Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW019201S
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00:19 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written.
00:22 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me. 00:24 ♪[Middle Eastern instrumental music]♪ 00:26 Walk around Jerusalem and you're walking 00:29 in the footsteps of Jesus. 00:31 When Jesus was alive, the temple, which was destroyed 00:34 in 70 AD, was right there on top of the Temple Mount. 00:40 It was built by Herod the Great. 00:42 And although it likely wasn't as magnificent as the temple 00:45 built by Solomon, it was still impressive. 00:48 Archaeologists believe it looked something like this. 00:51 ♪[Eerie music]♪ 00:53 So it was here that Jesus turned over 00:56 the money changers' tables. 00:58 They left the temple, 00:59 and the disciples showed Him the temple buildings. 01:03 And Jesus shocked them by telling them, 01:06 "Do you not see all these things? 01:08 Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here 01:12 upon another, that shall not be thrown down." 01:15 That seemed like an impossibility. 01:17 The temple was the symbol of Jewish greatness, 01:19 of God's favor towards His people. 01:22 And here in Jerusalem, 01:23 Jesus told His followers that it would be destroyed. 01:27 Today you can see some of the stones of the temple 01:29 that were cast down. 01:30 The prophecy was fulfilled. 01:33 And, of course, it isn't only Jesus who came here. 01:36 This was the city of David. 01:39 And the location of David's ancient city has been uncovered. 01:43 It's hard to imagine how people cannot have faith in the Bible, 01:47 given all the evidence in favor of the Bible 01:50 provided by a place like this. 01:52 ♪[Soft music]♪ 01:54 At the location of the ancient city of David, 01:56 which is essentially right behind me, 01:58 archaeologists have found many seal impressions. 02:02 A seal is something that in ancient times 02:04 functioned much like a signature. 02:07 One of those seal impressions bore the inscription, 02:10 "King Hezekiah." 02:13 Another said, "Isaiah the prophet." 02:16 These were real people, 02:18 and archaeology has provided evidence for the existence 02:21 of these people hundreds and hundreds of years laster. 02:26 Now, surely, finding seal impressions here in Jerusalem 02:29 has to be even harder than finding a needle in a haystack. 02:33 It seems God directed those archaeologists to make 02:36 those discoveries to encourage us to have faith in the Bible. 02:40 ♪[Soft music]♪ 02:44 Daniel lived here in Jerusalem, along with his friends, 02:49 Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 02:51 Them and others were taken from here down to Babylon. 02:55 Nehemiah returned from Babylon to here in Jerusalem, 03:00 where he rebuilt the wall and re-established society, 03:03 and so on. 03:05 Jeremiah, here in Jerusalem. Ezekiel lived here. 03:08 King Solomon reigned from right here in Jerusalem. 03:13 ♪[Instrumental music]♪ 03:15 But when it comes to the stories of the Bible, 03:17 you know that there's a lot more in Israel than Jerusalem. 03:21 And today I want to take you to the site 03:23 of one of the most remarkable stories in the Bible. 03:26 The story of David and Goliath took place not far from here 03:31 in the Valley of Elah. 03:33 It's about a 45-minute drive from Jerusalem southwest, 03:37 and there's no doubt that it's the legitimate site 03:40 of where David's encounter with the giant took place. 03:43 The background of the story is this. 03:46 King Saul had been king of Israel. 03:48 The Philistines, who may originally have come 03:51 from Europe--Crete, some archaeologists say-- 03:54 had developed quite an advanced and sophisticated society. 03:58 For a while they were a constant thorn in the side of Israel. 04:02 And you read in 1 Samuel 13 that there was no blacksmith 04:05 in Israel. 04:06 The Philistines had prevented them from making swords 04:09 or spears, so if an Israelite wanted something sharpened, 04:13 he had to go to the Philistines to get that job done. 04:16 You can imagine how well that worked out for them. 04:19 In chapter 15, 04:20 Samuel the prophet instructs Saul, the king, 04:23 that he should go to Amalek and eradicate the Amalekites. 04:27 But he didn't. 04:29 Instead he saved the king and much of the livestock. 04:32 Samuel said to King Saul, 04:34 "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, 04:38 and has given it to a neighbor of yours, 04:40 who is better than you." 04:42 When we get to chapter 17, Saul is still the king, 04:46 but he's a shell of a man. 04:49 Verse 1 says, 04:50 "Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, 04:53 and were gathered at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah; 04:57 they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim." 05:02 Where I am right now is Azekah. 