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Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW019188S
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00:18 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written.
00:20 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me. 00:23 The prophecies of the Bible have left a lot of people confused. 00:27 Turn to the book of Revelation 00:29 and you see a beast coming up out of the sea, 00:31 another beast coming up out of the earth, 00:33 seven trumpets, seven plagues, seven seals, 00:37 seven thunders, seven churches, and a whole array of images 00:41 that could leave you scratching your head. 00:44 But when you learn how to approach Bible prophecy, 00:47 a lot of that mystery falls away, and you discover 00:50 how straightforward many of the prophecies of the Bible 00:53 can really be. 00:54 I want to look with you today at one of the great prophecies 00:58 of the Bible in another program in our ongoing series, 01:01 "Great Chapters of the Bible." 01:03 Today we're going to look at a prophecy 01:04 that provides a foundation for most of the prophecies 01:08 that speak to earth's last days. 01:10 The Apostle Peter talks about the importance of Bible prophecy 01:14 to the Christian's journey through life 01:16 in 2 Peter chapter 1. 01:18 He tells his readers that they "have not followed 01:20 cunningly devised fables," 01:23 saying that he and others like him were eyewitnesses 01:25 of the majesty of Jesus. 01:27 He recalls how they heard a voice from heaven 01:29 testifying that Jesus is the Son of God. 01:32 And if that wasn't enough, he says, 01:34 "We [also have] a more sure word of prophecy; 01:38 whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, 01:41 as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, 01:44 until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts." 01:49 Second Peter 1:16-19. 01:52 We saw Jesus glorified. 01:55 We heard the voice of God with our own ears. 01:58 But as miraculous as those things were, 02:01 we have something even more reliable: 02:04 We have the "more sure word of prophecy." 02:09 Peter was making the point that what we see and hear 02:11 can't always be trusted. 02:13 Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 24 02:15 of how "false christs and false prophets will arise 02:19 and show great signs and wonders [so as] to deceive, 02:22 if possible, even the elect." 02:25 Matthew 24:24. 02:27 The Apostle Paul writes of how the antichrist in the last days 02:30 will work "with all power, signs, and lying wonders." 02:33 Second Thessalonians 2, verse 9. 02:36 And in the book of Revelation, 02:37 we read of how the forces arrayed against God 02:40 will include the "spirits of devils, working miracles." 02:46 Revelation 16:14. 02:48 Even in the church you find there are people 02:50 claiming to talk for God. 02:53 Someone claims to have a prophecy. 02:55 Someone claims to have had a vision. 02:56 Someone writes a book claiming they went to heaven or hell. 03:02 How do you know? 03:04 How can you be sure something or even someone is legit? 03:08 Peter was saying that something you can absolutely trust 03:12 is the sure word of prophecy. 03:14 And he urges us to follow it 03:16 as "a light that shineth in a dark place." 03:19 And this world is a dark place. 03:21 So we're going to take a look at that sure word of prophecy 03:24 as we look at another great chapter of the Bible, 03:28 Daniel chapter 2, 03:30 where we see one of the greatest prophetic visions 03:33 found in the entire Bible. 03:36 The vision of the future that we find in the second chapter 03:39 of the book of Daniel 03:40 was given at one of the darkest moments 03:42 in the history of God's ancient people. 03:45 The historical setting of Daniel 2 03:48 is given in Daniel chapter 1. 03:50 "In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, 03:54 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon 03:56 came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 03:59 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, 04:04 with some of the articles of the house of God, 04:07 which he carried into the land of Shinar 04:09 to the house of his god; 04:11 and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god." 04:15 Daniel chapter 1, verses 1 and 2. 04:18 Chapter 1 goes on to tell us the story of the faithful young man 04:22 named Daniel and his three friends, 04:25 Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 04:28 who chose to be faithful to God's Word, 04:30 even at the risk of their lives. 