 How's it working out for him? 26:13 Well, look around the world. 26:15 You'd have to think he's doing pretty well. 26:18 But how's it going for you? 26:20 You know, there are two sides in this war: Christ and Satan. 26:23 Satan has been defeated. 26:26 So when you choose Jesus, you're choosing the side of victory. 26:32 So whose side would you say you're on today? 26:34 To be in God's side, it's simple. 26:39 You just surrender your life to Jesus. 26:42 You know how it goes in war. 26:44 Often, victory is only decided when somebody 26:47 decides to surrender. 26:48 They say, we are not going to fight anymore. 26:52 That's where we find ourselves. 26:54 When we're not surrendered to God, 26:55 we are fighting against God. 26:58 We want our will done rather than His. 27:01 So it's time to do so. 27:04 Do it now. 27:05 Raise the white flag and say, that's it, God. 27:08 I don't want to fight You anymore. 27:10 I surrender. 27:12 I want Jesus to live His life in me. 27:15 I want You to come into my heart and just take over 27:19 and let Your will be done. 27:21 And when you do that, when you surrender your life to God, 27:25 that's when you know the peace of God. 27:27 And that's when you face a certain future. 27:32 >>Announcer: In Old Testament times, ancient Babylon fell. 27:36 The Book of Revelation says Babylon is going to fall again. 27:41 Understand the fall of Babylon in Earth's last days. 27:45 Receive “The Fall of Babylon” 27:47 absolutely free. 27:48 Call us at 800-253-3000. 27:52 That's 800-253-3000. 27:56 You could write to the address on your screen, 27:58 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 28:03 >>John: Let's pray together now. 28:04 Our Father in heaven, 28:06 we come to you in the name of Jesus, 28:09 the Prince of Peace. 28:11 And we are grateful that even though we live in a world 28:15 that is troubled by warfare and disputes and unrest, 28:21 that there is victory, 28:23 there is triumph, 28:24 and there is peace in You, 28:27 the God of heaven. 28:29 Then, Lord, we consider what's going on in our own hearts: 28:33 trouble, 28:35 discouragement, 28:37 trials, 28:38 worry. 28:40 And so I pray that Jesus, 28:41 the Prince of Peace, 28:42 will move into every heart and bring with Him 28:45 the peace of heaven. 28:47 Friend, is it peace you want? 28:49 Is it peace you need? 28:50 You can have it now in Jesus. 28:52 Would you lift your heart up to God and say, 28:55 Lord, give me peace. 28:56 Give me Jesus. 28:58 Give me the presence of the God of heaven. 29:00 Lord, that's our prayer. 29:01 We believe it. 29:03 We believe that as we reach out to You, 29:05 You've reached out to us already, 29:08 and You give us heaven's perfect peace and assurance in Jesus. 29:14 We pray with grateful thanks in Jesus' name. 29:18 Amen. 29:20 Thanks so much for joining me today. 29:21 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 29:24 Until then, remember: 29:26 “It is written: 29:28 ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, 29:30 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'” 29:34 ♪[Theme music] |
Revised 2018-07-18