05:05 It was here that Joshua defeated the five kings of the Amorites, 05:09 large hailstones falling on the kings and their men 05:13 right in this vicinity. 05:15 There's some real history here. 05:17 Verse 2: 05:18 "And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, 05:22 and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, 05:24 and drew up in battle array against the Philistines." 05:28 I'd like to point out for you some of the locations here. 05:30 Now, Sochoh, or Sochoth, that's over there in the distance. 05:35 You'll see the lighter green, uh, 05:37 the plains, uh, the valley. 05:40 Beyond that, the trees going up on the hills the other side, 05:43 that's Sochoth right there. 05:45 Where I am now is Azekah, 05:48 and in between, that's the valley floor, Ephes Dammim. 05:53 So it was right there that all the action took place 05:57 in the David and Goliath story, right there. 05:59 Verse 3 says, 06:01 "The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, 06:04 and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, 06:07 with a valley between them." 06:09 Verse 4 says, 06:10 "And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, 06:13 named Goliath, from Gath, 06:16 whose height was six cubits and a span." 06:20 Now, I'd like to show you where Gath is. 06:22 Remember, I'm on Azekah, a hill, really. 06:26 Interestingly, it's now a national park. 06:28 In Israel, a lot of these significant old 06:30 archaeological sites have been turned into national parks. 06:34 So I'm on Azekah, over there Ephes Dammim, 06:37 where the fighting took place, where Goliath lost his life. 06:41 But where was Goliath from? 06:42 He was from Gath, and Gath is out there. 06:46 Now, if the weather was cooperating with me 06:47 a little bit better, I'd be able to show you the hill 06:49 that really marks the location of Gath. 06:51 But the weather isn't, and so it's in that direction. 06:55 Not very far, actually. 06:56 So Goliath's home town was over there, 07:00 and he fought David over there. 07:03 He was really pretty close to his home town when he fought. 07:06 Now, Goliath, according to the Bible, six cubits and a span, 07:10 he was more than nine feet tall. 07:13 That's tall. 07:14 Now, some people have tried to explain 07:16 why Goliath was that tall. 07:17 They've said that he suffered from something 07:18 known as gigantism, 07:21 and that that's the reason that he was so tall. 07:23 You know, I don't think you need to believe that. 07:26 The Bible simply says that he was a giant, and so he was. 07:30 And he certainly isn't the only giant mentioned in the Bible. 07:34 Now, I'm six feet one. 07:36 Goliath was all of me and then half of me again. 07:40 That's a big guy. 07:42 I'll be back with more in a moment. 07:44 ♪[Music]♪ 07:53 >>Announcer: A sling, a stone, 07:54 and one of the greatest underdog uprisings of all time. 07:58 Explore the incredible true story of David and Goliath. 08:01 Discover the motivation, the courage, 08:03 the immovable faith that shaped a hero. 08:06 Receive today's free DVD offer, "Taking a Stand," 08:09 by calling 800-253-3000 08:13 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 08:16 Get "Taking a Stand" on DVD today. 08:19 Call 800-253-3000. 08:23 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me today 08:25 on It Is Written. 08:26 The story of David and Goliath is one of the great stories 08:29 in the Bible. 08:30 Now, you could say it's a story of the little guy 08:32 beating the big guy. 08:33 And sure, it is. 08:35 But really, it's a story of great faith, 08:38 and it's a story of a lack of faith. 08:42 We're at the site of where the conflict took place 08:44 between David and Goliath, 08:45 between Israel and the Philistines, 08:47 in the Valley of Elah in Israel. 08:49 David and Goliath squared off against each other right there, 08:54 just right over there. 08:56 Now, this Goliath was an interesting character. 08:58 Tall, more than nine feet tall, in fact. 09:02 He came from just over there, a place called Gath, 09:06 not very far away at all. 09:08 Verse 5 of 1 Samuel 17 says, 09:11 "He had a bronze helmet on his head, 09:14 and he was armed with a coat of mail, 09:16 and the weight of the coat 09:17 was five thousand shekels of bronze." 09:21 The coat of mail weighed 150 pounds. 09:25 The Bible tells us, 09:27 "He had bronze armor on his legs 09:29 and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. 