04:33 Because of the blessing of God, 04:34 the Bible says they were found to be 10 times wiser 04:39 than their fellow students in the royal academy of Babylon. 04:43 But in chapter 2, 04:44 these four young men face an absolute crisis. 04:49 We'll start in verse 1: 04:52 "Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, 04:55 Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; 04:57 and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. 05:01 Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, 05:05 the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans 05:08 to tell the king his dreams. 05:11 So they came and stood before the king. 05:13 And the king said to them, 'I have had a dream, 05:15 and my spirit is anxious to know the dream.' 05:19 Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, 05:21 'O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, 05:25 and we will give the interpretation.' 05:28 But the king answered and said to the Chaldeans, 05:30 'My decision is firm: 05:33 if you do not make known the dream to me, 05:35 and its interpretation, 05:37 you shall be cut in pieces, 05:40 and your houses shall be made an ash heap. 05:43 However, if you tell [me] the dream and its interpretation, 05:46 you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. 05:50 Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation.'" 05:55 That's Daniel 2, verses 1 through 6. 05:57 These men were in an impossible situation. 06:00 If the king had simply told them what he had dreamed, 06:02 they would've come up with all kinds of clever interpretations. 06:05 But in this case, the king had forgotten the dream, 06:07 and he wanted these, these so-called wise men 06:10 to tell him what he had dreamed and then explain what it meant. 06:14 You can't blame them for responding as they did, 06:16 as they tried desperately to change the king's mind. 06:20 "The Chaldeans answered the king, and said, 06:23 'There is not a man on earth who can tell the king's matter; 06:25 therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things 06:30 of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean. 06:34 It is a difficult thing that the king [requires], 06:36 and there is no other who can tell it to the king 06:39 except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.'" 06:43 Verses 10 and 11. 06:45 Well, the king wasn't persuaded, and he commanded 06:48 that all of the wise men of Babylon be put to death. 06:52 Unfortunately, that included Daniel and his three friends, 06:55 even though it's clear from the chapter 06:56 that they weren't present with the other wise men 06:59 when they were called to see the king. 07:01 So Daniel appealed for time to be able to interpret 07:04 the king's dream. 07:06 Daniel was staring death right in the face. 07:10 What would happen next? 07:12 We'll find out in just a moment. 07:15 ♪[music]♪ 07:24 >>John: It's a question that many people have asked, 07:26 and it's a good question and deserves a good answer: 07:29 Can God be trusted? 07:31 Find out what the Bible has to say. 07:33 Our free offer is "Can God Be Trusted?" 07:36 To receive this free DVD, 07:38 call 800-253-3000 07:41 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 07:45 800-253-3000. 07:48 Call right now or visit us at iiwoffer.com. 07:54 ♪[upbeat music]♪ 07:56 >>Announcer: Planning for your financial future 07:58 is a vital aspect of Christian stewardship. 08:02 For this reason, It Is Written is pleased to offer 08:05 free planned giving and estate services. 08:08 For information on how we can help you, 08:10 please call 800-992-2219. 08:15 Call today 08:16 or visit our website, hislegacy.com. 08:19 Call 800-992-2219. 08:25 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me today 08:27 on It Is Written. 08:28 We're continuing our ongoing series, 08:30 "Great Chapters of the Bible," 08:32 and we're looking today at Daniel chapter 2. 08:35 It provides the basis for the major last-day prophecies 08:38 of the Bible. 08:39 The book of Revelation is built upon the book of Daniel. 08:42 Interesting, there are 404 verses 08:45 in the book of Revelation. 08:46 About 3/4 of them quote from or allude to the Old Testament. 08:51 So if you ignore the Old Testament scriptures 08:54 Revelation draws from, 08:56 you can't begin to understand the book of Revelation. 08:59 And Revelation leans a lot on Daniel chapter 2. 09:03 In Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, 09:06 had a dream that was so profound it woke him from his sleep. 09:11 When he woke up, he knew he'd had a dream 09:13 but couldn't remember what it was or what it meant, 09:15 but he believed that the gods communicated with him 09:19 through dreams. 09:20 So he was desperate to know what this one meant. 09:23 He asked his wise men, his counselors, 09:24 to explain it all to him, but they couldn't. 09:27 So he... 09:29 sentenced them all to death, 09:31 which was a problem for Daniel and his three friends 09:33 because they were among the wise men of Babylon. 09:37 What would Daniel do 09:38 now that his life was moments from ending? 09:42 We pick up the story in verse 17: 09:45 "Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known 09:49 to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, 09:53 that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven 09:57 concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions 10:00 might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 10:04 Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. 10:08 So Daniel blessed the God of heaven." 10:11 You know, what we see there is that prayer is powerful. 10:15 Daniel was in a tough situation, and he knew where to turn. 10:18 He was faced with a problem that he couldn't solve. 10:21 But he knew who could solve his problems. 10:24 I want to encourage you to pray. 10:26 God loves to answer prayer. 10:28 Listen to this--1 John 5, verses 14 and 15. 10:32 Listen: 10:33 "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, 10:36 that if we ask anything according to His will, 10:39 He hears us. 10:41 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, 10:44 we know that we have the petitions 10:47 that we have asked of Him." 10:49 That's God telling you to pray with confidence. 10:52 Make prayer a regular part of your life, 10:54 and you'll see God do amazing things. 10:58 And one other thing, Daniel's prayer was answered, 11:01 and according to the Bible, he blessed the God of heaven. 11:05 He thanked God, praised God. 11:07 When God answers your prayers, 11:08 don't forget to recognize that and give thanks. 11:11 Jesus told a story about 10 lepers who were healed, 11:13 but only one gave thanks. 11:16 It's not that Jesus was simply urging politeness. 11:19 It's good for us, good for us spiritually, 11:22 to recognize the blessings of God. 11:25 So there's Daniel in a foreign land. 11:27 He'd been forcibly taken from his home. 11:30 He'd seen his city destroyed. 11:31 No doubt he'd seen people he knew lose their lives, 11:34 maybe even family members. 11:36 And yet God is clearly with him, and he still trusts God. 11:40 He had lost so much, but he wasn't bitter. 11:44 He wasn't angry with God. 11:46 In fact, he still trusted God, and he still loved God. 11:50 It's easy to let the challenges of life 11:53 turn your feet out of the way of faith and trust. 11:56 But you don't need to. 11:58 Even when things are tough, hang in there with God. 12:02 Daniel's story shows us that God hangs in there with us. 12:07 So Daniel now has news to share with the king. 12:10 In verse 24, we read this: 12:13 "Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, 12:16 whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. 12:19 He went and said thus to him: 12:21 'Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; 12:24 take me before the king, 12:26 and I will tell the king the interpretation.'" 12:31 And he's clear to give honor to God. 12:33 It wasn't Daniel's wisdom that figured this out; 12:35 it was God's blessing. 12:37 Verses 27 and 28: 12:39 "Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, 12:42 'The secret which the king has demanded, 12:45 the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, 12:48 and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. 12:52 But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, 12:55 and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar 12:58 what will be in the latter days.'" 13:01 And then Daniel began to tell the king 13:04 what it was the king had dreamed. 13:06 "You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! 13:11 This great image, whose splendor was excellent, 13:14 stood before you; 13:16 and its form was awesome. 13:19 [The] image's head was of fine gold, 13:21 its chest and arms of silver, 13:23 its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, 13:27 its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 13:31 You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, 13:35 which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, 13:38 and broke them [to] pieces. 13:40 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, 13:43 and the gold were crushed together, 13:46 and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; 13:49 the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. 