09:32 Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam, 09:36 and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels; 09:40 and a shield-bearer went before him." 09:42 Everything about this man was big, 09:46 especially his attitude. 09:49 "Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, 09:52 and said to them, 'Why have you come out to line up for battle? 09:56 Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? 10:00 Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 10:04 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, 10:07 then we will be your servants. 10:09 But if I prevail against him and kill him, 10:12 then you shall be our servants and serve us.' 10:16 And the Philistine said, 'I defy the armies of Israel this day; 10:21 give me a man, that we may fight together.'" 10:25 So who should have fought? 10:27 Well, Saul, of course. He was the king. 10:30 He stood a head taller than anyone else in Israel, 10:32 and as God's handpicked leader, he should have gone forward, 10:36 totally trusting that God was with him. 10:38 But no. Remember? He'd been disobedient, significantly. 10:42 He evidently hadn't repented, 10:44 and God had told Saul that He'd rejected Saul as king. 10:48 Saul was dispirited. 10:51 It's as if he had no fight in him. 10:52 And at the time when he should have been courageous, 10:55 there was no courage to be found in him at all. 10:57 Verse 11 says, 10:59 "When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, 11:02 they were dismayed and greatly afraid." 11:05 David is introduced to the story in verse 12. 11:09 We're told that he was one of eight sons, 11:11 and that his father was elderly. 11:13 Three of his brothers, the eldest three, 11:15 were in Saul's army, 11:17 squaring off against Goliath and the Philistines: 11:20 Eliab, Abinadab, and Shammah. 11:24 David was the youngest son in the family. 11:28 Jesse sent David from their home in Bethlehem, 11:31 which is about 16 miles away, as the crow flies. 11:34 But back then, there weren't highways or well-paved roads. 11:38 David would have walked over hills 11:40 and some pretty rough terrain. 11:41 In fact, his dad told him to run to where the fighting 11:44 was taking place. 11:46 Jesse commissioned David to take food to his brothers 11:48 and to bring back a report regarding how things were going. 11:52 And when David arrived right here in this place, 11:55 at the scene of the battle, 11:56 the two armies were set in array against each other. 11:59 When David met up with his brothers, 12:01 Goliath was coming out to taunt the armies of Israel. 12:03 The Bible says, "And all the men of Israel, 12:06 when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid." 12:10 He learns that Saul would give the man who killed the giant 12:12 great riches. 12:14 His brothers actually rebuke him. 12:16 One of them says, "Why did you come down here? 12:19 And with whom have you left those few sheep 12:21 in the wilderness? 12:22 I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, 12:25 for you have come down to see the battle." 12:27 That wasn't very nice. 12:30 David comes into the presence of King Saul. 12:33 Now, think about this. 12:35 A young shepherd boy standing before the mighty king. 12:38 A shepherd. 12:39 Not a warrior, not a fighter, a humble shepherd. 12:43 But as we're about to see, your standing in this world 12:46 doesn't need to be measured by your age or your occupation. 12:49 Your usefulness for God isn't measured by, 12:52 you are not restrained by your station in life 12:55 or in this world. 12:56 What God was looking for was a man of faith, 12:59 someone who would rely on Him alone. 13:01 That man wasn't Saul; it wasn't any of David's brothers, 13:04 or any of the soldiers in Israel. 13:07 If no one would stand up to this giant, 13:10 what would end up happening? 13:12 ♪[Music]♪ 13:15 You shouldn't make the mistake of thinking 13:16 that you're not well enough equipped 13:18 to do something great for God. 13:20 Now, when I say "something great," 13:22 really what I mean is "something faithful." 13:25 There's a certain baptized egotism that sees people wanting 13:29 to do something great for God, but truly their motivation 13:32 is simply to do something great for them, to be noticed. 13:35 And that's a trap, and you want to avoid that. 13:37 But God is still looking for men and women and boys and girls 13:41 everywhere to allow Him to use them. 13:45 So here was David, a boy, a shepherd, a teenager, 13:50 the last person you would have thought 13:52 would take down a giant. 13:54 But when God called David, 13:56 David surrendered to God and let God use him mightily. 14:03 "Then David said to Saul, 14:05 'Let no man's heart fail because of him; 14:08 your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.'" 