13:53 And the stone that struck the image 13:56 became a great mountain and filled the whole earth." 14:01 Verses 31 to 35. 14:03 Imagine what's going through the king's mind 14:05 as the dream he'd forgotten flashes back into his thinking. 14:10 "That's the dream," he thought, 14:11 or maybe he said out loud, "Exactly what I saw." 14:15 But as incredible as it was that Daniel had explained 14:18 the king's dream, he'd only done half the job. 14:22 The king wanted the dream interpreted. 14:26 What could such an incredible dream mean? 14:30 Now, this is where Daniel 2 takes on such significance 14:33 for us today because Daniel chapter 2 14:36 is like the master key to Bible prophecy. 14:40 Peter wrote about the "more sure word of prophecy," 14:42 and the fact is, if you understand Daniel 2, 14:45 you can understand Daniel 7, Daniel 8, Daniel 9, Daniel 11, 14:51 Revelation 13, Revelation 17. 14:54 Daniel 2 is that important. 14:58 So Daniel goes on and opens up to the king, and to us, 15:03 this incredible prophecy, starting in verse 36: 15:08 "This is the dream. 15:10 Now we will tell the interpretation of it 15:12 before the king. 15:13 You, O king, are a king of kings. 15:16 For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, 15:19 power, strength, and glory; 15:22 and wherever the children of men dwell, 15:24 or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, 15:27 He has given them into your hand, 15:29 and has made you ruler over them all-- 15:32 you are this head of gold." 15:36 A head of gold on a statue dreamed of by a pagan king. 15:41 How is that important for us today? 15:43 We'll find out next. 15:45 ♪[music]♪ 15:55 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 15:56 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 16:00 To support this international life-changing ministry, 16:03 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 16:07 You can send your tax-deductible gift 16:09 to the address on your screen, 16:10 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 16:14 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 16:17 Our number again is 800-253-3000. 16:21 Or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 16:26 >>John: December 21, 2012, was when the Maya calendar 16:30 was set to expire. 16:31 Many said with the expiration of this calendar 16:34 would come the end of the world. 16:38 [birds twittering] 16:39 The Maya were remarkable builders, 16:41 but they did not predict the end of the world. 16:43 So where can we find predictions that we can trust? 16:47 Recent reports state that more and more people are embracing 16:51 witchcraft, tarot card reading, and astrology. 16:55 People are grabbing on to this, 16:57 even though there's absolutely no evidence that it's valid, 17:01 and they're rejecting the Bible. 17:03 Now, the Bible isn't simply a book of predictions; 17:06 it's the story of God's love for the human family. 17:10 But it's true that the Bible does contain predictions. 17:13 In fact, God stakes His reputation on His ability 17:17 to forecast the future. 17:19 "Predictions You Can Trust." 17:21 Watch now on It Is Written TV. 17:26 >>John Bradshaw: Of course, it could be said 17:28 that every chapter in the Bible 17:29 is one of the great chapters of the Bible. 17:32 They're all inspired by God. 17:33 They all contain information 17:35 that reveals the heart of God to us. 17:37 And they all point us in the direction of heaven. 17:40 But Daniel chapter 2 is unique in that it provides a framework 17:43 for us to understand the prophecies of the Bible 17:46 concerning the last days of earth's history. 17:49 A Babylonian king has a dream, and Daniel, 17:52 now Daniel the prophet, explains the dream to him. 17:56 He tells Nebuchadnezzar that the head of gold 17:58 represents Nebuchadnezzar, 18:00 or more specifically, the kingdom of Babylon. 18:03 But he goes on, and as he does, he takes an enormous risk, 18:09 because he tells the king that Babylon as a kingdom 18:13 will be conquered, starting in verse 39: 18:17 "But after you shall arise another kingdom 18:21 inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, 18:25 which shall rule over all the earth. 18:28 And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, 18:31 inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces 18:33 and shatters [all things]; 18:35 and like iron that crushes, 18:37 that kingdom will break in pieces 18:39 and crush all the others." 18:42 After Babylon, there would be three more kingdoms, 18:44 and the fourth kingdom would divide. 18:48 "And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron 18:50 and partly of clay, 18:51 so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. 18:56 As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, 18:59 they will mingle with the seed of men; 19:02 but they will not adhere to one another, 19:05 just as iron does not mix with clay." 19:08 Verses 42 and 43. 19:11 So what actually happened down through history? 19:14 God puts Himself on the line here. 19:17 He predicts the rise of four great powers, 19:20 and then He says the fourth one would not be conquered, 19:23 but it would divide, and that the fourth kingdom 19:26 would never come back into existence. 19:28 Imagine if what God said would happen didn't happen. 19:32 Imagine if this were a false prediction. 19:35 And now imagine if what God said would happen did happen. 19:39 What would that mean? 19:41 It would have to mean, surely, that the Bible is inspired. 19:46 That there is a God. 19:48 And that the God of heaven cares about people on this earth 19:51 and has a plan for our eternal future. 19:54 The history that followed the collapse 19:56 of Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom cannot be misunderstood. 20:00 The kingdom of silver 20:01 that followed the golden kingdom of Babylon 20:02 was the empire of Medo-Persia, 20:05 which in turn was followed by the empire of Greece, 20:08 established through the conquests 20:10 of Alexander the Great, 20:11 which in the end was conquered by the Romans, 20:14 who would dominate Western civilization 20:16 for the better part of 700 years. 20:18 At that point, the Roman Empire 20:21 would be destroyed by the barbarian tribes 20:23 which broke across its northern frontier 20:26 and would go on to divide the empire into 10 kingdoms. 20:31 And many of those 10 kingdoms are recognized today 20:33 as the nations of modern Europe. 20:35 The Alemanni became the Germanic people. 20:37 In fact, the Spanish word for Germany is Alemania. 20:40 Alemanni. 20:42 The Visigoths are Spain. 20:44 The Franks became France. 20:46 The Suevi are the Portuguese. 20:48 The Burgundians, they're the Swiss. 20:50 The Anglo-Saxons, that's easy; they became the English. 20:53 The Lombards are recognized today as the Italian people, 20:56 while three of those 10 nations were completely destroyed, 20:59 incidentally, as predicted in the Bible-- 21:03 the Heruli, the Ostrogoths, and the Vandals. 21:07 But Daniel said that fourth kingdom 21:10 would never come back together. 21:12 That was the kingdom of Rome. 21:14 Over the years, many have tried to re-form the Roman Empire. 21:19 Hitler tried and failed. 21:21 Napoleon tried and failed. 21:24 The Bible said those nations would not cleave one to another, 21:28 "not adhere one to another." 21:31 In fact, as we saw, Daniel said they would "mingle themselves 21:35 with the seed of men." 21:37 Not even that would work. 21:39 Intermarriage among the royal families of Europe 21:41 was so extensive that Britain's Queen Victoria 21:45 was known as the "grandmother of Europe." 21:48 One writer put it this way: 21:50 "Among other things, 21:51 Victoria established herself as the matriarch of royal Europe. 21:55 Eventually her descendants or their close relatives 21:58 were connected with almost every important ruling house 22:02 on the continent." 22:04 But intermarriage failed, just as military conquest failed. 22:08 And today Europe has battles with the Euro and with Brexit 22:11 and with one country or another 22:12 talking about pulling out of the alliance. 22:14 There is a tremendous amount of cohesion in Europe, 22:17 but anyone trying to bring Europe back together 22:21 is fighting against God, 22:23 who said they would "not adhere to one another." 22:27 And four-and-a-half thousand years later, 22:31 God's Word still has not failed. 22:35 So what would happen next? 22:37 Four kingdoms, the kingdoms divide, and then? 22:41 Verse 34: "You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, 22:46 which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, 22:49 and broke them [to] pieces." 22:52 This stone, according to Daniel, 22:54 represents God's eternal kingdom, 22:55 which will be ushered in at the Second Coming of Jesus. 22:59 Look at how Daniel's interpretation finishes. 23:02 "And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up 23:06 a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; 23:09 and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; 23:12 it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, 23:16 and it shall stand forever. 