14:11 And Saul pretty much stated the obvious in his answer to David: 14:15 "You are not able to go against this Philistine 14:17 to fight with him; 14:18 for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth." 14:24 Now, David doesn't argue, but he explains to the king 14:28 that when he was keeping his father's sheep, 14:30 a lion and a bear attacked the flock and took a lamb-- 14:34 on different occasions, no doubt. 14:36 He killed them both. 14:38 David was a young man of courage, 14:40 and courage was in short supply here in the Valley on Elah 14:43 that day. 14:44 And David said this: "The Lord, who delivered me 14:47 from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, 14:50 He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." 14:52 Now, notice what David's doing. 14:55 He pointed to a time when God had done something great, 14:59 and based on that, he believed the same God 15:02 was able to do something great again. 15:05 Let me encourage you. 15:06 When God answers your prayer, 15:08 no matter what it's about, remember that. 15:11 Don't forget it. 15:12 You might even want to write it down. 15:14 And then you can always say to God, 15:16 "Last time, you did this, so therefore I'm believing in You 15:20 to do some great thing again." 15:22 Answered prayers aren't powerful only in the moment; 15:25 they're evidence that the God who was faithful before 15:28 will be faithful again. 15:30 "And Saul said to David, 'Go, and the Lord be with you!'" 15:34 Saul put his armor on David, 15:36 thinking it would be a help to the young man. 15:38 Surely he wouldn't want to go up against the giant with no armor. 15:42 But he did. 15:43 It seems to me that David wanted the credit for his victory 15:45 to go only to God. 15:47 Wearing armor might have led some to think that it was 15:50 the armor or, or his preparation that secured his victory. 15:54 And what happened next? 15:55 Well, in a moment, we'll go to the very creek, the very stream, 16:01 where David found the stone he would use 16:03 to take down the giant. 16:04 I'll be right back. 16:06 ♪[Music]♪ 16:14 >>John: Thank you for remembering 16:15 that It Is Written exists 16:17 because of the kindness of people just like you. 16:20 To support this international life-changing ministry, 16:23 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 16:27 You can send your tax-deductible gift 16:29 to the address on your screen, 16:30 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 16:34 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 16:37 Our number again is 800-253-3000, 16:41 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 16:45 >>John: December 21, 2012, was when the Maya calendar 16:49 was set to expire. 16:51 Many said with the expiration of this calendar 16:53 would come the end of the world. 16:57 [Birds twittering] 16:58 The Maya were remarkable builders, 17:00 but they did not predict the end of the world. 17:03 So where can we find predictions that we can trust? 17:06 Recent reports state that more and more people are embracing 17:11 witchcraft, tarot card reading, and astrology. 17:14 People are grabbing on to this, 17:16 even though there's absolutely no evidence that it's valid, 17:20 and they're rejecting the Bible. 17:23 Now, the Bible isn't simply a book of predictions. 17:26 It's the story of God's love for the human family. 17:29 But it's true that the Bible does contain predictions. 17:33 In fact, God stakes His reputation on His ability 17:37 to forecast the future. 17:39 "Predictions You Can Trust." 17:41 Watch now on It Is Written TV. 17:46 >>John Bradshaw: This is the Valley of Elah, 17:47 about a 45-minute drive from Jerusalem in Israel. 17:51 It was here that the children of Israel camped on the hills 17:54 on one side of the valley, and the Philistines camped 17:57 on the hills on the other side of the valley, 17:59 when Goliath taunted Israel. 18:03 It was here that David traveled from his home in Bethlehem. 18:06 And even though he was only there to bring food 18:08 for his brothers and to take back a report to his father, 18:12 David soon found that he was in much deeper than he expected 18:16 when he left home. 18:19 David went down to a brook. 18:20 In fact, it was this very stream. 18:23 [Sounds of traffic] Busy road nearby right now. 18:26 Assuming, of course, that the stream hasn't changed its course 18:28 over the years, and maybe it has. 18:31 But there was a stream here in David's day 18:32 about 1000 years BC. 18:35 And this is the stream that survives today. 18:37 And as you look around, 18:39 you see there are many... 18:42 rocks that would have been suitable, 18:46 enabling David to do the job that he needed to do. 18:49 And so he went armed with a staff--that's a stick-- 18:53 and a sling--that was all. 18:55 Of course, with five of these. 18:57 Goliath was covered up in armor and had an armor-bearer 19:00 that went before him. 19:01 David went with virtually nothing, 19:04 except he had what mattered most. 19:06 He had God on his side, and he knew it. 19:09 When Goliath saw that Israel had sent a youth out to fight him, 19:14 he was disgusted. 19:15 He said to David, 19:16 "'Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?' 19:19 And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 19:23 And the Philistine said to David, 19:25 'Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds 19:28 of the air and the beasts of the field!'" 19:31 Now, notice what David said in verse 45: 19:35 "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, 19:37 and with a javelin. 19:39 But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, 19:42 the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied." 19:45 Verse 47: "Then all this assembly shall know 19:49 that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; 19:53 for the battle is the Lord's, 19:55 and He will give you into our hands." 19:59 The Bible tells us that when Goliath came out to meet David, 20:03 David ran towards Goliath. 20:05 Then, without a sword, using only a sling and stones, 20:10 David ended the life of the Philistines' champion. 20:14 A stick, a bag, a sling, and five stones. 20:18 Now, why five stones? 20:20 Certainly not because he thought he would miss, 20:21 although maybe he was intending not to appear presumptuous. 20:25 It would take a lot of confidence 20:27 to go out there with just one rock. 20:30 Now, what about the idea that Goliath had four brothers? 20:33 Well, the passage itself doesn't say anything about that. 20:36 Now, there is a story in 2 Samuel 21 20:38 that speaks about four other Philistine giants. 20:41 Does this mean they were Goliath's brothers, 20:42 and they were there that day? 20:44 No, not necessarily. 20:45 Seems to me that's just speculation. 20:47 Could be right, I guess. 20:49 But really, probably a bit of a stretch. 20:52 The Philistines, of course, did not keep their promise 20:54 that they would serve Israel, but instead turned and fled, 20:59 pursued by the army of Israel, 21:01 which was now feeling pretty confident. 21:03 It's interesting the effect that one person of faith 21:05 can have on a group of people whose faith is flagging. 21:08 [Birds twittering] 21:10 ♪[Soft mysterious Middle Eastern music]♪ 21:12 The wounded fell along the road to Shaaraim, 21:15 which means "two gates." 21:17 It's believed that that is the city, 21:19 the old city of Khirbet Qeiyafa, 21:21 which is right where I'm standing now. 21:24 And also they fell along the road to Gath, 21:27 where Goliath is from, and Ekron. 21:30 In the most unlikely of circumstances, 21:32 God's people were victorious. 21:34 And why was that? 21:36 Because a young man, well, a boy, really, 21:39 believed God was with Him. 21:41 He was jealous for the honor of God, 21:43 not for his own honor. 21:44 David was motivated by causing people to see that Israel's God 21:48 was the true God, and that was clearly seen that day. 21:52 I'll tell you this; 21:53 if we are more concerned with the honor of God 21:55 and less concerned with the honor of ourselves, 21:58 both the world and the church would be a better place. 22:01 David wanted to see God honored. 22:04 The pagans at the time, the Philistines and others, 22:07 believed that a military victory demonstrated that their god 22:10 was the true god, the most powerful god. 22:13 David couldn't stand the thought of the God of heaven 22:16 coming off looking second-best. 22:19 Sometimes it's right to take risks, 22:21 but when God is with you, it's not a risk; it's a sure thing. 22:25 Now, let's switch this up just a little bit because all of us 22:28 are in the midst of our own David-and-Goliath battle, 22:30 every person alive. 22:33 Goliath would be an adequate representation of the devil 22:36 coming against God's people, taunting, threatening. 22:40 So what do you do when the devil comes by? 22:43 What do you when, when temptation gets after you? 22:46 And let's remember temptation is stronger than we are. 22:50 "All have sinned," the Bible says. 22:53 Jeremiah in Jeremiah 17:9 wrote that, 22:56 "The heart is deceitful above all things, 22:58 and desperately wicked; who can know it?" 23:01 He wrote a similar thought in Jeremiah 13:23 when he said, 23:04 "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? 