23:19 Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out 23:21 of the mountain without hands, 23:22 and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, 23:27 the silver, and the gold-- 23:30 the great God has made known to the king 23:33 what will come to pass after this. 23:36 The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure." 23:43 Daniel 2:44 and 45. 23:46 Notice what Daniel said? 23:48 "The dream is certain. Its interpretation is sure." 23:55 Isaiah wrote that "the grass withers, the flower fades, 23:59 but the word of our God stands forever." 24:01 Isaiah 40, verse 8. 24:04 So where's the room for doubt here? 24:06 Four great kingdoms, the fourth divides. 24:08 Look at history--that's exactly what happened. 24:11 But what hasn't yet happened is the return of Jesus. 24:15 But it's going to happen, according to the Bible, 24:18 "in the days of these kings." 24:21 In the, in the days of these kings-- 24:23 in the days in which we are living. 24:25 And with that, God is going to set up a kingdom 24:29 that will never pass away. 24:33 So the question isn't whether or not the Bible can be trusted, 24:35 or whether or not the kingdoms rose or fell, 24:37 or whether or not the return of Jesus is going to take place. 24:40 All of those questions have been answered. 24:43 They're settled. 24:45 The real question is, will you be ready on that day? 24:50 And let's not look ahead to an undetermined day. 24:54 The question is, are you ready now? 24:57 Daniel chapter 2 is in the Bible 24:59 to show us that God is in control of history, 25:02 that God's purposes will be worked out, 25:04 that God answers prayer, 25:06 that God can be trusted to help us understand and interpret 25:09 Bible prophecy reliably. 25:12 And it's there to show us that God wants you to be saved 25:14 when Jesus returns. 25:17 So how is it with you today? 25:18 Have you made room in your heart for God? 25:21 Are you willing to let Jesus be the Lord of your life? 25:25 If there's one thing you can trust, 25:28 it's the Word of God. 25:29 There's one thing you can trust; 25:31 it's the "more sure word of prophecy." 25:34 Daniel chapter 2 is an outstanding chapter, 25:36 but if you look at it simply in an academic fashion, 25:39 if you look at it measuring kingdoms with history books, 25:43 if you measure it, uh, studying the, the certain elements 25:46 that made up that statue Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about, 25:50 you're missing the point. 25:51 Daniel chapter 2 is a call; it's a call to you and me. 25:55 A call to be ready. 25:56 A call to surrender our hearts. 25:59 Daniel chapter 2 talks about the time when Jesus 26:02 is going to return. 26:04 When He comes back, He's coming back for you. 26:08 And if you'll open your heart up to Jesus now, 26:11 you can live with confidence, 26:12 knowing for sure that you'll be ready on that day. 26:18 >>John: It's a question that many people have asked, 26:21 and it's a good question and deserves a good answer: 26:23 Can God be trusted? 26:25 Find out what the Bible has to say. 26:27 Our free offer is "Can God Be Trusted?" 26:30 To receive this free DVD, 26:32 call 800-253-3000 26:35 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 26:40 800-253-3000. 26:43 Call right now or visit us at iiwoffer.com. 26:49 >>John Bradshaw: Let's pray together now. 26:51 Our Father in heaven, we thank You for prophecies of the Bible 26:53 and for this great chapter, Daniel 2, 26:55 which shows us You're in control of history, 26:59 which shows us the best is yet to come 27:01 because Jesus is coming back one day soon 27:03 to set up an eternal kingdom. 27:05 Friend, God wants you to be ready on that day. 27:07 I want you to be ready on that day. 27:09 I believe you want to be ready on that day. 27:12 Let's not wait until that day. Let's be ready now. 27:15 Would you open your heart up to God? 27:17 Would you say, "Jesus, take my heart and make it Yours"? 27:21 Would you say, "I want to be ready, Lord, 27:22 and I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior"? 27:25 O God of history, God of our history, 27:29 God of the future, 27:31 we look forward to the day 27:32 that Jesus comes back to take us home. 27:35 Keep us now and always. In Jesus' name we pray. 27:41 Amen. 27:43 Thanks so much for joining me. 27:44 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:47 Until then, remember: 27:49 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:53 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 27:59 ♪[theme music]♪ |
Revised 2024-01-16