23:09 Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil." 23:13 In other words, we have this problem heart, 23:16 this broken character that wants to do wrong 23:19 and doesn't want to do right. 23:21 And that causes dissonance between us and God. 23:24 We're easy pickings for the devil. 23:26 We're like the little guy against the big guy. 23:29 So what do we do? 23:31 You know what it's like to fail and to fail again. 23:33 You know what it's like 23:34 when temptation gets the better of you. 23:36 It doesn't feel good. 23:41 Now, what weapons did David have in his fight against the giant 23:45 right there in the Valley of Elah? 23:47 Well, he had a sling and stones. 23:51 A sling and stones. 23:53 You wouldn't think that would guarantee him success. 23:56 Now, what weapons do we have in our fight against sin 23:59 and temptation? 24:01 Well, Paul wrote about this in 2 Corinthians chapter 10, 24:04 when he said, 24:05 "For though we walk in the flesh, 24:07 we do not war after the flesh: 24:10 for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, 24:13 but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds." 24:17 So, what are the weapons that we wield in our battle against sin 24:21 and temptation? 24:22 Faith, the Word of God, the promises of God, 24:26 the presence of the Holy Spirit. 24:29 Live close to God. Invite God into your life. 24:31 He will live in you, bring His power into your life. 24:35 Read the Bible. 24:36 Do what Jesus did when He was confronted by temptation, 24:39 and quote Scripture. 24:42 You can let the Word of God be your defense. 24:45 ♪[Soft music]♪ 24:50 Now, here's how this works. 24:52 You have a need in your life, 24:54 and you claim the promise made by God to you 24:57 that you find in Philippians 4 and verse 19: 25:00 "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches 25:03 in glory by Christ Jesus." 25:05 You lack wisdom about a certain situation in your life, 25:08 and you remember that God made a promise to you 25:10 that you find in James 1 and verse 5: 25:12 "If any [man] lack wisdom, let him ask of God, 25:16 [who gives] to all men liberally, 25:17 and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." 25:20 These are promises. 25:22 God made them to you. 25:24 And when you claim those promises, 25:27 you're simply taking God at His word. 25:29 God has said, "I will do this." 25:31 You are saying, "Okay, I'm calling You on that. 25:34 I'm believing You on that. I'm expecting You on that." 25:36 In other words, "I'm having faith in You on that. 25:40 And I'm anticipating, I'm believing 25:43 that You are going to do what Your Word says." 25:46 And in your battle against sin and temptation, 25:48 that is powerful. 25:51 David defeated the giant right here in the Valley of Elah. 25:57 Satan, the "giant," will be defeated 26:00 right here in your heart, right where you are, 26:05 when you call on God and expect God to do great things for you. 26:13 >>Announcer: A sling, a stone, 26:15 and one of the greatest underdog uprisings of all time. 26:18 Explore the incredible true story of David and Goliath. 26:21 Discover the motivation, the courage, 26:23 the immovable faith that shaped a hero. 26:27 Receive today's free DVD offer, "Taking a Stand," 26:29 by calling 800-253-3000 26:33 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 26:36 Get "Taking a Stand" on DVD today. 26:39 Call 800-253-3000. 26:43 >>John Bradshaw: Let's pray together in this historic place. 26:46 Our Father in heaven, we're thankful that we've been able 26:48 to come here to the very site where a great victory of faith 26:53 was won, an unlikely victory. 26:56 We thank You for inspiring us to know that victory is certain 27:00 when our lives are in Your hands, 27:02 when we're following Your will. 27:04 We thank You that You are with us today 27:05 as You were with David then. 27:08 Lord, be close to us in our battle. 27:11 Be close to us as evil threatens us. 27:13 Be our defense and our shield. 27:16 We thank You for blessing us and keeping us. 27:18 Friend, have you opened your heart to God and asked God 27:23 to be your God, your guide, your defense? 27:26 Why don't you do it now? 27:28 Father, would You take that heart and make it Yours? 27:32 And give that person assurance now that as her life or his life 27:36 is in Your hands, the gift of eternal life is certain. 27:41 And we thank You in Jesus' name. Amen. 27:45 Thanks so much for joining me. 27:47 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:49 Until then, remember: 27:51 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:55 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 27:59 ♪[Theme music]♪ 28:09 ♪[Theme music]♪ |
Revised 2020-03-10